LETTER 14.
LONDON, Jan. 16, 171O-11.
O faith, young women, I have sent my letter N.13 without one crumb of an
answer to any of MD's, there's for you now; and yet Presto ben't angry, faith,
not a bit, only he will begin to be in pain next Irish post, except he sees
MD's little handwriting in the glass-frame at the bar of St. James's Coffee-
house, where Presto would never go but for that purpose. Presto is at home,
God help him, every night from six till bed-time, and has as little enjoyment
or pleasure in life at present as anybody in the world, although in full
favour with all the Ministry. As hope saved, nothing gives Presto any sort of
dream of happiness but a letter now and then from his own dearest MD. I love
the expectation of it; and when it does not come, I comfort myself that I have
it yet to be happy with. Yes, faith, and when I write to MD, I am happy too;
it is just as if methinks you were here, and I prating to you, and telling you
where I have been: "Well," says you, "Presto, come, where have you been to-
day? come, let's hear now." And so then I answer: "Ford and I were visiting
Mr. Lewis and Mr. Prior; and Prior has given me a fine Plautus; and then Ford
would have had me dine at his lodgings, and so I would not; and so I dined
with him at an eating-house, which I have not done five times since I came
here; and so I came home, after visiting Sir Andrew Fountaine's mother and
sister, and Sir Andrew Fountaine is mending, though slowly."
17. I was making, this morning, some general visits, and at twelve I called
at the Coffee-house for a letter from MD; so the man said he had given it to
Patrick. Then I went to the Court of Requests and Treasury, to find Mr.
Harley, and, after some time spent in mutual reproaches, I promised to dine
with him. I stayed there till seven, then called at Sterne's and Leigh's to
talk about your box, and to have it sent by Smyth. Sterne says he has been
making inquiries, and will set things right as soon as possible. I suppose it
lies at Chester, at least I hope so, and only wants a lift over to you. Here
has little Harrison been to complain that the printer I recommended to him for
his Tatler is a coxcomb; and yet to see how things will happen; for this very
printer is my cousin, his name is Dryden Leach;[1] did you never hear of
Dryden Leach, he that prints the Postman? He acted Oroonoko;[2] he's in love
with Miss Cross.[3]--Well, so I came home to read my letter from Stella, but
the dog Patrick was abroad; at last he came, and I got my letter. I found
another hand had superscribed it; when I opened it, I found it written all in
French, and subscribed Bernage:[4] faith, I was ready to fling it at
Patrick's head. Bernage tells me he had been to desire your recommendation to
me, to make him a captain; and your cautious answer, that he had as much power
with me as you, was a notable one; if you were here, I would present you to
the Ministry as a person of ability. Bernage should let me know where to
write to him; this is the second letter I have had without any direction;
however, I beg I may not have a third, but that you will ask him, and send me
how I shall direct to him. In the meantime, tell him that if regiments are to
be raised here, as he says, I will speak to George Granville,[5] Secretary at
War, to make him a captain; and use what other interest I conveniently can. I
think that is enough, and so tell him, and do not trouble me with his letters,
when I expect them from MD; do you hear, young women? write to Presto.
18. I was this morning with Mr. Secretary St. John, and we were to dine at
Mr. Harley's alone, about some business of importance; but there were two or
three gentlemen there. Mr. Secretary and I went together from his office to
Mr. Harley's, and thought to have been very wise; but the deuce a bit, the
company stayed, and more came, and Harley went away at seven, and the
Secretary and I stayed with the rest of the company till eleven; I would then
have had him come away; but he was in for't; and though he swore he would come
away at that flask, there I left him. I wonder at the civility of these
people; when he saw I would drink no more, he would always pass the bottle by
me, and yet I could not keep the toad from drinking himself, nor he would not
let me go neither, nor Masham,[6] who was with us. When I got home, I found a
parcel directed to me; and opening it, I found a pamphlet written entirely
against myself, not by name, but against something I writ:[7] it is pretty
civil, and affects to be so, and I think I will take no notice of it; 'tis
against something written very lately; and indeed I know not what to say, nor
do I care. And so you are a saucy rogue for losing your money to-day at
Stoyte's; to let that bungler beat you, fie, Stella, an't you ashamed? Well,
I forgive you this once, never do so again; no, noooo. Kiss and be friends,
sirrah.--Come, let me go sleep, I go earlier to bed than formerly; and have
not been out so late these two months; but the Secretary was in a drinking
humour. So good-night, myownlittledearsaucyinsolentrogues.
