will pay it, let me beg you to buy Bank Stock with it, which is fallen near
thirty per cent. and pays eight pounds per cent. and you have the principal
when you please: it will certainly soon rise. I would to God Lady Giffard
would put in the four hundred pounds she owes you,[24] and take the five per
cent. common interest, and give you the remainder. I will speak to your
mother about it when I see her. I am resolved to buy three hundred pounds of
it for myself, and take up what I have in Ireland; and I have a contrivance
for it, that I hope will do, by making a friend of mine buy it as for himself,
and I will pay him when I can get in my money. I hope Stratford will do me
that kindness. I'll ask him tomorrow or next day.

27. Mr. Rowe[25] the poet desired me to dine with him to-day. I went to his
office (he is under-secretary in Mr. Addison's place that he had in England),
and there was Mr. Prior; and they both fell commending my "Shower" beyond
anything that has been written of the kind: there never was such a "Shower"
since Danae's, etc. You must tell me how it is liked among you. I dined with
Rowe; Prior could not come: and after dinner we went to a blind tavern,[26]
where Congreve, Sir Richard Temple,[27] Estcourt,[28] and Charles Main,[29]
were over a bowl of bad punch. The knight sent for six flasks of his own wine
for me, and we stayed till twelve. But now my head continues pretty well; I
have left off my drinking, and only take a spoonful mixed with water, for fear
of the gout, or some ugly distemper; and now, because it is late, I will, etc.

28. Garth and Addison and I dined to-day at a hedge[30] tavern; then I went
to Mr. Harley, but he was denied, or not at home: so I fear I shall not hear
my business is done before this goes. Then I visited Lord Pembroke,[31] who
is just come to town; and we were very merry talking of old things; and I hit
him with one pun. Then I went to see the Ladies Butler, and the son of a
whore of a porter denied them: so I sent them a threatening message by
another lady, for not excepting me always to the porter. I was weary of the