Identifier: portraitsmemoirs03caul (find matches)
Title: Portraits, memoirs, and characters, of remarkable persons, from the revolution in 1688 to the end of the reign of George II. Collected from the most authentic accounts extant
Year: 1820 (1820s)
Authors: Caulfield, James, 1764-1826
Subjects: Great Britain -- Biography
Publisher: London, T. H. Whitely
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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176 MEMOIRS OF [GEORGE II.

COLONEL CHARTERIS

was one of those adven-
turers who never lose sight of a chance to increase
their means, or escape an opportunity to gratify their
appetite; in short, he was a gambler, a rake, a fine
gentleman, and every thing but a prodigal, be
ingextremely tenacious of parting with his money,
though inordinately addicted to every voluptuous
gratification. He was born in East Lothian, in the
year 1666, and his father, who is said to have been
a private gentleman, gave him a liberal education ;
and when he came to years of maturity, he was en-
tered in the army, and served in Flanders as a cadet
in a regiment of foot, then commanded by Colonel
Hodges. Some disagreement, however, taking place,
he quitted that regiment, and served under Colonel
Brewer in the same capacity ; but not obtaining any
promotion, he returned to his father, who procured
him an Ensigns commission in the third regi-
ment of foot-guards, where he became acquainted
with some noblemen and others of high rank in
Text Appearing After Image:

COL. FRANCIS CHARTERIS.

GEORGE II.] REMARKABLE PERSONS. 177

life, who introduced him to fashionable gaming-
houses, race-courses, and other species of expensive
pleasure. What might have been destruction to
many was, to a person of Charteris's disposition, the
only path to fortune, as he practised the fashionable
arts with such success as to gain enormous sums
of money, and soon obtained the post of an Exempt
in the Life-guards, and after married a daughter
of Mr. Pencaitland, one of the lords of session in
Scotland, whom it appears he did not treat in a
way her merit deserved. The colonel's amours
were many and various, though chiefly among persons
in low life, and mostly servant-maids, the knowledge
of which must have greatly disgusted his lady. One
of his adventures is enough to prove his parsimony,
lust, and brutality. Charteris having amassed a
very considerable fortune, and purchased several
fine estates, some of them of the Duke of Wharton ;
as he was going to visit one of these new purchases,
he happened to lie at an inn upon the road, where
the servant who attended was mightily to his taste,
insomuch, that he offered her a guinea to be his
bed-fellow for that night ; the girl at first gave him
a repulse, and stood upon her character and reputa-
tion ; but, at length, his persuasions and the guinea

VOL. III. 2 A

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