Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

ter from her mother, who is at Sheen; but will soon be in town, and will call to see me: she gave me a bottle of palsy water, a small one, and desired I would send it you by the first convenience, as I will; and she promises a quart bottle of the same; your sister looked very well, and seems a good modest sort of girl. I went then to Mr Lewis, first secretary to Lord Dartmouth, and favourite to Mr Harley, who is to introduce me to-morrow morning. Lewis had with him one Mr Dyet, a justice of peace, worth twenty thousand pounds, a commissioner of the stamp office, and married to a sister of Sir Philip Meadows, envoy to the emperor. I tell you this, because it is odds but this Mr Dyet will be hanged; for he is discovered to have counterfeited stamp paper, in which he was a commissioner; and, with his accomplices, has cheated the queen of a hundred thousand pounds. You will hear of it before this come to you, but may be not so particularly; and it is a very odd accident in such a man. Smoke Presto writing news to MD. I dined to-day with Lord Mountjoy at Kensington, and walked from thence this evening to town like an emperor. Remember that yesterday, October 2, was a cruel hard frost, with ice; and six days ago I was dying with heat. As thin as the town is, I have more dinners than ever, and am asked this month by some people, without being able to come for pre-engagements. Well, but I should write plainer, when I consider Stella cannot read, † and Dingley is not so

* He was tried at the Old Bailey, Jan. 13, 1710-11, and was acquitted, his crime being found not felony, but only breach of

trust.

+ Owing to the weakness of her eyes.

skilful at my ugly hand. I had, to-night, a letter from Mr Pratt, who tells me Joe will have his money when there are trustees appointed by the lord-lieutenant for receiving and disposing the linen fund; and whenever those trustees are appointed, I will solicit whoever is lord-lieutenant, and am in no fear of succeeding. So pray tell or write him word, and bid him not be cast down; for Ned Southwell* and Mr Addison both think Pratt in the right. Do not lose your money at Manley's to-night, sirrahs.

4. After I had put out my candle last night, my landlady came into my room, with a servant of Lord Halifax, to desire I would go dine with him at his house near Hampton Court; but I sent him word I had business of great importance that hindered me, &c. † And, to-day, I was brought privately to Mr Harley, who received me with the greatest respect and kindness imaginable he has appointed me an hour on Saturday at four, afternoon, when I will open my business to him ; which expression I would not use if I were a woman. I know you smoked it; but I did not till I writ it. I dined to-day at Mr Delaval's, the envoy of Portugal, with Nic. Rowe the poet, and other friends; and I gave my lampoon to be printed. I have more mischief in my heart; and I think it shall go round with them. all, as this hits, and I can find hints. I am certain I answered your 2d letter, and yet I do not find it here, I suppose it was in my 4th; and why N. 2d, 3d; is it

* A privy counsellor, and secretary of state for Ireland.

+ The reader may here pause, to remark the singular situation of Swift, who was at this moment called to make choice between the friendship of the two greatest men in England.

[blocks in formation]

not enough to say, as I do, 1, 2, 3? &c. I am going to work at another Tatler: I will be far enough but I say the same thing over two or three times, just as I do when I am talking to little MD; but what care I? they can read it as easily as I can write it: I think I have brought these lines pretty straight again. I fear it will be long before I finish two sides at this rate. Pray, dear MD, when I occasionally give you a little commission mixed with my letters, do not forget it, as that to Morgan and Joe, &c., for I write just as I can remember, otherwise I would put them all together. I was to visit Mr Sterne to-day, and gave him your commission about handkerchiefs that of chocolate I will do myself, and send it him when he goes, and you will pay me when the givers bread, &c. To-night I will read a pamphlet, to amuse myself. God preserve your dear healths.

5. This morning Delaval came to see me, and we went to Kneller's, * who was not in town. In the way we met the electors for parliamentmen: and the rabble came about our coach, crying a Colt, a Stanhope, &c. We were afraid of a dead cat, or our glasses broken, and so were always of their side. † I dined again at Delaval's; and in the evening, at the coffeehouse, heard Sir Andrew Fountaine was come to town. This has been but an insipid sort of day, and I have nothing to remark upon it worth threepence: I hope MD had a better,

Sir Godfrey Kneller's the painter.

+ The Westminster election was at this time keenly contested between Mr Medlicot and Mr Cross for the high church party, and General Stanhope and Sir Henry Dutton Colt, on the part of the Whigs. The adherents of the former behaved with great violence at the poll; and the Whig voters being intimidated, the government candidates were returned by a great majority.

with the dean, the bishop, or Mrs Walls. Why, the reason you lost four and eightpence last night but one at Manley's, was because you played bad games; I took notice of six that you had ten to one against you: Would any but a mad lady go out twice upon manilio, basto, and two small diamonds? Then in that game of spades, you blundered when you had ten ace; I never saw the like of you and now you are in a huff because I tell you this. Well, here is two and eightpence halfpenny toward your loss.

:

6. Sir Andrew Fountaine came this morning, and caught me writing in bed. I went into the city with him; and we dined at the chophouse with Will Pate, the learned woollen-draper: then we sauntered at chinashops and booksellers; went to the tavern, drank two pints of white wine, and never parted till ten: and now I am come home, and must copy out some papers I intend for Mr Harley, whom I am to see, as I told you, to-morrow afternoon: so that this night I shall say little to MD, but that I heartily wish myself with them, and will come as soon as I either fail, or compass my business. We now hear daily of elections; and, in a list I saw yesterday of about twenty, there are seven or eight more Tories than in the last parliament; so that I believe they need not fear a majority, with the help of those who will vote as the court pleases. But I have been told, that Mr Harley himself would not let the Tories be too numerous, for fear they should be insolent, and kick against him; and for that reason they have

* Harley, who apparently was a friend to the Protestant succession, had, after the defeat of the Whig ministers, to guard against those of his own party, who, being either determined Jacobites,

kept several Whigs in employments, who expected to be turned out every day; as Sir John Holland the comptroller, and many others. And so get you gone to your cards, and your claret and orange, at the dean's, * and I will go write.

7. I wonder when this letter will be finished: it must go by Tuesday, that is certain; and if I have one from MD before, I will not answer it, that is as certain too! It is now morning, and I did not finish my papers for Mr Harley last night; for you must understand Presto was sleepy, and made blunders and blots. Very pretty that I must be writing to young women in a morning fresh and fasting, faith. Well, good morrow to you: and so I go to business, and lay aside this paper till night, sirrahs.—At night. Jack How told Harley, that if there were a lower place in hell than another, it was reserved for his porter, who tells lies so gravely, and with so civil a manner. This porter I have had to deal with, going this evening at four to visit Mr Harley, by his own appointment. But the fellow told me no lie, though I suspected every word he said. He told me his master was just gone to dinner, with much company, and desired I would come an hour hence, which I did, expecting to hear Mr Harley was gone out; but they had just done dinner. Mr Harley came out to me, brought me in, and presented me to his son-in-law, Lord Doblane, † (or some such name,) and his own son,

or high-flying Tories, were resolved not only on victory, but on revenge; and, to balance the furious activity of these factions, which at length, under St John's guidance, undermined his power, he kept in place a considerable number of the Whig party.

* Dr Sterne, Dean of St Patrick's.

+ George Henry Hay, Viscount Dupplin, eldest son to the Earl

« AnteriorContinuar »