choly, by some symptoms of bloody ur-e: he expects a cruel fit of the stone in twelve hours; he says he is never mistaken, and he appears like a man that is to be racked to-morrow. I cannot but hope it will not be so bad; he is a perfectly honest man, and one I have much obligation to. It rained a little this afternoon, and grew fair again. Lady Oglethorp sent to speak to me, and it was to let me know that Lady Rochester desires she and I may be better acquainted. 'Tis a little too late; for I am not now in love with Lady Rochester: they shame me out of her, because she is old. Arbuthnot says, he hopes my strained thumb is not the gout; for he has often found people so mistaken. I do not remember the particular thing that gave it me, only I had it just after beating Patrick, and now it is better: so I believe he is mistaken.

5. The Duchess of Shrewsbury sent to invite me to dinner; but I was abroad last night when her servant came, and this morning I sent my excuses, because I was engaged, which I was sorry for. Mrs Forester taxed me yesterday about the History of the Maids of Honour; but I told her fairly it was no jest of mine; for I found they did not relish it altogether well and I have enough already of a quarrel with that brute Sir John Walters, who has been railing at me in all companies ever since I dined with him; that I abused the queen's meat and drink, and said nothing at the table was good, and all a dd lie; for after dinner, commending the wine, I said, I thought it was something small. You would wonder how all my friends laugh at this quarrel. It will be such a jest for the keeper, treasurer, and secretary.I dined with honest Colonel Godfrey, took a good walk of an hour on the terrace, and then came

up to study; but it grows bloody cold, and I have no waistcoat here.

I

6. I never dined with the chaplains till to-day; but my friend Gastrel and the Dean of Rochester had often invited me, and I happened to be disengaged: it is the worst provided table at court. We ate on pewter: every chaplain, when he is made a dean, gives a piece of plate, and so they have got a little, some of it very old. One who was made Dean of Peterborow (a small dean. ery) said, he would give no plate; he was only Dean of Pewterborow. The news of Mr Hill's miscarriage in his expedition came to-day, * and I went to visit Mrs Masham and Mrs Hill, his two sisters, to condole with them. I advised them by all means to go to the music meeting to-night, to show they were not cast down, &c. and they thought my advice was right, and went. doubt Mr Hill and his admiral made wrong steps; however, we lay it all to a storm, &c. I sat with the secretary at supper; then we both went to lord-treasurer's supper, and sat till twelve. The secretary is much mortified about Hill; because this expedition was of his contriving, and he counted much upon it; but lord-treasurer was just as merry as usual, and old laughing at Sir John Walters and me falling out. I said, nothing grieved me, but that they would take example, and perhaps presume upon it, and get out of my government; but that I thought I was not obliged to govern bears, though I governed men. They promise to be as obedient as ever, and so we laughed ;-and so I go to bed; for it is colder still, and you have a fire now, and are at cards at home.

*The expedition against Quebec.

7. Lord Harley and I dined privately to-day with Mrs Masham and Mrs Hill, and my brother Masham. I saw Lord Halifax at court, and we joined and talked; and the Duchess of Shrewsbury came up and reproached me for not dining with her. I said, that was not so soon done; for I expected more advances from ladies, especially duchesses she promised to comply with any demands. I please; and I agreed to dine with her to-morrow, if I did not go to London too soon, as I believe I shall before dinner. Lady Oglethorp brought me and the Duchess of Hamilton together to-day in the drawingroom, and I have given her some encouragement, but not much. Every body has been teazing Walters. He told lord-treasurer that he took his company from him that were to dine with him: my lord said, I will send you Dr Swift lord-keeper bid him take care what he did; for, said he, Dr Swift is not only all our favourite, but our governor. The old company supped with lord-treasurer, and got away by twelve.

London, 8. I believe I shall go no more to Windsor, for we expect the queen will come in ten days to Hampton Court. It was frost last night, and cruel cold to-day. I could not dine with the duchess, for I left Windsor half an hour after one with lord-treasurer, and we called at Kensington, where Mrs Masham was got to see her children for two days. I dined, or rather supped, with lord-treasurer, and staid till after ten. Tisdall and his family are gone from hence, upon some wrangle with the family. Yesterday I had two letters brought me to Mr Masham's; one from Ford, and t'other from our little MD, N. 21. I would not tell you till to-day, because I would not. I won't answer it till the next, because I have slipped two days by being at Windsor, which I must

recover here. Well, sirrahs, I must go to sleep. The roads were as dry as at midsummer to-day. This letter shall go to-morrow.

9. Morning. It rains hard this morning. I suppose our fair weather is now at an end. I think I'll put on my waistcoat to-day: shall I? Well, I will then, to please MD. I think of dining at home to-day upon a chop and a pot. The town continues yet very thin. Lord Strafford is gone to Holland, to tell them what we have done here toward a peace. We shall soon hear what the Dutch say, and how they take it. My humble service to Mrs Walls, Mrs Stoyte, and Catherine.— Morrow, dearest sirrahs, and farewell; and God Almighty bless MD, poor little dear MD, for so I mean, and Presto too. I'll write to you again to-night, that is, I'll begin my next letter. Farewell, &c.

This little bit belongs to MD; we must always write on the margin: you are saucy rogues.

LETTER XXXII.

London, October 9, 1711.

I was forced to lie down at twelve to-day, and mend my night's sleep: I slept till after two, and then sent for a bit of mutton and pot of ale from the next cook's shop, and had no stomach. I went out at four, and called to see Biddy Floyd, which I had not done these three months she is something marked, but has recovered her complexion quite, and looks very well. Then I sat the evening with Mrs Vanhomrigh, and drank coffee, and

ate an egg. I likewise took a new lodging to-day, not liking a ground-floor, nor the ill smell, and other circumstances. I lodge, or shall lodge, by Leicester Fields, and pay ten shillings a week; that won't hold out long, faith. I shall lie here but one night more. It rained terribly till one o'clock to-day. I lie, for I shall lie here two nights, till Thursday, and then remove. Did I tell you that my friend Mrs Barton has a brother drowned, that went on the expedition with Jack Hill? He was a lieutenant-colonel, and a coxcomb; and she keeps her chamber in form, and the servants say, she receives no messages.-Answer MD's letter, Presto, d'ye hear? No, says Presto, I won't yet, I'm busy; you're a saucy rogue. Who talks ?

10. It cost me two shillings in coach-hire to dine in the city with a printer. I have sent, and caused to be sent, three pamphlets out in a fortnight. I will ply the rogues warm; and whenever any thing of theirs makes a noise, it shall have an answer. I have instructed an under spur-leather to write so, that it is taken for mine. A rogue that writes a newspaper, called The Protestant Post Boy, has reflected on me in one of his papers; but the secretary has taken him up, and he shall have a squeeze extraordinary. He says, that an ambitious tantivy, missing of his towering hopes of preferment in Ireland, is come over to vent his spleen on the late ministry, &c.

* A party nickname bestowed upon the High Church partizans in the time of Charles II. and his successor. It was derived from a caricature print, called the Raree Show, in which they were represented as riding tantivy to Rome. See a description of it in the Trial of Colledge for high treason.