last night at council and going home with him afterwards. The chief thing done in councel was reading a proclamation to suspend the act for recruits, which will be acceptable to the countrey, ever uneasy under that law of necessity. I have not seen the Duke d'Aumont, but hear of nothing else. They say he is a very fine gentleman, and will spend a great deal of money here, but those who have a mind to have his house pull'd down, or have him affronted, give out that he sells wine by the bottle, and french stuffs, nay turnips, for there is nothing too ridiculous for them. My Lord Treasurer was out of order last week and saw no company, but is abroad again. The Duke of Ormond hath been shut up too, upon the death of his daughter My Lady Ashburnham. The Duchess of Marlborough hath given great presents at her taking leave of her friends, severall fine diamond rings and other Jewells of great value, to Dr. Garth for one. They say the parliament will be put off to the 20th of this moneth, some say longer, and are most likely to say true. You have all that is come within the reach of your Lordship's, &c.
��[Lady Strafford.]
St. James's Square, January 13, 1713.
In the first place I must tell my- Dearest Life that I re- ceaved your letter of the 17th a Sunday, and you bid me not be jealous of the woman that made those fine verses of you. I own to you I find your honour so very vain concerning your own person that there is no danger of your falling in love with anybody but your self ; and pray tell Capt. Powell I say so, who I am sure will extremly agree with me in my opinion. I think 'tis realy commiting a sin to doe any thing to highten your vainity, but at present I can't help it in telling you that everybody laments you are not to be instal'd your self, because you wou'd make so good a figure. The Duke of Kent told me a Sunday night that he and the rest of the Lords had agreed that the instalment shall be next Thursday sevennight, and that Lord Treasurer had given
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