23.  I only ask, have you got both the ten pounds, or only the first; I hope you mean both.  Pray be good housewives; and I beg you to walk when you can, for health.  Have you the horse in town? and do you ever ride him? how often?  Confess.  Ahhh, sirrah, have I caught you?  Can you contrive to let Mrs. Fenton[22] know, that the request she has made me in her letter I will use what credit I have to bring about, although I hear it is very difficult, and I doubt I shall not succeed?  Cox is not to be your Chancellor:  all joined against him.  I have been supping with Lord Peterborow at his house, with Prior, Lewis, and Dr. Freind.  ’Tis the ramblingest lying rogue on earth.  Dr. Raymond is come to town:  ’tis late, and so I bid you good-night.

24.  I tell you, pretty management!  Ned Southwell told me the other day he had a letter from the bishops of Ireland, with an address to the Duke of Ormond, to intercede with the Queen to take off the First-Fruits.  I dined with him to-day, and saw it, with another letter to him from the Bishop of Kildare,[23] to call upon me for the papers, etc.; and I had last post one from the Archbishop of Dublin, telling me the reason of this proceeding; that, upon hearing the Duke of Ormond was declared Lord Lieutenant, they met; and the bishops were for this project, and talked coldly of my being solicitor, as one that was favoured by t’other party, etc., but desired that I would still solicit.[24] Now the wisdom of this is admirable; for I had given the Archbishop an account of my reception from Mr. Harley, and how he had spoken to the Queen, and promised it should be done; but Mr. Harley ordered me to tell no person alive.  Some time after, he gave me leave to let the Primate and Archbishop know that the Queen had remitted the First-Fruits; and that in a short time they should have an account of it in form from Lord Dartmouth, Secretary of State.  So while their letter was on the road to the Duke of Ormond and Southwell, mine was going to them with an account of the thing being done.  I writ a very warm answer[25] to the Archbishop immediately; and showed my resentments, as I ought, against the bishops; only, in good manners, excepting himself.  I wonder what they will say when they hear the thing is done.  I was yesterday forced to tell Southwell so, that the Queen had done it, etc.; for he said, my Lord Duke would think of it some months hence, when he was going for Ireland; and he had it three years in doing formerly, without any success.  I give you free leave to say, on occasion, that it is done; and that Mr. Harley prevailed on the Queen to do it, etc., as you please.  As I hope to live, I despise the credit of it, out of an excess of pride; and desire you will not give me the least merit when you talk of it; but I would vex the bishops, and have it spread that Mr. Harley had done it:  pray do so.  Your mother sent me last night a parcel of wax candles, and a bandbox