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Bereft thus through vanity and i labours of his father, he was now compelled to think seriously of soh willing to sacrifice to him even the nourishment which sustained her, could do for him but little, and that little he had too ent and successful, is extremely slow of profit, and whatever, froht be hoped hereafter, at present required an expence which he was no longer able to support

It rereat and the powerful

His canvas proved extre, and all see hi the world so much better than report had made it, he no the conclusion of his difficulties in the prospect of a place at court

Belfield, with half the penetration hich he was gifted, would have seen in any other man the delusive idleness of expectations no better founded; but though discernly can teach us our own! he flattered himself that his friends had been more wisely selected than the friends of those who in siuiled, and he suspected not the fraud of his vanity, till he found his invitations daily slacken, and that his time was at his own command

All his hopes now rested upon one friend and patron, Mr Floyer, an uncle of Sir Robert Floyer, a man of power in the royal household, horeat intimacy, and who at this period had the disposal of a place which he solicited The only obstacle that seemed in his as from Sir Robert himself, armly exerted his interest in favour of a friend of his own Mr Floyer, however, assured Belfield of the preference, and only begged his patience till he could find so his nephew

And this was the state of his affairs at the time of his quarrel at the Opera-house Already declared opponents of each other, Sir Robert felt double wrath that for him Cecilia should reject his civilities; while Belfield, suspecting he presumed upon his known dependence on his uncle to affront hihtiness of his behaviour And thus, slight as seemed to the world the cause of their contest, each had private e

The very day after this duel, Mr Floyer wrote hied in common decency to take the part of his nephew, and therefore had already given the place to the friend he had recommended