here was no such thing as divorce in the seventeenth century at least not in the sense the term is understood today this does not necessarly imply a satarry eyed view of human nature still less a higher level of marital happiness the pragmatic need for the separation of miserable or dicordant couples was well appreciated as it had always been and such separations took place on number of different levels of society. in 1670 the earl of lauderdale later created a duke charles II's viceroy in Scotland and a member of the acronymic cabal was conducting a flagrant liaison with Bess Countess of Dysart his wife separated from him and went to live in
