> r^y ti^^t

^Vi,^

'^1

\f» ,1 .

"I j^ive the/t Btais »_ -- - .
i fn the fimadiag ef a. CoUegi tn i^^_Cfift)>^>J

THE EOMANCE OF DUELLINO.

THE

ROMANCE OF DUELLING

IN ALL TIMES AND COUNTEIES.

BX

ANDREW ,§TEINMETZ,
AUTHOR OP
' THE HISTORY OF THE JESUITS,' ' MILITARY GYMNASTICS OP THE FRENCH,'
'MUSKETRY INSTRUCTION FOR THE CAVALRY CARBINE,' ETC. ETC.

' Ay me ! what perils do environ
The man who meddles with cold iron ! '
HUDIERAS.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOLUME II.

LONDON:
CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
1868.

5
2

151

PEIIfTED ET J. js. TAYLOK AKD CO.,
LITTLE QCEES STEEET, LIIfCOLN's IKIf FIELDS.

CONTENTS,

CHAPTER I.
FAGE
DUELS IN ENGLAND FROM THE TEAR 1765 TO 1798 . . 1

CHAPTER II.
DUELS IN FEANCE FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE
NINETEENTH CENTUET TO THB PEBSENT TIME . . 65
CHAPTER III.
BKITISH DUELS FROM THE TEAR 1800 TO THE TEAE 1829. 181
CHAPTEE IV.
MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTEIES . *  279
CHAPTER V.
DUELLING IN THB UNITED STATES OF AMERICA . . 298

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VI. PAGE
DUELS IN THB COLONIES ... . 318

CHAPTER VII.
EEITISH DUELS FEOM 1829 TO THE LAST ON EECOKD . 336

THE
EOMANCE OF DUELLING.

CHAPTEE I.
DUELS IN ENGLAND FROM THE YEAR 1765 TO
1798.
Lord Bteon and Me. Ohawoeth.
(a.d. 1765.)
Few duels are more remarkable than that between
Lord Byron and Mr. Chaworth^ not only on account
of the circumstances in which it was involved^ but
also for the supposed influence of the result on the
career of his relative — England^s greatest modem poet,
the Byron of ' Childe Harold.-"
Lord Byron and Mr. Chaworth, an eminent country
squire, were neighbours in their county, and it was
their custom to meet, with other gentlemen of Notting
hamshire, at the ' Star and Garter ' Tavern, in Pall
Mali, at what was called the Nottinghamshire Club.
The meeting of this club at which the unlucky dis
pute arose that produced the duel, was on the 26th of
VOL. II. B

2 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
January, 1 765, and at which were present the foUow
ing notables of the county : — John Hewitt, Esq., who
was chairman, Lord Byron, the Hon. Thomas Wil
loughby, Sir Robert Burdett, Frederick Montagu,
John Sherwin, Francis Molynenx, George Donston,
Charles Mellish, jun., and William Chaworth, Esquires.
A goodly company, beyond question, and truly unfor
tunate in being connected with the fatal affray.
Their usual hour of dining was soon after four, and
the rule of the club was, to have a bill and a bottle
brought in at seven o'clock. Up to this hour all was
jollity and good humour. At length, however, Mr.
Hewett, who was toastmaster, happening to start
some conversation about the best means of preserving
game, setting the laws in being for that purpose out
of the question, the subject was taken up by Mr. Cha
worth and Lord Byron, who happened to be of dif
ferent opinions, Mr. Chaworth insisting on severity
against poachers and unqualified persons, and Lord
Byron declaring that the way to have most game was,
to take no care of it at all — an opinion which was cer
tainly much in advance of his epoch, and scarcely yet
established. The debate became general, but was
carried on with acrimony only between Lord Byron
and Mr. Chaworth — the latter, in confirmation of what
he had said, insisting that Sir Charles Sedley and
himself had more game on five acres than Lord Byron
had on all his manors. In answer to this rather
strong assertion. Lord Byron proposed a bet of a

DUELS IN ENGLAND. ,•?
hundred guineas, and Chaworth called for pens, ink,
and paper to reduce the wager to writing, in order to
take it up. But Mr. Sherwin, treating it in a jesting
manner as a bet that never could be decided, no bet
was laid, and the conversation went on. It is obvious,
however, that some irritation must have been caused
to Lord Byron by the calling for pen, ink, and paper —
a procedure scarcely required among gentlemen such
as were present. But Chaworth, not satisfied with
this, went on to say, that " were it not for Sir Charles
Sedley's care and his own. Lord Byron would not
have a hare on his estate ;" another hit at his lordship,
who, however, parried it by asking, with a smile,
" What Sir Charles Sedley's manors were ?" On this
sarcastic question being put, Chaworth returned to
the charge and hit his lordship again by answering,
"Nuttal and Bulwell." "Nuttal, yes, but Bulwell
no,^' said Lord Byron, "that is my own." On this,
Chaworth, with some heat, replied, "If you want
information with respect to Sir Charles Sedley's
manors, he lives at Mr. Cooper's, in Dean Street, and
I doubt not will be ready to give you satisfaction ; and
as to myself, your lordship knows where to find me in
Berkeley-row." This utterance seems to show that
Mr. Chaworth was nettled and did not measure his
words, which were uttered in a particular manner,
admitting of no reply, and at once putting an end to
the subject of conversation. A pause of sensation
ensued in the goodly company.
b2

4 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Soon, however, every gentleman fell into chat with
his neighbour, and nothing more was said generally,
until Mr. Chaworth called to settle the reckoning, as
was his practice, but in doing which the master of the
tavern observed that he was a little flurried, for in
marking he made a small mistake; the book had lines
ruled in cheques, and against each member present a
cipher was placed; but, if absent, "5s." was set
down. Mr. Chaworth placed 5s. against Lord Byron's
name, when a member, Mr. Fynmore, observing to
him that his lordship was present, he corrected his
mistake. This incident could scarcely fail to have an
effect on Lord Byron, under the circumstances.
In a few minutes after this, Mr. Chaworth, having
paid his reckoning, went out, and was followed by
Mr. Donston, who entered into conversation with him
at the top of the stairs ; and Mr. Chaworth asked him
particularly if he had attended to the conversation
between himself and Lord Byron, aud if he thought
he had been short in what he had said on the sub
ject ? To which Mr. Donston said, "No; he had
gone rather too far upon so trifling an occasion, but
did not believe that Lord Byron or the company would
think any more about it," and after a little ordinary
discourse had passed, they parted. Mr. Donston re
turned to the company, and Mr. Chaworth turned to
go downstairs; but just as Mr. Donston entered the
door, he met Lord Byron coming out, and they passed,
as there was a large screen that covered the door,
without knowing each other.

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 5
Lord Byron found Mr. Chaworth still on the stairs.
At this stage of the transaction doubts remained as to
whether Lord Byron called Mr. Chaworth, or Mr.
Chaworth called Lord Byron, which is rather im
portant ; but both went to the first landing, and both
called the waiter to show them an empty room, which
the waiter did; and having first opened the door
himself and placed a small tallow candle, wliich he
had in his hand, on the table, he withdrew, when
the gentlemen entered and closed the door after
them. The few minutes that elapsed after this had sufficed
for the enactment of a dreadful tragedy. The bell
was rung, but by whom was uncertain. The waiter
went up, and perceiving what had happened, ran down
stairs frightened, told his master of the catastrophe,
who ran instantly upstairs, and found the two comba
tants — for there had been a duel — standing close to
gether. Mr. Chaworth had his sword in his left hand,
and Lord Byron his in his right. Lord Byron's left
hand was round Mr. Chaworth, as Mr. Chaworth's
right hand was round Lord Byron's neck and over his
shoulders. Mr. Chaworth desired the landl(|rd to
take his sword, and Lord Byron delivered up his at
the same time. One or both called to him to get some
help immediately, and in a few minutes a surgeon was
sent for, who came accordingly. Meanwhile, the
members of the club who had not left, entered the
room.

6 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Such seems to be all that is positively known re
specting this horrible transaction.
The account Mr. Chaworth gave, on the entrance of
his friends, was that "he could not live many hours;
that he forgave Lord Byron, and hoped the world
would forgive him ; that the affair had passed in the
dark, only a tallow candle burning 'in the room ; that
Lord Byron asked him if he meant the conversation
on the game to be referred to Sir Charles Sedley or
to him ? To which he replied, ' If you have anything
to say, we had better shut the door;' that while he
was doing this, Lord Byron bid him draw, and in
turning, he saw his lordship's sword half drawn, on
which he whipped out his own, and made the first
pass; that the sword going through his lordship's
waistcoat, he thought he had killed him, and asking
whether he was mortally wounded. Lord Byron, while
he was speaking, shortened his sword, and stabbed
him in the belly."
When the surgeon came, he found Mr. Chaworth
sitting by the fire, with the lower part of his waist
coat open, his shirt all covered with blood, and his
hand on the wound. He was very earnest to know
if the surgeon thought him in imminent danger ; and
being answered in the affirmative, he wished his uncle,
Mr. Levinz to be sent for, in order to settle his pri
vate affairs ; and in the meantime he gave the sur
geon a particular detail of what had passed, as before
related, with the additional explanation that " he felt

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 7
the sword enter his body and go deep through his
back ; that he struggled., and being the stronger man,
disarmed his lordship, and expressed a concern as
under the apprehension of having mortally wounded
him ; that Lord Byron replied by saying something to
the like effect, adding, at the same time, that he hoped
now he would allow him to be as brave a man as any
in the kingdom."
The surgeon, a Mr. Hawkins, further deposed that,
pained and distressed as Mr. Chaworth then was, and
under the immediate danger of death, he repeated
what he had heard he had declared to his friends
before — " That he would rather be in his present situa
tion than live under the misfortune of having killed
another person."
On the arrival of Mr. Levinz, the unfortunate man
made his will, for which he gave very sensible and
distinct instructions ; and while his attorney was en
gaged in his business, he gave Mr. Levinz, at his
request, the same account which he had before given
to his surgeon ; " lamenting at the same time his own
foUy, in fighting in the dark — an expression that cer
tainly conveyed no imputation on Lord Byron, and
imphed no more than this : that by fighting with a
dim light, he had given up the advantage of his own
superiority in swordmanship, and had been led into
the mistake that he was in the breast of his lordship
when he was only entangled in his waistcoat. For,
under that mistake he certainly was, when Lord

8 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Byron shortened his sword, and ran him through the
body." Finally, the attorney employed on the occasion,
thinking it probable that he might one day be called
upon to give testimony to the dying words of his un
happy client, deposed to the following declaration of
Mr. Chaworth: — "Sunday morning, 27th January,
about three o'clock, Mr. Chaworth said, ' That my
lord's sword was half drawn, and that he, Jcnowing the
ma7i, immediately, or as quickly as he could, whips
out his sword, and had the first thrust ; that then my
lord wounded him, and he disarmed my lord, who then
said. By G — d, I have as much courage as any man iu
England.' "
Such are the particulars of this unfortunate affair ;
and it appears that no blame can be attached to Lord
Byron for the death of Mr. Chaworth. Whether Mr.
Chaworth " fcety the man," or not, it is quite clear
that he had not only provoked or insulted him, but, by
his own admission, had managed to get the first thrust
at him; he also says he was the stronger man, and
even after being wounded disarmed his antagonist.
Surely Lord Byron, being still engaged, after the
thrust, had a right to avail himself of that mistake,
for the preservation of his own life, since the next
might have been, especially from the stronger man,
fatal. Finally, we must remember that the affair was of
the nature of a rencontre, and whoever has ever been

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 9
in such a predicament must know that no time is to be
lost ; and all men must be able to imagine what they
would do in a similar dilemma, in which the question
is simply to kill or to be killed. According to Horace
Walpole, in a letter to the Earl of Hertford on the sub
ject, Mr. Chaworth was an excellent fencer ; and Miss
Mary Townshend, writing to George Selwyn, says,
" Mr. Chaworth was a much more popular man than
his adversary, which, I beUeve, has inclined people to
give hints which they had not much foundation for * * *
There is no reason to doubt the duel having been a
fair one."
Lord Byron surrendered himself to be tried by his
peers, and the trial took place with the usual formali
ties. In his defence, which he begged might be read
by the clerk of the House of Lords, as he feared his
own voice, in his situation, would not be heard, he
gave an exact detail of all the particulars relating to
the melancholy affair between himself and Mr. Cha
worth. He said he declined entering into the circum
stances of Mr. Chaworth's behaviour any further than
was necessary in his own defence; he expressed his
deep and unfeigned sorrow for the event, and reposed
himself with the utmost confidence on their lordships'
justice and humanity, and would with cheerfulness ac
quiesce in the sentence of the noblest and most equita
ble judicature in the world, whether it were for life
or for death.
The Peers found Lord Byron " guUty of manslaugh-

10 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
ter" only ; and, in consequence of an old statute then
in force, in favour of Peers of the realm, in such cases,
his lordship was immediately dismissed on paying
his fees.*
WilUam, fifth Lord Byron, the great uncle of the
illustrious poet, married, in 1747, Elizabeth, daughter
of Charles Shaw, Esq., of Besthorpe HaU, in Norfolk.
By this lady he had one son, WilUam, who had an only
son, who was killed in Corsica, in 1794, thus opening
the succession to the great poet. The latter years of Lord
Byron's strange life were passed, as Tom Moore says,
" in a state of austere and almost savage seclusion."
He died at Newstead Abbey, 19th May, 1798, in his
seventy-seventh year.
In presenting the incidents of this remarkable affair,
I have preferred Gilchrist's narrative, which differs
slightly from that given by Dr. Millingen. Consider
ing Mr. Chaworth's admissions, I do not believe that
Lord Byron can be charged with foul play; on the
contrary, if there was any foul play, it must be ascribed
to him who stated that " knowing his man," he
"immediately whipped' out his sword, and had the
first thrust." But the affair was a rencontre or scuffle,
not a duel; and it only tends to show, as Millingen
observes, that any fatal meeting without seconds
* The statute referred to is that of Edward VI. , by which
Peers are, in all cases where clergy are aUowed, to be dismissed
" without burning in the hand, loss of inheritance, or corruption
of blood."

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 11
should be visited with such severity as to prevent the
probability of a recurrence.
It does not appear that the parties were quite sober ;
Mr. Chaworth's mistake in marking the tavern-book
must surely throw doubt on this point. Gentlemen
drank "very hard" in those times, and it was no dis
grace to them.
It is assumed that no ill-will existed between the
parties ; but this is by no means consonant with the
very subjects mooted, Lord Byron having evidently
pursued a line of conduct with regard to game which
was not approved of by his neighbour. Moreover,
there seems also to have been a sore point between
them as to certain manorial possessions.
Finally, it was a mere chance that the deplorable
case was not reversed. Mr. Chaworth did his best to
kill Lord Byron ; there was the will, if not the deed.
At most, I believe that the transaction is only one of
the many instances that show the impropriety of fight
ing without seconds, since no positive evidence can be
produced to prove that the foulest treachery may not
have been perpetrated.
Such duels, however, were by no means uncommon
in England at that time. The one between Wilkes
and Martin, before described, is only one of many that
occurred, especiaUy during the times when gentlemen
wore swords ; and the affair between Lord Byron and
Mr. Chaworth was one of the last that took place with
side-arms.

12 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
This duel is otherwise interesting in connection with
the love of Lord Byron, the poet, for Miss Chaworth,
the daughter of the gentleman whom his grand-uncle
had killed. To this charmer he addressed many of his
prettiest verses ; among the rest the foUowing : —
" Oh ! had my fate been joined with thine,
As once this pledge appear'd a token.
These follies had not then been mine,
Por then my peace had not been broken.
* * * #
" If thou wert mine, — had all been hush'd : —
This cheek, now pale from early riot,
With passion's hectic ne'er had flush'd,
But bloomed in calm domestic quiet."
And in his diary he made the foUowing entry
respecting the lady : — " Our union would have healed
feuds in which blood had been shed by our fathers ;
it would have joined lands broad and rich ; it would
have joined at least one heart and two persons not ill-
matched in years (she is two years my elder), and —
and — and — what has been the result ?"
Unsuccessful loves are generally the most lasting,
but there is reason to believe that aU Byron's talk on
this subject was merely the result of a " poetic grief."
According to Moore, Miss Chaworth cared very little
for Byron, considering him a mere school-boy; her
affections being also already engaged ; and when
Byron's heartless mother thought of breaking his
heart with anguish by the announcement of the lady's
marriage with his successful rival, he calmly said, " Is

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 13
that all ?" To which she rejoined, " WTiy, I expected
you would have been plunged in grief !" He made no
reply, and soon began to talk about something else.*
Nevertheless, he perversely returned to the subject
afterwards. On learning that the lady had blessed
her worthy husband with her first-born, he rushed
into poetic raptures again, but grotesquely whining
about " the child that ought to have heen mine."
The whole affair was Byronic. When Madame de
Stael told him, as he states, that " he had no feeling,
and was totally Misensible to la helle passion, and had
been so all his life," he told Moore that he was " very
glad to hear it, but did not know it before." Men
of demonstrative intellect and strong passions are
" gods " or " demons ;" they may have worshippers,
but their feUow beings — whether men or women — can
only be to them " creatures." Byron, like all such
men, loved a grievance accordingly, especially a do
mestic one, and was always ready to write and publish
a poem upon his misery. Poor human nature ! what
should we do without this imagination or fancy, which
reconciles us to the inexorable necessities of a flinty
state of things — otherwise unbearable — intolerable ?
Geoege Gaeeick and Baddeliy.
(A. d. 1770.)
"Duels between dramatic performers," observes
MilUno'en, "are uncommon occurrences. It is true
* Moore, ' Life of Lord Byron."

14 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
that there does not exist a class of society more mor
bidly alive to the unction of flattery than players ; but
they are so accustomed to rudeness of behaviom-
among each other, the green-room and stage famiUarity
fuUy illustrating the old proverb, that insults generaUy
go, if not unheeded, at any rate, according to the ideas
of honour generally entertained, unrevenged." In
1770, on the 17th November, a meeting took place
between George Garrick, the brother of the celebrated
David Garrick, and Mr. Baddeley, both of Drury
Lane. The trumpet of slander had long accused
George Garrick of being concerned in an intrigue with
Baddeley' s wife, until at last Baddeley, urged on by an
intriguing mischievous Jew, who was himself a great
admirer of the lady, was persuaded that it became
him, as a man of parts, to demand satisfaction. The
parties very reluctantly met in Hyde Park, when Bad
deley discharged his pistol without effect, — and, in
deed, it was reported, without aim, as his arm was as
unsteady as that of Gil Bias in his first action with the
robbers. Garrick magnanimously fired in the air.
On the arrival of Mrs. Baddeley, in a hackney-
coach, she jumped out of the vehicle, and threw her
self between the combatants in an imploring attitude,
exclaiming —
" Spare him ! Oh, spare him !" The tableau was
so effective that the parties embraced each other, and
the interlude was concluded by a general reconcilia
tion.* * Millingen.

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 15
Melancholy Results of a Duel.
(a.d. 1772.)
A duel occurred in 1772 between a Mr. McLean, of
Gartmoor, in Scotland, and a Mr. Cameron. These
gentlemen being at supper with a select party at a
friend's house, words arose between them, on an old
grudge, when Cameron gave McLean the lie, on which
a duel ensued, and McLean was kiUed on the spot.
His mother, on hearing of this melancholy event, was
instantly deprived of her senses, and Miss McLeod, a
young lady to whom McLean was soon to be married,
was seized with fits and died three days after.
Sheridan and Me. Matthews.
(a. d. 1772.)
When Sheridan became the avowed suitor of Miss
Linley, the celebrated vocal performer, her father, the
ingenious composer, was not at first propitious to his
passion, and he had many rivals to overcome in his
attempts to gain the lady's affections. His persever
ance, however, increased with the difficulties that pre
sented themselves, and his courage and resolution in
vindicating Miss Linley's reputation from a calumnious
report which had been basely thrown out against it,
obtained for him the fair prize for which he twice ex
posed his life.
Mr. Matthews, a gentleman then weU known in the
fashionable circles of Bath, had caused a paragraph to

16 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
be inserted in a public paper at that place, which
tended to prejudice the character of this young lady,
and Sheridan immediately appHed for redress to the
printer, who communicated the author's name. Mr.
Matthews had, in the meantime, set out for London,
and was closely pursued by Sheridan. They met and
fought a duel with swords at a tavern in Henrietta
Street, Covent Garden, in the year ] 772. Sheridan's
second on the occasion was his brother, Charles
Francis, who had been Secretary at War in Ireland.
Great skill and courage were displayed on both sides ;
but Sheridan having succeeded in disarming his adver
sary, compelled him to sign a formal retractation of the
paragraph which he had published.
The conqueror instantly returned to Bath, and
thinking that as the insult had been publicly given,
the apology should have equal notoriety, he caused it
to be published in the same paper. Mr. Matthews
soon heard of this circumstance, and irritated at his
defeat as well as the use which his antagonist had
made of his apology, repaired to Bath, determined to
call upon Sheridan for satisfaction. A message was
accordingly sent, and a meeting agreed upon.
Sheridan would have been justified, according to the
most delicate punctilio of honour, in declining the call,
but he silenced all the objections that were started by
his friends, and the parties met on Kingsdown.
The victory was desperately contested, and after a
discharge of pistols they fought with swords. They

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 17
were both wounded, and closing with each other, fell
on the ground, where the fight was continued until
they were separated. They received several cuts and
contusions in this desperate, struggle for life and
honour, and a part of his opponent's weapon was left
in Sheridan's ear.
Miss Linley did not suffer a long time to elapse be
fore she rewarded Sheridan for the dangers he had
braved in her defence, by accompanying him on a
matrimonial excursion to the Continent. The cere
mony was again performed on their return to Eng
land with the consent of the lady's parents.
In Moore's diary I find a very singular statement
respecting this duel. Lord Thanet declared that
Lord John Townshend and Hare went to Bath for the
purpose of getting acquainted with Matthews, and
making inquiries about his affair with Sheridan.
Matthews described the duel as a mere hoax — in fact,
no duel at all — that Sheridan came drunh, and that he
(Matthews) could have killed him with the greatest
ease if he had chosen.
A precious feUow this Matthews !*
Captain Sidney and the Rev. Me. Bate.
(a. d. 1777.)
This was an editorial duel of the gravest descrip
tion ; partaking, however, more of the nature of a ren
contre. It occurred at the Adelphi Tavern, in the
* Mem. of T. Moore, vol. iii. p. 233.
VOL. II. C

18 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Strand, in the year 1777. Mr. Bate was the editor of
the ' Morning Post.' The cause of quarrel arose from
some offensive paragraphs which had appeared in the
' Morning Post,^ highly reflecting on the character of
a lady of rank. After having discharged their pistols
at each other without effect, they drew their swords ;
and Captain Stoney received a wound in the breast
and arm, and the reverend gentleman one in the arm.
The sword of the latter bent and slanted against the
captain's breast bone, of which Mr. Bate apprising
him, Captain Stoney caUed to him to straighten it.
MeanwhUe, however, whUe the sword was under his
foot for the purpose, the door was broken open, or the
death of one of the parties wonld most certainly have
ensued. On the Saturday following Captain Stoney married
the lady whom he had thus defended at the hazard of
his life.
This is another instance of a duel fought without
seconds, in circumstances which, in the event of a fatal
issue, must have involved doubts simUar to those con
nected with the case of Lord Byron and Mr. Cha
worth. This Reverend Mr. Bate seems to have been a
rather a pugnacious editor of our ancient worthy the
'Morning Post.' Three years after this' affair we
find him fighting again— this time with a student of
the law — a Cambridge man — engaged on the same
paper. The quarrel arose from some circumstances

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 19
relating to the conduct of the ' Morning Post.' The
chance of the first fire falUng to the reverend gentle
man, he discharged his fire and hit the law-student in
the fleshy part of the right arm. The wound, how
ever, was not sufficient to incapacitate him from re
turning the fire, which he did, but without effect.
The seconds then interfered, and the affair was ad
justed. Count Rice and Viscount Du Baeey.
(A. D. 1778.)
This terrible encounter occurred at Bath in the year
1778. It happened that Count Rice and Viscount Du
Barry, being together in the house of the latter, a
question arose between them about which they dis
agreed ; and in the heat of the dispute, upon an asser
tion of Count Rice, Viscount Du Barry said, " Cela
n' est pas vrai" ("That's not true"), to which Count
Rice immediately observed, "Ton probably do not
observe the idea that expression conveys in the lan
guage you speak in, and that it admits but of one very
disagreeable interpretation." Upon which the other
replied, " Ton may interpret it as you please." This
ungentleman-like treatment having provoked the re
sentment of Count Rice, and Viscount Du Barry offer
ing no apology, they immediately sent for seconds,
who did not quit them till they got to Claverton
Down, where they remained, together with a surgeon,
until daylight, when they took the field, each armed
with two pistols and a sword. C 2

20 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
The ground being marked out by the seconds, the
Viscount Du Barry fired first, and lodged a ball in
Count Rice's thigh, which penetrated as far as the
bone. Count Rice then fired and wounded the Vis
count in the breast. The latter went back two or
three steps, then came forward again, and both at the
same time presented their pistols tp each other. The
pistols flashed together in the pan, but only one was
discharged, without effect. They then threw away
their pistols, and took to their swords.
When Count Rice had advanced within a few yards
of the Viscount, he saw him fall, and heard him cry
out, " I ask for life." To which Count Rice answered,
" I give it you." But in a few seconds the Viscount
fell back and expired. Count Rice was carried with
difficulty to Bath, being dangerously wounded ; but
he afterwards recovered. Fox AND Me. Adam.
(A.D. 1779.)
This celebrated politician and minister having ani
madverted with some degree of asperity on a particu
lar species of argument, as he caUed it, frequently made
use of by the friends of ministers — namely, " That bad
as the ministers were, it was not certain that the na
tion would be at aU bettered by taking their oppo
nents," — a Mr. Adam, who had made use of this
argument in the same debate, caUed on Fox, some days
after for an explanation, as appears by the foUowing
letters : —

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 21
"Mr. Adam presents his compliments to Mr. Fox,
and begs leave to represent to him that upon consider
ing again and again what had passed between them
last night, it is impossible for him to have his character
cleared to the public without inserting the following
paragraph in the newspapers : — ' We have authority to
assure the public that, in a conversation that passed
between Mr. Fox and Mr. Adam, in consequence of
the debate in the House of Commons on Thursday
last, Mr. Fox declared that how much his speech may
have been misrepresented, he did not mean to throw
any personal reflection on Mr. Adam.'
" Major Humberstone does me the honour of deliver
ing this to you, and will bring your answer.
" To the Hon. Charles James Fox."
To this letter Fox replied as follows : —
" Sir, — I am very sorry it is utterly inconsistent
with my ideas of propriety to authorize the putting
anything into the newspapers relative to a speech
which, in my opinion, required no explanation. You,
who heard the speech, must know that it did convey
no personal reflection upon you, unless you felt your
self in the predicament upon which I animadverted.
The account of my speech in the newspapers is cer
tainly incorrect, and certainly unauthorized by me ;
and, therefore, with respect to them, I have nothing to
say. " Neither the conversation that passed at Brookes' s,
nor this letter, are of a secret nature ; and if you have

22 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
any wish to relate the one, or to show the other, you
are perfectly at liberty so to do. — I am, etc., etc.
"Chesterfield Street, half-past Two, Sunday,
Nov. 28, 1779.
" To — Adam, Esti."
To this letter Mr. Adam replied : —
" Sir, — As you must be sensible that the speech
printed in the newspapers, reflects upon me per
sonally ; and as it is from them only that the pubUc
can have their information, it is evident that, unless
that is contradicted by your authority in as public a
manner as it was given, my character must be injured.
Your refusal to do this entitles me to presume that you
approve of the manner in which that speech has been
given to the public, and justifies me in demanding the
only satisfaction such an injury wiU admit of.
"Major Humberstone is empowered to settle all
particulars ; and the sooner this affair is brought to a
conclusion the more agreeable to me. — I have the
honour to be, etc., etc.
" To the Son. Charles James Fox."
In consequence of the above, the parties met, ac
cording to an agreement, at eight o'clock in the morn
ing. After the ground was measured out, at the
distance of fourteen paces, Fitzgerald, his second, said
to Fox, "You must stand sideways." The latter re
plied, " Why ? I am as thick one way as the other."
Mr. Adam desired Fox to fire — to which the latter re
plied, "I'U be d— d if I do. I have no quarrel."

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 23
Adam then fired, and wounded Fox, which does not
appear to have been perceived by Mr. Adam, as it was
not distinctly seen by either of the seconds. The se
conds then interfered, asking Mr. Adam if he was
satisfied. Mr. Adam replied, "WiU Mr. Fox declare
he meant no personal attack on my character ?" Upon
which Fox said, " This is no place for apology, and
I desire him to go on." Mr. Adam fired his remain
ing pistol without effect. Fox fired his pistol in the
air ; and then saying, as the affair was ended, he had
no difficulty in declaring that he meant no more per
sonal affront to Mr. Adam than he did to either of the
other gentlemen present. Mr. Adam replied, " Sir,
you have behaved like a man of honour."
Fox then mentioned that he believed himself
wounded, and upon opening his waistcoat it was
found that such was the case, but to all appearance
slightly. The parties then separated, and Fox's wound
on examination was found not likely to produce any
dangerous consequences.
It is impossible to speak too highly of the manly
bearing of Fox throughout this transaction ; but that
of his antagonist is open to censure throughout, but
most especially in having evidently first ascertained
whether Fox intended to fire, thus securing an im
mense advantage, as I have shown in a previous chap
ter.* Most probably he missed at the second dis
charge, because he thought that Fox intended to fire,
* Chap. VI., p. 113.

24 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
especiaUy if, contrary to the opinion of the seconds, he
did perceive that Fox was hit.
On discovering his wound, and in allusion to a report
then prevalent as to the badness of the ammunition
supplied to the army, it is said that Fox jocosely ex
claimed, " Egad ! . Adam, it would have been all over
with me, if you had not been charged with Government
powder 1"
The Eael of Shelbuene and Colonel Fullarton.
(a.d. 1780.)
Col. Fullarton, member for Plympton, and formerly
secretary to Lord Stormont, in his embassy to the Court
of France, complained to the House of the ungentle-
manlike behaviour of the Earl of Shelburne, " who,"
he said, " with all the aristocratic insolence that marks
that nobleman's character, had, in effect, dared to say
that he and his regiment were as ready to act against
the liberties of England as against her enemies." This
occasioned some altercation between those who were
the friends of each party ; but being generaUy thought
unparliamentary, it went at that time no further. Two
days afterwards, however, the parties met in Hyde
Park, Lord Shelburne having Lord Frederick Caven
dish for his second, and Colonel Fullarton being at
tended by Lord Balcarres.
It was half-past five o'clock in the morning of
March 22, 1780. Lord Balcarres and Lord F. Caven
dish proposed that both parties should obey the se-

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 25
conds. Lord Shelburne and Colonel FuUarton walked
together while the seconds adjusted all the ceremo
nials. Pistols were the weapons selected. Lord Shel
burne stated that his pistols were already loaded, and
offered to draw them, which was rejected by Lord
Balcarres and Colonel Fullarton; upon which Lord
Balcarres loaded Colonel FuUarton's pistols. The se
conds having agreed that twelve paces was a proper
distance, the parties took their ground.
Colonel Fullarton, the insulted individual, desired
Lord Shelburne to fire first, which his lordship de
clined, and Colonel Fullarton was ordered by the se
conds to fire. He fired, and missed. Lord Shelburne
returned it, and missed. The Colonel then fired his
second pistol, and hit Lord Shelburne in the right
groin, which his lordship signified, upon which the
seconds and everybody ran up ; the seconds then in
terfered. Lord Cavendish offered to take the pistol
from Lord Shelburne, but his lordship refused to de
liver it up, saying, " I have not fired that pistol."
Thereupon Colonel Fullarton returned immediately to
his ground, which he had left vrith a view of assisting
his lordship, and repeatedly desired his lordship to
fire at him. Lord Shelburne said, " Sure, Sir, you do
not think I would fire my pistol at you," and fired in
the air. The parties and their seconds came together.
Lord Balcarres asked Lord Shelburne if he had any dif
ficulty in declaring that he meant nothing personal to
Colonel FuUarton. His lordship replied, " You know

26 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
it has taken another course ; this is no time for expla
nation." His lordship then said to Colonel Fullarton,
" Although I am wounded, I am able to go on if you
feel any resentment." Colonel Fullarton said, "He
hoped he was incapable of harbouring such a senti
ment." Lord F. Cavendish declared that, from the.
character he had heard of Colonel FuUarton, he be
lieved so. Colonel FuUarton said, "As your lordship
is wounded, and has fired in the air, it is impossible
for me to go on." Thereupon Lord Balcarres and
Lord F. Cavendish declared, "that the parties had
ended the affair by behaving as men of the strictest
honour." This affair derives additional interest from a remark
able message, sent from the City and Common CouncU,
highly approving of the conduct of the Earl of Shel
burne. " The Committee of Common Council for corre
sponding with the Committees appointed, or to be
appointed, by the several counties, cities, and boroughs
in this kingdom, anxious for the preservation of the
valuable life of so true a friend of the people as the
Earl of Shelburne, respectfully inquire after his lord
ship's safety, highly endangered, in consequence of
his upright and spirited conduct in Parliament.
" By Order of the Committee.
" W. Rix."
" Tlie Earl of Shelburne."

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 27
Me. Donovan and Captain Hanson.
(a.d. 1780.)
In this affair, the only ground of quarrel between
the parties was, that Mr. Donovan interfered between
Captain Hanson and another person, and prevented
their fighting; on which Captain Hanson gave him
very abusive language, and. insisted that "he would
make him smell powder." Thus, the Captain was
entfrely in fault. The parties met in a field near the
'Dog and Duck,' at Kingston, Surrey, and the Cap
tain received a bullet in the belly, and died about
twenty-four hours after. He declared to two eminent
surgeons who attended him, and to several other
persons, that Mr. Donovan behaved during the action,
and after it, with the greatest honour, tenderness, and
concern ; and he particularly desired that no prosecu
tion should be carried on against him, as he himself
was solely in fault, by an unprovoked rashness of tem
per and heat of passion.
Donovan was tried for murder, and the Judge, the
Hon. Mr. Justice Gould, in his charge to the jury said,
" Though he allowed that all the circumstances were
as favourable to the prisoner as in such a case could
be, yet, as the idea of honour was so often mentioned,
he must say and inform the jury and the auditors,
that it was false honour in men to break the laws of
God and their country ; that going out to fight a duel
was, in both parties, a deliberate resolution to commit

28 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
murder, and there could be no honour in so savage a
custom, which, however disguised in words, is contrary
to the principles and happiness of society, and ought
to be reprobated in every weU-regulated community."
The jury, without going out of court, acquitted the
prisoner of the murder, and found him guilty of man
slaughter on the coroner's inquest. The Judge fined
him ten pounds to the King, which being paid in the
court, he was immediately discharged.
The Reverend Me. Allen and Lloyd Duiany, Esq.
(A.D. 1779.)
The reverend gentleman in this duel was, Uke Mr.
Bate before mentioned, a writer engaged on the
' Morning Post,' and Mr. Dulany was a gentleman of
a most respectable character, and large property in
Maryland, America. The quarrel between these gen
tlemen arose from a circumstance of three years'
standing. A paragraph or article called " Characters
of Principal Men in RebeUion," published in the
'Morning Post,' June 29, 1779, referred to the first
and fifth of July the same year, and now recognized
by Allen, in a letter, avowed himself the author of
these characters, retorting the charge of "liar and
assassin" upon Mr. Dulany, telUng him he did not
mean to dispute with but to punish him, and if he
harboured any resentment or revenge, the bearer, his
second, would put him in the way of securing its
immediate execution.

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 29
Sundry verbal messages ensued, and at last the
parties met about half-past nine on a fine summer's
evening, when, at the distance of eight yards, they
fired at each other, and Mr. Dulany fell, and died
about six days after.
Allen and his second had to take their trial at the
Old Bailey. A woman deposed to the somewhat ugly
fact that she saw the reverend gentleman shooting at
a mark or "practising," in a field near Blackfiiars
Bridge, with pistols, between eleven and twelve o'clock,
on the very day of the duel. Her master and his son
confirmed the fact, but could not swear positively to
the person. But it must be stated that a gentleman
of the highest respectabUity and two ladies proved an
alibi as to the day's practice, and several other per
sons gave Alien an exceUent character. The jury
brought in a verdict of guilty of manslaughter against
Allen, acquitting his second. The Recorder, then,
"after a pathetic speech," pronounced sentence on
Allen, of one shilUng fine, and to be imprisoned six
months in Newgate.
A Duel prevented by a Clergyman.
(a.d. 1783.)
Two officers of the army, with their seconds and a
surgeon, met in a field near Kensington Gravel Pits,
to, fight a duel, but were happily prevented by the
interposition of a clergyman who lived in that neigh
bourhood, and who happened to be passing by as

30 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
they alighted from their carriages. Suspecting their
intention he interfered, and by his polite and affec
tionate address, effected an honourable reconciliation
between the parties.
Me. Riddell and Me. Cunningham.
(a.d. 1783.)
Both these gentleman had belonged to the Scots
Greys, and had differed at play. Mr. Riddell had
challenged Mr. Cunningham, who had refused to
fight ; but many of the gentlemen of the Scots Greys
reviving, at intervals, that circumstance, Mr. Cunning*
ham found it necessary, for the full restoration of his
honour, to call out Mr. RiddeU. The latter, in his
turn, considering it as out of season, declined the
chaUenge until he had consulted his brother officers,
who agreed that there was no obligation on him to
meet Mr. Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham then re
solved upon forcing him to the point, and meeting
him accidentaUy he spat in his face. Mr. Riddell then
said that as this was a fresh aflront, he should take
notice of it, and went his way. He then proceeded to
make some arrangements in his affairs ; but before he
had completed them, Cunningham sent him a letter
reminding him of the affront which he had given him,
and declaring his readiness to give him satisfaction.
This note coming while the wafer was stiU wet, to the
hands of Sir James RiddeU, who was under some
apprehension of his son's situation, he opened it, and

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 31
having read it, closed it without taking any other
notice of its contents than providing, in consequence
of it, the assistance of several surgeons of the greatest
skiU and ability.
The meeting was fixed. They were both punctual.
Eight paces were measured by the seconds, and the
contending parties took their ground. They tossed
up for the first fire, which Mr. RiddeU won. Mr. Rid
dell fired, and shot Mr. Cunningham under the right
breast, the ball passing, as was supposed, through the
ribs, and lodging on the left side near the back. The
moment Cunningham received the shot he reeled, but
did not fall. He opened his waistcoat, and declared
he was mortally wounded.
Riddell still remained on his ground, when Cun
ningham, after a pause of two minutes, declared he
would not be taken off the field till he had fired at his
adversary. He then presented his pistol, and shot
RiddeU in the groin; he immediately fell, and was
carried in a hackney-coach to a surgeon's. The un
happy man lingered until seven o'clock of the foUowing
morning, and then expired.
Colonel the Hon. Cosmo Gordon and Lieutenant-
Colonel Thomas.
(a.d. 1783.)
This duel took place in the Ring in Hyde Park, in
the year 1783. It was agreed upon by the seconds
that, after receiving their pistols, they should advance,

32 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
and fire when they pleased. On arriving within eight
yards of each other, they presented and drew their
triggers nearly at the same moment, when only the
Colonel's pistol went off. The Lieutenant-Colonel,
having adjusted his pistol, fired at Colonel Gordon,
who received a severe contusion on the thigh. They
fired two more shots, but without effect, and their se
conds were called to re-load them; after which they
again advanced to nearly the same distance, arid fired,
when Lieut. -Colonel Thomas fell, being wounded in
the body. He received immediate assistance from a
surgeon, who extracted the ball on the field, but the
wound notwithstanding proved mortal.
A Desperate Duel.
(a.d. 1784.)
An officer in the navy and a gentleman in the Ger
man service fought a duel, with swords and pistols, in
a field near Bayswater. Four pistols were discharged,
one of which slightly wounded the former on the left
shoulder ; but in the rencontre with swords, the latter
was run through the thigh. A surgeon who attended
stopped the effusion of blood, which was great ; and
the gentleman was taken to his apartments in Dean
Street dangerously ill. This was the second duel that
these gentlemen had fought. The first was in France,
where they were both desperately wounded. The. cause
of the quarrel was actually only a difference of opinion
on the conduct of General Burgoyne in the Hudson's
Bay Expedition, in which they both served !

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 33
Lord Macartney and Majoe-Geneeal Stewart.
(a.d. 1786.)
This duel took place on the 8th of June, 1786. The
place of meeting having been previously fixed, the
parties arrived about half-past four in the morning,
and took their ground at the distance of twelve paces,
measured off by the seconds, who delivered to each
one pistol, keeping possession of the remaining arms.
General Stewart told Lord Macartney that he doubted,
as his lordship was short-sighted, he would not be able
to see him. His lordship replied that he did perfectly
well. When the seconds had retired a little on one
side, and when the parties were about to level. General
Stewart observed to Lord Macartney, that his pistol
was not cocked ! His lordship thanked him, and
cocked. When they had levelled. General Stewart
said, " he was ready :" his lordship answered, " he
was Ukewise ready ;" and they both fired within a few
instants of each other. The seconds, observing Lord
Macartney wounded, stepped up to him, and declared
that the matter must rest here. General Stewart said,
" This is no satisfaction," and asked if his lordship
was not able to fire another pistol. His lordship re-
pUed, that " he would try with pleasure," and urged
Colonel FuUarton to permit him to proceed. The se
conds however, declared it was impossible, and that
they would on no account allow it. General Stewart
said " Then I must defer it till another occasion ;" on
VOL. II. D

34 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
which his lordship answered, " If that be the case, we
had better proceed now. I am here in consequence of
a message from General Stewart, who called upon me
to give him satisfaction in my private capacity for of
fence taken at my public conduct ; and to evince that
personal safety is no consideration with me, I have no
thing personal : the General may proceed as he thinks
fit." General Stewart said, that "it was his lord
ship's personal conduct that he resented."
The seconds then put an end to all further conversa
tion betwen the parties, neither of whom had quitted
their ground, — Lord Macartney, in consequence of his
situation, having been under the necessity, from the
first, of placing his back against a tree. The surgeons,
who were attending at a little distance, were brought
up by Colonel Fullarton. Colonel Gordon, in the
meantime, assisted his lordship in taking off his coat,
and requested him to sit down, apprehending he might
faint through loss of blood. Colonel Gordon then left
the ground, in company with General Stewart, and
an easy carriage was provided to convey his lordship
home. Lord Macartney had fought a duel with Mr. Sadleir
about two years before. The distance was ten paces ;
the lot to fire first fell to Mr. Sadleir, who firing accord
ingly, the ball struck Lord Macartney on the ribs of
the left side, which was not known to the seconds till
after his lordship had Ukewise fired, but without effect.
It had previously been agreed between the seconds

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 35
that after the first fire, if no material execution had
been done, they should interpose their good offices to
effect a reconciliation. This they were about to do,
when it was discovered that Lord Macartney was
wounded. When the previous agreement was men
tioned to his lordship, and he was asked his senti
ments, his answer was, " that he came there to give
Mr. Sadleir satisfaction, and he was stUl ready fo do
so." Mr. Sadleir being told that Lord Macartney was
wounded, and that, in the present circumstances, the
affair could not honourably be pursued any farther, ac
quiesced and declared that he was satisfied, and thus
the affair ended.
The Chevaliee La B. and Captain S. : " saved by a
button."
(a.d. 1787.)
Two years before the great French Revolution, a
French officer, unguardedly, delivered himself of the
aphorism that " the English army had more phlegm
than spirit" — a sentiment which really had a sub
stratum of truth, but was awkwardly worded. He
should have said that phlegm was one shape of the
spirit of the British army. The name of this incau
tious Frenchman was artfully veiled under that of the
Chevalier La B., and that of the English officer, who
promptly chaUenged him, was thinly disguised under
that of Captain S., of the Eleventh Regiment. Of
course the gallant champion of England was well
D 2

36 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
known to every Briton. The offence would appear to
have been so deadly that the parties were placed at
the alarmingly short distance of only five paces —
which, allowing for the length of the pistol and the
forearm in position, reduced the distance of the muz
zles to something like four yards, at the most. Cap
tain S. fired first, and his ball "took place," to use
the words of the authorized report of the transaction,
and as might be expected, on the Chevalier's breast;
but, by a marvel of good luck, it was stopped by a
metal button. The Chevalier, touched by so happy a
deliverance, magnanimously fired in the air, and ac
knowledged that the English have both spirit and
phlegm. A Duellist saved by a Horseshoe.
Metal buttons, watches, and coins in the pocket
have often saved the lives of duelUsts, but we read of
a curious case in which a horseshoe performed that
providential office. The incident occurred about the
year 1823, and is thus described: — "A person con
nected with the family of the writer of these notes,
was riding out one morning in Ireland, accompanied by
sympathizing friends, to arrange a little " difficulty "
of the same description. When at the gate his eye
fell upon a horseshoe. With obstreperous cries of re
joicing, he was called on to dismount and pick it up.
All felicitated him on so lucky an omen. He put it
into his pocket, and his adversary's ball actually struck

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 37
it over the region of the heart, and glanced off at an
angle."* Such interpositions may well be a matter for congra
tulation, but I apprehend that, in strictness, metallic
buttons, coins in the pocket, and of course horseshoes,
should be proscribed in duelUng with pistols, just as
much as coat-of-mail in conflicts with the sword. As
the firer of the would-be fatal shot may be killed by
his protected antagonist, it is not fair to give the latter
this undue advantage.
The case of General Bonnet, related in the sequel,t is
another remarkable instance of such a lucky inter
position. A propos of this subject, a joke is related of the
jester Perpignan, who, on hearing that one of two
parties to a duel owed his Ufe to a five franc piece
which happened to be in his pocket, exclaimed, " Well,
I would have been killed !" " How so ?" he was
asked. " Why, my dear fellow," he replied, " I have
never a five franc piece to spend, much less to put into
my pocket."
Me. Purepoy and Colonel Roper.
(a.d. 1788.)
In 1787, Colonel Roper was Commander-in-Chief of
the Island of St. Vincent, and Mr. Purefoy was ensign
of the 66th Regiment. The latter having obtained
* 'All the Year Eound,' April 18, 1863..
t Next chapter, ' Generals Ornano and Bonnet, a.d. 1814.'

38 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
leave of absence, had a festive day with some of the
junior officers, in which they committed such excesses
as occasioned a complaint to Colonel Roper, by whom
the leave of absence was recalled. The remonstrances
of Mr. Purefoy were made in such a style as to induce
Colonel Roper to bring him to a court-martial. By
their verdict he was declared to have forfeited his com
mission ; and this verdict was afterwards confirmed by
his Majesty. This was the origin of the quarrel.
The parties fought on the 21st December, 1788, when
the Colonel was killed.
Purefoy was tried for the offence seven years after,
and the evidence, particularly that of General Stanwix,
the second to Colonel Roper, was extremely favourable
to the prisoner, who, being called upon for his defence,
said that he had entertained no malice against the de
ceased; that he had been led by the call of honour, or,
more properly speaking, driven by the tyranny of
custom, to an act which in early life had embittered
his existence, but without which he was taught to be
lieve that he should lose all consideration which society
could afford. The last challenge, he observed, had
come from Colonel Roper, and as some expiation of
the offence, he had already suffered six years of exile,
and nine months' close confinement. He was ac
quitted.

