DIGITISED MANUSCRIPTS

(i) was besought to give the patronage of his name to Captain Cook’s newly-discovered islands in the Pacific. Sir Francis Dashwood, a man of such incompe- tency that he could not correctly make up a sum, and of such laxity of principles that he was acknow- ledged to surpass anyone of his contemporaries in vice, became Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lord Despencer. His irreverent frolics were the talk of the time. One of these, which occurred at Rome, will suffice to illustrate the man. It was the custom on certain occasions for devo- tees who wished to perform penance to scourge | themselves with a light whip in a dimly lit chapel of the Pontifical Palace. Sir Francis, having provided | himself with a strong hunting whip, placed himself amongst the congregation, and when the candles had been extinguished took advantage of the dark- ness to hit the penitents right and left and as hard as he could. In the confusion which ensued he contrived to make his escape, but being subsequently discovered had to fly the country for his life. Under his auspices a society was formed, which in point of licentiousness exceeded anything that had ever been known in England. Its twelve members called themselves ‘ Franciscans,’ and met at Medmen- ham Abbey near Marlow-on-the-Thames, where they indulged in profane rites and disgraceful orgies. At one of these saturnalia, Wilkes played a practical