CH
4575
HISTORY.0073
OF
DUELLING
NEWMAN
A 1,041,142
HISTORY
OF DUELLING



Jas.
as. Kirk
དང་པོ་བཅང་ཆིད་པས་དང་འདས་
3
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARIES

HISTORY OF DUELLING-
(1768-atxana)
(1880)
HISTORY OF DUELLING,
IN ALL COUNTRIES;
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH
OF
M. COUSTARD DE MASSI,
One of the French King's Body Guard,
WITH INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUDING CHAPTER
BY
SIR LUCIUS O'TRIGGER.
London
NEWMAN & CO.,
43, HART STREET, BLOOMSBURY, W.C.
[All rights reserved.]
ср
4575
C873
INTRODUCTION.
THERE are some authors
some authors (our German
cousins more especially) who find it im-
possible to write upon any important sub-
ject without going back to the remotest dates
for a commencement, and hence there have
been some who would trace the first record of
a duel to the quarrel between Cain and Abel.
The Scriptural account says “And Cain
talked with Abel his brother," the result
showing that it was angry talk, and that in
fact Cain called out his brother Abel.
"And
it came to pass, when they were in the field,
that Cain rose up against Abel" (they pro-
bably fought with shepherds' staves or
clubs), "and slew him." Though the affair
ended fatally for Abel, "there is nothing to
show," says one of these Scriptural commen.
tators, "that Abel did not defend himself."
а
vi
Introduction.
I shall not avail myself of any of these
examples of remote and very apocryphal
contests. Starting with more authentic
times, I shall omit all single combats with
clubs, maces, javelins, iron-spike balls, war-
smiths' hammers, pole-axes, battle-axes,
brown-bills, &c., and confine myself to the
modern gentleman's more elegant weapons
of sword and pistol.
66
Killing no murder" is the condoning
principle that has been generally under-
stood and accepted in nearly all cases of
duels that have had a fatal termination;
but there have certainly been far too many
instances in which the result has amounted
to, and should have been denounced by the
world, and treated by justice, as
justice, as wilful
murder. Highly-practised skill in the use
of a weapon, when opposed to very inferior,
and sometimes scarcely any skill and prac-
tice, should always be regarded as foul
play, at the best, if not covert cowardice ;
and when the highly-practised duellist has
provoked or otherwise brought about the
hostile meeting, and killed his antagonist,
what better is this than "gentlemanly"
Introduction.
.vii
assassination? And in most instances, this
applies as much to duels with pistols as
with swords: in either case the fatal power
is in the eye, or the hand, or the velocity;
and when all three are in your possession,
as the duellist would coolly say-"down
goes your man!"
The two "finest shots" of their day (1804)
were Lord Camelford and Captain Best, R.N.
They were great friends, and continually
amused and instructed themselves-in fact,
perfected themselves--in pistol-practice. They
could each snuff a candle at fifteen paces-
hit a shilling fastened upon a wall-knock a
loose cork out of the top of a wine-bottle,
and lodge a bullet in a key-hole. These
two dear and equally-accomplished friends
chanced one day to quarrel about a
certain lady who was then under the pro-
tection of Lord Camelford. But she had
formerly been the mistress of Captain Best,
and he had been heard to speak of her in a
disparaging manner. This coming to the
ears of Lord Camelford, he at once sent a
challenge to Captain Best. Here indeed was
a case of "when Greek meets Greek"- and
viii
Introduction.
so far, was all fair and handsome. They
had each fought duels; and if anybody had
been killed, nobody took any notice of it.
As for Lord Camelford, he seems to have
had a sort of ferocious penchant for the sport.
Captain Best did all he could to conciliate.
his lordship, declaring that the lady in
question was not worthy of the serious
quarrel of old friends. This was meant to
soften Lord Camelford, but it only made
matters worse. So they went out in the
usual way, and at the first exchange of
shots Lord Camelford fell mortally wounded.
He lingered a short time, quite exonerating
his friend,-fully admitting himself to have
been in fault, and forgiving, and speaking
in the handsomest terms of Captain Best-he
so much admired the man-as a first-rate
"shot," among other things.
But how came it that two men of such
unerring eye and hand did not both fall at
the same instant? Why, because Captain
Best was the quicker. It will thus be seen
how very unequal the contest would be of
any little practised, or less practised, an
opponent with duellists like these. This
Introduction.
ix
B-
fact was well understood by Mr. A
who was paying court at that time to
the lovely Mademoiselle Bartolozzi, a younger
sister of the celebrated Madame Vestris. One
night Mr. A————— B——— (at that time a very
young man) was in that part of the pit at the
Italian Opera known as "fop's alley" when
a gentleman came to him with ominously
grave politeness, saying,-"Captain Best
requests me to present his compliments, and
wishes to know the meaning of the marked
attentions of Mr.A—B—to Mademoiselle
Bartolozzi?" To which very intelligible
question the gallant young spark instantly
replied,-"Tell Captain Best, if he wishes to
say anything to me about Mademoiselle
Bartolozzi, he will have to say it across a
pocket-handkerchief!" This was a deadly
form of duel, where each man, holding one
end of a handkerchief (their backs being
towards each other), was to turn and fire, at
a signal. In almost all cases both must be
wounded, perhaps mortally. The highly
skilful duellist did not relish this abandon-
ment of his perfection in one of the "fine
arts" of the day, and the young spark heard
a 2
X
Introduction.
no more on the subject. The romance of
pistolling was subsequently displayed by
this latter gentleman, as will be shown when
we come to the very duelling days of George
the Fourth.
It seems strange that no one has ever
thought of equalizing opponents in these
unfair contests, by the seconds having the
power to insist upon each man taking his
sword or pistol in his left hand; and if it
happened that he was a left-handed man,
they might, if the weapons were pistols,
have placed the opponents within a few
paces of each other, blindfold; and in a
dark room if they fought with swords.
In cases
cases of duels intended and agreed
to be mortal to one or the other, the
fairest method was that adopted in Italy in
former times where the seconds made two
pills, one of bread, and the other a deadly
poison of speedy effect, both pills being gilt,
so as to destroy the chance of a betraying
odour. These were placed upon a table by
the seconds, who then ushered in the duel-
lists, and retired. The two mortal foes then
sat down at the table opposite to each other.
Introduction.
xi
The pills were exactly alike, but perhaps
they drew lots or threw dice for first choice;
or perhaps each gentleman, with grim polite-
ness, begged the other to take which he
pleased. The pills were swallowed, and
then each man, folding his arms, sat and
watched the face of his opponent with
ghastly intensity and silence. Presently
drops of perspiration burst out upon the fore-
head of one of them: his lips quivered and
turned white : his countenance became livid:
his hair stiffened and lifted his eye-balls
glared with conscious horror as he fell back,
with a gasp and a parting stare of deadly
hate at his almost equally horrified an-
tagonist. Many an Italian nobleman and
gentleman, especially in the time of the
Borgia family, has died in this way; indeed
this form of mortal duel was only adopted
among the higher ranks. A dreadful form,
it must be admitted, but "all fair.”
In England duels were first introduced
by some of the followers of William the Con-
queror. Not only knights and gentlemen of
rank fought duels with swords, and some-
times on horseback with lances, to begin
xii
Introduction.
with, but even princes and nobles challenged
each other. In these latter cases, however,
the king generally forbade the combat.
During the early periods of Italian history
we read of various challenges to mortal
combat being sent by nobles, princes, and
sometimes kings. Even a bishop has been
involved in such single combats; but in
nearly all those very lofty and exceptional
cases, the contending parties fought by
proxy, each one singling out some doughty
knight to draw the blade, or break a
spear in his cause. If the knight of
one of them happened to be killed, his noble
patron was considered to have got the worst
of it in fact, to have been in the wrong,
and to have made a proper apology. If the
fallen knight were a gentleman of good
estate, the apology was all the more hand-
some. How his lady friends felt upon the
subject, we do not know; but it is quite
possible, however tearful the occasion,
that the majority of them felt flattered by
the distinction that had been conferred by
the noble patron's choice of a champion.
In the reign of Charles II. there was a
-
Introduction.
xiii
Club of Duellists to which nobody was
admitted who had not fought duels. The
president was a very superior person, who
was said to have killed at least half a dozen
gentlemen; and the other members took
their seats by gradation of rank, "according
to the number of the slain." A side-table
was provided for those humbler members
who had only drawn blood.
Duels were often fought in the West
Indies by planters, and people of colour, par-
ticularly in Jamaica; and I have read of a
celebrated brace of pistols which had “the
reputation of having sent, at short ranges,
twenty-five gentlemen to their long ac-
count." And, finally, their owner was neatly
killed by one of them; the only pity being
that his own account had not been wound
up much sooner.
At one time the duels in Italy were inces-
sant, particularly in Naples, and after the
sanguinary quarrels of the Guelphs and
Ghibellines; and they were very often at-
tended with foul play, tricks of the sword,
and treachery of the seconds. A certain
Neapolitan gentleman having killed his
xiv
Introduction.
antagonist, one of the seconds of the latter
politely stepped up, and expressing his
belief in some unfairness, requested fair
play for himself. The Neapolitan swords-
man at once accommodated him, and killed
him. Whereupon the other second stepped
up with the same opinion and request. It
was at once accorded with a smile, and the
Neapolitan gentleman killed him also.
In Milan, at the above period, there were
eighteen or twenty duels every day and
night; many also in Malta; and in Corsica,
from immediate quarrels, or as a vendetta
treasured up for years.
Duels were prohibited in Spain by Charles
V.; but this by no means put a stop to them.
It is asserted that even Ignatius Loyola (the
founder of the Jesuits) once sent a challenge
to a Moorish infidel. The Moor had simply
denied his belief that Jesus Christ was of
Divine origin. "I believe that His Divine
Majesty" (meaning Charles V., says the
wary old chronicler) "sternly prevented
the hostile meeting."
In the splendid and richly eccentric days
of Louis Quatorze, it was not uncommon for
Introduction.
XV
ladies to fight duels. One of these ladies
was Mademoiselle Maupin (a leading lady
at the Grand Opera), and she is said to have
challenged and wounded a number of ladies,
and even to have killed some men who
treated the contest too lightly. For these
offences the King punished her only by
banishing her to Brussels. At Brussels she
soon after became the mistress of the Elector
of Bavaria, he having received her solemn
promise never again "to take the field."
After this, ladies appear to have entertained
a fancy for pistols, and duels were thus
fought by the softer sex as late down as
1827-28, by the German as well as the
French ladies.
In the course of one of our periods of war
in the East Indies, a certain officer of the
native cevalry was reported to have said
that the English were gallant and dashing
cavalry soldiers, but no match, single-
handed, as swordsmen and horsemen, to the
Indians. This coming to the ears of one of our
cavalry regiments, so nettled a certain Captain
A—, that he sent a challenge to that Indian
officer. It was immediately accepted, and
•
xvi
Introduction.
the duellists met in presence of a large party
of their respective regiments. The combat
was to be on horseback, and with sabres.
The English officer made repeated charges
in the most gallant and determined style;
but never succeeded in any of his slashing
blows, so skilful was the Indian officer, and
so perfect in his management of his horse.
Presently the Indian made several rapid
circles round his opponent, nearer and nearer
each time, and then dashed close by him,
bending low down, so that the whirl of the
sabre flashed far above him. But the English
officer found that his reins had been cut
through! In the astonishment, rage, and
confusion of the moment, at thus finding
himself at the mercy of his antagonist, he
snatched a pistol from his holster, and, I
regret to say, brought his opponent to the
ground. The seconds had forgotten to re-
move the pistols. The Indian officer lin-
gered, dying, several days. He declared
that he never intended to kill or injure the
English officer; he only wished to prove to
us that we were not equal in skill to the
Indian officers as swordsmen and horsemen.
Introduction.
xvii
Everybody grieved over the event, particu-
larly the English officer. The affair was
hushed up. Good deeds are easily hushed
up; but bad deeds continually rise from the
tomb of years.
Charles XII. (of Sweden), during one of
his campaigns, had ordered that whoever
passed through the gate of a certain farm-
yard, where he had planted a small outpost,
should close the gate after him. One even-
ing the King, riding alone, and covered up
in an old great-coat, passed through this
gate, deep in thought, leaving it open behind
him. Down came the sub-lieutenant in
charge of the outpost. "You've left the
gate open!"-and he pointed to it with a
commanding air. "Have I?" said the King
calmly; "then why don't you go and shut
it?" “Because that was your duty," re-
turned the young sub-lieutenant; and he
seized the reins of the King's horse, and
began to back him towards the gate. In the
provocation of the moment Charles drew
his sword; but the smart young officer sud-
denly twisted it out of the King's hand.
Whereupon the King drew forth a pistol,
b
xviii
Introduction.
and presented it. "Hand me back that
sword," said the King, "or you are a dead
man!" The young officer (still having not
the least idea who it was he was speaking
to) stood his ground manfully, and then said:
"If I also had a pistol I would make you go
back and shut that gate." The King imme-
diately lowered his muzzle, and held out
his hand for the sword, saying, "Very well,
young man. Go up to the house, and bring
your pistol." The sub-lieutenant, upon this,
gave back the sword, and hurried away for
his pistol. By the time he was on his return
he saw several officers of rank with the King.
The thought then, for the first time, struck
him as to who it was. He stopped an
instant, and then bolted out of sight. The
next day, at general parade, Charles ordered
before him the sub-lieutenant in charge of that
outpost. He came, looking speechless. "You
acted very properly yesterday," said the
King, with a grave smile. "You are now a
first lieutenant." A sum of money was also
awarded to the young officer. I regard this
as a delightful duel.
The reign of Henry VIII. does not furnish
Introduction.
xix
"
many known instances of duels, especially
among persons of high rank; but there is
a narrative of one of a desperate kind, in
which the names of the principals are con-
cealed. His Grace the Duke of A—
feeling himself insulted before a certain
noble lady (the Countess of E-) by one
whom he declared to be influenced by un-
gentlemanlike spleen (meaning jealousy),
the irate Duke requests a meeting "near the
first tree behind the lodge in Hyde Park,
precisely at half an hour after five to-morrow
morning." This message was accompanied
by two swords, one of which Lord B-
was requested to choose. This was done.
Lord B- rose at four the next morning,
and after kneeling down at a jasper table
and praying fervently, he wrote a letter
addressed to Right Honourable the Countess
of E- which he placed in the hand of
his second in case he should be slain.
W
The antagonists met as appointed. Their
seconds carefully examined the swords,
and also the pistols; and then the mode
of fighting was arranged. They were to
fire at seven yards and a half, as a begin-
XX
Introduction.
ning; after which they were to rush at
each other with their swords without
waiting for any signal. Their coats, em-
broidered,—the one with broad gold lace,
the other with broad silver lace, being drawn
off by their seconds, the combatants took
their positions, and at the first fire his Grace
was wounded slightly; and his Lordship
slightly also at their second fire. They
then drew their swords, and rushed at each
other, evidently thinking of their own
thrusts, and not at all of self-defence. Lord
B-in his fury "entangled the toe of his
pump in a tuft of grass and fell on his side,
but by great dexterity he pushed himself
backward and escaped a thrust made at his
heart. The seconds now interposed, but so
desperate were both the combatants they
would not hear of any reconciliation, and his
Grace even swore that he would "make his
way through either of the seconds' bodies if
they again interposed." This horrid duel
shall be concluded in the words of the
original record :-
"Then, after all remonstrance had proved in-
e^ tual, their seconds returned to their limited
Introduction.
xxi
distances, and perhaps one of the most extraordinary
duels ensued that the records of history can produce,
fairly disputed hand-to-hand. The parrying, after an
interval, brought on a close lock. In this position they
stood, I dare say, a minute, striving to disengage each
other by repeated wrenches. At last, in a very strong
wrench, their swords both sprang from their hands,
and I dare say his lordship's flew several yards upright.
This accident, however, did not retard the affair, but
both recovering their weapons at the same time, the
duel was renewed with as much malevolence as ever.
Lord B presently received a thrust through the
inner-side of his sword-arm, passing forward to the
exterior part of his elbow, his sword, at the same
time, passing a little over that of his antagonist's; but
cleverly springing back, before his Grace, as I think,
had recovered his push, Lord B- ran him through
the body a little above the right pap. His lordship's
sword, being thus engaged, nothing was left for his
own defence but a naked left arm and hand; while
his Grace, though in this terrible situation, yet had
fair play at almost any part of his lordship's body.
The latter bravely put by several thrusts exactly
levelled at his throat, till at last, having two fingers
cut off in defending the pushes, and the rest mangled
to a shocking degree, his Grace lodged his sword one
inch below the heart; and (says the old chronicler) in
this affecting position they both stood without either
being able to make another push."
By this time, both of them being covered
with blood, the seconds could endure no
longer such a sight, and interposed, beg-
xxii
Introduction.
ging them to consider their mortal situation
and "the good of their future state."
"Yet neither would consent to part, till Lord B-
from great loss of blood, fell down as if senseless, and
in so doing drew his sword out of his Grace's body.
Whereupon he actually recovered himself a little be-
fore he was quite down, and faltered forward, as if for
a last effort! Then falling heavily, his thigh came
across his sword which snapped in the middle. His
Grace, observing that Lord B——— was no longer cap-
able of defence, or sensible of danger, immediately
broke his own sword, and falling upon his antagonist's
body, with the deepest sigh of concern, expired before
any assistance, however useless, could be obtained."
We are not directly told that they were
both desperately in love with the same noble
Lady but the fact seems very plain.
In the reign of James I. a good many
duels were fought between persons both
among the upper and lower classes, though
the King sought to repress them. Very
few duels took place in the reign of Charles
I., and scarcely any during "the reign" of
the great Oliver Cromwell, mainly because
he set his formidable face against such con-
tests directing that whoever sent a
challenge should be imprisoned for six
months, and also because, if either party
"
Introduction.
xxiii
were killed, he declared it should be treated
the same as a murder. This I think was
as wrong as it was arbitrary; the effect,
however, was salutary.
The duels fought by the Earl of Dorset
and Lord Bruce, and the Duke of Hamilton
and Lord Mohun, appear to have been
almost as desperate, heroic, and sanguinary
as the one just narrated. In the case of the
Lord Bruce, after having been twice run
through the body, he disdained to ask his life or
acknowledge himself conquered;-and with
regard to the fight between the two latter
noblemen, the Duke of Hamilton was found to
have four dreadful wounds, and Lord Mohun
"a large wound in the groin, and another
through the body, and up to the hilt of the
sword, and a third in the arm.' How these
gentlemen were able to continue these fights
at all after receiving such mortal wounds is
marvellous; nevertheless, they did so. It is
declared by eye-witnesses that they seldom
parried, but continued to cut and thrust at
each other. This was something like fight-
ing-it certainly had very little to do with
fencing.
xxiv
Introduction.
Lord Mohun (evidently a very depraved
as well as desperate man) appears to have
been engaged in several really murderous
duels in his time, and some of them (such as
the killing of Mountford, the comedian, when
his lordship and another scoundrel had failed
in a plot to kidnap Mrs. Bracegirdle, the cele-
brated actress) of an atrocious character. It
seems that in his duel with the Duke of
Hamilton a murderous blow was struck by
one of his (Lord Mohun's) friends named
McCarthy. This was so far proved that
McCarthy was found guilty. He escaped
the hands of justice, and a reward was set
upon his head. He was not apprehended,
but his name was covered with public
opprobrium.*
* Dean Swift tells a capital anecdote in his dry,
humorous way.