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 30
His Royal Highness the Duke op York and
Colonel Lenox.
(a.d. 1789.)
This celebrated affair occurred on the 17th of May,
1789. The dispute originated in an expression of the
Duke of York, " That Colonel Lenox had heard words
spoken to him at Daubigny's to which no gentleman
ought to have submitted." This observation being
repeated to Colonel Lenox, he took the opportunity
while his Royal Highness was on parade to address
him, desiring to know what were the words which he
submitted to hear, and by whom they were uttered.
To this his Royal Highness gave no other answer than
by ordering him to his post. The parade over, his
Royal Highness went into the orderly room, and send
ing for Colonel Lenox, intimated to him, in the pre
sence of all the officers, that " he desired to derive no
protection from his rank as a prince, and his station as
commanding officer, but that when not on duty, he
wore a brown coat, and was ready, as a private gentle
man, to give the Colonel satisfaction." Here I may
remark that Colonel Lenox was most irregular in
addressing his commanding officer on such a subject
whilst on parade, and that his Royal Highness's reply
was strictly proper for the occasion.
After the declaration of the Duke, Colonel Lenox
wrote a circular letter to every member of the club at
Daubigny's, requesting to know whether such words

40 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
had been used to him, and appointing a particular day
for an answer from each, — their silence to be considered
as a declaration that no such words could be recollected.
On the expiration of the term limited for an answer to
the circular letter, the Colonel sent a written message
to his Royal Highness to this purport: — "That not
being able to recollect any occasion on which words
had been spoken to him at Daubigny's, to which a
gentleman ought not to submit, he had taken the step
which had appeared to him most likely to gain infor
mation of the words to which his Royal Highness hail
alluded, and of the person who had used them, — that
none of the members of the club had given him infor
mation of any such insult being in their knowledge, —
and, therefore, he expected, in justice to his character,
that his Royal Highness should contradict the report
as publicly as he had asserted it."
This letter was delivered to his Royal Highness by
the Earl of Winchilsea, when, the answer returned not
proving satisfactory, a message was sent to his Royal
Highness desiring a meeting. This was acceded to,
and the time and place were settled that evening.
Lord Rawdon was second to the Duke of York, and
the Eail of Winchilsea to Colonel Lenox.
The ineeting took place on Wimbledon Common.
The Duke of York received Colonel Lenox's fire, but
did not fire himself. The ball from Colonel Lenox
grazed a curl of his Royal Highness's hair !
Some days after this. Colonel Lenox made a requi-

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 41
sition to the Duke of York, as colonel of the Cold
stream Regiment, that his Royal Highness would per
mit a call of the officers of that corps, in order that
certain propositions touching his conduct and situation
might be submitted to their consideration.
His Royal Highness informed the friend of Colonel
Lenox, " that he could not possibly oppose any design
which might tend to relieve Colonel Lenox from his
present embarrassment. The meeting of this military
convention was held .at the orderly room, and after a
considerable deliberation, there was an adjournment ;
but at the subsequent meeting the convention came to
the following resolution : — " It is the opinion of the
Coldstream Regiment that, subsequent to the 15th of
May, the day of the meeting at the orderly room,
Lieut. -Colonel Lenox has behaved with courage, but,
from the peculiar difficulty of his situation, not with
judgment." Colonel Lenox soon after exchanged from the Duke
of York's regiment into the 35th Regiment of Foot.
Altogether this was a very singular affair. The
Royal Duke had a very narrow escape, so that it was a
duel in earnest. By firing in the air, he, of course, put
an end to the combat, no apology or explanation being
given ; and so to the present day it is uncertain whether
the Duke had not been misinformed as to the words
spoken to Colonel Lenox, or that he wished to screen
somebody whom it would have been inconvenient to
put forward as his authority for the damaging assertion.

42 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
That the Duke's escape was a narrow one is still
further shown by another shot of the same Colonel
Lenox in the following affair, apparently arising out of
the same transaction.
Colonel Lenox and Mr. Theophilus SvycPT.
(a.d. 1789.)
This meeting was in consequence of some expres
sions reflecting on the character of Colonel Lenox,
published in a pamphlet with the name of Theophilus
Swift, Esq. Colonel Lenox called on Mr. Swift and
demanded satisfaction.
They met in a field near the Uxbridge Road, at
tended by Sir W. A. Browne and Lieut.- Colonel
Phipps. Ten paces were measured by the seconds;
and it was agreed that Colonel Lenox should fire first.
The parties having taken their ground. Colonel Lenox
asked if Mr. Swift was ready ? On his answering
that he was. Colonel Lenox tired, and the ball was
lodged in the body of Mr. Swift, whose pistol, on his
receiving the wound, went off without effect. The
parties then quitted the ground. It is but just to say
that both gentlemen behaved with the utmost degree
of coolness and intrepidity. Mr. Swift recovered from
his wound. CUREAN, M.P., AND MaJOE HoBART.
This duel was fought at Luttrelstown on "Tom
Fool's Day," April 1st, 1790. It was occasioned by

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 43
some words uttered in Parliament. The meeting took
place at the Hermitage, one of Lord Carhampton's
seats. Curran was attended by Mr. Egan, Major Ho
bart by Lord Carhampton. Being put to their ground,
and having agreed to fire as they chose, Curran fired
first, without effect ; whereupon Major Hobart said,
" He hoped Mr. Curran was satisfied." Mr. Egan
then called out to Major Hobart that he had not fired,
as had Mr. Curran. The Major, advancing a step or
two towards Curran, repeated what he had said before.
Curran replied, " I am sorry. Sir, you have taken this
advantage ; but you have made it impossible for me
not to be satisfied." Thus the affair ended.
Sir George Ramsay and Captain Macrae.
(a.d. 1790.)
This fatal meeting took place near Edinburgh. The
circumstances were as follows : — A servant of Sir
George's, keeping a chair at the door of the Edin
burgh Theatre, was ordered by Captain Macrae to re
move it. On his objecting, some words ensued, and
the fracas concluded in Captain Macrae chastising the
servant very severely.
Meeting the next day with Sir George Ramsay, the
Captain insisted on his dismissing the man from his
service. This was refused, on the ground, that what
ever was the misconduct of the servant, he had already
received a sufficient punishment. A challenge was the
immediate consequence of this refusal.

44 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
The parties met on Musselbrough Links, Sir George
Ramsay accompanied by Sir William Maxwell, and
Captain Macrae by Mr. Hay.
' The former fired first, but without effect. Captain
Macrae returned the fire, and lodged his ball near the
heart of his antagonist. Sir George languished in
much agony until the foUowing morning, when he
expired. He was a gentleman of the most amiable character
and disposition, and had but lately married a beautiful
young lady, the sister of Lord Saltoun.
Captain Macrae and his second immediately fled.
The poor fellow on whose account this duel hap
pened, no sooner heard of his master's fate than he
fell into strong convulsions, and died in the course of
a few hours.
Macrae not having appeared to stand his trial, sen
tence of outlawry was pronounced against him.
Mr. Graham, the Eminent Speclal Pleader, and a
Mr. Julius, a Law-Student.
(a.d. 1791.)
Mr. Graham, the eminent special pleader, of the
Temple, and a Mr. Julius, a pupil in the office of
Messrs. Graham, attorneys, of Lincoln's Inn, brothers
of the former, had dined together at the house of a
Mr. Black, on a Sunday; and after dinner, having
drunk freely, Mr. Julius expressing some free opinions
concerning religion, much abrupt language passed

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 45
between them. They were reconciled, however, on
that day, and returned to town in the same carriage.
On the Monday following they met again after dinner,
at the chambers of Mr. Graham, the brother of the
special pleader, where the dispute about religion was
unfortunately renewed, apparently without malignity.
At any rate, no challenge was given that night ; but
in the morning, Mr. Graham called upon Mr. Julius
for an apology for some expressions he had used, which
being refused, they went out together, Mr. Graham
attended by Mr. EUis, and Mr. Julius by Mr. MaxweU.
A pupil of an eminent surgeon attended them to
Blackheath. The combatants were posted ; they fired ;
and Mr. Graham fell by a shot which passed almost
through the' lower part of his belly. He was brought
to town in a post-chaise, and the exertions of the
most eminent of the faculty were in vain used for his
relief — the ball having laid open the femoral artery, —
and it being impossible to stop the flow of blood, he
expired in the afternoon of the next day.
Mr. Graham was a gentleman of considerable emi
nence in his profession, and of an esteemed character in
private life. Mr. Julius was a son of a very respectable
attorney at St. Kitt's, in the West Indies, and is said
not to have been the least to blame in this quarrel.
Lord Lauderdale and General Arnold.
(a.d. 1792.)
In this affair. Lord Lauderdale was attended by

4(i THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Charles James Fox, and General Arnold by Lord
Hawke. The meeting took place near KUburn WeUs.
The cause was a long misunderstanding which it was
found impossible to conciliate. Lord Lauderdale re
ceived the General's fire unhurt, when his lordship
declined to return the shot ; the seconds retired for
^bout ten minutes, and the result was the termination
of the affair. The noble Earl, on being desired to
fire, observed that he did not come there to fire at the
General, nor could he retract the offensive expressions
he had used ; if General Arnold was not satisfied, he
might fire till he was. A similar meeting took place,
a few days before, between the same noble Earl and
the Duke of Richmond.
The Eael of Lonsdale and Captain Cuthbert, of
THE Guards.
(a.d. 1792.)
The cause of this duel was as follows : — Captain
Cuthbert being on duty in the locality, in order to
obviate all increasing disturbance in Mount Street,
had directed that no carriage should be suffered to
pass that way. Lord Lonsdale, who came in his car
riage to Mount Street, was consequently obstructed;
and finding the impediment insuperable, his temper
was somewhat ruffled. Addressing himself, therefore,
to Captain Cuthbert, he exclaimed, "You rascal, do
you know that I am a peer of the realm ?" The
Captain immediately replied, " I don't know that you

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 47
are a peer, but I know you are a scoundrel for apply
ing such a term to an officer on duty, and I will make
you answer for it." A meeting of course took place,
but, after the discharge of a brace of pistols on each
side, it terminated without injury to either party.
Lord Lonsdale's last shot, however, would probably
have been fatal if the ball had not luckily struck a
button of Captain Cuthbert's coat, which repelled it.
The seconds then interfered, and matters were amicably
adjusted. Majoe Sweetman and Captain Watson.
(a.d. 1796.)
This duel is remarkable for the shortness of the
distance at which it was fought. It originated in a
dispute at the opera, and was fought at Cobham. The
combatants were posted by the seconds at the distance
of ten yards ; but Major Sweetman, who was short
sighted, complaining that he could not see clearly.
Captain Watson called out to him to advance tUl he
was satisfied. He advanced to within four yards,
when both parties fired together. Captain Watson's
ball went in at Major Sweetman's right breast and came
out at his left. He fell, and instantly expired. Cap
tain Watson was wounded in the upper part of the
thigh, but ultimately recovered, the ball having been
extracted. Captain Watson was tried for "the murder" of
Major Sweetman. He was stiU very ill of his wound.

48 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
and was carried into court on a sofa covered with
black. The surgeons refusing to be examined, through
fear of being implicated in the crime with which the
prisoner was charged, the trial was very short, and
the result was that Captain Watson was acquitted.
This occurred on the 20th March, 1796, the duel
having been fought on the 12th of January of the same
year. Me. Richaed England and Me. Rowlls.
(a.d, 1784.)
The circumstances of this affair were related at the
consequent trial, at the Old BaUey, by Lord Derby,
as a witness. It occurred at Cranford Bridge, on the
]8th of June, 1784. Lord Derby said that he was
present at Ascot Races. When in the stand upon the
race-course, he heard Mr. England cautioning the
gentlemen present not to bet with the deceased,
Mr. Rowlls, as he neither paid what he lost nor what
he borrowed. On which, Mr. RowUs went up to him,
called him a rascal or scoundrel, and offered to strike
him, when Mr. England bid him stand off, or he
would be obliged to knock him down, saying at the
same time, " We have interrupted the company suffi
ciently here, and if you have anything further to say
to me, you know where I am to be found." A fur
ther altercation ensued, but his lordship being at the
other end of the stand, did not distinctly hear it ; and
then the parties retired. Lord Dartrey, afterwards

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 49
Lord Cremorne, and his lady, with a gentleman, were
at the inn at the time the duel was fought. They
went into the garden and endeavoured to prevent the
duel; several other persons were collected in the
garden. Mr. RowUs desired his lordship and others
not to interfere ; and on a second attempt of his lord
ship to make peace, Mr. Rowlls said, " If they did
not retire, he must, though reluctantly, call them im
pertinent." Mr. England at the same time stepped
forward, and took off his hat ; he said, " Gentlemen,
I have been cruelly treated ; I have been injured in
my honour and character; let reparation be made;
and I am ready to have it done this moment." Lady
Dartrey retired. His lordship stood in the bower
of the garden, until he saw Mr. RowUs fall.
At the trial, the Earl of Derby, the Marquis of
Hertford, and several other gentlemen deposed to the
character of Mr. England, all speaking of him as a
man of decent, gentlemanly deportment, who, instead
of seeking quarrels, was studious to avoid them. He
had been friendly to Englishmen while abroad, and
had rendered some service to the military at the siege
of Newport.
He was convicted of " manslaughter ;" but the pri
soner having fled from the laws of his country for
twelve years, the court was disposed to show no lenity ;
he was, therefore, sentenced to pay a fine of one shil
ling, and to be imprisoned in Newgate for twelve
months. VOL. II. 1

50 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Such is the account of this duel quoted by Millin
gen, but there happens to be another, totaUy different
in the most important particulars. According to Sey
mour Harcourt,* this Richard England was no other
than the notorious " Dick England," celebrated in the
annals of gambling, and the following is his version of
the "affair":—
^'Mr. William Peter le Rowles, of Kingston,
brewer, was habituaUy fond of play. On one occasion
he was induced, when in a state of intoxication, to
play with Dick England, who claimed, in consequence,
winnings to the amount of two hundred guineas. Mr.
R. utterly denied the debt, and was in consequence
pursued by England until he was compelled to a duel,
in which Mr. R. fell. Lord Dartrey, afterwards Lord
Cremorne, was present at Ascot Heath Races on the
fatal occasion, which happened in 1784; and his evi
dence before the coroner's inquest produced a verdict
of wilful murder against Dick England, who fled at
that time, but returned twelve years afterwards, was
tried, and found guUty of manslaughter only. He
was imprisoned for twelve months. England was
strongly suspected of highway robberies, particularly
on one occasion, when his associate F. was shot dead
by Colonel P  , on his return from the Curragh Races
to the town of Naas * * *. The Hon. Mr. D  r, son
of the Earl of D  e, lost forty thousand pounds to
Dick England, and shot himself at Staoie's Hotel, in
* ' The Gaming Calendar,' p. 78.

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 51
consequence, the very night before his honourable
father had sent his steward to pay it in full, — though
aware that he had been cheated out of it."
With such a character, how was it possible that the
above-named noblemen could come forward in his fa
vour at the trial ? EasUy enough. They knew the
man only as a turf companion. We can come to no
other conclusion, — ^remembering other instances of the
kind. For example, the case of Palmer, convicted for
the poisoning of Cooke. Had Palmer been on his
trial merely for fighting a fatal duel, there can be no
doubt that several noblemen would have come for
ward to give him a good character. I was present at
his trial, and saw him how to one, at least, of our most
distinguished noblemen when the latter took his seat
near the judge, at his trial. There was a turf acquaint
ance between them, and, of course, all " acquaintance"
may be presumed upon, if we lay ourselves open to
the degradation. Colonel King and Colonel Fitzgerald.
(1797.)
The cause of this remarkable affair was a case of
seduction in the higher circles.
The Hon. Miss King, who lived with her mother,
eloped from Windsor. There were many circumstances
attending the elopement which led to a suspicion of
the person who had seduced her from her duty.
Colonel Fitzgerald, who was married to a very beau-
E 2

52 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
tiful lady, and was second cousin to Miss King, had
been very attentive to her for some time ; and, it
appears, had previously found means to lead her astray.
She was very young, being only sixteen years of age ;
and her habits of life had been such as to leave her
more uninformed of the vicious habits of the world
than happens to most young people, even at that early

At length Colonel Fitzgerald was accused by her
friends as being accessory to her elopement, when he
was extremely indignant, and threatened to fight any
person who should accuse him. The affiicted parent,
by the advice of friends, had recourse, at length, to
the newspapers, and having repeatedly advertised in
vain, for her daughter, was induced to offer a reward
of a hundred guineas for her recovery. It was in con
sequence of the reward offered that a young woman,
daughter of the mistress of the house where Miss
King was concealed, in Clayton Street, Kennington,
discovered her and her seducer.
As soon as Lord Kingsborough, who was in Ireland,
heard of the fate of his daughter, he came to England
with his son. Colonel King, and the first step was to
find out Colonel Fitzgerald, which was not done with
out some difficulty ; as they were determined to call
him to a personal and severe account.
Lord Kingsborough wrote to his friend Major Wood,
at Ashford, requesting his immediate attendance in
town. As soon as he arrived a meeting was appointed,

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 53
and a duel took place, of which the following particu
lars are given by Major Wood to a friend : —
" Agreeably to an arranged plan I accompanied
Colonel King to a spot near the magazine in the park.
Colonel Fitzgerald we met at Grosvenor Gate, unaccom
panied by a friend, which, by the way, he told me
yesterday he feared he should not be able to provide,
in consequence of the odium which was thrown upon
his character, at the same time observing, ' That he
was so sensible of my honour that he was perfectly
satisfied to meet Colonel King, unattended by a
friend.' I decidedly refused any interference on his
part, informing him, ' That had not nearer relations
of the  * been on the spot, he would have seen me
as principal.' He replied, ' He would try to procure
a friend,' and withdrew. I addressed him this mom
ing by, ' Where is your friend. Sir ?' Answer (as well
as I can recollect), ' I have not been able to procure
one. I rest assured that you wUl act fairly.'
" I then desired him to apply to his surgeon, which
he immediately did, who refused appearing as a se
cond, but said he would be in view. Colonel King
was equally desirous to go on with the business. I
consented. However, I prevaUed upon a surgeon, who
accompanied Dr. Browne, to be present as a witness
that all was fairly conducted. It was no common
business. * This blank seems to represent a vile epithet applied to the
poor seduced young lady.

54 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
" I placed them at ten short paces' distance from
each other. That distance I thought too far, but I
indulged a hope that Colonel Fitzgerald, sensible of
the vileness of his conduct, would, after the first fire,
have thrown himself on Colonel E[ing's humanity.
His conduct was quite the reverse. In short, they
exchanged six shots without effect. King was cool
and determined. The other also was determined, and,
to all appearance, obstinately bent on blood. After the
fourth shot, he said something to me about giving him
advice as a friend. I told him I was no friend of his,
but that I was a friend to humanity ; that, if after what
had passed, he possessed firmness enough to acknow
ledge to Colonel King, that he was the vilest of human
beings, and bear without reply any language from
Colonel King, however harsh, the present business
then, perhaps, might come to a period. He consented
to acknowledge that he had acted wrong; but no
further. That was enough. He now attempted to
address Colonel King, who prevented him by saying,
' That he was a d — d villain, and that he would not
listen to anything he had to say.'
" They proceeded. Colonel Fitzgerald's powder
and balls were now expended. He desired to have one
of King's pistols. To this I would not consent,
though pressed to do so by my friends. Here ended
this morning's business. We must meet again. It
cannot end here. I have only to add that nothing
could exceed the firmness and propriety of Colonel
King's conduct through every stage of this business."

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 55
On leaving the ground. Colonel Fitzgerald agreed
to meet Colonel King at the same hour next day, but
both the colonels were put under arrest.
After the events just described the young lady was
removed to the country residence of her noble father,
the Earl of Kingston, at Mitchelstown, near Kilworth,
in Ireland.
Colonel Fitzgerald, feeling no remorse for what he
had done, in dishonouring by the most artful strata
gems an illustrious family, had the audacity and hardi
hood to follow the young lady to Ireland ; it is sup
posed with a view to wrest her by violence from her
parents ; and for this purpose he took lodgings at an
inn in Kilworth.
The Colonel had been there some days before his
arrival at KUworth was known, or "the object of his
expedition was discovered. He was observed to walk
out at night, and conceal himself in the day, and the
servants, at length, noticed him lurking about Mit
chelstown House, at unreasonable hours.
IntelUgence having reached Colonel King (now be
come Lord Kingsborough), he resolved to defeat his
antagonist's project, left his father's house, and went
to Kilworth, where, having inquired if that gentleman
was in the house, and being informed that he was, he
went to the apartment he was directed to, that the
Colonel lodged in.
The indignant brother rapped at the door, requiring
admittance. The Colonel, knowing his voice, repUed,

56 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
" That he was locked in, and could not open the door,
but that if he had anything to say to him he would
receive it in writing under the door." This enraged
the young nobleman, and he forced open the door, and
running to a case of pistols in the room, took one, and
desired the Colonel to take the other, and defend him
self, as he was resolved to have satisfaction for the
scheme he had formed against his sister, and which he
came to this place to put into execution.
On both seizing the pistols, they grappled with each
other, and were struggling, when the Earl of Kingston,
who had been apprized of his son's departure in pur
suit of the Colonel, and quickly followed the young
lord, entered the room, and finding them in the con
test, and that his son must lose his life, from the
situation the Colonel had him in, the Earl fired upon
the Colonel, not, it was thought, with the intention of
killing him, though his aggravation was great. But
the shot took effect, and the Colonel lost his life, but
not lamented by any one who had heard of his very
dishonourable conduct in this affair.
When Miss King was taken by her father from
England, on account of her disgrace, it was discovered,
on her arrival at Dublin, that the servant-maid who
accompanied her favoured the views of the seducer.
On her consequent dismissal from the service, she
returned to England, and was the bearer of a private
letter to Colonel Fitzgerald, the contents of which
were, it is said, sufficient to induce the Colonel, even

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 57
at the risk of his life, to make an effort to regain the
young lady. But his finances not enabling him to
undertake the journey, he borrowed a sum of money
from an amiable lady, who ought to have been most
dear to him, under the pretence of making a visit to
Dorsetshire. Thus accommodated, he set out for
Ireland, and arrived at the village of Kilworth, the
residence of the noble famUy, the place where the
young lady was then kept, and whose conduct was
then watched with particular vigilance.
The Right Hon. Willlam Pitt and George Tieeney.
(a.d. 1798.)
In consequence of some expression made use of by
Pitt, in the House of Commons, against Tierney, a
meeting took place between them on Putney Heath,
on the 21st May, 1798, at three o'clock in the after
noon. After some ineffectual attempts on the part
of the seconds to prevent further proceedings, the
parties took their ground, at the distance of twelve
paces. A brace of pistols on both sides was fired, at
the same moment, without effect. A second brace
was also fired, and in the same manner. Then, Pitt
ifring his pistol in the air, the seconds jointly inter
fered, and insisted that the matter should go no
further, it being thefr decided opinion that sufficient
satisfaction had been given, and that the business
was ended with perfect honour on both sides.

58 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Lady Duellists.
(a.d. 1790.)
Towards the end of the last century, two ladies of
fashion and repute, by name Mrs. A. and Mrs. B.,
went together to a ball, in great harmony. In the
course of the evening, however, a preference having
been given by a gentleman of gallantry to Mrs. A.,
the other lady was greatly incensed, and high words
ensued, Mrs. B. leaving with bitter denunciations of
revenge. On the following morning, the latter called
on her rival before she was up, and demanded " satis
faction" in a duel. "With all my heart," answered
Mrs. A., " as soon as I am dressed I will attend you."
So saying, she rang the bell for her maid to come and
dress her ; after which she dismissed Betty, and going
into her closet, returned with a brace of pistols. She
then very calmly proceeded to load them ; after which,
addressing Mrs. B., she said, "Madam, shaU we settle
the matter here, or in the field ?" — " In the field,
Madam," answered Mrs. B. — "WeU, then," said the
other, " I will attend you immediately." To the field
accordingly they proceeded, and were on the point of
taking their ground when a constable, who had been
fetched by Betty, interfered and stopped the- en
counter, to the great displeasure of the ftirious
rivals."* * ' Bon Ton Magazine,' 1793.

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 59
A Challenge sent by a Lady.
(a.d. 1790.)
The following correspondence passed between two
enraged ladies in the year 1790 :— *
" St. J  s P 
" Thursday morning.
" The Hon. Miss  cannot longer exist under
the public insults she has received from the Hon.
Miss  . Honourable men demand and receive
satisfaction for similar injuries. Why are Maids of
Honour to be proscribed on such occasions ? My
further sentiments will be conveyed to you by
Ensign  of the Coldstream, who is charged with
the delivery of this letter. " Yours, etc."
" To the Honourable Miss  ."
Ansiver.
" Madam, —
"You may give yourself what appeUation you
please. When the laws of honour declare it right
that a gentleman should meet a notorious blackleg, I
shall think it my duty to obey the summons of a  !
The Ensign who bore your commission is a creature of
fine feelings, for he would have fainted before he left
my apartment but for the timely appUcation of my
eau de luce." " Yours, etc."
" To the Honourable Miss  ."
* ' Western County Magazine,' 1790.

60 ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Colonel Haevey Aston and Major Allen.
(a.d. 1798.)
This duel is remarkable not only on account of its
regimental bearings, but also from the fact that the
particulars were recorded by the Duke of Wellington,
then Colonel Wellesley, as follows : — " In the month of
September, Lieutenant Hartley, who was acting quarter
master of the 12th, wrote a private letter to Colonel
Aston, stating that Major Allen had charged to his
account certain articles which had been ordered from
Europe for the use of the officers of the regiment, and
which still remained in the quartermaster's stores.
This information drew from Colonel Aston two letters ;
one to Major Picton, in which he mentions the cir
cumstance, and his opinion that the charge ought not
to have been made against Lieutenant Hartley ; another
(a private one) to Lieutenant Hartley, in which, it is
said, he expressed his surprise that Major Allen should
have acted so Uliberally. Major Picton, immediately
after he had received this letter, ordered a regimental
court of inquiry to inquire (as he says himself) into
the merits of a complaint made by Lieutenant Hartley
to Colonel Aston, that the paymaster had stopped
money out of his account for different regimental articles
in store, ' and in consequence of a letter he (Lieutenant
Hartley) has been showing to different officers of the
corps, which he said he received from you ' (Colonel
Aston) . This court of inquiry proceeded, and Colonel

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 61
Astoto, in different letters from Madras to Major
Picton, expressed his opinion of its irregularity. The
Major proposed several methods of concluding the
business, such as referring it to the Commander-in-
Chief, to all of which Colonel Aston answered that he
would have nothing to do with anything which had
been so irregular.
" At last. Major Picton called together the officers of
the regiment, and submitted the proceedings of the
court of inquiry to them. They would have nothing
to do with it, and a committee of officers was appointed
to take it into consideration."
All this was quite irregular, and Colonel Aston, as
in duty bound, gave out an order thereon. "Major
Picton wrote to Colonel Aston, requesting him to
cancel the order, without stating any reason upon
which he grounded his request. Of course. Colonel
Aston merely acknowledged his letter, without any
further answer.
"In this state of the matter. Major Picton ought
either to have endeavoured to persuade Colonel Aston
to cancel the order, and if he could not succeed in
that, he ought to have desired to stand a court-mar
tial ; or, he ought at once to have asked for a court-
martial. He adopted neither course, but went down
to Arnee and challenged Colonel Aston for an offence
which he stated him to have given him as command
ing officer of his regiment. Colonel Aston refused to
fight him on that ground ; at the same time, he said

63 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
that he should not avaU himself of the advantage
which the Major had given him, by challenging him
for an act done in his military capacity. After several
messages had passed, at last Major Picton challenged
him to fight him for having written him the letter in
which he acknowledged the receipt of his, written
from Madras. Upon that account the Colonel yielded,
absurd as the thing may seem; they went out to
fight ; Major Picton's pistol missed fire ; Colonel
Aston desired him to try again ; the seconds inter
fered, and declared he could not. Colonel Aston fired
in the afr, and said that he had no objection to declare
that he had no intention of offending Major Picton in
that letter, and that he was ready to shake hands
with him. He then said that thefr difference of
opinion respecting the order remained as it had been
before; that the Major was at liberty to take such
steps as he thought necessary to free himself from the
imputation he supposed had been thrown upon him;
and that what had passed should not prevent it, or
ever be mentioned. The parties then went home.
" Major Allen happened to be upon the ground, and
saw everything that was done. On the same morning
he called upon Colonel Aston, and desired to speak to
him. He lamented, as Colonel Aston said, the unfor
tunate circumstances which had happened, and stated
his wish to leave the corps. Colonel Aston recom
mended it to him to consider well before he took that
step. After a conversation, which lasted about an

DUELS IN ENGLAND. 63
hour and a half, respecting Lieutenant Hartley and
different subjects, in the course of which he urged
Colonel Aston to recall the expressions made use of in
his letter to Mr. Hartley, he at last said, ' Colonel
Aston, what is your private opinion of me ?' Colonel
Aston said, ' I am not obliged to give you my private
opinion upon any subject.' ' Then,' said Major Allen,
' will you give me a private meeting ?' ' Yes,' replied
Colonel Aston.
" Upon the ground an offer was made to Major
AUen, that Colonel Aston would say that he had not
intended that his private letter should be seen by him,
or by anybody excepting the person to whom it was
addressed; with that, however, the Major was not
satisfied ; indeed, the quarrel seemed to have evidently
shifted ground altogether. The matter proceeded;
the parties fired, and Major AUen's ball entered the
right side of Colonel Aston, penetrated the liver, went
through his backbone, turned, and lodged near his
left hip-bone." Such was the issue of this apparently
trivial matter between officers of the British army.
The Duke of Wellington, in his account of the matter,
proceeds as foUows : —
1 " I cannot conclude this sad story without express ^
ing my regret that I was not at Arnee to do every
thing in my power to prevent what happened, in
which, however, it is probable I should have failed.
If anything can give Colonel Aston's friends consola
tion, it must be to learn that his moderation was as

64 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
conspicuous as his coolness, and that this misfortune
was not occasioned by his fault."
Colonel Aston lived a week after the duel, in the
greatest agony, and died lamented by aU good men in
this country.*
In his letter to the Duke, Colonel Aston said, " The
deed is done, and to-morrow morning the Major
wreaks his vengeance on me. The result of the meet
ing you shall know either from me or my friends, but
I hope from the former. Should any accident happen
to me, I have requested Cragie and Macpherson to
explain every part of my conduct in this affair to you,
and I trust you will do me that justice you think I
merit. I particularly wish that my conduct may be
placed in its true light to my friends in England. I
shall now say no more, but God bless you. Arnee,
13th, at night, or 14th in the morning."
It is a curious fact, that the death of Colonel Aston
made room for Colonel Wellesley at the siege of
Seringapatam, thus commencing that great mUitary
career which was crowned at Waterloo.
* Wellington, ' Supplementary Dispatches,' vol. i.

65

CHAPTER II.
DUELS IN FRANCE rRO:\l THE COMMENCEBIENT
OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT
TIME.
It has been truly said that during the French Revolu
tion the foot of Liberty slipped on blood, and she fell
prostrate under a military despotism. Under the Di
rectory an attempt was made to restore society to its
ancient prejudices, modified by the times, and duelling
became fashionable among the upper classes of society,
more especially in upstart circles, while in the army it
was constantly resorted to both by officers and soldiers.
Scarcely a day passed without a meeting in the Bois
de Boulogne, while garrison towns were continually
disturbed by desperate dueUists. Pistols were now
adopted by civilians, and the sabre, rarely the small
sword, became the arm of the military.
It was but a natural consequence that single com
bats should revive with the Empire. France was then
VOL. II, F

66 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
so to speak, but one soldier, and the interludes of war
were naturaUy occupied with duels. Not only soldiers
fought with civilians, bnt among themselves, as it were
only to keep their hand in. That duels should prove
of frequent occurrence among soldiers and officers of
lower rank might be expected, since general officers
showed the example. In 1802, Generals Destaing and
Regnier, having quarrelled in a discussion relating to
the campaign of Egypt, a duel ensued, and Destaing
was killed by a pistol-shot in the breast. Napoleon,
who was then First Consul, expressed his displeasure,
and for some time the survivor was obliged to absent
himself from Paris. The Emperor invariably de
nounced the practice of duelUng; and although he
knew, from the character of his officers and soldiers,
that it was impossible to prevent it, yet he visited
with his displeasure all the superior officers who trans
gressed the regulations on the subject. He was fre
quently heard to say that he never could place any de
pendence upon a duellist in battle ; and that Latour
Maubourg, the bravest of the brave, had never drawn
his sword in a private quarrel. Such was also the
opinion of ToUard, the commentator of Polybius, who
observed, that "in his time duellists were in great
vogue, but he generally found them the very scum and
dishonour of the army, and the first to flee in mo
ments of danger." Such strong opinions as these may
not be completely borne out by facts, and certainly
I shall not attempt to defend duellists by rebutting

DUELS IN FRANCE. 07
them, believing, as I do, that nations and armies could
stand their ground without practising duelling. There
was certainly no duelling among the soldiers of
Cromwell, and yet they have never been surpassed,
if equalled. An Old General and a Young Duellist.
One of Napoleon's Generals having had occasion to
twit a young officer was chaUenged by the latter, and
theformer accepted the glove on condition that the duel
should take place in a dark room, and with pistols.
These terms being accepted, the affair came off, the
parties being posted, pistol in hand, at the opposite
corners of a room. The Ught being removed, the
word " Fire 1" was given, and two unequal explosions
were heard. " Bring in the light," exclaimed the old
General, whereupon he continued : — " Look here, young
man. On the floor, there, you see the charge of the
pistol, which I drew, only reserving the powder in the
pan for a flash ; but just come hither, and see for your
self. If I had not taken good care to step out of your
line of ffre, you see that your bullet would have gone
right through me, and the Emperor would have lost a
man I have reason to believe he can't weU spare, and
he would have played the devil with you for the mis
fortune. Well, you have had the satisfaction of mak-
.ing me do what I never did before, shrink from death ;
that's a great deal. Now let's be friends ; here's my
hand." F 2

68 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
The Diplomatic Duel at Naples.
Under the reign of Murat, at a levee of the King
and Queen, Count Dolgoroucki, the Russian ambas
sador, took precedence of the French envoy. Baron
Durand de Mareuil, who, as a family ambassador, had
a claim to a prior introduction. The Baron took no
notice of this circumstance at the time ; but, on quit
ting the palace, he sent a message to the Russian no
bleman, who replied that he would submit the affair to
his Court.
The French General, Excelmans, who was present
at the time, immediately called upon the Count de
Beckendorf, the first secretary of the Russian embassy,
to demand satisfaction for the insult offered to France,
in the person of her representative. The challenge
was accepted, and at the same time it was agreed that
the two ambassadors should be present at the meeting.
However, the Russian ambassador would not allow his
secretary to take up the quarrel, and he accepted the
message sent by the envoy of France. The ambassa
dors becoming principals, the seconds resolved that,
according to the ancient Italian custom, they should
follow their example, and the four combatants met
for the encounter. Both ambassadors were slightly
wounded, but Beckendorf was run through the body
by Excelmans, and recovered with great difficulty.
The war with Russia broke out shortly after, and it is
generally supposed that this insult offered to France

DUELS IN FRANCE. 'ill
by the Russian minister was one of the pretexts that
accelerated the event, although it is now quite certain
that Napoleon had long been meditating and prepar
ing for that insensate expedition.
Gustavus IV. and Napoleon.
Gustavus IV., with more chivalric feeling than
wisdom, sent a challenge to Napoleon, who replied,
" That he would order a fencing-master to attend him
as a plenipotentiary." No doubt that duelling was
. considerably checked when Napoleon had established
his iron regime. Public opinion was hectored, the
press was gagged, the court was no longer a me
nagerie of frail "ladies," as of old, the perpetual
incitement of quarrels among the " gentlemen," who
employed "affairs of honour" to succeed in their dis
honourable " conquests." A Duel in Balloons.
A M. de Grandpree and a M. le Pique ha-v^ng quar
relled about Mademoiselle Tirevit, a celebrated opera-
dancer, who was the chere amie of the former, but had
been discovered in an intrigue with the latter, a chal
lenge ensued. Being both of " elevated minds," they
agreed to fight in baUoons ; and in order to give time
for their preparation, it was determined that the duel
should take place that day month. Accordingly, on
the 3rd of May, 1808, the parties met in a field adjoin
ing the TuUeries, where their respective baUoons were

70 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
ready to receive them. Each, attended by a second,
ascended the car, loaded with blunderbusses, as pistols
could not be expected to be efficient in their probable
situations. A great multitude attended on the occasion, hearing
of balloons, but little dreaming of their purpose, — the
Parisians merely looking for the novelty of a balloon-
race. At nine o'clock the cords were cut, and the
balloons ascended majestically, amidst the shouts of
the spectators. The wind was moderate, from the
N.N.W., and they kept, as far as could be judged,
within about eighty yards of each other.
When they had mounted to the height of about eight
hundred yards, M. le Pique fired his piece, without
effect ; almost immediately after, the fire was returned
by M. Grandpree, and the baU penetrated his adver
sary's balloon, the consequence of which was its rapid
descent, and M. le Pique and his second were both
dashed to pieces on a house-top, upon which the balloon
fell. The victorious Grandpree then mounted aloft in
the grandest style, and descended safely .with his
second, about seven leagues from the spot of ascen
sion, A Duel lasting Nineteen Years.
This most curious duel was brought to a termination
in 1813, after lasting nineteen years. It began at
Strasbourg, and the cause of the protracted fighting
was as follows : —

DUELS IN FRANCE. 71
A captain of hussars, named Fournier, who was a
desperate duellist, and endowed, as the French say,
" with deplorable skill," had challenged and killed, on
a most frivolous pretence, a young man, named Blumm,
the sole support of a family. At the event the
entire town put forth a cry of lamentation — a cry of
malediction on the murderer. The young man's
funeral was attended by an immense multitude, and
sympathy was felt for the bereaved family in every
household. There was, however, as it happened, a
ball at the quarters of General Moreau, The ball was
expressly given to the citizens of Strasbourg, and the
General, apprehensive that the presence of Fournier
might be offensive to his guests of the evening, charged
Captain Dupont, his aide-de-camp, to prevent him
from entering the baU-room, He accordingly posted
himself at the entrance, and when Fournier made his
appearance, he exclaimed, " Do you dare to show your
self here?" "The deuce! what does this mean?"
asked Fournier, " It means," replied Captain Dupont,
" that you ought to have understood that on the day of
the funeral of poor Blumm, it would have been only
decent to remain at home, or certainly not to appear
at a reunion in which you are likely to meet with the
friends of your victim." " You mean enemies ; but 1
would have you to know that I fear nobody, and that
I am in a mood to defy all the world," said Fournier.
" Ah, bah ! You shall not enjoy that fancy to
night ; you must go to bed, by order of the General,"

73 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
rejoined Dupont. " You are mistaken, Dupont ;" said
Fournier, "I cannot call the General to account for
ins4lting me by closing his door upon me, but I look
to you and to them, and I am resolved to pay you
handsomely for your commission as door-keeper which
you have accepted." " Oh, as for that, my dear feUow,
I'll fight you when you like. The fact is, your in
solent and blustering behaviour has displeased me for
a long time, and my hand itches to chastise you."
" We shall see who is the chastiser," said Fournier.
The duel came off, and Fournier was laid on the
grass with a vigorous sword-thrust, "That's \h.e first
touch," he exclaimed as he sank, " Then you wish to
have another bout, do you ?" asked Dupont,
" Most assuredly, my brave fellow, and before long,
I hope," said Fournier.
In a month Fournier got well ; they fought again ;
this time Dupont was grievously wounded, and in
faUing he exclaimed, " That's the second. As soon as
possible again ; and then for the finish." The two
adversaries were about equal with the sword ; but with
the pistol the chances would have been very different,
Fournier was a frightful crack shot. According to
M. de Pontecoulant,* often when the hussars of his
regiment were galloping past smoking, he amused
himself with smashing their short pipes between then-
lips !
I have seen some wonderful doings with the pistol,
* ' L' Audience.'

DUELS IN FRANCE.
I have known a determination to hit a ceVtai^ part bfi
the adversary, and it was hit. I have seert ten^ i^^/
out by the hand of a negro, hit by a pistol b3fe4;»s&t
the feat of hitting a pipe in the mouth of a galloping
horseman is beyond my comprehension. If Fournier
could do that, then Dupont was perfectly justified in
refusing to try him at that game, as he proposed.
They fought again with swords, but the finish was not
forthcoming; it was only a slight wound on both
sides ; but now they resolved to continue the contest
until either of them should confess himself beaten or
satisfied. They drew up formal terms of the warfare,
as follows : —
" 1. Every time that Dupont and Fournier shall be
a hundred miles from each other, they will each ap
proach half the distance to meet sword in hand,
"2, Should one of the contracting parties be pre
vented by the duties of the service, he who is free
must go the entire distance, so as to reconcile the
duties of the service with the exigencies of the present
treaty, "3, No excuse whatever, excepting those resulting
from military obligations, will be admitted.
"4. The present being a bond fide treaty, cannot be
altered from the conditions agreed upon by the con
senting parties."
This contract was religiously executed in all its
rigour. Moreover, the contracting parties found no
difficulty in keeping their engagements ; this state of

74 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
war became to them a normal condition, a second
nature. Thefr eagerness to meet was like that of two
lovers. They never crossed swords without first shak
ing hands in the most boisterous manner.
Their correspondence during this periodic duel is
the essence of burlesque. Take the following : —
" I am invited to breakfast with the officers of the
regiment of Chasseurs, at Suneville, I hope to be
able to accept this pleasant invitation. As you are on
leave in that town, we will take advantage of the
opportunity, if you please, to get a thrust at each
other." Here is another, less familiar, perhaps, but not less
tender : —
" My dear friend, — I shall be at Strasbourg on the
5th of November, proximo, about noon. Wait for me
at the Hotel des Postes. We shall have a thrust or
two." Such was the style and such the tenor of the entfre
correspondence. At intervals, the promotion of one of them pro
visionally interrupted the meeting; this was one of
the cases anticipated by Article 3 of the treaty. As
soon as they got on an equality of rank in the service,
the party last promoted never failed to receive a letter
couched in the following terms, written by Fournier.
" My dear Dupont, — I hear that the Emperor, doing
justice to your merit, has just promoted you to the
grade of Brigadier-General. Accept my sincere con-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 75
gratulations on a promotion, which by your future
and your courage is made natural, a mere matter of
course. I have two reasons for exultation in this
nomination. First, the satisfaction of a fortunate
circumstance for your advancement; and secondly,
the facUity now vouchsafed to us to have a thrust at
each other on the first opportunity."
They afterwards became generals. Dupont was
ordered to join the army in Switzerland. He arrived,
unexpectedly, in a village occupied by the staff, and
which had not a single inn or tavern in it. The night
was dark. Not a light was seen excepting at the
window of a small cottage, Dupont went to the
door, entered, and found himself face to face with
Fournier. " What ! You here ?" exclaimed the latter raptu
rously. " Now for a thrust 1"
They set to at once, conversing as they fought.
" I thought you were promoted to some high admi
nistrative function ?"
" You were wrong ; I am still of the trade. The
Minister has sent me to the fourth corps d'arniee, and
here I am."
" And your first visit is to me ? It is very kind of
you. Sacrehleu .'"
Dupont drove his sword through Fournier's neck,
and held him spitted to the wall, saying, —
"You wUl admit that yon did not expect that
thrust !"

76 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Dupont StUl held him fast, and Fournier mut
tered, —
" I'll give you a thrust quite equal to this."
" What thrust can you give ?"
" Why, as soon as you lower your arm, and before
you can parry, I shall lounge into your belly."
" Thank you for the hint. Then we shall pass the
night in this position,"
" That's an agreeable prospect ! But, really, I am
not very comfortable."
" Drop your sword, and I set you free."
" No, I must stick you in the belly,"
Meanwhile some officers, attracted by the noise
they were making, rushed in and separated the two
generals. Thus the contest continued, the contract being
faithfully fulfilled on both sides. At length, however,
Dupont thought of marrying, and he set his wits to
work to find out how to make an end of the engage
ment. He must either kill Fournier, or muzzle him
effectually. He went to him one morning ; it was at
Paris. " Ah !" said the latter at seeing him, " Glad
to see you. Let's have a brush together." " A word
first, my dear fellow," said Dupont. " I am on the
point of getting married. We must end this quarrel,
which is becoming rather rancid. I now come to get
rid of you. In order to secure a definitive result, I offer
to substitute the pistol for the sword — there !"•
" Why, man, you are stark mad !" exclaimed the
dead-shot Fournier, astounded by the proposal.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 77
" Oh, I know your skill with the pistol, mon ami.
. . . But, let me tell you, I have hit upon a plan
which wUl equalize the conflict. Here it is. Near
NeuUly there is an enclosure, with a little wood in it.
It is at my disposal. My proposal is this. We shall
enter the wood, each provided with a pair of horse-
pistols, and then, having separated, and being out of
sight of each other, we shall track each other as best
we can, and fire at our convenience."
" Capital ! Agreed !" exclaimed Fournier ; but let
me give you, man vieux, a little piece of advice."
" If you please," said Dupont,
" Well, don't go too far with your marriage project.
It will be time and trouble lost ; for I warrant you'll
die a bachelor."
" They who win may laugh," said Dupont.
On the day appointed Fournier and Dupont set out
in their hunt. Having separated, and got out of sight
of each other, as agreed, they crept about or advanced
like cautious wolves or foxes, striving to catch a
glance at each other through the thicket, whenever the
motion of the leaves showed their presence. AU at
once, as though by a common movement, both came
in sight together, standing behind two trees. They
squatted down, and thus remained for a few minutes.
The situation was delicate — critical. To stfr was cer
tain death, to one of them, at least. Dupont, however,
was the first to make the attempt, or rather to pretend
to do so. He raised the flap of his coat, and aUowed

78 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
one end to project out of cover. Bang ! came a bullet
in the instant, cutting through the cloth,
" That settles one shot," ejaculated Dupont, with a
sigh of thanksgiving.
After a short interval Dupont returned to the charge,
but this time on the other side of the tree. Holding
his pistol with the left hand, he presented the barrel,
as though about to fire, and at the same instant he held
ont his hat with his right hand. Bang ! came another
bullet, driving the hat into the bushes,
" Now, my brave, it's aU up with you !" exclaimed
Dupont, stalking out, both pistols in hand and cocked ;
and marching up to Fournier, he said : —
" Your life is at my disposal, but I -wUl not take it."
" Oh, just as you please about that ! " muttered
Fournier. Dupont continued : —
" Only you must remember that I do not give up
my right of property in it. Beware of ever crossing
my path again, for if you do, I may probably put
my two bullets into your brains, as I might this
instant." Such was the termination of this long quarrel of
nineteen years, ending with the marriage of one of the
parties, who contrived at last to beat the unapproach
able crack-shot at his own weapon.
General Ornano and General Bonnet.
(a.d. 1814.)
During the period termed the Cent-jours, or Na-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 70
poleon's return, a duel took place between General
Ornano, afterwards Governor of the Invalides, and
General Bonnet, subsequently a senator. An appoint
ment had been given to the former, which the latter
had expected to receive, and bitter was the disap
pointment of General Bonnet, who consequently mani
fested much ill-feeling against his fortunate rival. It
happened on one occasion that General Ornano was
at the TuUeries, accompanied by General Colbert, and
falling in with General Bonnet, he saluted him, but the
latter did not return the civility. It was General
Colbert, however, who noticed the insult, which Ge
neral Ornano had not perceived. As soon as it was
mentioned to him he turned back, and coming up
with General Bonnet, he said : —
" General, was it by inadvertence or on purpose
that you did not return my salute ?"
" It was not by inadvertence," repUed General
Bonnet. Without any further explanation a challenge ensued,
and these two men stood face to face on the following
morning, pistol in hand, but it rained so copiously
that the weapons would not go off. The affair was
put off to the following day, and General Ornano
received a bullet in the loins, which probably pre
vented him from being present at the Battle of Water
loo, for he had to use crutches for two years. General
Bonnet was also hit, but the bullet struck his watch-
fob, in which he happened to have a hundred-franc

80 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
piece, which deadened the shot. It is, therefore, quite
evident that but for this piece of metal. General Bonnet
would not have had the gratification of walking off
unscathed, after knocking over the man whom he
envied and insulted or " provoked " to a duel.*
Colonel Barbiee-Dufai and Raoul  .

