LETTER 54.[1]
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,[2] 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,[3] 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[4] 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;[5] 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[6] 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.[7] 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,[8] 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.[9] 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[10] 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,[11]
which I thought excellent, that in men, desire begets love, and in women, love
begets desire. We have abundance of our old criers[12] 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.
