hey never come in my way; I go to no coffee-houses. They say abundance
of them are very pretty; they are going to be printed in small volumes;
I'll bring them over with me. I shall be out of my hurry in a week,
and if Leigh be not gone over, I will send you by him what I am now
finishing. I don't know where Leigh is; I have not seen him this good
while, though he promised to call: I shall send to him. The Queen comes
to town on Thursday for good and all.

19. I was this morning at Lord Dartmouth's office, and sent out for him
from the Committee of Council, about some business. I was asking him
more concerning this bustle about the figures in wax-work of the Pope,
and Devil, etc. He was not at leisure, or he would have seen them. I
hear the owners are so impudent, that they design to replevin them by
law. I am assured that the figure of the Devil is made as like Lord
Treasurer as they could. Why, I dined with a friend in St. James's
Street. Lord Treasurer, I am told, was abroad to-day; I will know
to-morrow how he does after it. The Duke of Marlborough is come, and was
yesterday at Hampton Court with the Queen; no, it was t'other day; no,
it was yesterday; for to-day I remember Mr. Secretary was going to see
him, when I was there, not at the Duke of Marlborough's, but at the
Secretary's; the Duke is not so fond of me. What care I? I won seven
shillings to-night at picquet: I play twice a year or so.

20. I have been so teased with Whiggish discourse by Mrs. Barton and
Lady Betty Germaine, never saw the like. They turn all this affair of
the Pope-burning into ridicule; and, indeed, they have made too great a
clutter about it, if they had no real reason to apprehend some tumults.
I dined with Lady Betty. I hear Prior's commission is passed to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the peace; my Lord
Privy Seal, who you know is Bishop of Bristol, is the other; and Lord
Strafford, already Ambassador at The Hague, the third: I am forced to
tell you, ignorant sluts, who is who. I was punning scurvily with Sir
Andrew Fountaine and Lord Pembroke this evening: do you ever pun now?
Sometimes with the Dean, or Tom Leigh.(4) Prior puns very well. Odso, I
must go see His Excellency, 'tis a noble advancement: but they could
do no less, after sending him to France. Lord Strafford is as proud
as Hell, and how he will bear one of Prior's mean birth on an equal
character with him, I know not. And so I go to my business, and b