At the commencement of the Restoration in France,
the contests in the tribune were prolonged in duels
with swords or pistols in the Bois de Boulogne or
elsewhere. The different "parties" mingled in the
galleries of the Palais Royal, thronged by a crowd of
promenaders, some attracted by the chief booksellers'
shops, the others by the gay Cyprians flaunting their
beauty and their elegant mise or toilette. It was the
resort of all vacant idlers striving to kill time, and of
champions, " blue " or " white," roaming about in
* There is another version of this duel as follows : — General
Ornano and General Bonnet had a quarrel, which ended in a
duel. Bonnet had the first fire, and missed. Ornano, who
piqued himself on his skill with the pistol, took aim at his ad
versary, and fired. Surprised that his shot had no apparent
eff'ect, he said, " What, Sir, you are not dead P" " No, Sir,"
said Bonnet. " That's very odd," exclaimed Ornano, " when I
fire at any one I generally kill him." On approaching his ad
versary, however, he perceived the mark of the ball, which
appeared to have glanced off", having been stopped in its pro
gress by a five-franc piece in Bonnet's pocket. " Gad ! Sir,"
cried Ornano, " you have invested your money very luckily."
Morbleu J Monsieur, vans avez Men j>lac4 voire argent. — ' Morn
ing Chronicle,' 4th September, 1834.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 81
quest of somebody to kill. Not a day passed but
officers of the guard and officers on half-pay had a
quarrel and a fight. The procedm'e was simple
enough. They trod on each other's toes, or elbowed
each other, and then "went out" and vented their
political rancour with a sword-thrust or a bullet in
the body.
At that time, the most redoubtable of the down-
faUen Imperial party was Colonel Barbier-Dufai,
One evening, at the Palais Royal, he caught a glance
of a young man of herculean dimensions, in the uni
form of a regiment of the Royal Guards, He deli
berately walked up to him and trod on his toes. " Be
a little more careful, Sfr," said Raoul, for that was the
name of the insulted officer, who walked on, continu
ing his conversation with his friends. That did not
satisfy Dufai ; he turned on his heel, passed the officer
again, but this time driving his elbow into his flank.
With the utmost politeness the young man observed,
" My dear Sir, I have already requested you to be a
little more careful." — " Oh, as for that, let me.teU you
I walk just as I like, without caring a jot whomsoever
I may hustle," said Dufai in a bullying tone. The
young man's companions expostulated, but Dufai con
tinued, "It's no use talking, my dear feUow; I am
not insulting you but your cockade." — " Ah ! that's
another matter. Sir. Then we must fight ; not because
you have trod on my toes and elbowed me, but for
insulting the cockade which I consider an honour
VOL, II, '^

82 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
to wear." A few more sharp words ensued on
that theme, and envenomed the animosity on both
sides. " Your weapon. Sir ?" asked Dufai.
" Any you please — rapier, sword, or pistol," replied
Raoul, " Oh ! so you are equaUy skilled at all these
weapons ?"
" Skill is not the word, but ignorance, for I have
never handled any of them," said Raoul.
" The devU you haven't. Then how have you passed
your youth, my dear fellow ?"
"' It is not passed as yet. Sir, I am only eighteen
years of age."
" Only eighteen years old ! Then let's say nothing
more about it, I will not fight with a chUd," said
the terrible Colonel, softened by the ingenuous de
claration, " Oh, as for that, in spite of my youth, nature has
made me stronger than you."
" It is not strength, my dear fellow, but skiU that is
requfred in such matters. No, no, my brave friend,
consider the matter at an end. I was wrong. Adieu !"
said Dufai, walking off.
" Sir, I must have satisfaction with arms," shouted
Raoul, " Quite impossible," said Dufai,
" Are you afraid. Colonel ?" asked Raoul.
Dufai shrugged his shoulders, and hurried off.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 83
Raoul tore himself from his friends, who endeavoured
to quiet him, and placing his hand on the Colonel's
cheek, he exclaimed, —
" You are running away, are you ? You are a
coward !"
" Ah ! he has laid hands on me ! Woe to him !"
muttered the Colonel.
Instant satisfaction was demanded by Dufai; ra
piers were procured, and proceeding to a convenient
spot, the duel commenced. The Colonel contented
himself with disarming his antagonist, sending his
sword spinning to a distance, Raoul picked it up,
and tried again ; but with the same result, and so on,
four times did the Colonel disarm the furious young
man, exclaiming at last, " I am not an assassin. Let
us try another weapon."
Pistols were out of the question in a street; how
else could the affafr be settled? A± the moment a
hackney-coach was approaching. An idea struck
Dufai; he stopped the coach, and turning towards
Raoul, he said,
" You are strong and vigorous. Do you think you
have the courage to attack me face to face, as you did
just now from behind ?"
" I only attacked you in -that way in order to force
you to fight, which you refused to do,"
" Now, let me tell you, what I am going to propose
wUl be a combat to the death," said the Colonel,
" Just so 1" retorted Raoul,
g2

84 THE ROM.^NCE 0 ' DUELLING.
" Then, here is my proposal. We wUl enter that
coach, each armed with a poignard. These gentlemen
wiU tie us together, only leaving free our right arms;
thus there will be no means of escape. The doors of
the coach shaU be closed, and at a given signal the
coach will set off, and go twice round the Place du
Carrousel." " I am ready," said Raoul,
The seconds felt obliged to yield to the horrible de
termination of the two men, who were tied together,
as suggested by the Colonel, and shut up in the coach.
The coachman was dismounted, and his place taken by
two seconds, whilst two mounted up behind. " Get
off!" shouted the Colonel, and away went the coach.
First a cry was heard, then another, whilst the coach
rattled on at a thundering pace, the horses being urged
to the utmost.
What had been done in that terrible joumey ?
At the end of the second round the seconds rushed
down and opened the door of the coach. The silence
of death was within, mid a sea of blood. Raoul was
dead, and Dufai seemed also dead ; but he recovered
from the frightful wounds he received. Raoul had
driven his poignard four times through the Colonel's
chest, and had hacked the lower part of his person with
his teeth.
" Why did he slap me ?" muttered the Colonel.
" But, gentlemen, you will at least do me the justice
to declare that I kUled him fafrly, . , , All the

DUELS IN FRANCE. 85
chances were in his favour. His athletic constitution
gave him a great advantage over me; but his hour
was come ! , . , " *
Such a man as Dufai could not faU to be marked
by the authorities; and the "Royalists" were con
stantly on the look-out for a pretext to get him in
thefr clutch. He had "provoked" two other duels,
which made a great noise. In one he had kUled an
officer of the King's Guards, Colonel de Saint-Morys;
in the other, he had grievously wounded a General,
the Vicomte de Montelegier. This "success" might
have been allowed to pass ; but, unfortunately for him,
he thought proper to publish a pamphlet, which laid
him open to a charge of " liberalism." The police
took him in hand, and he was condemned to a month's
imprisonment, during which it appears that he was
subjected to the greatest indignities,
Waterloo Duels,
Many were the melancholy scenes that took place in
1814, when the Allies were in Paris. Duels between
the officers of the foreign Powers and those of the dis
banded French army were incessant, and they gener
ally proved fatal to the foreigners. The French were
spending their whole days and nights in fencing ; and
* The horrible affair was hushed up by the seconds, who
would have been considered accomplices ; and it was not until
1858 that the Comte de Pontecoulant divulged it in a periodical
called the ' Audience.'

86 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
there is every reason to believe that, not satisfied with
their own skUl in fence, their -provosts, or fencing-
masters, assumed the uniform of officers, to meet any
imprudent youth who was foolhardy enough to accept
their chaUenges. Thus did many an Austrian and
Prussian officer fall in the Bois de Boulogne.
When the British army occupied the south of France,
similar scenes were witnessed, but more especiaUy
at Bordeaux, where the French officers came over the
Garonne, for the sole purpose of insulting and fighting
the English, who were, in many instances, absurd
enough to meet thefr wishes. As the challenge usu
ally came from the English, the French had the choice
of weapons, and invariably selected their favourite
small-sword. Strange to say, the result was usually in
favour of our countrymen, who, being utterly helpless
at carte and tierce, and all the niceties of the science,
unconsciously reproduced the scene of Moliere's ' Bour
geois,' rushed on, in defiance of guards and passes, and
spitted their enemy at once. In vain the Frenchmen
protested that this was " brutal," " unchivalrous," and
a crying outrage against " the rules of fencing," Stal
wart Englishmen stood by their friend, and, producing
loaded pistols, threatened to shoot any who attempted
to interfere. This system gradually produced a more
wholesome state of feeUng,
Lieutenant G  and a French Officer.
One of the most painful cases occurred at Cambrai,

DUELS IN FRANCE. 87
shortly after Waterloo, where a party of the English
Guards were in garrison, A young officer. Lieutenant
G  , was followed one day by a French officer in
plain clothes, swearing and uttering the grossest in
sults. The young officer, finding it impossible to
misunderstand or overlook this mode of address, turned
round and asked him if the language was meant for
him, " For you, or any English coward," replied the
ruffian. Instead of treating this siUy rhodomontade
with sovereign contempt, as he might have done, the
young man challenged the fellow, and agreed to meet
him on the following moming.
The report of the intended meeting was generally
known in the garrison ; and it is deeply to be lamented
that the commanding-officer did not place the ardent
youth under close arrest ; but it appears that he was
satisfied with the assurance on the part of the French
commissaire de police that the offending party should
be apprehended and sent out of the town. This,
however, was not done, and the meeting took place on
the following morning. Although it had been clearly
stipulated that the weapons should be pistols, the
Frenchman came to the ground with unbuttoned foUs,
alleging that he could not procure pistols. G 
very imprudently offered him one of his own, and fell,
mortaUy wounded, at the first discharge. It was
remarked that on their mutual fire, the Frenchman
staggered a pace or two, when, collecting himself, he
advanced to poor G  , who was expiring in the

88 ; HE R(i \IANOE OF DUELLING.
arms of his companions, and said with much sang-froid,
" Poor young man ! Had we fought with swords, he
would have been spared all this agony !" What he
meant by this expression it is difficult to say, whether
he would have killed him outright, or slightly wounded
him; the latter sui-mise, however, is not probable.
When a party of soldiers came from the gate to bear
away G  's body, the French officer exclaimed that
"it would be treachery to apprehend him;" but he
was presently undeceived, and advised in the most
honourable manner to effect his escape as speedUy as
possible. The fellow, however, seemed to confide in
the protection of his countrymen and the apathy of our
commander, for he went publicly to the coffee-house,
boasting that, after kUling a Prussian, an Austrian, a
Spaniard, and a Portuguese, he at last had been lucky
enough to kill an Englishman. During this conversa
tion he exhibited a sUk handkerchief pierced with
several shot-holes, and which he said had been
" grazed" by his adversary's ball. This circumstance,
connected with his having staggered on G  's fire,
gives every reason to beUeve that he wore a cuirass, —
our inexperienced officers not having insisted upon his
stripping, according to the established rule in French
duels, when both parties are obUged to show that they
wear no such protection.*
An Englishman and a Frenchman,
Shortly after Waterloo, an unlucky pamphlet found
* Millingen,

DUELS IN FRANCE. 89
its way into Frescati, — the conversation-room at the
watering-place at Bagneres, This pamphlet took
pretty much the same view of the battle of Toulouse
as M. Thiers has since done of Waterloo. An English
man chanced to take it up, and wrote on the margin that
" everything in it was false ; that Lord Wellington had
gained a complete victory, and the French army were
indebted to his generosity for not having been put to
the sword," A hot young Frenchman of the place,
named Pinac, at once called out the indiscreet English
man. Everything was done to accommodate matters ;
and we are told that even the authorities delicately and
considerately interfered, so far as moral suasion might
be effectual. But all these good offices proved ineffec
tual, and the representatives of the two nations met on
the ground. Poor Pinac gave one more illustration of
the insufficiency of this mode of adjusting a quarrel, for
at the first fire he received the BngUshman's ball, in
the stomach, and died shortly after.
De. Millingen and a Party of French Officers,
" In one instance," says Dr. Millingen, " the French
officers went to the little Theatre de la Gaite, when a
furious affray took place between them and several
British officers. Although the latter had no swords,
the French drew theirs, but the British, breaking up
chairs and tables, in a few minutes shivered thefr
weapons, and knocked them down in every direction.
It is somewhat strange, but I was, in a great measure.

90 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
the means of terminating their differences. Coming
out of the theatre, I was assaUed by a group of French
officers. I calmly replied that if I had given offence to
any of them, I was ready to afford them any satisfac
tion, and dilated on the absurdity of making a national
war the subject of personal hostUity, while I enlarged
on the friendly feeling that had prevailed between our
armies during the Peninsular war, and recalled to their
recollection the many kind acts that we had shown
each other when prisoners and wounded. The officers
not only listened to me with the greatest attention, but
one of them actually hugged me in his rude embrace,
and I was obliged to accompany them to an hotel and
sup with the party. The next morning there was not
a French officer in the town."
Captain Auguste Gendemae,
Under the above-named, Charles Lever, in his
' Harry Lorrequer,'* has doubtless described the con
duct of one of these gallant French bullies to the
letter. The scene is at the saloon ofthe ''PhiUidor:' —
" There was more than ordinary silence in the cafe,
which at all times was remarkable for the quiet and
noiseless demeanour of its frequenters, when the door
was flung open by the ready waiter, and the Captain
* In his preface to his last edition (Chapman and Hall), Mr.
Lever says that the adventures of Trevanion and the French
Duellist were facts well known to many who formed part of the
army of occupation in France.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 91
Auguste Gendemar entered. He was a large, squarely-
built man, with a most savage expression of counte
nance, which a bushy beard and shaggy overhanging
moustache served successively to assist ; his eyes were
shaded by deep, projecting brows, and long eyebrows
slanting over them, and increasing their look of pierc
ing sharpness; there was in his whole air and de
meanour that certain French air of swaggering buUyism
which ever remained in those who, having risen from the
ranks, maintained the look of ruffianly defiance which
gave their early character for courage its peculiar merit,
" To the friendly salutations of his countrymen he
returned the slightest and coldest acknowledgments,
throwing a glance of disdain around him as he wended
his way to his accustomed place beside the fire ; this
he did with as much of noise and swagger as he could
weU contrive ; his sabre and sabretache clanking
behind, his spurs jangling, and his heavy step, made
purposely heavier to draw upon him the notice and
attention he sought for. Trevanion alone testified
no consciousness of his entrance, and appeared totaUy
engrossed by the columns of his newspaper, from
which he never lifted his eyes for an instant. Le
Capitaine at length reached the fireplace, when, no
sooner did he behold his accustomed seat in the pos
session of another, than he absolutely started back
with surprise and anger.
" What might have been his first impulse it is hard to
say, for, as the blood rushed to his face and forehead.

92 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
he clenched his hands firmly, and seemed for an in-
stant, as he eyed the stranger, like a tiger about to
spring upon its victim ; this was but for a second, for
turning rapidly round towards his friends, he gave
them a look of peculiar meaning, showing two rows
of white teeth, with a grin which seemed to say, 'I
have taken my line,' and he had done so. He now
ordered the waiter, in a voice of thunder, to bring him
a chair. This he took roughly from him, and placed
with a crash upon the floor, exactly opposite that of
Trevanion, and stUl so near as scarcely to permit of
his sitting down upon it. The noisy vehemence of
this action at last appeared to have roused Trevanion's
attention, for he now, for the first time, looked up
from his paper, and quietly regarded his vis-a-vis.
There could not, in the world, be a stranger contrast
to the bland look and courteous expression of Tre"
vanion's handsome features, than the savage scowl of
the enraged Frenchman, in whose face the strong, Hi-
repressed workings of passion were twitching and
distorting every Uneament and line ; indeed, no words
could ever convey half so forcibly as did that look,
insult — open, palpable, deep, determined insult,
" Trevanion, whose eyes had been merely for a mo
ment lifted from his paper, again fell, and he appeared
to take no notice whatever of the extraordinary proxi
mity of the Frenchman, still less of the savage and
insulting character of his looks,
"Le Capitaine, having thus failed to bring on an

DUELS IN FRANCE. 93
explanation he sought for, proceeded to accomplish it
by other means ; for, taking the lamp, by the light of
which Trevanion was stiU reading, he placed it at his
side of the table, and at the same instant stretching
across his arm, he plucked the newspaper from his
hand, giving at the same moment a glance of triumph
towards the bystanders, as though he would say, ' You
see what he must submit to,' Words cannot describe
the astonishment of the British officers, as they beheld
Trevanion, under this gross and open insult, content
himself by a slight smUe and half bow, as if returning
a courtesy, and then throw his eyes downwards, as if
engaged in deep thought, while the triumphant sneer
of the French, at this unaccountable conduct, was
absolutely maddening to them to endure,
"But thefr patience was destined to submit to stronger
proof, for at this instant Le Capitaine stretched forth
one enormous leg, cased in his massive jack-boot, and
with a crash deposited the heel upon the foot of their
friend Trevanion, At length he is roused, thought
they, for a slight flush of crimson flitted across his
cheek, and his upper lip trembled with a quick spas
modic twitching, but both these signs were over in a
second, and his features were as calm and unmoved as
before, and his only appearance of consciousness of
the affront, was given by his drawing back his chafr
and placing his legs beneath it, as if for protection,
"This last insult, and the tame forbearance with
which it was submitted to, produced all their opposite

94 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
effects upon the bystanders, and looks of ungovernable
rage and derisive contempt were every moment inter
changing; indeed, were it not for the aU-absorbing
interest which the two great actors in the scene had
concentrated upon themselves, the two parties must
have come at once into open conflict.
" The clock of the cafe struck nine, the hour at which
Gendemar always retired, so calling to the waiter for
his glass of brandy, he placed his newspaper upon the
table, and putting both his elbows upon it, and his
chin upon his hands, he stared full in Trevanion's face
with a look of the most derisive triumph, meant to
crown the achievement of the evening. To this, as to
all his former insults, Trevanion appeared still insen
sible, and merely regarded him with his never-changing
haff smile ; the brandy arrived ; Le Capitaine took it
in his hand, and with a nod of most insulting fanuH-
arity, saluted Trevanion, adding with a loud voice, so
as to be heard on every side, 'A votre courage Anglais '
{' To your English courage ') , He had scarcely swal
lowed the liquor, when Trevanion rose slowly from his
chair, displaying to the astonished gaze of the French
man the immense proportions and gigantic frame of a
man well known as the largest officer in the British
army ; with one stride he was beside the chafr of the
Frenchman, and with the speed of Ughtning he seized
his nose by one hand, whUe with the other he grasped
his lower jaw, and, wrenching open his mouth with
the strength of an ogre, he spat down his throat.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 95
" So sudden was the movement, that before ten se
conds had elapsed all was over, and the Frenchman
rushed from the room, holding the fragments of his
jaw-bone (for it was fractured!), and followed byhis
countrymen, who, from that hour, deserted the Cafe
PhilUdor ; nor was there ever any mention ofthe famous
captain during the stay of the regiment in Paris."
A Duel a Bareiere.
This affair, described by Lever, in his ' Harry Lor
requer,' has all the appearance of being a scene from
life :— " It was at length, after innumerable objections,
agreed upon that we should be placed back to back, and,
at the word given, each walk forward to a certain dis
tance, marked out by a stone, where we were to halt, and
at the signal, " un," " deux," turn round and fire,
" This, which is essentially a French invention in
duelling, was perfectly new to me, but by no means
so to Trevanion, who was fully aware of the immense
consequence of not giving even a momentary oppor
tunity for aim to my antagonist ; and in this mode of
firing the most practised and deadly shot is liable to
err, particularly if the signal be given quickly. WhUe
Trevanion and the captain were measuring out the
ground, a little circumstance, which was enacted near
me, was certainly not over -calculated to strengthen
my nerve. The stranger who had led us to the
ground had begun to examine the pistols, and finding
that one of them was loaded, turned towards my ad-

90 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
versary, saying, ' De Hautpere, you have forgotten to
draw the charge. Come, let us see what vein you are
in.' At the same time, drawing off his large cavalry
glove, he handed the pistol to his friend. ' A double
napoleon you don't hit the thumb,' — ^ Done,' said
the other, adjusting the weapon in his hand. The ac
tion was scarcely performed, when the bettor flung the
glove into the air with all his force. My opponent
raised his pistol, waited for an instant, tUl the glove,
having attained its greatest height, turned to fall
again. Then click went the trigger, the glove turned
round and round, half a dozen times, and fell about
twenty yards off; and the thumb was found cut clearly
off at the juncture with the hand. This, which did not
occupy half as long as I have spent in recounting it,
was certainly a pleasant introduction to standing at
fifteen yards from the principal actor ; and I should
doubtless have felt it in all its force, had not my atten
tion been drawn off by the ludicrous expression of
grief in O'Leary's countenance, who evidently re
garded me as already defunct.
" ' Now, Lorrequer, we are ready,' said Trevanion,
coming forward ; and then lowering his voice, added,
' All is in your favour ; I have won the " word," which
I shall give the moment you halt. So turn and fire at
once : be surfe not to go too far round in the turn —
that is the invariable error in this mode of firing ; only,
no hurry ! — be calm.'
" 'Now, Messieurs,' said DeJoncourt, as he approached

DUELS IN FRANCE. 97
with his friend leaning upon his arm, and placed him
in the spot aUotted to him, Trevanion then took my
a^-m, and placed me back to back to my antagonist.
As I took my ground, it so chanced that my adversary's
spur sUghtly grazed me, upon which he immediately
turned round, and, with the most engaging smUe,
begged a ' thousand pardons,' and hoped I was not hurt.
" ' Messieurs, your pistols,' said De Joncourt, who,
as he handed the weapons, and repeated once more
the condition of the combat, gave the word to march.
" I now walked slowly forward to the place marked
out by the stone ; but it seemed that I must have been
in advance of my opponent, for I remember some se
conds elapsed before Trevanion coughed sUghtly, and
then with a clear, fuU voice called out, ' Un,' ' Deux !'
I had scarcely turned half round, when my arm was
suddenly lifted up, as if by a galvanic shock. My
pistol jerked upwards, and exploded the same instant,
and then dropped powerlessly from my hand, which I
now felt was covered with warm blood from a wound
near the elbow."
Lieutenant Gordon and a French Officer.
(a.d. 1818.)
Lieutenant Gordon and a French officer of the
Guards were walking on the Esplanade at Cambray.
Some officers joined them, stopping to enter into con
versation. At this moment a Frenchman, having the
appearance of an officer, passed them several times
VOL. II. H

98 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
very closely, making very short turns, and, though no
sort of provocation had been offered, staring them fuU
in the face in the most insolent manner, yet no notice
whatever was taken of his conduct. The officers then
separated; Lieutenant Gordon and his friend walked
away arm-in-arm. As they passed the Frenchman, he
made use of the grossest epithets, when Lieutenant
Gordon, in the mUdest manner, inquired if such ex
pressions were intended for them ? The French offi
cer's reply was, " You may receive them as you please.
If you suppose them meant for you, take them."
Cards were then exchanged, and a meeting took place
on the following morning. The French officer, when
called upon by Lieutenant Gordon's second to retract
his words, refused to do so, although he had acknow
ledged to the Commissaire de Police on the previous
evening that he had misconducted himself, promising
to make an apology.
The parties having taken their ground, at the first
fire the Frenchman's shot took effect, the ball passing
through Gordon's body, and killing him on the spot.
This French officer was a systematic duellist; and he
had publicly declared in a coffee-house that he would
take the life of some English officer.
Thus, it was the unfortunate lot of Lieutenant Gor
don to fall a victim to the national prejudice of a ruffian ;
and, at the early age of twenty, his country was de
prived of a young officer, who, from his rising talents
and characteristic bravery, promised to be one of its
fairest ornaments, both as a gentleman and a soldier.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 99

Martainville and Captain Arnault,
.' MartainvUle was a journalist on the side of the
"Whites," or Royalists, and poured forth his loyal
venom on a poor tragedy, entitled ' Germanicus,' the
chief diefect of which, however, was that its author was
an Imperialist exile. Thereupon one of the " Blues," or
Imperialists, a Captain Arnault, slapped the author
of the tragedy in the face, by way of military repara
tion to his father, MartainvUle summoned the Captain
into Court, where he was fined thirty francs. The Cap
tain laid down sixty francs, and administered forthwith
another slap in the face to the journalist, saying, " I
have paid for the two." This second slap appears to
have had the effect originally contemplated by the
Captain. Martainville summoned him this time to the
Bois de Boulogne, and received a shot, which, however,
produced only a triffing wound.
General Foy and M. de Corday.
This political duel resulted from the following cir
cumstance. General Foy, at the Tribune, had ex
pressed himself in these terms : — " It is to the fo
reigners that we owe the terrors of 1815, If the fo
reigners had not then occupied France, there would
have been a hundred insurrections. Do you think, then,
gentlemen, that without that occupation we should have
basely endured the insults, the outrages, the atrocities
h2

100 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
of a handful of wretches, whom we had despised, whom
we had seen for thirty years in the dust ?"
At the word " wretches" {miserables) all the deputies
of the Right rose up, with tumultuous shouts on all
sides. One of them, M. de Corday, raised his voice
above the clamour, and shouting to the indignant
General, said, " You are an insolent fellow." General
Foy, however, went on : —
"Yes, gentlemen, that party dominated only by
means of the foreigners. Men who defended our
country — and I am one of them — have been ill used,
subjected to outrage. The wish was to drive us out of
France, I myself have been repeatedly advised to de
camp, I say that such excesses could not have taken
place except by the aid of foreign bayonets, and that
we cannot escape such calamities but by establishing a
constitutional government,"
On the foUowing morning M. de Corday and General
Foy met in a duel in the Bois de Boulogne. It may be
assumed that General Foy was the chaUenger, although
his conduct on the ground seems to infer the contrary ;
and the matter was not cleared up by the General's
subsequent "explanation" in the Tribune, declaring
that, " Being offended by one of his colleagues, who
also had considered himself offended, they had both
behaved Uke men of spirit {gens de coeur)." The be
haviour on the ground was as foUows : — The parties
tossed up for the first fire, which was won by General
Foy ; but the General " deloped," or fired in the afr,

DUELS IN FRANCE. 101
and his adversary followed his example ! Thus the
affair ended, and it is one of the oddest affairs of the
kind on record. It appears that at the last moment
the gallant General was of opinion " that French blood
should not be shed except for liberty, the King, and
the preservation of the national institutions." At the
conclusion of General Foy's explanation, M. de Corday
went up to him, grasped his hand, and assured him
that he " consented to forget everything."
During the greater part of the Restoration, the
Liberals and the RoyaUsts looked upon each other not
as political opponents but as sworn enemies. Nu
merous duels were the result. General Lafond having
spoken disdainfully of the old army, M. Adam de la
Pommeraye challenged him, but both of them left the
ground unhurt.
Benjamin Constant, after having " discussed, sword
in hand, the rights of the conquering race over the
conquered," had a correspondence in the journals
with M. Forbin des Issarts, which ended in a chal
lenge and a meeting. Benjamin Constant was so
weak that he could scarcely stand. It was conse
quently agreed that the parties should fight in a
sitting posture. The two deputies were placed at ten
paces' distance, and took such accurate aim that their
bullets spared even their arm-chairs.
The Comte de Bondy and a Royalist Officer,
The gaUeries of the Palais Royal were not the only

102 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
focus of the quarrels between the Royalists and the
half-pay officers. Conflicts occurred daily at Ver
sailles, and sometimes a dozen or two had a squabble,
when there was a general melee. There were, of
course, some special champions among the parties,
among the rest an officer of the Royal Guard, desig
nated in the chronicles by the letter Z  . He set
up as a second Colonel Dufai, and became the terror
of Rouen, where he was quartered. His habit was to
annoy every person suspected of liberaUsm, and he hit
upon a most ingenious method of inflicting his im
pertinence. He would go up to a man and say, " My
little friend, your moustaches are too long. Just trim
them a little, or I shall have to cut them clean off.
Look out." Everybody could not put up with this
badinage; but when he was called out, which was
his object, the parties were sure to get a bullet into
their bodies or a home-thrust, for he was a dead-shot
and a deadly fencer.
The fame of the exploits of this worthy came to
the ears of the Comte de Bondy, Prefect of the
Seine during the Cent Jours, and one of the best
fencers in France. He resolved to give the bully a
lesson. Accompanied by one of his friends he pro
ceeded to Rouen, and sat down to a game of chess at
the cafe frequented by the Royal Guards. It was only
on the following day, however, that he got the desired
opportunity. M. Z  was having a game at billiards, and a

DUELS IN FRANCE. 103
young man accidentaUy touched his arm in passing.
" Who is this abortion that rubs against me ?" he ex-^
claimed, brandishing his cue. " I beg your pardon,
Sir," said the young man, trembling from head to foot.
" Well, you dolt, I'll forgive you when I have run you
through." Scarcely had the bully delivered this rhodo
montade, when a sonorous voice was heard saying,
" Young man, take these five hundred francs, and go
and order a first-class funeral for M, le Comte
Z  !"
" What do you mean ?" said the latter, walking up
to the speaker. " Am I not doing the thing like a
gentleman, Sfr ?" replied the Comte de Bondy. " Who
are you, to dare to address me in this way?" — "I am
the Comte de Bondy, at your service . . ." — "Wh.y
did I not know it before. Monsieur le Comte ?" said
Z  , respectfully bowing. " Oh, Sir, it is not to me
that you should make your excuses, but rather to this
poor young man, whom you have so basely insulted."
The bully was completely cowed. As the Yankees
say, he "caved in;" for he was conscious of having
faUen in with more than a match, and his valour eva
porated. He declined to fight ; but his " occupation
was gone ;" the Comte de Bondy had torn the lion's
skin from off the royal ass.
It may be here stated, that before the French Revo
lution, no officer was admitted into the society of his
comrades until he had given proofs of his courage and
fought without a motive. For this purpose, expert fen-

104 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
cers were selected, who were called tdteurs, " feelers ;"
but it must be admitted that in general they merely
sought to inflict a triffing wound. A stUl more repre
hensible, or rather, dishonourable custom prevaUed,
which was called the calotte, i. e. " cap," and con
sisted in insulting persons who passed by the coffee
houses which these madcaps frequented. On such
occasions they exacted a pecuniary tribute from the
offended party if he declined fighting. It was on an
occasion of this kind that an officer of artillery, named
De Paris, was attacked at Verdun. In the first in
stance he paid the exacted tribute, and then address
ing himself to the officer who was considered the
chief of the calotte, he insisted upon an immediate
satisfaction, which was of course granted. The parties
met; the chief of this murderous association was
killed, and two of his brother officers who succeeded
him shared the same fate.
Among the famous duellists of this epoch were
FayoUe and Fayau, The latter killed, in 1820, young
Saint-Marcellin, the natural son of Fontanes,
M, Thiers and an injured Father,
M. Veron relates in his ' Memoires ' the foUowing
curious episode in the career of the great historian
and politician M. Thiers, When a young man, in the
midst of his studies and labours at Aix, M, Thiers fell
in love with a young woman, who was poor, but
whose beauty and quaUties of mind and heart inspired

DUELS IN FRANCE. 105
and deserved a sincere affection. On quitting the
town of Aix, he made her a promise of marriage, and
for several months he showed the fidelity of his senti
ments by an active correspondence. The young woman's
father came to Paris, where M, Thiers had been resid
ing for some time, and as a father anxious for the
happiness of his child, urged on the lover the pro
priety of fulfilling his engagement, Thiers pleaded
the necessity of previously securing a position, and
asked for a year's delay. On the expiration of the
term, he was called upon to perform his promise. But
he said that his situation was unaltered, and asked for
another delay. The father could bear it no longer,
and, getting angry, chaUenged Thiers to a duel, A
meeting took place ; M. Manuel and M. Mignet were
the seconds of Thiers, and M. Rabbe was one of the
friends of his adversary on the occasion. The impla
cable father, who thought that the honour and name
of his family were outraged, had the first fire; he
took aim, but an involuntary movement at the instant
lowered his pistol and the ball fell between the legs
of M. Thiers, who must thus have been standing in
anything but a duellistic position, Thiers did not
fire. The Vicomte de Noailles and his Captain.
The Vicomte de Noailles was the commander of the
King's Dragoons. One day at the mess, in the pre
sence of a great many officers, he delivered himself as

106 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
follows : — " Gentlemen, I should have no esteem for a
colonel who should refuse to give satisfaction to any
officer whom he may have insulted ; but I shall in
exorably ruin any one who chaUenges me whilst with
the regiment. At Paris, in mufti, I shall always be
at the orders of any one who may wish to have a bout
with me in the Bois de Boulogne."
This brave declaration was soon acted upon. One
of the Colonel's officers, Captain de Bray, followed
him to Paris on the first opportunity, and challenged
him for an offence he had received, A meeting with
swords took place, and the Captain wounded his
Colone], who, however, took his revenge by promoting
the former to a majority,
A Desperate Encounter.
Two officers, mutually inspired with an implacable
and savage hatred, after a murderous fight in which
they were both mortally wounded, laid themselves
down on a mattress to put an end to each other.
A Deadly Duel,
During the reign of Louis XVIII., a terrible duel
occurred in the Bois de Boulogne between a Marquis,
M. de Pompancourt, and a roturier, or commoner, who
had quarrelled about the charter, deadly insults pass
ing between them. The seconds endeavoured in
vain, on the ground, to effect a reconcUiation, which,
moreover, seemed to be scoffed at by the commoner

DUELS IN FRANCE. 107
and his seconds. The affafr then proceeded. The
toss up gave the first fire to the commoner ; they were
at ten paces' distance, and the first shot went through
the hat of the Marquis. The latter then fired, and his
baU pierced the thigh of his opponent. Rendered
furious by the sight of his blood, he steeped his hand
kerchief in it and tied it round the wound, crying for
vengeance. In the next fire he wounded the Marquis
in the arm. The latter in turn, irritated by his
wound, resolved that the combat should be to the
death, and proposed that after each shot the com
batants should approach two paces. The seconds
remonstrated in vain; thefr Uves were threatened if
they did not allow the matter to proceed as agreed
upon by the principals. Thus they fired, shot after
shot, until owing to their wounds each dropped on
his knees, and continued the frightful contest. At
length the Marquis received a ball in the shoulder, and
he fainted, which put an end to the conflict, both parties
being carried off the ground m a dying condition.
A Duel for a Mistress.
This duel occurred in the same reign as the last.
The quarrel was between two intimate friends, one of
whom had maUgned the character of his friend's chere
amie. In spite of the earnest attempts of the seconds
at the latest moment to effect a reconciliation, the
parties set to with the utmost fury and determination ;
but they were too equally matched to be able to do

108 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
each other much harm ; and at length, getting tired of
the useless weapons, they flung them by mutual con
sent away, and rushed to a case of pistols on the
sward. "This will settle the matter more expedi
tiously," said one of them. " Ah, I'U let you know,
my young rake, what it is to calumniate my chere
amie !" Posted on the ground, and ready to fire, the
one who had been thus addressed suddenly exclaimed,
" We shall fight au mouchoir."* Hereupon the seconds
interposed: they could bear it no longer, and ex
claimed that it would be an assassination, adding,
that such a procedure would show more ferocity than
courage. "It matters not," they furiously repUed;
" the outrage has been too deadly," added he of the
mistress. " Well, then, gentlemen," said the seconds,
" if there must absolutely be a victim to your ven
geance, let us not lose at one fell stroke both of our
dear friends together ; let us follow the regulation in
such cases. Let One ofthe pistols be only primed, and
let chance decide the rest."
This murderous compact being made, the seconds
prepared the pistols, enveloping them in a handker
chief ; and then presenting them to one of the com
batants, he took his weapon, and the other was deU
vered to his antagonist. The ends of the handkerchief
were respectively placed in their hands; they raised
their pistols ; the word was given ; they fired, and the
* That is, at close quarters, with only a handkerchief between
them, an end of it held by the left hand of each.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 109
slanderer fell back, shot through the breast, a torrent
of blood gushing at the instant from his mouth and
nostrils !
" Vfrtuous AmeUa !" exclaimed the other antagonist
with cruel exultation, " receive this incense in expia
tion ; it is not worthy of aU thy merit !"
The seconds proceeded to examine the pockets of
the dying man, whUst the echoes of the forest repeated
the frightful death-rattle of his agony, amid fitful con
vulsions ; they removed his watch, his papers, every
thing that might give any clue to the actors in the hi
deous tragedy, and then aU disappeared, like assas
sins, after a murder, afready pursued by the pangs of
remorse. An Insult rightly Redressed.
Soon after the Restoration of the Bourbons, says
Captain Gronow, several duels took place for the most
frivolous causes. Duels were fought in the daytime,
and even by night. The officers of the Swiss Guards
were constantly measuring swords with the officers of
the old Garde Imperiale. Upon one occasion a French
man, determined to insult a Swiss officer, who, in the
uniform of his regiment, was quietly taking his ice at
Tortoni's, addressed him thus: — "I would not serve
my country for the sake of money, as you do. We
Frenchmen think only of honour," To which the other
promptly retorted, " You are right, for we both of us
serve for what we do not possess." A duel was the

110 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
consequence ; they fought with swords, under a lamp,
in the Rue Taitbout, and the Frenchman was run
through the body; but luckily the wound, though
dangerous, did not prove fatal.*
A Duel between Two Old Friends,
General A. de Girardin, some forty years back, had
a serious quarrel with one of his old friends, the Mar
quis de Briancourt, about a lady. A duel was the re
sult. Pistols were the weapons ; but, prior to ex
changing shots, De Girardin's second went (as was
the custom) and felt the right side of his friend's anta
gonist, but found nothing there to indicate the exist
ence of padding, etc. Accordingly, after the measure
ment of the ground, pistols were handed to the com
batants. The Marquis changed his pistol from his
right into his left hand ; both parties fired, and the
Marquis fell. The seconds flew to the aid of the
wounded man ; but, to their astonishment, on opening
his waistcoat, several sheets of thick paper were found
folded over the region of the heart. Notwithstanding
this device, the blow from the bullet created a sore on
the left side, which was never effectually cured. The
Marquis died shortly afterwards.f
An injueed Husband,
" A lamentable duel took place at Paris, about the
year 1821, between two officers of the Life Guards,
* ' Celebrities of London and Paris.'
t Gronow, ubi supra.

DUELS IN FRANCE. Ill
Captain Walsh and Lieutenant Pellen, about a lady.
The latter gentleman was shot through the head. It
is quite enough to state that Captain Walsh was justi
fied in the steps he had taken, for he had received the
greatest injury that one man could infiict on another.
Though the unfortunate duel took place about forty
years back, I weU remember it, for I refused to be the
Lieutenant's second, because he had behaved so ill.
The impression it made was very great, and the ge
neral feeling was in favour of the injured husband,"*
Fayot, the Champion op the Legitimists,
Fayot fought more duels than any man in France.
His aim with a pistol was certain; but he was not
cruel, and he usually wounded his adversary either in
the leg or arm. He was likewise a good swordman.
General Fournier was afraid of Fayot, and only once
measured swords with him ; whUe the latter had a
horror of Fournier, for having killed so many young
men belonging to good famUies, In his rencontre
with Fayot, the General was severely wounded in the
hand, and ever after Fayot hunted his antagonist from
one end of France to the other, determined to put an
end to the " assassin," as he was called.
Upon the Restoration of the Bourbons, Fayot came
to Paris, where, by his singular manners and dress, he
laid himself open to remark and ridicule. In the day
time he was usually dressed in a green coat, white
* Gronow, ubi supra.

112 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
waistcoat, and neckcloth, leather pantaloons, and Hes
sian boots, with his hat on one side. His evenings
were generaUy passed either at Tortoni's or Silve's,
the respective rendezvous of the Bonapartists and
Bourbons. In one or other of these cafes Fayot was
sure to be found. He publicly gave out that he was
ready to measure swords with any one who dared to
insinuate anything against the royal family — a threat
sure to bring upon him serious rencontres ; but nothing
intimidated him. It was reported, and generally be
lieved, that he had, in the short period of two years,
fought thfrty duels without having been seriously
wounded, U^on one occasion Fayot repafred to the
Theatre Fran^ais to see ' Germanicus ;' party spirit
then ran high, and any aUusion complimentary to the
fallen Emperor was received by the Bonapartists with
applause, Fayot loudly hissed, and a great uproar
arose, when Fayot entered the breach by proclaiming
himself the champion of Legitimacy, The conse
quence was that cards flew about the pit, Fayot
carefuUy picked them up, and placed them in his hat.
After the play had terminated, he repafred to Tor
toni's, where he wrote his address upon several pieces
of paper, which he distributed all over the Boulevards,
stating that he was to be found every morning, be
tween the hours of eleven and twelve, at the weU in
the Bois de Boulogne, near AuteuU, Strange to say,
after all this row at the theatre, only one antagonist
was forthcoming. On the second day, at the hour ap-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 113
pointed, a gentleman arrived with seconds, who found
Fayot in his tilbury, ready for the fight. The name of
¦his antagonist was Monsieur Harispe, the son of the
distinguished Basque General. Pistols were chosen,
and at the first discharge Fayot shot his adversary in
the knee ; then, taking off his hat, he left the ground,
and proceeded to Paris in his tilbury to breakfast at
Tortoni's, where a great many persons had congre
gated to know the result of this terrible duel.
The Revolution of 1830 drove Fayot from Paris, and
he retired to his native Avignon, where he lived
much respected by the principal inhabitants of that
quaint town. "In passing through Avignon," says
Gronow, " some twelve years back, I caUed upon him,
and found him much altered, but stiU dressed in
his original costume — the green coat, white neck
cloth, etc. Admiral de la Sussb.
Admiral de la Susse, in his younger days, was cele
brated as a man of fashion. He was rather good-look
ing, with a neat figure, and was very popular in so
ciety. He was a good waltzer, and prided himself
upon that accomplishment; but being unfortunately
extremely short-sighted, he consequently got himself
frequently into scrapes. At a baU, given by a lady in
the Faubourg St. Honore, La Susse, in a turn of the
waltz, accidentaUy came in contact with a looker-on,
who, in a German accent, exclaimed aloud, Quand on
VOL. II, ^

114 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
est si maladroit, on ne doit pas valser, " When per
sons are so awkward, they should not waltz," Cards
were exchanged, and on the following morning the
parties met in the Bois de Boulogne. La Susse's ad
versary won the first fire, and took his aim with great
coolness, but luckily without effect. La Susse then
fired, when the German fell. The seconds hastened
to render every assistance in thefr power ; but, judge
of thefr astonishment, when, instead of finding the
German mortally wounded, as they expected, they
only found a bullet indented against a well-padded
cuirass ! La Susse, after looking attentively with his
glass in his eye at what was passing, desfred his anta
gonist to rise, as he would have another shot at him;
upon which the cuirassed hero rose, and received a
well-merited and well-applied kick, without making
the slightest resistance, and then walked off the
ground as if he had accomplished some wonderful
achievement. This extraordinary duel took place in
1816, and was the subject of much conversation for a
length of time in the fashionable circles in Paris.*
* At the commencement of the Crimean war Admiral La Susse
waa commander-in-chief of the French fleet, and when off' the
Piraeus had gone on shore to pass a few days up the country with
some friends, when unexpected orders came for the diff'erent ves
sels under his command to weigh anchor, and to proceed to a new
destination immediately. The Admiral, bent on his amusements,
was not to be found for three days ; and on this becoming known
to the Emperor, he was immediately suspended, and Admiral
Deschenes named in his place. Poor La Susse never recovered

DUELS IN FRANCE. 115
Steange Denouement and Fatal Duel.
The following strange affair occurred near Paris in
the year 1821, The parties were a M. Manuel, a
Pole and a Jew, a man of the greatest respectability,
and of immense fortune ; he was about fifty years of
age, and the father of six children, M, Beaumont,
the other party, was a single man, between thirty and
forty, and he was also a man of considerable property ;
he was a native of Geneva. They were both agents de
change or stock -brokers. About five or six months
before, M. Manuel, who lived on the most affectionate
terms with his wife, received an anonymous letter,
saying that she was unfaithfiU to him. He tore the
letter to pieces with contempt, and dismissed the
matter from his mind. In about a fortnight he re
ceived a second letter, with the same information ; he
treated this letter like the first. In a few days he
received a third, which stated, that as he was too
incredulous to be convinced except on ocular proof,
he might have that proof the very next day, if he
chose. The writer then told him to go next day at
two o'clock, to a particular house, in a particular
street, and to make a certain signal which he de
scribed, and he would then have no doubt of the
writer's veracity,
from this dreadful blow, and considered himself ever after as a
disgraced and dishonoured man. He lingered on for a few
months, and may be said to have died of a broken heart. —
Gronow. l2

116 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
M. Manuel went, accordingly, at the time desig
nated to the house in question, and made the de
scribed signal. The door was instantly opened by a
female whom he knew to be his wife, but who did not
at. first recognize him, but throwing herself into his
arms, caUed him by the name of " dear Beav,-
mont .'" , , ,
The husband was now convinced. But he proffered
forgiveness to his wife, and even agreed to Uve with
her, provided she would totally abandon her paramour.
The mother of six children refused ! The husband
went away without her.
A few days after he met Beaumont ; a violent alter
cation immediately ensued ; the result was a challenge
and a positive agreement that one at least should not
come out of the field alive. They met the next mom
ing, fired, and M. Manuel was kiUed on the spot by a
pistol ball in the breast.
M. Beaumont shortly after fled to Switzerland, to
escape the storm of indignation which burst upon him
at Paris. His colleagues on the exchange came to a
resolution never to transact business with him again.
Curious circumstances attended the funeral of poor
M, Manuel, When the body arrived at the church of
St. Denys, in the Rue Caumartin, the authorities
refused to receive it, because _M, Manuel had been
killed in a duel. The populace, however, insisted on
its being received, and, after some delay, it was taken
in. It was then found that no priest was present to

DUELS IN FRANCE. 117
perform the necessary rites. A second disturbance
took place, and at length a priest appeared, but not
habited in canonicals ; a fresh outcry, however, in
duced the priest to robe himself, and the service was
performed in the usual manner. The body was after
wards carried to the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, and
there buried.
The Paintee Gaeneeay and M, Raynouaed,
The painter Gameray was commissioned by Charles
X, to paint the Battle of Navarino ;* he went to Greece,
and during the voyage home had, or thought he had,
reason to complain of the treatment of the captain of
the vessel, and the result was the deepest resentment
between them. On his return in the ship, Gameray
was sent ashore very Ul, and deprived of aU aid from
theship's surgeon ; he wrote a very insulting letter to
the Captain, under the inspiration of a fever. The
latter sent him a chaUenge ; pistols were to be the
weapons, Gameray, stiU suffering, managed to crawl
to the rendezvous. He had the first fire, and his ball
hit the Captain in the right side. The Captain fired
in his turn, but with a trembling hand and dim eyes ;
he was mortally wounded, and died of his wound nine
days after,
Geneeal Gouegand and the Comte de Segqe.
General Gourgand, formerly aide-de-camp of Na-
* The picture is now in the Museum of Nantes.

