advantage of the kind
disposition her Majesty was in; and summoning to his assistance his
little remaining strength, he threw himself at her Majesty's feet, and
begged of her either to give him Mademoiselle Obern, or not to order
him to live, assuring her, in the language of tragedy, that she was to
pronounce the sentence of his life, or death. The Queen consented,
but told him he would soon repent it, and the young lady being dazzled
with the lustre of a ducal title, and besides having a real value for
her lover, they were soon united by an indissoluble bond.

After the solemnization of his marriage, he passed some time at Rome,
where he accepted of a blue garter, affected to appear with the title
of duke of Northumberland, and for awhile enjoyed the confidence of
the exiled Prince. But as he could not always keep himself within the
bounds of the Italian gravity, and having no employment to amuse his
active temper, he ran into his usual excesses, which giving offence,
it was thought proper for him to remove from that city for the
present, lest he should fall into actual disgrace. Accordingly the
duke quitted Rome, and went by sea to Barcelona, where hearing that
the trenches were opening before Gibraltar, he resolved upon a new
scene of life, which few suspected he would ever engage in. He wrote
a letter to the King of Spain, acquainting him, 'That he designed
to take up arms in his Majesty's service, and apprehending that his
forces were going to reduce the town of Gibraltar under his obedience,
he hoped he should have his permission to assist at the siege as a
volunteer.'

This done, he went to the camp, taking his duchess along with him,
and was received with all the marks of respect due to his quality.
The Conde de la Torres, who commanded there, delivered him an obliging
letter from the King his master, thanking him for the honour he
intended him, by serving in his troops, and during that siege,
appointed him his aid-de-camp, by which, post the duke was to give an
account of all transactions to his Majesty himself, which obliged
him to be often in the trenches, and to expose his person to imminent
danger. During this siege want of courage was never imputed to him; on
the contrary, he was often guilty of the most imprudent rashness. One
evening he went close to the walls, near one of the posts of the town,
and threatened the soldiers of the garrison. They asked who he was? he
readily answered, the duke of Wharton