A certain commercial traveller was
one night robbed by three highwaymen. He begged
they would have some consideration for him as he was
"<
K
an outlaw like themselves - in fact, he was the
notorious McCarthy." Hearing this, the lucky high-
waymen took him before a magistrate, and claimed
the reward set upon his head. Whereupon the
traveller gave the three highwaymen into custody for
robbing him.
Introduction.
XXV
But other duels of that period often had a
strong spice of romance, and what may be
designated as eccentric chivalry, as we have
already seen. Good old Pepys mentions, in
his notes, a duel between two friends—viz.,
Sir H. Bellasses and Tom Porter, who, after
dining together, quarrelled about nothing,
and then the former gave the latter a box on
the ear just because he said, 'he should like
to see any man in England give him a blow!
So his friend gave him one, and they went
out to fight. Mutual friends stood by. They
drew at once, and were both wounded very
quickly, Sir H. Bellasses severely, who then
very faintly, yet very handsomely, "called to
Tom Porter, and kissed him, and bade him
shift for himself; for, says he, 'Tom, thou
hast hurt me; but I will make shift to stand
on my legs till thou may'st withdraw, and the
world not take notice of thee; for I would
not have thee troubled for what thou hast
done."" Tom Porter, in reply, showed that
he also was wounded. Sir H. Bellasses
lived only a few days.
place in Covent Garden.
and generosity shown by the offending party
This affair took
The tenderness
xxvi
Introduction.
is very touching. The story looks very like
a tavern quarrel after rather too much wine.
The comment of Mr. Pepys is as kindly and
odd as usual with him. He calls them
"" two fools who killed one another for love."
It was about this time that the shocking
and disgraceful duel between the Earl of
Shrewsbury and the Duke of Buckingham
took place. The cause of this was that the
latter had seduced Lady Shrewsbury (with
her full consent, is evident), who is said to
have disguised herself as a page, and held
Buckingham's horse in a neighbouring
thicket, to facilitate his escape if he killed
her husband! The parties met at Barnes
Elms. It was a desperate and murderous
conflict, the seconds, as was the brave and
dashing custom of the day, proving their
friendship by fighting with each other at
the same time.
The fight between the Duke and the Earl
was long and desperate, and in the end the
Earl of Shrewsbury was run through the
body. The Earl died, and one of his seconds
also (Sir John Talbot) was left dead on the
field. After this affair, the Duke of Bucking-
Introduction.
xxvii
ham openly lived with Lady Shrewsbury,
sending the duchess, his wife, home to her
father!
This open profligacy of the time may be
further illustrated by the following story :-
A certain ambassador, famous for his
amours in London, was accustomed very
often to be driven in his open carriage down
a street where he almost always saw a
handsome lady at a balcony, apparently
waiting to attract his notice. So the next
time this occurred he politely saluted her in
passing. The only recognition she gave
was to open her mouth. The licentious
ambassador was disappointed, but supposed
she was "taken with an involuntary yawn,
and the next day he again saluted her. But
again she was taken with the same fit, and
only opened her mouth. This occurred
several times. The ambassador now de-
termined to wait upon the lady in a direct
manner, and request an explanation. He
was at once admitted to the lady's private
apartment, and upon his requesting to know
what was the meaning of the extraordinary
gesture she always made, the lady, laughing,
""
xxviii
Introduction.
replied, "that she had heard he was very
munificent in stopping ladies' mouths with
presents, and she only intended to intimate
that if he desired to make her acquaintance
he should begin by stopping hers." We
are not told how many duels he had to
fight on account of that impudent mouth.
At this period, and during a long time
afterwards, London, in its fashionable
localities, was the scene of continuous duels.
Nothing in France has ever been like it.
Covent Garden and Lincoln's Inn Fields
were the favourite localities for settling
quarrels by the sword. The clash of steel
was heard at all hours of the night, and
peaceable citizens were seldom safe in
returning home from the theatres at late
hours, so fond were the "young bloods" of
the day of picking quarrels or insulting
people, in order to have a nice fight.
"Duelling pervaded all classes," writes Dr.
Millingen, "for even physicians were wont
to decide their professional altercations at
the point of the sword." Dr. Mead and
Dr. Woodward fought under the gate of
Gresham College; the latter slipped his
Introduction.
xxix
foot and fell. "Take your life!" exclaimed
Dr. Mead. 'Anything but your physic,"
replied the prostrate Dr. Woodward. A
most sanguinary duel was also fought (on a
professional-i.e., a medical quarrel) by Dr.
Bennet and Dr. Williams, in which pistols.
as well as swords were used, and some
things were done as foully as furiously.
While Dr. Bennet, after being shot, was
getting out his sword, which stuck in the
scabbard, Dr. Williams ran him through
the body; but notwithstanding this, Dr.
Bennet, "praying to God to invigorate him,"
tore out his rapier, and drove it through the
breast of Dr. Williams, so that it came out
near the shoulder-bone, where it snapped
and remained in the wound. Dr. Williams
in retiring fell down dead, and Dr. Bennet
died four hours after.
"L
In addition to these numerous single
combats there was sometimes-so fond were
our ancestors of fighting in those days-a
promiscuous fight of many. "In 1720, at
twelve o'clock at night, about one hundred
gentlemen were engaged in a riot in Wind-
mill Street, with swords and canes." The
XXX
Introduction.
watchmen who interfered were knocked
down. "At last a patrol of the Horse
Guards came up, and finding the rioters
obstinate, rode through them, cutting at
them with their swords. Such was the state
of London and its police at this period."
Addison and Steele, in the Spectator and the
Tatler, used all the eloquence of their in-
fluential pens to diminish these practices,
but in vain; and Steele himself was obliged
to fight a duel, though he did all he could
to avoid it handsomely. Being a capital
swordsman he made certain of satisfying his
pugnacious antagonist without hurting him ;
but in an extremely adroit attempt to disarm
him, Steele ran him through the body by ac-
cident! After a time, however, he recovered.
It may seem very surprising that we
scarcely ever hear in the present day,
amidst the various French duels, of any
such event as a gentleman being run
through the body, common as this used to
be in England; but this will be explained
in future pages. One thing, however, must
not here be omitted-viz., the desperate
courage and fortitude with which our duel-
Introduction.
xxxi
ling ancestors often continued to fight after
being run through the body; in fact as long
as they were able to stand.
The fights of a number of gambling
gentlemen, besides the duels resulting from
disputes at "hazard," were frequent. On
one of the former occasions a large party of
dashing fellows had a general fight with
swords in St. James's Street, which was
only stopped by a party of the Guards. A
gallant action was performed on this occa-
sion (far exceeding that of any of the com-
batants) by a footman who was greatly
attached to his master, and carried him
rapidly away in his arms, through all the
thrusting and slashing swords. (See Millin-
gen, vol. ii., p. 50.)
As almost anything in the world may
become a fashion, so did the love of duelling
(about the year 1750) become quite the rage
in the days of Horace Walpole. Gradually
the use of the sword was far less frequent,
and pistols were substituted. One of the
most ugly-looking duels with the sword took
place (in 1765) between Lord Byron (the
grand-uncle, I think, of the poet) and Mr.
xxxii
Introduction.
Chaworth. The cause of the quarrel was as
to whose estate contained the most game!
They fought in a room with one blinking.
candle, and without seconds, The sword of
Mr. Chaworth passed through the waistcoat
of Lord Byron, and the former, believing it
had passed into his body, expressed his
apprehension that he had seriously wounded
his lordship; in answer to which considerate
remark Lord Byron "immediately shortened
his sword, and ran Mr. Chaworth through
the body." Mr. Chaworth, before he died,
said all he could to screen Lord Byron, who
was nevertheless tried for murder, but found
guilty only of manslaughter by the House of
Lords. It was a bad business.
John Wilkes, M.P., so celebrated in his day,
had to fight several duels from too bitter a
use of his pen in the North Briton and else-
where. His first was with Lord Talbot
(1762) at the beginning of the reign of
George III., at which time pistols were
almost always used, and generally horse-
pistols. Wilkes was very jocular on his
affair with Lord Talbot, who asked him
how many times they should fire. Wilkes
Introduction.
xxxiii
replied that "he had brought a flask full
of powder, and a bag of bullets," so that
he could fully accommodate his lordship.
However, nobody was wounded; but in
a subsequent duel with Mr. Martin, M.P.
(who designated Wilkes as "a malignant
and infamous scoundrel" for certain things
he had said of his political conduct in the
North Briton), Wilkes received a bullet in his
stomach. He behaved very magnanimously,
saying all sorts of handsome things of his
antagonist, and begging him to make his
escape immediately to Paris, as the wound
was sure to be mortal. The ball had passed
too deeply into his abdomen to be extracted.
But a very clever surgeon (M. Graves), being
called in, extracted the bullet through his
back, and Wilkes recovered. After this he
went to Paris, and dined in a friendly spirit
with M. Martin. But he had not been there
long before he received a challenge from a
Scotch captain, in consequence of some dis-
respectful things Wilkes had said about
Scotland in the North Briton. The French
police, hearing of this, and of the doubtful
character of Captain Forbes, put a stop to
xxxiv
Introduction.
the proceeding; whereupon Wilkes sent
word to the irate Caledonian that he would
fight him in Flanders, or any part of Asia,
Africa, or America. After the return of
Wilkes to London this same captain sud-
denly appeared with a view to defending the
character of Scotland from the offensive pen
of Mr. Wilkes; but the Ministry of the day
immediately took measures to prevent a duel.
During the reign of George III. no less
than one hundred and seventy-two duels were
fought. Sixty-nine individuals were killed;
and ninety-six were wounded, forty-eight of
them desperately. These numbers are given
on the authority of Dr. Millingen, M.D.,
F.R.S., vol. ii., p. 48. It will thus appear
that rather more than one-fifth of the duellists
lost their lives, and that nearly one-half
received the bullets of their antagonists.
Very few trials took place, and among these
most of the parties were acquitted, or only
found guilty of manslaughter.
The duel between the celebrated Richard
Brinsley Sheridan and Mr. Matthews, a fash-
ionable man about town, was in consequence
of some offensive remarks made by the latter
-
Introduction.
XXXV
in a Bath newspaper concerning Miss Linley,
the fair vocalist, whom Sheridan had pro-
posed to marry. They fought in a room at
a tavern in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.
Both were good swordsmen, but Sheridan
disarmed his antagonist, and made him sign
a written apology. This he very properly
caused to be published in the newspaper
that had contained the injurious paragraph.
Mr. Matthews was so galled at this that he
sent a hostile message to Sheridan. As
the latter had disarmed him in the first
instance, he was by no means bound to
accept this challenge. Sheridan, however,
thought proper to do so. They fought, first
with pistols, and afterwards with swords.
Both were wounded, and fell to the ground,
where they still continued to fight till the
seconds separated them. It was found,
among other injuries, that the point of the
sword of Mr. Matthews had broken off in
Sheridan's ear, which shows what a narrow-
escape that brilliant brain had of prematurely
ending its career. Notwithstanding all their
wounds they both recovered, and Miss Linley,
of course, married the gallant Sheridan.
xxxvi
Introduction.
People in the present day express sur-
prise at the number of duels in France
between editors of newspapers as well as
ministers and other politicians; but they
are few indeed in comparison with those
which occurred in England from similar
causes during the reigns of George III. and
George IV. The duel just recorded took
place in 1772. The Honourable C. J. Fox
had a duel with Mr. Adam in 1779; H.R.H.
the Duke of York fought a duel with
Colonel Lennox (being about the best thing
we ever heard of that Duke of York) in
1789. The witty and eloquent Curran
fought a duel with Major Hobard, in 1790;
John Kemble (the great actor) exchanged
shots with Mr. Aikin, owing to some thea-
trical disputes, in 1792; the Right Honour-
able William Pitt fought a duel with
Mr. Tierney in 1798; Mr. Francis Burdett
had a duel with Mr. Paull in 1807; a duel
also took place between Lord Castlereagh
and the Right Honourable George Canning
in 1809; Mr. O'Connell, M.P., and Mr.
D'Esterre fought a duel in 1815. The
Duke of Wellington (in 1829) found himself
Introduction.
xxxvii
obliged to send a challenge to the Earl of
Winchelsea, on account of the latter having
attributed Papistical motives to the duke
(who was then Prime Minister) in conse-
quence of his bringing in the Roman
Catholic Relief Bill. Lord Winchelsea re-
ceived the duke's fire without being hit,
and he then made a satisfactory apology.
It afterwards transpired that Lord Falmouth
had privately stipulated with the Earl of
Winchelsea that he should not fire at the
duke, as Lord Falmouth considered the
duke to have been unduly reproached. The
Honourable Grantley Berkeley and Dr.
Maginn (of Fraser's Magazine) exchanged
shots in 1836; the Marquis of Londonderry
and Mr. Grattan, M.P., had a duel in 1839;
in the same year, Lord Powerscourt and
the late Mr. Roebuck, M.P., fought a duel on
account of some severe political censures by
the latter. Mr. Roebuck fired in the air,
and then expressed regret for his intem-
perate language.
Two words as to weapons. How to
fight with perfect fairness on both sides
would always have been a very difficult
xxxviii
Introduction.
""
question, had such a question been enter-
tained; but it was seldom thought about.
And when this is considered, even now one
of the most important things is almost over-
looked-viz., the equal excellence, in all
respects, of the swords-or of the pistols.
Swords are far more examined by seconds.
than pistols; but how very serious is too
often the difference in the latter. "Nothing
exceeds the delight," says our German en-
thusiast, in his "Romance of Duelling,'
"nothing exceeds the delight of handling
a thoroughly good pistol!" Form, finish,
inner-work, lock, length, weight, bore,
balance, &c., all should be perfect. For a
brace of duelling pistols by Manton or
Purday, as much as fifty guineas used to be
paid in my early days, and we thought
them cheap at the money. But I have
sometimes known pistols to be used in a
duel which would not hit a hay-cock at
fifteen paces.
In the foregoing list of political duels the
reader cannot fail to have noticed the number
of eminent names, both as Members of Par-
liament and as Prime Ministers of England,
Introduction.
xxxix
who considered it necessary to fight. Had
our present Premier, the Right Hon. W.
E. Gladstone, lived in those days (not
more than fifty or sixty years ago), and used
such excited personalities as he did in the
provinces on his late election tour, he would
have had to fight an ex-Premier, like the Earl
of Beaconsfield, and also (though perhaps by
a royal proxy) an Emperor of Austria.
In a concluding chapter, by the present
editor, the duels by German students and
nobles, the duels in America, the Parisian
duels after the Battle of Waterloo, and some
romantic matters, will be duly noticed.
L. O'TRIGGER.
THE
HISTORY OF DUELLING.
PRELUSIVE NOTES.
TT was formerly a constitutional practice in
Germany for particular families to wage war
one with the other for the expiation of affronts or
injuries. The French, who under the denomination
of Franks came originally from Germany, brought
along with them into Gaul that native custom,
which they revered as the characteristic of their
independency.
The Salic law, however, granted a dispensation
from acting in an hostile manner to any timid indi-
vidual of such belligerent families who might seem
inclinable to desist from exacting a satisfactory ven-
geance for wrongs and injuries received, especially
when the intended vindictive prosecution appeared
to be big with danger. But that very law at the
B
2
History of Duelling.
-
same time annulled the said defaulter's right of in-
heritance, as a condign punishment for a recreancy
so shameful and ignominious as to render his person
not only degraded, but himself a despised alien in
the midst of his family and kindred.
The legislators of France, finding it impracticable
to put an entire stop to this licentious abuse of
courage, were obliged to content themselves with
prescribing limits to it, and consequently framed the
judiciary form of "Trial by Combat." But if the
proofs in any litigated matter were so obviously
glaring as to flash immediate conviction against the
offender, then the law-judges, ex-officio, decided by
inflicting a penalty adequate to the offence. If the
affair wore a doubtful complexion, then the con-
tending parties, after having taken the oath usual on
such occasions, were allowed to proceed to trial by
combat. Hence arose a new species of jurispru-
dence, which might not improperly be called the
"Right of the Sword."
The Gombette law, which was instituted by Gonde-
baud, King of Burgundy, in the year 501, allowed
the expedient of duelling to those impleaders whom
the administered oath to offenders did not sufficiently
satisfy for an obtaining of their resigned and volun-
tary acquittance from the cause complained of.
History of Duelling.
3
King Dagobert, in his statute books, allowed the
trial by combat when the proofs alleged appeared
not to be sufficiently satisfactory.
Charlemagne, in his statute books, allowed the
litigating parties, when proper testimonies for termi-
nating the matter in debate had been adduced, to
have recourse to the trial with stick, or quarter-staff
and buckler; and in this article that great monarch
acted conformably to the Lombard law.
Lewis le Debonnaire was the first French sovereign
who permitted litigants to attempt righting them-
selves with what are specifically called arms; and
none but the vassals or peasants then combated with
the quarter-staff.
King Henry I. instituted "the truce of our
Lord," which law forbade duelling from Wednesday
night to Monday morning, on account of the religious
respect we ought to have for those days of the week
which Jesus Christ had consecrated by the last
mysteries of his holy life.
Lewis the Young forbad duelling in civil suits for
any debt which did not exceed fivepence. But, not-
withstanding that law, in the reign of Saint Lewis a
debt just exceeding twelve farthings was deemed
sufficient. The last-mentioned monarch substituted
proof by evidence in the room of duelling; but the
4
History of Duelling.
edict could not extend farther than the royal
domains.
Gentlemen fought on horseback with their offen-
sive arms; vassals and peasants on foot with the
quarter-staff and buckler.
C
One peasant might challenge another, but he was
not allowed to demand satisfaction from a gentleman.
Lewis le Gros granted to the monks of the abbey of
St. Maure des Fossés the privilege of ordering trials
by duel between their vassals and other persons,
although free members of society.
If a gentleman challenged a peasant to combat, he
was obliged to fight him on foot with quarter-staff
and buckler; for if he presented himself on horse-
back with his arms, they would have been forcibly
taken from him, and he in consequence compelled to
fight his antagonist on foot and in his shirt.
A married woman could not challenge any person
to a trial by combat without having previously
obtained her husband's authority; but she might be
challenged by another, without its being necessary to
obtain the husband's permission for such a proceed-
ing. In either case she was obliged to produce a
champion to maintain her cause.
The trial by combat was refused when one of the
litigating parties was not fifteen years old.
History of Duelling.
5
If a vassal had received any injury or outrageous
treatment from his lord or chief, he was at liberty to
declare that he renounced and withdrew himself from
his manor, in order to appeal to their lord paramount
for his decision, if there were a right of challenging
to trial by combat.
If a vassal was summoned by his lord before the
lord paramount, then the appealer began his suit by
absolving the impleaded from any farther homage to
him.
A petitioner could solicit for a trial by combat
only for himself, his liege lord, or any of his issue.
