Lord Treasurer's at eleven, and stayed some time with
him.--He showed me a letter from a great Presbyterian parson(6) to
him, complaining how their friends had betrayed them by passing this
Conformity Bill; and he showed me the answer he had written, which his
friends would not let him send; but was a very good one. He is very
cheerful; but gives one no hopes, nor has any to give. I went into the
City, and there I dined.

23. Morning. As I was dressing to go to church, a friend that was to see
me advised me not to stir out; so I shall keep at home to-day, and only
eat some broth, if I can get it. It is a terrible cold frost, and snow
fell yesterday, which still remains: look there, you may see it from the
penthouses. The Lords made yesterday two or three votes about peace, and
Hanover, of a very angry kind to vex the Ministry, and they will meet
sooner by a fortnight than the Commons; and they say, are preparing some
knocking addresses. Morrow, sirrahs. I'll sit at home, and when I go
to bed I will tell you how I am.--I have sat at home all day, and eaten
only a mess of broth and a roll. I have written a Prophecy,(7) which I
design to print; I did it to-day, and some other verses.

24. I went into the City to-day in a coach, and dined there. My cold is
going. It is now bitter hard frost, and has been so these three or four
days. My Prophecy is printed, and will be published after Christmas
Day; I like it mightily: I don't know how it will pass. You will never
understand it at your distance, without help. I believe everybody will
guess it to be mine, because it is somewhat in the same manner with that
of "Merlin"(8) in the Miscellanies. My Lord Privy Seal set out this day
for Holland: he'll have a cold journey. I gave Patrick half a crown for
his Christmas box, on condition he would be good, and he came home drunk
at midnight. I have taken a memorandum of it, because I never design to
give him a groat more. 'Tis cruel cold.

25. I wish MD a merry Christmas, and many a one; but mine is melancholy:
I durst not go to church to-day, finding myself a little out of order,
and it snowing prodigiously, and freezing. At noon I went to Mrs. Van,
who had this week engaged me to dine there to-day: and there I received
the news that poor Mrs. Long(9) died at Lynn in Norfolk on Saturday
last, at four in the morning: she was sick but four hours. We suppose it
was the asthma, which she was subject to as well as the dropsy, as she
sent