126 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



it as with otl.er cases that were sup- 

 ported. He speaks of his client in 

 terms of regard and respect, and I 

 have shewn already that I am net 

 disposed to differ from him. He 

 states the plaiiiiifFas a branch of a 

 mi st illnstvioushouse, ?.scasting tlie 

 eyes of :i flection upon a disengaged 

 woman, a lady of rank equal to his 

 own, or at least suitable to his own. 

 He Stat, s a marriage of mixed affec- 

 tion, and endeavours to show this 

 young coLiplewith all the ardour of 

 love iiying i to each other's embra- 

 ces. He s'ews a child the fruit of 

 that affection ; — he shews an adul- 

 terer coming to disturb alhheir hap- 

 piness, and to destroy all that com- 

 fort which he describes : — he shews 

 a young man coming with the rash- 

 ness which distinguishes peopl: of 

 this age ; careless of the comforts 

 he was about to destroy, and think- 

 ing of nothing but ih?.the should 

 gratify his lustful appetites at the 

 expenceofanothtVs man honour and 

 peace: — he represents the husband 

 watching over his wife, anxious to 

 prevent, and feeling also that affec- 

 tion which has been so warmly de- 

 cribed. 



If that case was made out, which 

 he was confident it could not, Mr. 

 Howard had a right to ask for da- 

 maces, ihousxh Mr. Bingham was 

 not in a condition to pay them. Mr. 

 ErsUiue said, he would assert that 

 Mr. Howard knew that lady Eli- 

 zabeth's mind was irredeemably 

 fixed o;i his client, but it was 

 enou<^h for him that the thuig ex- 

 isted ; and he was about to state 

 (would to Gud chat it seldom hap- 

 pened ill this country ! we should 

 have a race of nobles worthy of 

 their ancestors, maintaining their 

 high stations, if we were to see 

 matches belter adjusted than the/ 



are), that instead of this honourable 

 couple coming together with all 

 that affection that ought to distin- 

 guish persons in that state he sh.ould 

 prove that this unfortunatelady was 

 dragged, by the will of her parents, 

 as a victim to this gentleman's bed. 

 He did not mean to say that Mr. 

 Ho-ward knew it ; but so the fact 

 was. Mr. Erskine having described 

 the happi' ess of the married state 

 whf-n love was the foundation of 

 the union, said, instead ot that hap- 

 piness I v\ ill now draw up the cur- 

 tains of this marriage bed, and will 

 shew you a scer.e wh ch I am sure 

 every man must lament. I will shew 

 you a man and woman in the vigour 

 of life, ., man of a most amiable 

 disposition 1 am ready to admit j a 

 man. of a vigorous body and a hand- 

 some pel son, and a woman whose 

 beauty I am willing to say was 

 equal tc ;iny rarik, Eiiy fortune, and 

 w.th evi. ry thing to bless them, 

 do(imf d to worse than a prison. On 

 the niarrias^e da ■, aye, on the mar- 

 riage night, slic was in tears j not 

 the tears of mcde;ty, though her 

 modesty was undoubted j not the 

 tears of fear j not the tears one 

 might expect from a virgin, but 

 those of violence, misery, and de- 

 spair. I may state what she said ot 

 lier husband. 



Believe me, Howard, 

 Suchheartsasours v^ere never pair'd above; 

 HI suited toeach other;join'd, not match'dj 

 Sorric sullen influence, a foe to both, 

 Has wrought this fatal marriage toundovT;. 

 Maik bu' the frame and tcmptf of out 



minds. 

 How very much we (lifTcr; e'en this da> . 

 That fills thee v.-ith such ecst-icy and 



transport. 

 To me brings nothing that should make 



mc bless it. 

 Or think it better than the day before. 

 Or any other in the course of time, 

 i hat dulv tcnk its turn and was forgotten- 



i wili 



