Year: 1876

7 Ouxh Set.


From tho New York Tmes.l


Our impression Of yesterday con


tained the announcement that tn,


Prince OF Wales and his suite had sailed


for Europe His visit seems to have


been unclouded by any disaster or draw


back, and has signally failed to verify


the prophecies OF the croakers. There


seems every prospect that he will In q


his remarkably happy domestic circle


1t would be well II as much could be


said OF all who accompanied him. One


OF them Is, on the contrary, destined to
! find that his wife has taken advantage


OF his absence to forget her marriage


VOWS and to assist in creating the


greatest scandal Of its kind which has


occurred in English society since the


revelations as to Lady Mordaunt.


Five years ago there we're celebrated


in Westminster Abbey, at the same


time, the marriages OF two beautiful


sisters. the youngest daughters Of the
iton, the Prince Consort's god -daugh-


ter. became the wife Of tho Marquis Of


Blandford and Lady Maude, marchloness
OF Lansdowne. Nothing was wanting to
give ecldt to these nuptials, which had n
strong aroma Of historic interest about
them. The brides were Of princely


house, renowned in Scottish story, and
the ancestors OF the bridegroom had
played no mconsiderable part in The
page OF English history. Theiheir to
the throne and his beautiful wife were
among the crowd of notables present at
the ceremony in the abbey, and when
the bridal party adjourned from
that venerable fame 1t was 70
feast in a stately and noble
mansion. full of associations Chester
field House. No marriages could have
commenced, apparently, under brighter
auspices, but, unfortunately, so far as
one Of them was concerhed the happi-
ness was of very brief duration. The
misconduct of Lord Blandford toward
his wife has for q long time been a mat
ter Of club and drawing room gossip.
or late they have been living apart,
though without any formal separation,
and those acquainted with his charac-
ter will feel small surprise at the an
nouncemcnt OF his elOrcment with the
wife of another man Nor will there be
any excess Of sympathy tor that other
man, inaSmuch as he Is the earl or
"A AyIesford. A weaker, more inferior
specimen OF his own or any other class
could scarcely be found.


When q little over age he married O
gidds. extravagant girl, one of family
which has had u most perncious influ-
euce on fashionable society, and soon
after succeeded TO his fathers title and
estates. 1t was then found that he had
been for years borrowing on post-Obits
to such an extent that had bis liabilities
to the Jews been paid in full he would
have scarcely had an income to support
himself. So he sought the aid OF chan
Gerry, and the Lord Chancellor quashed
the exorbitant rates charged. but at the
same time made reflections OF the most
cutting severity on Lord Aylesford. Lord
Selborne's comments, however. served
neither to make Lord Aylesford prudent
nor to cool the friendliness of the Prince
Of Wales toward him. In 1872 the papers
announced that the Prince, accompanied
by Col Williams, Lady Aylesford's
brother-in-law, had gone down TO Pack
ington Hall, Lord Aylesford's seat
where very fast" company, q bnitte
from Packington that the Prince and
Princess last year proceeded to pay a
state visit to Birmingham. Were
further proof wanting OF the Princes
regard for Lord Aylesford, it may be
found in the choice OF him as one OF his
in India.


1t is the most unfortunate feature OF
the Prince of Wales life that he makes
such very bad choice Of friends.
rascally card sharper like Major Har
bord, and foolish spendthrift like lord
are admirably calculated to
bring any one intimate with them into
disrepute. and these are only two out OF
many, little superior to them. with
whom the Prince has been won't ia
miliarly to associate. 1t has been often
said that far lower tone has for the last
ten years prevailed in English high life
than in the preceding decade, but Thea
turn for the worse is rather in the
shape OF the growth of certain
small, excessively vicious section OF the
which has unfortunately
the prince, than in general
decay OF morality in the upper class.
But without doubt, the death OF the
prince consort and the retirement OF the
queen have had a very bad effect, by
removing an admirable example in the
place. This last scandal can
hardly fail to result in a double divorce,
and it is TO be hoped may have the effect
Of awakening the Prince OF Wales to a
sense of the necessity OF breaking finally
away from the disreputable circle
which brought SO much discredit on
him as ''the Marlborough House set.