LONDON, _Feb._ 15 [1712–13].
I DINED to-day with Mr. Rowe {508b} and a projector, who has been teasing
me with twenty schemes to get grants; and I don’t like one of them; and,
besides, I was out of humour for the loss of poor Harrison. At ten this
night I was at his funeral, which I ordered to be as private as possible.
We had but one coach with four of us; and when it was carrying us home
after the funeral, the braces broke; and we were forced to sit in it, and
have it held up, till my man went for chairs, {508c} at eleven at night
in terrible rain. I am come home very melancholy, and will go to bed.
Nite . . . MD. {508d}
16. I dined to-day with Lord Dupplin and some company to divert me; but
left them early, and have been reading a foolish book for amusement. I
shall never have courage again to care for making anybody’s fortune. The
Parliament meets to-morrow, and will be prorogued another fortnight, at
which several of both parties were angry; but it cannot be helped, though
everything about the peace is past all danger. I never saw such a
continuance of rainy weather. We have not had two fair days together
these ten weeks. I have not dined with Lord Treasurer these four days,
nor can I till Saturday; for I have several engagements till then, and he
will chide me to some purpose. I am perplexed with this hundred pounds
of poor Harrison’s, what to do with it. I cannot pay his relations till
they administer, for he is much in debt; {509a} but I will have the staff
in my own hands, and venture nothing. Nite poo dee MD.
17. Lady Jersey and I dined by appointment to-day with Lord Bolingbroke.
He is sending his brother {509b} to succeed Mr. {509c} Harrison. It is
the prettiest post in Europe for a young gentleman. I lose my money at
ombre sadly; I make a thousand blunders. I play but {509d} threepenny
ombre; but it is what you call running ombre. Lady Clarges, {509e} and a
drab I hate, won a dozen shillings of me last night. The Parliament was
prorogued to-day; and people grumble; and the good of it is the peace
cannot be finished by the time they meet, there are so many fiddling
things to do. Is Ppt an ombre lady yet? You know all the tricks of it
now, I suppose. I reckon you have all your cards from France, for ours
pay sixpence a pack taxes, which goes deep to the box. I have given away
all my Spa water, and take some nasty steel drops, and my head has been
better this week past. I send every day to see how Miss Ashe does: she
is very full, they say, but in no danger. I fear she will lose some of
her beauty. The son lies out of the house. I wish he had them too,
while he is so young.—Nite MD.
18. The Earl of Abingdon {510a} has been teasing me these three months
to dine with him; and this day was appointed about a week ago, and I
named my company; Lord Stawel, {510b} Colonel Disney, {510c} and Dr.
Arbuthnot; but the two last slipped out their necks, and left Stawell and
me to dine there. We did not dine till seven, because it is Ash
Wednesday. We had nothing but fish, which Lord Stawell could not eat,
and got a broiled leg of a turkey. Our wine was poison; yet the puppy
has twelve thousand pound a year. His carps were raw, and his candles
tallow. He {510d} shall not catch me in haste again, and everybody has
laughed at me for dining with him. I was to-day to let Harrison’s mother
know I could not pay till she administers; which she will do. I believe
she is an old bawd, {510e} and her daughter a —. There were more Whigs
to-day at Court than Tories. I believe they think the peace must be
made, and so come to please the Queen. She is still lame with the gout.
Nite MD.
19. I was at Court to-day, to speak to Lord Bolingbroke to look over
Parnell’s poem since it is corrected; and Parnell and I dined with him,
and he has shown him three or four more places to alter a little. Lady
Bolingbroke came down to us while we were at dinner, and Parnell stared
at her as if she were a goddess. I thought she was like Parnell’s wife,
and he thought so too. Parnell is much pleased with Lord Bolingbroke’s
favour to him, and I hope it may one day turn to his advantage. His poem
will be printed in a few days. Our weather continues as fresh raining as
if it had not rained at all. I sat to-night at Lady Masham’s, where Lord
Treasurer came and scolded me for not dining with him. I told him I
could not till Saturday. I have stayed there till past twelve. So nite
dee sollahs, nite.
