tman, oh hoo, and is my cousin, God knows how, and he
married Mrs. Baby Aires of Leicester; and my cousin Thomson was with us:
and my cousin Leach offers to bring me acquainted with the author of the
Postman;(23) and says he does not doubt but the gentleman will be glad
of my acquaintance; and that he is a very ingenious man, and a great
scholar, and has been beyond sea. But I was modest and said, may be the
gentleman was shy, and not fond of new acquaintance; and so put it off:
and I wish you could hear me repeating all I have said of this in its
proper tone, just as I am writing it. It is all with the same cadence
with "Oh hoo," or as when little girls say, "I have got an apple, miss,
and I won't give you some." It is plaguy twelvepenny weather this last
week, and has cost me ten shillings in coach and chair hire. If the
fellow that has your money will pay it, let me beg you to buy Bank Stock
with it, which is fallen near thirty per cent. and pays eight pounds per
cent. and you have the principal when you please: it will certainly soon
rise. I would to God Lady Giffard would put in the four hundred pounds
she owes you,(24) and take the five per cent. common interest, and give
you the remainder. I will speak to your mother about it when I see her.
I am resolved to buy three hundred pounds of it for myself, and take
up what I have in Ireland; and I have a contrivance for it, that I hope
will do, by making a friend of mine buy it as for himself, and I will
pay him when I can get in my money. I hope Stratford will do me that
kindness. I'll ask him tomorrow or next day.

27. Mr. Rowe(25) the poet desired me to dine with him to-day. I went to
his office (he is under-secretary in Mr. Addison's place that he had
in England), and there was Mr. Prior; and they both fell commending my
"Shower" beyond anything that has been written of the kind: there never
was such a "Shower" since Danae's, etc. You must tell me how it is liked
among you. I dined with Rowe; Prior could not come: and after dinner
we went to a blind tavern,(26) where Congreve, Sir Richard Temple,(27)
Estcourt,(28) and Charles Main,(29) were over a bowl of bad punch. The
knight sent for six flasks of his own wine for me, and we stayed till
twelve. But now my head continues pretty well; I have left off my
drinking, and only take a spoonful mixed with water, for fear of the
gout, or some ugly distemper; and now, because it is late, I will, etc.

28. Garth and Addison