The Virginia Gazette

The affair which happened on Tuesday last in the Green Park, between an English nobleman and an Italian count, was occasioned, as we have been informed, by the event related in the following story. Lord Ligonier had frequently observed instances of levity in his lady's behaviour when in company with the count, and thought proper to give her ladyship some gentle reproofs on the occasion; intimating, that, however unquestionable her virtue might be, her reputation was at stake. This had no other effect than to alarm her pride, for her conduct remained the same. His lordship had, some time after this, been detained in town by business which would not permit him to return with his lady to their country seat, in the neighbourhood of which the count had taken up his residence. It happened last week that a lower apartment of his lordship's country house had been found open early in the morning. This circumstance occasioned mutual upbraidings between the servants; when each obstinately denying the charge of neglect, one of them, an old servant, was bent upon making a farther discovery. Accordingly he took the resolution of sitting up the next night, to watch in this apartment. About midnight, to his astonishment, he saw his lady enter the room, and (on a signal given by the count) admit him through the window and conduct him up stairs, where he remained until about four o'clock in the morning, and then departed by the same avenue at which he entered. In the morning, the servant came to town and acquainted his lord with the important discovery, who immediately hastened to the coffeehouse frequented by the count and charged him with the injury he had done to his honour, and insisted on satisfaction at the point of his sword. The count neither denied the charge nor declined the satisfaction desired. They repaired to the park without seconds, and soon after they had engaged, his lordship dropping his sword, his antagonist supposed him wounded, and desired to know if he required farther satisfaction. His lordship replied, that he did not desire to live, but he would not die cowardly. On resuming the conflict, the count received a wound in the sword arm, and two other slight wounds, and then dropped his sword. Lord Ligonier attended him to the surgeon, where his wounds were dressed. His lordship, we hear, will prosecute for damages, and sue out a divorce.

Lady Ligonier is the daughter of Mr. George Pitt, late ambassador at Turin. She is now at her father's, and he was but just returned from a tour to the continent the very day on which she was so disgracefully sent back. Her lord, the next day, wrote a card of condolence to the affected father, and, with an extraordinary degree of generosity, offered to make any allowance of his estate for her ladyship's maintenance which he himself should think equitable.

The action brought by Lord Viscount Ligonier against Count Ai, for criminal connexions with the aforesaid nobleman's wife, is preparing to come on next term. His lordship sues for twenty thousand pounds damages.

A noble lord is said to have been offered a douceur of five thousand pounds, by a French count, to stop all proceedings against him for some familiar intercourse with his lady.

Count Ai, who was wounded in a duel with Lord Ligonier, is nephew to the Spanish ambassador.