!
'Tis as natural as mother's milk, now I am got into it. Lord Treasurer
is returned from Wimbledon ('tis not above eight miles off), and sent
for me to dine with him at five; but I had the grace to be abroad,
and dined with some others, with honest Ben Tooke, by invitation. The
Duchess of Ormond promised me her picture, and coming home tonight,
I found hers and the Duke's both in my chamber. Was not that a pretty
civil surprise? Yes, and they are in fine gilded frames, too. I am
writing a letter to thank her, which I will send to-morrow morning.
I'll tell her she is such a prude that she will not let so much as her
picture be alone in a room with a man, unless the Duke's be with it;
and so forth.(3) We are full of snow, and dabbling. Lady Masham has come
abroad these three days, and seen the Queen. I dined with her t'other
day at her sister Hill's. I hope she will remove in a few days to her
new lodgings at St. James's from Kensington. Nite, dee logues MD.

20. I lodge (up) two pair of stairs, have but one room, and deny myself
to everybody almost, yet I cannot be quiet; and all my mornings are lost
with people, who will not take answers below stairs; such as Dilly, and
the Bishop, and Provost, etc. Lady Orkney invited me to dinner to-day,
which hindered me from dining with Lord Treasurer. This is his day that
his chief friends in the Ministry dine with him. However, I went there
about six, and sat with them till past nine, when they all went off; but
he kept me back, and told me the circumstances of Lady Betty's match.
The young fellow has 60,000 pounds ready money, three great houses
furnished, 7,000 pounds a year at present, and about five more after his
father and mother die. I think Lady Betty's portion is not above 8,000
pounds. I remember either Tisdall writ to me in somebody's letter,
or you did it for him, that I should mention him on occasion to Lord
Anglesea, with whom, he said, he had some little acquaintance. Lord
Anglesea was with me to-night at Lord Treasurer's; and then I asked him
about Tisdall, and described him. He said he never saw him, but that he
had sent him his book.(4) See what it is to be a puppy. Pray tell Mr.
Walls that Lord Anglesea thanked me for recommending Clements(5) to him;
that he says he is 20,000 pounds the better for knowing Clements. But
pray don't let Clements go and write a letter of thanks, and tell
my lord that he hears so and so, etc. Why, 'tis but like an Irish
understandin