e. Did I tell you that my friend
Mrs. Barton has a brother(1) drowned, that went on the expedition with
Jack Hill? He was a lieutenant-colonel, and a coxcomb; and she keeps her
chamber in form, and the servants say she receives no messages.--Answer
MD's letter, Presto, d'ye hear? No, says Presto, I won't yet, I'm busy;
you're a saucy rogue. Who talks?

10. It cost me two shillings in coach-hire to dine in the City with a
printer. I have sent, and caused to be sent, three pamphlets out in a
fortnight. I will ply the rogues warm; and whenever anything of theirs
makes a noise, it shall have an answer. I have instructed an under
spur-leather to write so, that it is taken for mine. A rogue that writes
a newspaper, called The Protestant Postboy, has reflected on me in one
of his papers; but the Secretary has taken him up, and he shall have a
squeeze extraordinary. He says that an ambitious tantivy,(2) missing of
his towering hopes of preferment in Ireland, is come over to vent his
spleen on the late Ministry, etc. I'll tantivy him with a vengeance. I
sat the evening at home, and am very busy, and can hardly find time to
write, unless it were to MD. I am in furious haste.

11. I dined to-day with Lord Treasurer. Thursdays are now his days
when his choice company comes, but we are too much multiplied. George
Granville sent his excuses upon being ill; I hear he apprehends the
apoplexy, which would grieve me much. Lord Treasurer calls Prior nothing
but Monsieur Baudrier, which was the feigned name of the Frenchman that
writ his Journey to Paris.(3) They pretend to suspect me, so I talk
freely of it, and put them out of their play. Lord Treasurer calls me
now Dr. Martin, because martin(4) is a sort of a swallow, and so is a
swift. When he and I came last Monday from Windsor, we were reading
all the signs on the road.(5) He is a pure trifler; tell the Bishop of
Clogher so. I made him make two lines in verse for the Bell and Dragon,
and they were rare bad ones. I suppose Dilly is with you by this time:
what could his reason be of leaving London, and not owning it? 'Twas
plaguy silly. I believe his natural inconstancy made him weary. I think
he is the king of inconstancy. I stayed with Lord Treasurer till ten; we
had five lords and three commoners. Go to ombre, sirrahs.

12. Mrs. Vanhomrigh has changed her lodging as well as I. She found she
had got with a bawd, and removed. I dined with her to-day; for though
she boards, her landl