LETTER 41.[1]
LONDON, Feb. 9, 1711-12.
When my letter is gone, and I have none of yours to answer, my conscience is
so clear, and my shoulder so light, and I go on with such courage to prate
upon nothing to deerichar MD, oo would wonder. I dined with Sir Matthew
Dudley, who is newly turned out of Commission of the Customs. He affects a
good heart, and talks in the extremity of Whiggery, which was always his
principle, though he was gentle a little, while he kept in employment. We can
yet get no packets from Holland. I have not been with any of the Ministry
these two or three days. I keep out of their way on purpose, for a certain
reason, for some time, though I must dine with the Secretary to-morrow, the
choosing of the company being left to me. I have engaged Lord Anglesea[2] and
Lord Carteret,[3] and have promised to get three more; but I have a mind that
none else should be admitted: however, if I like anybody at Court to-morrow,
I may perhaps invite them. I have got another cold, but not very bad. Nite.
. . MD.
10. I saw Prince Eugene at Court to-day very plain; he's plaguy yellow, and
tolerably ugly besides. The Court was very full, and people had their
Birthday clothes. I dined with the Secretary to-day. I was to invite five,
but I only invited two, Lord Anglesea and Lord Carteret. Pshaw, I told you
this but yesterday. We have no packets from Holland yet. Here are a parcel
of drunken Whiggish lords, like your Lord Santry,[4] who come into chocolate-
houses and rail aloud at the Tories, and have challenges sent them, and the
next morning come and beg pardon. General Ross[5] was like to swinge the
Marquis of Winchester[6] for this trick t'other day; and we have nothing else
now to talk of till the Parliament has had another bout with the state of the
war, as they intended in a few days. They have ordered the Barrier Treaty to
be laid before them; and it was talked some time ago, as if there was a design
to impeach Lord Townshend, who made it. I have no more politics now. Nite
dee MD.
11. I dined with Lord Anglesea to-day, who had seven Irishmen to be my
companions, of which two only were coxcombs; one I did not know, and t'other
was young Blith,[7] who is a puppy of figure here, with a fine chariot. He
asked me one day at Court, when I had been just talking with some lords who
stood near me, "Doctor, when shall we see you in the county of Meath?" I
whispered him to take care what he said, for the people would think he was
some barbarian. He never would speak to me since, till we met to-day. I went
to Lady Masham's to-night, and sat with Lord Treasurer and the Secretary there
till past two o'clock; and when I came home, found some letters from Ireland,
which I read, but can say nothing of them till to-morrow, 'tis so very late;
but I[8] must always be. . .,[9] late or early. Nite deelest sollahs.[10]
12. One letter was from the Bishop of Clogher last night, and t'other from
Walls, about Mrs. South's[11] salary, and his own pension of 18 pounds for his
tithe of the park. I will do nothing in either; the first I cannot serve in,
and the other is a trifle; only you may tell him I had his letter, and will
speak to Ned Southwell about what he desires me. You say nothing of your
Dean's receiving my letter. I find Clements,[12] whom I recommended to Lord
Anglesea last year, at Walls's desire, or rather the Bishop of Clogher's, is
mightily in Lord Anglesea's favour. You may tell the Bishop and Walls so; I
said to Lord Anglesea that I was [glad] I had the good luck to recommend him,
etc. I dined in the City with my printer, to consult with him about some
papers Lord Treasurer gave me last night, as he always does, too late;
however, I will do something with them. My third cold is a little better; I
never had anything like it before, three colds successively; I hope I shall
have the fourth.[13] Those messengers come from Holland to-day, and they
brought over the six packets that were due. I know not the particulars yet,
for when I was with the Secretary at noon they were just opening; but one
thing I find, that the Dutch are playing us tricks, and tampering with the
French; they are dogs; I shall know more tomollow. . . MD.[14]
13. I dined to-day privately with my friend Lewis, at his lodgings, to
consult about some observations on the Barrier Treaty. Our news from Holland
is not good. The French raise difficulties, and make such offers to the
Allies as cannot be accepted. And the Dutch are uneasy that we are likely to
get anything for ourselves; and the Whigs are glad at all this. I came home
early, and have been very busy three or four hours. I had a letter from Dr.
Pratt[15] to-day by a private hand, recommending the bearer to me, for
something that I shall not trouble myself about. Wesley[16] writ to recommend
the same fellow to me. His expression is that, hearing I am acquainted with
my Lord Treasurer, he desires I would do so and so: a matter of nothing.
What puppies are mankind! I hope I shall be wiser when I have once done with
Courts. I think you han't troubled me much with your recommendations. I
would do you all the saavis[17] I could.
Pray have you got your aplon,[18] maram Ppt? I paid for it but yesterday;
that puts me in mind of it. I writ an inventory of what things I sent by
Leigh in one of my letters; did you compare it with what you got? I hear
nothing of your cards now; do you never play? Yes, at Ballygall. Go to bed.
