ter.) This is a fine day. I am ruined with coaches and chairs this twelve penny weather. I must see my brother Ormond at eleven, and then the Duchess of Hamilton, with whom I doubt I am in disgrace, not having seen her these ten days. I send this to-day, and must finish it now; and perhaps some people may come and hinder me; for it is ten o'clock, (but not shaving day ;) and I must be abroad at eleven. Abbé Gautier sends me word I cannot see him to-night; p— take him! I don't value any thing but one letter he has of Petecum's, showing the roguery of the Dutch. Did not the Conduct of the Allies make you great politicians? Faith, I believe you are not quite so ignorant as I thought you. I am glad to hear you walked so much in the country. Does DD ever read to you, young woman? O, faith! I shall find strange doings when I come home! Here is somebody coming that I must see that wants a little place; the son of cousin Rooke's eldest daughter, that died many years ago. He is here. Farewell, dearest MD, FW, Me, Lele. LETTER LVII. London, Dec. 18, 1712. OUR society was to meet to-day; but Lord Harley, who was president this week, could not attend, being gone to Wimbleton with his new brother-in-law, the young Marquis of Caermarthen, who married Lady Betty Harley on Monday last; and lord-treasurer is at Wimbleton too. However, half a dozen of us met, and I propose our meetings should be once a fortnight; for, between you and me, we do no good. It cost me nineteen shillings to-day for my club dinner; I don't like it. We have terrible snowy slobbery weather. Lord Abercorn is come to town, and will see me, whether I will or not. You know he has a pretence to a dukedom in France, * which Duke Hamilton was soliciting for; but Abercorn resolves to spoil their title, if they will not allow him a fourth part; and I have advised the duchess to compound with him, and have made the ministry of my opinion. Night, dear sirrahs, MD. 19. How agreeable it is in a morning for Pdfr to write journals again! It is as natural as mother's milk, now I am got into it. Lord-treasurer is returned from Wimbleton, ('tis not above eight miles off,) and sent for me to dine with him at five; but I had the grace to be abroad, and dined with some others, with honest Ben Tooke, by invitation. The Duchess of Ormond promised me her picture, and coming home to night, I found hers and the duke's both in my chamber. Was not that a pretty civil surprise? Yes, and they are in fine gilded frames too. I am writing a letter to thank her; which I will send to-morrow morning. I will tell her, she is such a prude, that she will not let so much as her picture be alone in a room with a man, unless the duke's be with it; and so forth. We are full of snow, and dabbling. Lady Masham has come abroad these three days, and seen the queen. I dined with her the other day at her sister Hill's. I hope she The Dukedom of Chatelherault. Both families continue to claim the title. I know not if the Duke of Hamilton was so fortunate as to secure the property. will remove in a few days to her new lodgings at St James's from Kensington. Night, dearest rogues, MD. 20. I lodge up two pair of stairs, have but one room, and deny myself to every body almost, yet I cannot be quiet; and all my mornings are lost with people, who will not take answers below stairs; such as Dilly, and the bishop, and provost, &c. Lady Orkney invited me to dinner to-day, which hindered me from dining with lord-treasurer. This is his day, that his chief friends in the ministry dine with him. However, I went there about six, and sat with him till past nine, when they all went off; but he kept me back, and told me the circumstances of Lady Betty's match. The young fellow has L. 60,000 ready money, three great houses furnished, L. 7000 a-year at present, and about five more after his father and mother die. I think Lady Betty's portion is not above L. 8000. I remember Tisdall writ to me in somebody's letter, or you did it for him, that I should mention him on occasion to Lord Anglesey, with whom, he said, he had some little acquaintance. Lord Anglesey was with me to-night at lord-treasurer's; and then I asked him about Tisdall, and described him. He said, he never saw him, but that he had sent him his book. See what it is to be a puppy. Pray tell Mr Walls, that Lord Anglesey thanked me for recommending Clements to him; that he says, he is L. 20,000 the better for knowing Clements. But pray don't let Clements go and write a letter of thanks, and tell my lord, that he hears so and so, &c. Why, it is but like an Irish understanding to do so. Sad weather; two shillings in coaches to-day, and yet I am dirty. I am now going to read over something and correct it. So, night. 21. Puppies have got a new way of plaguing me. I find letters directed for me at lord-treasurer's, sometimes with enclosed ones to him, and sometimes with projects, and sometimes with libels. I usually keep them three or four days without opening. I was at court to day, as I always am on Sundays, instead of a coffee-house, to see my acquaintance. This day seennight, after I had been talking at court with Sir William Wyndham, the Spanish ambassador came to him, and said, he heard that was Dr Swift, and desired him to tell me, that his master, and the King of France, and the queen, were more obliged to me than any man in Europe; so we bowed, and shook hands, &c. I took it very well of him. I dined with lord-treasurer, and must again to-morrow, though I had rather not, (as DD says;) but now the queen is in town, he does not keep me so late. I have not had time to see Fanny Manley since she came; but intend it one of these days. Her uncle, Jack Manley, I hear, cannot live a month, which will be a great loss to her father in Ireland, for I believe he is one of his chief supports. Our peace now will soon be determined; for Lord Bolingbroke tells me this morning, that four provinces of Holland have complied with the queen, and we expect the rest will do so immediately. Night, MD. 22. Lord-keeper promised me yesterday the first convenient living to poor Mr Gery,* who is married, and wants some addition to what he has. He is a very worthy creature. I had a letter some weeks ago from Elwick, who married Betty Gery. It seems the poor woman died some time last summer. Elwick grows • Mr Gery, rector of Litcombe, in Berks, whom Swift highly esteemed. * rich, and purchases lands. I dined with lord-treasurer to-day, who has engaged me to come again to-morrow. I gave Lord Bolingbroke a poem of Parnell's. I made Parnell insert some compliments in it to his lordship. * He is extremely pleased with it, and read some parts of it to-day to lord-treasurer, who liked it as much. And indeed he outdoes all our poets here a bar's length. Lord Bolingbroke has ordered me to bring him to dinner on Christmas day, and I made lord-treasurer promise to see him; and it may one day do Parnell a kindness. You know Parnell. I believe I have told you of that poem. Night, dear MD. The following are the lines in question, and they are rather "These toils the graceful Bolingbroke attends, On such a patriot to confer the trust, The monarch knows it safe, as well as just." Poem on the Peace. + The well known verses of Pope, on the intimacy between Lord Oxford, Parnell, and Swift, form an elegant and affecting preface to Parnell's Poems. Such were the notes, thy once-loved poet sung, For him, thou oft hast bid the world attend, |