to alter to rain.

Windsor, 18. I dined to-day with Lord Treasurer, and he would make me go
with him to Windsor, although I was engaged to the Secretary, to whom
I made my excuses: we had in the coach besides, his son and son-in-law,
Lord Harley and Lord Dupplin, who are two of our Society, and seven of
us met by appointment, and supped this night with the Secretary. It was
past nine before we got here, but a fine moonshiny night. I shall go
back, I believe, on Monday. 'Tis very late.

19. The Queen did not stir out to-day, she is in a little fit of the
gout. I dined at Mr. Masham's; we had none but our Society members, six
in all, and I supped with Lord Treasurer. The Queen has ordered twenty
thousand pounds to go on with the building at Blenheim, which has been
starved till now, since the change of the Ministry.(13) I suppose it
is to reward his last action of getting into the French lines.(14) Lord
Treasurer kept me till past twelve.

London, 20. It rained terribly every step of our journey to-day: I
returned with the Secretary after a dinner of cold meat, and went to
Mrs. Van's, where I sat the evening. I grow very idle, because I have a
great deal of business. Tell me how you passed your time at Wexford; and
are not you glad at heart you have got home safe to your lodgings at St.
Mary's, pray? And so your friends come to visit you; and Mrs. Walls is
much better of her eye; and the Dean is just as he used to be: and what
does Walls say of London? 'tis a reasoning coxcomb. And Goody Stoyte,
and Hannah what d'ye call her; no, her name an't Hannah, Catherine I
mean; they were so glad to see the ladies again! and Mrs. Manley wanted
a companion at ombre.

21. I writ to-day to the Archbishop of Dublin, and enclosed a long
politic paper by itself. You know the bishops are all angry (smoke the
wax-candle drop at the bottom of this paper) I have let the world know
the First-Fruits were got by Lord Treasurer before the Duke of Ormond
was Governor. I told Lord Treasurer all this, and he is very angry; but
I pacified him again by telling him they were fools, and knew nothing of
what passed here; but thought all was well enough if they complimented
the Duke of Ormond. Lord Treasurer gave me t'other day a letter of
thanks he received from the bishops of Ireland, signed by seventeen;
and says he will write them an answer. The Dean of Carlisle sat with
me to-day till three; and I went to dine with Lord Treasurer, who dined
abr