The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-21
Low Morals In High Life.

Low Morals In High Life.
GREAT SCANDAL IN TKE QUEENS BENcH-TR He
REDIrARY GRAND CHAMBERLAIN OF ENGLAND IN
AK.
On the 1st of february an action, in which
tho Countess dAlteyrac was the plain iiff, and
Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, the Hereditary
Grand Chamberlain of England, the defend
ant, was brought before thJ Court Of Queens
Bench, London.
In 1847 the Countess d'Alteyrac was the wife
of an officer Of high position and connections
in France Her husband was travelling, she
formed the acquaintance of the defendant, and
| In l849 she left her husband and came to Eng
land to live with Lord Willoughby d'Eresby as
his wife. She was visited by many Of his
friends, and for many years lived happily with
him. She tended him very afectlonately du-
ring long illness, and on his recovery they
removed from town to Caen Lodge, Twicken-
ham, which was partly purchased by the Count
ess's money and furnished at her expense.
They had one daughter, who WAS brought up
in ienoran ,e of the fact that her father and
mother we're not man and wife. Up to 1864,
when the Countess went over to Paris to bring
her daughter to London, no great difference
had arisen between herself and Lord Will
loughby, except that occasioned by some scan
dal about Lord Willoughby's behaviour to one
of the maids; but on the Countess's re-
turn she was told by an agent Of Lord
Wil!oughby that she must give up pos
session of Caen Lodge, which she considered
as her property. She refused, and was then
waited on by friend Of his lordship, who ne
gotiated separation on the understanding
that nm allowance Of s120O year, and f4OO0
down. should be made to the Countess, to.
gether with al adequate provision for her
daughter. These terms were not considered
unreasonable, as Lord Willoughby has an in
come OF f70, 900 or ESQ, 900 O. year. The Countess
then left Caen Lodge, the furniture of which
money was given to her, and OF the promised
allowance she received only f9O0. She never
saw Lord Winoughby after her return from
Paris, and her maid was soon after installed
mistress of Caen Lodge. The action was
brought 70 recover the money realized by the
sale of the furniture. The key to Lord Will
loughby's conduct was to be found in the fact
that the bulk of the property he inherited from
his father was left him on condition Of his
separating from the Countess. The Lord Chief
Justice intimated that the whole matter had
better be referred to the arbitration Of man
OF honor, and the counsel on both sides SEEM
ed to think that this would be the most de-
sirable course. Dir. Coleridgc handed to the
Lord Chief Justice draught OF the terms to
which his client the Countess would consent,
but, as Lord Willoughby was not IN town, the
case was adjourned until the following Mon
day.
The family of the Wiroughby d'Eresby is
one of the most ancient among the English
nobility. The holder of the title is for the
time being, the hereditary Grand Chamberlain
OF England; and the present lord, who is de-
fcndanl in this suit, is the forteth barren in
direct limo. What Is thought of his nobility in
the Court OF Queon's Bench n1y be judged by
the following peroration Of MIR. Coleridge's
speech, in which the Lord Chief Justice, by
the course he pursued, seemed entirely to
agree.
Mr.. Coleridge said: 1t was true that she had
not been married to the defendant, but the ab-
scncc OF the religious obligations would make
the relations between them, under the clrcum-
stances, in some respects moro sacred to
man of honor. Sho had left her husband for
him, had borne him daughter, and lived with
him for fifteen years. She was as faithful to
him as woman ever was TO man. In health and
in sickness she devoted herself to him with
unwearied attention.. She had but one fault;
and if he had in him one spark Of the feelings
Of gentlemen, it did not lie in his mouth to
reproach her with it. If course, in the ab-
stract, those things are wrong; but to what ex-
tent they arc wrong, and what the complexion
is Of thus or that case, it is not for man to
Judge. Burns wrote:
.'Wnat's done we all can well compute,
But never what's resisted"
There may be men who have never strayed be-
yond the sacred circle OF legitimate love. Let
them thank God for ii; but let no man set HIM
self up as judge OF those who had. Men Of
the highest gifts OF heart and mind, men of
stainless honor mon whose lives in other re-
spects were patterns of every grace and every
departed from tho true standard of morals; but
it would be miserable cant and hypocrisy TO
deny OH that account tho high and noble quail
ties they possess. The man would be the big
rest scoundrel that ever brcathed who having
lived with woman during her best years, and
taken from her her love and her means, could
then deli cratcly fling her oil. The defendant
here had acknowledged his obligation, and
would no doubt have carried out hls expressed
intention had he not c lmc under banetul in
tlucucc. ing so, he seized her wretchod
furniture and turned her into the street.
But let the L,rd High Chamberlain OF England,
the mau whose duty it was to marshal the no.
blcs of tho country to the throne OF tho Sover-
cign-lct hun say in that action: II an Eng
lish nobloman, an English gentleman, have
sold your property, and have the proceeds /;
but YOU are married woman-you canno.
maintain this action. will take advantage Of
this legal technicalty to defeat your just
claim. Let the Lord High Chamberlain of
England do this if he dare let him 60 to
court and tell his high-souled and pure minded
ROYAL mistress what manner OF actions her
chamberlain commits and let him add that
ho resorted to defence which miserably
failed-a defence as bad in low as it was un-
founded in honesty and honor. [Applause.l
The case terminated on the Sd of February
by q reference to arbitration. The Lord Chief
Justice was to appoint the referee.