visited Dublin. The effort was unsuccessful, as the estate was found
to be covered by prior securities; and Lord Altham, in a fury, ordered
his wife back to Dunmain, while he remained behind in the Irish
capital. On his return his spite against her seemed to have revived,
and not only did he insult her in his drunken debauches, but contrived
an abominable plot to damage her reputation. Some time in February
1717, a loutish fellow named Palliser, who was intimate at the house,
was called up to Lady Altham's apartment, on the pretence that she
wished to speak to him. Lord Altham and his servants immediately
followed; my lord stormed and swore, and dragged the supposed seducer
into the dining-room, where he cut off part of one of his ears, and
immediately afterwards kicked him out of the house. A separation
ensued, and on the same day Lady Altham went to live at New Ross.

Before leaving her own home she had begged hard to be allowed to take
her child with her, but was sternly refused, and at the same time the
servants were instructed not to carry him near her. The boy therefore
remained at Dunmain under the care of a dry nurse, but,
notwithstanding his father's injunctions, was frequently taken to his
mother by some of the domestics, who pitied her forlorn condition.
When he came to an age to go to school, he was sent to several
well-known seminaries, and was attended by a servant both on his way
to them and from them; "was clothed in scarlet, with a laced hat and
feather;" and was universally recognised as the legitimate son and
heir of Lord Altham.

Towards the end of 1722, Lord Altham--who had by this time picked up a
mistress named Miss Gregory--removed to Dublin, and sent for his son
to join him. He seemed very fond of the boy, and the woman Gregory for
a time pretended to share in this affection, until she conceived the