have followed. I was at our society last Thursday, to receive a new member, the chancellor of the exchequer; but I drink nothing above wine and water. We shall have a peace, I hope, soon, or at least entirely broke; but I believe the first. My letter to lord treasurer, about the English tongue, is now printing; and I suffer my name to be put at the end of it, which I never did before in my life. The appendix to the third part of John Bull was published yesterday; it is equal to the rest. I hope you read John Bull. It was a Scotch gentleman, a friend of mine, that writ it; but they put it upon me. The parliament will hardly be up 'till June. We were like to be undone some days ago with a tack[1]; but we carried it bravely, and the whigs came in to help us. Poor lady Masham, I am afraid, will lose her only son, about a twelvemonth old, with the king's evil. I never would let Mrs. Fenton see me during my illness, though she often came; but she has been once since I recovered. Bernage has been twice to see me of late. His regiment will be broke, and he only upon half pay; so perhaps he thinks he will want me again. I am told here, the bishop of Clogher and family are coming over; but he says nothing of it himself I have been returning the visits of those, that sent howdees in my sickness; particularly the duchess of Hamilton, who came and sat with me two hours. I make bargains with all people that I dine with, to let me scrub my back against a chair; and the duchess of Ormond was forced to bear it the other day. Many of my friends
- ↑ A tack is a bill tacked to a money bill, that as both must be passed or rejected together, the tacked bill may pass, because the money bill must.
