ady does not dine with her. I am grown a mighty
lover of herrings; but they are much smaller here than with you. In the
afternoon I visited an old major-general, and ate six oysters; then sat
an hour with Mrs. Colledge,(6) the joiner's daughter that was hanged; it
was the joiner was hanged, and not his daughter; with Thompson's wife, a
magistrate. There was the famous Mrs. Floyd of Chester, who, I think,
is the handsomest woman (except MD) that ever I saw. She told me that
twenty people had sent her the verses upon Biddy,(7) as meant to her:
and, indeed, in point of handsomeness, she deserves them much better. I
will not go to Windsor to-morrow, and so I told the Secretary to-day.
I hate the thoughts of Saturday and Sunday suppers with Lord Treasurer.
Jack Hill is come home from his unfortunate expedition, and is, I think,
now at Windsor: I have not yet seen him. He is privately blamed by his
own friends for want of conduct. He called a council of war, and therein
it was determined to come back. But they say a general should not do
that, because the officers will always give their opinion for returning,
since the blame will not lie upon them, but the general. I pity him
heartily. Bernage received his commission to-day.

13. I dined to-day with Colonel Crowe,(8) late Governor of Barbadoes;
he is a great acquaintance of your friend Sterne, to whom I trusted the
box. Lord Treasurer has refused Sterne's business, and I doubt he is a
rake; Jemmy Leigh stays for him, and nobody knows where to find him. I
am so busy now I have hardly time to spare to write to our little MD,
but in a fortnight I hope it will be over. I am going now to be busy,
etc.

14. I was going to dine with Dr. Cockburn, but Sir Andrew Fountaine
met me, and carried me to Mrs. Van's, where I drank the last bottle
of Raymond's wine, admirable good, better than any I get among the
Ministry. I must pick up time to answer this letter of MD's; I'll do it
in a day or two for certain.--I am glad I am not at Windsor, for it is
very cold, and I won't have a fire till November. I am contriving how to
stop up my grate with bricks. Patrick was drunk last night; but did
not come to me, else I should have given him t'other cuff. I sat this
evening with Mrs. Barton; it is the first day of her seeing company; but
I made her merry enough, and we were three hours disputing upon Whig and
Tory. She grieved for her brother only for form, and he was a sad
dog. Is Stella well eno