ter, Lady
Mar, in later years suffered from mental irregularity. Her brother-in-law,
James Erskine, Lord Grange, endeavoured to secure possession of her
person by some process of law, but was thwarted by Lady Mary, who
obtained a warrant from the King's Bench. For years Lady Mar remained in
her sister's custody. She survived until 1761. There was a rumour that
Lady Mary treated her badly, but there is no reason to believe that
there was any substantial ground for the accusation.

Lady Mary's daughter, Mary, married in 1736, John Stuart, third Earl of
Bute, the favourite of the Princess of Wales, and afterwards Prime
Minister.

CHAPTER XIII

ON THE CONTINENT (1739-1744)

Lady Mary leaves England--She does not return for twenty years--Montagu
supposed to join her--The domestic relations of the Montagus--A
septennial act for marriage--Lady Mary corresponds with her
husband--Dijon--Turin--Venice--Bologna--Florence--The Monastery of La
Trappe--Horace Walpole at Florence--His comments on Lady Mary and her
friends--Reasons for his dislike of her--Rome--The Young Pretender and
Henry, Cardinal York--Wanderings--Cheapness of life in Italy--Lady
Mary's son, Edward--He is a great trouble to his parents--His absurd
marriage--His extravagance and folly--Account of his early years--He
visits Lady Mary at Valence--Her account of the interviews.

In July, 1739, Lady Mary went abroad. She did not return until the
beginning of 1762, a few months before her death.

She went abroad without her husband, and, indeed, they never met again.
At first, apparently, he had intended to join her--at least so she gave
Lady Pomfret to understand:

"You have put me to a very difficult choice, yet, when I consider we are
both in Italy, and yet do not see one another, I am astonished at the
capriciousness of my fortune" (she wrote from Venice late in 1739). "My
affairs are so uncertain, I can answer for nothing that is future. I
have taken some pains to put the inclination for travelling into Mr.
Wortley's head, and was so much afraid he would change his mind, that I
hastened before him in order (at least) to secure my journey. He
proposed following me in six weeks, his business requiring his presence
at Newcastle. Since that, the change of scene that has happened in
England has made his friends persuade him to attend parliament this
session: so that what his inclinations, which must govern mine, will be
next spring I cannot absolutely