On these excellent Foundations, I built up a World of Hopes, and askt for every thing I knew I deserv'd, making a Conscience of aiming at any thing further, and was happy enough to receive many fair Promises and good Looks, not only from my Patron, but my Patron's Patron's Patron, who was a very great Man indeed. I was trusted with several Secrets before they were in Print, and assur'd of succeeding to many tolerable Places, before they were vacant; and was so much consider'd, that I never askt for any thing, that I did not get a distant Promise of, or a very civil Excuse for being refus'd it. This kept up my Spirits, and quickned my Zeal for several Sessions, till finding my Equipage and Table, my Elections and living like a Man of Consequence, had sunk another third of my Estate, I began to be so importunate for something, as soon as I found I had little or nothing left, that tho' I was willing to take any Place during good Behaviour, which by a fair Computation I might have purchased the yearly Value of in Land by half what I had spent in the Service, yet I found my self so utterly unsecure of any thing but sincere Promises, which I knew it difficultto