118 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
poleon, not satisfied with criticizing, pen in hand, what
he thought erroneous in Comte de Segur's ' History of
the Campaign in Russia,' sent a challenge to the
author of the work. The Count was slightly wounded,
and thus the affair ended,
M. Beaupoil de Saint- Aulaiee and M. de
PlEEEBBOUEG.
A young cavalry officer, M. Beaupoil de Saint-
Aulaire, had written a political pamphlet entitled,
'Funeral Oration on the Due de Feltre,' and was
consequently chaUenged by the son of the duke. He
received a slight wound, and a few days after was
again challenged, but this time by M. de Pierrebourg,
a cousin of the deceased duke. The sabre was the
weapon selected. The meeting took place in the Bois
de Boulogne. The two adversaries approached each
other with the utmost courtesy, M, de Saint-Aulaire,
perceiving that M. de Pierrebourg had the sun in his
face, requested him to retire a dozen paces further off,
where both parties would be in the shade. Almost
as soon as the sabres were crossed, M. de Pierrebourg
received a cut in the knee, but instantly returned a
thrust which penetrated deeply into the breast of
M. de Saint-Aulaire. "Oh God!" he exclaimed, "I
fear that the wound is serious !" The seconds rushed
up to Saint-Aulaire, who was staggering, and ex
pressed a hope that the wound was not mortal. One
of them added, "At any rate everything has been

DUELS IN FRANCE. 119
done according to the rules and regulations." A
quarter of an hour after, M, de Saint-Aulaire breathed
his last. But it is consolatory to think that he was
dispatched with aU the requisite formalities.
Literary duels were then frequent. A Neapolitan
colonel of the name of Pepe challenged the author of
a work in which he had reproached Italy with its
pusillanimity, and obtained the satisfaction of wound
ing the writer, — ^to prove the incorrectness of his state
ments !
Two enthusiastic novel writers fought in defence of
classical and romantic literature ! They fired at each
other four times, and only separated when the severity
of their wounds prevented further hostilities.
Treins and Damarzid.
An artUlery officer, named Treins, called out a per
son of the name of Damarzid. It was decided that
they should fight with pistols, at the distance of six
paces. Having drawn lots for the first fire, it fell upon
Treins; the seconds then requested that a greater
distance should be taken, Treins would not consent
to this arrangement, which was contrary to the pre
vious agreement. He fired, and mortally wounded his
adversary in the stomach ; but, the latter, notwithstand
ing the severity of his wound, had sufficient strength
to retum the fire, wounding his antagonist in the arm.
He died a few hours after, Treins was prosecuted,
and the court decided " that having been the aggres-

120 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
sor,. and having fired contrary to the wishes of the by
standers, at so short a distance, — ^when he was certain
of kiUing his antagonist, — these cfrcumstances did not
aUow the case to be included in those cases of duels
which are not considered as criminal and punishable
as such." On this occasion the duel was considered
an assassination, because the party fired at too short a
distance ; yet it must be recollected that, had the sur
vivor's pistol missed fire, his antagonist had an equal
certainty of shooting him.
The tribunal of Douai came to a similar conclusion
in the case of a person who shot another after taking a
long and deliberate aim. The court of MarseiUes gave
a similar judgment in the following case : — A man,
named Roqueplane, had called out another of the name
of Durre, The seconds wanted to place the parties at
a distance of twenty-five paces. Durre insisted on
fifteen. Lots were drawn for the first fire, which fell
on Roqueplane, who discharged his pistol in the afr.
Durre nevertheless insisted that he should fire at him,
and despite the interference of the seconds, his wish
was acceded to ; but the pistol missed fire ; whereupon
Durre fired, and shot his adversary dead.
A singular case occurred some time after, but as it
was somewhat similar to the preceding, perhaps it had
better be related here. " A Spanish gentleman," says
Dr. Millingen,- " had left his wife in that city, and
during his absence her conduct, it appeared, had been
anything but correct. On his retum, the tongue of

DUELS IN FRANCE. 121
scandal and of friendship soon informed him of what
was called his dishonour ; and he fixed upon a young
man of the name of A  as the person who was to
give him satisfaction, on the plea that he had intrigued
with his wife, M, A  refused to meet him re
peatedly, insisting upon his innocence; and adding,
that even if proofs of any criminality could be ad
duced, the conduct of the lady had been so improper,
with various persons, that he would not expose his life
in such a business. The husband persisted, and, at
last, meeting him on 'Change, struck him repeatedly.
A meeting was now unavoidable. Forty paces were
measured, and eighteen paces told off between the
two extreme points, leaving a space of only four paces
in the centre of the ground. It was decided that
both parties should advance towards this point, and
fire whenever they thought proper,
"The adversaries moved on; but the Spaniard, in
his vindictive impatience, fired at twelve paces, and
missed his antagonist, who continued advancing
towards the central point of four paces, while the dis
appointed Spaniard halted where he fired. According
to the pre-arranged agreement, he was ordered to pro
ceed to the centre, where stood his antagonist, when
only four paces divided them !
" M, A  then stated that he would not fire, if his
adversary was satisfied ; to which the latter repUed, that
he must fire, as he was determined that one of them
should faU, A  pulled the trigger, but the pistol

122 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
missing fire, it was found that his second had not put
any cap to it; it was therefore decided that he was
entitled to a shot. Again he expressed his earnest
desire not to fire. The Spaniard insisted, and was shot
dead. "Although at so short a distance as four paces, so
uncertain is the fire of a pistol that had the ball,
which had struck the shoulder and entered the chest,
deviated but a Une or two, and been reflected from the
bone, the wound would have been slight, and A 
undoubtedly would have faUen,
" M. A  , with the seconds of both parties, was im
prisoned for a considerable time, and, when brought to
trial, acquitted. In this case, most undoubtedly, the
fault rested with the seconds, who should not have left
to their principals the power of reserving their fire
untU they came into such a close position — an arrange
ment of which every cool person would avaU himself.
The chances were also rendered unequal by the pre
cipitation of one of the parties. He could have held
back his fire until- he came to the four-pace interval, if
he thought proper ; and his adversary was fully war
ranted in availing himself of the circumstance, whUe he
honourably offered him his life,
"In this case," continues MUlingen, "my opinion
was asked, as an English offlcer, M. A  was a
particular friend of mine ; and I gave it as my decided
opinion that he had behaved most honourably. He
had been fired at, and continued to move forward

DUELS IN FRANCE. 128
according to agreement. The Spaniard should have
done the same; it was, therefore, but just that he
should not be allowed to receive A  's fire where
he had halted; since A  had missed him, the
Spaniard's next fire would have taken place at the
central point, on which he most undoubtedly would
have advanced, to claim the advantage which he him
self had given to his antagonist. In regard to the
missing of A  's fire, had the pistol been capped,
most unquestionably he would have had no claim to a
second fire, but the unpardonable neglect had not
been his; it was the fault of his second, for which,
most assuredly, he should not have perilled his life.
It is true that a miss-fire is considered as equivalent
to a shot, in primed pistols, but this rule cannot hold
good in percussion arms, A priming may be damp,
may be shaken out, but the pistol had been properly
loaded, A percussion pistol, without a cap, is to all
purposes the same as an unloaded weapon; and if
such neglect on the part of a second was to expose
the life of a principal, it might lead to the most
treacherous acts and premeditated murders. This
case strongly proves the necessity of pistols being
loaded in the presence of both seconds ; and perhaps
so long as this barbarous practice prevails, it might
be more prudent not to use percussion arms."
Of course in this case, if A  's second positively
remembered that he had forgotten to put on a cap,
the thing is settled; but aU percussion-caps are not

124 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
even now absolutely tight fits on all occasions, and it
is not impossible that A  's percussion-cap might
have fallen off, especially during the long marching of
the affair, A Literary Man and an Officer.
A young author of promise, named Signol, went one
night to the Theatre Italien, and during the interval
between two acts, seeing a seat unoccupied, took pos
session of it vrithout further inquiry. Soon after,
when everybody had resumed their places, the officer
on guard at the theatre made his appearance, and very
politely requested Signol to give him his place, Sig
nol told the officer to go about his business and struck
him in the face ! He positively struck a young man
whom he had never seen before ! He then retfred,
but left his card. The young officer resumed his seat
quietly, and at the end of the performance he sent in
the following report to his colonel : —
" Nothing new, except that an officer of the guard
has received a slap in the face." The colonel returned
the report to the officer after writing on the margin,
" I give the officer of the guard leave of absence for
the day after to-morrow."
On the second morning after the occurrence, there
appeared at the door of Signol's residence a carriage
and four, driven by a coachman in splendid Uvery.
The officer's seconds showed M. Signol and his se
conds into this brUUant carriage, which they followed

DUELS IN FRANCE. 125
with their principal in a much more modest equipage.
They drove rapidly to Vincennes, to the forest,
M. Signol was not an unskilful swordman, and it
was the first duel of the man who was insulted. The
conflict lasted only ten minutes, and Signol was run
right through the heart. Lady Duellists,
About the year 1827, a lady of Chateauroux, whose
husband had received a slap in the face without re
senting the insult, called out the offender, and fighting
him with swords, wounded him severely.
In 1828, a duel took place between a young girl
and a garde du corps. She had been betrayed by the
soldier, and insisted upon satisfaction, selecting her
own weapons by the right of an offended party. Two
shots were exchanged, but without any result, as the
seconds very wisely had not loaded with ball. The
young lady, however, ignorant of this precaution, fired
first, and received the fire of her adversary with the
utmost coolness, when, to try her courage, after taking
a long and deliberate aim, he fired in the air, and thus
tenninated the meeting, which, no doubt, led to many
others of a different kind and less hostile nature.
In the same month, as a striking instance of the
contagion of this practice, a duel was fought near
Strasbourg between a Frenchwoman and a German
lady, both of whom were in love with a painter. The
parties met on the ground armed with pistols, and

126 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
with seconds of their own sex. The German damsel
wanted to fight a "duel exceptional," that is, close
together, each holding the end of a handkerchief with
the left hand ; but the French lady and her seconds
insisted upon a distance of twenty-five paces. They
both fired without effect, when the exasperated Ger
man insisted that they should carry on the contest
until one of the parties fell. This determination, how
ever, was controlled by the seconds, who put a stop '
to further proceedings, but were unable to bring about
a reconciliation, Dr, MilUngen was of opinion that the reason why
women don't fight so often as men, is their natural
timidity as regards personal danger, and the greater
certainty of avenging their injuries by intrigue ani
slander, " whose edge is sharper than the sword !" This
is rather severe on the /o^r sex.
Armand Carrel and Roux Laborie,
The arrest of the Duchesse de Berri, in 1830, nearly
brought on a general battle among the gentlemen of
the press, Eugene Briffaut, of the ' Corsair,' opened
the fire with a Royalist, who challenged and wounded
him, A paragraph having appeared in the paper caUed
' La Tribune,' containing some reflections on the
Duchesse de Berri, the editors of the ' Revenant,' a
Legitimist publication, demanded satisfaction from
those of the ' Tribune,' Godefroi Cavaignac, Marrast,

DUELS IN FRANCE. 127
and Garderin, sent the following manifesto to the
editors of the ' Revenant :' — " We send you a first Ust
of twelve persons. We demand, not twelve simulta
neous duels, but twelve successive duels, at times and
in places which will easily be settled. No excuses —
no pretexts — ^which, however, wiU not save you from
the imputation of cowardice, nor from the consequences
which it bears in its train. Betwixt your party and
ours war has henceforth commenced with a combat.
No truce before one party bows beneath the other."
The parties decided that no individual duel should
take place, but that a collective meeting should be
fixed upon between any two editors whose names ap
peared in the lists, as other newspapers had taken part
in the quarrel. At last it was arranged that a meeting
should take place between Armand Carrel, editor of
the ' National,' and Roux Laborie, editor of the
' Revenant.' The parties met, Roux Laborie received two thrusts
in the arm, but grievously wounded Carrel in the lower
part of the belly, the wound being infficted as his op
ponent was lounging. The seconds were about to
cross swords in thefr turn, when the interference of
the police put an end to the contest. Great was the
consternation at this result, and the condition of the
wounded man occupied all minds. Visitors thronged
his door from all sides — from such celebrities as
M, Dupin, even to Chateaubriand himself, Thiers
sent his secretary — objection was made to the visit ;

128 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
but Carrel said, "Let him come in;" and when he
came in, he said to the envoy of the Minister, " I have
one favour to ask of M. Thiers — I desire that M. Roux
Laborie be not molested."
The excitement was so great that a mob was on the
point of chastising the Legitimists by smashing the
printing-presses of the ' Gazette de France.' Fortu
nately the recovery of Armand Carrel stopped the ef
fervescence of the Republicans, Had Carrel died, it is
difficult to say to what excesses this exasperation might
have led. Royalist publishers and officers were be
sieged for several days by the mob.
General Bugeaud and M, Dulong,
The detention of the Duchesse de Berri caused
another meeting. At a sitting of the Chamber, on the
21st of January, 1831, M. Larabit, afterwards senator,
protested against the military dictatorship of Marshal
Soult, who, in a letter, had interdicted the miUtary
officers of Strasbourg from all petitions and reclama
tions " even legal." In the discussion, he said that
an officer was not obliged to fulfil an ignoble office.
Soult replied, " A soldier's first duty is obedience ;"
on which Larabit rejoined, "The President of the
Council says that a military man should obey. This
I readUy grant ; but when a man is conscious of his
rectitude, and is ordered to recede from his duty, he
should cease to obey his superiors," — " Never, never !"
exclaimed several members ; on which Dulong added.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 129
with much warmth, " What ! is a man in obedience to
the command of his superior to become a gaoler, and
degrade himself?" This expression was not distinctly
heard by aU the members present, nor did it reach the
ears of General Bugeaud until some friend repeated
the offensive language. The General immediately
went over and sat near Dulong, who gave a satisfac
tory explanation, disclaiming any personal aUusion.
Here the matter would have rested, had not one of
the newspapers taken up the subject, when the Ge
neral felt compeUed to demand a written apology from
Dulong, a request with which he immediately complied
by transmittmg to the editor of the paper a statement,
in which he declared that he had meant nothing per
sonal or offensive in his speech. This letter was sent
to the General, who forwarded it by one of the King's
aides-de-camp to the editor ofthe ' Journal des Debats.'
Soon afterwards an evening paper published the foUow
ing paragraph: — "The 'Journal des Debats' having
reported yesterday that M, Dulong had made use of
language most insulting to General Bugeaud, it was
this day affirmed in the Chamber that the honourable
General had insisted on an apology on the part of
M, Dulong, which wUl appear to-morrow in the ' Jour
nal des Debats,' On reading this report, M, Dulong
immediately addressed the editor of the ' Debats' to
request he would not publish his declaration, and the
General himself called at the office for the letter, and
afterwards waited upon M. Dulong, Seconds were
VOL. II, K

130 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
then appointed ; and as matters conld not be settled to
the satisfaction of all parties, a duel with pistols was
arranged to take place the following morning.
General Bugeaud, who was considered one of the
best shots in the army, suggested to M, Dulong the
advantage that might result from the use of swords ;
but Dulong, who was a lawyer, knowing nothing of the
use of arms, thought that the pistol would offer him a
greater security. The parties met in the Bois de Bou
logne at the appointed hour, when it was decided that
they should be placed at forty paces from each other,
and on a given signal advance, and fire whenever they
thought proper. General Bugeaud, in the most ho
nourable manner, and to give his adversary every pos
sible chance that the greater distance could afford,
fired at the second step, but unfortunately with too
much precision ; his bullet hit his man just under the
left eye, boring through the brain. He fell like a lump
of lead, uttered not a cry, and breathed his last at sis
o'clock on the following morning.
This fatal event was clearly the work of political
writers, who fomented the hostile feelings of both
parties, and whose conduct only admitted of this ex
tenuation, that they were always ready to fight among
themselves, or with any other political antagonist who
wanted to decide a question by recourse to arms.
The duel caused considerable sensation in Paris,
The king was much censured for not having prevented
it, as the chances were most unequal between a skilled

DUELS IN FRANCE. 131
combatant and a literary man, who had never handled
sword or pistol. Moreover, the written apology of
Dulong, instead of being returned to him when the
hostile meeting was decided upon, remained in the
hands of the General's second, a most unfair proceed
ing, since the ill-fated Dulong, who fought rather than
give publicity to a statement which was reported to
have been obtained by threats, had the unquestionable
right to demand the restoration of the document ; and
this letter, which it was affirmed had been burnt in
the Palace of the TuUeries, appeared a few days after
Dulong' s death in several provincial papers !
Hostile meetings between newspaper writers and
politicians took place, not only in Paris, but the prin
cipal cities in France. On the same day on which
M. Dulong was wounded by General Bugeaud, two
medical students were fighting at a few paces from
them, and one of them was mortally wounded by a
shot in the breast. Three other duels followed, one of
them fatal — all resulting from political differences;
and then, on the same account, a manager of a theatre
fought the editor of a newspaper.
While political disputes thus led numerous champions
into the field, their party warmly advocated the cause
which they maintained at the peril of thefr lives. Thus,
a duel having taken place between a native of Toulouse
and a native of MarseiUes, on electioneering questions,
the Toulousian, being seriously wounded, was carried
to the hospital, whither he was immediately followed
E 2

132 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
by his partizans, wearing white pinks at their button
holes, and they suspended a crown of laurels and lUies
over the patient's head at Marseilles.
Barthelemy, the editor of the 'Peuple Souverain,'
killed David, the editor of the 'Garde National;' and
soon after the editor of the 'Gazette de Perigord'
fought his predecessor of different political opinions.
M. de Briqueville vfrulently attacked Marshal Soult
as minister, in a political effusion. The son of the
great marshal took up the matter and replied — with a
chaUenge. It was accepted. The seconds of the
Marquis of Dalmatia were Marshal Clauzel and Ge
neral Jacqueminot (whose name has been given by
the gardeners to a remarkably fine French rose) ; those
of M. de Briqueville were General Excelmans (the
redoubtable diplomatic dueUist),* and M. Bacot, a
deputy. They fought with swords. Terrible was the
contest. The seconds separated the combatants just
at the moment when, after a tremendous struggle,
they were on the point of seizing each other, body to
body, in a desperate finish! Assm-edly, people had
gone mad with politics,
A Duel between two Arch^ologists,
A discussion arose between two Italians respecting
a sarcophagus discovered at Saint-Jean du Garguier.
The discoverer, Marcredati, published in the 'Mes-
sager,' of MarseiUes, an article denouncing another
* See ante, p. 68.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 133
archffiologist of eminence, Biffi. The latter replied in
another journal, the ' Mistral,' with an effusion quite as
learned and equally caustic, Marcredati returned to the
asault, and Biffi had at him again as quickly. And so
the archEeological war went on, apparently endless, but
increasing so much in virulence of words that, having
begun with an old coffin, people began to fear it
would become an affair of a funeral and a tomb,
through the inevitable settlement of those days — a
duel. The magistrate took alarm, and the police kept
on the watch, Alas ! women and dueUists soon find a
way when they have a will. One fine morning the
' Messager ' of Marseilles published " the funeral ora
tion," written by Neroni, on poor Marcredati, who
little thought when he exhumed a sarcophagus, that he
was diggmg his own grave !
This controversy, and the catastrophe made a great
noise in Italy. They raised a monument to Marcredati
at Poggi di Bonzb, and his eulogium was solemnly
delivered at the Academy dei Ajcadi, at Rome.
The wag Mery made a great deal of fun out of this
report, it was nothing more, for Marcredati, Biffi, and
Neroni, were no other than Mery himself I , , . It was
a hoax, Alexandre Dumas and Gaillardet.
The cause of this duel is characteristic of French
authorship. It appears that Gaillardet was the original
author of the drama caUed the ' Tour de Nesle,' which

134 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
was admirably constructed, but unfortunately of a dis
gusting character, every vice that can disfigure hu
manity having been brought into action. The manager
of the theatre La Forte Saint-Martin, bethought him
that the dialogue required correction, or that the
incidents of the piece might be more powerfully deve
loped; and he therefore, with the consent of the
author, placed the manuscript in the hands of Alex
andre Dumas,
Dumas set to work and completed the literary job
to satisfaction. He claimed no authorship, untU the
piece was brought out, achieved a great success, and
became the rage of the Parisians, when, to the amaze
ment of poor Gaillardet, Dumas published the play as
his sole production. The business was first brought
before the tribunals, which decided that the dramatic
child had two fathers, but that the latter should enjoy
their rights only by turns. The "honour" of the
parties, however, not being satisfied, a meeting took
place, and pistol shots were exchanged at fifteen paces.
It appears that the infuriated dramatists were resolved
to fire until one or both of them fell, as if to leave the
darling play only one father, as in the ordinary way
of nature, or an orphan ; but the seconds very wisely
prevented further proceedings.
This exasperation, arising from galled vanity, is
easily accounted for, when we find that two other
dramatic writers, whose productions had been received
with doubtful success by the pubUc and severely criti-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 135
cized by the papers, shut themselves up with a pan of
charcoal, and were suffocated in poetical despair. It
must be admitted, however, that Dumas did an out
rageous thing in claiming a work which he only re
vised according to instructions and with the consent of
the author, M, Romieu and a Satirical Poet,
One day Romieu received the following note from a
young lawyer : —
" Sir, — I send you with this note a ballad, which I
beg you wUl read with great attention. If you think
you can add a few words to it, • and they suit me, I
consent to accept you as a coUaborateur,
" I have the honour, etc."
The manuscript was returned to the author with the
following reply : —
" Sfr, — I have read your ballad with the greatest
attention, I leave you the choice of the weapons."
The meeting took place without any serious result.
A Crack Shot,
A gentleman of Montauban had a difference at cards
with a lieutenant, in consequence of which there was a
meeting. The gentleman was requested to fire first,
as, indeed, was his right, "After yOu," said he, "my
dear officer," The latter refused to tak an advantage
to which he had no claim, but the former stubbornly

136 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
insisting, the officer was obliged to yield. He fired
and missed.
"He's a fine fellow," said the gentleman to his
second ; " I should be very sorry to kill him. Still,
he has been very impertinent and deserves a lesson.
I'll chastise him by just cutting off his tassel." He
fired, and down dropped the tassel as if cut by a pair
of scissors. Duels among Tradespeople.
Duelling having descended from the aristocracy of
the country to inferior grades, became at last common
even among tradesmen. In 1833, we find a silk-
mercer fighting a wool-merchant with pistols, and
desperately wounding his antagonist; while a bath-
keeper called out and fought a crockeryware seller, for
having sold him a cracked pot. At Douai, a woollen-
draper challenged a brazier to fight him with swords ;
the parties met, and rushing at each other like two
butting bulls, the brazier was run through the throat,
and the unfortunate woollen-draper received a mortal
wound in the bowels.
A Fighting Jew Old-Olothesman,
The difference of rank was no protection against the
necessity of giving satisfaction. At Bordeaux, a
cavalry officer wishing to dispose of a new uniform-
coat that did not fit him, called in a Jew old-clothes
man, who had the assurance to offer him five francs.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 137
or four-and-twopence, for the gorgeous raiment ! The
officer, justly incensed at this impertinence, ordered
him out of his room, Moses stoutly refused to budge.
The dragoon kicked him out. The exasperated He
brew immediately challenged the officer, who indig
nantly refused to fight the fellow, when " Old Clo,"
meeting him in the street, called him a coward, and
actually struck him. The officer would have cut down
the Israelite on the spot had he not been prevented,
and was about bringing the man before the police,
when it was decided by the corps, that the officer,
having placed himself upon a level with the Jew by
striking him, he was called upon to give him the satis
faction he demanded. The meeting took place, and
the Israelite went to the ground with a host of his
nation, — Isaacs, Reubens, Samuels, Levis, Aarons, all
the tribes, — as for the storming of Jericho. Swords
were the weapons. The combatants placed themselves
in position ; but when the swords were crossed the
Hebrew, notwithstanding the loud acclamations of his
tribe, could not be made to stand, retreating and
falling back, untU his adversary got him against a
ditch, which at last halted him. Even here, however,
he would not show fight, aud the officer would have
run him through the body, but the crowd of Jews
rushed to the rescue, saved the son of Israel, and it
was with great difficulty that the dragoon and his
second could effect their escape to a carriage in at
tendance.

138 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Odd Duel between M, Maey-Lafon and a Would-be
Son,
One morning in the month of June, 1835, M. Mary-
Lafon was bathing in the Marne, at the port of CreteU,
with a tradesman, M, G***. The latter got entangled
in the weeds, and suddenly disappeared. M. Mary-
Lafon dived after him and brought him to the bank.
As soon as M, G*** came to himself, he burst forth
into endless thanks to his preserver, " My father is
no longer dead !" he exclaimed, " I have him again in
you. Sir. Oh ! don't disclaim the title ! I owe you
my life — don't I ? " — " Never mind that, my dear
fellow," said Lafon ; " let me tell you, I'm ravenously
hungry, and I'm sure you must want something to eat
after your fatigue; so let's be off to some tavern at
once." " Oh, it's no use," continued the man, " you cannot
escape the effusion of my gratitude ! "
"I tell you I've had enough of that already — I
won't put up with any more. Don't provoke me, or
I'U just drop you again where I found you," said
Lafon, suiting his looks to the menace. The man
seemed to be a little quieted by this declaration, and
followed his companion in silence, they soon reached
the tavern, and sat down to breakfast, M, G*** oppo
site his deliverer, on whom he kept his eyes incessantly
staring, and clasping his hands with all the silent ex
pression of admfration. At length he could contain

DUELS IN FRANCE. 139
himself no longer, and burst forth again into the same
gushing exclamations as before, Lafon was then
about twenty-three years of age, and the child whom
he had saved from the waters was about five years
older. " Perhaps he's not quite right ? " thought
Lafon, and so he said to the man, " Are you affected
with heart-disease ? " The tradesman stared at him
vacantly, not in the least understanding the joke, or
overlooking it, and cried out, " Oh, my deliverer ! My
father ! " At these words Lafon lost all patience, and
seizing a dish of fruit, he dashed it at the head of his
tormentor. This seems, at length, to have been rather
too much for his filial piety to bear, and so he resented
it by ffinging a jug of water at Lafon, which, however,
missed him, and went to pieces against the wall. Thus,
the father and son were mortally insulted, and " it was
impossible that the affair could end here" — as the
phrase goes. The landlord was called in, his bUl was
paid, and father and son got into a coach, the driver
being ordered to take the party to the Rue Neuve des
Petits- Champs, Lafon stopped the coach near the
Passage Choiseuil, He got down and soon returned,
accompanied by M. d'Hormoy, the dfrector of the
Theatre Italien, who had under his arms a case of
pistols. " My dear friend," he said to D'Hormoy, as
soon as they were seated in the coach, " allow me to
introduce to you an ex-friend of fresh water, a draper,
who drowns me with gratitude because I committed
the fault of fishing him from the bottom of a river,"

140 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
" Oh, my father !" ejaculated the draper, fetching a
deep sigh, " There, you hear him ; that's all he can
say, without a moment's respite !" The coach turned
down the Boulevard Montmartre, and made for the
Bois de Romainville, after having taken up a fourth
person, M, D***, an oculist, who was to be the
draper's second. On reaching the Bois the seconds
measured off twenty-five paces, and after the usual
signal of three claps of the hand, the adversaries fired
together. -Neither was wounded. "Now, Sir, wiU
you continue to insult me with your caresses ?" asked
Mary-Lafon. " Oh, my father !" exclaimed the draper.
" Gentlemen," cried Lafon, "reload the pistols," The
order was obeyed, the weapons were returned to the
combatants, the signal was given, and the double
detonation resounded. Again nobody was hurt. " Oh,
my father !" burst forth again from the lips of poor
M. G***, as he rashed up and flung his arms round
the neck of M. Mary-Lafon, who was at length com
pletely overpowered; he gave in, and, we are told,
ultimately became as fondly attached as he had been
averse, to the man whom he saved from drowning.
Colonel Trobriant and Pelicier,
This duel is remarkable for its trivial cause, and the
fatal obstinacy of one of the combatants, PeUcier, of
the Home Department, had a dispute with Colonel
Trobriant about a popular song, and a meeting was
the ¦ consequence, Trobriant, having the first fire,

DUELS IN FRANCE. 141
wanted to fire in the air; but his adversary said,
" No cowardly condescension, if you please, Sfr. Aim
at me. Sir, for I shall aim at you." Trobriant fired, and
the ball entered the forehead of his obstinate adver
sary.* Comte Leon and Captain De Hesse, op the
18th Hussars,
Comte Leon, a natural son of Napoleon the First,
fought several duels, one with the Colonel of the
National Guard of Saint-Denis, and another with an
English officer of the 18th Hussars, of the name of
De Hesse, who won from the Count eighteen thousand
francs (£720) . When called on to pay, he contended
that Captain De Hesse had pledged himself to give
his antagonist a revanche, which was only consistent
with the laws of honour applicable to the game. An
angry discussion arose, and Captain De Hesse pub
lished some particulars of the affafr, which were con
sidered prejudicial to the character of M. Leon. The
quarrel between them then rose to such a height that
a meeting became inevitable.
In this meeting, it was decided in writing, that the
parties should be placed at thirty paces from each
other, and advance to ten paces. They both moved
forward three paces, took aim, but did not fire. Hesse
made another step, and Leon did the same, when both
firing, Hesse received a wound in the left breast, and
* MUlingen, who states that Colonel Trobriant was his friend.

143 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
expired after three days' acute suffering. The widow
prosecuted the survivor, but after a short trial he was
acquitted, Mrs. Hesse not appearing on behalf of the
prosecution. On the ground. Captain De Hesse ad
mitted the bravery and strict honour of his antagonist.
At the trial. General Gourgeaud, his second, spoke as
follows : — " I am not able to give any details respect
ing the circumstances which gave rise to this affair, for
I am wholly ignorant of them. My friend, M, Mon-
neval, commissioned by the Emperor Napoleon to
superintend the conduct of M, Leon, was indisposed
at the time, and requested me to act for him in this
very serious matter, I undertook the duty with re
gret, for I was well aware of the ties which bound
M. Leon to the Emperor, and I was conscious of all
that his Majesty had communicated to me on this
subject at St. Helena. It was with me a sacred obli
gation, imposed by gratitude, not to abandon him at
such a moment," A Jealous Husband.
In this singular duel the circumstances were as
follows : — One Lethuillier and his wife kept a private
hospital, and a literary man, named Wattebaut, lodged
with them. They were both staunch Republicans, and
their uniformity in political opinions cemented a strict
intimacy between them. However, political affections
did not prevent Wattebaut from paying more than
common attention to the fair wife pf his host, A dis-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 143
pute arose on the subject, and it was decided that they
should fight with pistols ; but, at the same time, it was
agreed that no seconds should be present at the meet
ing, in order to avoid the possibility of any reconcilia
tion, whUe at the same time the honour of Madame
LethuUUer would not be compromised by the circum
stance being confided to others, which was certainly
a novel idea. The parties met in the Bois de Romain
ville ; Wattebaut in vain sought to reconcUe matters
by afifrming his innocence in the most solemn manner ;
the husband was inflexible, Wattebaut fired, and his
ball entering the right temple of his opponent, grazed
along the eye, passed through the root of the nose,
and came out by the left eye, Lethuillier being struck
blind, Wattebaut, seeing him fall, fancied that he was
dead, and took to flight ; but the wounded man con
trived to crawl as far as the cemetery of Pantin, where
his groans attracted the notice of some persons pass
ing by, who carried him home, Lethuillier prosecuted
his adversary before the tribunals, maintaining that
he had been treacherously wounded before he had
taken his ground, and after he had proposed to his
adversary to fight au mouchoir, or across a pocket-
handkerchief, Wattebaut, on the contrary, asserted
that he had fired according to the stipulated pre-ar-
rangement, contradicting the charges brought against
him in every particular. Although no evidence ap
peared on behalf of the prosecutor or the prisoner, the
latter was condemned to ten years' imprisonment.

144 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
A Duel between Two Brothers.
Such was the fury of duelling during those times of
political excitement, that two brothers actually en
gaged in a conflict of this nature. One of them fired
on his adversary, a dragoon of the 11th regiment,
and having missed him, knocked him down with a
bludgeon, and only left him when he considered him a
corpse. An Englishman and a Celebrated Duellist,
De Bergue, an English gentleman residing in Paris,
in the year 1835, was challenged by AUe, a celebrated
dueUist, who boasted of having fought thirty-three
duels, many of which had terminated fatally to his
opponents. The cause of the duel was very singular,
and by no means creditable to the celebrated dueUist,
AUe requested the loan of some money from Mr, De
Bergue, which the latter obligingly sent him, but
desired his servant not to leave it without a written
acknowledgment for the amount, — more with a view
to secure its safe delivery than from any suspicion of
the borrower's honesty. This precaution gave AUe
great offence. It is not stated that he returned the
money ; but he sent a friend immediately to Mr. De
Bergue, demanding an explanation. De Bergue re
ceived the party very courteously, protested that he
meant no offence, and therefore refused to apologize,
considering the reason he gave, namely, that " he re-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 145
quested the receipt only to feel assured that the money
had been delivered to the proper person," ought to be
satisfactory. If ever there was a reasonable " ex
planation," this was one ; but AUe was not satisfied
with it; he wanted a downright apology. This being
properly refused, he required a meeting on the follow
ing morning in the Bois de Boulogne, to which Mr. de
Bergue consented, and at an early hour both parties
appeared with thefr seconds. AUe brought swords,
but with these weapons De Bergue refused to fight,
knowing that his adversary was a most accomplished
fencer, while he himself was imskilled in the exercise of
the foU and small sword. He had brought a brace of
pistols, and after some parley, it was agreed that they
should be used. Alie, however, who was a good shot
as well as an expert fencer, insisted on the first fire.
De Bergue' s second refused, very properly, to concede
that point, and proposed to decide by lot who should
take the first fire, and have the choice of pistols, both
of which had been previously discharged to prove
them in order. After much discussion, De Bergue
gave up, and actually permitted his antagonist to
choose his pistol and take his first fire, as he positively
refused to fight with pistols unless this advantage was
given to him.
Both were soon stationed, AUe fired, and his ball
grazed De Bergue's cheek. De Bergue then proposed
to his second that he should " delope," or fire in the
afr. Thereupon he was told that his adversary's in-
yoL, II, L

146 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
tention was to " duel " to the death, and therefore he
levelled at him. Alie fell; the ball entering his brain
an inch above the ear; he died without uttering a
word. Mr. de Bergue was a mild, amiable gentleman,
positively unskUled in the use of the pistol ! Such
being the case, he must have possessed great courage
to have conceded so important a point as the first fire,
when aware that he stood before a professed duelUst,
and a crack shot. A Public Duel.
A duel of this nature, among others, occurred about
this time, between a M. de C  , an officer of Light
Cavalry, and a M. V  , of Carcassone. It appears,
that while the regiment of M, de C  Was quartered
in Carcassone, he courted a sister of M, V  , and,
under the promise of marriage, seduced her. The
regiment was ordered to march to Hesdin, and was
followed by the brother of the young lady, who in
sisted that the seducer should marry his sister; to
which proposal C  acceded, stating that he only
waited for the consent of his family, A suspicious
delay having taken place, M. de V  followed him
to Paris, and demanded an explanation of his inten
tions, or " satisfaction." C  again renewed his
promises, fixing a period. This period having ex
pired, M. de V  , accompanied by his sister and his
mother, repaired to Hesdin, where the regiment was

DUELS IN FRANCE. 147
still in garrison. As C  still continued to hesitate,
a meeting was demanded and fixed upon, to take
place near the glacis of the town, — the commanding
officer and the mayor being both apprised of the trans
action, which was considered "unavoidable," — and
more than that, upwards of eighteen hundred persons
assembled to witness the conflict. This occurred only
about thirty-five years ago !
On the ground, M, de V  once more called upon
De C  to fulfil his promise, and rescue his unfortu
nate sister from ignominy, adding that, from his skill
in the use of the pistol, his life was at his disposal,
and he even proposed swords, to afford him a more
equal chance in the conflict. This remonstrance and
generous conduct were of no avail.
M, de C  , it appears, had practised pistol firing
for a considerable length of time, and felt equally cer
tain of a successful aim. Lots were drawn for the
first fire, which fell upon C  . He fired, and his
ball just grazed the head of his adversary. M, de V 
then fired, and shot his dishonourable opponent through
the head. Marshal Soult Challenged,
An officer of high rank, who was disappointed in
his expectation of promotion, actually sent a message
to Marshal Soult, then Minister of War, demanding
either the promotion he had solicited, or a personal
satisfaction. The age and position of the marshal
L 2

148 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
were sufficient motives to decline this singular meet
ing, when the general thought proper to call out the
marshal's son, the Marquis of Dalmatia, to fight for
his father — a challenge which, of course, was also de-
clined; and then the pugnacious memorialist pub
lished an insulting letter, addressed to the marquis, in
the usual style of what is called "posting;" but this
outrageous conduct was very properly treated with the
contempt it deserved.
M, AlME SiREY AND M. DuREPAIRE,
In the month of November, 1835, a duel with swords
was fought by the son of an eminent lawyer, an advo
cate at the Court of Cassation, M. Aime Sirey, and his
cousin, M. Durepaire, who was married to a Made
moiselle Dusaillans. M. Durepaire had brought for
ward considerable claims against the Sfrey family,
and made use of a most insulting expression, upon
which M. Aime Sfrey struck him in the face. The
consequence was the following challenge from Diire-
pafre:— "After your insult this morning I beg you
will send me the names of your seconds, and their
address." At nine o'clock the same evening, Dure
paire was taken by a friend to Grisier, a fencing-
master, who gave him a lesson with the foil; it was
the first he had ever had ; and Grisier very strongly
advised him to get the duel put off untU he could
master at least the first elements of the art. On the
foUowing morning, however, the seconds held a con-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 149
sultation respecting the choice of weapons; and as
M. Sirey was not only a crack- shot, but also an expert
fencer with the small sword, M. Durepaire's seconds
proposed the sabre, a weapon with which neither of
the principals was acquainted. To this M. Sirey
objected, claiming the choice of weapons as the in
sulted party, and requiring the smaU sword. He, how
ever, consented to have the point settled by lot, and
chance fixed on the sabre. Curious to say, M. Sirey
then stipulated that, in order to protect the face, the
combatants should wear fencing-masks, and this was
agreed to. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the
principals, attended by their seconds, and the father-
in-law of M, Durepafre, and a friend of M. Sirey, with
a surgeon, proceeded in two carriages from Paris by
the Barriere de Vangirard, About four o'clock, night
coming on, they stopped at a place situated between
Issy and the Bois de Mendon, on the right of the road,
near a manufactory of fulminating powder,
Durepafre and Sirey then took off their coats, put
on their masks, drew their light sabres, and the com
bat commenced. Neither of the combatants attempted
cuts; both of them, chary of any great movements,
contented themselves with merely grating their blades
against each other, or the simple thrusts and parries
of sword exercise, or rather as those who know nothing
about it. Sirey, however, at length made a dash at
his adversary.
Durepaire fell back, giving point with his sabre.

150 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
which was not parried by Sirey, but turned aside with
the back of his left hand, the latter being sUghtly ex
coriated in the unswordman-like manoeuvre. In dis
engaging, Sirey had a fall, Durepaire took no ad
vantage ofthe critical mishap, Sfrey, having got upon
his legs again, the combatants returned to the spot
where the engagement had commenced, from which
they had straggled to a considerable distance, and
went on as before for about ten minutes, when Sirey
received in the upper part of the breast a thrust which,
although not serious, drew blood, and almost at the
same instant Durepaire was run through the liver with
a vigorous thrust. He died in twenty-four hours.
Seven years after his adversary also died a violent
death at Brussels,
M, Armand Caerel and M, Emile de Girardin,
The ' National,' in a note upon a prosecution insti
tuted by the 'Presse' against the 'Bon Sens,' ex
pressed an opinion that M, Gfrardin would have done
better to settle his quarrel with that paper by written
discussion than by having recourse to the law. The
' Presse,' in answering this note, introduced, in a man
ner not the most proper, the name of M, Carrel, who,
although he did not sign the ' National' as its respon
sible editor; felt himself called upon to take steps in
the matter. A challenge was sent. The parties took
their ground. M. Carrel fired first, and wounded his
adversary in the thigh, M, de Girardin fired in his

DUELS IN FRANCE. 151
turn, and his ball entered the lower part of M. Carrel's
body. He was immediately carried to Maude, to the
house of an intimate friend, where he died on the fol
lowing day. When they were carrying him from the
ground, in passing his antagonist, he said to him,
"Are you, M, de Girardin, suffering much?" The
latter replied, " I wish, Sfr, you were not more se
riously wounded than I am."
A Duel with Foils,
At least sis duels occurred in France during the
year 1838, among others the following : —
Two soldiers of a battalion of the 64th regiment of
the Line, in garrison, quarrelled about an "unfor
tunate," and resolved to fight it out. After vainly
endeavouring to procure swords, they found a pair
of unbuttoned foUs at a tavern, which they bought
between them, and proceeded with their business.
Scarcely had they crossed weapons, when both the
combatants were hit in the left breast, and fell dead
on the spot. Their wound, in both cases, seemed to
be only a prick on the surface !
A Remarkable Shot,
A Colonel of the 59th regiment of the Line was en
gaged in a duel with a young man of the town where-
the regiment was in garrison. They were placed at
the distance of forty paces. The young man fired first,
but his pistol burst, and the fragments wounded him

152 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
in the face. His adversary asked the seconds if the
young man was still able to fire. They replied in the
affirmative; but the Colonel declared that he would
not use his right of firing. It was insisted upon, how
ever, when he aimed at a small twig of a tree, which
was waving above the head of his adversary, and cut it
clean off. A Miss by a Crack Shot,
In 1841, a gentleman, to keep his hand in, had been
firing at the shooting-gallery of Duseune, and was
making sad havoc with the puppets of the establish
ment, set up as targets, as usual in France, Every
shot told, and was hailed with cries of admiration, im
mediately after which, however, a calm voice was every
time heard, saying, "He couldn't do as much on the
ground." At length the iconoclast, or smasher of
puppets, losing all patience, furiously shouted out,
" WiU you try me ?"— " Very happy to do so," replied
M. N  • B  . They went to the ground. The
gentleman fired first, and missed ! " I told you so I"
quietly said M, N  B  , who walked off humming
the operatic afr, ' Cosi fan tutti,'
Geneeal Levasseue and M, Aeeighi,
This most tragical duel took place in the environs
of Marseilles, Arrighi was an officer in the 22nd re
giment of the Line, who, believing himself injured by
Levasseur, then Colonel, resigned his commission, for

DUELS IN FRANCE. 15S
the purpose of sending him a challenge. Some time
after the colonel became a general, and Arrighi fol
lowed him to Africa, where he happened to be in com
mand. The two adversaries, who had been prevented
by numerous obstacles from meeting, were at length
in presence ; but General Lamoriciere, being informed
of the whole affair, had Arrighi arrested, and gave or
ders that he should be at once sent back to France in
a steamer just on the point of leaving port. Of course,
under the influence of his resentment, he felt convinced
that General Levasseur was not a stranger to this sum
mary procedure; and to make the matter worse, a
strange fatality led the General on the path of the re
sentful officer just as he was being conducted to the
steamer. It is easy to conceive the exasperation of the
man under the circumstances. But Levasseur had no
thing to do with the transaction ; on the contrary, he
soon obtained leave of absence, went to Marseilles, and
apprised Arrighi of his arrival. The latter soon ap
peared ; seconds were appointed, and pistols were the
weapons selected.
A dispute arose about the distance. The General's
seconds refused to be present if the distance was to be
less than twenty paces; Arrighi and his seconds ob
stinately held out for ten paces. The reason of this
determination, on the part of the latter, was explained
by the fact, that the General was a crack shot and
Arrighi out of practice with the pistol. In conse
quence of this resolution the General's seconds retfred

154 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
from the business, and were succeeded by Major de
Monet and Captain de Villiers, of the 20th regiment,
who were of opinion that Arrighi's proposal should be
adopted. Arrighi's seconds were M. de Peretti and
M. Casablanca, an old soldier, his relative and friend,
who had not quitted his side for fifteen months, and
whose good advice he refused to receive. On reach
ing the ground, Casablanca measured off the ten
paces. M. de Monet repeated the operation; his
paces were shorter than those of Casablanca; they
made allowance for the difference, and the interme
diate point was the limit of the distance between the
combatants, De Monet and Casablanca loaded the
pistols. The first fire was decided by lot. The prin
cipals then fell into position, the General always
calm, and Arrighi perfectly collected, unexcited. The
General received his pistol, and, after a few seconds,
fired, Arrighi made a convulsive movement of the
arm, but a moment after fell to the ground, blood
gushing from his mouth in torrents.
The affafr went to trial, but General Levasseur was
acquitted, and so were all the seconds impUcated in
the transaction, A Tobacconist and a Baebee.
Two Spaniards, at MarseUles, one a tobacconist,
the other a barber, roused to fury against each other,
armed themselves each with a razor, and fought a
desperate battle. The barber, having naturaUy the

DUELS IN FRANCE. 155
advantage, sent his adversary to the hospital with a
horrible gash in the face.
A Duel with Billtaed Balls,
(a.d. 1843.)
People have settled their " differences " with other
weapons besides swords, knives, poignards, sticks, and
pistols. In the time of Louis XIV., owing to the
hostUity that prevaUed among churchmen and their
foUowers, the processions of reUgious bodies not only
frequently attacked each other in the streets with the
most virulent language, but actually came to blows,
and fought with crucifixes, banners, and censers, in
Notre Dame and the Holy Chapel, pelting each other
with prayer-books and missals, a combat that the
French poet Boileau has ludicrously described in his
'Lutrin.' It was a singular circumstance that the
most serious ecclesiastical fray of this nature took
place in the church of Notre Dame, on the very day
when Louis XIII. placed the kingdom under the
special protection of the Virgin Mary !
Other instances of fighting with one's own instru
ments are related. Cagliostro being called out by a
physician whom he had styled a quack, proposed, on
the plea that a medical question should be settled
medicinally, that the parties should swallow one of two
pills, one being poisonous and the other innocuous,
selected at random.
The following, however, is the strangest encounter

156 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
of the kind on record, and it is the more remarkable
for having occurred only five-and-twenty years ago :-^
A fatal and extraordinary duel took place during
the month of September of 1843, in the commune of
Maisonfort (Seine-et-Oise). Two gentlemen, named
Lenfant and Mellant, having quarrelled over a game
of billiards, drew lots who should first throw the red
ball at his adversary's head. Chance favoured the
latter, who threw the ball with such force and correct
aim at the forehead of the other as to kill him on the
spot.* Dujarier and Beauvallon,
This duel, which made a great sensation at the time
of its occurrence, is remarkable for the insight it gave
into literary and editorial life at Paris. The alterca
tion which led to it took place at the Freres Pro-
vencaux, a restaurant in the Palais Royal, where a
grand supper was given for twenty guests, one day in
the month of March, 1845, It was a party of gentle
men of the press and authors, with a sprinkling of gay
ladies to harmonize the entertainment. During the
festive enjoyment, it appears that Dujarier was rather
excited, having taken the liberty not only to twit one
of the guests, M. Roger de Beauvofr, on his toUet,
but also to have spoken rather freely to the ladies, one
in particular, which gave offence to BeauvaUon, the
editor of the ' Globe ;' but this seems to have been ad-
* ' Annual Eegister.'

