30.  In my conscience, I fear I shall have the gout.  I sometimes feel pains about my feet and toes:  I never drank till within these two years, and I did it to cure my head.  I often sit evenings with some of these people, and drink in my turn; but I am now resolved to drink ten times less than before; but they advise me to let what I drink be all wine, and not to put water to it.  Tooke and the printer stayed to-day to finish their affair, and treated me and two of the Under Secretaries upon their getting the Gazette.  Then I went to see Lord Treasurer, and chid him for not taking notice of me at Windsor.  He said he kept a place for me yesterday at dinner, and expected me there; but I was glad I did not go, because the Duke of Buckingham was there, and that would have made us acquainted; which I have no mind to.  However, we appointed to sup at Mr. Masham’s, and there stayed till past one o’clock; and that is late, sirrahs:  and I have much business.

31.  I have sent a noble haunch of venison this afternoon to Mrs. Vanhomrigh:  I wish you had it, sirrahs.  I dined gravely with my landlord the Secretary.  The Queen was abroad to-day in order to hunt; but, finding it disposed to rain, she kept in her coach; she hunts in a chaise with one horse, which she drives herself, and drives furiously, like Jehu, and is a mighty hunter, like Nimrod.  Dingley has heard of Nimrod, but not Stella, for it is in the Bible.  I was to-day at Eton, which is but just cross the bridge, to see my Lord Kerry’s son,[11] who is at school there.  Mr. Secretary has given me a warrant for a buck; I can’t send it to MD.  It is a sad thing, faith, considering how Presto loves MD, and how MD would love Presto’s venison for Presto’s sake.  God bless the two dear Wexford girls!

Aug. 1.  We had for dinner the fellow of that haunch of venison I sent to London; ’twas mighty fat and good, and eight people at dinner; that was bad.  The Queen and I were going to take the air this afternoon, but not together; and were both hindered by a sudden rain.  Her coaches and chaises all went back, and the guards too; and I scoured into the market-place for shelter.  I intended to have walked up the finest avenue I ever saw, two miles long, with two rows of elms on each side.  I walked in the evening a little upon the terrace, and came home at eight:  Mr. Secretary came soon after, and we were engaging in deep discourse, and I was endeavouring to settle some points of the greatest consequence, and had wormed myself pretty well into him, when his Under Secretary came in (who lodges in the same house with us) and interrupted all my scheme.  I have just left him:  it is late, etc.