The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle Volume 2 Chapter 95

In which a young gentleman, newly committed to the rigours of authorship, seeks counsel to remedy the physical maladies induced by his sedentary toil and is introduced to a society of virtuosi, whose eccentric pursuits and rivalries provide both amusement and instruction. At this curious assembly, he discovers the delicate art of pleasing a patron whose vanity brooks no contradiction, learning the subtle conduct necessary to flourish within this learned circle.