6.  I was this morning making the ballad, two degrees above Grub Street:  at noon I paid a visit to Mrs. Masham, and then went to dine with our Society.  Poor Lord Keeper dined below stairs, I suppose, on a bit of mutton.  We chose two members:  we were eleven met, the greatest meeting we ever had:  I am next week to introduce Lord Orrery.  The printer came before we parted, and brought the ballad, which made them laugh very heartily a dozen times.  He is going to print the pamphlet[12] in small, a fifth edition, to be taken off by friends, and sent into the country.  A sixpenny answer is come out, good for nothing, but guessing me, among others, for the author.  To-morrow is the fatal day for the Parliament meeting, and we are full of hopes and fears.  We reckon we have a majority of ten on our side in the House of Lords; yet I observed Mrs. Masham a little uneasy:  she assures me the Queen is stout.  The Duke of Marlborough has not seen the Queen for some days past; Mrs. Masham is glad of it, because she says he tells a hundred lies to his friends of what she says to him:  he is one day humble, and the next day on the high ropes.  The Duke of Ormond, they say, will be in town to-night by twelve.

7.  This being the day the Parliament was to meet, and the great question to be determined, I went with Dr. Freind to dine in the City, on purpose to be out of the way, and we sent our printer to see what was our fate; but he gave us a most melancholy account of things.  The Earl of Nottingham began, and spoke against a peace, and desired that in their address they might put in a clause to advise the Queen not to make a peace without Spain; which was debated, and carried by the Whigs by about six voices:  and this has happened entirely by my Lord Treasurer’s neglect, who did not take timely care to make up all his strength, although every one of us gave him caution enough.  Nottingham has certainly been bribed.  The question is yet only carried in the Committee of the whole House, and we hope when it is reported to the House to-morrow, we shall have a majority, by some Scotch lords coming to town.  However, it is a mighty blow and loss of reputation to Lord Treasurer, and may end in his ruin.  I hear the thing only as the printer brought it, who was at the debate; but how the Ministry take it, or what their hopes and fears are, I cannot tell until I see them.  I shall be early with the Secretary to-morrow, and then I will tell you more, and shall write a full account to the Bishop of Clogher to-morrow, and to the Archbishop of Dublin, if I have time.  I am horribly down at present.  I long to know how Lord Treasurer bears this, and what remedy he has.  The Duke of Ormond came this day to town, and was there.