DUELS IN FRANCE. 157
justed by an apology which Dujarier subsequently
made during the evening to the offended lady. It is
impossible to state the immediate cause of the duel.
Dujarier himself said that he did not know what he
was to fight for. Beauvallon and Dujarier had cer
tainly been gaming previously, when the latter lost a
trifle, but this circumstance was too frivolous to give
rise to the duel. So as M, Rieff said, the true cause
of the duel was the everlasting quarrel between the
'Presse,' of which Dujarier was the editor, and the
' Globe,' conducted by Beauvallon, " My dear friend,"
said Dujarier to Alexandre Dumas, "it is a combat
between the ' Globe ' and the ' Presse,' "
The account given of the affair by Alexandre Dumas,
at the subsequent trial arising out of the duel, was as
follows : — " About three o'clock in the afternoon, the
day before or two days before the duel, M, Dujarier
came to my house and told me that he was going to
fight a duel. He was in my study, and during the
conversation, he took up a sword which happened to
be there, and drew the blade out of the scabbard, but
so clumsUy that I saw he did not even know how to
hold the weapon. I advised him to select any other
arm for his duel, and to choose the pistol. I asked
him who was to be his opponent. He said it was
M. de Beauvallon. ' Then,' I said, ' you had better
not choose pistols.' My idea in giving this opinion
was, that M, de Beauvallon, whom I had not the
honour to be acquainted with, but who, I knew, was

158 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
a first-rate fencer, would quickly perceive M. Dujarier's
inability to handle the sword, and not prolong the
conflict, or would render it harmless. My son took
lessons at the same fencing saloon as M. de Beau
vallon. I tried to persuade M. Dujarier that the pistol
would be the most dangerous weapon for him. He
stayed and dined with me, and in the evening I went
to the Varidtes, but during the entire evening I was
anxious, tormented. At ten o'clock I saw M. Dujarier
again. He was writing; doubtless he was engaged
in writing his will. I wished to interfere in the
quarrel ; I proposed to have an interview with Beau
vallon. Dujarier constantly refused consent."
On being asked if he gave any reason for his refusal,
Dumas replied : — " He said that with the pistol he
had a chance of escaping, but with the sword he had
none. Besides, he said I was too much engaged to
meddle with the matter, and that no doubt I should
manage to arrange the affair. Now, it seems that it
was his first affair ; he was surprised that he had not
as yet had a duel. He exclaimed, ' it is a baptism that
I must undergo.' But he evinced no enthusiasm in the
duel. He said, ' I cannot avoid fighting,' The night
before the duel he came to my house to pass, as he
said, his last day with the friends whom he loved.
At one o'clock in the morning, he neither knew the
hour nor the place of meeting. All that he knew
was that pistols were to be the weapons, because he
himself had chosen that arm."

DUELS IN FRANCE. 159
When questioned as to his opinion that Beauvallon
would not abuse his skUl in a duel with Dujarier,
Alexandre Dumas replied, " I remember that my son
said to me, in speaking of the duel, ' M. de BeauvaUon
is a perfect gentleman ; if he perceives M. Dujarier's
incapacity with the sword, he wUl disarm him, or
wound him in the arm.' Unfortunately, this was told
to Dujarier, and he said, 'I certainly will not have
my adversary do me a favour by disarming me or
wounding me slightly in the arm ; I demand a serious
duel.' I remember that my son also said, ' We should
do weU to go to Grisier and request him to interpose
in the matter.' I told my son that I could not do
so ; that Dujarier's reputation was a precious thing
to preserve, for the very reason that it was his first
duel," It appears, however, that Alexandre Dumas sent
Dujarier with his son to the Tir de Gosset, a shooting-
gaUery, where, as before stated, they have the figure
of a man to fire at, as in a duel. Dujarier made very
bad practice, only hitting the puppet or manikin, twice
out of twelve or fourteen shots.
On being questioned about the duties of seconds,
Alexandre Dumas gave the following explanations : —
" Those representatives called seconds may often, in
an affair, do what a party who deems himself offended
would not do of his own accord. A person whose
nerves are irritated by the idea of having to fight on
the same day or the next, has not the same coolness

160 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
that may and ought to be possessed by seconds.
The seconds may make such and such a concession
that the principal would never think of. What I say
is in conformity with the ' Code of Duelling '."
"The 'Code of Duelling' !" exclaimed the President
at the trial, " What do you mean by that ?"
" The ' Code of Duelling' !" exclaimed the astonished
Dumas. " Why, Sir, it is well known. The ' Code of
Duelling ' is printed. It was published by M. le Comte
de Chiteauvillars, It is the production of the most
honourable noblemen, literary men, and artists, who
have not shrunk from signing it. Monsieur le Presi
dent, if you want the ' Code of Duelling,' any bookseller
will supply it,"
Having thus gloriously silenced Monsieur le Pre
sident, Alexandre Dumas received a home thrust from
the Avocat- General, who sarcastically asked him, "Is
it considered fair, in that printed code, that a man
well-practised with the sword should challenge a man
who can't hold a sword ?"
Dumas fenced the question; he tried to wriggle
out of the scrape by saying, " Unless people fi-equent
the shooting galleries and fencing saloons, the skUl of
a man may be often unknown. Many persons practise
at home, so that their proficiency with the sword or
the pistol may be unknown,"
"That's not fair," said the Avocat-General, Nor
was it any answer to the question, but rather a testi
mony to the fact, that the most essential point of

DUELS IN FRANCE. 161
honour was left out of the precious document. The
President returned to the charge, declaring, " that the
seconds who know that an adversary is a great pro
ficient in the art, whUst the other is but a poor hand
at it, assist at a very unequal combat ; that it is at
least not generous to fight when one is conscious of
being thoroughly up to the thing, with a man who can
do very little with his weapon,"
Dumas fenced again, saying : — " When we vget on
the ground, questions of generosity and delicacy —
which are very fine questions — disappear before the
question of existence, which we risk, and which ma
foi ! may be put an end to."
" In point of fact," said the President, " what you
have just said is the summing up of your ' Code of
DuelUng.' That code shall never be in my li
brary." . . .*
Such being the preliminary facts of the duel, the
reader will not be surprised to hear that poor Duja-
* The great Alexandre Dumas Davy, Marquis de la Paille-
terie, had reason to remember that trial with feelings of no
small displeasure, on account of another remark besides those
above given. When asked the usual question, "What is your
profession ?" Dumas replied, " I should call myself a dramatic
author were I not in the country of Corneille ;" which waa in
tended to be a grand flourish, but it was most bitterly ridiculed
by the President, who quietly said, " Oh, Sir, there are degrees,
according to centuries. ... Go on with your deposition,"
And so ilya des degris has ever since become a proverb, and will
go down tp the latest posterity sticking to the memory of the
great Alexandre.

VOL, II.

M

163 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
rier was shot, and Beauvallon was acquitted at the
trial. But another trial subsequently came on with
different disclosures and different results. M. Arthur
Bertrand, one of Dujarier's seconds, had stated that
before the fight, having introduced his finger into the
barrel of one of the pistols brought by M. de Beau
vaUon, it had come out all blackened. M. d'Bcque-
villy, who had assisted M. Bertrand, and who, in his
deposition, had declared that the pistols had not been
examined, was prosecuted for perjury and condemned
to ten years' imprisonment. M. de Beauvallon was
also prosecuted as a false witness, and condemned to
eight years' imprisonment.
It is said that the famous Lola Montez, who was to
be married to Dujarier, offered to take her lover's
place, and would have fought BeauvaUon, with either
sword or pistol, had she been permitted.
Louis Blanc and Eugene Pelletan.
Certain passages in Louis Blanc's 'Histoire de la
Revolution ' were very sharply criticized by M. Eugene
Pelletan. The subject was the unfortunate queen
Marie Antoinette and certain particulars of her Ufe,
concerning which Lamartine uttered these words,
which is a complete judgment :—" i'/wsioire a sa pu-
deur," " History has its modesty."
Louis Blanc advanced nothing without supporting
it by a text ; but, apparently conscious of his recti
tude, he did not always indicate his sources or autho-

DUELS IN FRANCE. 163
rities. He replied to Pelletan by a quotation from
Madame Campan, which the critic did not consider
conclusive. He appealed from it to a society of lite
rary men. Arbitrators were appointed, and M. Taxile
Delord was charged to draw up a report, which ulti
mately decided that Louis Blanc was right. M. Eugene
Pelletan rejected the verdict, as he had disavowed the
tribunal, and kept to his assertion. One would sup
pose that Louis Blanc would have shrugged his shoul
ders, and laughed at the pertinacity of the critic,
having so many authoritative supporters. He did not,
however; and the man who all along had discoun
tenanced duelling and deemed it a thing utterly be
neath him, felt himself called upon to have recourse
to that absurd mode of reparation. But, just on the
eve of the duel, the Revolution of 1848 broke out,
and the two adversaries, meeting on the steps of
the Hotel de Ville, rushed into each other's arms,
perfectly reconciled by events. What a moral on
duelUng ! Two Priests preventing a Duel.
In the year 1850, two priests, attracted by an un
usual noise, which seemed to come from a pit close by,
went up to it, and were not a little surprised at seeing
two soldiers, stripped to the shirt and weapons in
hand, ready to fight a duel in the presence of their
seconds. The reverend gentlemen instantly went
down to them, and forcibly snatched the two unbut-
M 2

164 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
toned foUs from the hands of the adversaries, who
were completely taken aback by the sudden interrup
tion. They then addressed to the sullen soldiers the
most feeUng remonstrance on the crime they were
about perhaps to commit for some trivial cause. In
fact, it was a tavern quarrel. The soldiers repUed
that they had a right to be there, being authorized
by their commanding officer to fight a duel, and that
nobody had any right to interfere in their business.
But the worthy priests redoubled their exhortations,
and one of them said that for a certainty they would
not dare to fight in the presence of the ministers
of the God of peace, adding, that they would not
quit the spot until a reconcUiation took place. More
and more disconcerted by a resistance which held
them in check in spite of themselves, the soldiers
began to mutter vague promises to the priests, which,
however, the latter did not consider sufficient. " None
of your tricks!" replied the priests, "You must
shake hands in aU sincerity; and you shall not quit
this place excepting as friends,"
At last the men relented, embraced each other in
the presence of their seconds, and retired arm-in-arm,
" But what will our comrades say," exclaimed one of
them, " when they see us retum in this fashion ?"
" Bah !" said the other, " then we'll bring them to
account, that's all, I should like to see them at that
game."

DUELS IN FRANCE. 165
Prince Charles Bonapaete and the Comte JSdouard
DE Rossi.
A duel was fought between Prince Charles Bona
parte and the Comte Edouard de Rossi, in 1851, at
Versailles. A first fire at thfrty paces having been
without result, the seconds, in conformity with the
conditions agreed upon, placed the principals at fifteen
paces, when they fired again, without doing each other
any harm. A-fter this double exchange of shots by
the adversaries, with incontestable fairness and bravery,
the seconds declared honour satisfied, and formally op
posed any further firing. Thereupon the Prince ad
vanced to the Count and said, " Now that I have ex
perienced your fire, I am happy. Sir, to be able to
affirm that I have been basely calumniated with re
spect to the deplorable catastrophe which has thrown
your family into mourning." To tliis declaration,
Comte de Rossi replied, " After such honourable words,
I greatly regret. Prince, both my ernor and the attack
which was its consequence."
The Entiee Legitimist Paety Challenged.
In 1851, a very violent controversy was carried on
at Montpellier, between the 'Suffrage Universel,' a
republican journal, and the 'Echo du Midi,' a legiti
mist newspaper. Hard words ensued, which ended in
a duel, M. Aristide OUivier, editor of the ' Suffrage,'
refusing to fight M. Escande, editor of the 'Echo,' for

166 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
a matter which did not concern the honour of the
latter, challenged the entire Legitimist party ; and out
of fifteen names sent to him, selected M. Fernand de
Ginestous. The combat was with the sabre, and only
lasted one minute. The two adversaries— brave young
men, who were utter strangers to each other, and who
had just saluted each other for the first time — fell on
the sod, one dead and the other dying !
.A Duel foe a Beeakfast, and the Tables Tuened,
The trade of a bravo may be aU very fine, but occa
sionally it has its desagrements. In 1854, M.  , a
pjrivot d'armes, or fencing-master to a regiment,
thought proper to pick a quarrel with a young man of
good family ; the latter not knowing whom he had to
deal with, accepted a challenge. The meeting was to
take place close to Bordeaux. It was Sunday morn
ing. Before proceeding to the ground M.  went
to a restaurant and ordered a first-rate breakfast,
enjoining the host to omit nothing that was good,
adding, " I am not to pay for it, it's a young pigeon
whom I am going to pluck that will look to the reckon
ing; so do take care of us." In effect, the fellow's
intention was to spare his adversary, letting him off
with a slight scratch; thereupon there would be a
shake of hands, and then of course M.  would " ac
cept" an invitation to breakfast, which would be
generously offered.
The combatants were already posted face to face.

DUELS IN FRANCE. 167
the seconds were measuring the swords, when there
appeared a new actor on the scene — M. V  , who,
knowing the prevot d'armes, was astonished to find
that he had engaged in a duel. So, taking him aside,
he begged him to give up the idea of fighting. The
prevot, far from yielding, became insolent, and told
M. V  to go about his business, or to take the place
of the young man in whom he seemed so much in
terested. M. V  was a very powerful man. The
only reply he made was to pitch into the fellow with
his fists, and knocked him about with such astonishing
effect that he was glad to slink off as speedily as pos
sible, utterly crestfallen, and protesting that he would
take good care not to be caught again. Whereupon
his adversary, the seconds, and M. V  adjourned to
the excellent breakfast which the fellow had ordered.
M. Henri de Pene and an Officee of the Nisth
Regiment op Chasseues.
This celebrated duel occurred about ten years ago,
in 1858, and created immense sensation. M. Henri
de Pene, a writer of the 'Echos de Paris,' in the
' Figaro,' let sUp a phrase which brought down upon
his head an epistolary tempest, of which he spoke him
self as foUows : — " I took the liberty last week to insi
nuate that all sub -lieutenants were not Beau Brum-
mells. This innocent remark, which everybody might
have made, has brought upon me a coUection of letters
of all colours. It does not touch the honour of the sub-

168 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
lieutenants. Does it ? Not more than it endangers the
honour of literature when we say that the salons of the
Faubourg Saint-Germain don't snatch up M. Champ-
fleury. The sprightliest of my correspondents, M.
Felix R  , sub -lieutenant in the garrison of Paris,
replies to me thus : — ' You will never say as much evU
ofthe sub -lieutenants as they think of themselves,', and
the proof is, that there is not one of them who does
not burn with the desfre of deserting his grade to pass
lieutenant.'" The other correspondents sent mena
cing replies, and M. Henri de Pene ended his article
with accepting the challenge of the most violent of
the lot.
The duel came off in the Bois de Vesinet, and a
M. C  , an officer, was rather seriously wounded by
De Pene in the fore-arm. One of the seconds of M.
C  thought proper to join in the issue, and, al
though De Pene's seconds strenuously opposed the de
mand, a dfrect provocation on the part of M. H  ¦,
the second officer, rendered the combat inevitable.
This M. H  was, it seems, a flrst-rate fencer, evi
dently put forward to "settle" poor De Pene, and
he did so by running him through in the most extra
ordinary manner, perforating I know not how many
important organs, and leaving him to be carried off the
ground in what seemed a desperately dying condition.
Doctor Guerin, of Paris, had accompanied the com
batants, and he at once found it necessary to bleed the
poor patient, who was carried on a mattress off the

DUELS IN FRANCE. 169
ground to a neighbouring tavern, by his seconds and
some of the workmen of the forest. That night he was
in the most dangerous condition; it was with the
greatest difficulty that he could utter a word ; and yet,
in spite of his atrocious sufferings, which he bore with
heroic fortitude, he said to the magistrate who came to
question him on the subject, that " the combat was
fair," which words he managed to pronounce dis
tinctly. " Fair;" yes, in so far as 'it was not a down
right assassination — a combat selon les regies ; but was
it not taking a most unfair advantage to force a man
to fight a second duel, after a severe contest in the
first, and more or less excited even by the happy
thought of his deliverance, but with other challenges
on his hand from the implacable militaires ?
In this horrible condition, Madame de Pene, accom
panied by her brother, himself an officer in the army,
left her home, and came to the bedside of her mangled
husband. Doubtless she wished all newspapers, edi
torships, and sub-Ueutenants to perdition, as well they
might be, if the occupations were necessarily attended
by such diabolical enactments.
Two other officers, who had chaUenged De Pene,
wrote to say that, " in the presence of the misfortune
which had happened, they would retire from the busi
ness, and that they hoped and trusted the event would
not be followed by fatal consequences." And well
they might. But had they not all of them resolved
to " do" for poor De Pene by hook or by crook, like

170 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
the vUest assassins ; but, of course, selon les regies of
the precious ' Code of Duelling' ?
Great sympathy was felt for the victim, in England
as well as in France, and indeed everywhere; and
the blood-thirsty "honourable" sub-lieutenants of the
French army had to hear themselves not, indeed, only
unfavourably compared to Beau Brummell, but fafrly
likened to cut-throats, and deemed unworthy to wear
the uniform of an honourable nation.
Wonderful to tell, however, poor De Pene recovered
from his desperate perforations. It was almost mira
culous. Well do I remember the dreadful description
of his " case/' published in the papers of the time.
All sorts of nosological complications set in. Almost
every " organ" of his " system" was upset by the
hideous home-thrust of the gallant butcher. He had
even to go through a course of abnormal jaundice, as
though to give him a hint that henceforth, if he Uved,
he should take care to see all things in one colour —
that prescribed by the small fry of the great and glo
rious French army.
On his recovery, De Pene very consistently started
a new journal, called the 'Revenant,' that is, the
' Ghost,' I hope the idea of the catastrophe haunts its per
petrator stUl, and, one might add, wUl haunt him for
ever, if there were not a better hope that he has long
since repented of his horrible "reparation."

DUELS IN FRANCE. 171
The Maequis de Galiffet and the Comte de
Laueiston.
In the month of December, 1858, the salle of the
Opera was occupied by Parisian fashionables, at the
representation of ' Herculaneum,' — among the rest were
M. le Marquis de Galiffet, with his wife, M. Charles
Lafitte, his father-in-law, and M. Clary. Suddenly
the Marquis shot furious looks at M. le Comte de
Lauriston, the brother of the General of the same
name, who, seated in another part of the house, was
persistently gazing at Madame de Galiffet through his
opera-glass. As soon as the curtain fell, M. de Lau
riston quitted his seat, and, being beckoned at by the
Marquis de Galiffet, he approached the box occupied
by the latter. Sharp words passed between them, and
a challenge was the consequence.
The duel took place in the Park of the ChElteau de
Beauzeval, belonging to Prince Murat, Swords were
the weapons. At two o'clock in the afternoon the
two adversaries were in presence, attended by their
respective seconds ; the Marquis du Halay, who acted
as "juge du camp," after the fashion of the olden
chivalry ; and a doctor.
The combatants stripped to the shirt- sleeves, tucked
np, and crossed swords — De Lauriston calm, De Galif
fet eager. The attitude of both was that of the most
energetic resolution and courage, of which they seemed
the complete personification. After a few passes.

172 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
De Lauriston got a scratch on the elbow. The com
bat continued. The Marquis, in his tum, was hit
in the right side ; the sword grazed the skin. In
this bout De Lauriston's sword got broken. They
gave him another, A few moments after, the weapon
of the Marquis was bent. The combat was suspended.
The seconds had to go to the quarters of the guard of
the forest to get the sword straightened. Such a case
is not provided for in the written law of the ' Code of
Duelling ;' but, according to the unwritten, or common
law of the noble and ancient institution, it is ordered
that it must be decided by lot who should have to con
tinue the combat with the repaired sword. It fell to
De Lauriston. Odd, that a man should have to fight
with a sword by which he has been wounded, — stained
with his blood. The combat recommenced. The two
adversaries set to with the same resolution as at first.
There was the same courtesy between them — the same
vigour — the same contempt of danger. De Lauriston,
master of himself, was on the defensive. The Marquis
was impetuous, violent in attack.
During the course of this new phase of the combat,
the combatants slipped by turns, and had a fall. They
got up and went at it again.
After aU this grand display of resolution, courage,
and vigour, doubtless the reader expects that there
will be a death ; but, fortunately, it did not go to that
horrid extremity. After a contest of twenty minutes,
De Lauriston gave the Marquis a thrust in the right

DUELS IN FRANCE. 173
shoulder, inflicting a wound one inch deep, which,
although not very dangerous, was of a nature to hamper
the free action of his arm, and render it incapable of
supporting the weight of the weapon. Thereupon the
juge du cannp, or " bottle-holder," with the concurrence
of the doctor and the seconds, declared that the com
bat, which could no longer be continued with an equa
lity of advantages for both the adversaries, should be
immediately stopped. De Lauriston and the Marquis
de Galiffet silently acquiesced in the decision. The
parties then separated into two groups, and returned to
Paris. The affafr, however, was not yet deflnitively ended.
Another meeting took place at the end of December.
On this occasion the combat lasted nearly half-an-hour.
De Lauriston was slightly wounded in the hand, and
the Marquis was pierced in the thigh. The doctor,
after examining the wound, affirmed that the Marquis
was out of condition to continue the combat, and the
juge du camp and the seconds declared that "honour
was satisfied." Thereupon the two adversaries shook
hands. But De Lauriston did not, it seems, apologize
for, or explain away, his impertinence in staring at La
Marquise through his opera-glass.
This duel was fought in a workshop, or under a
shed, on account of the weather ; the parties were quite
wilUng to expose themselves to death, but not to the
cold!

174 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
M. Edmond About and M. Vaudin.
In 1861, Edmond About published in the 'Opi
nion Nationale,' under the title of the " Apostles and
Augurs of Music," an article which was a very eulo
gistic apology of the Cheve-method, and a bitter criti
cism on the partisans of the old system. The editor
of the ' Orpheon,' M. Vaudin, made a reply which was
equally pungent. A duel with swords was the con
sequence. The affair came off in the Bois de Meudon.
Edmond About was wounded in the shoulder.
Claim of a Fencing-Mastee foe a Clever Thedst
GIVEN BY HIS PuPIL.
In consequence of a discussion on a question of legal
interest, a fierce duel was fought, in the year 1861, in
a workshop at Paris, between two gentlemen, respec
tively designated by the initials M. C. D. and M. C. M.
That they were of high standing seems evident from
the titles of their seconds, who were a general, a count,
two painters, and an advocate. The affafr lasted only
a few seconds. One of the combatants was attacked
with incredible vigour and agility. His sword made a
circuit and was stopped by the waistbelt of M. C. M.,
who was thought run through; but, returning the
attack with a thrust which was supposed to be the in
vention of Professor Pons, ran his antagonist through
the neck. Fortunately the carotid artery was not
touched, and the wound required only a few days to

DUELS IN FRANCE. 175
heal. On the announcement of the affair, the honour
of the clever thrust was claimed in the following terms
by a correspondent of the 'Figaro,' which published
the account: — "I believe that the thrust should have
been attributed to Professor Gatechair, for M. C. M. is
my pupil."
M. Gustave Isambeet and M. Paul de Molenes.
M. Gustave Isambert, recapitulating the events of
the fortnight, in his journal ' La Jeune France,' had
announced as a candidate at the Academic des Sciences,
M. Paul de Molenes, editor of the ' Revue des Deux
Mondes,' and Captain in the 6th Lancers. The latter,
thinking his honour implicated by the funny an
nouncement, demanded " reparation " from the writer
of the article. Half an hour after, the two adversaries
were crossing swords in, the Bois de Clamart. At the
thfrd pass, M. Gustave Isambert was wounded in the
right arm. " It wUl be a lesson for the young press,"
observed one of the seconds of Molenes. " Oh, at
most a fencing-lesson," repUed the journalist of nine
teen years of age, putting on his coat.
A Joking Duellist.
Perpignan, a most incorrigible jester, fought a duel
with M. Charles Maurice. It was a very serious affair
— the distance being only five paces — almost au mou
choir ! Perpignan had the first fire, and managed to
miss his adversary.

176 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
" Now, Perpignan," said M. Maurice, who wished
to see how far the nerve of his opponent would go,
with the pistol held to his breast, "just teU me what
you are thinking about at this moment." . . .
"My dear fellow, I am thinking that, were I in
your place, I wouldn't fire," repUed the jester with the
greatest sang froid.
M. Maurice burst into a laugh and flung down the
pistol. Repaetee of a Duellist.
A veteran duelUst once missed M. Charles Maurice,
a crack shot, and of course thought it was all over
with him. His second remarked that he muttered
something in the awful moment ; and when the dan
ger was past, he took him aside and said, " Now you
must admit that you thought your last hour was come,
and uttered a prayer," — " Quite right," he repUed,
" I was making a vow to the Vfrgin never again to.
aim at the head."
A Father compelling his Son to Fight.
A youth, sixteen years of age, was at the opera with
his father. The door of the box was open. Suddenly
his father saw him inclining over, as though about to
fall. On being questioned as to the cause, the youth
repUed, "Oh, it's nothing; a gentleman has kicked
me." " What ! you received such an insult without
resentment? Follow me instantly. Yes; I see the

DUELS IN FRANCE. 177
feUow ; there he is, just entering that box. Go and
give him in the face what he gave you behind. At
him at once !"
The youth went up to the gentleman ; he hesitated ;
the man was almost a Hercules, and seemed capable
of doubling him up in his hand ; but the father's glis
tening eyes were upon the youth, who saw them
rolling with fury. He hesitated no longer, and gave
his big enemy a slap which resounded through the
theatre. " Bravo !" cried the father. The gentleman
was an Englishman who had missed his manners.
On the following day, a duel took place. The father
was the son's second. The Englishman fired first, and
Wounded his adversary in the knee. Thereupon he
placed the pistol under his arm, and was rubbing his
hands, evidently well pleased at the way he had used
his bullet. Indignant at this display of satisfaction
the youth fired in his tum and upset his adversary
with a baU through the right shoulder, which was
shattered. The Seconds Killed by Accident.
This is the celebrated duel between Pierrot and
Arlequin. They fired together and each of them
kUled his adversary's second.
Two students were engaged in their first affafr.
Their seconds were equally inexperienced. Every
thing went wrong. They neither knew how to stand
vol. II, ^

178 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
nor fire, and in the confusion one of the seconds was
kiUed. A comedian was fighting a duel with a rival. It
was in the Bois de Boulogne. They fired. A violent
cry was heard. One of them had shot a lawyer who
was passing on the road.
RECENT DUELS,
Prince Achille Murat and the Marquis de Rouge.
In the month of October, 1867, a duel took place
in the park of the Chateau de Beauzeval, belonging
to the Prince Murat, between his son, the Prince
Achille, and the Marquis de Rouge. The Marquis
received a wound in the forearm; after which the
seconds intervened, and declared honour to be satis
fied. The quarrel, it seems, arose from a letter, ad
dressed by the Marquis de G  1, Colonel of Chas
seurs, to his friend the Marquis de Rouge, and con
taining some rather thoughtless expressions concern
ing the French army. The Prince AchUle Murat
having obtained possession of this letter, showed it to
his Imperial Majesty. The Marquis de Rouge de
clared that it was unfairly taken from him, while the
Prince maintained that the Marquis gave it up volun
tarily. The duel was the consequence of this dispute.
Captain Riboust and M. de Montebello.
In the same month as the above, a duel was fought

DUELS IN FRANCE. 179
between Captain Riboust, of the Imperial Navy, and
the son of the Due de Montebello. The latter was a
lieutenant in the ship commanded by Captain Riboust,
and about a year ago, after an altercation with his
commander, received what he considered to be a
blow. He resigned his commission ; and when Cap
tain Riboust returned to France from his cruise, called
him out. The seconds decided that there was no
cause for a duel, Captain Riboust having declared
that the vehemence of his gesticulation, whilst under
the influence of anger, might have been construed
by his too susceptible lieutenant into an intention to
strike him, but protesting that he meant nothing of
the kind. This declaration, however, failed to soothe
the ruffled feelings of M. de Montebello, and he in
sisted on a meeting, which Captain Riboust was un
wise enough to grant. After fighting for half an
hour, M. de Montebello was run through the hand,
when the physicians in attendance put a stop to the
encounter. M. COVIELLE AND M. d'AuLNAY.
In consequence of an article published in the ' Nord '
under the signature of M. Covielle, a hostile meeting
with pistols took place, during the month of No
vember, 1867, near Melun, between the writer and
M. d'Aulnay, a contributor to the ' Figaro,' At the
signal given, M, Covielle fired first, but did not hit
his adversary, whUst M. d'Aulnay's pistol missed fire.
N 2

180 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
M. Covielle invited M. d'Aulnay to put on another
percussion-cap and repeat his shot, but the latter
refused, -demanding that the duel should recommence.
That course the seconds formally opposed ; the pistol,
duly loaded, not having gone off, the affair must end.
The two principals then bowed to each other and
separated. M. Daru and M. Meecier de Lostande.
This duel occurred at Madrid during the month of
November, 1867. M. Daru is an attache to the French
Embassy at Madrid, and M. Mercier de Lostande is
brother to the Ambassador. The arms were pistols,
and both of the adversaries were wounded. The mo
tives of this hostile meeting are not known.

181

CHAPTER III,
BRITISH DUELS FROM THE YEAR 1800 TO THE
YEAR 1829.
The present century commenced with plenty of poli
tical excitement. Ireland was incorporated with Great
Britain, and the act of incorporation deprived the
CathoUcs of the right of election and representation.
Internal dangers menaced the kingdom, resulting
from the long and desperate struggle with Prance ;
a frightful national debt ; a scarcity of food ; insurrec
tions and agrarian outrages ; Catholic Emancipation
urged by Pitt, as promised, but refused by the bigoted
monarch, George III. Add to all this the fact, that the
perpetual excitement of the long war had utterly un
settled the morals of the nation — ^warlike sentiments
and martial aspirations imbibed with mother's milk ;
and how conld it be otherwise than that duelling should
be popular, being only a war between individuals ?

183 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
The crop of duels is immense, and the following are
the most interesting and important.
Me. Coeey and Me. Newbuegh.
(a.d. 1800.)
This meeting took place in Ireland, in consequence
of a dispute, and, as alleged, the provocation of a
blow given by Mr. Newburgh to Mr. Corry. The
latter was accompanied on the ground by Captain
Warren, of the 24th Dragoons; and the other by
Mr. Weir, an attorney. Having taken their ground,
the signal was given to fire. Mr. Corry's pistol went
off without effect ; Mr. Newbra-gh's missed fire. The
latter was preparing to fire it afterwards, when his
second called to him, telling him that the snap in
duelling was considered as a fire. Both gentlemen were
then provided with other pistols, and received the signal
to fire again, which they did ; when Mr. Newburgh
was shot through the heart, and expired.
The position and prospects of this gentleman give a
melancholy interest to this duel. He was the only son
of Broghill Newburgh, of the county of Cavan, Esquire,
of an ancient family, and heir-apparent to an estate of
£5000 per annum. He was upwards of thirty years of
age, and married to the daughter of an East India gen
tleman, with a fortune of £30,000. He was related to
Lord Enniskillen, Lord Erne, Lord Gosford, and other
distinguished families of Ireland,
Mr, Corry, who was some years younger, was a young

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 183
gentleman of amiable and inoffensive manners, a clerk
in the Board of Trade, with a lucrative appointment.
Lieutenant B  and Mr. F  .
(a.d. 1802.)
This duel occurred at Bombay, and is remarkable for
the severe sentence passed on the survivor and his se
cond. Mr. F  was shot through the heart, and, of
course, expfred upon the spot. The lieutenant and
his second were tried for murder, convicted, and sen
tenced — the former to fourteen years', the latter to
seven years' transportation to Botany Bay,
Lieutenant W  , of the Navy, and Captain I  ,
OF THE Army,
(a.d. 1803.)
This most extraordinary duel took place in Hyde
Park, The antagonists arrived at the appointed place
within a few minutes of each other. Some dispute
arose respecting the distance, which the friends of
Lieut. W  insisted should not exceed six paces;
while the seconds of Captain I  urged strongly the
rashness of so decisive a distance, and required it to
be extended. At length, however, the proposal of
Lieut. W  's seconds was agreed to, and the par
ties fired at the signal, when Lieut. W  received
the shot of his adversary on the trigger-guard of his
pistol, which tore away the third and fourth fingers of
his right hand. The seconds then interfered, but to

184 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
no purpose. The son of Neptune, apparently callous
to- pain, wrapped his handkerchief round his hand, and .
swore he had another, which never failed him.
Captain I  ¦ called his friends aside, and told them )
it was in vain to urge a reconciliation.
They again took their ground.
When the navy lieutenant received the pistol in his
left hand, he looked steadfastly at Captain I  for
some time, then cast his eyes to heaven, and said,
" Forgive me !"
The parties fired as before, and both fell. The Cap
tain received the shot through the head, and instantly
expired. The Lieutenant received the bullet in his
left breast, and instantly inquired of his second if the
Captain's wound was mortal ? Being answered in the
affirmative, he thanked God he had lived thus long.
He requested that a mourning ring, which was on
his finger, might be given to his sister, and that she
might be assured it was the happiest moment he ever
knew. He had scarcely finished the word, when a
quantity of blood burst from his wound, and he ex
pired almost without a struggle.
There can be no doubt that it was on account of his
sister that he had engaged in this terrible encounter,
determined to avenge her dishonour, or die in the at
tempt. The Captain knew the depth of the injury, or
he would not have said that "it was in vain to urge a
reconciliation." The poor Lieutenant was on the eve
of being married to a lady to whom for some time he
had paid his addresses.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 185
LlEUT.-CoLONEL MoNTGOMBEY AND CaPTAIN MaC-
NAMAEA.
(a.d. 1803.)
One fine spring morning, in the year 1803, two
gentlemen were riding in Hyde Park, each followed
by a fine Newfoundland dog. The dogs quarreUed
and had a fight. Which was in the wrong, or more
savage than the other, is not stated ; but, apparently,
one of them was, and was treated accordingly by the
master of the other, or perhaps, in his excusable irrita
tion, as nobody likes to see his dog worried by an
other, asked the master of the assailant "Why he
didn't keep his furious dog at home ?" Many a pretty
quarrel has emerged from a question so natural and
excusable ; a terrible one came out of it on the present
occasion. One word brought on another, and the two
gentlemen not only abused each other roundly, but
also exchanged cards, in order to meet in a duel at
seven o'clock the same evening, near Primrose Hill,
Who were these gentlemen ? They were not such
as we meet with every day. They were notables who
had passed through many a peril in their country's
cause, full of merit and honour, and now, having
lowered themselves by an unseemly squabble in public,
they have resolved to break the laws of God and thefr
country, by fighting a duel on account of a quarrel for
the sake of two vile dogs !
Colonel Montgomery, of the 9th Regiment of Foot,

186 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
was the son of Sir Robert Montgomery, of Ireland,
and half-brother of Mrs, George Byng, and the
Marchioness of Townshend, He was a remarkably
handsome man, and he had fought bravely in the
servioe of his country. In the Dutch Expedition, the
Russians being put to flight, his regiment was thrown
into confusion and retreated, in consequence of the
Russians falUng back upon them. At the moment, a
drummer was killed, and Colonel Montgomery took
up the drum, beating it to raUy his men, he himself
standing alone. He succeeded in rallying them, and
at their head rendered essential service. On several
occasions, in Egypt and Malta, he distinguished him
self for his pluck and bravery. He was very intimate
with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. Such
was Colonel Montgomery.
Captain Macnamara was a naval officer, who had
also much distinguished himself in two or three actions,
as commander in the ' Cerberus ' frigate. He had but
lately returned from the West Indies, He was about
thirty-six years of age; a strong, bold, active man.
He had fought two or three duels before; and had
been remarkable, at Cork, for keeping the turbulent
in awe. Such was Captain Macnamara.
The hour appointed was punctually kept by both
the adversaries. The usual preliminaries were gone
through. Pistols were the weapons ; but at how many
paces is not stated ; the result, however, seems to show
that the distance was short. They took up position

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 187
and fired. Colonel Montgomery fell instantly, rolled
over two or three times, as if in great agony, groaned,
but uttered not a word. The Captain's ball had
entered the right side of his chest, and taking a
dfrection to the left, most probably went through the
heart. Captain Macnamara fell at the same moment.
Colonel Montgomery's bullet had been very nearly as
effective as his own. It entered on his right side, just
above the hip, and passed through the left side, carry
ing a piece of his coat and waistcoat with it, taking a
piece of his leather breeches, and the hip-button away
with it on the other side. As before observed, they
must have fought at a very short distance, to account
for all this havoc with flesh and habUiments.
Colonel Montgomery was carried off the ground by
some persons standing by, into the homestead of Chalk
Farm, which then existed, subsequently giving its
name to the locality. As they were carrying him he
attempted to speak, but the blood choked him. His
mouth foamed a great deal ; and in five minutes after
he was brought into the house, he expired with a
gentle sigh. Colonel Montgomery died universally
regretted, and among others, the Prince of Wales shed
tears on being apprised of the melancholy end of his
friend. Captain Macnamara recovered, in spite of his dread
ful wound, and had to take his trial for "Man
slaughter," on the Coroner's verdict. He was led into

188 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
court, supported by his friends and his surgeon, and
when the evidence was closed he addressed the jury
in mitigation of his conduct.
A great number of highly respectable gentlemen
gave him a most excellent character, among the rest,
Lords Hotham, Minto, Hood, and the immortal Nelson.
The Judge (Mr. Justice Heath) summed up the evi
dence, and stated that, from the pressure of evidence,
and the prisoner's own admission, the jury must find a
verdict of "Manslaughter." But the jury were of a
different opinion; there -was nothing unfafr in the
transaction; the poor fellow was afready sufflciently
punished ; people still had their notions about the pro
priety of duelling ; and see what a character had been
given to him by the greatest in the land ! So, after a
short deliberation of fifteen minutes, they brought in a
verdict of "Not Guilty."
Lord Camelford and Captain Best.
(a. D. 1804)
Lord Camelford was one of the most notorious cha
racters of his day — a desperate " bruiser"* and duel-
* On one occasion, at the Royal Circus, " God save the King"
was called for, accompanied by a cry of " Stand up, and hats
off!" An inebriated naval lieutenant perceiving a gentleman in
an adjoining box slow to obey the call, struck his hat off with his
stick, exclaiming, " Take off your hat. Sir." The other thus as
saulted proved to be, unluckily for the lieutenant. Lord Camel
ford. A " set to " in the lobby was the consequence, where his
lordship quickly proved victorious.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 189
list; and his affair with Captain Best, of the Royal
Navy, is one ofthe most remarkable on record.
Lord Camelford and Captain Best had been intimate
friends ; both were young men of fashion, and esteemed
first-rate shots. They quarreUed ; and the subject of
their quarrel was an abandoned woman, who had for
merly lived with Lord Camelford. This woman, meet
ing Captain Best at the Opera, made some proposal to
him, which he declined. On his refusal, she declared
she would " set Lord Catnelford upon him." Accord
ingly the woman complained to his lordship that Cap
tain Best had spoken disrespectfully of him. This
greatly incensed Lord Camelford ; and at the Prince
of Wales Coffee-house, in Conduit Street, where they
generally dined, he went up to Captain Best, and said,
loud enough to be heard by all present, "I find that
you have spoken of me in the most unwarrantable
terms." Captain Best mildly replied, that he was
utterly unconscious of deserving such a charge. To
this Lord Camelford answered, that he was not igno
rant of what he had said to the woman before men
tioned, and pronounced Captain Best to be a scoundrel,
a liar, and a rufiian ! The Captain replied, that these
were expressions which admitted but of one course.
A meeting was immediately arranged for the next
morning. In the course of the evening, however. Captain Best
conveyed to Lord Camelford the strongest assurance
that the information he had received was unfounded ;

190 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
and believing that his lordship was acting under a
wrong impression, he would be satisfied if the expres
sions he had made use of were retracted. This Lord
Camelford refused to do. Attended by thefr respective
friends, they met on the following morning at a coffee
house in Oxford Street, and there again Captain Best
made an effort to obtain a retractation of the insulting
words. He went up to his lordship, and said, " Camel
ford, we have been friends, and I know the unsuspect
ing generosity of your nature. Upon my honour, you
have been imposed upon by an abandoned woman. Do
not persist in expressions on account of which one of
us must fall." Lord Camelford replied — "Best, this
is child's play ; the affair must go on."
All this seems most unaccountable perversity ; which
is still more incomprehensible from the fact, that Lord
Camelford had in his heart acquitted Captain Best, —
and, more than that, had confidently stated to his se
cond that he knew he was wrong; that Best was a
man of honour ; but that he could not bring himself to
retract words which he had once used ! , . , It is said,
however, that the principal reason that induced Lord
Camelford to persist in fighting Captain Best was,
that the latter was deemed the best shot in England,
and to have made an apology would have exposed his
courage to suspicion.
In going to the ground, he reiterated this statement
to his second, adding, that he and Captain Best were
considered the two best shots in England — one of

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 191
them must fall; but, whatever was the issue of the
affair, he begged him to bear testimony that he ac
quitted Captain Best of aU blame. No remonstrance,
however, could induce the man to withdraw the offen
sive expression !
The combatants were placed at fifteen paces from
each other. They fired together, and Lord Camelford
fell — to all appearance dead. In an instant, however,
he recovered the shock so far as to exclaim, "I am
killed ! But I acquit Best. I alone am to blame,"
He requested all the parties present to consult their
own safety by flight. Captain Best and his friend rode
off immediately.
Meanwhile, the flring of the pistols having been
heard, a labourer, who was working in an adjoining
garden, repaired to the spot, and found Lord Camel
ford lying on his back, in the lower part of the field,
which was overflowed to the depth of several inches in
water. On the approach of the labourer his lordship's
second made off, on the pretence of going for a sur
geon. But his lordship was not left alone in that wet
and gory field, By-and-by others came up, and were
anxious to remove the wounded man to a place of com
fort and relief, if possible. His lordship wished no
thing of the kind, and it was with difficulty that those
who came to his assistance got him placed in a chair,
and conveyed to Little Holland House.
The wound was dreadful. The ball had penetrated
his right breast, and was supposed to have passed

192 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
through the lungs, and lodged in the back-bone. His
lordship lingered a day or two, made his will, and
died. At the period of the duel Lord Camelford and
Captain Best had a bet of two hundred pounds de
pending as to which was the better shot ! . . ,
He had been questioned as to the names of the gen
tlemen who had accompanied him, but he declined
giving any reply on the subject ; and afterwards de
clared that " he was the aggressor ; that he forgave
the gentleman who had shot him, and that he hoped
God would forgive him, too." Notwithstanding these
averments, the Coroner's jury returned a verdict of
" Wilful Murder, or Felonious Homicide, by some per
son or persons unknown,"
Lord Camelford, by his will, peremptorUy forbade
his relatives and friends from prosecuting his anta
gonist, declaring that the combat was of his own seek
ing. The day previous to his death he added a co
dicil to his will, in which, after stating that persons
have in general a strong attachment to the country
which gave them birth, and on their death-beds
usually desire that their remains may be conveyed to
their native land, however great the distance, to be
interred, he continued, — " I wish my body to be re
moved, as soon as may be convenient, to a country far
distant — to a spot not near the haunts of men, but
where the surrounding scenery may smile upon my
remains." The place he chose was situated on the
borders of the Lake of St. Lampierre, in the Canton of

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 193
Berne, Switzerland; and three trees stood on the par
ticular spot, as he indicated. The centre tree he de
sired might be taken up, and, his body being there de
posited, immediately replaced. " Let no monument or
stone be placed over my grave." At the foot of this
tree, his lordship added, he formerly passed many so
litary hours, contemplating the mutability of human
affairs. As a compensation to the proprietors of the
spot, he left them one thousand pounds. He also re
quested his relations not to go into mourning for him.
Lord Camelford was certainly an eccentric cha
racter, one of those extraordinary beings that occa
sionaUy " crop " out of human families, apparently to
warrant the old popular belief, that it was possible
for a human being to be a "cross" between man's
race and that of the invisible existences which are
designated by so many names, good, bad, and in
different. One of his biographers writes of this noble
man as follows : — " His character was a curious mix-
^ture of much that was virtuous and much that was
j vicious, aU in extremes. With chivalrous notions of
punctUious honour, and with an irascible temper,
[ which brought him into many broUs, he was warm in
' his affections, and almost unexampled in his bene
volence. Disdaining aU luxuries in his own manner of
life, he sought for opportunities of dispensing his for
tune in acts of genuine charity, and conferred the most
liberal favours with a secrecy that ennobled the gift,
"He did not distribute less than four thousand
VOL. II. 0

194 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
pounds per annum in the purchase of commissions for
gallant young men, who had not the means of buying
them, and in the reUef of decayed seamen and sol
diers. " If many of his poUtical proceedings were charac
terized with imprudence, no one could doubt that they
sprang from patriotism,
"He was a man whose real character was to the
world but little known. His imperfections and his
follies were often brought before the public, but his
counterbalancing virtues were seldom heard of. Though
too violent to those whom he imagined to have
wronged him, yet to his acquaintance he was gentle,
affable, and courteous; a stern adversary, but the
mUdest and most generous of friends. He was often
the dupe of the designing and crafty supplicant, but
he was more often the soother of real sorrow and un
merited woe."
Assuredly, many of those whom the world has called
" great " or " good " have not deserved such a cha
racter as this, which reads as sweetly to the ear as it
is melting to the heart. But, alas ! here is another,
from a different pen : —
" That such might have been his private character
is most decidedly to be hoped ; but most unquestion- ¦
ably, his public character rendered him a nuisance to
society; and whoever did rid the world of such a
murderous and (in matters of blood) unprinciple4
ruffian, was entitled to public thanks.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 195
" Priding himself on his superiority in pistol prac
tice, he sought quarrels on every possible occasion.
His dress, more especially his uniform, was such as to
excite remark and observation, which he would gladly
seize upon to fight a duel. He was even known to
treat his horses, in the streets of London, in the most
cruel manner, for the mere purpose of drawing forth
some remonstrance or remark, which he would con
sider an insult, and justify a murder.
" He died as he had lived, a blood-thfrsty monster.
He sought to deprive a bosom friend of life— although
he was conscious of the falsehood of his own asser
tions — solely because he wished to display his superi
ority as a shot, and endeavoured to sacrifice a com
panion whom he esteemed, for a miserable woman
whom he despised !"*
" Ah, wherefore with infection should he live.
And with his presence grace impiety —
That sin by him advantage should achieve,
And lace itself with his society ?"t
Tom Moore teUs a curious anecdote illustrative of
Lord Camelford's pugnacity : — " In a small minority,
on one occasion for peace (upon a question moved
by Lord Grey), the name of Lord Camelford was,
to the astonishment of everybody, found among the
peacemakers ! But it turned out that he had, for
some offence, challenged a German officer, who refused
* Millingen.
t Shakespeare, ' Sonnets.'
0 2

196 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
to fight him tiU after the war, and he therefore felt
himself bound, in spite of his poUtical opinions, to vote
for peace !" Tom Moore and Jeffrey.
(a.d. 1806.)
Moore gives a very long, rather parenthetic, and
tiresome account of this affair, which was immortalized
by Lord Byron's sarcastic allusion to it in his ' English
Bards and Scotch Reviewers.'
" Can none remember that eventful day,
That ever glorious, almost fatal fray,
When Little's leadless pistols met his eye.
And Bow Street myrmidons stood laughing by P"
To this was appended a note as follows : — " The
duel was prevented by the interference of the magis
tracy ; and on examination, the balls of the pistols
were found to have evaporated. This incident gave
occasion to much waggery in the daily prints."
Tom Moore was the challenger, and his grievance
arose from an attack in the ' Edinburgh Review,' written
by Jeffrey, on his ' Odes and Epistles,' Some time
after Jeffrey came to London, and dined one day at
Lord Fincastle's, The conversation during dinner
happened to turn on Moore, and Lord Fincastle de
scribed him as possessing great amenity of manners,
on which Jeffrey said, laughingly, "I am afraid he
would not show much amenity to me," This remark
was reported to Moore by Rogers, and it appears that

