Lord Kingsborough's father died when his Lordship was about twelve years old. He was then at Eton school, where he remained for some time afterwards, till he went to Oxford, and, upon his leaving this last place, made the tour of Europe, and returned when he was about twenty-two, in possession of a real estate worth 16,000l. a year, and woods and ready money to the amount of two hundred thousand pounds. In the course of his travels, his Lordship seduced the lady of a foreign nobleman, and persuaded her to elope with him to England, and from thence to Ireland, where he supported her with utmost magnificence and expense for two or three years, and though she was universally allow to be one of the finest vmmen in Europe, her charms were not sufficient to keep the inconstant heart of Lord Kingsborough attached to her. His intrigues and amours became too conspicuous to be concealed from her; and she only desired Lord Kingsborough would permit her to retire to his country seat, where the might enjoy herself in those rural amusernents, which she delighted in; and that she would not attempt the least restraint on his pleasures.

            This proposal was readily agreed to by his Lordship; for although the fervour of his passion was entirely abated for this agreeable lady, he treated, in every other respect, with all that decorum, politeness, and every other mark of distinction, that was due to her birth, rank and great accomplishments; and the place she chose for her retreat was Rockingham.

            It is really a difficult task to attempt a description of this place. Lord Kingsborough's father had expended upwards of sixty thousand pounds in building there one of the finest palaces in Europe, with suitable offices, and other conveniences. It is situated in the middle of a most delightful country, and nature has been most profuse in her bounties to this enchanting spot, than to any other perhaps in the universe. Through the gardens runs a large river of the finest water, which discharges itself into a large lake, surrounded by several high hills, covered with pines, oak, and other woods, for several miles: which affords a prospect diversified and beautiful. The lake is several miles broad, and on it his Lordship has built two very elegant ships of war in miniature, and by art has raised an island or peninsula, the exact model of Gibraltar. In the summer season he frequently entertains his company on this fine sheet of water, and while the ships regularly besiege this little garrison, which is defended by a number of small pieces of cannon, which are very regularly and beautifully played off in its defence, the music, warlike instruments, fireworks, &c. form sounds and diversions that are perfectly enchanting.

            To this paradise Lord Kingsborough conveyed Miss Faulkner, and on her arrival introduced her to Lady Valeria, (which was the name of the foreign lady already mentioned) who received her with every mark of respect and esteem, as from the great complaisance, which his Lordship showed to his fair stranger, this lady concluded Miss Faulkner was more than a common acquisition to the number of those unfortunate beauties, who had visited this mansion during her residence here.

            You must not be surprised, gentle reader, at the mention of numbers, that had visited this mansion of seduction and prostitution; for numbers, indeed, of innocent pure virgins were here frequently sacrificed, and robbed of their innocence. For such was the unbridled passion of this unfortunate nobleman, that he constantly kept in his pay a whole troop of abandoned, profligate old women, who travelled, in different disguises, through all parts of the kingdom, and wherever they saw any prey worthy his Lordship's appetite, they immediately began their plan of seduction and procuration, for which purpose they were constantly furnished with large sums of money, and never differed about the price; but if that failed, they reported their endeavours, with a description of the object, when his Lordship either personally attended, or sent most proper or capable persons on the enterprise. By these means, and the fruits of his own industry, he never wanted a variety of these victims, who were seduced to this house, and there dressed in all the gaudy pomp that can dazzle the weak minds of such innocents.

            And for the preparing of these unfortunates for his embraces, a like number of infernal matrons constantly attended in his house, who gave them such instructions and pious documents, that his Lordship had no more trouble than he desired in the accomplishment of his unbounded wishes; nor was it uncommon with him, in one night, to debauch two or three of these deluded wretches, who, from the treatment they at first received on their initiation, fine clothes, delicacies, and the pleasures with which they were intoxicated, imagined they were landed in paradise.

            Their pleasures were, however, of a very short duration, for his Lordship very seldom visited any of them a second night, unless it were an uncommon beauty indeed, and then the continuance of a week was an amazing proof of his constancy: such of them however, as were afraid or ashamed to return to their friends or parents, he sent to a seraglio, which he kept, for that purpose, on the borders of the beautiful lake above mentioned. To others of them he gave considerable sums of money, so much at least as generally contented them for what they had lost; and many he had married to his servants and tenants, to whom he generally gave two or three hundred pounds as a portion, which, with his former knowledge of the bride, was an ample fortune.

            It may be supposed, that his Lordship kept this seraglio for his own gratification, as it was supported at a prodigious expense. There seldom were less than fifty or sixty unfortunate girls contained in it; all of whom were attended and supplied, not only with all the necessaries, but all the luxuries of life; a number of women servants were kept to wait on them; and as the greater part of them were generally pregnant, physicians, apothecaries, and midwives, were also constantly employed, nor was the smallest necessary or convenience wanting to any of them This is mentioned in common justice to his Lordship, for though he constantly visited and inspected into the management of this seraglio, when in the country, he was seldom or never known to trespass on the sanctity of the place, or any of its inhabitants, after they had once taken up their residence there.

            What then, will the reader say, could induce him to keep up such an expensive establishment? It was really and truly for the accommodation of his friends. His Lordship spent the greatest part of the year in the country, and, besides a number of gentlemen that occasionally visited at his house, he gave a public hunt once every month, and sometimes once every week in the season. His general rule was to invite every gentleman that hunted to dine with him, and consequently to sleep at his house; and as to those that he was more intimately acquainted with, or chose to compliment, he generally asked them if they chose a bedfellow, which being usually answered in the affirmative, a servant was ordered to attend his guest to the Seraglio, whew he might choose for himself; and when he had made his option, he returned to his Lordship, and the object of his choice was immediately conveyed to his Lordship's house; and when the gentleman retired, he found the lady of his choice in bed, perhaps dreading, instead of impatiently expecting, his arrival: and according to his Lordship's particular esteem, or as a distinguished mark of respect, every gentleman had a right of precedency in this visit to the seraglio.

            In further vindication of his Lordship's character, it will here be also necessary to observe, that none of those ladies durst, upon any account whatever, accept of the smallest favour, gratuity, or present, from any of his Lordship's guests, on pain of immediate expulsion, unless any of his friends became enamoured of his bed-fellow, and delved to take her into keeping, which if the lady relished, his Lordship always consented to, and she was directly struck out of the books of the convent, and sent to such quarters as her lover thought proper. As to the consequences of those nocturnal embraces, his Lordship, as has been observed, employed every needful assistance; and the number of children, annually produced from this intercourse, were carefully sent to proper nurses, and maintained at his Lordship's expense, to the great benefit of the community, and the increase of his Majesty's subjects.

            However extravagant this account of Lord Kingsborough may appear, to those who have not before heard of or known his Lordship, it is literally true, and in this very situation was his houshold at the time Miss Faulkner arrived there, but as we do not intend to introduce her into the seraglio, or put her on the same footing with the wretched medley already mentioned, we will defer what farther remains to be said of her reception at Rockingham, to the next chapter.

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