19.  Newcomb came to me this morning, and I went to the Duke of Ormond to speak for him; but the Duke was just going out to take the oaths for General.  The Duke of Shrewsbury is to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.  I walked with Domville and Ford to Kensington, where we dined, and it cost me above a crown.  I don’t like it, as the man said.[31] It was very windy walking.  I saw there Lord Masham’s children.  The youngest, my nephew, I fear, has got the king’s evil; the other two are daughters of three and four years old.  ’Twas very windy walking.  The gardens there are mighty fine.  I passed the evening at Lord Masham’s with Lord Treasurer and Arbuthnot, as usual, and we stayed till past one; but I had my man to come with me, and at home I found three letters; one from one Fetherston, a parson, with a postscript of Tisdall’s to recommend him:  and Fetherston, whom I never saw, has been so kind to give me a letter of attorney to recover a debt for him.  Another from Lord Abercorn, to get him the dukedom of Chatelherault[32] from the King of France; in which I will do what I can, for his pretensions are very just.  The third, I warrant you, from our MD.  ’Tis a great stir this, of getting a dukedom from the King of France:  but it is only to speak to the Secretary, and get the Duke of Ormond to engage in it, and mention the case to Lord Treasurer, etc., and this I shall do.  Nite deelest richar MD.

20.  I was with the Duke of Ormond this morning, about Lord Abercorn, Dr. Freind, and Newcomb.  Some will do, and some will not do; that’s wise, marams.[33] The Duke of Shrewsbury is certainly to be your Governor.  I will go in a day or two, and give the Duchess joy, and recommend the Archbishop of Dublin to her.  I writ to the Archbishop, some months ago, that it would be so, and told him I would speak a good word for him to the Duchess; and he says he has a great respect for her, etc.  I made our Society change their house, and we met to-day at the Star and Garter in the Pall Mall.  Lord Arran was President.  The other dog was so extravagant in his bills, that for four dishes and four, first and second course, without wine or dessert, he charged twenty-one pounds, six shillings, and eightpence, to the Duke of Ormond.  We design, when all have been Presidents this turn, to turn it into a reckoning of so much a head; but we shall break up when the session ends.  Nite deelest MD.

21.  Morning.  Now I will answer MD’s rettle, N.27; you that are adding to your number and grumbling, had made it 26, and then altered[34] it to 27.  I believe it is above a month since your last; yes, it is above seven weeks since I had your last:  but I ought to consider that this was twelve days right,[35] so that makes it pretty even.  O, the sirry zade,[36] with her excuses of a fortnight at Ballygall, seeing their friends, and landlord running away.  O Rold, hot a cruttle[37] and a bustle!—­No—­if you will have it—­I am not Dean of Wells,[38]