undisputed; and I believe if he had a mind to be chosen king, he would hardly
be refused. An odd accident has happened at Colchester: one Captain
Lavallin,[8] coming from Flanders or Spain, found his wife with child by a
clerk of Doctors' Commons, whose trade, you know, it is to prevent
fornications: and this clerk was the very same fellow that made the discovery
of Dyot's[9] counterfeiting the stamp-paper. Lavallin has been this fortnight
hunting after the clerk, to kill him; but the fellow was constantly employed
at the Treasury, about the discovery he made: the wife had made a shift to
patch up the business, alleging that the clerk had told her her husband was
dead and other excuses; but t'other day somebody told Lavallin his wife had
intrigues before he married her: upon which he goes down in a rage, shoots
his wife through the head, then falls on his sword; and, to make the matter
sure, at the same time discharges a pistol through his own head, and died on
the spot, his wife surviving him about two hours, but in what circumstances of
mind and body is terrible to imagine. I have finished my poem on the
"Shower," all but the beginning; and am going on with my Tatler. They have
fixed about fifty things on me since I came: I have printed but three.[10]
One advantage I get by writing to you daily, or rather you get, is, that I
shall remember not to write the same things twice; and yet, I fear, I have
done it often already: but I will mind and confine myself to the accidents of
the day; and so get you gone to ombre, and be good girls, and save your money,
and be rich against Presto comes, and write to me now and then: I am thinking
it would be a pretty thing to hear sometimes from saucy MD; but do not hurt
your eyes, Stella, I charge you.

13. O Lord, here is but a trifle of my letter written yet; what shall Presto
do for prattle-prattle, to entertain MD? The talk now grows fresher of the
Duke of Ormond for Ireland; though Mr. Addison says he hears it will be in
commission, and Lord Galway[11] one. These letters of mine are a sort of
journal, where matters open by degrees; and, as I tell true or false, you will