ut the box. I hate
that Sterne for his carelessness about it; but it was my fault.

29. I was all this terrible rainy day with my friend Lewis upon business
of importance; and I dined with him, and came home about seven, and
thought I would amuse myself a little, after the pains I had taken. I
saw a volume of Congreve's plays in my room, that Patrick had taken
to read; and I looked into it, and in mere loitering read in it till
twelve, like an owl and a fool: if ever I do so again; never saw
the like. Count Gallas,(7) the Emperor's Envoy, you will hear, is in
disgrace with us: the Queen has ordered her Ministers to have no more
commerce with him; the reason is, the fool writ a rude letter to Lord
Dartmouth, Secretary of State, complaining of our proceedings about
a peace; and he is always in close confidence with Lord Wharton and
Sunderland, and others of the late Ministry. I believe you begin to
think there will be no peace; the Whigs here are sure it cannot be, and
stocks are fallen again. But I am confident there will, unless France
plays us tricks; and you may venture a wager with any of your Whig
acquaintance that we shall not have another campaign. You will get
more by it than by ombre, sirrah.--I let slip telling you yesterday's
journal, which I thought to have done this morning, but blundered. I
dined yesterday at Harry Coote's, with Lord Hatton,(8) Mr. Finch, a son
of Lord Nottingham, and Sir Andrew Fountaine. I left them soon, but
hear they stayed till two in the morning, and were all drunk: and so
good-night for last night, and good-night for to-night. You blundering
goosecap, an't you ashamed to blunder to young ladies? I shall have a
fire in three or four days now, oh ho.

30. I was to-day in the City concerting some things with a printer, and
am to be to-morrow all day busy with Mr. Secretary about the same. I
won't tell you now; but the Ministers reckon it will do abundance of
good, and open the eyes of the nation, who are half bewitched against a
peace. Few of this generation can remember anything but war and taxes,
and they think it is as it should be; whereas 'tis certain we are the
most undone people in Europe, as I am afraid I shall make appear beyond
all contradiction. But I forgot; I won't tell you what I will do, nor
what I will not do: so let me alone, and go to Stoyte, and give Goody
Stoyte and Catherine my humble service; I love Goody Stoyte better than
Goody Walls. Who'll pay me for this gree