thoughts to pass in smother

The second fruit of friendship, is healthful and sovereign for the understanding, as the
first is for the affections. For friendship maketh indeed a fair day in the affections, from
storm and tempests; but it maketh daylight in the understanding, out of darkness, and
confusion of thoughts. Neither is this to be understood only of faithful counsel, which a
man receiveth from his friend; but before you come to that, certain it is, that whosoever
hath his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits and understanding do clarify and break
up, in the communicating and discoursing with another; he tosseth his thoughts more easily;
he marshalleth them more orderly, he seeth how they look when they are turned into words:
finally, he waxeth wiser than himself; and that more by an hour’s discourse, than by a day
’s meditation. It was well said by Themistocles, to the king of Persia, That speech was
like cloth of Arras, opened and put abroad; whereby the imagery doth appear in figure;
whereas in thoughts they lie but as in packs. Neither is this second fruit of friendship, in
opening the understanding, restrained only to such friends as are able to give a man
counsel; (they indeed are best;) but even without that, a man learneth of himself, and
bringeth his own thoughts to light, and whetteth his wits as against a stone, which itself
cuts not. In a word, a man were better relate himself to a statua, or picture, than to
suffer his thoughts to pass in smother.