19. Then you read that long word in the last line; no,[8] faith, han't you.
Well, when will this letter come from our MD? to-morrow or next day without
fail; yes, faith, and so it is coming. This was an insipid snowy day, no
walking day, and I dined gravely with Mrs. Vanhomrigh, and came home, and am
now got to bed a little after ten; I remember old Culpepper's maxim:
"Would you have a settled head,
You must early go to bed:
I tell you, and I tell't again,
You must be in bed at ten."
2O. And so I went to-day with my new wig, o hoao, to visit Lady Worsley,[9]
whom I had not seen before, although she was near a month in town. Then I
walked in the Park to find Mr. Ford, whom I had promised to meet; and coming
down the Mall, who should come towards me but Patrick, and gives me five
letters out of his pocket. I read the superscription of the first, "Pshoh,"
said I; of the second, "Pshoh" again; of the third, "Pshah, pshah, pshah"; of
the fourth, "A gad, a gad, a gad, I'm in a rage"; of the fifth and last, "O
hoooa; ay marry this is something, this is our MD"; so truly we opened it, I
think immediately, and it began the most impudently in the world, thus: "Dear
Presto, We are even thus far." "Now we are even," quoth Stephen, when he gave
his wife six blows for one. I received your ninth four days after I had sent
my thirteenth. But I'll reckon with you anon about that, young women. Why
did not you recant at the end of your letter, when you got my eleventh, tell
me that, huzzies base? were we even then, were we, sirrah? But I won't answer
your letter now, I'll keep it for another time. We had a great deal of snow
to-day, and 'tis terrible cold. I dined with Ford, because it was his Opera-
day and snowed, so I did not care to stir farther. I will send tomorrow to
Smyth.
21. Morning. It has snowed terribly all night, and is vengeance cold. I am
not yet up, but cannot write long; my hands will freeze. "Is there a good
fire, Patrick?" "Yes, sir." "Then I will rise; come, take away the candle."
You must know I write on the dark side of my bed-chamber, and am forced to
have a candle till I rise, for the bed stands between me and the window, and I
keep the curtains shut this cold weather. So pray let me rise; and Patrick,
here, take away the candle.--At night. We are now here in high frost and
snow, the largest fire can hardly keep us warm. It is very ugly walking; a
baker's boy broke his thigh yesterday. I walk slow, make short steps, and
never tread on my heel. 'Tis a good proverb the Devonshire people have:
"Walk fast in snow,
In frost walk slow;
And still as you go,
Tread on your toe.
When frost and snow are both together,
Sit by the fire, and spare shoe-leather."
I dined to-day with Dr. Cockburn,[10] but will not do so again in haste, he
has generally such a parcel of Scots with him.
22. Morning. Starving, starving, uth, uth, uth, uth, uth.--Don't you
remember I used to come into your chamber, and turn Stella out of her chair,
and rake up the fire in a cold morning, and cry Uth, uth, uth? etc. O, faith,
I must rise, my hand is so cold I can write no more. So good-morrow,
sirrahs.--At night. I went this morning to Lady Giffard's house, and saw your
mother, and made her give me a pint bottle of palsy-water,[11] which I brought
home in my pocket; and sealed and tied up in a paper, and sent it to Mr.
Smyth, who goes to-morrow for Ireland, and sent a letter to him to desire his
care of it, and that he would inquire at Chester about the box. He was not
within: so the bottle and letter were left for him at his lodgings, with
strict orders to give them to him; and I will send Patrick in a day or two, to
know whether it was given, etc. Dr. Stratford[12] and I dined to-day with Mr.
