‘Ah,’ she would say, in these moments of tenderness—­’Ah, Redmond, if you would always be so!’ And in these fits of love she was the most easy creature in the world to be persuaded, and would have signed away her whole property, had it been possible.  And, I must confess, it was with very little attention on my part that I could bring her into good-humour.  To walk with her on the Mall, or at Ranelagh, to attend her to church at St. James’s, to purchase any little present or trinket for her, was enough to coax her.  Such is female inconsistency!  The next day she would be calling me ’Mr. Barry’ probably, and be bemoaning her miserable fate that she ever should have been united to such a monster.  So it was she was pleased to call one of the most brilliant men in His Majesty’s three kingdoms:  and I warrant me other ladies had a much more flattering opinion of me.

Then she would threaten to leave me; but I had a hold of her in the person of her son, of whom she was passionately fond:  I don’t know why, for she had always neglected Bullingdon her older son, and never bestowed a thought upon his health, his welfare, or his education.

It was our young boy, then, who formed the great bond of union between me and her Ladyship; and there was no plan of ambition I could propose in which she would not join for the poor lad’s behoof, and no expense she would not eagerly incur, if it might by any means be shown to tend to his advancement.  I can tell you, bribes were administered, and in high places too,—­so near the royal person of His Majesty, that you would be astonished were I to mention what great personages condescended to receive our loans.  I got from the English and Irish heralds a description and detailed pedigree of the Barony of Barryogue, and claimed respectfully to be reinstated in my ancestral titles, and also to be rewarded with the Viscounty of Ballybarry.  ‘This head would become a coronet,’ my Lady would sometimes say, in her fond moments, smoothing down my hair; and, indeed, there is many a puny whipster in their Lordships’ house who has neither my presence nor my courage, my pedigree, nor any of my merits.

The striving after this peerage I considered to have been one of the most unlucky of all my unlucky dealings at this period.  I made unheard-of sacrifices to bring it about.  I lavished money here and diamonds there.  I bought lands at ten times their value; purchased pictures and articles of vertu at ruinous prices.  I gave repeated entertainments to those friends to my claims who, being about the Royal person, were likely to advance it.  I lost many a bet to the Royal Dukes His Majesty’s brothers; but let these matters be forgotten, and, because of my private injuries, let me not be deficient in loyalty to my Sovereign.