Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 15.djvu/171

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JOURNAL TO STELLA.
163

they would be plagully confounded by this time. For, he designs to give the merit of it wholly to the queen and me, and to let them know it was done before the duke of Ormond was lord lieutenant. You visit, you dine abroad, you see friends; you pilgarlick; you walk from Finglass, you a cat's foot. O Lord lady Gore hung her child by the waist; what is that waist[1], I don't understand the word; he must hang on till you explain or spell it. I don't believe he was pretty, that's a liiii. Pish; burn your firstfruits; again at it. Stella has made twenty false spellings in her writing; I'll send them to you all back again on the other side of this letter, to mend them; I won't miss one. Why; I think there were seventeen bishops names to the letter lord Oxford received. I will send you some pamphlets by Leigh; put me in mind of it on Monday, for I shall go then to the printer; yes, and the Miscellany. I am mightily obliged to Walls, but I don't deserve it by any usage of him here, having seen him but twice, and once en passant. Mrs. Manley forsworn ombre! What; and no blazing star appear? no monsters born? no whale thrown up? Have you not found out some evasion for her? she had no such regard to oaths in her younger days. I got the books for nothing, madam Dingley; but the wine I got not; it was but a promise. Yes, my head is pretty well in the main, only now and then a little threatening or so. You talk of my reconciling some great folks.

  1. With great respect to the doctor's judgment, perhaps Stella's orthography might be defended against the tyranny of her instructor; at least she has all the moderns on her side: however, indeed, wast as well as waist, is to be met with in Littleton's dictionary.
M 2
I tell