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.

22.  I was this morning with Mr. Lewis, the under-secretary to Lord Dartmouth, two hours, talking politics, and contriving to keep Steele in his office of stamped paper:  he has lost his place of Gazetteer, three hundred pounds a year, for writing a Tatler,[8] some months ago, against Mr. Harley, who gave it him at first, and raised the salary from sixty to three hundred pounds.  This was devilish ungrateful; and Lewis was telling me the particulars:  but I had a hint given me, that I might save him in the other employment:  and leave was given me to clear matters with Steele.  Well, I dined with Sir Matthew Dudley, and in the evening went to sit with Mr. Addison, and offer the matter at distance to him, as the discreeter person; but found party had so possessed him, that he talked as if he suspected me, and would not fall in with anything I said.  So I stopped short in my overture, and we parted very drily; and I shall say nothing to Steele, and let them do as they will; but, if things stand as they are, he will certainly lose it, unless I save him; and therefore I will not speak to him, that I may not report to his disadvantage.  Is not this vexatious? and is there so much in the proverb of proffered service?  When shall I grow wise?  I endeavour to act in the most exact points of honour and conscience; and my nearest friends will not understand it so.  What must a man expect from his enemies?  This would vex me, but it shall not; and so I bid you good-night, etc.