shall not be excused”:  however, I hope they will forget it; for if it should happen, all the puppies hereabouts will throng to hear me, and expect something wonderful, and be plaguily baulked; for I shall preach plain honest stuff.  I stayed with St. John till eight, and then came home; and Patrick desired leave to go abroad, and by and by comes up the girl to tell me, a gentleman was below in a coach, who had a bill to pay me; so I let him come up, and who should it be but Mr. Addison and Sam Dopping, to haul me out to supper, where I stayed till twelve.  If Patrick had been at home, I should have ’scaped this; for I have taught him to deny me almost as well as Mr. Harley’s porter.—­Where did I leave off in MD’s letter? let me see.  So, now I have it.  You are pleased to say, Madam Dingley, that those who go for England can never tell when to come back.  Do you mean this as a reflection upon Presto, madam?  Sauceboxes, I will come back as soon as I can, as hope saved,[35] and I hope with some advantage, unless all Ministries be alike, as perhaps they may.  I hope Hawkshaw is in Dublin before now, and that you have your things, and like your spectacles:  if you do not, you shall have better.  I hope Dingley’s tobacco did not spoil Stella’s chocolate, and that all is safe:  pray let me know.  Mr. Addison and I are different as black and white, and I believe our friendship will go off, by this damned business of party:  he cannot bear seeing me fall in so with this Ministry:  but I love him still as well as ever, though we seldom meet.—­Hussy, Stella, you jest about poor Congreve’s eyes;[36] you do so, hussy; but I’ll bang your bones, faith.—­Yes, Steele was a little while in prison, or at least in a spunging-house, some time before I came, but not since.[37]—­Pox on your convocations, and your Lamberts;[38] they write with a vengeance!  I suppose you think it a piece of affectation in me to wish your Irish folks would not like my “Shower,”; but you are mistaken.  I should be glad to have the general applause there as I have here (though I say it); but I have only that of one or two, and therefore I would have none at all, but let you all be in the wrong.  I don’t know, this is not what I would say; but I am so tosticated with supper and stuff, that I can’t express myself.—­What you say of “Sid Hamet” is well enough; that an enemy should like it, and a friend not; and that telling the author would make both change their opinions.  Why did you not tell Griffyth[39] that you fancied there was something in it of my manner; but first spur up his commendation to the height, as we served my poor uncle about the sconce that I mended?  Well, I desired you to give what I intended for an answer to Mrs. Fenton,[40] to save her postage, and myself trouble; and I hope I have done it, if you han’t.