proposal. He said, the immensity of his love deprived
him of the power of gratification, and that some commerce with an
object, to which his heart was not attached, might, by diminishing the
transports of his spirits, recompose his nerves, and enable him to enjoy
the fruits of his good fortune.

"You may be sure I made no objection to this plan, which was immediately
put into execution. He made his addresses to a nymph of Drury Lane,
whose name, as he told me, was Mrs. Rock. She made shift to extract some
money from her patient; but his infirmity was beyond the power of her
art, though she made some mischief between us; and I communicated my
suspicion to the duke of H--, who intended to have expostulated with her
upon the subject; but she got intimation of his design, and saved him
the trouble by a precipitate retreat.

"After my return from Bath, where Mr. S-- and I had lived happily, until
we were interrupted by the arrival of my husband, his lordship expressed
an inclination to be my bedfellow again. In this particular I desired to
be excused. I would not be the first to propose the separation, which,
though usual in other countries, is contrary to the custom of England,
being unwilling to furnish the least handle for censure, as my character
was still unblemished; yet, when the proposal came from him, I thought
myself entitled to refuse a reunion; to which I accordingly objected.

"This opposition produced a quarrel, which rose to a state of perpetual
animosity; so that we began to talk of parting. My lord relished the
expedient, agreeing to add three hundred pounds a year to my pin-money,
which, by the bye, was never paid; and I renounced all state and
grandeur, to live in a small house that I hired at Carshalton, where I
passed my time for two months, in the most agreeable retirement, with my
dear lover. At length I was disturbed by the intrusion of my lord, who
molested me with visits and solicitations to return, pretending that he
had changed his mind, and insisting upon my compliance with his desire.

"I exhausted my invention in endeavours to evade his request; but he
persecuted me without ceasing. So that I was fain to capitulate, on
condition that he should immediately set out for France; and that he
should not presume to approach my bed till our arrival at Calais. We
accordingly departed for that kingdom; and, far from infringing the
least article of our treaty, his lordship did not insist upon his
privi