2~50 THE WENTWORTII PAPERS.
the town reports 'tis either for you or the Duke of Argile, but he's pretty sure 'tis not designed for him, 'tis not yet put into commission. I have seen of late Sir Stephen Fox go often to the Queen, wch was the only thing that given mc an opinion such a commission might be. I was told a story to day wch I will not affirm for truth till I have inquired farther into't. 'Twas that a Gentleman desired to speak to the Queen, and the Dutchess of Ormond being in waiting wou'd have introduced him, but she was told by the page of the back stairs, that the Dutchess of Sommerset was just gone and had left orders that nobody shou'd be permitted to speak to the Queen till she came again. 'Tis certain the Dutchess of Somerset remains in great esteem with the Queen still. My Lady Masham is not yet declar'd lady of the Bedchamber, lady Katherine Hide has waited as such. The day before the birth day I was to know if the Queen wou'd go abroad ; she wou'd not go out but bid me have the chair in readiness the next day, so I found I cou'd not avoid being seen by her and my cloath not being come from Holland I took up a resolution to make a plain suit and was telling my Lady Burlington my disappointment, who told me she knew several in my case &c., but when she went abroad with the Queen she told her all I had said to her, so that my complyment was better made to the Queen, then if I had not been disappointed, 'Twas very obliging of Lady Burlington for which I tell you the story, I wish I had my mony again, lett who wou'd have the cloaths.
There's five mails come in and I have just now received the favour of four Letters from you of 5th, 9th, 12th, i6th. And when I go out I shall be flock't about for news. Before I came in I went into St. Jameses coffee house and there they said the french had explain'd themselves upon their proposals and that we shou'd have canidy, Hudson's bay, and the same trade in the West indias as we had in the time of King Charles the 2nd ; Dunkirk shou'd be demollish't, but the Emperor was to renounce all his pretensions to the Kingdome of spain, and the Spanish flanders, but was to have Naples and some other places in Italy, Lisle and Douay to be restor'd to the
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