Hijlorical Chronicle, 



XXI 



DOMESTIC. 



On the isth December, an 

 aftion was tried in the Court of 

 King's Beach of England, at 

 the inftance of Mr Martin a- 

 gainft Mr Petrie, for crimina! 

 converfation with the plaintiff's 

 wife. The damages were laid 

 at 2o,oool. 



The plaiiftiff was the eldeft 

 fon of a man of fortune in the 

 county of Galway, in Ireland. 

 His father's fortune was in 

 landed property 5cool. per an- 

 num. 



The plaintiff, in the year 1777, 

 became acquainted with his 

 prefcnt wife, whofe maiden 

 name was Vtfley, and likewife 

 of one cf the beft families in 

 Ireland. Her fortune was 5000I. 

 and the father of the plaintiff, 

 upon their marriage in the 

 fame year, gave them an eftab- 

 lifhment of 1500I. per annum. 

 From the year 1777 to the 



Mr Petrie and flie came to 

 England tojTether, and put up 

 at the Royal Hotel, Pa!l-Ma!l. 



Mrs Martin is no.v living un- 

 der the protection of Mr Petrie, 

 in a ftate of pregnancy. 



The cafe, as aba\'e ltated,'was 

 clearly proved : and MrErfkine, 

 for the defendant, exerted his 

 ingenuity to mitigate the da- 

 mages, which, by the verdift of 

 the jur*/, were about to be de- 

 nounced agalnft the defendant. 

 He ftated, that two courfes 

 of defence were generally taken 

 by common adulterers : To 

 mitigate the damages, by either 

 calumniatixHg the charader of 

 the hufband, or by traducing 

 that of the wife, 'in this cafe 

 Mr Petrie did neither. Mr Mar- 

 tin he confefred to be a man of 

 hononr, family, and fortune ; 

 he believed him to have been a 

 moft attentive hufDand, and an 



affL'cftionate fatlier. His only- 

 month of June 1790, a period apology was the infirmity of 

 of 14 years, the plaintiff and his human nature, expofed to mort 

 wife- lived in the moft perfeft than ordinary temptations; A 

 ftate of connubial happinefs, a beautiful and accompliflied 

 model for the reft of the world. ' woman, nnprotciSed by the 

 Jn the courfe of that period, ' pvefence of her hufband, and 

 the plaintiff had nine children, to whom he had opoortunities 

 three of wliom are now living. ■ of daily accefs, and of daily 

 In the year 17S9, the plain- , witneffing thofe attractions 



tiff,h!S wife, and daughter, went 

 to Paris. In March 1790, the 

 plaintiff was called from Paris 

 into England upon bufiaefs. 

 During Mr Martin's abfence 



which were the caufe of thit 

 misfortune. 



Lord Kenyon then fummed 

 up the evidence to the jury. 

 He had obferved, that the im- 



from Paris, the plaintiff's wife ' preflivc manner in which the 

 had unfortunately become ac- plaintiff's cafe had been ftated 

 quaintcd with the defendant ; to th'-m, hadhad its duceffedl: 

 and there, attracted by her it had arrrfted very properly 

 beauty and accompliftiments, their attention to a cafe not of 

 he formed and completed his the ordinary fort. 

 ^defign of fcduftion. ' 



