all necessaries, till your own extravagance
hath brought you into distress; and now you have the impudence, you
nasty, stinking, brimstone bungaway! to say you are hardly dealt with,
when I demand no more than my own?' Thus the w-- and the author are
equally oppressed, and even left without the melancholy privilege of
complaining; so that they are fain to subscribe to such terms as their
creditors shall please to impose."

This illustration operated so powerfully upon the conviction and
resentment of the whole college, that revenge was universally denounced
against those who had aggrieved the plaintiff; and, after some debate,
it was agreed, that he should make a new translation of some other
saleable book, in opposition to a former version belonging to the
delinquents, and print it in such a small size as would enable him
to undersell their property; and that this new translation should
be recommended and introduced into the world with the whole art and
influence of the society.

This affair being settled to the satisfaction of all present, an author
of some character stood up, and craved the advice and assistance of his
fellows, in punishing a certain nobleman of great pretensions to taste,
who, in consequence of a production which this gentleman had ushered
into the world with universal applause, not only desired, but even
eagerly courted his acquaintance. "He invited me to his house," said he,
"where I was overwhelmed with civility and professions of friendship.
He insisted upon my treating him as an intimate, and calling upon him at
all hours, without ceremony; he made me promise to breakfast with him
at least three times a week. In short, I looked upon myself as very
fortunate, in meeting with such advances from a man of his interest and
reputation, who had it in his power to befriend me effectually in my
passage through life; and, that I might not give him any cause to think
I neglected his friendship, I went to his house in two days, with a view
of drinking chocolate, according to appointment; but he had been so
much fatigued with dancing at an assembly overnight, that his
valet-de-chambre would not venture to wake him so early; and I left my
compliments to his lordship, with a performance in manuscript, which he
had expressed a most eager desire to peruse. I repeated my visit next
morning, that his impatience to see me might not have some violent
effect upon his constitution; and received a message from his mi