My thoughts lean toward the idea that this was more a financial divorce than anything else. Pery evidently (if I remember correctly he was a bit in over his head in business) was in debt and was "loosing " or using his wife's dowry/money and property for his business dealings. This divorce of bed & board was to preserve the wife's financial security, not necessarily to separate the couple. Anyone else's ideas? Virginia Pruet **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital. (http://news.aol.com/main/politics/inauguration?ncid=emlcntusnews00000003)