Bolingbroke,
and one or two private friends. I make no figure but at Court, where I
affect to turn from a lord to the meanest of my acquaintance, and I love
to go there on Sundays to see the world. But, to say the truth, I am
growing weary of it. I dislike a million of things in the course of
public affairs; and if I were to stay here much longer, I am sure
I should ruin myself with endeavouring to mend them. I am every day
invited into schemes of doing this, but I cannot find any that will
probably succeed. It is impossible to save people against their own
will; and I have been too much engaged in patchwork already. Do you
understand all this stuff? No. Well zen, you are now returned to ombre
and the Dean, and Christmas; I wish oo a very merry one; and pray don't
lose oo money, nor play upon Watt Welch's game. Nite, sollahs, 'tis rate
I'll go to seep; I don't seep well, and therefore never dare to drink
coffee or tea after dinner: but I am very seepy in a molning. This is
the effect of time and years. Nite deelest MD.

18. Morn. I am so very seepy in the morning that my man wakens me
above ten times; and now I can tell oo no news of this day. (Here is a
restless dog, crying cabbages and savoys, plagues me every morning about
this time; he is now at it. I wish his largest cabbage were sticking
in his throat.) I lodge over against the house in Little Rider Street,
where DD lodged. Don't oo lememble, maram? To-night I must see the Abbe
Gaultier,(15) to get some particulars for my History. It was he who was
first employed by France in the overtures of peace, and I have not had
time this month to see him; he is but a puppy too. Lady Orkney has just
sent to invite me to dinner; she has not given me the bed-nightgown;(16)
besides, I am come very much off from writing in bed, though I am doing
it this minute; but I stay till my fire is burnt up. My grate is very
large; two bushels of coals in a week: but I save it in lodgings. Lord
Abercorn is come to London, and will plague me, and I can do him no
service. The Duke of Shrewsbury goes in a day or two for France, perhaps
to-day. We shall have a peace very soon; the Dutch are almost entirely
agreed, and if they stop we shall make it without them; that has been
long resolved. One Squire Jones,(17) a scoundrel in my parish, has writ
to me to desire I would engage Joe Beaumont to give him his interest for
Parliament-man for Trim: pray tell Joe this; and if he designed to vote
for h