ne in marriage, and that the Duke of Wharton declined the offer,
because the latter was to be tied up, and he could not conveniently tie
up the former. However this may be, he remained a widower for a short
time: we may be sure, not long.

The hypocrisy of going abroad to retrench was not long undiscovered. The
fascinating scapegrace seems to have delighted in playing on the
credulity of others; and Walpole relates that, on the eve of the day on
which he delivered his famous speech for Atterbury, he sought an
interview with the minister, Sir Robert Walpole, expressed great
contrition at having espoused the bishop's cause hitherto, and a
determination to speak against him the following day. The minister was
taken in, and at the duke's request, supplied him with all the main
arguments, pro and con. The deceiver, having got these well into his
brain--one of the most retentive--repaired to his London haunts, passed
the night in drinking, and the next day produced all the arguments he
had digested, _in the bishop's favour_.

At Vienna he was well received, and carried out his private mission
successfully, but was too restless to stay in one place, and soon set
off for Madrid. Tired now of politics, he took a turn at love. He was a
poet after a fashion, for the pieces he has left are not very good: he
was a fine gentleman, always spending more money than he had, and is
said to have been handsome. His portraits do not give us this
impression: the features are not very regular; and though not coarse,
are certainly _not_ refined. The mouth, somewhat sensual, is still much
firmer than his character would lead us to expect; the nose sharp at the
point, but cogitative at the nostrils; the eyes long but not large;
while the raised brow has all that openness which he displayed in the
indecency of his vices, but not in any honesty in his political career.
In a word, the face is not attractive. Yet he is described as having had
a brilliant complexion, a lively, varying expression, and a charm of
person and manner that was quite irresistible. Whether on this account,
or for his talents and wit, which were really shining, his new Juliet
fell as deeply in love with him as he with her.

She was maid of honour--and a highly honourable maid--to the Queen of
Spain. The Irish regiments long employed in the Spanish service had
become more or less naturalized in that country, which accounts for the
great number of thoroughly Milesian names sti