5.  I wish you a merry Lent.  I hate Lent; I hate different diets, and furmity and butter, and herb porridge; and sour devout faces of people who only put on religion for seven weeks.  I was at the Secretary’s office this morning; and there a gentleman brought me two letters, dated last October; one from the Bishop of Clogher, t’other from Walls.  The gentleman is called Colonel Newburgh.[20] I think you mentioned him to me some time ago; he has business in the House of Lords.  I will do him what service I can.  The Representation of the House of Commons is printed:[21] I have not seen it yet; it is plaguy severe, they say.  I dined with Dr. Arbuthnot, and had a true Lenten dinner, not in point of victuals, but spleen; for his wife and a child or two were sick in the house, and that was full as mortifying as fish.  We have had fine mighty cold frosty weather for some days past.  I hope you take the advantage of it, and walk now and then.  You never answer that part of my letters where I desire you to walk.  I must keep my breath to cool my Lenten porridge.  Tell Jemmy Leigh that his boy that robbed him now appears about the town:  Patrick has seen him once or twice.  I knew nothing of his being robbed till Patrick told me he had seen the boy.  I wish it had been Sterne that had been robbed, to be revenged for the box that he lost,[22] and be p-xed to him.  Nite, MD.

6.  I hear Mr. Prior has suffered by Stratford’s breaking.  I was yesterday to see Prior, who is not well, and I thought he looked melancholy.  He can ill afford to lose money.  I walked before dinner in the Mall a good while with Lord Arran and Lord Dupplin, two of my brothers, and then we went to dinner, where the Duke of Beaufort was our President.  We were but eleven to-day.  We are now in all nine lords and ten commoners.  The Duke of Beaufort had the confidence to propose his brother-in-law, the Earl of Danby,[23] to be a member; but I opposed it so warmly that it was waived.  Danby is not above twenty, and we will have no more boys, and we want but two to make up our number.  I stayed till eight, and then we all went away soberly.  The Duke of Ormond’s treat last week cost 20 pounds, though it was only four dishes and four, without a dessert; and I bespoke it in order to be cheap.  Yet I could not prevail to change the house.  Lord Treasurer is in a rage with us for being so extravagant:  and the wine was not reckoned neither; for that is always brought by him that is President.  Lord Orrery[24] is to be President next week; and I will see whether it cannot be cheaper; or else we will leave the house. . .[25] Lord Masham made me go home with him to-night to eat boiled oysters.  Take oysters, wash them clean; that is, wash their shells clean; then put your oysters into an earthen pot, with their hollow sides down, then put this pot into a great kettle with water, and so let them boil.  Your oysters are boiled in their own liquor, and not mixed water.  Lord Treasurer was not with us; he was very ill to-day with a swimming in the head, and is gone home to be cupped, and sent to desire Lady Masham to excuse him to the Queen.  Nite, dee MD.