17.  The Court was mighty full to-day, and has been these many Sundays; but the Queen was not at chapel.  She has got a little fit of the gout in her foot.  The good of going to Court is that one sees all one’s acquaintance, whom otherwise I should hardly meet twice a year.  Prince Eugene dines with the Secretary to-day, with about seven or eight General Officers, or foreign Ministers.  They will be all drunk, I am sure.  I never was in company with this Prince:  I have proposed to some lords that we should have a sober meal with him; but I can’t compass it.  It is come over in the Dutch news prints that I was arrested on an action of twenty thousand pounds by the Duke of Marlborough.  I did not like my Court invitation to-day; so Sir Andrew Fountaine and I went and dined with Mrs. Van.  I came home at six, and have been very busy till this minute, and it is past twelve.  So I got into bed to write to MD. . .  MD.[26] We reckon the Dauphin’s death will put forward the peace a good deal.  Pray is Dr. Griffith[27] reconciled to me yet?  Have I done enough to soften him? . . . [28] Nite deelest logues.

18.  Lewis had Guiscard’s picture:  he bought it, and offered it to Lord Treasurer, who promised to send for it, but never did; so I made Lewis give it me, and I have it in my room; and now Lord Treasurer says he will take it from me:  is that fair?  He designs to have it at length in the clothes he was when he did the action, and a penknife in his hand; and Kneller is to copy it from this that I have.  I intended to dine with Lord Treasurer to-day, but he has put me off till to-morrow; so I dined with Lord Dupplin.  You know Lord Dupplin very well; he is a brother of the Society.  Well, but I have received a letter from the Bishop of Cloyne, to solicit an affair for him with Lord Treasurer, and with the Parliament, which I will do as soon as fly.  I am not near so keen about other people’s affairs as. . . [29] Ppt used to reproach me about; it was a judgment on me.  Harkee, idle dearees both, meetinks I begin to want a rettle flom[30] MD:  faith, and so I do.  I doubt you have been in pain about the report of my being arrested.  The pamphleteers have let me alone this month, which is a great wonder:  only the third part of the Answer to the Conduct, which is lately come out. (Did I tell you of it already?) The House of Commons goes on in mauling the late Ministry and their proceedings.  Nite deelest MD.[31]

19.  I dined with Lord Treasurer to-day, and sat with him till ten, in spite of my teeth, though my printer waited for me to correct a sheet.  I told him of four lines I writ extempore with my pencil, on a bit of paper in his house, while he lay wounded.  Some of the servants, I suppose, made waste-paper of them, and he never had heard of them.  Shall I tell them you?  They were inscribed to Mr. Harley’s physician.  Thus

     On Britain Europe’s safety lies;[32]
     Britain is lost, if Harley dies. 
     Harley depends upon your skill: 
     Think what you save, or what you kill.