so full of
crosses that I thought all the world was Irish. Miss Ashe is almost
quite well, and I see the Bishop, but shall not yet go to his house. I
dined again with Lord Treasurer; but the Parliament being prorogued, I
must keep what I have till next week: for I believe he will not see it
till just the evening before the session. He has engaged me to dine with
him again to-morrow, though I did all I could to put it off; but I don't
care to disoblige him. Nite dee sollahs 'tis late. Nite MD.

18. I have now dined six days successively with Lord Treasurer; but
to-night I stole away while he was talking with somebody else, and so am
at liberty to-morrow. There was a flying report of a general cessation
of arms: everybody had it at Court; but, I believe, there is nothing in
it. I asked a certain French Minister how things went. And he whispered
me in French, "Your Plenipotentiaries and ours play the fool." None
of us, indeed, approve of the conduct of either at this time; but Lord
Treasurer was in full good-humour for all that. He had invited a good
many of his relations; and, of a dozen at table, they were all of the
Harley family but myself. Disney is recovering, though you don't care
a straw. Dilly murders us with his IF puns. You know them.... (26) Nite
MD.

19. The Bishop of Clogher has made an IF pun that he is mighty proud of,
and designs to send it over to his brother Tom. But Sir Andrew Fountaine
has wrote to Tom Ashe last post, and told him the pun, and desired him
to send it over to the Bishop as his own; and, if it succeeds, 'twill
be a pure bite. The Bishop will tell it us as a wonder that he and his
brother should jump so exactly. I'll tell you the pun:--If there was a
hackney coach at Mr. Pooley's(27) door, what town in Egypt would it be?
Why, it would be Hecatompolis; Hack at Tom Pooley's. "Sillly," says Ppt.
I dined with a private friend to-day; for our Society, I told you, meet
but once a fortnight. I have not seen Fanny Manley yet; I can't help it.
Lady Orkney is come to town: why, she was at her country house; hat(28)
care you? Nite darling (?) dee MD.

20. Dilly read me a letter to-day from Ppt. She seems to have scratched
her head when she writ it. 'Tis a sad thing to write to people without
tact. There you say, you hear I was going to Bath. No such thing; I am
pretty well, I thank God. The town is now sending me to Savoy.(29) Forty
people have given me joy of it, yet there is not the least truth