to the window, and Lady Carteret[18] showed me my hat out of her window five doors off, where I was forced to walk to it, and pay her and old Lady Weymouth[19] a visit, with some more beldames.  Then I went and drank coffee, and made one or two puns, with Lord Pembroke,[20] and designed to go to Lord Treasurer; but it was too late, and beside I was half broiled, and broiled without butter; for I never sweat after dinner, if I drink any wine.  Then I sat an hour with Lady Betty Butler at tea, and everything made me hotter and drier.  Then I walked home, and was here by ten, so miserably hot, that I was in as perfect a passion as ever I was in my life at the greatest affront or provocation.  Then I sat an hour, till I was quite dry and cool enough to go swim; which I did, but with so much vexation that I think I have given it over:  for I was every moment disturbed by boats, rot them; and that puppy Patrick, standing ashore, would let them come within a yard or two, and then call sneakingly to them.  The only comfort I proposed here in hot weather is gone; for there is no jesting with those boats after it is dark:  I had none last night.  I dived to dip my head, and held my cap on with both my hands, for fear of losing it.  Pox take the boats!  Amen.  ’Tis near twelve, and so I’ll answer your letter (it strikes twelve now) to-morrow morning.

7.  Morning.  Well, now let us answer MD’s letter, N.15, 15, 15, 15.  Now have I told you the number? 15, 15; there, impudence, to call names in the beginning of your letter, before you say, How do you do, Mr. Presto?  There is your breeding!  Where is your manners, sirrah, to a gentleman?  Get you gone, you couple of jades.—­No, I never sit up late now; but this abominable hot weather will force me to eat or drink something that will do me hurt.  I do venture to eat a few strawberries.—­Why then, do you know in Ireland that Mr. St. John talked so in Parliament?[21] Your Whigs are plaguily bit; for he is entirely for their being all out.—­And are you as vicious in snuff as ever?  I believe, as you say, it does neither hurt nor good; but I have left it off, and when anybody offers me their box, I take about a tenth part of what I used to do, and then just smell to it, and privately fling the rest away.  I keep to my tobacco still,[22] as you say; but even much less of that than formerly, only mornings and evenings, and very seldom in the day.—­As for Joe,[23] I have recommended his case heartily to my Lord Lieutenant; and, by his direction, given a memorial of it to Mr. Southwell, to whom I have recommended it likewise.  I can do no more, if he were my brother.  His business will be to apply himself to Southwell.  And you must desire Raymond, if Price of Galway comes to town, to desire him to wait on Mr. Southwell, as recommended by me for one of the Duke’s chaplains, which was all I could do for him; and he must be presented to the Duke, and make his court, and ply about, and find out some vacancy,