Panutius|, the faithfull |Secretorie| and counsellour to the great Emperour and Philosopher surnamed |Aurelius|, for the high |wisdome, fidelitie|, and counsell by him in all his seruices continued towards the Prince during his life time, and euen to the verie entrance of his graue, deserued before manie others, (secrete also in aduice to the said Emperour) to be termed and called by the name of a |friend|. Insomuch as he onelie daring to speake plainlie, what in others iudgements might séeme to be offensiue, & to perswade faithfullie, what he saw most agreeing to the present extremitie, made the Emperour pronounce himselfe fortunate, to haue nourished one so discreet in his Pallace, and most blessed of all, in that when each failed him in his dying, he onely was found assured vnto him, among all that were liuing.=
=In this friendlie knot of loue, and that of seruile commaund, remaineth a most notable difference, especiallie for this matter of |trust| and |fidelitie|, required in seruice, for, _quem metuunt odiunt_, whom men feare they hate:| well may they for fashions sake please, but this sound kinde of affection is often far from their thought. And yet that there may bee an awed reuerence, aswel in |loue| as in |feare|, who doubteth it, yea and that rather far more assured and effectuall then the other. For where this grounded |Loue| by |vertue| once staieth confirmed, the humilitie and gentlenesse of the mind is it immediatlie that afterwards directeth the thoughtes, we then doe gladlie honour the more, by how much the willinger we desire to serue, and more firmlie obeie, by how much the more entirelie we stand to be fauored. This friendlie |Fidelitie|, not vrged or constrained by soueraign command, but of a zeale to weldoing voluntarily embraced; leadeth the reputation and estimate of our |Secretory| to be receiued as a friend.=
=As of |Fidelity|, besides |Credit| of |counsell| and |riches|, there are sundrie other branches, and diuers deserued partes that seriouslie may bee commended, so are there of |Friendship|. The association of both twaine, combineth and knitteth together all other perfections. Which granted, vndoubtedlie must the partie frequenting so great a place of seruice, proue then to be a person of right speciall commendation, of answerable |vertue|, and of noted discretion. For that in doing seruice to his Lorde or maister, it séemeth a matter incident to his accompt, and to the better effecting the name of a friend, that in causes vrgent and néedfull, he be not vnpurueyed in his owne person, wherewith discreetlie, as occasion serueth, both to aduise & counsell (the very efficient matter wherin his enabled discretion may with greatest singularitie be performed) the assurance whereof, by credit of most memorable antiquities, hath not onlie framed that of loyall seruantes, such haue bin entertained as faithfull friendes, but also hath not beene slender occasion manie times, to the preuention of sundrie vehement and dangerous mischiefes.=