osed my being his chaplain, which I by a second
hand excused; but we had no talk of it to-day: but I will be no man's
chaplain alive. But I must go and be busy.

26. I never saw Patrick till this morning, and that only once, for I
dressed myself without him; and when I went to town he was out of the
way. I immediately sent for the tailor, and ordered him to stop his hand
in Patrick's clothes till further orders. Oh, if it were in Ireland, I
should have turned him off ten times ago; and it is no regard to him,
but myself, that has made me keep him so long. Now I am afraid to give
the rogue his clothes. What shall I do? I wish MD were here to entreat
for him, just here at the bed's side. Lady Ashburnham(3) has been
engaging me this long time to dine with her, and I set to-day apart for
it; and whatever was the mistake, she sent me word she was at dinner and
undressed, but would be glad to see me in the afternoon: so I dined with
Mrs. Vanhomrigh, and would not go to see her at all, in a huff. My fine
Florence is turning sour with a vengeance, and I have not drunk half of
it. As I was coming home to-night, Sir Thomas Mansel and Tom Harley(4)
met me in the Park, and made me walk with them till nine, like
unreasonable whelps; so I got not here till ten: but it was a fine
evening, and the foot-path clean enough already after this hard rain.

27. Going this morning to town, I saw two old lame fellows, walking to
a brandy-shop, and when they got to the door, stood a long time
complimenting who should go in first. Though this be no jest to tell, it
was an admirable one to see. I dined to-day with my Lord Oxford and the
ladies, the new Countess, and Lady Betty,(5) who has been these three
days a lady born. My lord left us at seven, and I had no time to speak
to him about some affairs; but he promises in a day or two we shall dine
alone; which is mighty likely, considering we expect every moment that
the Queen will give him the staff, and then he will be so crowded he
will be good for nothing: for aught I know he may have it to-night at
Council.

28. I had a petition sent me t'other day from one Stephen Gernon,
setting forth that he formerly lived with Harry Tenison,(6) who gave him
an employment of gauger, and that he was turned out after Harry's death,
and came for England, and is now starving, or, as he expresses it, THAT
THE STAFF OF LIFE HAS BEEN OF LATE A STRANGER TO HIS APPETITE. Today
the poor fellow called, and I knew hi