No trial by combat was granted for the ascertaining
of dowagers' jointures, when they had been once
adjudged by the ecclesiastical court or decided by
arbitrators.
6
History of Duelling.
་
SECTION I.
Those persons who, through disqualification of sex or
otherwise, could not fight in person were allowed to
substitute a champion; and in order to compel the
defender to acquit himself honourably by exerting
his utmost efforts, he lost his hand if the contrary
were proved.
IN
N the reign of Lewis le Begue, the wife of
Ingelger, Count of Gatinois, was accused of
having murdered her husband, his corpse having
being found with her in bed. Gontran, a relation
of the deceased, and the most expert swordsman
of his time, was her accuser.
The king appointed a day for the trial by combat
at the castle of Landon. Ingelger, Count of Anjou,
and godson of the accused countess, at that time not
sixteen years of age, threw himself at the king's feet
and solicited his royal permission to accept Gontran's
challenge to the trial by combat.
The king, equally affected by his courageous
request and extreme youth, made use of many
arguments to dissuade him from such a dangerous
attempt as that of encountering the redoubted Gon-
tran, whose very name struck terror into the bravest
ears, and addressed him to the following effect :-
History of Duelling.
7
"Consider, child, that youth and a want of
sufficient reflection often precipitate people rashly
to undertake enterprises of such arduous moment
that they are forced to shrink under them, and
ingloriously yield. Think, therefore, in time; be
persuaded of the great inequality of a trial by
combat between one of your tender years and a
person so renowned for acts of chivalry as the
long-experienced chevalier Gontran. Reflect that
such a combat can promise no other event than
the devoting yourself to death by your first essay
in arms. Wherefore, my dear child, I entreat that
you seriously meditate on this affair and the fatal
consequence which in all probability must ensue.”
The young count, with a becoming mixture of
modesty and valour, thanked the king for his royal
and paternal concern, but inflexibly persisted in his
resolution. All the courtiers pitied him, and nothing
was heard from every tongue but this general
lamentation: "What a pity that so amiable a youth
should insist on being sent to the slaughter-yard!”
The next day being appointed for the trial, the
count took leave of his godmother, heard mass,
distributed alms to the poor, made the sign of
the cross, mounted his horse, and entered the lists,
the wonder and admiration of all the spectators.
8
History of Duelling.
The Countess of Gatinois and Gontran having
both affirmed upon oath the truth of all the articles
they had severally alleged, the combatants, young
Ingelger and the veteran Gontran, rushed furiously
upon each other. The latter made a violent thrust
at the count's breast, which the youth having parried,
he drove his lance through Gontran's body, felled
him from his horse, and then alighted to cut off his
head, which bleeding trophy he presented to the
king.
The vindicated countess, in return for the young
champion's successful prowess, made him a present of
the manor, lordship, and castle of Landon-a reward
which occasioned the following insinuation and
reflections from Brantôme: "That either before or
after the performance of this signal service she per-
haps obliged the young count with the farther courtesy
of granting personal favours to the youthful desires of
him who was so ready to risk both his life and honour
in defence of her character. And what more ade-
quate compensation of his zeal (handsomely continues
Brantôme) could she bestow than acts of tender in-
dulgence and amorous kindness, much preferable to
unimpassioned lands or titles? And if she had done so,
what harm? Nay, it would have been a heavy charge
of ingratitude against her to have refused him."
History of Duelling.
9
SECTION II.
In criminal cases the party whose champion was
conquered was put to death.
GONTRAN XI., King of Burgundy, as he was
hunting in the forest on the mountains of
Vosges, discovering the tracks and remains of a
buffalo that had been killed, ordered the ranger of the
forest to undergo the question (torture), to force his
discovery of the culprit.
He accused Chandun, the king's chamberlain, who,
denying the charge, the trial by combat was ordered.
Chandun being sick and unable to encounter his
accuser himself, substituted a champion, one of his
nephews, who was accepted.
They fought before the king. Chandun's nephew
mortally wounded his adversary with a thrust of his
lance, and felled him to the ground; but as he was
going to cut the victim's throat with a dagger which
he drew from his girdle, he accidentally gave himself
a desperate wound, and dropped instantly dead on his
antagonist's body, who expired in a few moments
after him. Chandun suffered death in consequence.
IO
History of Duelling.
SECTION III.
The vanquished, in a trial by combat for a criminal
offence, was hanged, living or dead, without a dispen-
sation from the sovereign.
WHI
HILE John Carrouges, a Norman gentleman,
was serving in the army employed against
the Infidels, in Charles VI.'s reign, James Le
Gris, his friend, becoming passionately enamoured
of his wife, determined to profit by the husband's
absence, and to satisfy his impetuous and unlawful
desires at all events.
Le Gris was cup-bearer to the Duke of Alençon,
a prince of the blood; to defeat, therefore, as he
imagined, any tracing of him in the criminal attempt
he had secretly projected, he on the very night fixed
for this perfidious action, officiously waited on his
master at supper; and as he was pouring out wine
for him to drink, he let designedly, but as through
inadvertency, some of it drop on the duke's sleeve,
which was observed by him.
Soon after, Le Gris mounted on a very swift horse
and hurried away to Carrouges' house, seven leagues
distant from Alençon, where he arrived about mid-
night. As he was very well acquainted with the
History of Duelling.
I I
house, he soon found his way into the chamber and
bed of Carrouges' wife, whom he enjoyed by force.
Upon finding her dislike and abhorrence of him,
he soon withdrew, remounted his horse, and made
such dispatch back again as to be present at his
master's levee in the morning, where, as he served
him with water to wash his hands, he again design-
edly let some fall upon the duke's ruffle, who only
laughed at his seemingly repeated carelessness then
and the preceding evening. But this was no other
than a contrived scheme to serve as a blind for his
villainy, and to invalidate any charge of violated
hospitality which might hereafter be brought against
him.
G
Carrouges' wife languished a prey to secret anguish
from the mortifying affront she had received, until
her husband's return, to whom she related the
dishonour they had both sustained, and excited him
loudly to revenge. Carrouges summoned Le Gris
before the Parliament. He denied his being guilty
of the crime, alleging, that on the very night in
which they asserted his having committed this
atrocious fact, he waited in his office on the Duke
of Alençon.
However, Carrouges' wife persisting in her accu-
sation, the Parliament decreed a trial by combat
12
History of Duelling.
between Le Gris and the injured husband; ordered
that the scene of action should be in the cloister
of St. Catherine, and that the lady should be
present on a scaffold erected for that purpose.
At first Carrouges had the worst of it; for
Le Gris, seizing him by the body, threw him on
the ground; but the Norman quickly sprang up,
and getting his adversary, Le Gris, under him, by
holding a dagger to his throat he forced him to
confess his crime. Le Gris was hanged.
In this manner both Froissard and Monstrelet
relate this transaction; but Juvenal des Ursins,
in his history of Charles IX., says Le Gris
maintained to the last that he was guiltless of
the charge, yet was killed by Carrouges; and
that some time afterwards his innocence was proved
by a dying declaration of the criminal who had com-
mitted the act.
One Macaire, who belonged to Charles V.'s
guard, having been some time absent from the Court
with one of his comrades, named Aubry de Mondidier,
returned alone to his quarters declaring that he was
ignorant of what might have befallen Aubry.
Soon after, as he was on guard, a large greyhound,
which had belonged to Aubry, jumped upon and
seized him by the neck. It was with great diffi-
History of Duelling.
13
culty the spectators rescued him from the excited
animal, who attempted to seize on him wherever he
saw him.
The dog's unabating rage towards Macaire inclined
people to think that it was occasioned by some very
remarkable transaction, and that he must certainly
have been guilty of some undiscovered crime.
The king being informed of this surprising affair,
commanded the fellow to be brought before him,
in order to make a confession of any crime he might
have committed; but the culprit obstinately declared
himself to be innocent; whereupon, by the king's
command, a trial by combat was ordered between
Macaire and the greyhound, and a field was enclosed
for this very novel encounter in the island of Nôtre
Dame.
Macaire was allowed to use no other weapon than
a great stick or quarter staff; and a large cask, with
the heads struck out, was provided for the dog's
retreating-place. The greyhound turned cautiously
round and round Macaire for a long time, until at
last, seeing a favourable opportunity, he darted
upon and seized him by the throat, dragged him to
the ground, and forced him to roar out in a most
piteous manner that if they would take the dog off,
nothing should be concealed relating to Mondidier.
14
History of Duelling.
The greyhound being taken off, the villain owned
that he had murdered his companion in the forest
of Bondi, and that he had buried the body at the
foot of a tree. In consequence of this confession
he was sentenced to death, and executed.
[However strange the above duel may appear, it
certainly showed good practical sense in Charles V.
to order it, as there was no police at that time to
make clever discoveries.-ED.]
History of Duelling.
15
SECTION IV.
It was deemed and punished as a treasonable act
either to fix on a day or place of combat, with-
out the king's permission.
Ν
IN the reign of
Charles VI., Peter de
Courtenai, an English Knight, and a favourite
of the King of England, repaired to France, where,
to give a public proof of his courage, he sent a
challenge to De la Trimouille, who was reputed to
be one of the bravest men at that time in the
kingdom, and who cheerfully accepted the chal-
lenge. But the King interfered, and prohibited
their fighting.
Courtenai departed from the French Court loaded
with presents, and on his arrival at the Count of
St. Pol's residence, who had married the King of
England's sister, he publicly boasted that he had
not been so fortunate as to find any Frenchman
valiant enough to measure swords with him.
The Lord De Clary, though of a diminutive
stature, was so provoked by this arrogance that he
challenged the English knight to fight him. Cour-
tenai was both wounded and vanquished. The
Duke of Burgundy, then regent of the kingdom,
16
History of Duelling.
however, would have had Clary beheaded because
he had combated without the King's permission;
and De Clary, although conqueror, and in the
defence of the nation's honour too, was obliged to
conceal himself until, after much solicitation, the
King was prevailed upon to grant him a pardon.
It was considered that the King should also have
granted titles and a pension to De Clary.
History of Duelling.
17
SECTION V.
If one of the two parties refused proceeding to
combat after it had been ordered, then the
recusant was held not, only attainted, but
convicted.
IN
N the reign of Francis I., De la Perrine
accused his relation, De Vanlai, of a most
execrable vice. Vanlai, fired with indignation at
such a horrid charge, went, accompanied with five
armed men, to the house of La Perrine, and holding
a pistol to his breast, compelled him to give in
writing a retraction of his infamous impeachment.
La Perrine complained to the King of the violent
treatment he had received from Vanlai, and solicited
that a place of combat might be appointed him, that
he might issue his challenge.
On the day appointed for the combat, the King
and all his courtiers were present on scaffolds
erected for that purpose.
La Perrine entered the lists completely armed,
and waited until night for his enemy, who, how-
ever, did not appear.
1
Then La Perrine, bending one knee to the ground,
most dutifully asked the King if he had sufficiently
satisfied the dictates of honour. The King answering
C
18
History of Duelling.
in the affirmative, La Perrine rejoined," Perhaps my
enemy, dreading your royal displeasure, has not dared
to show himself here: condescend then, sire, to let
me go and seek him out of the kingdom, to attack
him wherever he may be found."
The King would not assent to his request, but
declared he had performed as much as the statute-
books required. Then the arms of Vanlai were
taken out of the pavilion which had been prepared
for him, and delivered into the hands of the hang-
man, who dragged them through all the dirt of the
city, broke them, and made the following procla-
mation: "This proves De Vanlai attainted and
onvicted of the criminal charge brought against
him by De la Perrine."
History of Duelling.
19
SECTION VI.
Philip Le Bel prohibited the practice of com-
bating in all matters cognizable only by the
civil law.
THIS monarch's mandate on that head was
couched in the following form: "It is our
royal will and pleasure that if the commission
of an evil deed be notorious, certain, and manifest,
by which is meant manslaughter, treason, or other
nefarious acts (thieving and robbery always ex-
cepted), and of which there remains not the least
doubt, then in all such circumstances the right
of challenging is not to be allowed, because such
crimes are punishable otherwise than by the perils
arising from that custom. Therefore whatever
persons are so infamously situated from circum-
stances leading to the door of truth, must be held
in the same degraded predicament as if the charge
brought against them were averred by the most
uncontrovertible proofs.
"But in all other cases not liable to this objection
the contending parties are to give the most solemn
pledges that they will not depart from the lists with-
out the King's permission, and that according to the
established formulary they proceed thither in this
manner :-
20
History of Duelling.
"The combatants shall set out from their hotels
on horseback, the bever of their helmets down, and
they shall carry all their weapons along with them.
For if they enter into the field of battle with their
bever up, and having their shield or any part of their
weapons carried for them by an assistant, they shall
incur the restriction of fighting in the unprovided
manner in which they have inconsiderately pre-
sented themselves."
But Philip Le Bel softened the rigour of this
injunction by the following edict :—
"It is our will and pleasure that the combatants
may set out from their hotels, they and their horses,
properly caparisoned; that they may have their
bevers up, that they also may have their shields,
swords, and every other weapon, carried before them.
"Moreover, to give a proof of their being true
Christians, on setting out from their hotels, they
shall make the sign of the cross on themselves with
their right hands. A representation of the cross
must appear on their banners, whereon likewise must
be painted the images of our Saviour, of the holy
Virgin, of the angels, and of those saints, male or
female, to whom they pay a particular devotion.
With these colours or banners they shall frequently
cross themselves until they alight and repair to the
pavilions or tents prepared for their use."
History of Duelling.
2I
SECTION VII.
The canons of Duelling.
THE
HE challenger was obliged to appear in the
lists before midday, and the challenged before
three in the afternoon. He who did not present
himself according to the time appointed incurred
the charge of conviction, unless the judges present
decreed otherwise.
The herald-at-arms proceeded on horseback to the
door of the lists, summoned the challenger to appear
before him, and then ordered the challenged to pre-
sent himself, when he thus addressed them :-
"Now listen, gentlemen, and all here present
attend, to what our king commands should be strictly
observed on these solemn occasions.
"I. It is forbidden all persons whatsoever, except-
ing those who are appointed guards of the lists, on
the penalty of forfeiting life and fortune, to be
armed.
"II. It is forbidden to appear on horseback; to
gentlemen, on the penalty of losing the horse; to
plebeians, under that of losing an ear.
"III. It is forbidden to all persons whatsoever,
excepting those especially appointed, to obtrude
ㄴ
​22
History of Duelling.
themselves into the lists, on the penalty of losing life
and fortune.
"IV. It is forbidden to sit on any bench, form,
or even on the ground, on the penalty of losing
a hand.
"V. It is forbidden to cough, spit, speak, or make
any sign whatsoever on pain of death."
After the recital of these prohibitions, the combat-
ants were to swear that they had no charms or witch-
craft about them.
On a pillar erected before the scaffold, where the
judges sat, stood a cross, on which, and the form
of prayer that began with Te Igitur, the combatants
solemnly swore they had said nothing but the truth.
According to the established canon of duelling, the
lists were forty feet wide and four-and-twenty long.
The list-marshal, who was honoured with the con-
duct of all matters relating thereto, gave the signal
for the combatants to charge by throwing a glove.
If, during the contest, either of them went out of
the lists, his defeat was declared.
The heralds-at-arms houghed or hamstrung the un-
fortunate vanquished, whether alive or dead, stript
them of their armour, left them naked upon the ground,
scattered their weapons about the lists, and left their
bodies stretched upon the ground until the sovereign's
0
ion
History of Duelling.
23
orders were given in what manner they should be dis-
posed of.
All the possessions of the foiled hero fell by for-
feiture to the King.
The list-martial's share of the vanquished party's
spoils extended no farther than to his arms, which he
claimed by right.
[It is to be regretted that the erudite and circum-
spect M. Coustard de Massi has not directly stated
that these special combats were on foot; at any rate,
we cannot understand how there could be any
adequate space for combatants charging on horse-
back in lists only twenty-four feet long by forty
in width.-ED.]
24
History of Duelling.
SECTION VIII.
An extraordinary instance of a duel between two
ignoble persons, or burgesses.
THE
HE Counts of Hainault had granted to the inhabi-
tants of Valenciennes the privilege of not being
prosecuted when they had killed a man fairly, and
without any suspicion of foul play. Hence it became
customary among plebeian combatants to sue for the
freedom of that city, declaring they would maintain
with shield and quarter-staff that their man was
killed fairly.
A burgess of Valenciennes named Mahuot, having
killed the relation of another called Jacotin Plouvier,
the latter accused the former of having assassinated
his kinsman. A trial by combat, such as was
practised among people of that rank, was ordered.
The inclosed list was made circular, and there was
only one way of coming into it. Two chairs covered
with black were placed opposite to each other, where-
in the challenger and the challenged were to sit until
the signal for combat was given. The mass-book
being brought to them, they swore by it that all they
had uttered was true.
Their whimsical dress consisted of boiled leather
very tightly sewed all over their bodies. They were
History of Duelling.
25
bare-footed, and had their heads shaved. The nails
of their hands and feet were closely pared, that they
might make no offensive grappling with them. They
carried the points of their shields upwards, the nobility
alone being allowed to carry them downwards.
Each combatant was furnished with a large stick or
quarter-staff of the same dimensions. Two basins full
of grease were brought to them that they might anoint
their bodies, and two basins full of ashes were after-
wards placed before them to take the grease off their
hands; a piece of sugar was given to each in order to
keep the parties in wind during the conflict.
They had the honour of fighting in the presence of
Philip Duke of Burgundy. At the onset they exchanged
several violent blows with the quarter-staff. Mahuot,
being less robust than his antagonist, had recourse to
artifice he stooped and took up some sand, which
he threw into Jacotin's eyes, and at the same time
wounded him in the forehead. Jacotin, however,
having got fast hold of Mahuot, flung him on the
ground, jumped upon his body, thrust out both his
eyes with a bodkin, and then dispatched him with a
violent blow of his own quarter-staff on his skull.
26
History of Duelling.
SECTION IX.
Montesquieu's ingenious discovery.
THE celebrated author of the "Spirit of Laws"
thinks that from the institutions and ordinances
relating to duels he can lineally deduce the origin
of the modern point of honour in those offensive acts
which are looked upon to be the most irritative and
stinging causes for a manly resentment, or an incur-
ring of the charge of cowardice by suffering them to
pass with impunity; and thus explains himself on
this subject:-
"If an accuser began by declaring before a judge
that such a person had committed such an action, and
that the impleaded had given him the lie, the judge
gave
his order for a duel. Hence arose the custom
that whenever a man received the lie, he was obliged
to challenge the offender to combat with him for
having dared to offer him that gross affront.
"When a person had declared himself both willing
and ready to combat, he could not evade it after-
wards, if he even attempted it, and he incurred the
penalty annexed to such a recreancy. Hence the
custom was established that when a man had once
given his hand (sic), the law of honour forbade
his receding from it.
History of Duelling.
27
"Gentlemen encountered each other on horse-
back and with arms: plebeians fought on foot, and
with a stick or quarter-staff. Hence a stick is con-
sidered as a disgraceful weapon, because whoever
had been beaten with it was looked upon to have
been treated as a plebeian.
