when I think whom I am writing to. I will not answer your letter until I tell
you that I dined this day with Mr. Harley, who presented me to the Earl of
Stirling,[6] a Scotch lord; and in the evening came in Lord Peterborow. I
stayed till nine before Mr. Harley would let me go, or tell me anything of my
affair. He says the Queen has now granted the First-Fruits and Twentieth
Parts; but he will not give me leave to write to the Archbishop, because the
Queen designs to signify it to the Bishops in Ireland in form; and to take
notice, that it was done upon a memorial from me; which, Mr. Harley tells me
he does to make it look more respectful to me, etc.; and I am to see him on
Tuesday. I know not whether I told you that, in my memorial which was given
to the Queen, I begged for two thousand pounds a year more, though it was not
in my commission; but that, Mr. Harley says, cannot yet be done, and that he
and I must talk of it further: however, I have started it, and it may follow
in time. Pray say nothing of the First-Fruits being granted, unless I give
leave at the bottom of this. I believe never anything was compassed so soon,
and purely done by my personal credit with Mr. Harley, who is so excessively
obliging, that I know not what to make of it, unless to show the rascals of
the other party that they used a man unworthily who had deserved better. The
memorial given to the Queen from me speaks with great plainness of Lord
Wharton. I believe this business is as important to you as the Convocation
disputes from Tisdall.[7] I hope in a month or two all the forms of settling
this matter will be over; and then I shall have nothing to do here. I will
only add one foolish thing more, because it is just come into my head. When
this thing is made known, tell me impartially whether they give any of the
merit to me, or no; for I am sure I have so much, that I will never take it
upon me.--Insolent sluts! because I say Dublin, Ireland, therefore you must
say London, England: that is Stella's malice.--Well, for that I will not
answer your letter till to-morrow-day, and so and so: I will go write
something else, and it will not be much; for 'tis late.