stomach. I suppose you are all gamesters at Wexford. Do not lose your
money, sirrah, far from home. I believe I shall go to Windsor in a few
days; at least, the Secretary tells me so. He has a small house there,
with just room enough for him and me; and I would be satisfied to pass a
few days there sometimes. Sirrahs, let me go to sleep, it is past twelve
in our town.

2. Sterne came to me this morning, and tells me he has yet some hopes
of compassing his business: he was with Tom Harley, the secretary of the
Treasury, and made him doubt a little he was in the wrong; the poor man
tells me it will almost undo him if he fails. I called this morning
to see Will Congreve, who lives much by himself, is forced to read for
amusement, and cannot do it without a magnifying-glass. I have set him
very well with the Ministry, and I hope he is in no danger of losing his
place. I dined in the City with Dr. Freind, not among my merchants, but
with a scrub instrument of mischief of mine, whom I never mentioned to
you, nor am like to do. You two little saucy Wexfordians, you are now
drinking waters. You drink waters! you go fiddlestick. Pray God send
them to do you good; if not, faith, next summer you shall come to the
Bath.

3. Lord Peterborow desired to see me this morning at nine; I had not
seen him before since he came home. I met Mrs. Manley(4) there, who
was soliciting him to get some pension or reward for her service in
the cause, by writing her Atalantis, and prosecution, etc., upon it.
I seconded her, and hope they will do something for the poor woman. My
lord kept me two hours upon politics: he comes home very sanguine;
he has certainly done great things at Savoy and Vienna, by his
negotiations: he is violent against a peace, and finds true what I writ
to him, that the Ministry seems for it. He reasons well; yet I am for a
peace. I took leave of Lady Kerry, who goes to-morrow for Ireland; she
picks up Lord Shelburne and Mrs. Pratt at Lord Shelburne's house. I was
this evening with Lord Treasurer: Tom Harley was there, and whispered me
that he began to doubt about Sterne's business; I told him he would find
he was in the wrong. I sat two or three hours at Lord Treasurer's; he
rallied me sufficiently upon my refusing to take him into our Club, and
told a judge who was with us that my name was Thomas Swift. I had a mind
to prevent Sir H. Belasyse(5) going to Spain, who is a most covetous
cur, and I fell a railing against avari