"Plebeians, only, fought with their faces uncovered,
and were therefore alone liable to receive blows on
the face, and to have it disfigured. Hence it has
followed, that a blow given on that part can only be
washed away with the blood of the offender, be-
cause he who had received it was treated like a
plebeian."
28
History of Duelling.
SECTION X.
A national duel between French and English
nobility.
THE
HE unaccountable and almost fanatical rage
for deeds of chivalry with which Europe
was infested gave birth to new causes of duelling
almost every day. Sometimes for no other motive
than if one gentleman having declared the lady he
admired to be the most accomplished of her sex,
another should refuse his assent, the immediate
consequence was a cartel, or challenge. Nay, so
restless was this passion of combating in those
actuated by it, as frequently to impel them to
publish a general challenge to the bravest knights
of another nation, as appears by the following
narrative :-
In the reign of King John II., Richard Brembro,
an English officer, who commanded the garrison
of Ploermel (being resolved to have satisfaction
for his friend, Thomas Dagorne, who had been
killed before Aurai), ravaged the country, and
massacred all those who were so unhappy as to fall
into his hands.
Beaumanoir, who was then at Joffelin, solicited an
History of Duelling.
29
interview with Brembro, and represented to him the
disgrace of a military gentleman's making war in
such an infamous manner, and that a brave man
should choose only people carrying arms, for the
objects of his resentment.
Brembro, nettled at these remonstrances, treated
Beaumanoir with contempt, and affected to despise
both him and the natives of Brittany his countrymen.
The Frenchman retorting with equal contempt both
on him and his fellow-subjects, this verbal dispute
ended in their reciprocally giving a national chal-
lenge, each to be seconded by thirty gentlemen.
The place of meeting was appointed between
Ploermel and Joffelin.
The champions chosen by Beaumanoir were De
Tinteniac, Charruel, De St. Yvon, Artel, Rousselet,
knights; De Montauban, De Prestivian, De Beau-
mont, Fardel, Hatteral, De Rochefort, De Ragueren,
De Bodeget, Du Bois, two De Kaerenvais, De la
Roche, De Beaucorps, De Sexens, De Trezuiguidi,
the two D'Entraguys, De la Lande, De Monteville,
Richard, Poulard, Goyon, De Pontblanc, Du Parc,
all gentlemen.
Those selected by Brembro were Robert Knolle,
Croquart, Hervey de Lexvalen, John Pleasanton,
Richard le Gaillard, Hugh his brother, Taillard,
30
History of Duelling.
Repefort, Richard de la Lande, Billefort, Hucheton,
Clervaban, Gautier, Lallemant, Jeannetin De Game-
houp, Hannequin Hermart, Jeannequin le Marechal,
Thomelin Holethon, Hugh de Caverlay, Knolles,
Robinet, Malipas, Yfray, John Troussel, three others
names unknown, besides four knights, of Brittany,
Perrin de Camaleon, John le Gaillard, Raoule Prevot,
and Dardaine; yet even with this assistance, Brembro
being unable to complete his number of gentlemen,
he was reduced to the necessity of taking in a soldier
named Hulbitée.
All the nobility residing in the neighbouring dis-
tricts were invited, with passports of safety, to be
present at the combat.
Brembro and Beaumanoir drew up their friends in
two lines, and harangued them. Brembro told the
English that he had a prophecy of Merlin in his
favour, which assured him of victory.
Then detaching himself from the corps of his
party, he advanced to the middle of the field of
battle, and addressing himself to Beaumanoir, said
that he thought it would be proper to defer the fight
till they should have received from their respective
sovereigns a permission to combat.
Beaumanoir answered that since the parties were
assembled, and in arms, let the contest of the day
History of Duelling.
3!
be for "asserting the superior charms of the ladies
they admired."
Both parties rushed upon one another with amaz-
ing impetuosity, each person making use of what
arms he pleased. Billefort fought with a leaden
mallet weighing twenty-five pounds; and Hucheton
laid about him with a large kind of bill-hook that
cut on both sides.
At first, Beaumanoir's friends had the worst of the
fray; they lost several of their gentlemen, who were
either slain or taken prisoners. The two parties
being quite exhausted with fatigue, through mutual
agreement retired for a while to take breath and
some refreshment. After this they charged anew,
and with an increasing ferocity.
Brembro seizing Beaumanoir by the body, Allain
Kaerenvais instantly felled Brembro to the ground
with the thrust of a lance, which he had discharged
full in his face; and Dubois, having without any loss.
of time run his sword through Brembro's body in
the place where there was an opening in his cuirass,
cut off his head.
The death of this valorous chieftain spread a
general consternation among his partizans, which
Rousselet and Bodeget (prisoners) took advantage of,
and escaped back to their corps.
32
History of Duelling.
Then Croquart, perceiving the great confusion
his party was in, said, "Come, my brave country-
men, let us pay no regard to Merlin's prophecy;
let our sole reliance this day be upon our own
courage: therefore stick close to each other, and copy
the example I shall show you."
The English combatants, animated by his words,
acted according to his directions.
Beaumanoir, on the other side, being severely
wounded and very much exhausted, called out for
some drink, when Du Bois said, "Beaumanoir, drink
your own blood, and that will quench your thirst.”
Provoked by this reply, Beaumanoir charged with
fresh courage; but De Montauban, perceiving that
the English kept their ranks so close together that
it was impossible to break them, mounted on horse-
back, took his lance in his hand and removed to
some distance from the scene of action.
Beaumanoir, on seeing this movement, thought he
was running away, and cried out to him, "Ah, false
recreant, and unworthy of the name of gentleman
bearing arms! whither do you fly? Mean you basely
to forsake us? It will be a shameful reproach to you
and your family through all posterity."
Montauban, turning to him, replied, "Do you per-
form your part well; depend upon it, I shall do my
duty."
History of Duelling.
33
On saying these words he set spurs to his horse
and drove him with all possible impetuosity against
the English corps, which he broke, and bore down
eight of them to the ground.
Beaumanoir's partizans forced their way immedi-
ately through the English ranks, cut several of their
opponents to pieces, and made the rest prisoners.
Of the latter number were the valiant Croquart and
Billefort.
The prize of heroism for that bloody day's achieve-
ments was on the side of the English adjudged to
Croquart, and on the French to De Tinteniac. But
it is quite evident that there were many most heroic
gentlemen on both sides.
D
34
History of Duelling.
SECTION XI.
Other striking instances of the same romantic phrenzy.
Ν
IN the reign of Charles
VI. seven English
knights-namely, the Lord of Scales, Amyon
Cloyes, John Heron, Richard Witevale, John Fleury,
Thomas Trays, and Robert de Scales, came into
Saintonge, and there published a challenge to fight
any seven French knights,-in honour of the
superior charms of the ladies whom they admired.
The names of those who accepted the challenge
were Arnaud Guillon Lord of Barbazan, William du
Chatel, Archambaud de Villars, Colinet de Brabant,
William Bataille, Carovis, and Champagne.
The challenged heard mass, and received the
sacrament before they proceeded to action.
The combatants on both sides were completely
armed and mounted on excellent horses. The Se-
nescal de Saintonge was appointed to preside at this
national contest. The herald at arms having given
the signal, and proclaimed that every one should do
his duty, the two parties rushed with such impe-
tuosity against each other that they broke their
lances, and continued the fight with battle-axes.
History of Duelling.
35
The English entertained an opinion that if they
could prove so fortunate as to vanquish William du
Chatel, they should certainly conquer his party. On
that fatal supposition two of them employed all their
efforts to subdue him, and consequently left one
French gentleman, D'Archambaud, without an an-
tagonist. D'Archambaud attacked Robert de Scales,
who for some time had been closely engaged with
Carovis, and having laid him dead on the ground
with one blow, he ran to the assistance of Du Chatel.
Champagne laid his English adversary prostrate,
who was obliged to yield up his arms to him.
Bataille was felled by his antagonist to the ground,
but received immediate. help from his friends.
Victory declared for the French.
In the reign of the same monarch three Portuguese
knights-errant came to Paris and published a chal-
lenge of combat to all who would not acknowledge
that the ladies whom they admired were the most
beautiful women in the world.
Three gentlemen of Gascony,-Francis Grigneux,
Archambaud de la Roque, and Maurignon, accepted
their challenge, and in the appointed place of
combat, both parties having first broken their lances,
continued to fight as the before-mentioned combat-
ants had done.
36
History of Duelling.
The Portuguese who engaged with La Roque
levelled such a violent blow at his head, that having
forced the head-piece to give way, his weapon be-
came entangled in it, which he by stooping made a
vigorous effort to disengage; but La Roque drawing
suddenly back, the Portuguese fell on the ground,
his head dragging the rest of the body after it.
Whereupon La Roque discharged two such well-
aimed strokes on his head as quite stunned him;
then raising up the bever of his helmet, he levelled
the point of his sword at his antagonist's eyes, and
thus compelled him to acknowledge himself van-
quished.
La Roque next flew to the assistance of Maurignon,
and gave his Portuguese adversary such a vigorous
blow that it made him stagger; this being followed
by another violent blow from Maurignon, brought
their antagonist to the ground, and compelled him to
confess himself vanquished. Then they both ran to
assist Grigneux, whose left hand had been pierced
through and through; but the Portuguese, who
perceived them coming, said he yielded to the three.
pada
History of Duelling.
37
SECTION XII.
An adventure of that most renowned hero of chivalry,
Bayard.
THE annals of French chivalry cannot produce a
greater or more respectable name than that of
Bayard, surnamed the Fearless and Irreproachable
Knight.
In the war against Naples, under Lewis XII., King
of France, this Chevalier Bayard, in a military ren-
counter, made a celebrated Spanish chevalier, named
Alonzo de St. Major, his prisoner.
Bayard did not keep him closely confined, but
left him at large in a castle, upon his parole of
honour. The Spaniard ungratefully escaped from
the district assigned him, but was soon retaken, and
brought back to Bayard, who then ordered him to be
confined closely in a tower until he should have paid
his ransom.
Don Alonzo, upon his return home, complained
that Bayard had treated him in a manner unworthy
of a knight. As soon as Bayard was made acquainted
with Don Alonzo's charge, he sent him a challenge,
which was accepted.
38
History of Duelling.
Don Alonzo, conscious of Bayard's being an excel-
lent horseman, as well as of his own bad state of
health, in consequence of continued fevers with
which he had been afflicted for a long time, resolved
to fight with him on foot.
Before they engaged, the Chevalier Bayard kneeled
down, offered up a short prayer to God, kissed the
earth, and then marched up with an air of in-
dignant determination to Don Alonzo, whom he
wounded first in the face, and, with a second blow,
he made a deep wound in his neck.
Don Alonzo, finding himself mortally wounded,
strove, with a last desperate effort, to throw himself
upon Bayard, and seize him by the body. They
both fell down together. Bayard threatened Alonzo's
eye with his poniard, crying out to him to yield;
but, alas! the vanquished Alonzo was already dead.
History of Duelling.
39
SECTION XIII.
The first royal prohibition against Duelling.
KING HENRY II. was the first French monarch
who declared against the barbarous practice
of duelling; and on account of the death of his
favourite, he published an edict to that purpose.
Francis de Vivonne de la Chataigneraie having
reported that Guy Chabot de Jarnac told him in
confidence that he had lain with his mother-in-law,
Jarnac gave the lie to De la Chataigneraie, and sup-
plicated the King to order a trial by combat to the
last rigour; which request being granted, the place
appointed for their duel was the square of the castle
of St. Germain en Laye, before the whole Court.
Previous to the combat, while they were in their
tents, Jarnac sent to De la Chataigneraie by his
squire the arms with which he purposed to decide
the quarrel, leaving it to him to make choice of such
as he should please.
The weapons sent on this occasion were a sword,
a helmet, a corslet, a vambrace* (but which had no
spring to play) for the left arm, with two poniards.
As the person sent by Jarnac was putting the
* A piece of armour for defending the arm.
40
History of Duelling.
vambrace on De la Chataigneraie's arm, he cried out,
"that he hurt him, and that he would make him
repent it." To this threat the other replied, "that
he would not be at all afraid to meet him when he
had finished the affair with his master." De la
Chataigneraie's squire put on Jarnac's armour.
The signal for combat being given, De la Chataig-
neraie marched in a furious manner up to Jarnac, who
advanced to meet him with a composed steadiness.
Then Captain Caize, an Italian, who had instructed
Jarnac in the use of arms, and in a particular
manner, that he might come off triumphant from
this engagement, was heard to say, "that one of the
parties would soon lie disabled on the field."
After they had made some passes with their
swords at each other, Jarnac made a feint on the
outside of De la Chataigneraie's right leg, which
then stood forward; and as the latter was going to
parry the seemingly menaced blow, Jarnac quickly
changed his intention, and returning with his sword
to the inside of De la Chataigneraie's leg, cut the
sinews, ham-strung and threw him on the ground;
then bending one knee before the King, he said,
Sire, have I done enough to clear my honour ?"
The King ordered the high constable to be called, to
have his opinion of the affair.
<<
History of Duelling.
4I
In the meantime De la Chataigneraie had raised
himself up on his left knee; whereupon Jarnac
advanced in order to dispatch him; but, on the
King's throwing down his royal staff, the combat
ended. Jarnac carried off his adversary's sword.
The surgeon had no sooner put a first dressing
on De la Chataigneraie's wound than he tore it off;
and pride not suffering him to survive his defeat, he
died soon after. He had too vainly relied upon his
great dexterity in wrestling; and that on the first
hold he could get of Jarnac, his easy fall must be
the consequence; but the other, aware of this danger,
had foully sent him a vambrace that did not play
freely, and thereby deprived him of the proper use
of his left arm.
Chataigneraie had been so confident of success
that he had invited above one hundred and fifty
courtiers to sup with him that night. Jarnac had
his defeated adversary's arms hung up as trophies
of his victory in the church of Notre Dame.
The royal prohibition against duelling, occasioned
by De la Chataigneraie's overthrow and unhappy
end, was but little regarded in the following reign of
Henry III., who was present at the combat
between Captain De Luynes and Captain Panier.
The latter, who was an exempt in a company of
42
History of Duelling.
Scotch Guards, accused Honrius d'Albert, Lord of
Luynes, and father of the grand constable, of having
been a party in the conspiracy of De la Molle, his
cousin. They fought in the wood of Vincennes.
De Luynes killed Panier. This duel, however, was
the last which any French king honoured with his
presence.
[It would seem that the previous king (Henry II.)
had never been made aware of Jarnac's foul trick of
the vambrace, which "had no spring to play."-ED.]
History of Duelling.
43
SECTION XIV.
T¹
From the prohibition Duels became more frequent.
HROUGH an unaccountable propensity in
human nature to act in direct opposition to
what is forbidden, the spirit of duelling extended
itself in proportion as the royal authority had
declared against it.
It had been hitherto the practice to permit trials
by combat only upon serious occasions; and they
who challenged to combat without the sovereign's
permission were declared guilty of high treason.
But from the date of this prohibition against duelling
every person assumed the power of judging in his
own cause. Wherefore, a truly courageous man,
not seeing where he could fix the boundary, through
a false delicacy, declined doing it, and chose rather
to proceed to unwarrantable extremes than that any
moderation on this subject in his manner of thinking
should start the least doubt concerning his courage.
Quelus, a favourite of King Henry III., told
D'Entragues, in a joke, "that he was a blockhead.”
D'Entragues, with a smile, said, "that he lied."
They fixed on the Place Royale for the scene of
action. The seconds of Quelus were Maugiron, a
44
History of Duelling.
favourite also of the King, and Livarot. Those of
D'Entragues were Biberac and Schomberg.
As soon as they were come to the place of
rendezvous, Biberac said to Maugiron, "We ought
to accommodate this matter between these two
gentlemen." Maugiron replied, "that he was not
come thither for such a peaceable purpose; but that
his intention was to fight." "And with whom would
you fight?" said Biberac; "are we not all your
friends?" Why, with you," answered Maugiron.
With me!" rejoined Biberac, "then be it so; but
let us pray to God first."
He then drew his sword which he laid cross-wise
with his poniard, and kneeling, offered up a short
prayer to the Deity. The impatient Maugiron
impiously swore that he prayed too long.
Biberac sprang up from the ground, attacked Maugi-
ron with great impetuosity, and soon ran his sword
through the unprovoked aggressor's body, who, as he
fell, held out his sword in an extended direction
before him; which Biberac not perceiving precipitately
ran upon it. They expired together.
CC
D'Entragues had only one slight wound, and
Quelus nineteen, of which he died a month after.
D'Entragues had a dagger besides his sword; Quelus
had none. As they were beginning their attack,
History of Duelling.
45
Quelus observed to him, "You have a dagger and I
have not; " to which he replied, "You have done an idle
thing in leaving it at home. Are we not met to fight
seriously, and not for an ostentatious tilting-match?"
Quelus' hands were cut and mangled by his endea-
vours to parry D'Entragues' repeated blows.
"What
are we todo? "said Schomberg to Livarot. "Why, fight
as well as the others," he replied; and without further
preamble, cut him down the cheek; but was himself
the very same instant, struck dead by a blow on the
breast. This is the first instance of seconds fighting:
previously, they attended only as witnesses, to see that
everything was carried on in a fair and honourable
manner.
During the siege of Paris by Henry III., De Lisle
Marivaut, a gentleman attached to the royal party,
proposed to Marolles, a gentleman of the opposite side
(or the League), to have the pleasure of breaking a
lance with him; which proposal being agreed to, they
fought in the view of both parties. They charged on
horseback and broke both their lances; Marivaut his
on the cuirass of De Marolles, and the latter in the
grate-work of Marivaut's helmet; and the broken-off
end, with its iron point, being left in his eye, he
expired immediately. Marolles carried off his arms
and horse in triumph.
46
History of Duelling.
SECTION XV.
WHEN
The state of Duelling in the reign of Henry IV.
HEN Henry IV. besieged Paris, one Fossé, on
the side of the League, sent a challenge to
St. Just, a gentleman serving in the king's army, whom
he accused of having spoken disrespectfully of his
father. They fought on horseback with swords in the
view of both armies.
St. Just, who had a very mettlesome horse, advanced
towards Fossé with his sword raised high, who cau-
tiously covered himself with his. St. Just's horse
springing forward at the very moment he meant to
discharge a violent blow on his antagonist, his hand
lighted on Fosse's sword, and was cut in such a
manner as to disable him, and make him drop his own.
Then Fossé attacked him, thrust his sword through
St. Just's body, and killed him.
When Henry IV. was firmly seated on the throne
of France, he published a second prohibitory edict
against duelling; yet some time after indulged the
brave Crequi with a secret permission to fight Don
Philip the Bastard, of Savoy.
In the war carried on by the French against Savoy,
History of Duelling.
47
Lesdiguieres reduced the fort of Chamousser, whence
Don Philip made his escape by swimming. In the
hurry of his flight he left his scarf behind him, by
the water's side, which was brought to Crequi, son-in-
law of Lesdiguieres, first Camp-marshal of the army.
A trumpet from the enemy being sent to the French
army to inquire about the health and situation of the
Baron de Chanvirai, Crequi showed the scarf to him,
and desired him to carry it to Don Philip, and if it
proved to be his, to return it to him.
