rant you. I have been four Sundays
together at Windsor, of which a fortnight together; but I believe I
shall not go to-morrow, for I will not, unless the Secretary asks me. I
know all your news about the Mayor: it makes no noise here at all, but
the quarrel of your Parliament does; it is so very extraordinary, and
the language of the Commons so very pretty. The Examiner has been down
this month, and was very silly the five or six last papers; but there
is a pamphlet come out, in answer to a letter to the seven Lords
who examined Gregg.(21) The Answer(22) is by the real author of the
Examiner, as I believe; for it is very well written. We had Trapp's poem
on the Duke of Ormond(23) printed here, and the printer sold just eleven
of them. 'Tis a dull piece, not half so good as Stella's; and she is
very modest to compare herself with such a poetaster. I am heartily
sorry for poor Mrs. Parnell's(24) death; she seemed to be an excellent
good-natured young woman, and I believe the poor lad is much afflicted;
they appeared to live perfectly well together. Dilly is not tired at all
with England, but intends to continue here a good while: he is mighty
easy to be at distance from his two sisters-in-law. He finds some sort
of scrub acquaintance; goes now and then in disguise to a play; smokes
his pipe; reads now and then a little trash, and what else the Lord
knows. I see him now and then; for he calls here, and the town being
thin, I am less pestered with company than usual. I have got rid of many
of my solicitors, by doing nothing for them: I have not above eight or
nine left, and I'll be as kind to them. Did I tell you of a knight who
desired me to speak to Lord Treasurer to give him two thousand pounds,
or five hundred pounds a year, until he could get something better? I
honestly delivered my message to the Treasurer, adding, the knight was
a puppy, whom I would not give a groat to save from the gallows. Cole
Reading's father-in-law has been two or three times at me, to recommend
his lights to the Ministry, assuring me that a word of mine would, etc.
Did not that dog use to speak ill of me, and profess to hate me? He
knows not where I lodge, for I told him I lived in the country; and I
have ordered Patrick to deny me constantly to him.--Did the Bishop of
London(25) die in Wexford? poor gentleman! Did he drink the waters? were
you at his burial? was it a great funeral? so far from his friends!
But he was very old: we shall all fol