sting within me how
I should demean myself, so as to regain the vantage I had lost; taking
little heed as to how the loss had come, whether from an ill-judged pride
and pretending in myself, or from the natural spirit of envy, that
darkens the good-will of all mankind towards those who get sudden
promotion, as it was commonly thought I had obtained, in being so soon
exalted to the provostry.

Before the Michaelmas I was, in consequence of this deliberation and
counselling with my own mind, fully prepared to achieve a great stroke of
policy for the future government of the town. I saw that it would not do
for me for a time to stand overly eminent forward, and that it was a
better thing, in the world, to have power and influence, than to show the
possession of either. Accordingly, after casting about from one thing to
another, I bethought with myself, that it would be a great advantage if
the council could be worked with, so as to nominate and appoint My Lord
the next provost after me. In the proposing of this, I could see there
would be no difficulty; but the hazard was, that his lordship might only
be made a tool of instrumentality to our shrewd and sly town-clerk, Mr
Keelivine, while it was of great importance that I should keep the
management of my lord in my own hands. In this strait, however, a thing
came to pass, which strongly confirms me in the opinion, that good-luck
has really a great deal to say with the prosperity of men. The earl, who
had not for years been in the country, came down in the summer from
London, and I, together with the other magistrates and council, received
an invitation to dine with him at the castle. We all of course went,
"with our best breeding," as the old proverb says, "helped by our brawest
cleeding;" but I soon saw that it was only a _pro forma_ dinner, and that
there was nothing of cordiality in all the civility with which we were
treated, both by my lord and my lady. Nor, indeed, could I, on an
afterthought, blame our noble entertainers for being so on their guard;
for in truth some of the deacons, (I'll no say any of the bailies,) were
so transported out of themselves with the glory of my lord's banquet, and
the thought of dining at the castle, and at the first table too, that
when the wine began to fiz in their noddles, they forgot themselves
entirely, and made no more of the earl than if he had been one of
themselves. Seeing to what issue the matter was tending, I set a gu