who promised, in a few days, to finish the rest of
my business. I reproached him for putting me on the necessity of minding
him of it, and rallied him, etc., which he took very well. I dined
to-day with one Mr. Gore, elder brother to a young merchant of my
acquaintance; and Stratford and my other friend merchants dined with us,
where I stayed late, drinking claret and burgundy; and am just got to
bed, and will say no more, but that it now begins to be time to have a
letter from my own little MD; for the last I had above a fortnight ago,
and the date was old too.

18. To-day I dined with Lewis and Prior at an eating-house, but
with Lewis's wine. Lewis went away, and Prior and I sat on, where we
complimented one another for an hour or two upon our mutual wit and
poetry. Coming home at seven, a gentleman unknown stopped me in the Pall
Mall, and asked my advice; said he had been to see the Queen (who was
just come to town), and the people in waiting would not let him see her;
that he had two hundred thousand men ready to serve her in the war; that
he knew the Queen perfectly well, and had an apartment at Court, and
if she heard he was there, she would send for him immediately; that she
owed him two hundred thousand pounds, etc., and he desired my opinion,
whether he should go try again whether he could see her; or because,
perhaps, she was weary after her journey, whether he had not better stay
till to-morrow. I had a mind to get rid of my companion, and begged
him of all love to go and wait on her immediately; for that, to my
knowledge, the Queen would admit him; that this was an affair of great
importance, and required despatch: and I instructed him to let me know
the success of his business, and come to the Smyrna Coffee-house, where
I would wait for him till midnight; and so ended this adventure. I would
have fain given the man half a crown; but was afraid to offer it him,
lest he should be offended; for, beside his money, he said he had a
thousand pounds a year. I came home not early; and so, madams both,
goodnight, etc.

19. I dined to-day with poor Lord Mountjoy, who is ill of the gout; and
this evening I christened our coffee-man Elliot's(15) child, where the
rogue had a most noble supper, and Steele and I sat among some scurvy
company over a bowl of punch; so that I am come home late, young women,
and can't stay to write to little rogues.

20. I loitered at home, and dined with Sir Andrew Fountaine at his
lodgi