He capped all his follies by marrying at the age of twenty a woman of no social standing and much older than himself.

His parents were at their wits’ end.  It was hopeless to treat him as a rational being.  His wife was induced to accept a pension to leave him, and he himself was put in charge of a keeper.  Several times he had to be kept in close confinement.  He was, however, by no means devoid of brains, and in the autumn of 1741 he had sufficiently recovered to be entered as a student at the University of Leyden.  His allowance was L300 a year, which he found so insufficient for the indulgence of his tastes that he was soon considerably in debt.

In Lady Mary’s correspondence there are many letters to her husband about their son.

“Genoa, Aug. 15, 1741.

“I am sorry to trouble you on so disagreeable a subject as our son, but I received a letter from him last post, in which he solicits your dissolving his marriage, as if it was wholly in your power, and the reason he gives for it, is so that he may marry more to your satisfaction.  It is very vexatious (though no more than I expected) that time has no effect, and that it is impossible to convince him of his true situation.  He enclosed this letter in one to Mr. Birtles, and tells me that he does not doubt that debt of L200 is paid.  You may imagine this silly proceeding occasioned me a dun from Mr. Birtles.  I told him the person that wrote the letter, was, to my knowledge, not worth a groat, which was all I thought proper to say on the subject.”

“Lyons, April 23, 1742.

“I am very glad you have been prevailed on to let our son take a commission:  if you had prevented it, he would have always said, and perhaps thought, and persuaded other people, you had hindered his rising in the world; though I am fully persuaded that he can never make a tolerable figure in any station of life.  When he was at Morins, on his first leaving France, I then tried to prevail with him to serve the Emperor as volunteer; and represented to him that a handsome behaviour one campaign might go a great way in retrieving his character; and offered to use my interest with you (which I said I did not doubt would succeed) to furnish him with a handsome equipage.  He then answered, he supposed I wished him killed out of the way.  I am afraid his pretended reformation is not very sincere.  I wish time may prove me in the wrong.  I here enclose the last letter I received from him; I answered it the following post in these words: 

“’I am very glad you resolve to continue obedient to your father, and are sensible of his goodness towards you.  Mr. Birtles showed me your letter to him, in which you enclosed yours to me, where you speak to him as your friend; subscribing yourself his faithful humble servant.  He was at Genoa in his uncle’s house when you was there, and well acquainted with you; though you seem ignorant of everything relating to him.  I wish you would make such sort of apologies for any errors you may commit.  I pray God your future behaviour may redeem the past, which will be a great blessing to your affectionate mother.’