s, and therefore easily found admission to
the table of _Hilarius_, the celebrated orator, renowned equally for the
extent of his knowledge, the elegance of his diction, and the acuteness
of his wit.

15. _Hilarius_ received me with an appearance of great satisfaction,
produced to me all his friends, and directed to me that part of his
discourse in which he most endeavoured to display his imagination. I had
now learned my own interest enough to supply him with opportunities for
smart remarks and gay sallies, which I never failed to echo and applaud.

16. Thus I was gaining every hour on his affections, till,
unfortunately, when the assembly was more splendid than usual, his
desire of admiration prompted him to turn raillery upon me. I bore it
for some time with great submission, and success encouraged him to
redouble his attacks; at last my vanity prevailed over my prudence; I
retorted his irony with such spirit, that _Hilarius_, unaccustomed to
resistance, was disconcerted, and soon found means of convincing me,
that his purpose was not to encourage a rival, but to foster a parasite.

17. I was then taken into the familiarity of _Argurio_, a nobleman
eminent for judgment and criticism. He had contributed to my reputation,
by the praises which he had often bestowed upon my writings, in which he
owned that there were proofs of a genius that might rise high to degrees
of excellence, when time, or information, had reduced its exuberance.

18. He therefore required me to consult him before the publication of
any new performance, and commonly proposed innumerable alterations,
without, sufficient attention to the general design, or regard to my
form of style, and mode of imagination.

19. But these corrections he never failed to press as indispensably
necessary, and thought the least delay of compliance an act of
rebellion. The pride of an author made this treatment insufferable, and
I thought any tyranny easier to be borne than that which took from me
the use of my understanding.

20. My next patron was _Eutyches_ the statesman, who was wholly engaged
in public affairs, and seemed to have no ambition but to be powerful and
rich. I found his favour more permanent than that of the others, for
there was a certain price at which it might be bought; he allowed
nothing to humour or affection, but was always ready to pay liberally
for the service he required.

21. His demands were, indeed, very often such as virtue could not