ll go to bed and sleep if I can.

14. Lady Mountjoy sent to me two days ago, so I dined with her to-day,
and in the evening went to see Lord Treasurer. I found Patrick had been
just there with a how d'ye,(19) and my lord had returned answer that he
desired to see me. Mrs. Masham was with him when I came, and they are
never disturbed: 'tis well she is not very handsome; they sit alone
together settling the nation. I sat with Lady Oxford, and stopped Mrs.
Masham as she came out, and told her what progress I had made, etc., and
then went to Lord Treasurer: he is very well, only uneasy at rising
or sitting, with some rheumatic pain in his thigh, and a foot weak. He
showed me a small paper, sent by an unknown hand to one Mr. Cook, who
sent it to my lord: it was written in plain large letters thus

"Though G----d's knife did not succeed,
A F----n's yet may do the deed."

And a little below: "BURN THIS, YOU DOG." My lord has frequently such
letters as these: once he showed me one, which was a vision describing
a certain man, his dress, his sword, and his countenance, who was to
murder my lord. And he told me he saw a fellow in the chapel at Windsor
with a dress very like it. They often send him letters signed, "Your
humble servant, The Devil," and such stuff. I sat with him till after
ten, and have business to do.

15. The Secretary came yesterday to town from Hampton Court, so I went
to him early this morning; but he went back last night again: and coming
home to-night I found a letter from him to tell me that he was just
come from Hampton Court, and just returning, and will not be here till
Saturday night. A pox take him! he stops all my business. I'll beg leave
to come back when I have got over this, and hope to see MD in Ireland
soon after Christmas.--I'm weary of Courts, and want my journeys to
Laracor; they did me more good than all the Ministries these twenty
years. I dined to-day in the City, but did no business as I designed.
Lady Mountjoy tells me that Dilly is got to Ireland, and that the
Archbishop of Dublin was the cause of his returning so soon. The
Parliament was prorogued two days ago for a fortnight, which, with the
Queen's absence, makes the town very dull and empty. They tell me the
Duke of Ormond brings all the world away with him from Ireland. London
has nothing so bad in it in winter as your knots of Irish folks; but I
go to no coffee-house, and so I seldom see them. This letter shall go
on