presented me to the Earl of Stirling,(6) a Scotch lord; and
in the evening came in Lord Peterborow. I stayed till nine before Mr.
Harley would let me go, or tell me anything of my affair. He says the
Queen has now granted the First-Fruits and Twentieth Parts; but he will
not give me leave to write to the Archbishop, because the Queen designs
to signify it to the Bishops in Ireland in form; and to take notice,
that it was done upon a memorial from me; which, Mr. Harley tells me he
does to make it look more respectful to me, etc.; and I am to see him
on Tuesday. I know not whether I told you that, in my memorial which was
given to the Queen, I begged for two thousand pounds a year more, though
it was not in my commission; but that, Mr. Harley says, cannot yet be
done, and that he and I must talk of it further: however, I have started
it, and it may follow in time. Pray say nothing of the First-Fruits
being granted, unless I give leave at the bottom of this. I believe
never anything was compassed so soon, and purely done by my personal
credit with Mr. Harley, who is so excessively obliging, that I know not
what to make of it, unless to show the rascals of the other party that
they used a man unworthily who had deserved better. The memorial given
to the Queen from me speaks with great plainness of Lord Wharton. I
believe this business is as important to you as the Convocation disputes
from Tisdall.(7) I hope in a month or two all the forms of settling this
matter will be over; and then I shall have nothing to do here. I will
only add one foolish thing more, because it is just come into my head.
When this thing is made known, tell me impartially whether they give
any of the merit to me, or no; for I am sure I have so much, that I will
never take it upon me.--Insolent sluts! because I say Dublin, Ireland,
therefore you must say London, England: that is Stella's malice.--Well,
for that I will not answer your letter till to-morrow-day, and so and
so: I will go write something else, and it will not be much; for 'tis
late.

22. I was this morning with Mr. Lewis, the under-secretary to Lord
Dartmouth, two hours, talking politics, and contriving to keep Steele in
his office of stamped paper: he has lost his place of Gazetteer, three
hundred pounds a year, for writing a Tatler,(8) some months ago, against
Mr. Harley, who gave it him at first, and raised the salary from sixty
to three hundred pounds. This was devilish ungrateful; and