But the secretary said it was a thing of no consequence, and only observed by gentlemen ushers. * I supped with Lord Masham, where lord-treasurer and Mr Secretary supped with us; the first left us at twelve, but the rest did not part till two, yet I have written all this, because it is fresh and now I'll go sleep if I can ; that is, I believe I shall, because I have drank a little.

1

7. I was this morning to give the Duke of Ormond notice of the honour done him to make him one of our society, and to invite him on Thursday next to the Thatched House: he has accepted it with the gratitude and humility such a preferment deserves, but cannot come till the next meeting, because Prince Eugene is to dine with him that day, which I allowed for a good excuse, and will report accordingly. I dined with Lord Masham, and sat there till eight this evening, and came home, because I was not very well, but a little griped ; but now I am well again, I will not go, at least but very seldom, to Lord Masham's suppers. Lord-treasurer is generally there, and that tempts me, but late sitting up does not agree with me: there's the short and the long, and I won't do it; so take your answer, dear little young women; and I have no more to say to you tonight, because of the archbishop, for I am going to write a long letter to him, but not so politicly as formerly: I won't trust him.

8. Well, then, come, let us see this letter; if I must answer it, I must. What's here now? yes faith, I lament

*Swift, who again mentions this little anecdote in his Treatise on Good Breeding, says, that the important piece of etiquette insinuated by Hoffman, was the best lesson which that dull old German had learned in five-and-twenty years residence.

nd you

upon my

m running

r a thousand ir glasses, and at of my head. do I say upon the and see whether I say s recovery, heartily glad; Bishop of Cloyne's child I have I am sorry in a civil way, that's all.

George St George dead.-Go, cry, Madam

written to the dean. Raymond will

ch, for he has the building itch.

I wish all he has out of debt. Poh, I have fires like they cost me twelvepence a-week, beside

fine

small coal. I have got four new caps, madam, very i and convenient, with striped cambric, instead of muslin ; Patrick need not mend them, but take the old ones. snatched Dingley's word out of her pen; Presto

a cold; why, all the world here is dead with them: I

never

five

had

any thing like it in my life; 'tis not gone in weeks. I hope Leigh is with you before this, and has brought your box. How do you like the ivory rasp? Stella is angry; but I'll have a finer thing for her. Is not the apron as good? I am sure I shall never be paid it; so all's well again.-What the quarrel with Sir John Walters? Why, we had not one word of quarrel; only he railed at me when I was gone and lord-keeper and treasurer teazed me for a week. It was nuts to them;

* Dr Swift, upon his birth-day, used always to read the third chapter of Job.

TO STELLA.

pins 1

*

us thing with a vengeance.-The Whigs may sell ates then, or hang themselves, as they are disa peace there will be. Lord-treasurer told olly was going to Hanover. Your provost Stella is a good girl for not being angry of spelling; I see none wrong in this. praised that your disorders lessen; opes mightily that they will go off. been plagued with the fear of the plague? d those reports; I have heard them five hun

imes. Replevi? Replevin, simpleton, 'tis Dingley - mean; but it is a hard word, and so I'll excuse it. I stated Dingley's accounts in my last. I forgot Catherine's sevenpenny dinner. I hope it was the beef-steaks; I'll call and eat them in spring; but Goody Stoyte must give me coffee, or green tea, for I drink no bohea. Well, ay, the pamphlet; but there are some additions to the fourth edition; the fifth edition was of four thousand, in a smaller print, sold for sixpence. Yes, I had the twenty pound bill from Parvisol: and what then? Pray now eat the Laracor apples; I beg you not to keep them, but tell me what they are. You have had Tooke's bill in my last. And so there now, your whole letter is answered. I tell you what I do; I lay your letter before me, and take it in order, and answer what is necessary; and so and so. Well; when I expected we were all undone, I designed to retire for six months, and then steal over to Laracor; and I had in my mouth a thousand times two lines of Shakespeare, where Cardinal Wolsey says,

"A weak old man, battered with storms of state,
"Is come to lay his weary bones among you."

* Such, it would seem, had been their threat, as communicated by Stella.

ed my birth-day* two days after, and that's all : and you rhyme, Madam Stella; were those verses made upon my birth-day? faith, when I read them, I had them running in my head all the day, and said them over a thousand times; they drank your health in all their glasses, and wished, &c. I could not get them out of my head. What; no, I believe it was not; what do I say upon the eighth of December? Compare, and see whether I say so. I am glad of Mrs Stoyte's recovery, heartily glad; your Dolly Manley's and Bishop of Cloyne's child I have no concern about: I am sorry in a civil way, that's all. Yes, yes, Sir George St George dead.—Go, cry, Madam Dingley; I have written to the dean. Raymond will be rich, for he has the building itch. I wish all he has got may put him out of debt. Poh, I have fires like lightning; they cost me twelvepence a-week, beside small coal. I have got four new caps, madam, very fine and convenient, with striped cambric, instead of muslin ; so Patrick need not mend them, but take the old ones. Stella snatched Dingley's word out of her pen; Presto a cold; why, all the world here is dead with them: I never had any thing like it in my life; 'tis not gone in five weeks. I hope Leigh is with you before this, and has brought your box. How do you like the ivory rasp? Stella is angry; but I'll have a finer thing for her. Is not the apron as good? I am sure I shall never be paid it; so all's well again.-What the quarrel with Sir John Walters? Why, we had not one word of quarrel; only he railed at me when I was gone and lord-keeper and treasurer teazed me for a week. It was nuts to them;

* Dr Swift, upon his birth-day, used always to read the third chapter of Job.

a serious thing with a vengeance.-The Whigs may sell their estates then, or hang themselves, as they are disposed; for a peace there will be. Lord-treasurer told

me, that Conolly was going to Hanover. Your provost is a coxcomb. Stella is a good girl for not being angry when I tell her of spelling; I see none wrong in this. God Almighty be praised that your disorders lessen; it increases my hopes mightily that they will go off. And have you been plagued with the fear of the plague ? never mind those reports; I have heard them five hundred times. Replevi? Replevin, simpleton, 'tis Dingley I mean; but it is a hard word, and so I'll excuse it. I stated Dingley's accounts in my last. I forgot Catherine's sevenpenny dinner. I hope it was the beef-steaks; I'll call and eat them in spring; but Goody Stoyte must give me coffee, or green tea, for I drink no bohea. Well, ay, the pamphlet; but there are some additions to the fourth edition; the fifth edition was of four thousand, in a smaller print, sold for sixpence. Yes, I had the twenty pound bill from Parvisol: and what then? Pray now eat the Laracor apples; I beg you not to keep them, but tell me what they are. You have had Tooke's bill in my last. And so there now, your whole letter is answered. I tell you what I do; I lay your letter before me, and take it in order, and answer what is necessary; and so and so. Well; when I expected we were all undone, I designed to retire for six months, and then steal over to Laracor; and I had in my mouth a thousand times two lines of Shakespeare, where Cardinal Wolsey says,

"A weak old man, battered with storms of state,

" Is come to lay his weary bones among you.”

* Such, it would seem, had been their threat, as communicated by Stella.