Don Philip sent no answer. But it happening soon
after that both armies came in view of each other, a
proposal was made from him to Crequi to fight with
sword and pistol for the love and honour of their
ladies! Crequi accepted the challenge, but the Duke
of Savoy absolutely forbade Don Philip to combat
with him.
Crequi was taken prisoner. Whilst he was
deprived of liberty, Don Philip never threw out a
single expression alluding to what had passed; but
the moment Crequi had obtained his freedom, he
sent him a new defiance. They fought near
Grenoble with sword and poniard. Don Philip, on
receiving a wound in his body, said he was satis-
fied. Crequi carried off his arms, according to their
agreement.
48
History of Duelling.
The Duke of Savoy was much incensed on hearing
that Don Philip had been defeated, and that Crequi
boasted of his having drawn the blood of Savoy; he
therefore declared that he would never see Don
Philip until he should have received ample satisfac-
tion. King Henry IV. is reported to have dispatched
a secret permission to Crequi to fight the Bastard of
Savoy, accompanied with this encouraging compli-
ment, that if he were not "king, he would chear-
fully offer himself to be his second."
The place appointed for this rencounter was in the
territory of Savoy, near St. Andrew's. They had
agreed that there should be only two seconds, one
on each side; D'Attignac for Don Philip, and La
Buiffe for Crequi. It was also agreed that the
seconds should not fight; and that they should not
separate the combatants, because it was determined
that one of them must die.
They fought on foot in their shirts, with sword
and poniard. Don Philip rushed like a desperado
against Crequi, who, after having parried several
thrusts, wounded him in three places with his
sword, and in two more with his poniard, one
of which being quite through his body, he fell to
the ground. Crequi threw himself upon Don Philip
and bade him ask his life, which he would by no
History of Duelling.
49
means consent to do. D'Attignac immediately cried
out to Crequi, that he asked it for him; which the
victor readily granted, and getting from off his body,
took him under one arm, as La Buiffe did under the
other, to raise him. But Don Philip being mortally
wounded, they found it impracticable, and therefore
retired. Don Philip expired a few minutes after.
The royal edicts against duelling only served as
additional incentives to the practice.
F
50
History of Duelling.
SECTION XVI.
Lewis XIII. publishes a third edict against Duelling.
THE
HE unhappy affair which had happened to
Baron de Luz was the cause of this third
prohibition. He boasted that he had been present
at the council of Blois, in which the murder of the
Duke of Guise was projected. That duke's son, the
Chevalier de Guise, riding on horseback through the
street of St. Honoré, chanced to meet the Baron de
Luz, who was on foot. The young chevalier alighted,
forced the baron to draw, and soon killed him by a
violent thrust of his sword quite through the body.
The French Queen, Mary de Medicis, sent her
orders to Parliament that a process at law, pursuant
to the edicts against duelling, should be commenced
against the Chevalier de Guise, who, in order to
shelter himself from the effects of such a prosecution,
went over to the party of the Prince of Condé.
The Queen, being greatly alarmed at such an
union, obliged the Parliament to suspend taking any
further informations relative to that affair, and,
at the same time, made very advantageous offers to
young De Guise, who accepted them, and renounced
the Prince of Condé's party.
History of Duelling.
SI
The son of the late Baron de Luz sent a challenge
to the Chevalier de Guise, flattering himself with
the hope of avenging his father's death. They fought
on horseback with their swords. Chevalier de Guise
was wounded in the shoulder; but De Luz fell the
victim of three wounds in his body. The Queen,
who found it her political interest to keep well with
young De Guise, sent to inquire "the state of his
health," after this combat with De Luz!
The passion, or rather rage of duelling was carried
to its highest pitch in Lewis XIII.'s reign. When
acquaintances met, the usual inquiry was not then,
as now, "What is the news of the day?"-but
"Who fought yesterday?"
Francis de Montmorency, Count de Botteville,
was the most renowned duellist of that time. All
the then acknowledged brave fellows used to as-
semble at his house, in order to practise the use of
arms, and to keep each other in proper wind, training,
and discipline.
This tremendous Botteville had several times
obtained his pardon from the King, but was bade
to expect it no more. Notwithstanding, he fought
La Frete between Poissy and St. Germain en Laye.
De Botteville's second was killed by Domville, La
Frete's second.
52
History of Duelling.
After this encounter, on being informed that
people were employed in pursuit of him, in order
to seize and bring him to justice, he escaped to
Flanders, whither he took along with him the Count
de Rosmadec des Chapelles, his cousin.
The Marquis de Beuvron had repaired, at the
same time, to Brussels, with Chocquet, his trusty
squire, in order to be revenged on Botteville for the
loss of his much-valued friend, the Count de Tongri,
who had been killed by him. But they were both
put under arrest on their arrival there, and, through
the means of a friendly intermediation, were soon
reconciled.
The Arch-duchess of Flanders petitioned the King
of France for Botteville's pardon, which he peremp-
torily refused. This so provoked Botteville as to
make him declare, and in the hearing of many,—
"I will go to Paris, and fight there, even in the Place
Royale."
He kept his word. He went to Paris, and
caused proper intimation thereof to be given to
Beuvron. They agreed to fight in the Place Royale,
at two o'clock in the afternoon. Botteville's two
seconds were Des Chapelles and La Berthe; those
of Beuvron, the Marquis de Bussi d'Amboise, his
son-in-law, and Chocquet.
History of Duelling.
53
They fought with sword and poniard. Botteville
and Beuvron made a pass at, but missed, each other,
and next came to a mutual grappling by the collar.
They threw their swords on the ground, and held their
poniards levelled at each other, without striking.
Botteville said to Beuvron, "Let us go and separate
our seconds." They became once more reconciled.
Des Chapelles had laid Bussi prostrate on the
ground by a wound made with his sword in the other's
vena cava. La Berthe was dangerously wounded.
The King, filled with the utmost indignation at
such a daring and disrespectful act as this combat
really was, ordered two hundred of the French guards,
a company of Swiss guards, with all the archers belong-
ing to the Guêt and Marechaussée, and others of lesser
note, to march to Percy, where Botteville's house was,
and to take him prisoner. But they did not find him
there. Beuvron had fled to England, accompanied by
Chocquet.
The President De Meme's lady, and mother of Bussi,
dispatched two gentlemen into Champagne, to take
possession of her son's property in lands, &c. On
their way thither, as they passed through Vitry le
Brule, they got intelligence that Botteville was lodged
there in a public-house, along with Des Chapelles.
Upon this information, they had the Marechaussée
54
History of Duelling.
summoned, and took the two delinquents in their
chambers.
As soon as the King was informed of this event, he
sent Faverolles, an ensign of his body-guard, at the
head of sixty chevaux légers, sixty gens-d'armes, and
two hundred of his own guard, to conduct them to
Paris. They were then tried according to law, and
beheaded. This rigorous example made the abettors
of a most savage custom less fond of encouraging
it in themselves and others.
History of Duelling.
55
”
SECTION XVII.
A remarkable Duel in the minority of Lewis XIV.
notwithstanding the prohibitory edicts of the pre-
ceding reigns.
IN the minority of that great monarch, the Dukes
of Beaufort and de Nemours, although united by
interest against the Cardinal Mazarine, had, notwith-
standing, their particular views. The Duke of Beau-
fort was attached to the Duke of Orleans, and the
Duke de Nemours to the Prince of Condé.
S
Mademoiselle de Montpensier had assembled at
Orleans all the principal officers of the army, in order
to determine what route the troops should take.
The Duke de Beaufort advised that they should
continue near Paris; but the Duke de Nemours re-
commended their marching to Guienne, to strengthen
the Prince of Condé's party. The contest became very
warm; whereupon the Duke de Nemours said, "that
since the Prince of Condé was to be thus deserted, it
was necessary for him to quit the cause, because he
had been deceived; but he knew upon whom to lay
the blame."
The Duke de Beaufort, who thought himself to be
the person pointed at, asked him to tell whom he
alluded to.
"
Why, you," replied de Nemours,
56
History of Duelling.
upon which Beaufort struck him on the face. After
having exchanged several blows with their fists, they
drew their swords, and made several passes at each
other without hitting; but some of the by-standers
rushed in between and separated them.
From motives of respect to Mademoiselle de
Montpensier, the Duke de Nemours affected to be
reconciled to Beaufort, who, as soon as he was re-
covered from his passion, asked Nemours' pardon
with tears in his eyes. They appeared afterwards to
live on very good terms, until their return to Paris,
where, in the council, they had a new dispute about
precedency.
The Duke de Beaufort maintained his pretensions
with all the gentleness imaginable: but the Duke de
Nemours, who still entertained a rankling malice at
his heart on account of what had happened at
Orleans, being resolved on a duel with Beaufort,
sent him a challenge.
They fought in the horse-market, five against
five. The seconds of the Duke de Nemours were
the Marquis de Villars, le Chevalier de la Chaise,
D'Uzerches, and Compan; those of the Duke de
Beaufort were D'Henricourt, De Ris, Buri, and
Brillet. The Duke de Nemours brought pistols along
with him, which he had charged himself.
History of Duelling.
57
The Duke de Beaufort said, as they were standing
in presence of each other, "Ah! my dear brother,
what a shameful proceeding is this we are going
upon? Let us forget what is past, and be hence-
forward friends, I conjure you." To this kindly
entreaty the Duke de Nemours brutally replied,
No, villain! I must either kill you, or you kill me."
These words were scarce spoken when he fired his
pistol. He missed the Duke of Beaufort; then im-
mediately drew his sword to charge him; but
Beaufort fired three balls into his adversary's stomach,
who dropped down dead in a moment.
(C
The Marquis de Villars killed D'Henricourt; and
D'Uzerches slew De Ris. The others were only
slightly wounded. The Duke de Nemours was
brother-in-law to the Duke of Beaufort.
Lewis XIV. caused several edicts to be published
against duelling, but could never extirpate this noble
jealousy about the point of honour, which makes a
man to be looked on as degraded, and in a dis-
honourable light, if he ever allows an affront to pass
with impunity.
58
History of Duelling.
SECTION XVIII.
Conclusive Reflections on Duelling.
WHAT
HAT a perplexing situation is a brave man
reduced to in consequence of these pro-
hibitory edicts! On one side, he sees the sword of
justice hanging over his head if he should dare to
act in violation of them; and on the other, he hears
the stimulating voice of the point of honour cry
aloud, “It is better to perish a thousand times than
to live dishonoured." What a cruel alternative!-
death or infamy!
I think it would be a misfortune to France if the
custom of duelling was entirely abolished. On a
first and cursory view this opinion may present the
complexion of a paradox, and meet, perhaps, with
very few approvers; but such hath been the fate of
many other truths which have been rejected because
they had not been sufficiently examined.
The word duel excites in alarmed minds the cruel
idea of two persons determined on each other's
destruction for a menace or the lie given. Shedding
the blood of a worthy member of society is the
object we dwell upon, and reject any farther scrutiny
of the cause. Abhorrence and indignation are heard
History of Duelling.
59
from every mouth against a homicidal frenzy that
robs the country of so many brave and valuable
lives.
But they who so violently rail against duelling do
not consider it is to that very source we owe the
origin and hereditary succession of French valour,
found to be so fatal by all the enemies of our
nation. To the effects of duelling we owe the
characteristic politeness for which we are celebrated
throughout Europe, and whence are derived all the
charms of society.
Here some rigid censors may reply,
"Are we
braver than the Greeks and Romans? or can we be
so vain as to think ourselves better judges than they
were of what constitutes true honour? Among the
inhabitants of those illustrious nations the washing
away an injury with the blood of a citizen was
unknown. All disputes among them were termi-
nated by the laws; and the coercive energy of
their voice was obeyed with a reverential awe, even
in the midst of camps and armies."
However specious it may appear, yet the example
of the Greeks and Romans can by no means weaken
the force of my doctrine. I own that from Re-
publican Governments the practice of duelling may
be proscribed, because with them the courage of the
60
History of Duelling.
people is sufficiently fostered by an enthusiastic love
of their country, which powerful incentive alone
can elevate their troops to superior daring, and make
them perform such astonishing acts of valour as
are to be found in the Greek and Roman histories.
But in monarchical states honour is the only
motive for all heroic actions; and from all such
governments, I dare assert, it would be dangerous to
banish the custom of demanding, with death-dealing
weapons, a proper satisfaction, because thence would
gradually be seen to slacken, to a total extinction,
that animating spark of courage which fires men to
become prodigal of their lives, in the midst of all
the perils of war, that they may acquire glory, the
darling passion of their souls.
Experience fully confirms what I have advanced.
The Spaniards, formerly a people of acknow-
ledged fame, are become degenerate since they.
have ceased to cultivate that spirit of chivalry for
which they were formerly so conspicuous. It was
to that spirit they owed their Don Diegos, with all
their other heroes of distinguished reputation, who
made even the Moors tremble; and by unexampled
acts of bravery rescued all the kingdoms of Spain
from the hands of the barbarous African, and made
him find a tomb in that country whither he had
History of Duelling.
61
been attracted by an insatiate lust of war and
plunder.
The present race of our perfumed fops affect to
despise, and treat with contempt those manly times
when the youth of France was trained up in, and
devoted itself to, the use of arms, in order to shine
in tilts and tournaments. The manners of no period
in our history were more gross and shocking than
the present are; studied affectation, insolent airs,
and a refined species of ridicule, are the qualifications
to shine with in this age of pretended politeness.
*
But in the time of uncivilized rudeness, as we are
pleased to term it, all ranks of men were solicitous
how to behave inoffensively to each other, and to
render their assemblies agreeable by an intercourse
of genuine politeness.
The courteous knights in those days were the
devoted servants of the ladies; for every man of
courage respects them, as every coward delights to
insult and treat them with contempt. All the
dexterity and heroism which used to be displayed in
the lists of chivalry were purposely cultivated to
obtain their wished-for suffrages. The fair sex love
the brave, but disdain the coward; wherefore beauty
should always be the reward of courage.
A.D. 1770; date of this translation.
62
History of Duelling.
With what a patriotic regret do I think on the
glorious days of chivalry! O thou my hero by predi-
lection! O Bayard! were you now alive, who is
there would dare to present himself in the lists to
break a lance with you? What a shameful falling
off and degeneracy would you see in the present
youth of France! How different, alas! from that
which under your orders performed such glorious
exploits in the most terrifying fields of danger!
Were you to inquire what are now the employ-
ments of our young nobles and gentry, the immediate
answer would be to show you tapestry and knitting
executed by their military hands (A.D. 1770); and
should you be further desirous of seeing the place
where our young warriors exercise themselves in, you
must be conducted to the opera-house.
Then, fired with indignation, would you cry aloud,
"Sons of France, what is become of that warlike.
spirit which was formerly the characteristic in-
heritance of your predecessors? It was not by arts
like these that they earned crowns of laurel.
Was
it by tamely spinning at Omphale's feet that
Hercules vanquished monsters and won his claim
to immortality?"
In return to so justly merited a reproach, our
fashionable young heroes would attempt to ridicule
History of Duelling.
63
you and your antiquated notions; for which provok-
ing insolence you, in a rage, would throw down your
glove. There it may lie; for none among them are
found bold enough to take up the challenge to a
gallant combat.
Let me turn my eyes which way I will,
I see
nothing but red heels below, high toupees and largely
aspiring curls above, accompanied with the scent of
amber. Alas! I despair of ever seeing a Crillon.
C
[It is much to be regretted that our gallant author
(of the French King's Body-Guard) did not introduce
a few wood-cuts, or etchings, of the fashionable
figures to which he alludes so indignantly.-L. O'T.]
END OF THE FIRST PART.
64
History of Duelling.
PART II.
PRELIMINARY NOTES.
THE
HE materials which form the First Part of this
History of Duelling were furnished by the
Histoire de Duels en France, written by a French
gentleman, serving in a respectable military corps of
the French king's household (Body-Guard), called the
Mousquetaires, and who seems to have been ani-
mated with all the fire, or rather fanaticism, of the
early days of chivalry.
GR
Very few copies of this little, but curious compila-
tion were printed; and those were distributed only
among select friends, because, as the performance
would be considered in France as an effort to revive
a ferocious practice, against which so many rigorous
edicts have been enacted, it might probably subject
the author to a prosecution, especially on account of
his warm panegyric on duelling at the conclusion.
It may not, perhaps, be deemed improper, but
rather display a kind of national emulation, to
introduce immediately after the above French writer's
arguments in behalf of duelling, the collateral as-
History of Duelling.
65
sistance of a very ingenious English author, allowed
to have been one of the most strenuous advocates
that ever drew a pen in the defence of this erroneous
custom. For when we shall have taken a survey
of the most powerful reasonings that have been
urged in maintaining the propriety of this abominable
and unsocial discipline amongst mankind, our process
will be the fairer to overturn, and show the absurdity
thereof, as well as to exhibit it, accompanied with
all its disadvantages to nations, communities, families,
and individuals, in the very odious light which it
deserves. But first, let us hear our admired English
essayist's doctrine on this topic.
* Mandeville.
*
T
66
History of Duelling.
•
SECTION I.
An English advocate for Duelling.
ITHOUT obeying this sentimental influence
of honour-—that is, the spirit of duelling—
there would be no living in a populous nation. It
is the tie of society; and although we are beholden
to our frailties for the chief ingredient of it, there
has been no virtue, at least that I am acquainted
with, which hath proved half so instrumental to the
civilizing of mankind, who, in great societies, would
soon degenerate into cruel villains and treacherous
slaves were honour to be removed from among them.
(C
W
"Yet, in regard to duelling, I pity the unfortunate
whose lot it is to be inevitably exposed to a
perilous encounter; but cannot agree with those
who say that the persons guilty of such daring
exertion proceed by false rules or mistaken notions
of honour, because, as I understand the word,
either there is no honour at all, or it teaches men
to resent injuries and accept challenges. For they
may as well deny that which we see everybody
wear to be the prevailing fashion, as to declare
that demanding and giving satisfaction is against
the laws of true honour.
History of Duelling.
67
"The inconsiderate opponents who rail against
duelling do not reflect on the benefit which society
receives from that fashionable intrepidity. If every
ill-bred fellow might use what language he pleased
with impunity, and continue offensive, because en-
trenched from the fear of being called to an account
for it, then all conversation would be spoiled.
-
"We are informed, indeed, by some grave philo-
sophical folks that the Greeks and Romans, who
were undoubtedly most valiant men, were totally
ignorant of duelling, and never drew their swords
but against an enemy in their country's quarrel.
This is most true; but for that very reason the
kings and princes in Homer gave one another
worse language than our porters and hackney-
coachmen would be able to bear without resent-
ment, and insisting on an immediate satisfaction
being made to them.
"Would the legislature prevent duelling as much
as possible, let nobody be pardoned who shall
offend that way, and let the laws against it be
made as severe as possible; but the practice of it
cannot and should not be entirely abolished. The
rigour of the law will prevent the frequency of it,
by rendering the most resolute and the most
powerful cautious and circumspect in their be-
68
History of Duelling.
haviour, not to wantonly trespass against it; and
consequently that apprehension will polish and
brighten society in general.
