They were also accused of
adultery, lying, impenitence (being unrepentant), careless living, fornication (not pre-marital sex, but illicit /
illegal sex; the Latin root, «fornicati», refers to a place where prostitutes did their business), and lasciviousness.
The peccadilloes of the ruling classes have long been of fascination and as shadow secretary for media culture and sport, Chris Bryant, has written, sex scandals of all sorts — including
adultery, homosexuality (when
illegal) and murder — have gone hand - in - hand with political power for centuries.