Stratford[13] in the City, by appointment; but I chose to walk there, for
exercise in the frost. But the weather had given a little, as you women call
it, so it was something slobbery. I did not get home till nine.
And now I'm in bed,
To break your head.
23. Morning. They tell me it freezes again, but it is not so cold as
yesterday: so now I will answer a bit of your letter.--At night. O, faith, I
was just going to answer some of our MD's letter this morning, when a printer
came in about some business, and stayed an hour; so I rose, and then came in
Ben Tooke, and then I shaved and scribbled; and it was such a terrible day, I
could not stir out till one, and then I called at Mrs. Barton's, and we went
to Lady Worsley's, where we were to dine by appointment. The Earl of
Berkeley[14] is going to be married to Lady Louisa Lennox, the Duke of
Richmond's daughter. I writ this night to Dean Sterne, and bid him tell you
all about the bottle of palsy-water by Smyth; and to-morrow morning I will say
something to your letter.
24. Morning. Come now to your letter. As for your being even with me, I
have spoken to that already. So now, my dearly beloved, let us proceed to the
next. You are always grumbling that you han't letters fast enough; "surely we
shall have your tenth;" and yet, before you end your letter, you own you have
my eleventh.--And why did not MD go into the country with the Bishop of
Clogher? faith, such a journey would have done you good; Stella should have
rode, and Dingley gone in the coach. The Bishop of Kilmore[15] I know nothing
of; he is old, and may die; he lives in some obscure corner, for I never heard
of him. As for my old friends, if you mean the Whigs, I never see them, as
you may find by my journals, except Lord Halifax, and him very seldom; Lord
Somers never since the first visit, for he has been a false, deceitful
rascal.[16] My new friends are very kind, and I have promises enough, but I
do not count upon them, and besides my pretences are very young to them.
However, we will see what may be done; and if nothing at all, I shall not be
disappointed; although perhaps poor MD may, and then I shall be sorrier for
their sakes than my own.--Talk of a merry Christmas (why do you write it so
then, young women? sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander), I have wished
you all that two or three letters ago. Good lack; and your news, that Mr. St.
John is going to Holland; he has no such thoughts, to quit the great station
he is in; nor, if he had, could I be spared to go with him. So, faith,
politic Madam Stella, you come with your two eggs a penny, etc. Well, Madam
Dingley, and so Mrs. Stoyte invites you, and so you stay at Donnybrook, and so
you could not write. You are plaguy exact in your journals, from Dec. 25 to
Jan. 4. Well, Smyth and the palsy-water I have handled already, and he does
not lodge (or rather did not, for, poor man, now he is gone) at Mr. Jesse's,
and all that stuff; but we found his lodging, and I went to Stella's mother on
my own head, for I never remembered it was in the letter to desire another
bottle; but I was so fretted, so tosticated, and so impatient that Stella
should have her water (I mean decently, do not be rogues), and so vexed with
Sterne's carelessness.--Pray God, Stella's illness may not return! If they
come seldom, they begin to be weary; I judge by myself; for when I seldom
visit, I grow weary of my acquaintance.--Leave a good deal of my tenth
unanswered! Impudent slut, when did you ever answer my tenth, or ninth, or
any other number? or who desires you to answer, provided you write? I defy
the D---- to answer my letters: sometimes there may be one or two things I
should be glad you would answer; but I forget them, and you never think of
them. I shall never love answering letters again, if you talk of answering.
Answering, quotha! pretty answerers truly.--As for the pamphlet you speak of,
and call it scandalous, and that one Mr. Presto is said to write it, hear my
answer. Fie, child, you must not mind what every idle body tells you--I
believe you lie, and that the dogs were not crying it when you said so; come,
tell truth. I am sorry you go to St. Mary's[17] so soon, you will be as poor
as rats; that place will drain you with a vengeance: besides, I would have
you think of being in the country in summer. Indeed, Stella, pippins produced
plentifully; Parvisol could not send from Laracor: there were about half a
score, I would be glad to know whether they were good for anything.--Mrs.