« Man is civilized by nothing so irresistibly as by
his fear; for, according to Lord Rochester's oracular
sentiment, If not all, at least most men would
be cowards if they durst.' The dread of being
called to a personal account keeps abundance of
people in awe; and there are now many thousands
of mannerly and well-accomplished gentlemen in
Europe who would have turned out very insolent
and very insupportable coxcombs without so salutary
a curb to keep under restraint their naturally
eruptive petulance.
"Whenever it shall become unfashionable to
demand a manly satisfaction for such injuries
received as the law cannot take hold of, then will
there most certainly be committed twenty times
the mischief that there is now, or else the present
number of constables and other peace-officers must
be increased twenty-fold.*
Although duelling happens but seldom among
us, in comparison of other countries, yet it is, I
own, a calamity to the individuals and families
whom it may immediately affect; but all felicity of
* Precisely what has happened.
6<
History of Duelling.
69
life has its allay, from the very obvious reason
that there can be no perfect happiness in this world.
"Notwithstanding, every rational person must
own that the act of duelling, in itself, is un-
charitable, unsocial, nay, inhuman; yet when we
consider that one year with the other, above thirty
destroy themselves by suicide, and that not half
that number are killed by others in duelling, surely
it can be said of our people that they love their
neighbours better than themselves.
"Is it not somewhat strange that a nation should
grudge to see perhaps half a dozen men sacrificed
in a twelvemonth, to obtain and ensure such in-
valuable blessings as the politeness of manners, the
pleasure of conversation, and the happiness of
company in general; and especially a nation too
that is often so ready, so willing to expose, and
sometimes to lose in war as many thousands in a few
hours, without the least certainty that any future
benefit shall accrue to her from such a loss?
"The most cogent argument that can be urged
against modern honour, and its favourite principle,
the spirit of duelling, is its being so diametrically
opposite to the forgiving meekness of Christianity.
The Gospel commands us to bear injuries with a
resigned patience; honour tells us, if we do not
70
History of Duelling.
resent them in a becoming manner, we are un-
worthy of ranking in society as men.
"Revealed religion commands the faithful to
leave all revenge to God; honour bids persons of
feeling to trust their revenge to nobody but
themselves, even where the courts of law, by the
interfering of justice, might do it for them.
"Christianity, in express and positive terms,
forbids killing; honour rises up in bare-faced
opposition to justify it. Religion prohibits our
shedding blood upon any account whatsoever;
punctilious honour commands and eggs us on to
fight even for trifles. Christianity is founded upon
humility: honour is erected upon pride. I must
leave it to wiser heads than mine to bring about a
reconciliation between them."
History of Duelling.
71
SECTION II.
VOLTAIRE's opinion of this unsocial phrenzy.
THIS
THIS justly celebrated genius in almost every
department of human science and literature
dissents entirely from the two preceding opinions,
and to this purpose expresses himself like a rational
and valuable citizen, in that part of "Le Siècle de
Louis XIV.," where he has an occasion for alluding
to the subject here treated.
"One of the greatest services rendered to France
by that illustrious monarch was by having, through
his own indefatigable care and the coercive energy
of his edicts, totally abolished the pernicious and
execrable custom of duelling.
"Before this royal and paternal exertion in
behalf of the peace and quiet of the subjects
throughout his extensive dominions, that horrid
species of combating had long flourished, even
under the countenance of Parliamentary authority;
nor did the Gallican Church fulminate against it in
the least, but rather, by tacitly acquiescing, seemed
to encourage it.
"The first strenuous efforts to put a stop to
72
History of Duelling.
duelling were attempted in the reign of Henry IV.;
but it nevertheless continued as furious as ever, till
in consequence of the sanguinary and horrible affair
between the De La Fretes and their opposite party,
in the year 1663, when they fought four against
four, all the sensible people of France formed a
wish, in which the sovereign power heartily con-
curred, of seeing such an epidemic pestilence ex-
tinguished, which was in a great measure effectuated
by a royal declaration that no duellist should ever
be pardoned.
-
S
"The salutary rigour observed by never departing
from this so long-wanted royal resolution, among a
people too that valued themselves for being a Chris-
tian and a polished nation, worked, by degrees, a
reformation, till they finally renounced the intestine
hostility of duelling; and this moral example was
soon after adopted by the neighbouring kingdoms,
who had hitherto copied them.
"The desired effect of this savage institution of
duelling with seconds being for ever annihilated in
France, is, that not only in that kingdom, but
throughout the other nations of Europe, there hath
been an hundred times less fighting among fellow-
subjects since than there was in France during
Lewis XIII.'s reign."
History of Duelling.
73
SECTION III.
The new-fangled manner of resenting affronts in France
since the extinction of Duelling with seconds; and
the meaning of the word rencontre explained.
IT
T were to be wished, for the good of society, that
what Monsieur Voltaire hath asserted in the last
paragraph of the preceding section were indisputably
true as to consequences, as well as to the form of
resentment; but upon a careful examination made
relative to the present custom of proving one's self a
man of honour, a doubt may arise of there being
many more lives lost by the new than the old method
of duelling, and for these reasons :—
The old having both a legal authority and the royal
sanction, all combatants then prided themselves in
having their perilous adventures and victorious
achievements proclaimed to all the world: for people
fought in those times as much to have it known
that they did so, as to internally satisfy themselves
for any injury they had received. But it is quite
otherwise in the new mode of duelling, because every
caution is taken to prevent any suspicion of a ren-
contre's having been the consequence of an affront
previously given; and it must appear to be an
accidental event to avoid all rigorous prosecution
from the law.
74
History of Duelling.
To set matters in a proper light for such readers as
are not acquainted with the customs of France, it
will not be amiss, but rather very proper and neces-
sary, to explain what is there understood by the word
rencontre, in contradistinction to duelling.
In Duelling not only one, two, or three, but uu-
merous seconds on both sides were often summoned
not merely as spectators, but to be acting parties, and
it has frequently happened that when, on either side,
by any unforeseen accident, one of the stipulated
number was wanted, a courier has been dispatched
in quest of the first gentleman that could be got, to
hasten and be a partaker in a combat of honour,
which no person of that rank could refuse; so that
those who rose up peacefully in the morning, without
being embroiled in any dispute or quarrel whatso-
ever, could not answer for their not being a partici-
pator of some troublesome affair before night.
The last remarkable instance of this kind in that
kingdom was the servant of a duellist-man of family
who wanted one of his number, galloping through the
streets of Paris, and crying aloud for the first French
gentleman he chanced to meet instantly to mount
the horse he was on, and ride away to the field of
battle to which he should direct him. The first
gentleman he met acted accordingly, this being a
History of Duelling.
75
duty which all persons of that denomination held
indispensable, as, in a like difficulty, they were to
hope for a similar assistance.
But since the era of rencontres, no second can
possibly attend without exposing all the parties, the
seconds as well as combatants, to the chance of an
ignominious and public execution.
From this disagreeable circumstance the practice
of calling on friends to assist as seconds was quite
superseded, on account of the danger in which it in-
volves all the parties; wherefore no affair of honour
was decided in France but by the way of rencontres
-a word invented to escape the cognizance of law.
By the term rencontre is meant, that if a
gentleman either covertly or overtly affronts another,
the first opportunity, out of the reach of witness, is
taken, by either or both, to appoint a street or a
road in which they are to meet to a moment, and,
either on foot, on horseback, or in their carriage
occasion some kind of justling or sudden scuffle, as
they shall have agreed on beforehand, to be looked
on, in the sense of whatever spectators may be
accidentally present, as an unforeseen and in-
stantaneous event, and by no means the effect of any
former provocation, since which they might have had
time to reflect and grow cool.
76
History of Duelling.
SECTION IV.
The inconvenience and danger of Rencontres.
IF all persons agreeing upon such an hostile tête-
à-tête assignation were men of real, and not
substitutively artificial honour, and were endowed
with the truly generous feelings of humanity, this
single-handed, surreptitious, and dwindled form of
chivalry would not be liable to the many acts of
clandestine cruelty by which it is at present
disgraced through one of the parties taking an
ungenerous advantage of the other. But this would
be effectually prevented if seconds were always
engaged to be present, which certainly is the fairest
of all methods if fighting upon any account could
hope for a legal sanction.
There now prevails in France. a kind of
coxcombical refinement on the causes which demand
satisfaction; but still, as in the old code of chivalry
so in the modern, a box on the ear, or blow on
any part of the face, is to be pursued to death.
In some minor causes of quarrelling, any blood
drawn, though from a slight scratch, is sufficient, and
terminates the dispute. In other cases, the death of
either person is not absolutely required; but where-
History of Duelling.
77
ever the parties meet, though accidentally (being in
company, or ladies present excepted), they are to
draw, and fall a-tilting till either the disarming, or
drawing of blood from one of the parties, or generous
interposition of some bystander, separate them.
Then the combatants salute, and, parting, say to each
other, "Monsieur, à une autre fois; cela suffit
pour le présent." "At another time, sir; this is
sufficent for the present.
""
The trifling and consequently frequent incidents
which occasion the French gentry to draw their
swords (the only weapon they fight with) make
them apply themselves to the art of fencing in a
very particular and more zealous manner than the
gentry of any other nation in Europe.
It is proper to set the reader right in regard to
an assertion I have made that the small-sword is
the only weapon with which gentlemen decide their
personal disputes in France, because he may naturally
exclaim, from the long-established usage among us
Have they never recourse to pistols? Is the
retailing of gunpowder forbidden ?"
That explosive experiment in honour's cause is
for the most part unknown throughout that kingdom,
except among the cavalry officers and the soldiers in
their corps, who may also make use of the sabre,
78
History of Duelling.
back-sword, &c. Here I confine myself solely to the
natives of France, and by no means include the
foreign regiments in their service. The following
transaction will illustrate this matter still farther:-
I remember, when I was in France some years
ago, an English and a French gentleman having
jostled each other in coming out of the opera-house;
a place of rendezvous was appointed next morning,
where they both appeared exactly to the hour.
"Allons, Monsieur," tantamount to "Come on,
sir," said the French gentleman, with a display of
unembarrassed resolution, and drew his sword.
" De
tout mon cœur,"-" With all my heart,"-replied the
English gentleman, with a fixed countenance of
manly determination, and presented a pistol. At
this unexpected sight the French champion cried,
"Eh, morbleu ! qu'est-ce que cela?"-" Zounds! what
is that?" To which the other calmly replied, “ Un
pistolet, à votre service "-" A pistol, at your service."
The resolute features of the Parisian challenger's
face being now quite altered, he spoke to this effect:
"That truly he did not understand what the other
would be at, unless he meant to turn the affair to
a joke, for that the custom of all gentlemen in
Paris was to fight with the small-sword."
"All French gentlemen, I suppose you mean,"
History of Duelling.
79
answered his antagonist; "but it is the custom
with us Englishmen to fight with pistols. Now, I
can see no more reason why I should take up with
the custom of your country and quit that of mine,
than you are to forsake yours and adopt ours. It
is, moreover, an usual boast with you to say that
you give way to strangers; wherefore, if you
set off by indulging me with the discharging of
pistols, and they should prove ineffectual, I shall
not then hesitate or have the least reluctance
against bringing the affair to an issue with the
small-sword."
The Frenchman begged to be excused for the
present; said he was not prepared for such an
event; that he would, if it was deemed necessary,
use pistols charged by himself; but that he would
consult some friends before he proceeded any farther
in so uncommon, so intricate, and puzzling an affair;
that he would be glad to have an interview at the
Bois de Boulogne next day with the Englishman, and
there the decision of the affair should be left to the
arbitration of friends. They agreed upon two of
each country. And the four gentlemen declared the
whole affair to be frivolous.
80
History of Duelling.
SECTION V.
Reflections on fighting with the small-sword or pistol.
THE
HE instruments of natural resentment, before
others had been substituted by art, were our
hands, to avenge any affront or injury received. But
as on all such occasions the strongest must ever
triumph over those of a weaker frame, and as a
person of true mettle and spirit, through a deficiency
of corporeal strength, was liable to be overcome by a
person of dastardly feelings, who, however, proceeded
to engage with him from a preconceived certainty of
triumphing over him, thro' dint of a superior bodily
power, therefore the generality of mankind, who
have taken equal exercise, being pretty nearly on a
par as to muscular abilities, thought it expedient to
bring down the few Herculean phenomena, who
appeared in society from time to time, more to a
level with the less robust and vigorous individuals
they should chance to have any dispute with. This
resolution gave rise to the invention of arms, so
diversified at different periods of time, and through
the several nations of the habitable world, that we
shall enter neither into an enumeration nor scrutiny
History of Duelling.
81
of them, but shall confine our reflections to the
small-sword and pistols, the only offensive weapons
now made use of by the nobility and gentry of
Europe to decide their quarrels.
The small-sword is certainly as liable to exception
as superior bodily strength, because individuals, by
making it the sole object of their thoughts and
continual practice, may attain to so great dexterity
that when their skill is accompanied with coolness
and courage, all inferior adepts of the blade rush
upon certain death, by encountering with such
formidable antagonists.
But to remove this inconvenience, and bring men
still more upon a footing with each other, fighting
with pistols was introduced, because, being then
situated at a distance, all dexterity or cleverness, by
the celerity or power of the muscles and bones, were
superseded, and room only left for each party's
exhibiting an incontestable proof of bravery, and
that they were not afraid of appearing in the field of
danger when their honour required them.
There can be very little superiority, if indeed any,
acquired through application in fighting with pistols
amongst gentlemen who are used to the frequent use
of firearms, as in fowling, &c.*
* That is all you know about it.—L. O'T.
Ꮐ
82
History of Duelling.
Now the gentry of France, except their horse-
officers, by so strenuously insisting to decide their
quarrels with the small-sword, and declining the
experiment of pistols, afford some reason to suspect
that their courage in general is not genuine, but arti-
ficial, because to excel in the art of fencing is a
national passion; and there needs no stronger con-
viction of this being a truth than their alleging, as
a voucher of a gentleman's superior merit, when in-
quiry is made concerning him, "Sir, he is one of the
best fencers in Paris. There are few who would
dare to draw a sword against him, except strangers
or such Frenchmen as have not heard of him.”
1
:
I
•
S
History of Duelling.
83
SECTION VI.
On the barbarous custom of regimental hereditary
feuds.
BESIDES the innuendo thrown out in the last sec-
tion against the French gentry particularly
devoting themselves and their lives to the small-
sword, in order to attain the title of brave men, which
is a phantom thought necessary to be kept stalking
before them, there is another kind of unnatural
and hot-bed practice to foster and perpetuate an
hereditary and transmissive courage, as if they
seemed to live in a constant apprehension of its
decaying among them.
The successive barbarity here alluded to is, that
the officers of certain regiments, from some anti-
quated dispute, perhaps a century ago, are to fight
wherever they meet, upon the slightest look or ex-
pression, whether really intended as an affront, or
only imagined to be such, though the gentlemen
before they had taken on their respective uniforms
were intimate acquaintances and friends.
Officers of horse, in such circumstances, when in-
formed of their travelling on the same road in different
84
History of Duelling.
directions, as soon as they meet, and are within
shot, salute, fire a pistol, and if no hurt be done on
either side, pass by each other with great politeness,
although, perhaps, they had never seen or heard of
each other; but their respective uniforms were a
sufficient intimation of the honourable manner in
which (as through duty bound) they were to acquit
themselves in behalf of their rival regiments.
A very melancholy catastrophe between two
French officers of foot happened some years ago in
the province of Languedoc. Let us suppose the name
of one to have been De L'Isle, and of the other
De La Fosse. They had been both born in the same
town, the same street, and were almost next-door
neighbours. They had passed their infancy and
the first part of their youthful years together, as
school-fellows or play-fellows, whence â most
cordial friendship was contracted.
Unfortunately for them and their parents, an
officer's commission for each was purchased in two
regiments, between whom had long subsisted an un-
remitting animosity. Whenever such antipathies are
made known to the Court of Versailles, it is the Min-
ister of War's business to take care that the hostile
regiments shall never meet in marches on the road
from one city or province to another, or be quartered
TAR
History of Duelling.
85
in the same place, to prevent disputes, quarrels, and
massacres, which would most probably ensue. And
when it so happens that a regiment in enmity with
another is ordered to succeed to its duty, the other,
by orders from the War Office, evacuates the garrison
two or three days before, to prevent all possibility of
the officers meeting.
De L'Isle was officer in a regiment upon duty at
Montpelier, and De La Fosse bore a commission in
the rival corps that was to succeed it. The latter
having a strong desire to see the former, obtained
leave to go a day or two before, in a private manner,
to see a friend of his then very much indisposed, as
informed by a letter which he had contrived for that
purpose.
De L'Isle was transported with joy at seeing him,
as well as on account of the obliging stratagem he
had invented for that purpose.
Having dined and drunk a cheering glass of Fron-
tiniac together, De L'Isle, who belonged to the regi-
ment then decamping from Montpelier, conducted
De La Fosse, who belonged to that which was to suc-
ceed in duty there, to a kind of licensed gaming-
house, in the pleasant environs of that city.
They played a few games: De L'Isle, having the
run of cards in his favour, won every one. The other,
86.
History of Duelling.
،،
somewhat piqued, said unguardedly, "Is it possible
to win so? How do you contrive to get such cards?"
Keep your temper," replied De L'Isle, "the cards
may favour you in a game or two more.' This
friendly altercation ended in a laugh on both sides.-
They paid the usual tax of the place for cards, went
home, supped together, and on parting took a farewell
embrace of each other, De L'Isle being to set out from
Montpelier with his regiment the next morning.
It seems, unhappily for them both, and quite un-
known to De L'Isle, that an officer of his corps, who
had got intelligence of De La Fosse's belonging to
the regiment adverse to theirs, stood behind while they
played at cards, in order to observe what should pass
between them. The busy listener had overheard
the impatient expressions at losing which De La
Fosse's too warm temper on the occasion had let
escape. These seeming to imply an innuendo of foul
play, he consequently construed as an affront, which,
on account of the then subsisting regimental anti-
pathy, was not to be put up with; wherefore waiting
on De L'Isle in the morning, he told him his sense
of the affair, that he must go and demand immediate
satisfaction, both for the sake of his own honour and
that of the corps to which he belonged.
De L'Isle, alarmed at the cruel purport of this
History of Duelling.
87
unexpected visit, remonstrated to his brother-officer
the undesigning and good-natured warmth of his
friend; that they had been intimate from their
infancy; that the fatal consequences, perhaps, of
such a requisition would effectually ruin his peace
of mind for ever, should he even be the survivor.
All his excuses, however, were treated as un-
manly, and he was told he might do as he pleased,
but that a faithful narrative of what had passed
should be laid before his superior officers. With
this menace the incendiary informer left De L'Isle
in order to carry his threats into execution.
Torn with anxiety and horror, he went to De La
Fosse's lodging, and acquainted him with the terrible
dilemma they were both in, and that the horrible
mandate of military usage must be obeyed. They
went out upon the ramparts of the town, drew their
swords with great regret against each other, and soon
received on both sides wounds sufficient to disable
them from continuing the combat any more that
day, as well as to atone, in the judgment of any
men but refined barbarians, for so trifling, nay, so
imaginary an affront.
