sician-General; and the Secretary promised to mention it to the
Queen. I can serve everybody but myself. Then I went to Court, and
carried Lord Keeper and the Secretary to dine with Lord Masham, when we
drank the Queen and Lord Treasurer with every health, because this was
the day of his stabbing.--Then I went and played pools at picquet with
Lady Masham and Mrs. Hill; won ten shillings, gave a crown to the
box, and came home. I met at my lodgings a letter from Joe, with a bit
annexed from Ppt. What Joe asks is entirely out of my way, and I take it
for a foolish whim in him. Besides, I know not who is to give a patent:
if the Duke of Ormond, I would speak to him; and if it come in my head
I will mention it to Ned Southwell. They have no patents that I know
of for such things here, but good security is all; and to think that I
would speak to Lord Treasurer for any such matter at random is a jest.
Did I tell you of a race of rakes, called the Mohocks,(3) that play the
devil about this town every night, slit people's noses, and beat them,
etc.? Nite, sollahs, and rove Pdfr. Nite, MD.

9. I was at Court to-day, and nobody invited me to dinner, except one or
two, whom I did not care to dine with; so I dined with Mrs. Van. Young
Davenant(4) was telling us at Court how he was set upon by the Mohocks,
and how they ran his chair through with a sword. It is not safe being in
the streets at night for them. The Bishop of Salisbury's son(5) is said
to be of the gang. They are all Whigs; and a great lady sent to me, to
speak to her father and to Lord Treasurer, to have a care of them,
and to be careful likewise of myself; for she heard they had malicious
intentions against the Ministers and their friends. I know not whether
there be anything in this, though others are of the same opinion. The
weather still continues very fine and frosty. I walked in the Park this
evening, and came home early to avoid the Mohocks. Lord Treasurer is
better. Nite, my own two deelest MD.

10. I went this morning again to the Lord Treasurer, who is quite
recovered; and I stayed till he went out. I dined with a friend in the
City, about a little business of printing; but not my own. You must buy
a small twopenny pamphlet, called Law is a Bottomless Pit.(6) 'Tis very
prettily written, and there will be a Second Part. The Commons are very
slow in bringing in their Bill to limit the press, and the pamphleteers
make good use of their time; for there come out t