r. And must I go on at four shillings a
week, and neither eat nor drink for it? Who the Devil said Atterbury and
your Dean were alike? I never saw your Chancellor, nor his chaplain.
The latter has a good deal of learning, and is a well-wisher to be an
author: your Chancellor is an excellent man. As for Patrick's bird, he
bought him for his tameness, and is grown the wildest I ever saw. His
wings have been quilled thrice, and are now up again: he will be able
to fly after us to Ireland, if he be willing.--Yes, Mrs. Stella, Dingley
writes more like Presto than you; for all you superscribed the letter,
as who should say, Why should not I write like our Presto as well as
Dingley? You with your awkward SS;(17) cannot you write them thus, SS?
No, but always SSS. Spiteful sluts, to affront Presto's writing; as that
when you shut your eyes you write most like Presto. I know the time when
I did not write to you half so plain as I do now; but I take pity on you
both. I am very much concerned for Mrs. Walls's eyes. Walls says nothing
of it to me in his letter dated after yours. You say, "If she recovers,
she may lose her sight." I hope she is in no danger of her life. Yes,
Ford is as sober as I please: I use him to walk with me as an easy
companion, always ready for what I please, when I am weary of business
and Ministers. I don't go to a Coffee-house twice a month. I am very
regular in going to sleep before eleven.--And so you say that Stella
is a pretty girl; and so she be, and methinks I see her just now as
handsome as the day is long. Do you know what? when I am writing in
our language, I make up my mouth just as if I was speaking it. I caught
myself at it just now. And I suppose Dingley is so fair and so fresh as
a lass in May, and has her health, and no spleen.--In your account
you sent do you reckon as usual from the 1st of November(18) was
twelvemonth? Poor Stella, will not Dingley leave her a little daylight
to write to Presto? Well, well, we'll have daylight shortly, spite of
her teeth; and zoo(19) must cly Lele and Hele, and Hele aden. Must loo
mimitate Pdfr, pay? Iss, and so la shall. And so lele's fol ee rettle.
Dood-mollow.--At night. Mrs. Barton sent this morning to invite me to
dinner; and there I dined, just in that genteel manner that MD used when
they would treat some better sort of body than usual.

8. O dear MD, my heart is almost broken. You will hear the thing
before this comes to you. I writ a full account o