y leave to tell it to-day. I had
this day likewise a letter from the Bishop of Clogher, who complains of
my not writing; and, what vexes me, says he knows you have long letters
from me every week. Why do you tell him so? 'Tis not right, faith: but
I won't be angry with MD at distance. I writ to him last post, before I
had his; and will write again soon, since I see he expects it, and that
Lord and Lady Mountjoy(12) put him off upon me, to give themselves ease.
Lastly, I had this day a letter from a certain naughty rogue called MD,
and it was N. 5; which I shall not answer to-night, I thank you. No,
faith, I have other fish to fry; but to-morrow or next day will be time
enough. I have put MD's commissions in a memorandum paper. I think I
have done all before, and remember nothing but this to-day about glasses
and spectacles and spectacle cases. I have no commission from Stella,
but the chocolate and handkerchiefs; and those are bought, and I expect
they will be soon sent. I have been with, and sent to, Mr. Sterne, two
or three times to know; but he was not within. Odds my life, what am I
doing? I must go write and do business.

4. I dined to-day at Kensington, with Addison, Steele, etc., came home,
and writ a short letter to the Archbishop of Dublin, to let him know
the Queen has granted the thing, etc. I writ in the Coffee-house, for
I stayed at Kensington till nine, and am plaguy weary; for Colonel
Proud(13) was very ill company, and I will never be of a party with him
again; and I drank punch, and that and ill company has made me hot.

5. I was with Mr. Harley from dinner to seven this night, and went to
the Coffee-house, where Dr. Davenant(14) would fain have had me gone and
drink a bottle of wine at his house hard by, with Dr. Chamberlen,(15)
but the puppy used so many words, that I was afraid of his company; and
though we promised to come at eight, I sent a messenger to him, that
Chamberlen was going to a patient, and therefore we would put it off
till another time: so he, and the Comptroller,(16) and I, were prevailed
on by Sir Matthew Dudley to go to his house, where I stayed till twelve,
and left them. Davenant has been teasing me to look over some of his
writings that he is going to publish; but the rogue is so fond of his
own productions, that I hear he will not part with a syllable; and he
has lately put out a foolish pamphlet, called The Third Part of Tom
Double; to make his court to the Tories, whom he had