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 197
Moore forthwith resolved to fulfil Jeffrey's apprehen
sion, apparently just for the fun of the thing, for he
says : — " However boyish it might have been of me to
consider myself bound to take this sort of notice of
the attack, there was certainly but little, if any, mix
ture either of Ul-temper or mere personal hostility,
with my motives. That they were equally free from
a certain Irish predilection for such encounters, or
wholly unleavened by a dash of vanity, I will not
positively assert."
Having secured a second, Mr. Hume, Moore lost no
time in drawing up the chaUenge which he was to
deliver ; " and," as he says, " actual combat, not
parley, was my object, I took care to put it out of the
power of my antagonist to explain or retract, even if
he was so disposed. Of the short note which I sent,
the few first lines have long escaped my memory ; but
after adverting to some assertion contained in the
article, accusing me, if I recollect right, of a deliberate
intention to corrupt the minds of my readers, I thus
proceeded : ' To this I beg leave to answer, — you are a
liar ; yes, Sfr, a liar ; and I choose to adopt this harsh
and vulgar mode of defiance in order to prevent at
once all equivocation between us, and to compel you
to adopt for your own satisfaction that alternative
which you might otherwise have hesitated in affording
to mine.'
" There was, of course, but one kind of answer to be
given to such a cartel, Hume had been referred by

198 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Jeffrey to his friend Mr, Homer, and the meeting was
fixed for the foUowing momfrig at Chalk Farm, Our
great difficulty was where to procure a case of pistols ;
for Hume, though he had been once, I think, engaged
in mortal affray, was possessed of no such implements,
and as for me, I had once nearly blown off my thumb
by discharging an overloaded pistol, and that was the
whole, I believe, of my previous acquaintance with fire-
'arms." Mr, WiUiam Spencer promised to provide the war
rior poet with a case of pistols, and he went himself
and bought powder and buUets, "and," as he says,
"in such large quantities, I remember, as would have
done for a score of duels, I then hastened to Spencer,
who, in praising ¦ the pistols, as he gave them to me,
said, ' They are but too good,"'
In order to be punctual to the hour, Moore resolved
to sleep at his second's ; " and as Hume was not the man,
either then or at any other part of his life, to be able
to furnish a friend with an extra pair of clean sheets,
I quietly took the sheets off my own bed, and huddling
them up as well as I could, took them away with us in
the coach to Hume's, I must have slept pretty well,
for Hume, I remember, had to wake me in the morn
ing, and the chaise being in readiness, we set off for
Chalk Farm, Hume had also taken the precaution of
providing a surgeon to be within call. On reaching
the ground we found Jeffrey and his party afready
arrived, , . ,

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 199
" And then it was that, for the first time, my ex
cellent friend Jeffrey and I met face to face. He
was standing with a bag, which contained the pistols,
in his hand, while Homer was looking anxiously
around, " It was agreed that the spot where we found them,
which was screened on one side by large trees, would
be as good for our purpose as any we could select ; and
Horner, after expressing some anxiety respecting some
men whom he had seen hovering about, but who now
appeared to have departed, retired with Hume behind
the trees, for the purpose of loading the pistols, leaving
Jeffrey and myself together. We, of course, had
bowed to each other on meeting ; but the first words
I recollect to have passed between us was Jeffrey say
ing, on our being left together, 'What a beautiful
morning it is ! ' — ' Yes,' I answered, with a slight
smile ; ' a morning made for better purposes,' to which
his only response was a sort of assenting sigh. As
our assistants were not, any more than ourselves, very
expert at warlike matters, they were rather slow in
thefr proceedings; and as Jeffery and I walked up
and down together, we came once in sight of their
operations, upon which I related to him, as rather
apropos to the purpose, what Billy Egan, the Irish
barrister, once said, when, as he was sauntering about
in like manner, while the pistols were loading, his fiery
antagonist, a little fellow, called out to him angrUy to
keep his ground, ' Don't make yourself unaisy, my dear

200 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
fellow,' said Egan, ' sure, isn't it bad enough to take the
dose without being by at the mixing up ? '
" Jeffrey had scarcely time to smile at this story when
our two friends, issuing from behind the trees, placed
us at once at our respective posts — the distance being,
I suppose, previously measured by them — and put the
pistols into our hands. They then retired to a little
distance, the pistols were on both sides raised, and we
waited but the signal to fire, when some police-officers
whose approach none of us had noticed, and who were
within a second of being too late, rushed out from a
hedge behind Jeffrey; and one of them striking at
Jeffrey's pistol with his staff, knocked it to some dis
tance into the field, while another running over to me,
took possession of mine. We were then replaced in
our respective carriages, and conveyed crest-fallen to
Bow Street."
Here, of course, the belligerents were easily baUed
out ; but, on Moore's returning for the pistols, which
had been forgotten, he was apprised of the rather sus
picious-looking incident which had been discovered by
the police-officers, that there was no bullet in Jeffrey's
pistol ! The magistrate suspected something unfair.
The bullet, however, was, it seems, subsequently found,
and, as Moore informs us, given by him afterwards to
Carpenter, the publisher; and the magistrate was
satisfied. This incident got circulated and served to invest the
whole affafr with prodigious ridicule in the papers, at

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 201
the expense of the poor bard, who, instead of reaping
honour and glory from his martial fire and fury, found
himself held up to the public as an ass in a lion's skin,
and a hero who had only courage enough to stand
before a leadless pistol ! In vain he sent a statement
to the papers. The statement never appeared. There
was no room for it — the joke being so inexpressibly
good and defiant of all contradiction. However, Tom
Moore was consoled for this sad letting down by his
being taken up by Jeffrey in the most generous man
ner, and forming with him a friendship which nothing
ever ruffied. But stUl the odd duel between Tom
Moore and Jeffrey goes down to posterity not only as
not a fait accompli, but possibly as one which was
never intended to be accomplished; for, the seconds
were a wonderfully long time in loading the pistols,
and the moment they delivered the murderous imple
ments into the hands of their patient principals, the
Philistines of the law were upon them, etc. etc., as
Moore has described it. The prowess of the warriors
in position nobody can deny; but that they were
"sold," it is impossible to doubt, — and so much the
better for literature, and for music and song ; for there
is no knowing what such duelUsts as Tom Moore and
Jeffrey would have done to each other if they had been
permitted to pull their triggers !
The amiable and pugnacious Tom Moore was equally
fortunate in calling Lord Byron to account for his sar
castic allusion to this duel, in his ' EngUsh Bards and

203 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Scotch Reviewers.' Lord Byron treated his applica
tion in an off-hand, manly fashion, with which Moore
was perfectly satisfied, and the result was, again, most
fortunate for literature and for Moore — a friendship
being "cemented" between the two poets, with the
result well known to all readers. Tom Moore's duel
listic speculations were the best on record.
Ensign Browne and Lieutenant Butler,
(a.d. 1806.)
This duel took place on a piece of ground in the
parish of Basford. Mr. Browne was an ensign, of
the 36th Regiment of Foot, and Lieutenant Butler, of
the 83rd Regiment, on the recruiting service at Not
tingham. The parties fired together by signal, when,
unfortunately. Ensign Browne was shot through the
heart, and instantly expired, without uttering a word.
Lieutenant Butler and the seconds immediately with
drew. The body of the deceased was taken to Basford
Church by some persons who were attracted to the
spot by the report of the pistols ; and a verdict of
" WUful Murder " was returned by the Coroner's jury,
who sat upon it. Ensign Browne was a promising
young officer, of a very respectable family in Ireland,
and had only just attained his seventeenth year. He
and Lieutenant Butler previously belonged to the same
regiment; but from a serious disagreement which
took place between them, the Commander-in-Chief
ordered them to be placed in different corps. On

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 203
their meeting at Nottingham, however, as a fatal
chance would have it, the embers of animosity were
rekindled, and the unhappy result proved the loss to
society of a valuable and much respected young mem
ber. Sir Francis Buedett and Me. Paull.
(a. d. 1807.)
It has been said, with reference to the importance
of the selection, that in a duel it is the seconds that
kUl, and not the principals. At any rate, the selection
is of the utmost concern to the principal, and few cases
show the fact more strikingly than the duel between
Sir Francis Burdett and Mr. PauU in 1807. The fol
lowing is Bellenden Ker's account of the affair : —
" On Saturday morning, May 5, 1807, about half-
past five o'clock. Sir Francis Burdett's servant came
to me with a note from Sir Francis, desiring me to
come to him to Wimbledon, with, a pair of pistols, as
he had been called upon ; but did not say by whom.
I could procure none, after trying at two officers of
the Guards, and at Manton's, but found none fit for
the purpose. It occurring to me that going thus from
place to place for pistols, might at last be the occa
sion of bringing on more notice than I wished, I deter
mined to proceed without them, thinking that those
who called upon him must have a pair at least ; and
that if it was necessary they might serve both parties.
I arrived at Sir Francis Burdett's house, at Wimble-

204 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
don, about eight o'clock, having been obliged to wait
more than two hours for a chaise. He was gone on to
the King's Arms, Kingston, having left a note for me
to follow him there in his carriage. On entering
Kingston, I saw Mr. Paull in a coach, accompanied by
another person, and a servant on the coach-seat. He
called out to me on passing his carriage, and said
something that I did not distinctly hear ; but I think
he advised me not to proceed into the town, as the
affair would be blown. I asked him where the inn
was, and went on.
"As soon as I entered the room where Burdett was
sitting, a person appeared, who had followed me. On
his entrance, I asked Burdett who he was. He said it
was PauU's second. I then said, 'Whom have I the
honour to address ?'
" ' My name is Cooper.' — ' Do you know him, Bur
dett ?' — ' I have no doubt Mr. Paull has appointed a
proper person to meet me.' — ' Sfr, Sir, Sir !' was Mr.
Cooper's answer. I then said, as Burdett desired, that
we should immediately follow them, if they proceeded
to Coombe Wood, which seemed to be a proper place
for meeting.
"After Burdett had given me some letters and
memorandums for diflerent friends, and explained to
me the subject of Mr. PauU's demands, we proceeded
to the place appointed ; where, ordering the carriages
to stop for us, we went into the wood to a considerable
distance. I fixed on a proper spot. During our walk,

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 205
Mr. Paull frequently addressed me on the subject of
the quarrel. He said he was sure I had not heard it
rightly stated, and wished me much to hear him. I
always replied, that I had heard the whole from my
principal, and that I placed implicit confidence in what
he said ; for if I could not have done that, I should
not have accompanied him there ; and that, from all I
heard and read concerning the matter, it was my de
cided opinion that Burdett was the person most en
titled to consider himself as Ul-used ; but that, at all
events, an apology from him was out of all question,
and that I would rather see him shot than advise him
to so disgraceful an act. As Mr. Paull did not seem
to have at all placed his opinions, or case, in the hands
of his second, I found it in vain to talk to him on the
subject of an accommodation. After we had stopped,
I asked for the pistols, which were produced by Mr.
Cooper, who declared that he had not expected things
would have taken this turn. I asked him if he ex
pected I should advise, or Burdett would consent to
disgrace himself. I then told him we had been unable
to obtain pistols, and expected he would consent, as
well as Mr. Paull, that we should make use of theirs.
To this they both agreed. He (Mr, Cooper) told me
he did not know how to load them; I showed him
how, and directed him to load Burdett's, while I loaded
Mr. PauU's, I then asked him what distance he pro
posed them to stand at; he said he knew nothing
about the matter, and left it to me, I measured out

206 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
twelve paces, and placed the principals at the extremi
ties of the space. I then directed him to give Sir
Francis a pistol, and presented another to Mr. PauU,
at the same time assuring him, as I had Mr. Cooper,
that Sir Francis came there without the slightest ani
mosity against Mr. Paull ; but that he would fire at
him as a mode of self-defence. I said besides to Mr,
Paull, that I hoped he was thoroughly convinced that
the injury he had received was of a nature not to be
satisfied with anything short of attempting the Ufe of
my friend, and risking his own. He replied, he must
do so, unless he had an apology,
" I then asked them if they would agree to fire by a
signal I would make, by dropping my handkerchief?
They each did agree to it. I placed myself about four
yards on one side the centre of the space between
them; while Mr. Cooper, on giving the pistol to Sir
Francis, retreated very precipitately behind a tree at
some distance. On a signal being made, they fired
together, but without effect. I then took Mr. PauU's
pistol from him, and said, ' I hope. Sir, you are now
satisfied.' He said, ' No ; I must have an apology, or
proceed.' I said, ' To talk of an apology is absm*d,
and quite out of all question,' I then re-loaded the
pistols, and gave them as before, I again addressed
Mr, Paull as I had at first., He answered with warmth,
that he must have an apology, or proceed ; and caUed
God to witness that he was the most injured man on
earth. Mr, Cooper was then to make the signal ; but

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 207
he stood so far out of the way that Sir Francis could
not see him, although he had already called to him
during his retreat, and begged him not to go so far off,
and to come forward, or words to that effect. At last
I saw that Sir Francis could not see Mr. Cooper, nor
his signal ; and upon his making it, I called out, ' Ffre,'
to Sir Francis as soon as I saw Mr. Paull raise his
pistol. They did so together, I believe, upon my utter
ing the words.
"I should observe, that while they were waiting for
the signal, I remarked that Sir Francis held his arm
raised, and his pistol pointed towards Mr, Paull.
Knowing that this was not with a view of taking any
unfair advantage, but the effect of accident, 1 said,
'Burdett, don't take aim, I am sure you are not
doing so ; drop your arm, as you see Mr, PauU has his
pistol pointed downwards.' Mr. Paull then asked me,
why I advised Sir Francis not to take aim. I said,
anybody might see that I could only mean for him not
to take aim, or prepare to do so, before the signal,
and from a desire to see that they were upon equal
terms. " The second shot fired by Mr. PauU, wounded Sir
Francis in the thigh; the second pistol fired by Sir
Francis, wounded Mr. Paull on the leg. After speak
ing to each of them, I set off for the carriages. Both
were put into Mr. PauU's. I went on to Sir Francis
Burdett's house, to Lady Burdett and his brother;
and also to procure a surgeon at Wimbledon.

208 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
" During the transaction not one word passed between
me and Sir Francis, except what I said about taking
aim. Mr, Cooper has constantly refused to sign any
official account, to say where he Uves, or what is his
situation ; which also was repeatedly requested of him
before me; nor do I at this moment know anything
further about him."
Majoe Campbell and Captain Boyd.
(a.d. 1808.)
This extraordinary duel took place on the 23rd of
June, 1808, in Armagh, Ireland, where the 21st regi
ment of the line was in garrison. The regiment had:
been reviewed, and an altercation arose among the
officers on a regimental question, when Captain Boyd
peremptorily contradicted Major Campbell. It W3.s
merely about a particular mode of giving a word of
command. Major CampbeU immediately left the mess-
room; and Captain Boyd did the same some time
after. AJfter the lapse of about twenty minutes, a
report of firearms was heard proceeding from a second
mess-room, adjoining the other. On entering it the
officers found Captain Boyd sitting in a chair vomit
ing. The surgeon examined him and discovered that
he was dangerously wounded. He survived only
eighteen hours.
What had taken place, besides the infliction of the
mortal wound, is not precisely known. It was a duel
without seconds ; the distance of the combatants be-

BRITISH DUELS FROM ism TO 829. 209
tween each other being only seven paces, or that
between the comers of the small apartment.
Doubts hang over the fairness of the transaction,
suggested by the following conversation between the
wounded man and Major Campbell, which was deposed
to by a brother officer. He heard, as he thought.
Major CampbeU say, " On the word of a dying man,
is everything fair ?" The officer got up before Cap
tain Boyd repUed, he said, " Campbell, you have
hurried me; you are a bad man." The witness was
in coloured clothes, and Major Campbell did not know
him, but said again, " Boyd, before this stranger and
liieutenant Hall, was everything fair ?" Captain Boyd
replied, " Oh my, Campbell ! you know I wanted yon
to wait, and have friends !" Major Campbell then
said, "Good God! Will you mention before these
gentlemen, was not everything fair? Did not you
say, you were ready ? " Captain Boyd answered,
"Yes;" but in a moment after he said, "CampbeU,
you are a bad man." Captain Boyd was helped into
the next room, and Major Campbell followed, much
agitated, and repeatedly said to Captain Boyd, "that
he (Boyd) was the happiest man of the two." — "I
am," said Major Campbell, " an unfortunate man, but
I hope not a bad one." Major Campbell asked Cap
tain Boyd if he forgave him ? He stretched out his
hand and said, " I forgive you ; I feel for you, and I
am sure you do for me," Major CampbeU then left
the room,
vol, ii. p

210 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
The sequel was equally distressing. Major Camp
beU had fled, and eluded aU the efforts of the poUce
to capture him. He managed to keep himself con
cealed at Chelsea, passing under a false name, A
dreary year passed away. He got tired of this dread
ful situation of perpetual fear and anxiety, and de
livered himself up a prisoner, and was tried for the
" murder " of Captain Boyd at the Armagh Assizes,
in 1809,
The defence set up in his favour was merely and
exclusively his character for humanity, peaceable con
duct, and proper behaviour. To this, several officers
of the highest rank deposed, and many others were in
attendance to do so, but whom it was unnecessary to
produce. The jury brought in a verdict of " Guilty
of Murder," but recommended him to mercy. He was
sentenced to be executed on a fixed day, but was
subsequently respited for a week.
But this respite was obtained only with the greatest
exertion. His poor wife, who was tenderly attached
to her husband, having resolved to proceed to London
from Ireland, in order to solicit the royal mercy,
hastened to the seacoast, but found that unexpected
circumstances threatened to frustrate her fondest hopes.
It blew a perfect hurricane, and no reward could
tempt the captain of any vessel to venture to sea.
While she was running up and down' the shore in a
distracted state, she met a few humble fishermen ; and
these poor fellows no sooner heard the cause of her

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 211
agony than they offered her their service and their
boat, in which she actually crossed the channel ! Her
noble companions not only refused to receive any
reward, but attended her to the coach-office, and
followed her several miles on the road, praying God to
bless her, and grant her success.
On arriving at Windsor with her petition, it was
past eight o'clock, and the King had retired to his
apartments ; but the Queen, compassionating the af
flicted wife, presented the memorial that very night,
and Mrs. Campbell received the kindest attention from
the whole of the royal family.
The case was anxiously debated in council ; but, after
a full review of the circumstances, it was finally re
solved that the law should take its course. Mrs. Camp
bell, in the meantime, proceeded to Scotland, cheered
with the hope of obtaining, at least, another respite.
She reached Ayr, her paternal home, on the very
morning that her husband's corpse was brought there
to be interred.
When Major Campbell heard that his fate was de
cided, he prepared to meet death with the fortitude
of the soldier and the resignation of the Christian, He
begged, however, but in vain, to be shot,
A change had come over the public mind, and
universal sorrow for his fate had taken place of the
prejudices which inaccurate reports of the duel had
produced. By a strange concurrence of circumstances,
his own regiment mounted guard round the scaffold.
p 2

212 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
A vast multitude occupied every spot from which a
view of the place of execution could be obtained.
The crowd displayed a.n extraordinary spectacle that
day : all the gentry from the neighbouring country as
sembled in deep mourning.
Precisely at noon Major Campbell appeared on the
platform, supported by his father-in-law. Instantly
the brave Highlanders took off their military bonnets,
and with streaming eyes joined in prayer for the spfrit
about to be parted from its mortal tenement. The vast
crowd stood uncovered in solemn silence, so that the
grating of the faUing drop was heard to the remotest
extremity. One groan from the thousands of spec
tators for an instant broke the profound silence, and
proclaimed that all was over ! His body, after having
been suspended the usual time, was put into a hearse
in waiting, which left the town immediately for Ayr, in
Scotland, to be interred in the vault of the famUy,
Major Campbell, in his conversation with his inti
mate friends, previously to surrendering himself, had
always said that, if he were convicted, he should suffer
as an example to duelUng in Ireland. But it was al
ways his opinion that a jury would not convict Mm of
murder ; and it was certainly surprising that they did,
and in Ireland too, with all its chivalric notions about
duelling. Certainly the dying man's reluctant testi
mony to the fairness of the duel, and his expressions
generaUy, tended sadly to prejudice the pubUc mind
against the unfortunate Major, It is one of the very

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 213
few instances of a British combatant failing to try his
utmost to screen and exonerate his opponent in a
duel. In the otherwise unimportant case of a duel on re
cord, between a Mr. Brittlebank and a Mr. Cuddie, in
which the latter was mortally wounded, the jury, not
withstanding that Cuddie, in a dying state, had de
clined to declare the duel to have been a fair one, and
even intimated that it was unfair by shaking his head,
acquitted Brittlebank and his second. This occurred
in 1821.
It has been erroneously stated that the jury recom
mended the Major to mercy merely from his universal
good character ; they recommended him in consequence
of the duel having been a, fair one, although, by the di
rection of the judge, they were bound, it seems, on
their oaths, to convict the prisoner of murder. As
suredly the case was not at all more doubtful than that
of Lord Byron and Mr. Chaworth, in which the noble
lord's peers refused to find him guilty of murder.
But, unfortunately, Major Campbell's surrender, in
stead of being viewed as the result of penitence and
sorrow, was regarded by too many as a mockery and a
bravery of justice. Utterly false as such a view of the
case was, Campbell confirmed the prejudice against
him by incautiously declaring that he was sure the
verdict could only be manslaughter. The misrepre
sentation of these words, as has been said, produced
a strong effect on the minds of the Presbyterians of

214 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Armagh, His modest and contrite deportment on his
trial, and the excellent character given to him by of
ficers of the highest rank, went far towards tuming
the tide in his favour ; but one of the witnesses for the
defence is said to have exhibited a dictatorial air, as if
his simple word would or ought to decide the verdict,
and this circumstance, it is said, had a fatal influence.
So that the poor Major might truly say, " God deliver
me from my friends .'"
Previously to his death, the poor fellow said that life
was not an object so dear to him as the reflection was
distressing, that his children and family should bear
the stigma that he was executed for murder.
Major Campbell was first cousin to the Earl of
Breadalbane, a nobleman esteemed and beloved by
all his friends. His poor wife's conduct, in her dread
ful sorrow, sufficiently displays her amiable character;
and it adds to the sympathy we feel, even at this dis
tance of time, for the affiicted couple, that four infant
children were left behind by the wretched father to grow
up branded with the stigma of his fate, and to transmit
it, perhaps, to countless generations.
This duel is one of the many which demonstrate the
peril of every social state in which the practice is in
vogue. The unfortunate irritation of a moment, on a
ridiculously unimportant subject, at once deprived so
ciety of one of the best of men, and left a widow and
an infant family to mourn their irreparable loss. Re
tribution of the most awful kind fell to the lot of the

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 215
other ; and his amiable widow and helpless family were
also involved in the greatest distress that the human
mind can conceive.
Lord Paget and the Hon, Captain Cadogan.
(a.d. 1809.)
The cause of this duel was the seduction of the lady
of the Hon. Henry Wellesley, sister of Captain Cado
gan, by Lord Paget, for which her husband afterwards
was awarded £20,000 by the Sheriff's Court, which as
sessed the damages after the suit in divorce. Such
was the affair in the court of law ; the following was its
representation in the court of " honour."
In consequence of a challenge having been received
by Lord Paget from Captain Cadogan, and every at
tempt to prevent a meeting having fafred, the parties,
attended by their respective friends, — Captain Cadogan,
by Captain Mackenzie, of the Navy, Lord Paget, by
Lieut. -Colonel Vivian, of the 7th Light Dragoons, — met,
as agreed, at seven o'clock on Wimbledon Common.
The ground having been taken at twelve paces' dis
tance, they were directed to fire together. Captain
Cadogan fired ; Lord Paget's pistol flashed in the pan.
This having been decided to go for a fire, a question
arose whether Lord Paget had taken aim, as if intend
ing to hit his antagonist. Both the seconds being
clearly of opinion that such was not his intention
(although the degree of obliquity he gave to the dfrec
tion of the pistol was such as to have been discovered

216 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
only by particular observation). Captain Mackenzie
stated to Captain Cadogan that, as it appeared to be
Lord Paget's intention not to fire at him, he could not
admit of the affair proceeding any further. Lieut.-
Colonel Vivian then asked Captain Cadogan whether,
he had not himself observed that Lord Paget had not
aimed at him, to which he replied in the affirmative.
Captain Mackenzie then declared his determination
not to remain any longer in the field to witness any
further act of hostility on the part of Captain Cadogan.
Captain Cadogan replied, that, of course, his conduct
must be decided by his second, declaring, at the same
time, that he had come prepared for the fall of one of
the parties. , , ,
On Captain Mackenzie and Lieut,-Colonel Vivian
making it known to Lord Paget that, as he evidently
did not intend to fire at Captain Cadogan, the affair
should go no further, his Lordship replied, " As such
is your determination, I have now no hesitation in say
ing, that nothing could ever have induced me to add
to the injuries I have afready done the family by firing
at the brother of Lady Charlotte Wellesley,"
The parties then left the ground.
Lord Castlereagh and Canning,
(a. d. 1809.)
The circumstances of this political duel were as fol
lows : — It had been long reported that there were divi
sions in the Duke of Portland's cabinet, and that a

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 217
change in some of the highest offices of state would
take place. The knowledge of these divisions became
public in the latter end of September, when Lord Cas
tlereagh, then Secretary-of-War, sent a challenge to
Canning, who had the seals of the Foreign Office.
Lord Castlereagh's complaint was that, both being
members of the cabinet. Canning had applied clandes
tinely to get him removed from office, for the purpose
of bringing in the Marquis of Wellesley in his place.
" ' You are fully aware,' says Lord Castlereagh, in his
challenge to Canning, 'that, if my situation in the
Government had been disclosed to me, I should not
have submitted to remain one moment in office without
the entire abandonment of private honour and public
duty. You know I was deceived, and you continued
to deceive me,' K Lord Castlereagh's statement was
correct, of course Canning's conduct was most un
justifiable, both on public and on private grounds;
both as a statesman and a gentleman. If he consi
dered Lord Castlereagh as unfit to manage the im
portant charge with which he was entrusted ; and, in
deed, the Walcheren expedition afforded a convinc
ing proof of the correctness of his opinion, it was his
duty not to remain with him in the cabinet one hour,
if he could not overrule his proposals ; but to coincide
in a project which he condemned, and to continue to
act in conjunction with a minister whose removal he
had urged on the plea of incapacity, was an act most
unaccountable on the part of Canning, and only tends

218 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
to show that men placed in a public situation will be
guUty of acts which they would scorn as dishonourable
in the common affafrs of life,"* But it is difficult to
see how the matter could possibly be the motive of a
duel, which always presupposes an injury done to
" honour." In this case, if his lordship's representa
tion be correct. Canning had injured his own honour,
not his lordship's, , , ,
The meeting took place at Putney Heath, Lord
Yarmouth was Lord Castlereagh's second, and Can
ning was accompanied by Mr, R. Ellis. They fired by
signal, at the distance of ten yards. The first fire
missed; and no explanation taking place, they fired
a second time, when Canning was wounded in the
left thigh, on the outer side of the bone, and thus the
affair terminated. He was put into a coach and con
veyed to Gloucester Lodge, his newly-purchased seat
at Brompton, and Lord Castlereagh returned' to his
house in St. James's Square.
In connection 'with this duel, a curious anecdote is
related by Cunningham in his ' Lives of the Sculptors,'
Lord Castlereagh had promised to make Sir Alexander
Johnston Chief Justice and President of Ceylon; on
hearing which, Mrs, Darner, a Whig to the last, ex
claimed, "The fellow will cheat you; he is a Tory."
Soon afterwards. Lord Castlereagh sent express to
Sir Alexander, had his commission drawn out, saw
the great seal affixed, shook him by the hand, and
* Millingen.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 219
wished him joy. This was late at night; on the
following morning he fought the duel with Canmng.
Sfr Alexander waited on him, when Lord Castlereagh
said ¦with a smile, " You are come to congratulate me
on my escape," — " Yes," said Sir Alexander, " and to
say that I cannot help marvelling at your fortitude
last night. Who but yourself could have transacted
business ?" — " Oh, I had a reason for it," said his
lordship ; " had I fallen before the great seal was set
to your commission, you would have lost the appoint
ment, and my cousin" (Mrs, Damer) "would have
said, ' The fellow, Sir, was a cheat ; he was a Tory.' "
When Mrs. Damer heard this, the tears started to her
eyes, " Go," she said, " to my cousin, and say I have
wronged him ; that I love his manliness, and his
regard for honour, and that I wish to renew our inter
course of friendship."
A Fatal Duel,
(a.d. 1810.)
On a moming in September, 1810, at the early
hour of half-past five, three post chaises were seen
passing over Putney Bridge. They conveyed two
gentlemen, a Mr, George Payne and a Mr, Clark,
with their seconds, to Wimbledon Common, to fight a
duel. Within an hour after, one of the chaises re
turned to the ' Red Lion,' at Putney, with one of the
gentlemen, Mr, Payne, mortally wounded, A pistol
ball had gone through his groin. He died at half-past
four the same afternoon.

220 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
This Mr, George Payne was the younger son of
Rene Payne, Esq., who left him a fortune of £14,000
per annum. He was the father of four children, who,
•with their mother, had to lament his untimely death,
in circumstances which aggravated the calamity ; for
the cause of the fatal duel was truly melancholy. The
challenge took place ten days before, at Scarborough,
but the quarrel was of a more distant date. The
orphan daughter of a Dr. Clark, of Newcastle, was the
friend of Mrs, Payne, and a ¦visitor in the family. An
unfortunate attachment took place between Mr. Payne
and Miss Clark, which transpiring, the irritated feel
ings of the brother induced him to resent it. Every
means was tried by Mr. Payne, the elder brother of
the deceased, to avert the catastrophe, but in vain.
Mr. George Payne, the unfortunate deceased, was
most exemplary in all his conduct through life, except
in this fatal attachment. He was a most liberal and
amiable man. He had told his second that he would
not retum Mr. Clark's fire, but the first shot was
mortal, Clark made his escape.
A Public Duel at Wexford. Mr. Colclough and
Mr, Alcock.
(a.d. 1810.)
This poUtical duel took place at Wexford, and the
cause was as follows. Mr. John Colclough, of Trulom
Abbey, had declared himself a candidate for the re
presentation of the county, which he had sat for in the

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 221
previous parliament. For many years certain noble
men had monopolized the representation of Wexford,
and Mr, Colclough determined on this occasion to put
the sense of the county to the proof, and therefore
proposed Sheridan as joint candidate ¦with himself.
With these gentlemen, Mr. Alcock, supported by
the interest of certain influential electors, contested
the county. The election commenced, the poll pro
ceeded, and the independent party was rapidly ad
vancing to success, when one of the most melancholy
events terminated the contest. Several tenants of a
person who had given his interest to Alcock, abso
lutely refused to vote for that gentleman, declaring
that, at any risk, they would support Colclough and
"the great Sheridan." Mr. Alcock's partisans ascribed
the conduct of these persons to seduction on the part
of Mr, Colclough, The latter protested in the most
solemn manner that he had not even solicited their
votes. Alcock insisted that they should not vote for
him, "How can I prevent them ?" naturaUy replied
Mr, Colclough, After much discussion, Mr, Colclough
was requfred to decline the votes, or receive them at
his perU, Of course he disregarded this threat. Open
war ensued, and it was determined that, before the
opening of the next morning's poll, the candidates
should decide by single combat the contested ques
tion. An Irish duel with a vengeance ! Early on the
foUo'wing morning, many hundred people assembled

332 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
to witness the affair, among whom were several ma
gistrates. Both candidates were remarkably near
sighted, and Mr, Alcock determined upon using spec
tacles. This was resisted by the friends of Mr,
Colclough, who would not follow the example. The
partisans of the former, however, persevered, and he
did wear them. The ground at length was measured,
and the anxious crowd separated on either side, as
thefr party feelings prompted them. The seconds
handed to each principal a couple of pistols, and
placing them about eight or nine paces asunder,
withdrew, A dead silence and a pause ensued — ^the crowd stood
in motionless suspense — the combatants presented —
the word was given — Mr. Alcock fired first, and his
former friend and intimate companion fell shot through
the heart, his pistol exploding without effect.
The bystanders were almost petrified with horror,
when on a sudden, a loud and horrible yell burst
simultaneously from every quarter of the field, Alcock
was hurried by his friends from the ground, whUst
those of Colclough raised the body, and mournfully
bore it to his native home.
Within two hours after the fatal duel, Mr. Alcock
was returned duly elected. At the next assizes he was
tried for murder, before Baron Smith, who openly
declared against a capital conviction; and the jury,
¦without a moment's hesitation, pronounced a verdict of
"Not Guilty,"

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 223
The acquitted duelUst, however, suffered much in
mind, and ended his days in a great measure deprived
of his intellectual faculties.
Nor was that all in the train of this fatal affair.
Miss Alcock had known Colclough for a considerable
time. She was an amiable and sensible person. Her
brother's absence, his trial, and his subsequent depres
sion deprived her also of her reason, and in this state
she did not long sur^vive the dreadful fate of her
brother and his friend.*
Captain Stackpole and Lieutenant Cecil.
(a.d. 1814.)
The cfrcumstances which led to this affair are as
follows : — ^As long as four years before, a naval officer
inqufred of Lieutenant Cecil if he knew Captain Stack-
pole. Lieutenant CecU repUed that he did, and had
the best opinion of him as a brave officer, adding, how
ever, that he believed him capable of occasionally
drawing a long how. This answer was pubUcly talked
of in the gun-room of the ' Statira ' frigate, of which
Stackpole was Captain. At length the words reached
the ears of Captain Stackpole, who, ha-ving ascertained
that they had been uttered, declared he would call
Lieutenant Cecil to an account when and wherever he
met him. It was so far fortunate that they did not
meet for four years ; but the opportunity at last offered,
when the ' Statira ' was lying in the harbour of Port
* Millingen.

224 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Royal, Jrnaicr., and the 'Argo,' of which OecU was
senior lieutenant, happened to enter the port.
Captdm Stackpole immediately sent a message to
Lieutenant Cecil, purporting that he must either meet
him or make a suitable apology for the "slanderous
words " he had used. Lieutenant Cecil, in reply, said
that four years ha^ving elapsed since the words were
spoken, which he was charged with having uttered, it
was impossible for him to recollect how far they were
correct or not ; but, as a brother-officer and a man of
honour had quoted his words, he could not act other-
¦wise than avow them. As to an apology, he wished
Captain Stackpole to understand that, under the cfr
cumstances, he should have had no objection to apolo
gize to any other officer of his Majesty's na^vy, — but to
him, it was impossible, — the Captain of the ' Statfra '
being reputed throughout the na'vy as a good shot,
and having been the friend and companion of Lord
Camelford.* It thus appears that Cecil had the same
reason for fighting as Lord Camelford had in his affair
with Best.
The meeting came off and Stackpole, the crack-shot,
was mortally wounded, exclaiming as he fell, "By
George, I've missed him!" He died almost imme
diately. Captain Stackpole was a brave and meritorious
officer. It was he who sent a challenge, during the
American war, to fight the ' Statira ' against the
* See, ante, vol, ii. p. 190.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 225
American frigate the 'Macedonian,' .whi.'Ji.. plucky
conduct endeared him to the crew. It is said that he
was greatly lamented — not a man being able ,io refrain
from tears on learning his fate,
Daniel O'Connell and D'Esterre.
(a.d. 1815.)
This celebrated duel is about as remarkable as any
of the political duels of the French, describecj in the
previous chapter, as fiimsy in its cause and pretences,
and as horrible in its result.
At a meeting in Capel Street, O'Connell, in illus
trating some matter which he was anxious to enforce,
aUuded in a contemptuous manner to the Corporation
of Dublin — "the beggarly Corporation of Dublin," as
he called it. Mr. D'Esterre was a member of the Cor
poration, and having seen this phrase in the papers,
he addressed a letter to O'Connell, requiring to know
whether he was fairly reported. O'ConneU repUed
that he would not avow nor disavow what had been
reported in the newspaper ; but, he added, that if Mr.
D'Esterre wrote to him to know his opinion of the
Common Council of Dublin, as a body, he could
easUy satisfy him by saying that no expression which
language could furnish was sufficient to convey the
sentiments of contempt he had for that body. More
over, he requested D'Esterre to consider his answer as
forming the close of the correspondence on the sub
ject. VOL. II. Q

226 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
A subsequent letter, however, was sent to O'Con-
nell's residence during his absence. Its direction
was different from the former one which came from
D'Esterre; and Mr. James O'Connell, who had ia-
structions to open any communications that were
directed to his brother in his absence, ascertained the
quarter whence it came. He sought merely for the
signature, and on perceiving it to be D'Esterre's, he
immediately closed the letter, and stated in a note to
D'Esterre the circumstances under which he opened it.
He said he was ignorant of its contents, not wishing,
after the request his brother had made, to know any
thing more of Mr. D'Esterre's epistolary messages.
He added, that his brother did not expect to hear a
second time from Mr, D'Esterre through the medium
of a letter.
Two days after, Mr. James O'Connell received a
note from D'Esterre, containing disrespectful observa
tions on himself and, his brother. Immediately after
receiving it, he sent his friend. Captain O'MuUan, to
D'Esterre, to say that, after he had adjusted his affair
vrith his brother, he would bring him to account for
his conduct to himself particularly. Captain O'MuUan
at the same time intimated that Counsellor O'Connell
was , astonished at not hearing, in what he conceived
the proper way, from Mr. D'Esterre.
On the foUo^wing day Mr. Lidwell, who remained in
DubUn several days to be, the friend of O'Connell,
although some members of his family were seriously

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 227
indisposed, now left town for his home, despairing of
any issue being put to the controversy. Another day
passed on, but on the following morning considerable
sensation was created by a rumour that D'Esterre was
advised to go to the Four Courts to offer O'Connell
personal violence. Neither of the parties came in con
tact; but it seems that D'Esterre was met on the
quays by Mr. Richard 0' Gorman, who remonstrated
with him by stating that he. conceived he was pursuing
a very unusual sort of conduct. This occurred about
three o'clock on a Tuesday ; but still no challenge fol
lowed. About four o'clock it was understood that
D'Esterre was in the streets, and O'Connell paraded
about ¦with one or two friends, but did not come across
his antagonist. A multitude soon collected about him,
among whom there could not be less than five hundred
gentlemen of respectability ; and O'ConneU then had
no other resource left than to . take refuge in a house
in Exchequer Street. In a short time Judge Day
entered, in his magisterial capacity, to put him under
arrest. The honourable Justice said he would be
satisfied if he had tho guarantee of Mr, O'Connell's
honour that he would proceed no further in the busi
ness, "It is not my business, Mr, Justice," said
O'Connell, "to be the aggressor. Further, however,
I must tell you that no human consideration will in-
¦duce me to go." The Hon. Justice then retired, and
O'ConneU shortly after repaired to Merrion Square, his
residence. Q 2

228 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
On the foUowing morning it was at length intimated
to O'ConneU that D'Esterre intended to call upon him
for a meeting. Eventually twelve o'clock was fixed
upon for the appointment of the hour and the place.
A proposal was made to enlarge the time, but O'Con
nell's friend would not consent. This friend was
Major Macnamara, of Doolen, in the county of Clare,
a Protestant gentleman attached to no party, and of
the highest respectabiUty. D'Esterre's second was
Sfr Edward Stanley,
After some discussion the parties fixed on Bishop's
Court, Lord Ponsonby's seat, county Kildare, as the
place of meeting. The hour appointed was half-past
three o'clock. At three precisely, O'Connell, attended
by his second. Surgeon Macklin, and a number of
friends, was on the ground; about four, D'Esterre,
attended only by his second, Surgeon Peel, and a Mr,
D'Esterre, of Limerick, There was some conversation
between the seconds as to position, mode of fire, etc,
which, added to other sources of delay, occupied forty
minutes. During this interval, Mr, D'Esterre took
occasion to say that his quarrel with Mr, O'Connell
was not of a religious nature. To the CathoUcs, or
their leaders, he said he had no animosity whatever.
At forty minutes past four, the combatants were on
the ground; they both displayed the greatest coolness
and courage. The friends of both parties retired, and
the combatants, having a pistol in each hand, with
directions to discharge them at their discretion pre-

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1839. 229
pared to fire. They levelled, and before the lapse of a
second, both shots were heard. D'Esterre's was first,
and missed. O'Connell's followed instantly, and took
effect in the thighs of his antagonist, passing through
both of them about an inch below the hip. D'Esterre,
of course, fell, and both the surgeons hastened to him.
They discovered that the ball had traversed the hip,
and could not be found. There was an immense effu
sion of blood. All parties prepared to move towards
home, and arrived in town before eight o'clock. Great
were the emotions that burst forth all along the road
when it was ascertained that O'Connell was safe,
D'Esterre died in the afternoon of the third day
after the duel.
He was a young man of great respectability and
high spirit, and felt, as stated, indignant at the re
proach cast on the body of which he was a member —
which was, of course, greatly aggravated by O'Con-
neU's subsequent very insulting and unjustifiable de
claration of opinion concerning the Common Council
of Dublin; and most assuredly O'ConneU and his
brother gave D'Esterre to understand that they ex
pected he would send a chaUenge, which was itself a
sufficient provocation to a duel. Besides, there is
j-eason to believe that his indignation was fanned by
the instigation of his colleagues, who were anxious to
rid themselves of such a formidable opponent as
O'Connell, — D'Esterre being, it is said, a crack shot.
Great, therefore, must have been their consternation

330 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
and disappointment at the result, which shows that no
degree of proficiency before a target ¦will ensure infal
lible success when standing before a man, " covering "
the firer with an aim but too weU appreciated by any
one 'with the least experience in the matter. How
ever, to have missed the huge, towering Dan, O'Con
nell, seems almost like missing a haystack,
A statement was made, which, if correct, showed a
great error committed by the second of the unfortu
nate D'Esterre. It is said that he was placed in a Une
with a tree, which afforded the great advantage of di
rection to his adversary's fire. Whether O'Connell was
aware of the fortunate advantage, and avaUed himself
of it, is another question ; and most assuredly, consi^
dering all the circumstances of this poUtical duel, he
could scarcely be blamed for doing so, if, as he was led
to believe, the corporation wanted to " get rid of him"
by the hand of their practised representative.*
A curious episode followed this famous duel. O'Con
nell, together ¦with his second, repaired to a church,
and took a solemn oath, or made a vow to heaven, that
he would never fight another duel. He also offered a
pension to the widow of his unfortunate adversary,
equal in amount to what her husband had been earn-
* In the duel between Mr. Scott and Mr. Christie, at Chalk
Parm, and by moonlight, the latter very chivalrously exclaimed,
"Mr. Scott, you must not stand there; I see your head above
the horizon : you give me an advantage." The circumstances,
however, were very different on this occasion.

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1800 TO 1829. 231
ing ; but the Dublin Corporation rejected the offer, and
voted the sum promised by O'Connell.
No doubt, O'Connell's vow was "registered in hea
ven ;" at any rate, he kept it most religiously. But he
didn't bridle his tongue; and so Dan. O'Connell went
on insulting or lashing as he listed, and his son Mor
gan O'Connell set up as his champion, ever ready and
glad to fight for the "governor," or agitator of Old
Ireland. Morgan had plenty to do; he fought Lord
Alvanley, when two shots were exchanged at twelve
paces, without effect, Morgan was also chaUenged by
the present celebrity, Mr. DisraeU, the very day after
the affair •with Lord Alvanley, and so were his two
brothers ; but the police interfered, and the whole
batch of would-be combatants were "bound over to
keep the peace." Those were fighting days, if you
like, when a politician or a member had to " keep his
hand in" at the shooting- gaUeries, as he might at any
moment deserve to be shot at, if not shot do^wn, like
the unfortunate D'Esterre.
In the ' Memoirs' of Tom Moore I find the follow
ing curious entry : — " In talking of O'Connell — of the
mixture there is in him of high, low, formidable, and
contemptible, mighty and mean, — Smith summed up
aU by saying, ' The only way to deal 'with such a man
is to hang him up, and erect a statue to him under
the gallows.' This balancing of the accounts," adds
Moore, " is admirable." *
* An anonymous work on Duelling, published in 1836, con-

232 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.

Captain Trevor and Captain
(a.d. 1815.)

A few days after the battle of Waterloo, Lord 
gave a grand dinner, foUo^wing a ball on the pre^vious
evening to the same gentlemen whom he had before
entertained. During dinner the conversation turned
on the ball, and when heads began to get warm under
the influence of champagne, Lord •  rose and
said, "My dear friends, I have to propose a toast
which will delight you; so ffll your glasses to the
brim. I propose the health of the greatest beauty we
have seen for a year. You all know whom I mean.
To the health of Miss Maria !"
General applause ensued, during which Captain 
cast a sly look on Trevor whUst raising the glass to
his lips. After the acclamations, cries arose on all
sides, " Who will return thanks for her ?" — " Of course
her favoured beau," some one said. "And who is
tained the following humorous dedication: — " To those gallant
gentlemen and consistent supporters of a Lamb administration,
Daniel O'Connell, Esq., M.P., and James Silk Buckingham,
Esq., M.P., who, entertaining the opinion first promulgated by
the immortal Falstaff, of happy memory, ' That discretion is tlie
better part of valour,'' condemn the practice which hazards hfe
in the cause of honour, and eschew the use of all offensive wea
pons, save that with which bounteous nature hath amply pro
vided tliem, the tongue, this little volume is respectfully dedi
cated, by one who possesses a most exalted opinion of theii"
magnanimity, and the most profound respect for their philan
thropy."

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 233
he ?" asked another. " Up, the favourite ! Trevor is
the happy man : no doubt of it ; she danced ¦with him
all the evening."
Trevor looked triumphant. But some one said,
"No, no; it isn't Trevor. The Captain is the fa
vourite." — " Ten to one," said another, " the Captain
is the man."
" Nonsense !" muttered the Captain, knitting his
eyebrows, " Oh !" interposed an old baronet, " the fact is the
young miss doesn't know whom she prefers ; so let's
toss up to discover the favourite,"
Shouts of laughter followed, except on the part of
Trevor and the Captain,
"Pon honour, gentlemen, here's much ado about
nothing," said Trevor, " But, since the thing has
been made a serious question, I feel compelled to de
clare on this occasion that I believe I am beloved by
the beautiful Maria, and I alone. I have good rea
sons, I think, for boasting of this conquest. I have
got rid of my rival" (tuming towards Captain  ),
"although that gentleman's flashing eyes, good looks,
and all that sort of thing" —
" Trevor, don't be insolent," exclaimed the Captain
purpling with rage,
" Insolent ? Heavens ! What do you mean, Cap
tain? No, no; that's impossible. If any of my
words haye offended you, my heart disavows the
offence ; and as we used to say at Rugby, indicium

234 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
puto.* Let it pass. As for my Maria, I am sure of
her — positively sure. . . . Oh, it's no use of the Cap
tain launching such furious looks at me. , . . Thus,
gentlemen, de jure et de facfo,f I thank you in the
name of my charming Maria."
He resumed his seat with a placid smUe.
" You only flatter yourself, Trevor ; you are quite
mistaken," said the Captain. " You know not what
passed between Maria and myself one evening. On
my word of honour, she told me she would be glad to
get rid of her engagement with you."
" Nonsense, She only said so to make a fool of you.
Captain. Believe me that was her only motive, for she
told me so next morning."
"Next mornmg? And who admitted you to her
next morning ?"
" That's my secret, and not yours. Since you wish
to know it, 1 will tell you, for your consolation, that
since then I have seen Miss Maria every day."
" Trevor, it is base to divulge such secrets, even if
they were true. If it be your intention to ruin a sweet
innocent creature, I tell you, Sfr, you are a scoundrel !"
" A scoundrel ! Do you say I am a scoundrel;
Captain ?"
Trevor became pale ; he went up to his rival with a
glass half-full in his hand.
" Yes, Sir, I said so. What then ?" said Captain 
" Then you must apologize instantly."
* " Consider it unsaid. "f " By right and possession."

