the Parliament was to meet, and the great question
to be determined, I went with Dr. Freind to dine in the City, on purpose
to be out of the way, and we sent our printer to see what was our
fate; but he gave us a most melancholy account of things. The Earl of
Nottingham began, and spoke against a peace, and desired that in their
address they might put in a clause to advise the Queen not to make a
peace without Spain; which was debated, and carried by the Whigs by
about six voices: and this has happened entirely by my Lord Treasurer's
neglect, who did not take timely care to make up all his strength,
although every one of us gave him caution enough. Nottingham has
certainly been bribed. The question is yet only carried in the Committee
of the whole House, and we hope when it is reported to the House
to-morrow, we shall have a majority, by some Scotch lords coming to
town. However, it is a mighty blow and loss of reputation to Lord
Treasurer, and may end in his ruin. I hear the thing only as the printer
brought it, who was at the debate; but how the Ministry take it, or what
their hopes and fears are, I cannot tell until I see them. I shall be
early with the Secretary to-morrow, and then I will tell you more, and
shall write a full account to the Bishop of Clogher to-morrow, and to
the Archbishop of Dublin, if I have time. I am horribly down at present.
I long to know how Lord Treasurer bears this, and what remedy he has.
The Duke of Ormond came this day to town, and was there.

8. I was early this morning with the Secretary, and talked over this
matter. He hoped that when it was reported this day in the House of
Lords, they would disagree with their Committee, and so the matter would
go off, only with a little loss of reputation to the Lord Treasurer. I
dined with Mr. Cockburn, and after, a Scotch member came in, and told
us that the clause was carried against the Court in the House of Lords
almost two to one. I went immediately to Mrs. Masham, and meeting Dr.
Arbuthnot (the Queen's favourite physician), we went together. She was
just come from waiting at the Queen's dinner, and going to her own.
She had heard nothing of the thing being gone against us. It seems Lord
Treasurer had been so negligent that he was with the Queen while the
question was put in the House: I immediately told Mrs. Masham that
either she and Lord Treasurer had joined with the Queen to betray us, or
that they two were betrayed by the Queen: she prot