Walls at Donnybrook with you; why is not she brought to bed? Well, well,
well, Dingley, pray be satisfied; you talk as if you were angry about the
Bishop's not offering you conveniences for the journey; and so he should.--
What sort of Christmas? Why, I have had no Christmas at all; and has it
really been Christmas of late? I never once thought of it. My service to
Mrs. Stoyte, and Catherine; and let Catherine get the coffee ready against I
come, and not have so much care on her countenance; for all will go well.--Mr.
Bernage, Mr. Bernage, Mr. Fiddlenage, I have had three letters from him now
successively; he sends no directions, and how the D---- shall I write to him?
I would have burnt his last, if I had not seen Stella's hand at the bottom:
his request is all nonsense. How can I assist him in buying? and if he be
ordered to go to Spain, go he must, or else sell, and I believe one can hardly
sell in such a juncture. If he had stayed, and new regiments raised, I would
have used my endeavour to have had him removed; although I have no credit that
way, or very little: but, if the regiment goes, he ought to go too; he has
had great indulgence, and opportunities of saving; and I have urged him to it
a hundred times. What can I do? whenever it lies in my power to do him a good
office, I will do it. Pray draw up this into a handsome speech, and represent
it to him from me, and that I would write, if I knew where to direct to him;
and so I have told you, and desired you would tell him, fifty times. Yes,
Madam Stella, I think I can read your long concluding word, but you can't read
mine after bidding you good-night. And yet methinks, I mend extremely in my
writing; but when Stella's eyes are well, I hope to write as bad as ever.--So
now I have answered your letter, and mine is an answer; for I lay yours before
me, and I look and write, and write and look, and look and write again.--So
good-morrow, madams both, and I will go rise, for I must rise; for I take
pills at night, and so I must rise early, I don't know why.
25. Morning. I did not tell you how I passed my time yesterday, nor bid you
good-night, and there was good reason. I went in the morning to Secretary St.
John about some business; he had got a great Whig with him; a creature of the
Duke of Marlborough, who is a go-between to make peace between the Duke and
the Ministry: so he came out of his closet, and, after a few words, desired I
would dine with him at three; but Mr. Lewis stayed till six before he came;
and there we sat talking, and the time slipped so, that at last, when I was
positive to go, it was past two o'clock; so I came home, and went straight to
bed. He would never let me look at his watch, and I could not imagine it
above twelve when we went away. So I bid you good-night for last night, and
now I bid you good-morrow, and I am still in bed, though it be near ten, but I
must rise.
26, 27, 28, 29, 3O. I have been so lazy and negligent these last four days
that I could not write to MD. My head is not in order, and yet is not
absolutely ill, but giddyish, and makes me listless; I walk every day, and
take drops of Dr. Cockburn, and I have just done a box of pills; and to-day
Lady Kerry sent me some of her bitter drink, which I design to take twice a
day, and hope I shall grow better. I wish I were with MD; I long for spring
and good weather, and then I will come over. My riding in Ireland keeps me
well. I am very temperate, and eat of the easiest meats as I am directed, and
hope the malignity will go off; but one fit shakes me a long time. I dined
to-day with Lord Mountjoy, yesterday at Mr. Stone's, in the City, on Sunday at
Vanhomrigh's, Saturday with Ford, and Friday I think at Vanhomrigh's; and that
is all the journal I can send MD, for I was so lazy while I was well, that I
could not write. I thought to have sent this to-night, but 'tis ten, and I'll
go to bed, and write on t'other side to Parvisol to-morrow, and send it on
Thursday; and so good-night, my dears; and love Presto, and be healthy, and
Presto will be so too, etc.
Cut off these notes handsomely, d'ye hear, sirrahs, and give Mrs. Brent hers,
and keep yours till you see Parvisol, and then make up the letter to him, and
send it him by the first opportunity; and so God Almighty bless you both, here
and ever, and poor Presto.
What, I warrant you thought at first that these last lines were another
letter.
Dingley, Pray pay Stella six fishes, and place them to the account of your
humble servant, Presto.
Stella, Pray pay Dingley six fishes, and place them to the account of your
humble servant, Presto.
There are bills of exchange for you.