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 235
" I am not in the habit of retracting my words, I
have no apology to make,"
" Then expect none from me," shouted Trevor, dash
ing his glass at the head of the Captain,
The latter quietly wiped off the wine with which
his dress was spotted, and then went straight up to
Lord ¦  , whispering, " My lord, doubtless you have
pistols in the house. This matter had better be ended
at once. Have the goodness to do the needful,"
We need scarcely state that Lord  made every
effort to arrange the matter, not only on account of
his friends but also on his own, since it would always
be an imputation that the quarrel occurred at his
table. The parties obstinately refused to be recon
ciled ; and when Trevor was told that the Captain was
one of the best shots in England, he exclaimed,
" Indeed ! Then I have only to make my will ; for
I am almost as blind as a mole," he added with a
smile, " Oh , , . ay, yes I have it. That will do,"
and turning to the Captain he continued : —
" Sfr, it is said that you always kUl your man."
" Yes, Sir ; what next ?" coolly asked the Captain.
"Well, you know that I have very bad sight, am
almost blind, and not a good shot,"
AU were astounded at this declaration, and stiU
more when they saw that Trevor was bleeding from
the nose,
" What are you driving at ?" asked the Captain
with a look of contempt.

236 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
" Only to make a reasonable request, the equality of
arms in the fight. Do you think, my good Sfr, that
I would expose myself to be kiUed by your pistol
¦without a chance of doing you the same favour ? You
provoked this quarrel ; your foUy has brought it about,
I demand that we fight face to face, breast to breast,
with only a table between us. Yes," he continued,
firmly measuring every word, " we shall die together,
if we are to die : that ¦wiU be a consolation."
" Oh, horrible ! monstrous !" resounded on all sides,
" No, no, we ¦will have no such butchery !" Most of
the guests at once left the room. The Captain did
not reply,
" Well," exclaimed Trevor with bitter irony, " who
is the coward ?"
" That will be known presently," replied the Cap
tain calmly, " I accept your conditions, however
murderous they are. May a thousand curses fall on
your head and the heads of your family ! "
" Are the pistols ready ?" asked Trevor coolly. On
being answered in the affirmative, the party proceeded
to the shooting-room, so as not to disturb the family.
Some one secretly suggested that the pistols should
be loaded without ball, and this was done.
The two adversaries, who believed that thefr last
hour was come, were pale as death ; but if they were
a prey to deep emotion, not a muscle trembled,
" Who will give us the signal ?" asked the Captain,
In such cases, if a party fires one second before the

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 237
other he becomes an assassin. The person who
undertook to give the signal said with a trembling
voice : —
" Raise your pistols."
The muzzles touched the breasts of the combatants.
"When I coimt three, fire. One . . , Two . , .
Three!" They fired and recoiled by the shock,
" What's the meaning of this ?" exclaimed the two
combatants, " Who has dared to make fools of us ?
There were no balls in the pistols !"
" Honour is satisfied," exclaimed the friends around
them, Ti'evor ground his teeth,
"The remedy is easy enough," said the Captain,
pointing to some poignards suspended from the waU.
He took do^wn two, measured them, and presented one
to his adversary, who seized it eagerly,
"Now there wiU be no trickery," he exclaimed;
"standoff. Sir."
They stood face to face and the blades glistened.
The contest was short. One of them soon fell ; it was
the Captain, He expired without a groan,
" Oh, my God !" exclaimed Trevor. " What have
I done ? Is all this a reality ? " and in horrible
despafr he flung himself upon the corpse of his rival,
which he shook convulsively, as though to bring it to
life again. . . .

238 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Old Bailey Barristers. Mr. Alley and
Mr, Adolphus,
(a.d. 1816.)
A " difference " occurred between a Mr. AUey and
Mr, Adolphus, . of Old Bailey celebrity, during a cer
tain trial, leading to steps which got the parties
" bound over to preserve the peace within this king
dom." Mr, Adolphus, however, sent notice to Mr, Al
ley that he would be ready to meet him at Calais as
soon as ever he chose. Mr, AUey accepted the chaUenge,
and went to Dover, accompanied by Captain Alley,
his cousin and second, together with two of his in
timate friends, Mr. Agar and Mr. Be^ril, They reached
Calais some hours before Mr, Adolphus; and at two
o'clock on the following day, after the preliminary
business was arranged by the seconds, the combatants
met a short distance from the to^wn. They took their
ground, and, on the signal being given, both tired
together. Mr. Alley was wounded in the right arm,
and the baU from his pistol passed so close to his
adversary as almost to graze his head. Here the
affafr terminated ; and a surgeon being immediately
sent for, extracted the ball from Mr, Alley's arm,
A VERY Odd and Fatal Affair — Major Lockyek
AND Me. Sutton Cochrane,
(a.d. 1817.)
Major Lockyer and Mr, Sutton Cochrane, late a

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1839. 239
Lieutenant in the Royal Na^vy, in company with a Mr.
Eedesdale, a Mr, Hand, and upwards of sixty others,
were on the point of going out as adventurers to South
America, in the ship 'Grace,' lying wind-bound at
Cowes. The ship being in this condition, the pas
sengers came on shore, and were regaling themselves
at an inn. In the course of conversation, Cochrane
happened to make the remark that all who were present
were in debt and were seeking their fortunes, — a very
likely " guess at truth," under the evident circum
stances of the goodly company. Our Major Lockyer,
however, who probably knew that the cap fitted him
exactly, took offence at the innocent expression, and
asked the simple moralist if he "meant to include
him " ? — " Of course, I do," said the latter, struck with
what he rightly conceived to be a very humorous, if
not a ¦witty, repartee, " Of course I do, and I'll prove
it too," said poor Cochrane, rubbing his hands, and
solemnly saying, " If we are not in debt to any of our
felloiv-beings, are we not indebted to our Maker?"
"Bravo !" shouted the company, as weU they might;
and the poor young man thought he had said a very
clever thing, and shown that he would be likely to
prove a very pleasant fellow to be ¦with in a long
voyage, with so much time to kiU, But, alas ! the
redoubtable Major was only the more " rUed " by the
witty repartee, and forthwith he insisted on a meeting
with Cochrane, the next morning, at the dawn of day !
Cochrane was not a fighting man ; he did not like the

240 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
thing; and, moreover, knew nothing about it. How
ever, as there seemed no help for it, he reluctantly
consented, declaring that " he would not fire himself;
but that if his opponent insisted, he would receive his
fire." Here was a martyr, if you like !
The affair came off. The young moralist, the Major,
and the seconds were punctual to the time. It was
agreed that they should both fire together. Absurd
agreement, since the poor youth (only twenty years of
age) had solemnly declared that he would not fire at
all ! Accordingly, when the signal was made, it was
observed that he never raised his arm to level his
pistol. He was shot dead through the heart. And
when his pistol was examined afterwards, it was found
" neither unstopped nor cocked,"
The gallant Major and his two seconds, Redesdale
and Hind, immediately decamped across the water.
The murdered young man was well-educated, well-
behaved, and, it is said, a relative of Lord Cochrane.
A year after, the Major and one of his seconds were
arrested and tried, at the Winchester Assizes, for the
"Wilful Murder;" but, strange to say, the jury re
turned a verdict of " Manslaughter ;" and they were
sentenced to only three months' imprisonment ! "
Think of this, after the hanging of Major CampbeU for
killing Captain Boyd ! *
* See ante, p. 213.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1839. 241
Gambling Duels in the Year 1818,
January. — " A meeting took place yesterday, at an
early hour, between Captain B — r — y and Lieutenant
T — n — n, in consequence of a dispute at play, Wim
bledon Common was the ground, and the parties fired
twice, when the Lieutenant was slightly wounded in
the pistol hand, the ball grazing the right side ; and
here the affair ended,"
January. — " A meeting took place on the 9th instant,
at Calais, between Lieutenant Finch, of the 20th
Regiment of Dragoons, and Lieutenant Boileau, on
half-pay, of the 41st Regiment. Lieutenant Finch was
bound over, some days back, to keep the peace in
England, in consequence of which he proceeded to
Calais, accompanied by his friend Captain Butler,
where they were followed by Lieutenant Boileau, and
his friend Lieutenant Hartley. It was settled by
Captain Butler, previous to Lieutenant Finch taking
his ground, that he was hound in honour to receive
Lieutenant Boileau' s fire, as he had given so serious a
provocation as a blow. This arrangement was, how
ever, defeated, by Lieutenant Finch's pistol " acci
dentaUy " going off, apparently in the direction of his
opponent, which ¦would probably have led to fatal con
sequences had it not been for "the implicit reliance
placed by Lieutenant Boileau' s friend on the strict
honour of Captain Butler, whose anxiety, steadiness,
and gentlemanly conduct on this and every other occa-
VOL. II. it

242 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
sion were too well known to leave a doubt on the
minds of the opposite party, that the anticipated fire
was entirety accidental. A reconcUiation, therefore,
immediately t^ok place."
February 17 th. — "Information was received at the
PubUc Office, Marlborough Street, on Saturday last,
that a duel was about to take place yesterday, in the
fields c )ntiguous to Chalk Farm, between Colonel
Tucker and Lieutenant Nixon, the latter having chal
lenged the former in public company, for which, and
previous abuse, the Colonel infficted severe chastise
ment ¦with a thick stick. Subsequent information was
received at the office that the Colonel's friends deemed
it unnecessary for him to meet the challenger, but that
his remedy was to repeat the former chastisement,
when insulted. It was further stated that a few half-
pay officers, of inferior rank, had leagued together for
the purpose of providing others to give a challenge,
and which it was the determination to put do^wn by
adopting the Colonel's plan,"
April. — "A meeting was to have taken place yes
terday, in consequence of a dispute at play, between
Captain R— n — s and Mr, B — e — r, a gentleman of
fortune; but it was prevented by the interference of
the police, and the parties escaped," — " The meeting
which was to have taken place between Capt, R — n — s
and Mr, B — e — r, but was prevented, took place yes
terday on Wimbledon Common ; and after exchanging
a single shot, the matter was adjusted." — ('British
Press,' April 24.)

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 18 243
May. — "In consequence of a dispute at a; gaming
table, on Monday night, in the vicinity of Piccadilly,
Mr. M  , who was an officer in the Bxitish service
at Brussels, and Mr, B  , a medical man, met, at
three in the morning, on Tuesday, in the 'King's Road.
They fought at twelve paces, Mr. B  was wounded
on the back of the hand, and the affair was adjusted." —
('Morning Chronicle,' May 7th, 1818.)
July. — "A duel was fought yesterday morning, on
W^imbledon Common, between a Mr. Arrowsmith and
Lieut. Flynn, which ended in the former being wounded
in the thigh. The dispute which occasioned the meet
ing originated in a gaming transaction," — ('British
Press,' July 8th, 1818.)
September. — " A duel was fought this morning on
Hounslow Heath, between Messrs, Hillson and Mars-
den, The dispute arose in one of the stands at Egham
Races, The latter was seriously wounded in the left
side, and conveyed away in a gig. Some officers of
justice had foUowed the parties from Old Oak Com
mon, where they first met, but they were too late to
prevent the mischief." — (September 7th, 1818.)
November 20th. — "A duel, originating over a dispute
at play, was fixed to take place on Wimbledon Common,
at daybreak, yesterday morning ; but information hav
ing been received that police officers were waiting,
the parties -withdrew." — ('Morning Chronicle,' No
vember 21st, 1818.)
November 25th. — " Duel in high life. A meeting took
E 2

344 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
place at Chalk Farm, at an early hour on Wednesday
morning, between two young noblemen, the Earl of
H  and Lord W  , attended by two noble
friends, the Earl of B  and Lord P  •. After
an exchange of shots, the seconds interfered, and a re
conciliation took place." — (' Morning Chronicle,' No
vember 27, 1818.)
It is said that " a noble lord, high in the records of
gaming, had reached such a degree of perfection as to
be an overmatch even for the ' legs.' He spent every
moment of his spare time, after the delivery of a chal
lenge, at firing at a mark. The hard cash he had re
alized was beyond example."
Qualification of a Second.
A gentleman who had been called out, applied to a
friend who had won a large sum of money to be his
second. "My dear friend," answered the gamester,
" I won fifteen hundred guineas last night, and shall
cut a poor figure at fighting to-day ; but if you apply
to the person I won them of, he wiU fight Uke a de^vU,
for he has not a farthing left."
A Duel at Foue Paces.
(A.D. 1818.)
This affair came off at Caen, in France, and origi
nated in a dispute between a Lieutenant Pickford, of
the Na^vy, and a Frenchman named Marinier. The
parties, with their seconds, went to the ground, where

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1800 TO 1829. 245
some dispute arose about the distance. Marinier
wanted fifteen paces. Pickford said he was no shot,
and would allow of none beyond four. To this Mari
nier made no objection, provided he had the first fire.
Of course Pickford insisted that they should fire to
gether, but this was stiffly opposed. Another proposal
was then made, that Marinier's friend should charge
only one of the pistols with ball, and give Pickford the
choice ; or, that Pickford's second should charge with
ball one of his pair, and should let Marinier choose.
This was acceded to. Marinier first took one, and then
Pickford the other. The interval between them when
in position and presenting their pistols was about two
feet. After a moment or two of hesitation the word
was given, and Pickford's ball struck under his adver
sary's ribs on the right side, passing right through his
body. He expired instantly.
An English Officee and two Ameeioans.
(a.d. 1819.)
On the 23rd of March, 1819, while Captain Johnston,
of the 64th regiment, was on the main-guard duty at
Gibraltar, a report was made to him that five indi^vi-
duals had been taken into custody by a sentry, on
thefr way home from the play, for being without lights,
contrary to the garrison regulations. Captain John
ston immediately ordered a sufficient number of men
to see them home. In about ten minutes the police-
s ergeant who accompanied them returned ¦with three

246 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
of the five in custody, and acquainted Captain John
ston that Archibald Taylor had endeavoured to escape
from the sentry, and made use of provoking and abu
sive language to him. Having, upon inquiry, found
the report to be correct. Captain Johnston ordered the
offender to be confined in the crib ; an order which he
resisted, and used very offensive language to Captain
Johnston himself. This Archibald Taylor happened
to be an American, the master of a merchant schooner;
but at the time Captain Johnston was not aware of the
fact, Taylor demanded satisf9,ction for the treatment
he had received; but the Captain considered that he
had merely acted in conformity with his duty, reported
the whole affair to the field-officer, who approved of
the course that had been pursued, and ordered Taylor
to be continued in confinement. In the morning
Taylor was released ; and upon the circulation of a re
port, two days afterwards, that Captain Johnston had
declined to meet him or the American consul, who was
said to have offered " to stand in his shoes," the for
mer having been obliged to sail immediately with his
vessel. Captain Johnston appUed to the consul- for an
explanation; when that gentleman disavowed any know
ledge of the reports in question, and gave the Captain
his thanks for the gentlemanly conduct he had e^vinced
in the business. Thus matters continued till the even
ing of the 31st, when Captain Johnston received the
foUo^wing cartel by the hands of Lieutenant Stockton,
first lieutenant of the American sloop-of-war ' Brie' : —

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 247
" Sir, — You have refused to give the satisfaction due
to a man of honour, whom you did not hesitate to
insult, because he was no more than a commander of
an American schooner. That gentleman is known to
me, and I vouch for his equality to you in every re
spect. I am his representative ; and the satisfaction I
understand you boast to have offered his friends, I
demand as an American. My rank, I trust, is enough
for any man of honour ; and you will do me the favour
to consider the bearer, my friend, for your use,
"Benjamin T, BEOvrarE."
Mr. Browne was surgeon of the ' Erie.' Captain
Johnston instantly accepted the challenge; and the
next morning, a meeting took place between them,
upon the neutral ground at Gibraltar, — Captain John
ston ha^ving distinctly disavowed making any boast
with regard to Taylor.
The arrangement made by their mutual friends on
the ground was, distance eight paces, the word to be
given, "Are you ready, gentlemen?" and on assent
being given, both to fire, after a pause for taking aim,
while one, two, three, could be counted.
On the first fire Captain Johnston received his op
ponent's baU through his hat. They were handed
pistols a second time. The Captain fired; but Mr,
Browne reserved his fire so long that the second of the
former exclaimed, " That is not fair ! " on which be
fired. Captain Johnston expressed his indignation at
the conduct of his antagonist. After some warm Ian-

248 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
guage on both sides, a third discharge took place,
without effect. On a fourth shot, which was rather
hurried in consequence of the approach of a sergeant's
guard. Captain Johnston's ball took effect in Mr.
Browne's thigh. Thereupon his friend, Mr. Stockton,
immediately took up the ground, desiring Captain
Johnston to keep his. They were about proceeding
when the sergeant's guard reached the spot, and pre
vented any further progress that time,
Mr. Stockton insisted on meeting Captain Johnston
the next morning, at five o'clock, — to which the latter
agreed, and returned to the garrison. Captain John
ston was prevented from meeting in the morning from
the cfrcumstance of his ha-ving been put under arrest,
and an order of garrison being made that no offlcer
should be permitted to pass the barriers in coloured
clothes or otherwise. He, however, contrived to elude
the -vigUance of the guard in the afternoon, and at half-
past four met Mr, Stockton at St, Michael's Cave,
The seconds immediately entered into conversation
as to the mode of firing, Mr, Stockton's friend pro
posed that they should, on receiving the word, take an
unUmited time for aim. This was objected to by Cap
tain Johnston's friend as sanguinary, and at variance
with those principles of honour upon which such meet
ings are founded. Some argument followed, which
ended in a determination to decide by chance which
mode should be adopted. The result was favourable
to the more humane course ; but the time which was

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 249
lost in the dispute exposed them to the interruption of
the guard, which was seen approaching. It was now
discovered that Mr, Stockton had no pistols, and
one of Captain Johnston's was borrowed for his use.
Having taken thefr ground at the distance of eight
paces, Mr, Stockton proceeded to take a steady aim,
by resting the barrel of his pistol on his left hand,
brought forward under his right — a very novel mode,
certainly, the advantage of which, however, is by no
means e^vident. Captain Johnston's friend objected to
it, and again the American gentleman endeavoured to
justify that very unusual mode of deciding such matters.
At length the guard was seen within a hundred paces,
and Captain Johnston desfred that the affair might
proceed in the usual manner. This was agreed to,
and the discharge took place, when the ball of Lieu
tenant Stockton's pistol passed through Captain John
ston's great coat ; and before a second fire could take
place the guard came up and interfered.
Thus terminated an affair which, from beginning to
end, can only be attributed to the national frritation
then existing on both sides of the Atlantic, especially
on the American side, o-wing to the conflict in which
England and her unruly colonists had been engaged.
The characteristics of that conffict, and of those who
carried it on respectively, were well exemplified in this
duel, or succession of duels — by the irregular and un
fair mode of fighting adopted by the Yankees, and the
strictly honourable, spirited, and manly conduct of the
EngUshman,

250 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
The Ieishman Warren op the French Guards.
Warren, an Irishman by birth, but whose father
had married a French lady, had got into a company
of the French gardes du corps. He stood six feet four
inches in height, and was an extremely powerful man.
He was always in hot water "with his comrades, and
had fought duels "with several of them, and his face
and body showed marks of sabre cuts; indeed, fight
ing and drinking were his delights. " I never saw,"
says Captain Gronow, " a man so violent ; when he had
finished his bottle of champagne and a few glasses Df
brandy, he became quite outrageous. He usuaUy
breakfasted, when off duty, at Tortoni's, upon beef
steaks and broUed kidneys ; and any one to whom he
bore a grudge who entered the room at that moment
was sure to be roughly handled."
This Warren is remarkable for his quarrel with the
famous artist M. du Boste, of the 'Beauty and the
Beast' picture. Du Boste had failed to extort an
extravagant price for a picture of Mrs. Hope, after
wards Lady Beresford, and Mr. Hope, and so he took
his revenge by altering the picture into the satiric
form, and exhibited it for money in Pall Mall as ' La
Belle et la Bete,' or ' Beauty and the Beast,' and was
making a good thing of the scandal, when Mrs. Hope's
brother one morning entered the room and cut it to
pieces. An action was brought and tried before Lord
EUenborough, who held that, the picture being a Ubel,

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1800 TO 1829. 251
the Plaintiff could only recover the value of the canvas
and paint.*
After this untoward event, London proved too hot
for the Frenchman, and he returned to Paris, where
his imprudence in speaking in no measured terms of
the EngUsh, owing to his resentment for the results
of his dealings here, got him into a scrape which cost
him his life, by the hands of the redoubtable Warren,
of the gardes du corps. The painter, unluckily for
him, arrived at Tortoni's to breakfast just at the mo
ment when Warren was in one of his dangerous fits,
and attempted to appease the wild Irishman by going
up to him, and begging him to be more quiet. This
sort of impertinence Warren could not brook, and
exclaiming, "You are the blackguard who laughs at
the English," he seized hold of the artist, carried him
as if he had been a bundle of straw, and held him out
of the ¦window. By the interference of those gentle
men present and the crowd below in the street, Warren
was persuaded to carry back the terrified painter into
the room, A duel was the consequence, in which the
combatants were to fight -with pistols until one of them
was killed, Warren won the first fire ; he levelled ;
fired ; and his adversary fell mortally wounded. This
duel was much talked of, but no one lamented the
result, for the painter was overbearing, and generally
disliked by his countrymen as well as by foreigners.
* ' CampbeU's Nisi Prius Eeports ' (Du Boste v. Beresford,
vol. ii. p. 511).

252 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
"I can scarcely look back," says Gronow, "to
those days of duelling without shuddering. If you
looked at a man, it was enough ; for, without having
given the slightest offence, cards were exchanged,
and the odds were that you stood a good chance of
being shot, or run through the body, or maimed for
life."* Fatal Duel between Two Friends.
(a.d. 1820.)
In consequence of a dispute, Mr. Fulliot, a gentle
man well known in Chester for his amiability of dis
position, received a challenge from Mr. S. Burrowes,
a gentleman connected with the law. The combatants
drew lots for the first fire, which Mr. Burrowes won ;
the distance fixed upon was twelve paces. Shots were
exchanged without effect. The pistols were a second
time loaded, and both fired together with a like result.
An ineffectual attempt was made by one of the seconds
to reconcile the parties, and the fatal weapons were
again discharged, which, unhappily, were too sure in
their aim. A ball pierced the head of Mr. Fulliot,
and considerably fractured his skull. Mr. Burrowes
was killed on the spot.
Mr. Fulliot was trepanned, and great hopes were
entertained of his recovery, but with the apprehension
that the mental consequences would be serious, which
seems to have been the result.
* ' Celebrities of London and Paris.'

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 253
Mr, Burrowes had experienced, throughout the pre
vious twenty years, the intimate friendship of Mr. Ful
liot, and the grief of the latter was excessive.
The 'London Magazine' and 'Blackwood's Magazine.'
Me, John Scott and Mr, Christie.
(a.d. 1821.)
The parties in this unhappy conflict were Mr, John
Scott, the avowed editor of the 'London Magazine,'
and Mr, Christie, a friend of the supposed conductor
of ' Blackwood's Magazine,' Mr. John Gibson Lock-
hart, of Edinburgh, The quarrel between these gen
tlemen had its rise in a series of articles which ap
peared in the ' London Magazine,' discussing the
conduct and management of ' Blackwood's Magazine,'
and regarded by Mr. Lockhart as offensive to his feel
ings and injurious to his honour. Mr. Christie, as the
friend of Mr. Lockhart, waited upon Mr. Scott to
demand an explanation of the articles in question ;
and, in fact, to require a public apology for matter
which he considered personally offensive to himself,
or such other satisfaction as a gentleman was entitled
to. This interview led to others, as weU as to a
correspondence, in which much of mutual warmth was
expressed. Then followed printed statements on both
sides, replies, rejoinders, replications, until at length
Mr. Scott proceeded with his friend Mr. Patmore to
Mr. Christie's lodgings, and demanded an apology or
instant satisfaction. Mr. Christie refused the former.

254 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
and expressed his readiness, ¦without loss of time, to
grant the latter.
The matter having come to this issue, it was agreed
that they should meet at Chalk Farm, and thither
they proceeded at nine o'clock on the same evening,
in the dark month of February, but, apparently, it was
the time of full-moon. Mr, Scott was attended by his
friend Mr. Patmore, and by Mr. Pettigrew, his medical
adviser. The moon shone -with brightness, so that
the parties had a full opportunity of seeing each other ;
and having taken their ground, they fired together,
without effect. The second fire, however, was fatal to
Mr. Scott, who received his antagonist's baU in his
groin and feU. It appears that, in the first fire,
Mr. Christie did not direct his pistol at Mr. Scott,
but this circumstance not having been observed by
Mr, Scott's second, nor communicated to him at the
time, and the parties being still unreconciled, a second
fire unfortunately took place, terminating as above
stated ; but we shall presently have a fuller descrip
tion of the affair from the lips of poor Scott himself on
his death-bed. Every assistance which the circum
stances would permit was afforded him ; and he was
conveyed on a shutter to ' Chalk Farm ' tavern, where
he was laid on a bed in an almost helpless condition,
Mr. Christie and his second then retired.
Mr. Pettigrew, after ha^ving rendered all the assist
ance in his power to Mr. Scott, returned to town in
order to procure further surgical aid, and to give

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1839. 355
directions that Mr. Scott's apartments at Mr. Bohte's,
in York Street, Covent Garden, should be prepared
for his reception, Mr. Scott ha^ving expressed a desfre
to be removed home. A short time after Mr. Petti-
grew's departure, however, it was found that Mr, Scott
could not be removed -with safety. On examination,
it appeared that the ball had passed through the
intestines, and lodged at the opposite side. The
surgeons in attendance, however, deemed it prudent
not to extract it, lest additional inflammation should
be excited, and the danger, which was considered
imminent, be thereby enhanced.
On the thfrd evening after the duel the ball was ex-
fracted by Mr. Guthrie, Mr, Scott lingered about a
fortnight, and expired on the 4th of March, 1821, just
sixteen days after the duel.
On the same evening the Coroner's inquest sat on
the body ; upon which occasion Dr. Darling stated that
Mr. Scott, referring to his wound, had said, "This
ought not to have taken place. I suspect some great
mismanagement. There was no necessity for a second
fire." After a short pause, he proceeded, "All I re
quired from Mr. Christie was a declaration that he
meant no reflection on my character. This he refused,
and the meeting became ine-vitable. On the field Mr.
Christie behaved well, and when all was ready for the
fire, he called out, 'Mr. Scott, you must not stand
there; I see your head above the horizon; you give
me an advantage.' I believe he could have hit me

256 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
then if he liked. After the pistols were re-loaded, and
everything was ready for a second fire, Mr. TraU called
out, ' Now, Mr. Christie, take your aim, and don't
throw away your advantage, as you did before.' I
called out immediately, ' What ! did not Mr. Christie
fire at me?' I was answered by Mr. Patmore, 'You
must not speak : 'tis now of no use to talk ; you have
nothing now for it but firing.' The signal, was im
mediately given : we fired, and I fell." The deceased
expressed himself satisfied with Mr. Christie's conduct,
whom he described as having been very kind to him
after he was wounded.
Mr. Pettigrew stated that Mr. Christie asked him
what he thought of the wound. He replied, that he
feared it was mortal, in the hearing of Mr. Scott, —
when Mr. Christie addressed Mr. Scott, and expressed
a ¦wish "that he had been in Mr. Scott's situation,
rather than Mr. Scott should have been wounded by
him." Mr. Scott then said, " Whatever may be the issue of
this business, I beg you will bear in remembrance that
everything has been fafr and honourable." On being
asked if he did not hear it said on the ground, by Mr.
Christie, that he had fired down the field, he replied,
"I did, to the best of my recoUection." Mr, Christie
said, ¦wringing his hands, apparently in agony, " Why
was I permitted to fire a second time ? I discharged
my pistol down the field before ; I could do no more,
I was compelled to fire in my o^wn defence." These

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO wk. 257
expressions were made iu consequence of some alter
cation which took place between the seconds, Mr.
Christie took Mr. Scott by the hand after he was
wounded. A verdict of " Wilful Murder " was returned by the
Coroner's juiy against Mr. Christie, Mr. Trail, and
Mr. Patmore, and they took their trial at the Old
BaUey. They were tried by Chief Justice Abbott and
Mr. Justice Park. On this occasion the summing up
of the Chief Justice was exceedingly fair and interest
ing. He said that, " The distinction, in cases of duels,
between manslaughter and murder had been clearly
and correctly marked out by the learned counsel for
the prosecution. If persons in heat of blood went out
and fought with deadly weapons, then the law, allow
ing for the frailty of human nature, deemed the party
kUling guilty of manslaughter only ; but if, yielding to
a false notion of honour, they went out upon delibera
tion and in cold blood to fight, then the death of one
fixed the crime of the murder upon all concerned;
upon seconds (frequently the more culpable parties) as
well as upon principals. The first question then was,
were the gentlemen at the bar two of the parties known
to have been in the field at the time when the Shot
was fired ? and next, was the duel fought in heat of
blood, or upon deliberation ? " His Lordship then re
capitulated the main points of the evidence, and upon
that evidence left the fact of identity to the jury. " It
was possible," he said, " that the real perpetrators of
VOL, II, s

258 '{HE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
the crime might have escaped from the field before the
arrival of Mr. Pettigrew, and that the prisoners at the
bar might have appeared accidentally at the moment ;
still the onus of showing that such had been the case,
lay in some measure upon them. Upon the second
point, the feeling under which (assuming the identity)
the duel had taken place — of the time or place at
which the quarrel originated, there was no evidence.
The declaration of Mr. Scott, at the moment of his fall,
that all had been done fairly and honourably, was,
although the law would not reco'gnize such ideas of
honour, entitled to the attention of the jury ; and there
was another cfrcumstance, arising out of the words of
the supposed Mr. Christie, to which thefr considera
tion should be dfrected. They were these : ' Why was
I allowed to fire a second time ? I fired down the
field at first ; what could I do more ? I was compelled
to fire in my own defence.' Now, the circumstances
were not such as would, in law, acquit a man as ha'ving
fired in his own defence ; but the words might have an
operation upon the feeling under which the second
shot had been fired. It was possible that Mr. Christie,
ha-ving forborne to take aim the first time, might have
fired his second shot under an impulse of immediate
anger, produced by the failure of his pacific proceed
ing ; and in that case, although his adversary feU, the
crime amounted to manslaughter." The Lord Chief
Justice concluded by recommending the jury, in a case
of doubt, to take the side of mercy ; and by observing.

BRITISH DUI]L8 FROM 1800 TO '1829. 259
upon the excellent characters which the prisoners had
received, that, unfortunately, men of the most exem
plary humanity and benevolent feeling were too often
induced to take part in transactions which led to the
loss of life on one side, and to remorse and repentance
during life on the other. The jury, after a deUbera-
tion of twenty-five minutes, returned a verdict of
"Not Guilty."
It is evident that in this duel the seconds were much
to blame, as the affair ought to have terminated after
the first fire, Mr. Christie's fire having been tantamount
to firing in the afr.
The Penalty of a Satirical Song.
¦ Sir Alexander Boswell, Bart., of Auohinleck, and
Mr. Stuart, op Duncarn.
(a.d. 1822.)
Sir Alexander Boswell was the eldest son of the ce
lebrated James Boswell, the famUiar friend and bio
grapher of the great lexicographer and moralist. Dr.
Samuel Johnson. It appears that he possessed, in a
very extraordinary degree, the talent of irony, and had
taken to writing anonymous satirical squibs and arti-
¦ cles, under the title of ' Ignotus,' in the ' Glasgow
Sentinel;' and among these there appeared a song,
the subject of which was Mr. Stuart, containing two
direct imputations of cowardice to that gentleman.
Mr. Stuart sent a friend, the Earl of Rosslyn, to Sir
s 2

260 THMJ^OMANCE OF JifELLING.
Alexander, to ask if he was the author of the articles
in the ' Glasgow Sentinel,' intimating that if he would
deny the authorship, that would be sufflcient. Sir
Alexander said it was a delicate affafr, and he should
consult a friend. He consulted Mr. Douglas, who
afterwards told the Earl of Rosslyn that he could not
advise Sfr Alexander to give any answer. The author
ship, however, seems to have been clearly established.
A person named Borthwick, connected at the time
with the ' Sentinel,' had delivered the papers into the
hands of Mr. Stuart, and from thess there could be no
doubt that Sfr Alexander was the ¦writer^^. Such being
the case, and Sir Alexander refusing to disavow the
publication, Mr. Stuart sent him a challenge. The
Earl of Rosslyn, however, subsequently asked Mr.
Douglas if there was not a possibUity of not carrying
the affair any further ; and told him that Mr. Stuart
would be content to treat the song as a very bad joke,
provided Sir Alexander would say he did not intend
any reflection on Mr. Stuart's courage. Nothing could
be more reasonable than this, in such a conjuncture,
between two gentlemen ; but Mr. Douglas said he had
no hope that Sir Alexander would say any such thing.
The meeting, therefore, was decided upon; but Sir
Alexander demanded and obtained a delay of fifteen
days, for the purpose of effecting some legal arrange
ments respecting his estate. It was at first intended
that the duel should take place on the Continent ; but
afterwards Sir Alexander changed his mind, and the

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 261
place of rendezvous was fixed at Auctertool, near Bal-
muto, in Fifeshire,
In the carriage, on the way to the ground, Sfr Alex
ander expressed his decided opinion that Mr. Stuart
could have done nothing else but call him out. He
also declared his intention to fire in the air, and on
getting out of the carriage, he said, " Now, gentlemen,
observe that it is my fixed resolution to fire in the air."
Mr. Stuart's feelings seem to have been equally for
bearing. He said he had no malice against Sir Alex
ander, and if he had the misfortune to hit him, he
'wished it might be on the great toe, as a gentleman in
England had done lately on a similar occasion ; and
before anything took place on the ground, he asked
his second, the Earl of Rosslyn, if it was not fit that he
should make a bow to Sir Alexander, and express his
¦wish for a reconciliation. The Earl thought it right,
and Mr. Stuart advanced towards Sir Alexander, ap
parently for that purpose; but Sfr Alexander's back
was then turned, and he appeared to be walking away
from Mr. Stuart, In the whole of Mr. Stuart's con
duct there was no appearance of personal ill-will or re
sentment against Sir Alexander, but only an anxiety
to defend his own character from the imputations with
which it had been assailed, particularly from that of
cowardice. His conduct, from first to last, was cool,
composed, and temperate. On the field, his second
desfred him to present his side and not his bust to his
opponent ; and he replied, " I do not think I ought to

263 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
take an aim." Altogether the fault was 'with Sir Alex
ander Boswell, In a conversation with his second,
Mr, Douglas, whilst proceeding to the ground, as to
the possibility of an amicable adjustment, Sfr Alex
ander said he was con'vinced there was none. Mr,
Douglas did riot know whether this was from an
opinion that Mr, Stuart could do nothing else than
fight, or whether from his own resolution ; he rather
thought the latter.
Such being the feelings and bearing of the parties,
the ground was measured — twelve long paces. They
took up their position; the pistols were handed to
them ; and the Earl of Rosslyn gave the word. They
fired, and Sir Alexander Boswell feU mortally wounded.
After he fell, he said he regretted he had not made his
fire in the air more decided than it had been. Mr.
Stuart's ball had struck Sir Alexander in the shoulder,
shattered the shoulder-blade, and was supposed to have
entered the spine, as his limbs were quite paralysed.
Mr. Stuart advanced with great anxiety towards Sfr
Alexander, but the Earl of Rosslyn hurried him to go
away. The unfortunate baronet was carried to Balmuto
House, where he expired.
Mr. Stuart was tried for the "Wilful Murder" of
Sir Alexander Boswell, in the High Court of Justiciary,
Edinburgh; but the jury, after a few minutes' con
sultation, without leaving the box, returned a unani
mous verdict of "Not Guilty." The Lord Justice
Clerk, then tuming to Mr. Stuart, congratulated him
on the result.

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1800 TO 1829. 263
The Duke op Bedford and the Duke op
Buckingham.
(a.d. 1822.)
This duel is remarkable, not only on account of the
high rank of the combatants but its cause — the ex
posure of the system of political and governmental cor
ruption at the time existing throughout the length and
breadth of the land. Here are the burning and pa
triotic words uttered by the Duke of Bedford at a
County Meeting: "I would now advert to another
transaction, which I am almost ashamed to mention, —
I allude to a great borough proprietor, now a noble
Duke, whose services, and the services of whose ad
herents in Parliament, have been purchased by Govern
ment, by conferring high offices on those adherents.
It is an odious thing to mention these circumstances,
but I introduced them for the purpose of asking
whether, if a reform had been effected, such trans
actions could possibly happen? The noble Duke's
family and connections were, of course, sent back to
their constituents when they accepted of place, — ^be
cause, when a member of the House takes office, he
must return to his constituents, to know whether they
wUl re-elect him. But how are the individuals in
question sent back ? They are not sent back to the
people of England; they are not sent back to those
who are free to choose or reject them: no, they are
sent back to the borough-proprietor — to their own

264 THE ROMANCE OF D CELLING.
patron — to the person who has engaged in the corrupt
traffic — who has, in fact, made the bargain with
Ministers ! I would again ask, could such a cfrcum
stance possibly occur, if a reform were effected in the
Commons' House ?"
The Dnke of Buckingham addressed a letter to the
Duke of Bedford, demanding whether this language
was used in allusion to him. The Duke of Bedford
answered that it was, and that he stated the facts
because he believed them to be true, A challenge
was, in consequence, sent and accepted. The duel
took place in Kensington Gardens, at a retired spot
previously fixed upon. The Duke of Bedford left
St. James's Square at half-past seven in the morning,
accompanied by Lord Lynedoch, and drove directly tO
Kensington Gardens, where the Duke of Buckingham
arrived about the same time, attended by Sir Watkin
WUliams Wynn. Both parties fired together at the
distance of twelve paces, on a word given, but 'without
effect, — when the Duke of Buckingham; obser-ring that
the Duke of Bedford fired in the air, advanced to his
Grace, and remarking that, on account of that circum
stance, the thing could go no further, said, " My Lord
Duke, you are the last man I wish to quarrel with ;
but you must be aware that a public man's life is not
worth preserving unless with honour." Upon which
the Duke of Bedford declared, " upon his honour, that
he meant no personal offence to the Duke of Bucking
ham, nor to impute to him any bad and corrupt motive

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 265
whatever." The parties then shook hands, and the
whole business was terminated most satisfactorily.
In this last pass it is clear that the Duke of Bucking
ham had the best of it, and came out as grandly as his
noble censor and denouncer did on the former occa
sion. What Buckingham said was a perfect axiom,
worthy of all times and nations; but Bedford only
stultified himself by saying that he meant not to im-
.pute to the " borough-proprietor " any bad or corrupt
motive whatever, — after having declared that "he
stated the facts because he believed them to be true,"
There is a sad tendency in human nature to spoil the
best things in this world.
Counsellor Bric and Mr, Hayes,
(a.d. 1826.)
Mr. Bric was retuming from the post-office at
Dublin, when the Cork maU drove up. Mr. Hayes
and other gentlemen were talking of the contested
election at Cork, and the majority of Hutchinson over
Callaghan being announced, Mr. Bric said, rather
hastily, that " he rejoiced at the prospect of the defeat
of that rascal Callaghan;" alluding to his decided
hostility to the claims of the Roman Catholics. Mr,
Hayes, a cousin and active friend of Mr, Callaghan,
looking at Mr. Bric, replied, "Whoever calls Mr,
Callaghan a rascal is a scoundrel and a liar." He then
handed his card to Mr. Bric, who returned his O'wn,
On the following morning, at half-past seven, they met

266 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
in a field near the Broadstone, at Philipsborough, on
the north side of the to'wn. The ground being
measured, the combatants took their position, Mr,
Bric was previously observed to shake hands with
several of his friends, the sight of whom agitated him
a little. He mistook the signal " present " for " fire,"
and for an instant elevated his pistol ; but discovering
his mistake, again dropped it, and apologized for
having been premature. The signal was given imme
diately afterwards, Mr. Bric fired : his ball entered
the earth, and immediately after firing he wheeled
round and threw up his left arm, thereby exposing his
person to his adversary's fire, Mr. Hayes' ball entered
Mr. Brio's left side, owing to his change of position,
and passing through his body, came out under his left
arm. He reeled and dropped his pistol, and went
down gently. At first he was not conscious of the ex
tent of his danger, and said rather calmly, he hoped
the wound would not prove serious.
Witty Reply of Gp^ttan at a Duel.
At the duel between Scott, afterwards Lord Clon-
mel, with Cuff, afterwards Lord Tyrawley, the former
proposed swords, being a good swordman; to this
the other side objected, and it was agreed, at last, the
swords should not be used till the pistols had failed,
Grattan was Cuff's second. Before proceeding to fire,
Scott said to Grattan, " I trust I shall not hear of this

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1800 TO 1829. 267
in any other way " (meaning by action) ; to which
Grattan replied, " Never fear, omnis actio personalis
moritur cum persmtd."* Clonmel never forgave this
to Grattan.
Many of the Irish duels about this time were at
tended 'with remarkable incidents. The parties were
sometimes on the ground and in position, when a
brother or relative of one of them would rush upon
the scene and insist upon taking his place. There
was an instance in which one of the combatants was
so purbUnd as not to be able to see his opponent, who
fired, and exclaimed, " By G — , I have missed him !"
Directed by the sound of the voice alone, the other
fired and shot him dead. In another case, one of the
parties kncwing well that if he killed his opponent he
would run the risk of being murdered by his friends,
had his horse kept in readiness behind a thicket. He
shot his man, but, although unhurt, he pretended to
fall as though wounded, and crawled behind the thicket,
where he mounted his horse and made off 'with all
expedition, * A law term, " Every personal action dies with the person,"
that is, in personal actions the right of the plaintiff ceases with
the death of tbe defendant. Of course the implication of
Grattan's quotation was that it would be "all over" with
Clonmel in this affair, just as the Corsican Brother says to
Chateaurenaud, in the play, "After me. Sir, nobody will call
upon you."

268 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
The Marquis of Londondeeey and Ensign Battiee.
(a.d. 1824.)
"The 10th don't Fight."
This duel between the Marquis of Londonderry and
Ensign Battier, late a cornet, lOth Royal Hussars, was
in consequence of a letter which the latter had pub
lished, in reference to his dispute with the officers of
that regiment, in which he had stated that the noble
lord "sheltered himself under his rank." Sfr Henry
Hardinge, Secretary to the Ordnance, was the Mar
quis's second, and the second of Mr, Battier was
Colonel Western, They met at a distance of ten paces.
Sir Henry gave the choice of his pistols to Colonel
Western, The word was given. Lord Londonderry's
shot passed Mr. Battier on the right, while Mr. Bat-
tier's pistol missed fire. The Marquis requested his
antagonist might have another shot, but this Colonel
Western declined on the part of Mr. Battier, and thus
the firing ended. This duel is remarkable for the
issuing of the following general order from the Horse
Guards : — " The Commander-in-Chief having received
a report from Lieutenant-General the Marquis of Lon
donderry, that his lordship had accepted a challenge
to fight a duel with Ensign Battier, late a cornet of
the 10th Royal Hussars, upon a point which his lord
ship considered to be one of military duty, his Royal
Highness has felt it incumbent upon him to submit

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1803 TO 1829. 269
to the King a transaction at variance with the prin
ciples of subordination, and, therefore, of a tendency
injurious to the discipline of the army. The King
has consequently conveyed to his Royal Highness his
Majesty's commands, to express his Majesty's concern
and displeasure, that an officer of Lord Londonderry's
high rank and military reputation should have com
mitted himself in personal collision with an inferior
officer, by accepting a challenge for any supposed ag
gression proceeding from the exercise of his authority
as colonel of the regiment." The ' London Gazette '
subsequently announced that the name of Mr, Battier
was erased from the half-pay list of the army. Four
days afterwards he was horsewhipped by Sir Henry
Hardinge, In the Wellington 'Dispatches' will be found the
Duke's observations on this aflair, leading to the con
clusion that it was " unnecessary for his Royal High
ness to take any notice of it." To Lord Bathurst the
Duke wrote as follows : — " It would have been im
possible to bring Lord Londonderry to trial excepting
for a disorder prejudicial to military discipline; and
he would have defended himself by allegations of
provocation, want of protection, and threats of being
assaulted, etc, etc., the second of which allegations
would be proved by Sir Herbert Taylor's letter. The
consequences would have been an acquittal, or such
sUght censure as would have been highly injurious to
the service; and the conduct of the Horse Guards

270 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
would not have stood very high. The Duke of York
wanted much to bring him to trial, and is very angry,
and talks of altering the Article of War, but I believe
it is much better for him that the matter should be
terminated by a General Order."* To Lord London
derry the Duke wrote as follows : — ¦
" To Lord Londonderry. " London, 9th April, 1824.
" My dear Charles, — I have received your letter, and
I took an opportanity yesterday of speaking to his
Majesty on the subject to which it relates. The King
had received your letter, and will write to you. He
had not written before, because he could not 'with pro
priety deliver an opinion upon the transaction in ques
tion, excepting through the Commander-in-Chief,
"The whole case is unfortunate. It is in every
body's mouth, in all the newspapers, and in the the
atres ; and the Hussars are very iU-treated. I see that
they now want to get them out of Dublin ; but I have
entreated his Royal Highness to keep them there the
full time, although I think it not impossible they may
have to fight a duel or two. But that I consider of no
consequence, " Your mistake is one which has crept into the ser-
'vice lately, and is very general. It is in supposing the
mess anything but a private society ; and that you, as
colonel or commanding officer of the regiment, had
* ' Supplementary Dispatches,' vol. ii. part 1.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1800 TO 1829. 271
anything to say to it, excepting to notice anything un-
gentlemanlike or unmUitary which might occur there.
If the mess is only a private society of officers, you
might notice an officer resorting to it who may have
omitted his duty on account of sickness ; but you
would not notice one resorting to it who may have
omitted his duty because he has leave of absence.
" In truth, Mr. Battier was a member of the mess,
as long as he was at the quarters of the regiment, and
paid part of the expense of the very dinner given to
you, not a member, but a stranger ; and unless you
make the mess something more than a private society,
I don't see what business you, as colonel, had to no
tice his presence there. The moment you consider the
mess something more than a private society, which
may be very convenient to some, it becomes an au
thority much more prejudicial to discipline and good
order, and much more inconvenient to the commanding
officer than many are aware of, who have not passed so
many years of their lives as I have in the performance
of regimental duty, I regret the occurrence of this
affafr for your sake, as well as for that of the regiment,
and of the Hussars in general ; but I confess that if it
occasions correct notions of what a mess is, I think a
great good will have been gained after the conversa
tion on this nine days' wonder shall have ceased.
" Pray remember me most kindly to Lady London
derry. " Wellington."