20. Lady Jersey, Lady Catherine Hyde, {511a} the Spanish Ambassador, the
Duke d’Atree, {511b} another Spaniard, and I, dined to-day by appointment
with Lord Bolingbroke; but they fell a drinking so many Spanish healths
in champagne that I stole away to the ladies, and drank tea till eight;
and then went and lost my money at ombre with Sir Andrew Fountaine, who
has a very bad leg. Miss Ashe is past all danger; and her eye, which was
lately bad (I suppose one effect of her distemper), is now better. I do
not let the Bishop see me, nor shall this good while. Good luck! when I
came home, I warrant, I found a letter from MD, No.38; and oo write so
small nowadays, I hope oo poor eyes are better. Well, this shall go
to-morrow se’nnight, with a bill for MD. I will speak to Mr. Griffin
{511c} to-morrow about Ppt’s brother Filby, and desire, whether he
deserves or no, that his employment may be mended; that is to say, if I
can see Griffin; otherwise not; and I’ll answer oo rettle hen I Pdfr
think fit. Nite MD.
21. Methinks I writ a little saucy last night. I mean the last . . .
{511d} I saw Griffin at Court. He says he knows nothing of a salt-work
at Recton; but that he will give Filby a better employment, and desires
Filby will write to him. If I knew how to write to Filby, I would; but
pray do you. Bid him make no mention of you; but only let Mr. Griffin
know that he has the honour to be recommended by Dr. S—, etc.; that he
will endeavour to deserve, etc.; and if you dictated a whole letter for
him, it would be better; I hope he can write and spell well. I’ll
inquire for a direction to Griffin before I finish this. I dined with
Lord Treasurer and seven lords to-day. You know Saturday is his great
day, but I sat with them alone till eight, and then came home, and have
been writing a letter to Mrs. Davis, at York. She took care to have a
letter delivered for me at Lord Treasurer’s; for I would not own one she
sent by post. She reproaches me for not writing to her these four years;
and I have honestly told her it was my way never to write to those whom I
am never likely to see, unless I can serve them, which I cannot her, etc.
Davis the schoolmaster’s widow. Nite MD.
22. I dined to-day at Lord Orkney’s, with the Duke of Ormond and Sir
Thomas Hanmer. {512} Have you ever heard of the latter? He married the
Duchess of Grafton in his youth (she dined with us too). He is the most
considerable man in the House of Commons. He went last spring to
Flanders, with the Duke of Ormond; from thence to France, and was going
to Italy; but the Ministry sent for him, and he has been come over about
ten days. He is much out of humour with things: he thinks the peace is
kept off too long, and is full of fears and doubts. It is thought he is
designed for Secretary of State, instead of Lord Dartmouth. We have been
acquainted these two years; and I intend, in a day or two, to have an
hour’s talk with him on affairs. I saw the Bishop of Clogher at Court;
Miss is recovering. I know not how much she will be marked. The Queen
is slowly mending of her gout, and intends to be brought in a chair to
Parliament when it meets, which will be March 3; for I suppose they will
prorogue no more; yet the peace will not be signed then, and we apprehend
the Tories themselves will many of them be discontented. Nite dee MD.
23. It was ill weather to-day, and I dined with Sir Andrew Fountaine,
and in the evening played at ombre with him and the Provost, and won
twenty-five shillings; so I have recovered myself pretty well. Dilly has
been dunning me to see Fanny Manley; but I have not yet been able to do
it. Miss Ashe is now quite out of danger; and hope will not be much
marked. I cannot tell how to direct to Griffin; and think he lives in
Bury Street, near St. James’s Street, hard by me; but I suppose your
brother may direct to him to the Salt Office, and, as I remember, he
knows his Christian name, because he sent it me in the list of the
Commissioners. Nite dee MD.
24. I walked this morning to Chelsea, to see Dr. Atterbury, Dean of
Christ Church. I had business with him about entering Mr. Fitzmaurice,
{513a} my Lord Kerry’s son, into his College; and Lady Kerry {513b} is a
great favourite of mine. Lord Harley, Lord Dupplin, young Bromley {513c}
the Speaker’s son, and I, dined with Dr. Stratford {513d} and some other
clergymen; but I left them at seven to go to Lady Jersey, to see
Monteleon the Spanish Ambassador play at ombre. Lady Jersey was abroad,
and I chid the servants, and made a rattle; but since I came home she
sent me a message that I was mistaken, and that the meeting is to be
to-morrow. I have a worse memory than when I left you, and every day
forget appointments; but here my memory was by chance too good. But I’ll
go to-morrow; for Lady Catherine Hyde and Lady Bolingbroke are to be
there by appointment, and I listed {513e} up my periwig, and all, to make
a figure. Well, who can help it? Not I, vow to . . . ! {513f} Nite MD.
