384 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book XIII. 



tyrant. Then, under the idea that " she was speaking to a 

 female," she was the less reserved in her behaviour and 

 expressions, and his lordship found that a tale of love would 

 not be disagreeable to her. In short, he revealed his sex, 

 and without much opposition overcame her scruples. Not 

 content with this, he prevailed upon the unfortunate dupe 

 of his artifices to embrace the opportunity of releasing 

 herself from the tyranny of her keeper, whom she robbed 

 of a considerable sum of money, and, leaving the old 

 woman still asleep, went off with Rochester about mid- 

 night towards Newmarket, to the inn. The old miser, on 

 his return home, finding his sister asleep, his wife fled, and 

 his money gone, was thrown into a state of madness, and 

 hanged himself Rochester was soon cloyed with the posses- 

 sion of his victim, on which he relinquished her to the duke, 

 who being in his turn weary of her, advised her to go to 

 London, where a life of infamy, and a miserable death, were 

 probably the rewards of the crimes vvhich she was thus in- 

 stigated to commit. This complicated villany was one of 

 those burdens which lay so heavy on Rochester's mind when 

 oppressed with the terrors of a deathbed repentance. 



Soon after this infamous adventure, the King, coming that 

 way, found these two profligate noblemen at their posts in the 

 inn, restored Buckingham to favour, and permitted Rochester 

 and the Duke to accompany him to Newmarket. 



Rochester now pursued the same extravagant career of 

 pleasure as before, and continued to indulge in freedoms with 

 the King whom he had so recently offended and from whose 

 court he was nominally banished. -But at Newmarket, during 

 the sojourns of the Merry Monarch, court etiquette was more 

 honoured in the breach than in the observance. Still 

 Rochester writhed under the " disgrace " to which he was 

 subjected and thirsted for revenge ; and in order to effect his 

 purpose contrived the following stratagem. He one night 

 accompanied the King to a celebrated house of intrigue, where 

 the finest women in Europe were to be found during the races. 

 The King made no scruple to assume his usual disguise and 

 to go with him. While he was engaged with one of the ladies. 



