9.  I was at Court to-day, and nobody invited me to dinner, except one or two, whom I did not care to dine with; so I dined with Mrs. Van.  Young Davenant[4] was telling us at Court how he was set upon by the Mohocks, and how they ran his chair through with a sword.  It is not safe being in the streets at night for them.  The Bishop of Salisbury’s son[5] is said to be of the gang.  They are all Whigs; and a great lady sent to me, to speak to her father and to Lord Treasurer, to have a care of them, and to be careful likewise of myself; for she heard they had malicious intentions against the Ministers and their friends.  I know not whether there be anything in this, though others are of the same opinion.  The weather still continues very fine and frosty.  I walked in the Park this evening, and came home early to avoid the Mohocks.  Lord Treasurer is better.  Nite, my own two deelest MD.

10.  I went this morning again to the Lord Treasurer, who is quite recovered; and I stayed till he went out.  I dined with a friend in the City, about a little business of printing; but not my own.  You must buy a small twopenny pamphlet, called Law is a Bottomless Pit.[6] ’Tis very prettily written, and there will be a Second Part.  The Commons are very slow in bringing in their Bill to limit the press, and the pamphleteers make good use of their time; for there come out three or four every day.  Well, but is not it time, methinks, to have a letter from MD?  ’Tis now six weeks since I had your Number 26.  I can assure oo I expect one before this goes; and I’ll make shorter day’s journals than usual, ’cause I hope to fill up a good deal of t’other side with my answer.  Our fine weather lasts yet, but grows a little windy.  We shall have rain soon, I dispose.  Go to cards, sollahs, and I to seep.  Nite, MD.

11.  Lord Treasurer has lent the long letter I writ him[7] to Prior, and I can’t get Prior to return it.  I want to have it printed, and to make up this Academy for the improvement of our language.  Faith, we never shall improve it so much as FW has done; sall we?  No, faith, ourrichar gangridge.[8] I dined privately with my friend Lewis, and then went to see Ned Southwell, and talk with him about Walls’s business, and Mrs. South’s.  The latter will be done; but his own not.  Southwell tells me that it must be laid before Lord Treasurer, and the nature of it explained, and a great deal of clutter, which is not worth the while; and maybe Lord Treasurer won’t do it [at] last; and it is, as Walls says himself, not above forty shillings a year difference.  You must tell Walls this, unless he would have the business a secret from you:  in that case only say I did all I could with Ned Southwell, and it can’t be done; for it must be laid before Lord Treasurer, etc., who will not do it; and besides, it is not worth troubling his lordship.  So nite, my two deelest nuntyes nine MD.[9]