25. Lord Treasurer met me last night at Lord Masham’s, and thanked me
for my company in a jeer, because I had not dined with him in three days.
He chides me if I stay away but two days together. What will this come
to? Nothing. My grandmother used to say, “More of your lining, and less
of your dining.” However, I dined with him, and could hardly leave him
at eight, to go to Lady Jersey’s, where five or six foreign Ministers
were, and as many ladies. Monteleon played like the English, and cried
“gacco,” and knocked his knuckles for trump, and played at small games
like Ppt. Lady Jersey whispered me to stay and sup with the ladies when
the fellows were gone; but they played till eleven, and I would not stay.
I think this letter must go on Saturday; that’s certain; and it is not
half full yet. Lady Catherine Hyde had a mighty mind I should be
acquainted with Lady Dalkeith, {514a} her sister, the Duke of Monmouth’s
eldest son’s widow, who was of the company to-night; but I did not like
her; she paints too much. Nite MD.
26. This day our Society met at the Duke of Ormond’s, but I had business
that called me another way; so I sent my excuses, and dined privately
with a friend. Besides, Sir Thomas Hanmer whispered me last night at
Lady Jersey’s that I must attend Lord Treasurer and Duke of Ormond at
supper at his house to-night; which I did at eleven, and stayed till one,
so oo may be sure ’tis late enough. There was the Duchess of Grafton,
and the Duke her son; nine of us in all. The Duke of Ormond chid me for
not being at the Society to-day, and said sixteen were there. I said I
never knew sixteen people good company in my life; no, fais, nor eight
either. We have no news in this town at all. I wonder why I don’t write
you news. I know less of what passes than anybody, because I go to
{514b} no coffee-house, nor see any but Ministers, and such people; and
Ministers never talk politics in conversation. The Whigs are forming
great schemes against the meeting of Parliament, which will be next
Tuesday, I still think, without fail; and we hope to hear by then that
the peace is ready to sign. The Queen’s gout mends daily. Nite MD.
27. I passed a very insipid day, and dined privately with a friend in
the neighbourhood. Did I tell you that I have a very fine picture of
Lady Orkney, {515a} an original, by Sir Godfrey Kneller, three-quarters
length? I have it now at home, with a fine frame. Lord Bolingbroke and
Lady Masham have promised to sit for me; but I despair of Lord Treasurer;
only I hope he will give me a copy, and then I shall have all the
pictures of those I really love here; just half a dozen; only I’ll make
Lord Keeper give me his print in a frame. This letter must go to-morrow,
because of sending ME a bill; else it should not till next week, I assure
oo. I have little to do now with my pen; for my grand business stops
till they are more pressing, and till something or other happens; and I
believe I shall return with disgust to finish it, it is so very
laborious. Sir Thomas Hanmer has my papers now. And hat is MD doing
now? Oh, at ombre with the Dean always on Friday night, with Mrs. Walls.
Pray don’t play at small games. I stood by, t’other night, while the
Duke d’Atree {515b} lost six times with manilio, basto, and three small
trumps; and Lady Jersey won above twenty pounds. Nite dee richar {515c}
MD.
28. I was at Court to-day, when the Abbé Gaultier whispered me that a
courier was just come with an account that the French King had consented
to all the Queen’s demands, and his consent was carried to Utrecht, and
the peace will be signed in a few days. I suppose the general peace
cannot be so soon ready; but that is no matter. The news presently ran
about the Court. I saw the Queen carried out in her chair, to take the
air in the garden. I met Griffin at Court, and he told me that orders
were sent to examine Filby; and, if he be fit, to make him (I think he
called it) an assistant; I don’t know what, Supervisor, I think; but it
is some employment a good deal better than his own. The Parliament will
have another short prorogation, though it is not known yet. I dined with
Lord Treasurer and his Saturday company, and left him at eight to put
this in the post-office time enough. And now I must bid oo farewell,
deelest richar Ppt. God bless oo ever, and rove Pdfr. Farewell MD MD MD
FW FW FW FW ME ME ME Lele Lele.