Wilmot’s life, The II Earl of Rochester is one shrouded in mystery. Sex, scandal, poetry.. I became very interested in Rochester about 4 years ago. He seemed far more modern in his concerns that most of the writers of his time – and far funnier, too. I did quite a lot of reading about him then, and since... Well if nobody else is going to do this; Vast sections of Rochester’s life are near-unbelievable. He started at Oxford when he was 12, lost his virginity at 13, was an alcoholic by 14, tried to abduct the woman who became his wife at 18, was a naval hero at 19, and then he really started getting going. Condoms became incredibly popular and were even lauded by Rochester in 1667 as a protection against both disease and pregnancy in his Panegyrick Upon Cundums. He died later as a result of venereal disease at the age of 33. Rochester definitely had the right idea, but at the time, there was a popular belief that venereal disease could not be spread between men, so some me...