Nite, deelest MD.[19]
14. Our Society dined to-day at Mr. Secretary's house. I went there at four;
but hearing the House of Commons would sit late upon the Barrier Treaty, I
went for an hour to Kensington, to see Lord Masham's children. My young
nephew,[20] his son of six months old, has got a swelling in his neck; I fear
it is the evil. We did not go to dinner till eight at night, and I left them
at ten. The Commons have been very severe on the Barrier Treaty, as you will
find by their votes. A Whig member took out the Conduct of the Allies, and
read that passage about the succession with great resentment; but none
seconded him. The Church party carried every vote by a great majority. The
A.B.[21] Dublin is so railed at by all who come from Ireland that I can defend
him no longer. Lord Anglesea assured me that the story of applying Piso out
of Tacitus[22] to Lord Treasurer's being wounded is true. I believe the Duke
of Beaufort will be admitted to our Society next meeting. To-day I published
the Fable of Midas,[23] a poem, printed in a loose half-sheet of paper. I
know not how it will sell; but it passed wonderfully at our Society to-night;
and Mr. Secretary read it before me the other night to Lord Treasurer, at Lord
Masham's, where they equally approved of it. Tell me how it passes with you.
I think this paper is larger than ordinary; for here is six days' journal, and
no nearer the bottom. I fear these journals are very dull. Nite my deelest
lives.
15. Mr. Lewis and I dined by invitation with a Scotch acquaintance, after I
had been very busy in my chamber till two afternoon. My third cold is now
very troublesome on my breast, especially in the morning. This is a great
revolution in my health; colds never used to return so soon with me, or last
so long. 'Tis very surprising this news to-day of the Dauphin and Dauphiness
both dying within six days. They say the old King is almost heart-broke. He
has had prodigious mortifications in his family. The Dauphin has left two
little sons, of four and two years old; the eldest is sick. There is a
foolish story got about the town that Lord Strafford, one of our
Plenipotentiaries, is in the interests of France; and it has been a good while
said that Lord Privy Seal[24] and he do not agree very well. They are both
long practised in business, but neither of them of much parts. Strafford has
some life and spirit, but is infinitely proud, and wholly illiterate. Nite,
MD.
16. I dined to-day in the City with my printer, to finish something I am
doing about the Barrier Treaty;[25] but it is not quite done. I went this
evening to Lord Masham's, where Lord Treasurer sat with us till past twelve.
The Lords have voted an Address to the Queen, to tell her they are not
satisfied with the King of France's offers. The Whigs brought it in of a
sudden; and the Court could not prevent it, and therefore did not oppose it.
The House of Lords is too strong in Whigs, notwithstanding the new creations;
for they are very diligent, and the Tories as lazy: the side that is down has
always most industry. The Whigs intended to have made a vote that would
reflect on Lord Treasurer; but their project was not ripe. I hit my face such
a rap by calling the coach to stop to-night, that it is plaguy sore, the bone
beneath the eye. Nite dee logues.
17. The Court was mighty full to-day, and has been these many Sundays; but
the Queen was not at chapel. She has got a little fit of the gout in her
foot. The good of going to Court is that one sees all one's acquaintance,
whom otherwise I should hardly meet twice a year. Prince Eugene dines with
the Secretary to-day, with about seven or eight General Officers, or foreign
Ministers. They will be all drunk, I am sure. I never was in company with
this Prince: I have proposed to some lords that we should have a sober meal
with him; but I can't compass it. It is come over in the Dutch news prints
that I was arrested on an action of twenty thousand pounds by the Duke of
Marlborough. I did not like my Court invitation to-day; so Sir Andrew
Fountaine and I went and dined with Mrs. Van. I came home at six, and have
been very busy till this minute, and it is past twelve. So I got into bed to
write to MD. . . MD.[26] We reckon the Dauphin's death will put forward the
peace a good deal. Pray is Dr. Griffith[27] reconciled to me yet? Have I
done enough to soften him? . . . [28] Nite deelest logues.
18. Lewis had Guiscard's picture: he bought it, and offered it to Lord
Treasurer, who promised to send for it, but never did; so I made Lewis give it
me, and I have it in my room; and now Lord Treasurer says he will take it from
me: is that fair? He designs to have it at length in the clothes he was when
he did the action, and a penknife in his hand; and Kneller is to copy it from
this that I have. I intended to dine with Lord Treasurer to-day, but he has
put me off till to-morrow; so I dined with Lord Dupplin. You know Lord
Dupplin very well; he is a brother of the Society. Well, but I have received
a letter from the Bishop of Cloyne, to solicit an affair for him with Lord
Treasurer, and with the Parliament, which I will do as soon as fly. I am not
near so keen about other people's affairs as. . . [29] Ppt used to reproach me
about; it was a judgment on me. Harkee, idle dearees both, meetinks I begin
to want a rettle flom[30] MD: faith, and so I do. I doubt you have been in
pain about the report of my being arrested. The pamphleteers have let me
alone this month, which is a great wonder: only the third part of the Answer
to the Conduct, which is lately come out. (Did I tell you of it already?)
