20.  A Committee of our Society dined to-day with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.  Our Society does not meet now as usual, for which I am blamed:  but till Lord Treasurer will agree to give us money and employments to bestow, I am averse to it; and he gives us nothing but promises.  The Bishop of Dromore is still alive, and that is all.  We expect every day he will die, and then Tom Leigh must go back, which is one good thing to the town.  I believe Pratt will drive at one of these bishoprics.  Our English bishopric[24] is not yet disposed of.  I believe the peace will not be ready by the session.  Nite MD.

21.  I was to-day with my printer, to give him a little pamphlet I have written, but not politics.  It will be out by Monday.  If it succeeds, I will tell you of it; otherwise, not.  We had a prodigious thaw to-day, as bad as rain; yet I walked like a good boy all the way.  The Bishop of Dromore still draws breath, but cannot live two days longer.  My large book lies flat.  Some people think a great part of it ought not to be now printed.  I believe I told you so before.  This letter shall not go till Saturday, which makes up the three weeks exactly; and I allow MD six weeks, which are now almost out; so oo must know I expect a rettle vely soon, and that MD is vely werr;[25] and so nite, dee MD.

22.  This is one of our Court days, and I was there.  I told you there is a Drawing-room, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  The Hamiltons and Abercorns have done teasing me.  The latter, I hear, is actually going to France.  Lord Treasurer quarrelled with me at Court for being four days without dining with him; so I dined there to-day, and he has at last fallen in with my project (as he calls it) of coining halfpence and farthings, with devices, like medals, in honour of the Queen, every year changing the device.  I wish it may be done.  Nite MD.

23.  The Duke of Ormond and I appointed to dine with Ned Southwell to-day, to talk of settling your affairs of Parliament in Ireland, but there was a mixture of company, and the Duke of Ormond was in haste, and nothing was done.  If your Parliament meets this summer, it must be a new one; but I find some are of opinion there should be none at all these two years.  I will trouble myself no more about it.  My design was to serve the Duke of Ormond.  Dr. Pratt and I sat this evening with the Bishop of Clogher, and played at ombre for threepences.  That, I suppose, is but low with you.  I found, at coming home, a letter from MD, N.37.  I shall not answer it zis bout, but will the next.  I am sorry for poo poo Ppt.  Pray walk hen oo can.  I have got a terrible new cold before my old one was quite gone, and don’t know how.  Pay. . . . [26] I shall have DD’s money soon from the Exchequer.  The Bishop of Dromore is dead now at last.  Nite, dee MD.