off from their true grief. I then went to the Duchess of
Hamilton, who never grieved, but raged, and stormed, and railed.(18) She
is pretty quiet now, but has a diabolical temper. Lord Keeper and his
son, and their two ladies, and I, dined to-day with Mr. Caesar,(19)
Treasurer of the Navy, at his house in the City, where he keeps his
office. We happened to talk of Brutus, and I said something in his
praise, when it struck me immediately that I had made a blunder in doing
so; and, therefore, I recollected myself, and said, "Mr. Caesar, I beg
your pardon." So we laughed, etc. Nite, my own deelest richar logues,
MD.

15. I forgot to tell you that last night I had a present sent me (I
found it, when I came home, in my chamber) of the finest wild fowl I
ever saw, with the vilest letter, and from the vilest poet in the world,
who sent it me as a bribe to get him an employment. I knew not where
the scoundrel lived, so I could not send them back, and therefore I gave
them away as freely as I got them, and have ordered my man never to let
up the poet when he comes. The rogue should have kept the wings at least
for his muse. One of his fowls was a large capon pheasant, as fat as
a pullet. I ate share of it to-day with a friend. We have now a
Drawing-room every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at one o'clock. The
Queen does not come out; but all her Ministers, foreigners, and persons
of quality are at it. I was there to-day; and as Lord Treasurer came
towards me, I avoided him, and he hunted me thrice about the room. I
affect never to take notice of him at church or Court. He knows it, for
I have told him so; and to-night, at Lord Masham's, he gave an account
of it to the company; but my reasons are, that people seeing me speak to
him causes a great deal of teasing. I tell you what comes into my head,
that I never knew whether MD were Whigs or Tories, and I value our
conversation the more that it never turned on that subject. I have
a fancy that Ppt is a Tory, and a violent one. I don't know why; but
methinks she looks like one, and DD a sort of a Trimmer. Am I right? I
gave the Examiner a hint about this prorogation, and to praise the
Queen for her tenderness to the Dutch in giving them still more time to
submit.(20) It fitted the occasions at present. Nite MD.

16. I was busy to-day at the Secretary's office, and stayed till past
three. The Duke of Ormond and I were to dine at Lord Orkney's. The Duke
was at the Committee, so