LONDON, _Oct._ 28, 1712.
I HAVE been in physic this month, and have been better these three weeks.
I stop my physic, by the doctor’s orders, till he sends me further
directions. DD grows politician, and longs to hear the peace is
proclaimed. I hope we shall have it soon, for the Dutch are fully
humbled; and Prior is just come over from France for a few days; I
suppose upon some important affair. I saw him last night, but had no
private talk with him. Stocks rise upon his coming. As for my stay in
England, it cannot be long now, so tell my friends. The Parliament will
not meet till after Christmas, and by that time the work I am doing will
be over, and then nothing shall keep me. I am very much discontented at
Parvisol, about neglecting to sell my horses, etc.
Lady Masham is not yet brought to bed; but we expect it daily. I dined
with her to-day. Lord Bolingbroke returned about two months ago, and
Prior about a week; and goes back (Prior I mean) in a few days. Who told
you of my snuff-box and pocket? Did I? I had a letter to-day from Dr.
Coghill, {463b} desiring me to get Raphoe for Dean Sterne, and the
deanery for myself. I shall indeed, I have such obligations to Sterne.
But however, if I am asked who will make a good bishop, I shall name him
before anybody. Then comes another letter, desiring I would recommend a
Provost, {463c} supposing that Pratt (who has been here about a week)
will certainly be promoted; but I believe he will not. I presented Pratt
to Lord Treasurer, and truly young Molyneux {463d} would have had me
present him too; but I directly answered him I would not, unless he had
business with him. He is the son of one Mr. Molyneux of Ireland. His
father wrote a book; {464a} I suppose you know it. Here is the Duke of
Marlborough going out of England (Lord knows why), which causes many
speculations. Some say he is conscious of guilt, and dare not stand it.
Others think he has a mind to fling an odium on the Government, as who
should say that one who has done such great services to his country
cannot live quietly in it, by reason of the malice of his enemies. I
have helped to patch up these people {464b} together once more. God
knows how long it may last. I was to-day at a trial between Lord
Lansdowne and Lord Carteret, two friends of mine. It was in the Queen’s
Bench, for about six thousand a year (or nine, I think). I sat under
Lord Chief-Justice Parker, and his pen falling down I reached it up. He
made me a low bow; and I was going to whisper him that _I had done good
for evil_; _for he would have taken mine from me_. {464c} I told it Lord
Treasurer and Bolingbroke. Parker would not have known me, if several
lords on the bench, and in the court, bowing, had not turned everybody’s
eyes, and set them a whispering. I owe the dog a spite, and will pay him
in two months at furthest, if I can. So much for that. But you must
have chat, and I must say every sorry thing that comes into my head.
They say the Queen will stay a month longer at Windsor. These devils of
Grub Street rogues, that write the _Flying Post_ and _Medley_ in one
paper, {464d} will not be quiet. They are always mauling Lord Treasurer,
Lord Bolingbroke, and me. We have the dog under prosecution, but
Bolingbroke is not active enough; but I hope to swinge him. He is a
Scotch rogue, one Ridpath. {464e} They get out upon bail, and write on.
We take them again, and get fresh bail; so it goes round. They say some
learned Dutchman has wrote a book, proving by civil law that we do them
wrong by this peace; but I shall show by plain reason that we have
suffered the wrong, and not they. I toil like a horse, and have hundreds
of letters still to read and squeeze a line out of each, or at least the
seeds of a line. Strafford goes back to Holland in a day or two, and I
hope our peace is very near. I have about thirty pages more to write
(that is, to be extracted), which will be sixty in print. It is the most
troublesome part of all, and I cannot keep myself private, though I stole
into a room up two pair of stairs, when I came from Windsor; but my
present man has not yet learned his lesson of denying me discreetly.
30. The Duchess of Ormond found me out to-day, and made me dine with
her. Lady Masham is still expecting. She has had a cruel cold. I could
not finish my letter last post for the soul of me. Lord Bolingbroke has
had my papers these six weeks, and done nothing to them. Is Tisdall yet
in the world? I propose writing controversies, to get a name with
posterity. The Duke of Ormond will not be over these three or four days.
I desire to make him join with me in settling all right among our people.
I have ordered the Duchess to let me have an hour with the Duke at his
first coming, to give him a true state of persons and things. I believe
the Duke of Shrewsbury will hardly be declared your Governor yet; at
least, I think so now; but resolutions alter very often. The Duke of
Hamilton gave me a pound of snuff to-day, admirable good. I wish DD had
it, and Ppt too, if she likes it. It cost me a quarter of an hour of his
politics, which I was forced to hear. Lady Orkney {466a} is making me a
writing-table of her own contrivance, and a bed nightgown. She is
perfectly kind, like a mother. I think the devil was in it the other
day, that I should talk to her of an ugly squinting cousin of hers, and
the poor lady herself, you know, squints like a dragon. The other day we
had a long discourse with her about love; and she told us a saying of her
sister Fitz-Hardinge, {466b} which I thought excellent, that in men,
desire begets love, and in women, love begets desire. We have abundance
of our old criers {466c} still hereabouts. I hear every morning your
women with the old satin and taffeta, etc., the fellow with old coats,
suits or cloaks. Our weather is abominable of late. We have not two
tolerable days in twenty. I have lost money again at ombre, with Lord
Orkney and others; yet, after all, this year I have lost but
three-and-twenty shillings; so that, considering card money, I am no
loser.
Our Society hath not yet renewed their meetings. I hope we shall
continue to do some good this winter; and Lord Treasurer promises the
Academy for reforming our language shall soon go forward. I must now go
hunt those dry letter for materials. You will see something very
notable, I hope. So much for that. God Almighty bless you.