Soon after this, the duke fell violently in love with Mademoiselle
Obern, a beautiful young lady at the Spanish court, who was then one
of the maids of honour to the Queen of Spain. She was daughter of an
Irish colonel in that service, who being dead, her mother lived upon
a pension the King allowed her, so that this lady's fortune consisted
chiefly in her personal accomplishments. Many arguments were used by
their friends on both sides to dissuade them from the marriage. The
Queen of Spain, when the duke asked her consent, represented to him
in the most lively terms, that the consequence of the match would be
misery to both, and absolutely refused her consent.

Having now no hopes of obtaining her, he fell into a violent
melancholy, which introduced a lingering fever, of which he languished
'till he was almost ready to drop into the ground. This circumstance
reaching her Majesty's ear, she was moved with his distress, and sent
him word to endeavour the recovery of his health, and as soon as he
was able to appear abroad, she would speak to him in a more favourable
manner, than at their last interview. The duke upon receiving this
news, imagined it the best way to take the advantage of the kind
disposition her Majesty was in; and summoning to his assistance his
little remaining strength, he threw himself at her Majesty's feet, and
begged of her either to give him Mademoiselle Obern, or not to order
him to live, assuring her, in the language of tragedy, that she was to
pronounce the sentence of his life, or death. The Queen consented,
but told him he would soon repent it, and the young lady being dazzled
with the lustre of a ducal title, and besides having a real value for
her lover, they were soon united by an indissoluble bond.

After the solemnization of his marriage, he passed some time at Rome,