His allowance was L300 a year, which he found so insufficient for the indulgence of his tastes that he was soon considerably in debt.
In Lady Mary's correspondence there are many letters to her husband about their son.
"Genoa, Aug.

15, 1741.
"I am sorry to trouble you on so disagreeable a subject as our son, but I received a letter from him last post, in which he solicits your dissolving his marriage, as if it was wholly in your power, and the reason he gives for it, is so that he may marry more to your satisfaction.

It is very vexatious (though no more than I expected) that time has no effect, and that it is impossible to convince him of his true situation.

He enclosed this letter in one to Mr.Birtles, and tells me that he does not doubt that debt of L200 is paid.

You may imagine this silly proceeding occasioned me a dun from Mr.Birtles.I told him the person that wrote the letter, was, to my knowledge, not worth a groat, which was all I thought proper to say on the subject." "Lyons, April 23, 1742.
"I am very glad you have been prevailed on to let our son take a commission: if you had prevented it, he would have always said, and perhaps thought, and persuaded other people, you had hindered his rising in the world; though I am fully persuaded that he can never make a tolerable figure in any station of life.