26. I have got a cruel cold, and stayed within all this day in my nightgown,
and dined on sixpennyworth of victuals, and read and writ, and was denied to
everybody. Dr. Raymond[4] called often, and I was denied; and at last, when I
was weary, I let him come up, and asked him, without consequence, how Patrick
denied me, and whether he had the art of it? So by this means he shall be
used to have me denied to him; otherwise he would be a plaguy trouble and
hindrance to me: he has sat with me two hours, and drank a pint of ale cost
me fivepence, and smoked his pipe, and it is now past eleven that he is just
gone. Well, my eighth is with you now, young women; and your seventh to me is
somewhere in a post-boy's bag; and so go to your gang of deans, and Stoytes,
and Walls, and lose your money; go, sauceboxes: and so good-night, and be
happy, dear rogues. Oh, but your box was sent to Dr. Hawkshaw by Sterne, and
you will have it with Hawkshaw, and spectacles, etc., etc.

27. To-day Mr. Harley met me in the Court of Requests,[5] and whispered me to
dine with him. At dinner I told him what those bishops had done, and the
difficulty I was under. He bid me never trouble myself; he would tell the
Duke of Ormond the business was done, and that he need not concern himself
about it. So now I am easy, and they may hang themselves for a parcel of
insolent, ungrateful rascals. I suppose I told you in my last, how they sent
an address to the Duke of Ormond, and a letter to Southwell, to call on me for
the papers, after the thing was over; but they had not received my letter,
though the Archbishop might, by what I writ to him, have expected it would be
done. Well, there is an end of that; and in a little time the Queen will send
them notice, etc. And so the methods will be settled; and then I shall think
of returning, although the baseness of those bishops makes me love Ireland
less than I did.

28. Lord Halifax sent to invite me to dinner; where I stayed till six, and