On Friendship is one of the best-loved essays from Montaigne's first book of essays. In it he considers what true friendship is and how it differs from family ties, social connection and romantic love. He writes with great feeling about his own close friend, the writer Étienne de La Boétie, whose early death left a deep mark on him. Montaigne argues that a perfect friendship joins two minds so fully that reasons for it can hardly be given. The essay is short, personal and moving, and it is often read on its own as a classic reflection on companionship.