doubt he will not do. I dined with my friend Lewis of the secretary's office, and am got home early, because I have much business to do; but before I begin I must needs say something to MD, faith-No, faith, I lie, it is but nineteen days to-day since my last from MD. I have got Mr. Harley to promise, that whatever changes are made in the council, the bishop of Clogher shall not be removed, and he has got a memorial accordingly. I will let the bishop know so much in a post or two. This is a secret; but I know he has enemies, and they shall not be gratified, if they designed any such thing, which perhaps they might; for some changes there will be made. So drink up your claret, and be quiet, and do not lose your money.

16. Morning. Faith I will send this letter to-day to shame you, if I have not one from MD before night, that is certain. Will not you grumble for want of the thrid side, pray now? Yes, I warrant you; yes, yes, you shall have the third, you shall so, when you can catch it, some other time: when you be writing girls. O faith, I think I will not stay till night, but seal up this just now, and carry it in my pocket, and whip it into the post-office as I come home at evening. I am going out early this morning. Patrick's bills for coal and candles, &c. come sometimes to three shillings a week; I keep very good fires, though the weather be warm. Ire land will never be happy till you get smallcoal likewise; nothing so easy, so convenient, so cheap, so pret ty for lighting a fire. My service to Mrs. Stoyte and Walls, has she a boy or a girl? A girl, hmm; and died in a week, hmmm, and was poor Stella forced to stand for godmother?-Let me know how accounts stand, that you may have your money betimes. There is four months for my lodging, that must be thought on too: and so go dine with Manley, and lose your money, do ex

travagant sluttikin, but do not fret. It will be just three weeks when I have the next letter, that is to-morrow. Farewell, dearest beloved MD, and love poor, poor Presto who has not had one happy day since he left you, as hope saved-It is the last sally I will ever make, but I hope it will turn to some account. I have done more for

these, and I think they are more honest than the last; however, I will not be disappointed. I would make MD and me easy; and I never desired more.-Farewell, &c. &c.

LETTER XIV.

London, January 16, 1710-11.

✪ FAITH, young women, I have sent my letter N. 13, without one crumb of an answer to any of MD's, there is 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 hand-writing in the glass frame at the bar of St. James's coffee-house, where Presto would never go but for that purpose. Presto's at home, God help him, every night from six till bedtime, and has as little enjoyment or pleasure in life at present as any body 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, Prest come, where have you been to-day? come, let's

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 staid 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 Tattler, is a coxcomb; and yet to see how things will happen; for this very printer is my cousin, his name is Dryden Leach; did you never hear of Dryden Leach, he that prints the Postman? he acted Oroonoko, he is in love with Miss Crosse. 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 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. Ber

nage 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 mean time, tell him, that if regiments are to be raised here, as he says, I will speak to George Granville, 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 staid, and more came, and Harley went away at seven, and the secretary and I staid with the rest of the company till eleven; I would then have had him come away, but he was in for it; 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, 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:* it is pretty civil, and affects to be so, and I think I will take no notice of it; it is 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

*Probably against the Character of Lord Wharton, N.

your money to-day at Stoyte's; to let that bungler beat you, fy, Stella, are not you ashamed? well, I forgive you this once, never do so again; no, noooo. Kiss and be friends, sirrab. 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 huSo good night, myownlittledearsaucyinsolent

mour.

rogues.

19. Then you read that long word in the last line, no,† faith have not you. Well, when will this letter coine 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 it again, you must be in bed

at ten.

20. And so I went to-day with my new wig, o hoao, tọ. visit Lady Worsley, 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 to ward me but Patrick, and gives me five letters out of his pocket. I read the superscription of the first, Pshosh; said I; of the second, pshoh again; of the third, pshah, pshah, pshah; of the fourth, a gad, a gad, a gad, I am. in a rage; of the fifth and last, ✪ 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

In that word there were some puzzling characters. D. S