*

'Tis good for us to live in gravel pits, but not for gravel pits to live in us; a man in this case should leave no stone unturned. Lord-treasurer's sickness, the queen's gout, the forwarding the peace, occasion putting off the parliament a fortnight longer. My head has had no ill returns. I had good walking to-day in the city, and take all opportunities of it on purpose for my health; but I can't walk in the Park, because that is only for walking sake, and loses time, so I mix it with business. I wish MD walked half as much as Presto. If I was with you, I'd make you walk; I would walk behind or before you, and you should have masks on, and be tucked up like any thing; and Stella is naturally a stout walker, and carries herself firm; methinks I see her strut, and step clever over a kennel; and Dingley would do well enough if her petticoats were pinned up; but she is so embroiled, and so fearful, and then Stella scolds, and Dingley stumbles, and is so daggled. Have you got the whalebone petticoats among you yet? I hate them; a woman here may hide a moderate gallant under them. Pshaw, what's all this I'm saying? Methinks I am talking to MD face to face.

11. Did I tell you that old Frowde, the old fool, is selling his estate at Pepperhara, and is sculking about the town nobody knows where? and who do you think manages all this for him, but that rogue Child, the double squire of Farnham ? I have put Mrs Masham, the queen's favourite, upon buying it; but that is yet a great secret; and I have employed Lady Oglethorp to inquire about it. I was with Lady Oglethorp to-day,

* Alluding, I suppose, to Kensington gravel pits, where patients are sent for the sake of air.

who is come to town for a week or two, and to-morrow I will see to hunt out the old fool; he is utterly ruined, and at this present in some blind alley with some dirty wench. He has two sons that must starve, and he never gives them a farthing. If Mrs Masham buys the land, I will desire her to get the queen to give some pension to the old fool, to keep him from absolutely starving. What do you meddle with other people's affairs for? says Stella. O but Mr Masham and his wife are very urgent with me, since I first put them in the head of it. I dined with Sir Matthew Dudley, who, I doubt, will soon lose his employment.

12. Morning. I am going to hunt out old Frowde, and to do some business in the city. I have not yet called to Patrick to know whether it be fair.-It has been past dropping these two days. Rainy weather hurts my fate and my purse. He tells me 'tis very windy, and begins to look dark; woe be to my shillings! an old saying and a true,

Few fillings,

Many shillings.

If the day be dark, my purse will be light.

Το enemies be this curse,
my

A dark day and a light purse.

And so I'll rise, and go to my fire, for Patrick tells me I have a fire; yet it is not shaving-day, nor is the weather cold; this is too extravagant. What is become of Dilly? I suppose you have him with you. Stella is just now showing a white leg, and putting it into the slipper. Present my service to her, and tell her I am engaged to the dean and desire she will come too: or, Dingley,

can't you write a note? This is Stella's morning dialogue, no, morning speech I mean.-Morrow, sirrahs, and let me rise as well as you; but I promise you Walls can't dine with the dean to-day, for she is to be at Mrs Proby's just after dinner, and to go with Gracy Spencer to the shops to buy a yard of muslin, and a silver lace for an under petticoat. Morrow again, sirrahs.—At night. I dined with Stratford in the city, but could not finish my affairs with him; but now I have resolved to buy five hundred pounds South Sea stock, which will cost me three hundred and eighty ready money; and I will make use of the bill of a hundred pounds you sent me, and transfer Mrs Walls over to Hawkshaw; or if she dislikes it, I will borrow a hundred pounds of the secretary, and repay her. Three shillings coach-hire to to-day. I have spoken to Frowde's brother to get me the lowest price of the estate, to tell Mrs Masham.

13. I dined privately with a friend to-day in the neighbourhood. Last Saturday night I came home, and the drab had just washed my room, and my bedchamber was all wet, and I was forced to go to bed in my own defence, and no fire; I was sick on Sunday, and now have got a swingeing cold. I scolded like a dog at Patrick, although he was out with me; I detest washing of rooms; can't they wash them in a morning, and make a fire, and leave open the windows? I slept not a wink last night for hawking and spitting and now every body has colds. Here's a clatter: I'll go to bed and sleep if I can.

:

14. Lady Mountjoy sent to me two days ago, so I dined with her to-day, and in the evening went to see lord-treasurer. I found Patrick had been just there with a how d'ye, and my lord had returned answer that

*

he desired to see me. Mrs Masham was with him when I came; and they are never disturbed: 'tis well she is not very handsome; they sit alone together settling the nation. I sat with Lady Oxford, and stopped Mrs Masham as she came out, and told her what progress I had made, &c. and went to lord-treasurer: he is very well, only uneasy at rising or sitting, with some rheumatic pains in his thigh, and a foot weak. He showed me a small paper, sent by an unknown hand to one Mr Cook, who sent it to my lord: it was written in plain large letters thus:

And a little below; Burn this, you dog. My lord has frequently such letters as these: once he showed me one, which was a vision describing a certain man, his dress, his sword, and his countenance, who was to murder my lord. And he told me, he saw a fellow in the chapel at Windsor with a dress very like it. They often send him letters signed, Your humble servant, The Devil, and I sat with him till after ten, and have busi

such stuff. ness to do.

15. The secretary came yesterday to town from Hampton Court, so I went to him early this morning; but he went back last night again: and coming home tonight I found a letter from him to tell me, that he was just come from Hampton Court, and just returning, and will not be here till Saturday night. A pox take him; he stops all my business. I'll beg leave to come

* She was remarkable for a very red nose, which was the perpetual subject of raillery in the Whig lampoons.

back when I have got over this; and hope to see MD in Ireland soon after Christmas.-I'm weary of courts, and want my journies to Laracor; they did me more good than all the ministries these twenty years. I dined to-day in the city, but did no business as I designed. Lady Mountjoy tells me, that Dilly is got to Ireland, and that the Archbishop of Dublin was the cause of his returning so soon. The parliament was prorogued two days ago for a fortnight, which, with the queen's absence, makes the town very dull and empty. They tell me the Duke of Ormond brings all the world away with him from Ireland. London has nothing so bad in it in winter as your knots of Irish folks; but I go to no coffeehouse, and so I seldom see them. This letter shall go on Saturday; and then I am even with the world again. I have lent money, and cannot get it, and am forced to borrow for myself.

16. My man made a blunder this morning, and let up a visitor, when I had ordered to see nobody; so I was forced to hurry a hang dog instrument of mine into my bedchamber, and keep him cooling his heels there above an hour.I am -I am going on fairly in the common forms of a great cold; I believe it will last me about ten days in all. I should have told you, that in those two verses sent to lord-treasurer, the G-d stands for Guiscard; that is easy; but we differed about F――n; I thought it was for Frenchman, because he hates them, and they him and so it would be, That although Guiscard's knife missed its design, the knife of a Frenchman might yet do it.* My lord thinks it stands for Felton,

* That of Swift is the polite reading, that of the treasurer probably the true one. Those who wrote him such a billet did not