The House of Commons goes on in mauling the late Ministry and their
proceedings. Nite deelest MD.[31]
19. I dined with Lord Treasurer to-day, and sat with him till ten, in spite
of my teeth, though my printer waited for me to correct a sheet. I told him
of four lines I writ extempore with my pencil, on a bit of paper in his house,
while he lay wounded. Some of the servants, I suppose, made waste-paper of
them, and he never had heard of them. Shall I tell them you? They were
inscribed to Mr. Harley's physician. Thus
On Britain Europe's safety lies;[32]
Britain is lost, if Harley dies.
Harley depends upon your skill:
Think what you save, or what you kill.
Are not they well enough to be done off-hand; for that is the meaning of the
word extempore, which you did not know, did you? I proposed that some company
should dine with him on the 8th of March, which was the day he was wounded,
but he says he designs that the Lords of the Cabinet, who then sat with him,
should dine that day with him:[33] however, he has invited me too. I am not
got rid of my cold; it plagues me in the morning chiefly. Nite, MD,
20. After waiting to catch the Secretary coming out from Sir Thomas Hanmer,
for two hours, in vain, about some business, I went into the City to my
printer, to correct some sheets of the Barrier Treaty and Remarks, which must
be finished to-morrow: I have been horrible busy for some days past, with
this and some other things; and I wanted some very necessary papers, which the
Secretary was to give me, and the pamphlet must now be published without them.
But they are all busy too. Sir Thomas Hanmer is Chairman of the Committee for
drawing up a Representation of the state of the nation[34] to the Queen, where
all the wrong steps of the Allies and late Ministry about the war will be
mentioned. The Secretary, I suppose, was helping him about it to-day; I
believe it will be a pepperer. Nite, deel MD.
21. I have been six hours to-day morning writing nineteen pages of a letter
to Lord Treasurer, about forming a Society or Academy to correct and fix the
English language.[35] (Is English a speech or a language?) It will not be
above five or six more. I will send it to him to-morrow, and will print it,
if he desires me. I dined, you know, with our Society to-day: Thursday is
our day. We had a new member admitted; it was the Duke of Beaufort. We had
thirteen met: brother Ormond was not there, but sent his excuse that Prince
Eugene dined with him. I left them at seven, being engaged to go to Sir
Thomas Hanmer, who desired I would see him at that hour. His business was
that I would hoenlbp ihainm itavoi dsroanws ubpl tohne
sroegporaensiepnotlastoigobn,[36] which I consented to do; but know not
whether I shall succeed, because it is a little out of my way. However, I
have taken my share. Nite, MD.
22. I finished the rest of my letter to Lord Treasurer today, and sent it to
him about one o'clock; and then dined privately with my friend Mr. Lewis, to
talk over some affairs of moment. I had gotten the thirteenth volume of
Rymer's Collection of the Records of the Tower for the University of
Dublin.[37] I have two volumes now. I will write to the Provost, to know how
I shall send them to him; no, I won't, for I will bring them myself among my
own books. I was with Hanmer this morning, and there were the Secretary and
Chancellor of the Exchequer[38] very busy with him, laying their heads
together about the representation. I went to Lord Masham's to-night, and Lady
Masham made me read to her a pretty twopenny pamphlet, called The St. Albans
Ghost.[39] I thought I had writ it myself; so did they; but I did not. Lord
Treasurer came down to us from the Queen, and we stayed till two o'clock.
That is the best night-place I have. The usual[40] company are Lord and Lady
Masham, Lord Treasurer, Dr. Arbuthnot, and I; sometimes the Secretary, and
sometimes Mrs. Hill of the bed-chamber, Lady Masham's sister. I assure oo, it
im vely rate now; but zis goes to-morrow: and I must have time to converse
with own richar MD. Nite, deelest sollahs.[41]
23. I have no news to tell you this last day, nor do I know where I shall
dine. I hear the Secretary is a little out of order; perhaps I may dine
there, perhaps not. I sent Hanmer what he wanted from me, I know not how he
will approve of it. I was to do more of the same sort; I am going out, and
must carry zis in my pottick to give it at some general post-house. I will
talk further with oo at night. I suppose in my next I shall answer a letter
from MD that will be sent me. On Tuesday it will be four weeks since I had
your last, N.26. This day se'nnight I expect one, for that will be something
more than a full month. Farewell, MD. . . deelest. . . MD MD MD. . . ME ME
ME. . . logues. . . lele.[42]
