letter.—­ The warrant is passed for the First-Fruits.  The Queen does not send a letter; but a patent will be drawn here, and that will take up time.  Mr. Harley of late has said nothing of presenting me to the Queen:  I was overseen[15] when I mentioned it to you.  He has such a weight of affairs on him, that he cannot mind all; but he talked of it three or four times to me, long before I dropped it to you.  What, is not Mrs. Walls’ business over yet?  I had hopes she was up and well, and the child dead before this time.—­You did right, at last, to send me your accompts; but I did not stay for them, I thank you.  I hope you have your bill sent in my last, and there will be eight pounds’ interest soon due from Hawkshaw:  pray look at his bond.  I hope you are good managers; and that, when I say so, Stella won’t think I intend she should grudge herself wine.  But going to those expensive lodgings requires some fund.  I wish you had stayed till I came over, for some reasons.  That Frenchwoman[16] will be grumbling again in a little time:  and if you are invited anywhere to the country, it will vex you to pay in absence; and the country may be necessary for poor Stella’s health:  but do as you like, and do not blame Presto.—­Oh, but you are telling your reasons.—­Well, I have read them; do as you please.—­ Yes, Raymond says he must stay longer than he thought, because he cannot settle his affairs.  M——­ is in the country at some friend’s, comes to town in spring, and then goes to settle in Herefordshire.  Her husband is a surly, ill-natured brute, and cares not she should see anybody.  O Lord, see how I blundered, and left two lines short; it was that ugly score in the paper[17] that made me mistake.—­I believe you lie about the story of the fire, only to make it more odd.  Bernage must go to Spain; and I will see to recommend him to the Duke of Argyle, his General, when I see the Duke next:  but the officers tell me it would be dishonourable in the last degree for him to sell now, and he would never be preferred in the army; so that, unless he designs to leave it for good and all, he must go.  Tell him so, and that I would write if I knew where to direct to him; which I have said fourscore times already.  I had rather anything almost than that you should strain yourselves to send a letter when it is inconvenient; we have settled that matter already.  I’ll write when I can, and so shall MD; and upon occasions extraordinary I will write, though it be a line; and when we have not letters soon, we agree that all things are well; and so that’s settled for ever, and so hold your tongue.- -Well, you shall have your pins; but for candles’ ends, I cannot promise, because I burn them to the stumps; besides, I remember what Stella told Dingley about them many years ago, and she may think the same thing of me.—­ And Dingley shall have her hinged spectacles.—­Poor dear Stella, how durst you write those two lines by candlelight? bang your bones!  Faith, this letter