This duel was fought in sight of some of De
L'Isle's officers who had been sent after on purpose
to observe him. As soon as he got his wounds drest,
88
History of Duelling.
he repaired to satisfy his superior officers, who would
not see him, but ordered it should be intimated to
him that what he had done was not enough, because
one of the parties must die.
In consequence of this merciless injunction, the
distracted youths, neither desiring to outlive his
friend, by mutual agreement ran upon each other's
swords, in the fond hope of expiring together: which
was nearly the event; for De La Fosse dropt on the
instant dead at De L'Isle's feet, who was so terribly
wounded that his recovery was despaired of for six
weeks by the surgeon to whose house he had been
privately conveyed, and where he was kept secreted
from all the inquiries of justice.
De La Fosse was, by the immediate care of the
military gentlemen, thrown into a hole dug for that
purpose, and round which they stood with their
swords drawn, till the flesh was all consumed, or so
far disfigured that the sentence of the law could not
be executed on it-viz., That the body of a person
slain in a duel is to be dragged through the streets
on a sledge, &c.
For the survivor no pardon is ever to be hoped,
le Procureur du Roi, the king's attorney of the place,
having once commenced the law proceedings, as in
such cases directed. These he is sworn most rigor-
History of Duelling.
89
ously to observe, on pain of the forfeiture of his place,
with other indignities, and consequently he seldom
or never fails to acquit himself of that duty to his
king and country.
In about three months after this unhappy catas-
trophe De L'Isle escaped from Montpelier in the
night-time privately, and disguised fled to Spain,
where he has lived ever since, still lamenting the loss
of a dearly-beloved friend, tender parents, and his
native country.
[If ever any custom, among people called civilized,
amounted to a cruel sort of madness, certainly this
story may serve as a good illustration.—ED.]
90
History of Duelling.
SECTION VII.
A specimen of English Duelling in a very remark-
able, bloody, and determined contest.
HAVING thus far treated of duels in France, it
might be deemed a great blemish, not to say
an unpardonable omission in this performance, were
the writer to remain totally silent concerning that
homicidal practice in England.
The custom of fighting with seconds, to prevent
any of the unfair dealing which is to be suspected in
the rencontres of France, is adhered to in England,
although, from the known generous disposition of the
people, without such witnesses being present, the
maliciously taking any base advantages from any
accident whatsoever is seldom to be feared, as
can be proved from numerous and undoubted
instances among even the lower part of the nation,
where we see fellows, when stript for a prize fight,
before and after the engagement, shake hands with
a kind of savage gallantry; for which, at times, as
Pierre says in "Venice Preserved,"
""
"I could have hugg'd the greasy rogues, they pleas'd me
and they detest nothing so much as the least impu-
tation of foul play, or the having taken a mean
advantage.
History of Duelling.
91.
Examples of this kind of athletic bruising are to
be seen every day by those who are curious enough to
seek after such scenes, which may with the strictest
propriety be called Duels with the fists. But as in-
stances of the mode of fighting practised in higher
life, with the auxiliary implements of sword and
pistol, are on one hand not to be seen so often, and
on the other, few persons, especially those endowed
with the tender sensations of humanity, would choose
to be spectators of so terrifying an experiment,-here,
-softened from all the horrors of real inspection-
through the medium of a faithful narrative, shall be
presented to our readers as determined a duel as ever
was fought. And this specimen will suffice to convey
a proper idea of British valour, when called upon à
toute outrance, as in that celebrated single combat
between a gentleman of the illustrious Sackville
family, and a Scotch peer, Lord Bruce. Their letters
previous to the fight will convey an adequate idea of
the spirit of such antagonists:-
I.
A Monsieur SACKVILLE.
"I that am in France hear how much you
attribute to yourself this time, that I have given
the world leave to ring your praises.
call to memory where I gave you my hand last, I
If you
92
History of Duelling.
told you I reserved the heart for a truer reconcilia-
tion.-Now be that noble gentleman my love once
spoke you, and come and do him right that could
recite the trials you owe your birth and country,
were I not confident your honour gives you the
same courage to do me right that it did to do me
wrong.
"Be master of your weapons and time: the place
wheresoever I will wait upon you. By doing this
you shall shorten revenge, and clear the idle opinion
the world hath of both our worths.
"EDW. BRUCE."
II.
"A Monsieur LE BARON DE KINLOSS.
(C
As it shall always be far from me to seek a
quarrel, so will I always be ready to meet with any
that desire to make trial of my valour by so fair a
course as you require; a witness whereof yourself
shall be, who within a month shall receive a strict
account of time, place, and weapon, where you
shall find me ready disposed to give you honour-
able satisfaction, by him that shall conduct you
thither. In the meantime be as secret of the
appointment as it seems you are desirous of it.
"EDW. SACKVILLE.”
¿A
History of Duelling.
93
=
III.
"A Monsieur LE BARON DE KINLOSS.
"I am ready at Tergoso, a town in Zealand, to
give you the satisfaction your sword can render
you, accompanied with a worthy gentleman, my
second, in degree a knight; and for your coming I
will not limit you a peremptory day, but desire
you to make a definite and speedy repair for your
own honour, and fear of prevention, until which
time you shall find me there.
"Tergoso, Aug. 10, 1613."
(C
"EDW. SACKVILLE.
IV.
"A Monsieur SACKVILLE,
"I have received your letter by your man, and
acknowledge you have dealt nobly with me; and
now I come with all possible haste to meet you.
"EDW. BRUCE."
The public is indebted for a relation of the duel
between Lord Bruce and Sir Edward Sackville to a
letter written by the latter to one of his friends in
England:-
WORTHY SIR,-
"As I am not ignorant, so ought I to be sensible
of the false assertions some authorless tongues have
laid upon me in the report of the unfortunate
94
History of Duelling.
passage that lately happened between the Lord Bruce
and myself, which as they are spread here, so I
may justly fear they reign also where you are.
There are but two ways to resolve doubts of this
nature-by oath or by sword. The first is due to
magistrates and communicable to friends; the
other to such as maliciously slander and impu-
dently defend their assertion.
"Your love, not my merits, assures me you hold
me your friend, which esteem I am much desirous
to retain; do me therefore the right to understand
the truth of that; and in my behalf inform others,
who either are, or may be infected with sinister
rumours, much prejudicial to that fair opinion I
desire to hold amongst all worthy persons, and on
the faith of a gentleman, the relation I shall give
is neither more nor less than the bare truth.
"The enclosed (alluding to the above letters)
contains the first citation sent me from Paris by a
Scotch gentleman, who delivered it me in Derby-
shire, at my father-in-law's house. After it follows
my then answer, returned to him by the same
bearer. The next is my accomplishment of my
first promise, being a particular assignation of place
and weapons, which I sent by a servant of mine by
post from Rotterdam, as soon as he landed there.
History of Duelling.
95
"The receipt of which, joined to an acknowledgment
of my too fair carriage to the deceased lord, testified
by the last, which periods the business until we
met at Tergoso in Zealand, it being the place
allotted for rendezvous, where he, accompanied
with one Mr. Crawford, an English gentleman,
for his second, a surgeon, and a man, arrived with
all the speed he could.
"And there having rendered himself, I addressed
my second, Sir John Heidon, to let him understand
that all following should be done by consent, as con-
cerning the terms whereon we should fight, as also
the place. To our seconds we gave power for their ap-
pointments, who agreed we should go to Antwerp, from
thence to Bergen-op-zoom, where in the midway
by a village divides the States territories from the
archduke's.
"And there was the destined stage, to the end
that having finished the affair, he that could
might presently exempt himself from the justice
of the country, by retiring into the dominion whose
laws were not offended. It was likewise concluded
that in case any should fall or slip, that then the
combat should cease, and he whose ill fortune had
so subjected him, was to acknowledge his life to
have been in the other's hands.
96
History of Duelling.
"But in case one party's sword should break,
because that could only chance by hazard, it was
agreed that the other should take no advantage, but
either then be made friends, or also upon even terms
go to it again. Thus these conclusions being each
of them related to his party, were by us both
approved and assented to.
"Accordingly we embarked for Antwerp, and by
reason my lord (as I conceive, because he could not
handsomely, without danger or discovery) had not
paired the sword I sent him to Paris, bringing one
of the same length, but twice as broad,-my second
excepted against it, and advised me to match my
own, and send him the choice, which I obeyed, it
being the challenger's privilege to elect his weapon.
"At the delivery of the sword, which was per-
formed by Sir John Heidon, it pleased the Lord
Bruce to choose my own; and then, past expectation,
he told him that he found himself so far behindhand,
as a little of my blood would not serve his turn; and
therefore, he was now resolved to have me alone,
because he knew (for I will use his own words) that
so worthy a gentleman and my friend could not
stand by and see him do that which he must, to
satisfy himself and his honour.
"Hereupon Sir John Heidon replied that such
History of Duelling.
97
intentions were bloody and butcherly, far unfitting
so noble a personage who should desire to bleed for
reputation, not for life; withal adding, he thought
himself injured, being come thus far, to be now pro-
hibited from executing those honourable offices he
came for. The lord for answer only reiterated his
former resolutions; whereupon Sir John leaving him
the sword he had elected, delivered me the other
with his determinations.
"The which, not for matter, but manner, so moved
me, though, to my remembrance, I had not for a
long time eaten more liberally than at dinner, and,
therefore, unfit for such an action (seeing the sur-
geons hold a wound upon a full stomach much more
dangerous than otherwise), that I requested my
second to certify to him I would presently decide.
the difference and, therefore, he should presently
meet me on horseback, only waited on by our sur-
geons-they being unarmed.
"Together we rode, but one before the other, about
two English miles; and then, passion having so weak
an enemy to assail as my discretion, easily became
victor, and using his power, made me obedient to
his commands-I being verily mad with anger that
Lord Bruce should thirst after my life with a kind of
assuredness, seeing Ì came so far, and needlessly,
to give him leave to regain his lost reputation.
H
-
98
History of Duelling.
"I bade him alight, which with all willingness he
quickly granted, and there in a meadow, ancle-deep in
water, at the least, bidding farewell to our doublets, in
our shirts began to charge each other, having before
commanded our surgeons to withdraw themselves at
a pretty distance from us, conjuring them besides, as
they respected our favours, or their own safeties, not
to stir, but suffer us to execute our pleasure; we
being fully resolved (God forgive us) to dispatch
each other by what means we could.
tr
"I made a thrust at my enemy, but was short,
and in drawing back my arm I received a great
wound therein, which I interpreted as a reward for
my short shooting; but in revenge I pressed into
him, though I then missed him also, and then
received a wound in my right pap, which passed both
through my body and almost to my back. And
there we wrestled for the two greatest and dearest
prizes we could ever expect trial for, honour and life.
In which struggling, my hand having but an ordi-
nary glove on it, lost one of her servants, though the
meanest, which having hung by a skin, and to sight
yet remaineth as before, and I am in hope one day
to recover the use of it again.
tr
"At last, breathless, yet keeping our holds, there
passed on both sides propositions of quitting each
other's swords. But when amity was dead, confi-
History of Duelling.
99
dence could not live; and who should quit first was
the question, which on neither part either would
perform, and wrestling again afresh, with a kick and
a wrench together, I freed my long-captivated
weapon, which instantly levelling at his throat,
being master still of his, I demanded if he would ask
his life, or yield his sword,-both which, though in
that imminent danger, he bravely denied to do.
Myself being wounded, and feeling loss of blood,
having three conduits running on me, which began
to make me faint, and he courageously persisting
not to accord to either of my propositions, through
remembrance of his former bloody desire, and feeling
of my present estate, I struck at his heart, but with
his avoiding missed my aim, yet passed through the
body; and drawing out my sword, repassed it again
through another place, when he cried, "Oh! I am
slain!" seconding his speech with all the force he
had to cast me. But he being too weak, after I had
defended his assault, I easily became master of him,
laying him upon his back; when being upon him, I
re-demanded if he would request his life; but it
seemed he prized it not at so dear a rate to be
beholden for it, bravely replying,-"he scorned it!
—which answer of his was so noble and worthy, as I
protest I could not find in my heart to offer him any
more violence, only keeping him down, until at
""
((
100
History of Duelling.
length his surgeon afar off cried out," he would im-
mediately die if his wounds were not stopped:
Whereupon I asked if he desired his surgeon should
come, which he accepted of; and so being drawn
away, I never offered to take his sword, counting it
inhuman to rob a dead man; for so I held him to be.
The matter being thus ended, I retired to my
surgeon, in whose arms after I had remained a while,
for want of blood I lost my sight; and withal, as I
then thought, lost my life also. But strong water
and his diligence quickly recovered me, when I
escaped from a very great danger.
(C
""
"Lord Bruce's surgeon, when nobody dreamt of
it, came full at me with his lordship's sword; and
had not mine with my sword interposed, I had been
slain by those base hands; although my Lord Bruce,
weltering in his blood, and past all expectation of life,
conformable to all his former carriage, which was un-
doubtedly noble, cried out,— Rascal, hold thy hand!
"So may I prosper as I have dealt sincerely with
you in the relation, which I pray you with this
letter to deliver to my Lord Chamberlain.
"Louvain, Sept. 8, 1613."
>
History of Duelling.
IOI
CONCLUDING CHAPTER.
BY THE EDITOR.
If the reader of the foregoing pages has
been taken by surprise by some of the unex-
pected and extraordinary duels that have
been narrated, I now promise him another,
by no means so sanguinary (though a good
deal of blood was shed on the occasion) as
many, but certainly as unprecedented, and—
as our athletes will say-yet more delight-
ful to think of. The late Earl of Cardigan,
whose duel with Captain Harvey C. P. Tuckett
caused so absurdly prolonged a trial, first
in the usual courts, and afterwards in the
House of Lords (though Captain Tuckett
had quite recovered), the same gallant noble-
man who led the mad and ever-memorable
charge at Balaclava, was once riding in all
the splendour of his uniform, as Colonel of
the 10th Hussars in the streets of Brighton,
where his regiment was then quartered.
As his lordship turned the corner of a street
M
102
History of Duelling.
leading to the Steine, the stalwart driver of
a great waggon was ordered to move a
little on one side, as the street was narrow.
The big-boned driver responded with a grin,
and scooping up a handful of dirt, threw it
at the horseman,-bespattering his brilliant.
gold-bullion, laces and tags, frogs and fili-
gree, and all the "pride, pomp, and circum-
stance of glorious war." Whereupon the Earl
of Cardigan instantly dismounted, gave his
bridle, with his sword and sabretasche, into
the hands of a bystander, and there and then,
with the Englishman's natural weapons, gave
the big waggoner the very best thrashing he
ever had in his life, leaving him with eyes,
mouth, and crimson-streaming nose in the
worst possible condition for his photograph,
amidst the shouts of laughter and applause
of the assembled crowd. Quickly making
his way to his horse, his lordship mounted,
and rode off to his military duties. I am not
aware that this story has ever been printed;
but I had it from a gentleman who witnessed
"this duel." What better could Lord Car-
digan have done? He could not possibly
have called the brute out in the usual way.
History of Duelling.
103
As the whole affair stands, I consider it as
one of the most admirable single combats on
record, and that there is nothing finer, of
the kind, in Homer's Iliad.
This brings us yet once more to the very
difficult question of equality in single com-
bats. Perfect equality is perhaps impossible.
In the above instance no doubt his lordship
was by far the best boxer; but then the
other was the heavier man, and by no means
"confined" as to his habiliments, while his
lordship was packed up tightly in his uniform,
besides having the very costly second jacket
dancing at his back. Do all these things
counterbalance his superior skill? It is not
easy to decide. But in many a famous single
combat it is very easy to decide. If the
reader will pardon me one reference to an-
cient ages, let us look at the duel between
David and Goliath. The giant was a vain-
glorious, boasting champion, no doubt; but
he was killed long before he could come near
his juvenile antagonist. If ever a fellow
was murdered in a duel, poor Goliath was.
It is said (see Judges xx. 16) that there
were in those times "seven hundred left-
104
History of Duelling.
handed men" who could send a stone from a
sling, and "not miss a mark of a hair's
-breadth." Of course it is difficult to believe
this; nevertheless a very much less degree
of skill would most assuredly suffice to kill
a giant a good way off. What then was
the above duel but a case of skilful murder?
No more of those apocryphal ages; but let
us come directly to modern periods. After the
battle of Waterloo there were continual duels
between French and English officers. The
former (practised fencers) purposely picked
quarrels, and made it a horrid jest as to how
many Englishmen had been "spitted before
breakfast."
Napoleon I. had always disapproved of
duelling. On a certain occasion the celebrated
naval commander, Sir Sydney Smith, un-
der some pretence or other, sent a challenge
addressed "to General Bonaparte." To this
gratuitously impertinent message Napoleon
sent word that had he been challenged by
the great Duke of Marlborough he should
have respectfully considered the question.
After Napoleon became emperor, a challenge
to fight with swords was sent to him by
History of Duelling.
105
Gustavus IV. To this invitation Napoleon
replied in a courteously ironical letter that,
as they were both sovereigns, he would send
Gustavus a first-class fencing-master, as a
plenipotentiary, to make all courtly arrange-
ments. Very few duels of any importance
were fought during the reign of the first
Napoleon, but a great many immediately
after his abdication and the return of the
Bourbons. And they were mostly between
French and English officers, the former being
quite unable to forgive the "accident" of
the loss of the battle of Waterloo. No
doubt but Napoleon had won the battle,
up to a late hour-only the British squares
would not quit the field. Then up came
20,000 fresh Prussians, instead of that mud-
dle-headed Grouchy !-that is why French
officers lost their tempers.
Very little has been said in these pages
about duels in Germany, because they were
prohibited by royal edicts, and were by no
means numerous, except among the univer-
sity students of our own times. Very few of
them deserve to rank as real duels, and none
of them in the sense in which these contests.
IC6
History of Duelling.
used to be regarded. One tragic exception,
however, must be mentioned. Baron T-
was paying court to the beautiful Countess
Lodoisk, of and had been accepted.
But she was also deeply beloved by Baron
Ropp, who sent the favoured lover a chal-
lenge. It was at once accepted, and they
went out, each accompanied by a second.
When they arrived at the ground, it turned
out that Baron Ropp would fight by proxy.
He had chosen a most skilful swordsman,
and Baron T- was killed. The unfair-
ness of this so excited his second that he
(the second) insisted that Baron Ropp should
now fight him. The love of Baron Ropp was
so great for the beautiful countess that he was
unable to refuse. The new duel took place,
and the faithful second was killed. In an
attempt to stanch the bleeding wound it was
discovered that the second was the beautiful
Lodoisk, disguised in male attire! When
Baron Ropp saw what he had done, he, in an
agony of grief, placed the hilt of his sword
in the ground, and, falling upon it, died by
her side.
When I was a student in Bonn, in by-
History of Duelling.
107
gone years, it chanced one hard winter, after
skating the whole day, that I finished with
a terrible fall by which I dislocated the left
arm in the worst possible degree. The ball
at the shoulder was literally jerked out of
the socket, and lay excruciatingly upon the
upper part of the breast. Dr. Kalt, a cele-
brated surgeon of Bonn, met me as I was
being carried "off the field," and not only
replaced the arm, but subdued the inflam-
mation in a brief and admirable manner. I
have said Dr. Kalt was "celebrated."
