7.  Morning.  Your new Lord Chancellor[9] sets out to-morrow for Ireland:  I never saw him.  He carries over one Trapp[10] a parson as his chaplain, a sort of pretender to wit, a second-rate pamphleteer for the cause, whom they pay by sending him to Ireland.  I never saw Trapp neither.  I met Tighe[11] and your Smyth of Lovet’s yesterday by the Exchange.  Tighe and I took no notice of each other; but I stopped Smyth, and told him of the box that lies for you at Chester, because he says he goes very soon to Ireland, I think this week:  and I will send this morning to Sterne, to take measures with Smyth; so good-morrow, sirrahs, and let me rise, pray.  I took up this paper when I came in at evening, I mean this minute, and then said I, “No, no, indeed, MD, you must stay”; and then was laying it aside, but could not for my heart, though I am very busy, till I just ask you how you do since morning; by and by we shall talk more, so let me leave you:  softly down, little paper, till then; so there—­now to business; there, I say, get you gone; no, I will not push you neither, but hand you on one side—­So—­Now I am got into bed, I’ll talk with you.  Mr. Secretary St. John sent for me this morning in all haste; but I would not lose my shaving, for fear of missing church.  I went to Court, which is of late always very full; and young Manley and I dined at Sir Matthew Dudley’s.—­I must talk politics.  I protest I am afraid we shall all be embroiled with parties.  The Whigs, now they are fallen, are the most malicious toads in the world.  We have had now a second misfortune, the loss of several Virginia ships.  I fear people will begin to think that nothing thrives under this Ministry:  and if the Ministry can once be rendered odious to the people, the Parliament may be chosen Whig or Tory as the Queen pleases.  Then I think our friends press a little too hard on the Duke of Marlborough.  The country members[12] are violent to have past faults inquired into, and they have reason; but I do not observe the Ministry to be very fond of it.  In my opinion we have nothing to save us but a Peace; and I am sure we cannot have such a one as we hoped; and then the Whigs will bawl what they would have done had they continued in power.  I tell the Ministry this as much as I dare; and shall venture to say a little more to them, especially about the Duke of Marlborough, who, as the Whigs give out, will lay down his command; and I question whether ever any wise State laid aside a general who had been successful nine years together, whom the enemy so much dread, and his own soldiers cannot but believe must always conquer; and you know that in war opinion is nine parts in ten.  The Ministry hear me always with appearance of regard, and much kindness; but I doubt they let personal quarrels mingle too much with their proceedings.  Meantime, they seem to value all this as nothing, and are as easy and merry as if they had nothing in their hearts or upon their shoulders; like physicians, who endeavour to cure, but feel no grief, whatever the patient suffers.—­Pshaw, what is all this?  Do you know one thing, that I find I can write politics to you much easier than to anybody alive?  But I swear my head is full; and I wish I were at Laracor, with dear, charming MD, etc.