oftentimes undergone
the most hazardous dangers for him, was full of assurance, and thought
he might expect a sort of equality with the king, on account of the
firmness of the friendship he had showed to him. Accordingly, he would
no where let the king sit as his superior, and took the like liberty in
speaking to him upon all occasions, till he became troublesome to the
king, when they were merry together, extolling himself beyond measure,
and oft putting the king in mind of the severity of fortune he had
undergone, that he might, by way of ostentation, demonstrate What zeal
he had showed in his service; and was continually harping upon this
string, what pains he had taken for him, and much enlarged still upon
that subject. The repetition of this so frequently seemed to reproach
the king, insomuch that he took this ungovernable liberty of talking
very ill at his hands. For the commemoration of times when men have been
under ignominy, is by no means agreeable to them; and he is a very silly
man who is perpetually relating to a person what kindness he had done
him. At last, therefore, Silas had so thoroughly provoked the
king's indignation, that he acted rather out of passion than good
consideration, and did not only turn Silas out of his place, as general
of his horse, but sent him in bonds into his own country. But the edge
of his anger wore off by length of time, and made room for more just
reasonings as to his judgment about this man; and he considered how many
labors he had undergone for his sake. So when Agrippa was solemnizing
his birth-day, and he gave festival entertainments to all his subjects,
he sent for Silas on the sudden to be his guest. But as he was a very
frank man, he thought he had now a just handle given him to be angry;
which he could not conceal from those that came for him, but said to
them, "What honor is this the king invites me to, which I conclude will
soon be over? For the king hath not let me keep those original marks
of the good-will I bore him, which I once had from him; but he hath
plundered me, and that unjustly also. Does he think that I can leave off
that liberty of speech, which, upon the consciousness of my deserts, I
shall use more loudly than before, and shall relate how many misfortunes
I have been delivered from; how many labors I have undergone for him,
whereby I procured him deliverance and respect; as a reward for which
I have borne the hardships of bonds and a dark prison? I sha