And
for this good reason. He had once attended
at a duel between two students, in which
the mask of one of them falling off, the
youth received a blow across the face, by
which his nose was cut off, and fell upon the
floor. In an instant Dr. Kalt darted upon
the fallen “ornament," and popped it into his
mouth. He then took a surgical needle and
thread from his case of instruments, and
skilfully sewed the nose on to the cheeks-
in fact stitched it all round-and then placed
straps of plaster across. The vitality of the
nose having been maintained by the warmth
of the doctor's mouth, the edges united, and
108
History of Duelling.
in a few weeks was quite as useful, and
nearly as handsome an instrument as ever.
In America there have not been many
duels in the United States during latter
years, but a few of very sanguinary character.
Rifles at one time were used, the combatants
being placed at a distance, with permission
to appear, disappear, and dodge behind tree-
trunks. In other cases they had pistols,
and were to advance from some distance,
firing when each one thought proper, or
reserving the fire till close to each other.
The death of one, and sometimes of both,
was the usual result. Duels with bowie-
knives have often been fought, and some-
times on horseback, the upper part of the
bodies being stripped naked. One of the
most horrible duels ever fought was between
two mortal enemies. By mutual agreement
they were stripped naked, excepting a sort
of swimming-belt, and then led blindfolded
into a perfectly dark room, each being armed
with a butcher's knife. The seconds then
left them, the door being closed, and every
ray of light having been excluded. There
was silence for a considerable time; but the
History of Duelling.
109
seconds, listening breathlessly outside, fan-
cied they could hear that each man had
crouched down, and was moving on his
knees, and by the help of one hand, either
along the wall or across the floor. Then all
was perfect silence. One of the seconds
staggered away fainting. Suddenly a
scuffle was heard-blows, gasps, struggles,
rollings and tumblings on the floor, and
finally all again was still. The seconds
then entered and beheld a sight too shock-
ing for description. Of course the two
mutilated and bleeding bodies were in the
last throes of death.
Surely a duel with pistols is as humane as
elegant in comparison with so frightful a
combat as the above. As to the good old
English national method of a fight with
clenched fists (before the mealy-mouthed,
purblind superfiners caused the introduction
among us of murderous knives, choppers,
iron pokers and hammers, hob-nailed boots,
kickers, and belly-jumpers, ferocious cheek
and ear biters, &c.), it was manly and admir-
able when compared with all such mortal
devilries as have been described in the preced-
IIO
History of Duelling.
ing pages. Every nation has always had, and
will continue to have until the Millennium,
some natural outcome of human passions, and
we are rapidly changing ours for the worse.
One of the last great prize fights (worth at
least a thousand stupid games at cricket,
-with all its bat-and-balderdash science,
for which a man-team of eleven nonplussed
diggers is annually invited half across the
globe at £1,000 a year each!) was between
the American champion, John Heenan, and
the champion of England, Thomas Sayers. It
will be remembered by all well-informed
readers that Sayers had an arm broken at
an early stage of the battle, and continued to
fight, and fight well, during half an hour, with
one hand. By this time the gallant Heenan
was nearly blinded, and the gallant Sayers
being about to be strangled over the ropes,
the umpires cut the ropes, and a drawn battle
was the result. But after this, the American
champion proposing another fight, the police
interfered; magisterial threatenings were
abundant, and the second contest could
not come off in the proper way. But Heenan,
being in an excited state of disappointment,
History of Duelling.
III
sent another challenge to the champion of
England-to the effect that they should
ascend to the parapet of a house, take each
other by the hand in their usual handsome
manner, and, at a given signal, both leap
down from the top of the house!
To this challenge Sir Thomas Sayers,
with perfect good humour, replied "that he
considered the proposal unworthy of John
Heenan and the prize-ring. Anybody
could do that. But if his brother champion
would stand hand-in-hand with him in the
street, and at a given signal both take a
short run, and leap up to the top of the
house, he was his man."
In America it was at one time the law
(in the state of Mississippi-and I hope it
still is) that when a man was killed in a
duel, the survivor should pay all his debts.
This is sensible, and characteristic of a
clever, foreseeing, practical people like our
cousins. As duelling seems very likely to
"thrive" for a season in France-perhaps
for a good many seasons in Paris-I should
strongly recommend the legislature there to
pass a law to the same effect. And if
II 2
History of Duelling.
wounds were given by sword or pistol which
caused a long and expensive illness, the
case of the antagonist who suffered this (the
cause of the duel, conduct of both parties,
fees for medical attendance &c.), should be
duly examined by a competent court, and
damages invariably awarded. Of course
the said court should be composed of a
majority of gentlemen who had fought two
or more duels, with honour to themselves
and all parties.
Finally, as to weapons, we should in the
present day confine ourselves to two, viz.,
swords and pistols. The proper length, form,
temper, point, edge (or edges), hilt and guard,
&c., we must, in due politeness, as well as
from their much greater experience and
practice, leave to be settled by our friends
the French;-but as to pistols, who, as a
highly qualified connoisseur, can be compared
to our German author, Andrew Steinmetz?
After commenting on the chaste beauty and
effect of locks with hair triggers,-"Your
hair-trigger," he adds with emotion, "is the
very counterpart-the artifical reproduction
--of the human nerves; in fact, volition, only
History of Duelling.
113
a degree shown." That's your sort :-never
take the field without hair-triggers. All
other locks would be as much out of place
as Donnybrook at Toledo.
The authors on this subject (in addition to
the writer of the present book) are the fol-
lowing:-Traicte contre les Duels, par JEAN
SAVARON, 1610. Essai sur le Duel, par le
Comte Chatauvillard, Paris, 1836; A Dis-
course of Duels, by THOMAS COMBER, 1687;
Le Duel, par Henri Vallée, Ses Lois, Ses
Règles, Son Histoire, Paris; Notes on Duel-
ling, by Lorenzo Sabine, 1859; History of
Duelling, by J. G. Millingen, 2 vols., 1841;
History and Examination of Duels, by the
Rev. John Cockburn, D.D., 1720; The Ro-
mance of Duelling, by Andrew Steinmetz, 2
vols., 1868; Nouveau Code du Duel, par le
Comte Du Verger de St. Thomas; VOLTAIRE,
BLACKSTONE, and MANDEVILLE.
All the above writers indulge, more or less,
in moral views and reflections on this sub-
ject. As different countries have different
codes of morals, we should never be hasty
in our remarks on what may have been done
in France (not to speak of England, Italy,
I
114
History of Duelling.
""
and Spain) at various periods. But we of the
United Kingdom, in the present day, always
are hasty in our judgment on this subject,
wherever a fatal contest of two men is con-
cerned. The unsettled state of mind, for
instance, among English and Scotch editors
of newspapers (we are more consistent in
Ireland) is remarkably unsatisfactory. If a
gentleman happens to be killed "entirely
in a duel, however fairly, the fact is regarded
almost in the light of murder; and, in any
case of serious wounds, is denounced in the
lurid leading columns. But, let us observe,
if neither party is wounded at all, then both
parties are treated as fools, and the whole
affair is covered with ridicule! Well,- some
people are shocked at a single event; and
other people are shocked at a multitude of
similar things. One man being killed in a
fair and honourable duel causes the pen of
your English and Scotch editors to vibrate
with emotion and moral denunciation; but
these moral gentlemen are not at all shocked
-indeed very few people really are-at a
telegram recording the carnage in battle of
thousands of the "6
enemy "our fellow-
History of Duelling.
115
creatures-rendered none the less dreadful
by the horrible technical coolness with which
a batch of butcheries is designated, on our
own side, as "casualties!" The victims of
legitimate butcheries are not classed as men,
but as casualties! Their blood was water-
their mutilated bodies have been thrown and
jumbled together in a casual-ward pit-their
souls are neither here-nor there! So much
for the popular morality of civilized nations,
as Mr. John Bright might say. Of course
it is a different question-viz., that of an
individual quarrel, and of a national quarrel
(¿.e., of a collected number of individuals)———
but the broad and bleeding fact remains the
"
same.
One word to the high military authorities.
As duelling in the British Army is strictly
prohibited, an officer who fights a duel is
liable to be cashiered. If he declines or
evades a challenge, his "brother" officers
cut him, and he is obliged to leave the regi-
ment-probably to leave the army—and all
his previous studies and future prospects
are utterly ruined. The Commander-in-chief
knows all this, as a matter of course; and as
-
116
History of Duelling.
it would be a libel to say any great man was
not perfectly sane, one must on no account
remotely hint at such a possibility.
JUDGE BLACKSTONE lays down the law that
if a man is killed in a duel, it should be re-
garded as murder, and that the seconds
should be treated as accomplices! With all
proper respect for so good a judge of other
matters, I am sure that the common sense of
all gentlemen will regard this as the most
narrow-minded and one-eyed view that could
possibly be taken of this great question. As
Othello says: "it is the cause, my soul!"
(a thought beyond all the legal big-wigs) and
to which I add, that it is also the honourable
conduct, and the fairness of the contest, that
should always be taken into the most careful
and all-sided consideration. The dictum of
BLACKSTONE is too wholesale to be just, and
too vindictive to be reasonable; and, if he
were now living, some other great jurist
ought to call him to account for it.
J. AND W. RIDER, PRINTERS, LONDON,
L. O'T.
NEWMAN & CO., Publishers.
Notice to Authors!
Royal Commission upon Copyright.
To meet the views expressed by the Royal Commissioners,
after they had heard the Evidence of the leading authors of the
day [see Report dated the 24th May, 1878], Messieurs NEWMAN
& CO. have adopted a new system of publication, which secures
to the author a full and lasting reward for his labours.
In the case of authors desiring to retain a permanent interest
in their works, Messieurs NEWMAN & CO. now send all title
pages to the author to be stamped or initialed before binding.
And in their agreement, Messieurs NEWMAN & CO. undertake
not to sell any copy without it bears such initials or stamp;
and in the event of their doing so under their form of agree-
ment, the copyright in, together with all property connected
with, such work reverts absolutely to the author.
It will thus be seen that an author under this new system
obtains a full record of the progress made by his work and the
Royalties due to him.
Messieurs NEWMAN & CO. undertake the publication of
approved Scientific, Educational and Domestic Works; Poetry,
Novels and all Works of Fiction and Children's Works.
NEWMAN & CO., 43, HART STREET,
BLOOMSBURY, LONDON, W.C.
NEWMAN & Co.'s RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
8vo., cloth, 4s.
Laura Dibalzo; or, The Patriot Martyrs.
By R. H. HORNE, Author of "Orion," "The Death of Marlowe," &c.
At all Libraries.
"
"There is a feeling of peculiar pleasure in welcoming back an old writer of
the highest order to the scene of his ancient triumphs, and in finding that the
hand has lost none of its old cunning nor the brain a particle of its inspira-
tion. This is eminently the case with Mr. Richard Hengist Horne.
Since the day when the veteran author astonished the literary world with
that celebrated and most noble of contemporary poems, 'Orion,' nothing
more striking than his latest work has come from his pen; not even the
sombre splendours of Cosmo de Medici' or 'The Death of Marlowe' can cast
'Laura Dibalzo' into the shade. The plot turns upon the sufferings of the
Neapolitan patriot nobles during the last evil days of King Bomba; whilst
wifely constancy to a husband's honour rather than his life inspires the play
and works up to a climax than which nothing finer has been conceived since
the catastrophe of Venice Preserved.' Laura's dying cry makes one sigh for
the days when Helen Faucit might have put the last scene of this noble play
before our bodily eyes, and her wonderful voice thrilled us with the agony of
these last lines:
<
"I see it in the air, and the mad sky,
Now full of fiery faces, and the shadows
Of constant stones descending!—My brain's stunn'd
With crushing sounds!-I shall be raving soon-
My throat is choked with blood! I must go mad
And then I might consent-so God assist me
To stand up in my grave-clothes, and say "No!""
Whitehall Review.
•
•
>
"The folk who know and appreciate the writings of one of our noblest poets,
and can sympathize with lofty sentiments expressed in verse which might,
without hyperbole, be almost called faultless
The story is such as
must at once appeal to all lovers of true freedom, as opposed to so-called
"liberty; it deals with the lives and deaths of the noble men who sorrowed
and suffered under the evil rule of the most notorious of modern kings-
the last crowned monarch but one who ruled the two Sicilies.
The
dying speech of Laura, which closes the play, is one of the most powerful
that has been written for years."-Graphic.
•
•
"Some years have passed since Mr. Horne published his striking poem
'Orion,' which Edgar Allan Poe praised so enthusiastically. Others have
also greatly admired this poem, and others by the same author, who, before
quitting England, made many friends amongst the highest literary men of
the time, Douglas Jerrold, Robert Browning, Talfourd, Lord Lytton, and a
host of others. The reader of the present poem will make acquaintance with
a work of sterling merit, depicting with tragic intensity one of the worst
periods of Neapolitan history, when that romantic city was the hotbed of
vices and crimes such as the world has rarely known before or since.”—Era.
•
"This noble and powerful tragedy derives a terrible interest from the fact
that in it, as the author says, 'there is nothing set down which the history of
the Neapolitan Government of that period does not fully and literally declare
and corroborate, whether in atrocious cruelties, or heroic fortitude of resist-
ance;' and also that several of the characters are portraits, the faithfulness of
which will easily be recognised by those readers who are conversant with the
history of Naples during the time in question.
As a poem alone, it
is an achievement of which not only its distinguished author, but all to whom
the literary fame of the age is precious, have good cause to feel proud.”
Life.
NEWMAN & Co.'s RECENT PUBLICATIONS
"I have read it with my old admiration for your fiery, unconquerable
spirit, and your impassioned dramatic power-a power which you alone
possess among English-speaking poets. Of course, the novel feature of this
undaunted work is that it is a tragedy from beginning to end,—and that it
does not 'dally with the innocence of love,' nor relieve its grimness and
pathetic terror with the hackneyed trifles that are wont to lighten at inter-
vals the tragedies of other dramatists. I take it for what it is—and it is full
of imagination, of passion, and of power."-EDMUND C. STEDMAN, Author of
Victrian Poets.
Ready in September. By RICHARD HENGIST HORNE.
Bible Tragedies.
(In one vol.)
Truly, though newly, Dramatized.
I. John The Baptist; or, the Valour of the Soul.
II. Job's Wife; or, the Cruel Wager. III. Judas Iscariot: a Tragic Mystery.
8vo., cloth, 10s. 6d.
New Poems.
By JOHN PAYNE, Author of " The Masque of Shadows,"" Lautrec," &c., &c.
"Salvestra,' which is by far the finest poem in the book, must be com-
mended equally for the simple beauty of its verse, and for the admirable tact
with which a somewhat risqué subject has been treated. It would have been
easy, for instance, to infuse an element of coarseness into the passage where
Girolamo sees his unconscious love undressed, but Mr. Payne has made it
only pathetic and beautiful."-Morning Post.
"Mellifluous, entrancing, sensuous, Mr. Payne's poetic effusions possess
magical charms for gentle readers of a languid temperament and amorous
sensibilities. As great a master of song as Swinbourne and Rosetti, and of
the same school, Mr. Payne's powers are unsurpassed-perhaps unequalled.
Love is their theme, love melodious, sad, and plaintive."-Civil Service
Gazette.
•
"Cette Salvestrá,' occupant un tiers du volume, est l'histoire d'amour la
plus terrible et la plus délicieuse qu'on puisse lire."-Theodore de Banville,
dans le National.
"Salvestra' involves a description of matters which may shock very deli-
cate nerves; but the poetical treatment shows that the writer has all that is
required of delicacy as well as of passion, of tenderness, of imagination, and
of language for turning the subject to most charming account."-The Illus-
trated London News,
Demy 8vo., cloth, 12s. 6d.
Life and Society in America.
By SAMUEL PHILLIPS DAY, Author of "Down South," "English America; or,
Pictures of Canadian Places and People."
"We are indebted to Mr. May for a most readable and entertaining collec-
tion of sketches of Transatlantic life."-Social Notes.
"Such an interesting and amusing book is sure to find plenty of readers.
Nor will any one who takes it up lay it down without profit as well as
pleasure. The book ought to be studied by all who want to see the shadows
as well as the lights of American society."-Graphic.
"This is a work of uncommon merit. It is an exhaustive picture of life in
the United States, which we can recommend to all persons who are interested
in the social life of the Great Republic "-Galignani's Messenger.
"The present volume is described as the first series; few readers will put it
down without wishing for the second."-Morning Advertiser.
"I find that you have fully succeeded in bringing out, with much force
and talent, the most prominent features of American life."-Prince Camille
de Polignac.
NEWMAN & Co.'s RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
8vo., cloth, 7s. 6d.
A Bunch of Shamrocks.
By E. OWEN BLACKBURN, Author of “ Illustrious Irishwomen," "A Woman
Scorned," "Molly Curew," &c., &c.,
8vo., cloth, 6s.
Legends of Olden Times.
By J. M CALLWELL.
"A most delightful book, which ought to be given to every healthy boy.”-
Whitehall Review.
“English children ought to rejoice in them."-Academy.
8vo., cloth, 2s. 6d.
How to Teach and Learn Modern Languages.
By F. LICHTENBERGER
"An exceedingly useful book."-Examiner.
8vo., cloth, 2s. 6d.
Scenes from Plautus.
With Introductions and short Notes, for the Higher Forms in Public Schools.
By W. POWELL JAMES, M.A., Oxon. At the Bookstalls.
"
'The Doom of the Great City;" or, London
Destroyed by a Fog.
By WILLIAM DELISLE HAY. Price 1s. post free.
8vo., cloth, 3s.
The Veracious History of a Black and Tan
Terrier, Told by Himself.
Edited by LADY LAMB. Illustrated by WATER J. ALLEN.
At all Bookstalls and Booksellers.
In the Press.
Fulgentius; with Poems, Old and New.
By B. MONTGOMERIE RANKING.
Author of "Fair Rosamond," " Bjorn and Bera," &c., &c.
Extracts from some opinions of the Press upon Mr. Ranking.
"It is no exaggeration to say that no man since the days of Sir Walter
Scott has essayed to write in this style with more complete success.'
Spectator.
""
"A sense of tune, taste in delivering his minstrelsy, and an ambition
which is so sincere as to warrant us in believing that it will not overleap it-
self."-Athenæum.
""
"Choose what subject he will, Mr. Ranking's muse is always full of melo-
dious, tender expression, graceful fancy, and a musical ring of verse.'
Standard.
"It is not much to say against Mr. Ranking's book that the effect of read-
ing the seven tales he presents to us, with those introductions of whose value
we have already spoken, is to make us wish for some seven more of the
same kind."-Pall Mall Gazette.
Under Sun and Moon.
A new novel in 3 vols. By A. MONTGOMERY ELLIS.
8vo., cloth, 5s.
Good Little Daughters.
By E. B. STANTON.
Little Pops.
A Nursery Story. (Illustrated.) By AUNTIE BEE (B. H. BUXTON). Author
of "More Dolls," "Rosabella," &c.


3
an a demak dana za pr
*
3 9015 00524 9597
****
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
-、!
1- -
•
Con much they de
B***
DO NOT REMOVE
OR
MUTILATE CARD
ČAJ - the
3.