272 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
The following is Lord Londonderry's account of the
matter in a letter to the Duke : —
" Clarendon, 9 th May, 1824.
" My dear Duke, — It is 'with the deepest regret I
learn from the conversation that has just passed be
tween us, that the Commander-in-Chief is disposed to
consider the proceeding to which I have been forced
by Mr. Battier .as a serious breach of discipline, and
one that calls for his Royal Highness's interference,
and occasions his hea'vy displeasure.
" I hope I may be permitted to approach his Royal
Highness through your friendly medium, and to pre
sume to urge some considerations which make my case
a very peculiar one, and one that I will venture to say
is unparalleled in military annals. I do not for a mo
ment defend the accepting a challenge from an inferior
officer, on points connected with military duty, where
I am in command, and when the individual is still
under my orders ; but permit me to say, since the
publication of Sir Herbert Taylor's letter, Mr. Battier
has insulted me more grossly, calumniated me more
violently, in 7m reply, than any man with mortal feel
ings could bear. To these additional insults, and some
remarks affecting not only my judgment upon the mi
litary point at issue between us (I mean the affair at
the mess, which was truly the only concern I ever had
with Mr. Battier), but attacking also my honour, my
gentlemanly conduct, my spirit, my family, nay, every-

BRITISH DUELS FROM ism TO \S%Q. 273
thing that is most dear and vital to a man and a sol
dier to defend, I was condemned to remain wholly
without redress. There was no shield 'within my reach
for these new, uncalled for, and unjustifiable calum
nies ; there was no protecting hand that relieved me
from the sting of such malicious aspersions,
" I enclose you, my dear Duke, the paper in which
Mr. Battler's last reply is inserted, and I will entreat
you to soUcit his Royal Highness's attention to the
parts I have underlined, and then let it be considered
that the man who has had all this battery of malignant
abuse opened upon him, was merely acting as he con
ceived for the good of the King's ser'vice ; and at least
a very junior officer in the army ought not before the
world thus to have renewed his 'vilifications; thus to
appear triumphant amongst that band of hired scrib
blers of the day, who defame everything that is loyal
and defended by royal authority.
" However, when in this same reply from an officer
still in the army, I saw the MUitary Secretary's letter
treated in a manner equaUy unjustifiable and improper,
I dared not repine, or express the anguish of my feel
ings, because I conceived his Royal Highness's judg
ment determined to treat Mr, Battier 'with the sove
reign contempt he deserved. Painful and galling,
therefore, as it was to me, I submitted in silence to all
these renewed insults, after the expression of his Royal
Highness's sentiments, and I determined to bear all
the insults and injuries that had been heaped upon me,
vol, ii, t

274 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
in obedience to the directions in Sir H, Taylor's letter,
that his Royal Highness could not sanction the officers
of the 10th or myself taking any notice of Mr. Bat-
tier's statements. I felt very deeply grateful to his
Royal Highness for the whole tenor of Sir H. Taylor's
letter to me, therefore I was the more bound to submit
to any additional insults, although no motive but the
discipline of the service guided my actions in the com
mencement of this affair.
" When Mr, Battier sent me the chaUenge by Lieut, -
Colonel Western, I felt convinced his object was that
by sheltering myself under my military rank, etc, I
should decline it, and then the changes would have
been rung upon this during the next two months, as
they had been during the last, on everything connected
with this business. It must be remembered here, I
could not place Mr. Battier under an arrest.
" I had no means of defending myself, as I should
have had if I had been in command, or he in the regi
ment. The simple consideration for me was imme
diately to accept the chaUenge, or run the risk of being
insulted the next time I went out of my hotel 'with my
family. I never for a moment can conceive that the
Commander-in-Chief would think such an insult a bear
able position for a General Officer. What, then, would
have occurred ? I must either have exhibited articles
of the peace (after ha'ving been caned by such a fellow
as Mr. Battier), or I must have awaited his Royal
Highness the Commander-in-Chief's proceedings upon
this renewed and gross injury.

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1800 TO 1829. 275
"Now, when we remember all the libels of the press
against the 10th, the caricatures, etc., the cant phrases,
' The 10th don't fight,' etc., I wiU appeal to his Royal
Highness's known candour how I should have ap
peared, with aU the virulent attacks of the newspapers,
either before a general court-martial, as prosecutor, or
before the sitting magistrates at Bow Street, with the
marks of Mr. Battler's cane over my shoulders, Mr.
Battler's sole object would have been completely
gained by my refusal to go out 'with him ; and from
the mode in which all this business has been worked,
and from some little indiscretion of the officers in
Dublin, it would not have been in his Royal Highness's
power, 'with aU his high authority, to have protected
me against the public voice, nor from the -virulence
-with which a conspiracy formed in Dublin is endeavour
ing by every possible means to run down the 10th
Hussars. "I have stated thus hastUy, my dear Duke, the
grounds upon which my acceptance of the challenge
was founded, and I have only now to throw myself
entirely on his Royal Highness's indulgence and
mercy. I am well aware that, in the strict sense of
the articles of war, I have offended, and it is for his
Royal Highness and his Majesty to determine, with
their wisdom, whether the very extraordinary and un
paralleled circumstances under which I was placed left
me any alternative but to pursue the line 1 have done,
and throw myself on the Commander-in-Chief and my
T 2

376 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Sovereign's benign feelings and high sense of honour
for pardon. Believe me, my dear Duke,
" Yours ever most sincerely and faithfully,
"Vane Londondeeey."
The following are the Duke's observations on the
whole affair, in a memorandum addressed to the Com
mander-in-Chief, but which was not sent : —
"London, 10th May, 1824.
" It appears upon the perusal of the annexed letters
from Lord Londonderry and Colonel Sfr Henry Har
dinge, that the duel between Lord Londonderry and
Lieutenant Battier was not occasioned by any state
ment in Lieutenant Battler's letter, referred to by
Major-General Sir Herbert Taylor in his letter to Lord
Londonderry, of the 22nd March, and was not sought
for by Lord Londonderry, but that he was chaUenged
by Lieutenant Battier in consequence of the trans
actions in the mess-room in Dublin, of the 25th No
vember, 1823.
" The following observations are suggested for his
Royal Highness's consideration, as making a distinc
tion between this case and others : — First. There is no
doubt that the short way of settling this matter, con
sidering that the press had made it a property, was by
fighting the duel. Accordingly it will be seen that
since the duel not a word has been 'written ; and the
perusal of the transactions upon that occasion 'wUl
show the reason.
" Secondly. The letter of Sfr Herbert Taylor, of the

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1800 TO 1829. 377
22nd March, gave Lieutenant Battier a species of im
punity, as it states that Lieutenant Battier would have
been dismissed from the ser'vice if his statements had
not contained comments which might be presumed
personally offensive to his Royal Highness.
"Thirdly. Lieutenant Battler's reply of the 7th
AprU to this letter of the 22nd March contained ad
ditional personal insults to Lord Londonderry, accom
panied by others to his Royal Highness the Commander-
in-Chief, and upon the same principle no notice was
taken of these statements.
" Fourthly. Lord Londonderry, and those traduced
in that and Lieutenant Battler's former statements,
were ¦without protection either of authority or law.
"Fifthly. When the chaUenge was given. Colonel
Sfr Henry Hardinge was informed that if not accepted
Lord Londonderry would be assaulted in the streets ;
and it is well known, from former transactions of
the same description in this town, the chances which
exist that the person guUty will either escape ¦with im
punity, or receive a nominal punishment so inadequate
to the offence as to add pubUc ridicule to the insult al
ready endured by the person unfortunately obUged to
have recourse to proceedings at common law upon
such an occasion.
" Sixthly. This case unfortunately originated in acts
of miUtary irregularity. Lord Londonderry's conduct,
which was the immediate subject of the duel, was to
be attributed to his having been kept in ignorance by

278 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Sir George Quentin of former transactions, and of his
Royal Highness's decision upon them ; and his Royal
Highness was induced, from the motive stated in
Major-General Sir Herbert Taylor's letter of the 22nd
of March, to pass over the insults and improper pro
ceedings of Lieutenant Battier, and to permit Sir Her
bert Taylor's letter to be published,
" Seventhly. The duel is an additional irregularity
to the list already committed in these transactions;
and it remains for his Royal Highness to consider
whether all these irregularities, and all that has passed,
do not sufficiently make this case an exception, as to
render it unnecessary for his Royal Highness to take
any further notice of it, " Wellington,"*
* ' Supplementary Dispatches,' vol. ii., part 1.

379

CHAPTER IV.
MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES-
SOUTH GERMANY.
Embarrassing, indeed, must have been the position of
officers at the time when, if thefr honour was impeached
and they did not fight, they were expeUed ; and if they
fought, they were shut up in a fortress ! The King of
Prussia, in 1843, imagined and traced the scheme of
"tribunals of honour''' to settle the "differences" of
officers ; and it seems that such tribunals may be con
stituted at any time, and that they have been instru
mental in reconcUing many determined beUigerents,
StUl, duels are pretty frequent in Prussia and in
Bavaria, especially at the Universities, The hostile
but ridiculous meetings of the students or Burschen, as
they are called, have been often described by travel
lers. The arm they use is the long German sword,
and the shell of its hilt is an additional protection to
the combatants. The students of Jena use the sword
called Schlagen, the blade of which is three feet and a

280 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
half long, and triangular, like a bayonet ; the handle
is protected by a tin plate, ten inches in diameter,
which has been jocosely called "the soup-plate of
honour;" this handle, soup-plate, and blade can aU
be unscrewed and concealed, the hilt and guard under
a cloak, and the blade sheathed in a walking-stick.
By the rules of some Universities, called thefr Com
ment, the nature of the offences requires a certain
number of cuts ; twenty-four cuts for the appellation
of dummer Junge, or " stupid youth," and as many for
the epithet "infamous," which is a curious equaliza
tion of penalty.
The pistol is scarcely ever selected as a weapon.
When perchance a student has kiUed another, he is
advised to quit the University, recei'ving from the
senate what is called a consilium aheiindi, that is, " a
hint to quit,"
This expulsion is called a relegatio. In these cases
the offender enters another University ; but if he is
unfortunate enough to kill a second time, he is de
barred from every college.
At Gottingen, about the year 1830, the students
and inhabitants were long overawed by a ruffian named
Luderf, of great personal strength, and who had fre
quently lopped off arms and hands with his huge
Teutonic glaive. Fortunately he was carried off by a
disease of the chest, otherwise he would have converted
the University into a hospital or an hotel des invalides.
At the University of Gottingen as many as thfrty

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 281
duels have been fought in one day, A tribunal of
honour has been established to pronounce on the vari
ous cases of duels, according to a special code. When
the affair is not of much gravity, the combatants shut
themselves up in a room 'with thefr seconds. Their
arms are bare, thefr hands gloved, the head covered
'with a broad covering of hide, the neck protected with
a thick collar, the belly cuirassed by a stout apron.
Thus accoutred they lay on at each other until the
seconds cry out "Enough,"
A recent writer* observes that "Duelling has
always been more or less prevalent among German
students, but of late years it has become, at certain
Universities, almost a mania. At Bonn especially, the
number of duels which, dming the last few months,
have been attended with fatal results, has been so
great that the University authorities, who have hitherto
winked at the practice, are, it is said, about to take
steps for putting down duelling altogether. The
students, too, are beginning to perceive the folly of
this mode of settUng thefr disputes, and both at Bonn
and Berlin — another University noted for the pug
nacity of its members — an agitation has been got up
'with the object of abolishing the academical courts of
honour, in which most of these duels originate,"
Frederick the Great, who enacted the most rigorous
laws against duelling, felt himself compelled to counter
act them himself on one occasion, A Captain, named
* In the ' Pall MaU Gazette ' (1867).

282 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
S  had the misfortune to kiU another officer in a
duel. He was arrested. Frederick could not have
avoided his being brought to trial, in which case he
was sure to be condemned to death. The King loved
the Captain, who was indeed a very brave fellow, and
resolved to save him. He secretly insinuated to the
officers, among his immediate friends, that he would
not be sorry if the prisoner escaped. They took
measures accordingly. In order to facUitate the escape,
Frederick sent for the Captain of the Guard on that
day, and said to him, "Listen to me; if you allow
S  to escape to-night, upon my word you may
count upon twenty-four hours' arrest."
The Captain understood the King's intentions.
About midnight he told the prisoner he might take a
little fresh air in the front. The prisoner's friends
were not far off with a post-chaise ; they came up, in
formed him of thefr preparations, and took him off.
On the foUowing morning, the Captain of the Guard
sent in his report of the escape, and Frederick, who
pretended to be very angry with him, put him under
arrest for twenty-four hours.
The Emperor Joseph the Second's Mode of giving
Satisfaction for an Insult.
An officer had received a slap in the face from one
of his comrades. The Emperor ordered both of them
to Vienna. On the first day of parade the Emperor
appeared on the balcony of the palace together with

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 283
the insulted officer, whom he embraced in the presence
of an immense multitude. At the same instant there
appeared upon a scaffold raised above the balcony, the
officer who had given the slap, together with the com
mon hangman, who gave the former a slap in the face ;
after which the offender was sent off to a fortress,
Baeon Kind and Soeia,
At a sofree given at Hamburg, in 1805, by a Je'wish
banker. Baron Kind, his sister was made uncomfort
able by the impertinence of an attache of the Spanish
embassy, named Soria. Two Frenchmen, who wit
nessed the scene, openly protested against the conduct
of the Spaniard, and a double duel was the conse
quence, Soria killed both of them. Thereupon Baron
Kind himself challenged him to a duel.
Pistols were the weapons. Favoured by the lots,
Soria got the first fire; but before firing he thought
proper to overwhelm his adversary with the grossest
abuse, caUing him, " Dog of a Jew ! eater of infants !"
etc. The Baron received his fire, just as he had re
ceived his insults, without wincing. The rage into
which Soria had worked himself caused his hand to
tremble, and so his habitual skill with the weapon
faUed him on this occasion. The Jew was now master
of the field. During the pre'vious three weeks he had
given up all business, and by dint of indefatigable
practice he had made himself a dead shot. So, with
the utmost coolness he said to Soria, " Now say your

284 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
prayers. You will never insult any one again. I am
going to treat your lordship as you deserve by mark
ing you in the forehead." The Baron kept his pro
mise ; he fired, and sent a bullet through Soria's brain.
Baron Trautmansdoef and Baron de Ropp.
(a.d. 1884.)
A Baron Trautmansdorf was courting the widow of
a Polish general, the young Countess Lodoisk R  ;
he only awaited an appointment to an embassy to
marry her. In the meantime a Baron de Ropp courted
the lady, and in a sonnet turned his more successful
rival into ridicule. The Baron immediately sent him
a message, which Ropp accepted ; but on the ground
proposed a champion, who espoused his cause, when
Trautmansdorf fell. His second, indignant at this act
of treachery, insisted that Ropp should give him satis
faction. The second was also mortally wounded, when
it was found out that Lodoisk herself had accompanied
her betrothed in male attfre !
Ropp, ha'ving recognized her when she fell, felt so
deeply the turpitude of his conduct, that he threw him
self on his own sword, and expfred near the bodies of
Lodoisk and her lover.
Both Killed by the same Pistol.
M, de Goelee and Captain de Verefkin,
(a.d. 1834)
Nothing is more rare than a duel in the pacific Re-

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 285
public of Frankfort ; but a terrible affair occurred there
in the year 1834, A grand ball was to be given in
honour of the arrival of the Grand Duchess Helena of
Russia at Baden. The name of M, de Haber, son of a
court-banker, was placed on the list of subscribers,
M, de Goeler, a Baden officer, one of the members of
the baU-committee, declared that M, de Haber could not
be permitted to appear at the fete, and his name was
struck out by that gentleman, M, de Haber demanded
satisfaction, which was refused, the corps of officers at
Carlsruhe having declared that M, de Goeler was not
caUed upon to give satisfaction, A captain of the Rus
sian service, M, de Verefkin, M, de Haber's second,
took up the affair, and a duel ensued between him and
M, de Goeler. The two first shots were without re
sult. At the second shot fired by De Verefkin, De
Goeler was so seriously wounded that he requfred the
utmost effort of his will to keep on his legs, M. de
Verefkin, belie'ving that his adversary was hors de
combat, flung his pistol on the ground. M. de Goeler,
however, stUl standing, aimed three times at the Rus
sian officer, and three times the pistol missed fire.
M. de Goeler's second had, meanwhUe, picked up M,
de Verefkin' s pistol, had loaded it, but in the hurry
had not put in any wadding on the ball, and gave it
to M. de Goeler. With a last effort the wounded
man fired at his adversary, and killed him on the spot,
M. de Goeler subsequently died of his wound. Thus
the same pistol kiUed both the combatants !

286 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
A Public Duel at Munster.
(a.d. 1846.)
This affair was a veritable reproduction of the judi
cial combats of the Middle Ages. The spectacle was
authorized by the magistrates.
Two young officers, the Baron de Denkhaus, lieu
tenant in the 11th regiment of Hussars, and M, de
Bounhart, lieutenant in the 13th regiment of infantry,
had a violent quarrel at a game of bUliards, during
which M, de Denkhaus had made use of certain offen
sive words. As the insult was given at a cafe in
Miinster, in the presence of a great number of wit
nesses, M, de Bounhart felt bound to require a public
satisfaction ; and for that purpose he instituted " an
action in reparation of injury" against M, de Denk
haus, before the Tribunal of Honour, sitting at Miin
ster, This tribunal, conformably to the law, made
every effort to induce the offender to retract his offen
sive words ; and faUing to do so, the tribunal issued a
manifesto, declaring that, inasmuch as the words in
question damaged the honour of M, de Bounhart to
the extent that he could not continue to serve in the
army unless he obtained public satisfaction, and, inas
much as M. de Denkhaus obstinately refused to give
him such satisfaction, the tribunal authorized a duel
between the two parties, according to the military
regulations. The duel took place on the 29th of June, 1846, at

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 287
three o'clock in the afternoon, in the plain situated at
the north of the town. In the middle of this plain
was erected a tribune for the tribunal — the " Judge of
the combat." In front of this tribune, a considerable
space, enclosed by a rope supported by stakes, was
reserved for the combatants. Detachments of in
fantry and cavalry were posted around the lists and
the tribune,
A certain number of sabres were brought to the
ground ; the two adversaries bandaged their eyes, and
each took a weapon at hazard. Then they removed
the bandages from thefr eyes ; took off their uniform
and helmets ; placed themselves en garde, and at a
signal given by the President of the Tribunal the
combat commenced. The combatants fought with
the utmost fury and determination, M, de Bounhart
successively received two slight cuts on the arm ; but
soon after he gave his adversary a cut in the thigh,
which toppled hfrn over upon the ground, and made it
impossible for him to continue the combat. After
the surgeons had given the first care to the two
wounded men, the President of the Tribunal invited
the latter to become reconcUed, which they forthwith
did by taking each other by the hand, and by em
bracing. The public, who had preserved the pro
foundest sUence during the combat, burst forth into
loud acclamations of applause at the sight of the re
conciliation. Two carriages conveyed the two officers
to thefr homes, and M. de Bounhart lent a hand to

288 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
carry Baron de Denkhaus into his. The Tribunal
then retired, and the crowd quietly dispersed. It was
the first time that a Tribunal of Honour in Prussia au
thorized a duel, all affairs hitherto referred to such tri
bunals ha'ving been terminated by a reconcUiation,
A Duel to the Death between two Youths.
This outrageous duel occurred so recently as the
14th of February, 1851, at Posen, between Casimfr
Brodnicki, aged seventeen, and Anselm Zeenko^wicz,
aged sixteen, both of them belonging to noble famUies
of the Grand Duchy of Posen, and both fellow-col
legians of the royal gymnasium of that town. They
had been most intimate friends. Zeenko^wicz requested
Brodnicki to hire a saddle for him, but refused to pay
the sum agreed upon by his friend, which laid Brod
nicki open to the animadversion of the tradesman. A
quarrel ensued between the two friends in conse
quence, and Brodnicki caUed Zeenkowicz a S'windler.
A challenge ensued, and was accepted by the other
stripling. They went to the ground attended by
their seconds, fellow-pupils and youths of fifteen or
sixteen years of age. They took up their position at
ten paces distance. They fired together, and both
missed. In such cases, other seconds would have
tried to effect a reconciliation, but, on the contrary,
those youthful "friends" insisted upon a renewal of
the combat, declaring that it would be a great shame
if one of them, at least, was not kUled on the spot.

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 289
The principals yielded to the argument, but they had
no more ammunition, neither powder nor balls. The
seconds ran off to the town, and soon returned with
an ample provision. In order that the adversaries
might be surer of hitting each other, the seconds now
placed them at only six paces' distance. They fired
again together, but again they missed each other.
The principals were again exhorted by the determined
seconds to save their honour by trying to get kiUed,
and induced them to have another shot. They again
reduced the distance, and the adversaries stood at
four paces ; they fired ; this time the thing was done.
Brodnicki's baU went into the stomach of poor Zeen
kowicz, and lodged in his spine ; he fell senseless,
mortaUy wounded.
And now, the young scamps who did the business,.
got frightened out of thefr senses at what had oc
curred. They dispersed, running about Uke madmen,
not kncwing what to do with themselves, for the
space of two hours, and then they thought they would
go and fetch a surgeon to poor Zeenko'wicz, When
the surgeon came, of course the unfortunate youth was
as dead as a doornail, and his body was conveyed
to the hospital of Posen, where his parents found their
darling, stiff and horrible to look at.
And then the youngsters who had urged the glory
of a death, set their 'wits to devise a story to get rid of
all blame in the transaction. They said they had been
all skating on a pond, when a farmer who owned the
VOL. II. u

290 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
property, in order to frighten them away, fired a
pistol at them, and so Zeenkowicz got wounded ! They
had at last, however, to make a clean conscience of
the whole affair, as related. Then came the question
as to how they procured the weapons, when it ap
peared that all the pupils of this royal gymnasium
were provided with pistols, powder, and shot, and that
they constantly practised in secret. The youths were
prosecuted; Brodnicki, the slayer, was condemned to
six years' imprisonment, and the two seconds, who
were e'vidently the instigators and cause of the cata,.
strophe, to only eighteen months of the same penalty.
2. Russia,
The Russian laws against dueUing were very severe.
According to the Code of Peter I., whoever challenged
another to a duel should be hanged, whether the duel
took place or not ; the seconds should suffer the same
punishment, unless they exerted themselves to prevent
the meeting. Under Alexander I,, however, who
entertained some chivalric notions and a faint idea of
honour, duels came into fashion.
General Zass and Peince Dolgoroucki,
An old General, of the name of Zass, received from
Prince Dolgoroucki an order which would have de
feated the plan of operations, if obeyed, and refused to
carry it into effect. High words ensued, and a chal
lenge was sent. At that moment the Swedish artillery

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNRTIES. 291
was heard, and intelligence was brought that the
enemy was attacking a redoubt. " Prince," said the
General, "we cannot fight a duel when our duty calls
us to meet the enemy, but let us both stand in an
embrasure of that battery, against which the eneiny
are directing their fire, and let us remain there until
one of us is struck," Dolgoroucki accepted the pro
posal. They both exposed themselves to the enemy's
fire, standing erect with one hand on the hip, and
ooking fiercely at each other, untU the Prince was cut
in two by a cannon-baU ; this desperate resolve being
witnessed by the whole army.
Count de Tolstoy and a Naval Officer.
One of the most celebrated Russian duellists. Count
de Tolstoy, ha'ving quarrelled with a naval officer, sent
him a challenge, which was declined on the plea of
the Count's dexterity in the use of arms. Tolstoy
then proposed that they should fight 'with pistols
muzzle to muzzle, but this also the sailor decUned,
and insisted Upon fighting according to what he called
a naval manner, which was to seize each other and
jump into the water, the victory being awarded to the
party that escaped drowning. The Count in his turn
objected to the proposal, on the plea that he could not
swim, on which his adversary accused him of cowardice,
when the Count rushed upon him, seized him, and
threw himself with him into the sea. They were
both, however, drawn out of the water, but the naval
u 2

293 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING,
offlcer was so much injured that he died a few days
after. 3. Belgium.
Duelling became rather frequent in Belgium after
the Revolution of 1830. Among the most remarkable
meetings were the following : —
Captain Pariset and Captain Eenens.
(a.d. 1834.)
In the year 1834, Captain Pariset, of the Belgian
Artillery, reprimanded one of his lieutenants, M. Van-
derstraeten, who had neglected to salute him. The
latter sent him a challenge for the offence. The Cap
tain refused to fight 'with an inferior. Thereupon,
another Captain, named Eenens, espoused the cause of
the lieutenant, and the two officers proceeded to a
spot on the field of Waterloo. They fired together,
and Captain Pariset was kiUed.
M, Kant and M. Dutilleux^.
, (A.D. 1843.)
M. Kant, a Lieutenant of Artillery, was leaving his
quarters with one of his friends, when he was addressed
by M. Dutilleux, of Namur, as foUows : — " I should
like to know. Sir, why you look at me so insolently ?"
Kant replied, with perfect composure, " Sir, far from
looking at you, I did not even perceive you," The
former, however, raising his voice, repeated his ques-

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 393
tion over and over again, and requested to see him on
the following day. On the foUo'wing morning M. Kant
received a challenge from Dutilleux. Sabres were the
weapons. The parties met. After a few 'vigorous
cuts delivered by M. Dutilleux, his adversary took
advantage of the moment when the former dashed in
again, and after a parry gave point, transfixing his
antagonist. The sabre went through the right lung,
after wounding his wrist and the inner part of the fore
arm. He feU dead on the spot.
4. Italy.
M. DE Lamartine and Colonel Pepe.
The only remarkable duel of modern times in Italy
was that of the celebrated writer Lamartine and
General Gabriele Pepe, Lamartine had just published
his ' Dernier Chant du Pelerinage d'Harold,' in which
Were the following verses, put in the mouth of Byron : —
" Je vais chercher ailleurs, pardonne, ombre Romaine !
Des hommes, et non pas la poussiere humaine,"
" I elsewhere seek, O Rome, indeed I must,
(Excuse me) men, and not mere human dust."
Soon after the publication, Lamartine went to
Florence as secretary of legation. The words had
given offence, and the poet was likely to be snubbed ;
but the Govemment interfered, not daring to allow a
diplomate to be attacked, Gabriele Pepe, however,
pubUshed a brochure in which he said, " This rhyme-

294 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
ster of the ' Dernier Chant de ChUde Harold,' who tries
to make up for the poetic vigour which he lacks, and
the ideas worthy of that vigour, by jokes against Italy,
jokes which we would call insults, if, like Diomed, the
blows of the weak and of cowards could ever hurt."
Lamartine demanded an explanation; the Colonel
replied, but unsatisfactorily, and the nettled poet wrote
again and again, and at last requested an interview.
" I received him," says Pepe, " "with all possible polite
ness. He asked me for an explanation by word of
mouth. 1 told him that, having refused it in "writing,
I should give him a poor opinion of myself if I con
sented to do so verbally. Then he said he would be
obliged to get it arms in hand. At this proposition I
said I should always be at his orders. He wanted to
fight the same day, but I refused, because he limped a
little, ha-ving had a fall from his horse the day before.
' Get well,' I said, ' and rest assured that I shall not
quit Florence without apprising you of my departure,
even if peremptorily summoned home,' He accepted
my advice and took leave,"
Colonel Pepe had the greatest difficulty in finding a
second, the bare mention of the subject being Ukely to
spoil the whole thing, under his cfrcumstances at the
time. So he went, to Lamartine, quite in a friendly
way, made arrangements to fight on the foUo'wing day,
and confiding to him his embarrassment respecting a
second, requested Lamartine to dispense 'with the
regulation, saying, that he had too high an opinion of

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 295
the French to fear any overreaching, " Besides," he
added, " I have too much confidence in myself to feel
the least fear even against two opponents." Lamar
tine, however, insisted upon, his having a second,
whereupon Pepe told him to appoint one for him, A
Monsieur VillemU was accordingly introduced by the
poet — a perfect stranger to the Colonel, who, however,
undertook to place himself at his disposal.
The meeting took place. Swords were the weapons.
Lamartine received a thrust in the arm. Pepe then
asked him if he was satisfied. He said he was. " I
then," says Pepe, " threw do-wn my sword, and bound
np his wound with my handkerchief. After that, we
returned to town and separated."
The Colonel seems to have been a great boaster,
and overflo^wing with self-conceit, to judge from the
way in which he describes the whole affair, and his
subsequent glorification for his chivalry.
Lamartine afterwards gave a grand dinner, and
Pepe was invited, the parties being perfectly recon-
,cUcd. 5, Spain,
O'DONNELL AND BeIGADIEE LoPEZ.
In the disastrous conflict between the Carlists and
Christines, General O'DonneU sent a chaUenge to the
Christino Brigadier Lopez, The chivalric bombast of
this challenge was worthy of the days of Don Quixote
jof La Mancha :—

296 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
"The cavalry of Don Carlos ardently desires to
measure itself with that of Donna Christina; but, as
the results of battles are uncertain from position, or
from the number of the combatants, let us, chiefs of
party, imitate the knights of old, and select an equal
number of warriors who, sword in hand, will decide
the question by their sheer valour. On my side, I
swear upon my honour not to bring into the field a
greater number of combatants than shall be agreed
upon. Trusting that my enemy ¦will follow my ex
ample, I salute all my numerous friends and former
companions, who now serve in the Christino ranks,
¦wishing them every prosperity, excepting in battle, for
I know no enemy save those I meet in the field,"
Lopez accepted the chaUenge, and issued the foUow
ing order: — "I merely want to know the appointed
ground, to lead you into the conflict. Death is a noble
reward to all those who feel Spanish blood flowing in
their veins ; and you ¦will find your commander at the
head of this romantic duel,"
Nothing came of this gasconading, not even smoke,
unless it was that of cigars.
ISNAEDI AND SaRTORIUS.
(A.D. 1840.)
A controversy raged between the ' Boo del Comercio,'
a radical journal, and the ' Con-eo Nacional,' the organ
of the conservatives or constitutionaUsts, and a duel
was the result, in the month of August, 1840. Isnardi,

MODERN DUELS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES. 297
who had the choice of weapons, named the sabre. The
two adversaries, accompanied by their seconds, ap
peared on the ground. One of the sabres was longer
than the other. The choice was decided by lots, and
Isnardi got the longer. The seconds decided that
the combat should continue until they gave the signal
for its cessation. After a few cuts on both sides, Sar-
torius hit Isnardi twice in succession, gi"ving him two
serious wounds on the head. The seconds then inter
fered, and put an end to the combat.

298

CHAPTEE V.
DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
America is the country where life is held cheaper than
anywhere else. There, daels or " difficulties " are
off-hand diversions. But, when men fight in the
States they fight in earnest, " KUUng is the word."
Revolvers are ever revol'ving. There is no objection
to fowling-pieces, to rifles, to bowie-knives; the last
are ever ready, A pretence to scratch the back of
the neck whips out the formidable tool into action.
It is " worn " on the back, somehow sheathed in the
lining of the coat. In the hotels at Washington and
elsewhere, you may see the marks of bullets on the
walls, shots that missed, fortunately, or that went
through a man, lea'ving him dead on the floor. The
barman at hotels is always prepared. There is a ready
revolver on the shelf behind him. His life may be in
danger from some rowdy, at any moment. In the
street men "exchange" revolver shots occasionally;

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 299
and in the wild forests they track each other like game
or "varmint."
Nevertheless, a man, taking care to be reasonable,
may pass through the States most comfortably, I
have been almost everywhere in that country re
peatedly; mixed with Americans of all classes, but
was never molested nor insulted; and I have every
reason to remember their kindness, their generous
hospitality on all occasions.
Several of the States have endeavoured to check
the practice. That of Massachusetts enacted a law
for that purpose in 1719, and- twice revived sub
sequently, by which, any person fighting a duel was
deprived of political rights, and rendered ineligible
to any pubUc situation for twenty years, and the body
of the deceased, when the meeting proved fatal, was
appropriated to anatomical demonstration. In New
Orleans, it was proposed, in 1834, to establish a Court
of Honour, to decide upon any " differences " that
might arise among its citizens. The Legislative
Assembly of Mississippi, enacted in 1835, a law which
condemned the sur-vivor in a duel, to pay the debts of
his victim. That was certainly hitting the nail on the
head -with a vengeance. In Virginia, public officers^
upon entermg on their functions, were called upon
to take an oath never to fight a duel, and after this
duels became more rare. The habits of the Virginians
disposed them to duelling more than any other of .the
Americans, and the extent of the country rendered it

300 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
more difficult to seek the protection of a neighbouring
State ; for when people are determined to fight, they
are generally impatient. Therefore, the Legislature
of Virginia sought to obtain the object by a less
severe penalty, which from that very reason was more
likely to prove efficacious, and their "notion" was
certainly most ingenious. They laid it down as a
maxim, that, when in frivolous matters, or in differ
ences of opinion, which the law tolerates and even
authorizes, a man is induced to expose himself to
death or to slay another, he is actually demented, and
that, therefore, all principals and seconds in a duel
should be considered labouring under an alienation of
mind, and deprived of any public station that they
might hold ; that their property, moreover, should be
vested in the hands of trustees, and, in fact, be con
sidered as under an interdiction. After that, again,
we are told that duels in the State of Virginia have
been rarely heard of. But then, all enactments against
duelling in the States may be easily rendered a dead
letter or inoperative. Most of the States have'-de-
nounced the penalty of death against those duellists
who have killed thefr adversaries, but the penalty i^
only comminatory, a mere threat, since it is eluded by
the parties repairing to a neighbouring State, of which
they are not citizens, and which has not the power to
take cognizance of their offences, the laws on this
head not extending to the whole country, but being
limited to each of the States constituting the Union.

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 301
Moreover, European experience has evidently shewn
that death does not intimidate those who fight, be
cause they either brave it or 'wish to show that they
do not fear its terrors.
It would require a volume to narrate the duels of
Americans, and my space only allows of the foUowing
cases, which have been selected as characteristic of
that original nation.
The Hon, Aaron Burr and General Hamilton.
(a.d. 1804.)
The Hon. Aaron Burr was Vice-President of the
United States, and General Hamilton was appointed
Ambassador at Paris. The origin of the dispute
between these gentlemen was from a pamphlet pub
lished by a Dr. Cooper, containing- the foUowing pas
sage : — " General Hamilton and Dr, Kent say they
consider Colonel Burr a dangerous man, and one unfit
to be trusted with the reins of government." In
another place Dr, Cooper said, " General Hamilton has
expressed of Mr, Burr opinions still more despicable."
This latter passage excited the resentment of Colonel
Burr, who sent his friend 'with a letter to General
Hamilton, in which he demanded " a prompt and un
qualified acknowledgment or denial of the expression,
which could justify this inference on the part of
Dr, Cooper." General HamUton, in his answer,__ ad
mitted the first statement, " the language of which,"
he contended, "came fairly 'within the bounds pre-

302 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
scribed in cases of political animosity." He objected
to Colonel Burr's demand, by considering it as " too
indefinite," or "as falling on him to retrace every
conversation which he had held, either publicly or
confidentially, in the course of fifteen years' opposition ;
and to contradict that which, very possibly, had escaped
his memory. If anything more definite should be pro
posed, he expressed his willingness to give Colonel
Burr all due satisfaction," Colonel Burr, in his reply,
insisted upon a general retractation, and said, " It is
no matter to him, whether his honour had been at
tacked loudly or in whispers." General Hamilton
rejoined by calling for something more defined, and
refused either a general denial or a general acknow
ledgment, A meeting was consequently demanded
by Colonel Burr.
The parties met, and the General was mortally
wounded. When the General fell. Colonel Burr
walked towards him, 'with apparent gestures of re
gret ; but he did not speak to him, as he was hurried
from the ground by his friends in the usual way.
On receiving the shock of the mortal wound. Gene
ral Hamilton's pistol went off involuntarily, by a con
vulsive twitch, and without being aimed at Colonel
Burr.' This was denied by the opposite party; but
the fact was conclusively established by the search
after the ball, which was found.

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 303
Dr, Smith and Dr, Jeffries,
(a.d. 1830.)
In the August of 1830 a most savage duel took
place near Philadelphia, A challenge was sent by a
Dr. Smith to a Dr. Jeffries, and being accepted, the
parties met. The distance fixed upon was only eight
paces, at which they exchanged shots without either
of them receiving any injury. Some efforts were then
mad« by their friends to bring about an accommoda
tion, but unavailingly, as Dr, Jeffries declared he
would not leave the ground until he had lost his O'wti
life, or taken that of his antagonist. Pistols were then
handed to them a second time, and at this fire the
right arm of Dr, Smith was broken, which delayed the
proceedings for a few moments, until he recovered from
the exhaustion, when he declared that, as he was
wounded, he was ready to die, and requested the se
conds to proceed. The pistols were then put into
their hands a third time, Dr. Smith using his left
hand. At this fire Dr. Jeffries was wounded in the
thigh, and his loss of blood occasioned an exhaustion,
which again delayed the conflict for a few minutes.
He, however, recovered,' and both desired to shorten
the distance. They now stood up for the fourth time,
covered with blood, and at a distance of six feet. They
were to fire between the words " one" and " five," and
the shot proved fatal to both parties. They fell to the
earth. Dr. Smith was dead when he dropped, the ball

304 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
having penetrated his heart; Dr, Jeffries was shot
through the breast, and survived but four hours.
They fought 'with perfect coolness. When Dr, Jeffries
saw that his antagonist had fallen, he asked if he was
dead ; and being assured that he was, he declared his
own willingness to die. Before he expired, he said he
had been schoolmate with Dr. Smith, and that they
had been on terms of great intimacy and friendship
for fifteen years ; and he bore honourable testimony to
his character as a man of science and a gentleman.
Captain White and Colonel Bellamy.
(a.d. 1835.)
The election of a representative to the American
Congress, for Jefferson's County^ in Florida, caused a
lamentable duel on the 28th of November, 1835. All
the preparations for it were such as to leave no doubt
that one of the combatants must fall, and the result
exceeded the expectations. The two adversaries were
Captain Everett White, brother of a delegate in Con
gress, and Colonel Bellamy, formerly President of the
Legislative Council of Florida. They accused each
other of intrigue and calumny, and resolved to fight to*»^';
the death. Captain White and Colonel BeUamy, at
tended by their seconds, and armed each with two
pair of pistols, posted themselves at the distance of
sixty paces. The agreement was that they should ad
vance upon each other, and fire when they thought
proper, up to the limit of ten paces, marked by two '

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 30,5
handkerchiefs placed on the ground. White had three
shots fired at him 'without being touched, and was only
fifteen paces from the Colonel when he returned fire.
His first ball fractured his adversary's left arm; the
second went into his body ; and just as he was pulling
his second pafr of pistols from his waist-belt. Colonel
BeUamy, firing his fourth shot, killed him on the
spot.
Mr. Anderson and Mr. Jones.
(a.d. 1837.)
This sanguinary affair of honour took place at
Brown'rille, in the State of Pennsylvania. For some
time past a slight misunderstanding had existed be
tween Mr. Banner Anderson, of Bolivar, and Mr. '
Jones, merchant, of BrownviUe, Mr, Anderson came
to BrownviUe, and, according to custom, placed his
name on the hotel-register. Shortly after he disco
vered a written mark immediately under his name,
impugning his character, and bearing the signature of
" R. H. Jones." He then inserted a reply, attaching
thereto his proper signature. A day or two after Mr.
Jones called at the hotel, and seeing the appended
reply, became enraged, and declared he would have
satisfaction. He walked to the door of a store (as the
l^-^Americans call their shops) into which Mr, Anderson
. had just entered, and caUed to hfrn to come out, An-
' 'derson complied with the request, when Jones de
manded of him whether he had written the remark or
VOL. II, ^

306 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
not? Anderson answered in the affirmative, upon
which, in an instant, each presented a pistol, standing
about four yards apart.
They fired together. And then occurred one of the
most extraordinary freaks of fire-arms; Jones's baU
lodged right in the muzzle of Anderson's pistol, whUst
the contents of Anderson's pistol lodged in Jones's
breast,- He expfred in three hours, Anderson sub
mitted immediately to the civil authorities, but was
discharged. Upon examination, the whole was found
to have been a misunderstanding ; and that, if the
parties had only conversed together on the subject, no
difficulty would have ensued.
Mr. Cilley and Mr, Graves,
(a.d. 1837.)
Mr, Cilley, of Maine, and Mr, Graves, of Kentucky,
were members of the House of Representatives, Mr.
Cilley had spoken disrespectfully of Colonel Webb,
editor of the ' New York Courier ;' whereupon Colonel
Webb sent him a challenge by Mr, Graves, Mr, CUley
said he would not fight such a blackguard as Webb,
but was ready to accept a chaUenge from Mr. Graves,
The foUowing were the arrangements for the meeting,
dra'wn up by Mr, Cilley's second : — " Mr, Cilley pro
poses to meet Mr, Graves at such place as may be
agreed upon between us, to-mori'ow at twelve. The
weapons to be used on the occasion shall be rifles ; the
parties, placed side to side at eighty yards' distance

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 307
from each other; to hold the rifles at arm's length
do'wnwards ; the rifles to be cocked, and triggers set ;
the words to be, ' Gentlemen, are you ready ?' After
which, neither answering ' No,' the words shall be in
regular succession, ' Fire — one, two, three, four.' Nei
ther party shall fire before the word ' fire,' nor after
the word ' four.' The position of the parties, at the
ends of the Une, to be determined by lot. The second
of the party losing the position, shall have the giving
of the word. The dress to be ordinary winter cloth
ing, and subject to the examination of both parties.
Each party may have on the ground, besides his
seconds, a surgeon and two other friends. The se
conds, for the execution of their respective trusts, are
allowed to have a pafr of pistols each on the ground ;
but no other person shall have any weapon. The
rifles to be loaded in the presence of the seconds."
Three shots were exchanged without result ; at the
fourth, Mr. Cilley was shot thi'ough the heart.
Mr. Naylor and Mr. Brounaugh.
(a.d. 1837.)
Mr. Naylor, of Donaldson'ville, had entrusted Mr.
Brounaugh, of New Orleans, to negotiate a bill of
2000 dollars (about £400), The latter not having
remitted the value, was called a cheat and a thief by
Mr. Naylor, and Mr. Brounaugh replied by caUing
Mr. Naylor " a wretched impostor." A duel ensued
on the 19th of March, 1837. The two champions
X 2

308 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
approached each other up to the distance of three or
four paces, and then fired together. Brounaugh's
ball shattered Naylor's jaw and cut one of the arteries
in the neck; he expfred in a few seconds. The
former was wounded in the groin ; when one of
Naylor's seconds, having a pistol in his hand, acci
dentally touched the trigger ; it went off and lodged
another ball in Brounaugh's beUy. Seeing him fall
the second exclaimed, "He's dead!" — ¦" Who is dead ?"
asked Naylor with a faint voice. " Mr. Brounaugh,"
they replied. " So much the better !" said Naylor,
breathing his last.
Colonel Webb and Mr. Marshall.
(a.d. 1842.)
The same Colonel Webb, before mentioned, fought
a duel -with Mr. Marshall, of Kentucky, whom he
grievously wounded, for which he was prosecuted and
condemned to two years' imprisonment. This gave
occasion to a singular circumstance, which is too illus
trative of American manners to be passed over in
silence. Some time before. Colonel Webb, being
offended by certain expressions appUed to him by
Bennett, the proprietor of the ' New York Herald,'
gave the latter a thrashing in the most frequented
street of the city. Bennett patiently waited for an
opportunity to take his revenge, and he found it in
Webb's imprisonment. He began by announcing
several times, that in order to lessen the ennui of

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 309
"poor Webb," he had sent him several bundles of
cigars and some bottles of champagne. Then he
drew up a petition addressed to Mr. Seward, then
Governor of the State of New York, soliciting a par
don for the prisoner, and presented it for signature.
He sent it to the Governor with 1500 signatures,
announcing that he would have obtained 5000 if
Webb had behaved better in prison, and had decently
received the " capital treat " of wine and cigars which
he had sent him ; but that the people had judged by
his conduct that he was not sufficiently repentant to
obtain his pardon. The list of the signatures was
published in the ' New York Herald.'
Mr. Lee and Mr. Moore.
(a.d. 1843.)
Mr. Robert Lee, son of the former attorney-general
of the United States, ha'ving a difference with Mr.
Moore, a near relative of the Commodore of that name,
declared that he would horsewhip his adversary wher
ever he should meet him, Mr. Thomas Moore, the
son of the gentleman thus threatened, having de
manded satisfaction for the insult, a meeting was
appointed. Among the seconds was the father of
young Moore, the cause of this bloody combat. When
the parties reached the ground, Mr. Thomas Moore
asked Mr. Lee if he had threatened his father with a
horsewhipping. On Mr. Lee replying in the affirma
tive, Mr. Moore struck him with a cane which he had

310 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
in his hand, and then threw it down to seize his pistol.
The ground had not been measured; all was con
fusion. Young Lee had fallen back a few paces. He
fired, but missed his adversary. Moore fired in tum
and wounded Lee. The latter fired a second shot and
again missed his enemy. Young Moore presented his
second pistol, but only the cap exploded ; thereupon,
old Moore, his father, handed him another pistol in
good condition, but the other seconds refused to per
mit the affair to proceed any further, Mr, Lee was
still standing, but it was soon perceived that he was
mortally wounded. The ball had broken one of the
ribs on the left side, traversed the lungs, and lodged
under the false ribs of the right side. He was car
ried to a neighbouring inn, where he expired in a few
minutes,
Mr. Hueston and Mr. Labeanche.
(a.d. 1843.)
Mr. Hueston, the editor of a newspaper at the tcwn
of Baton-Rouge, Louisiana, had published an article
offensive to Mr. Labranche, member of the second con
gressional district of Louisiana. Labranche having
been informed that Hueston was at New Orleans, dog
ged his steps, and at length came upon him in a
billiard-room. After a few insulting words, he struck
him with his cane ; Hueston returned the blow with
the cue he had in his hand, A scuffie ensued, and
there was a difficulty in separating the combatants. A

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 311
meeting was arranged for the 19th of August, 1843,
at six o'clock in the morning, at a place called Chenes,
some distance from the road to Gentilly,
It was agreed to fight 'with double-barrelled fowling-
pieces, loaded with ball, at the distance of forty yards.
The combatants had a right to fire together or sepa
rately their two shots, to the numbers one, two, three,
four, five, pronounced by one of the seconds. The
parties fired three shots at each other 'without effect,
but at the fourth discharge Hueston was mortally
wounded ; his gun fell from his hands ; he fell back
wards at fuU length on the ground, and soon after
expired.
Me, Cocheean and Mr. May,
(a.D. 1844.)
On the 1 5th of February, 1 844, at a party in Washing
ton, Mr. Cocheran, the son of a rich landowner, said that
Mr. May was a coward, for he had had a " difi'erence"
'with him about a dance, and he had not required satisfac
tion. This aspersion was duly reported to Mr. May, and,
of course, necessitated a meeting. The place of combat
was an open space near the Nelson Hotel. Mr. Coche
ran arrived about half-past five in the morning, with
his two seconds, in a magnificent equipage, drawn by
four white horses ; Mr, May and his two seconds came
half-an-hour after in a modest carriage. Two surgeons
were on horseback close by to give attendance, if re
quired. The terms of combat were drawn up in -writ-

. 312.. THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
iq^'by the seconds; it was agreed that the carbine
should be the weapon, at the distance of fifty paces.
The combatants were to hold the butt of the carbine at
the level of the shoulder, but the barrel pointing down
wards, and were not to raise it till the words " Ffre ! . , .
one . . . two . . . three." It was declared unlawful to
fire before the word one was pronounced, or after the
word three.
The ground being measured, the choice of position
was decided by lot. Mr. May got the more favour
able, which was on a slope a little higher than that of
his adversary. Both the combatants displayed the
greatest sang froid, and they had rejected every pro
posal of reconciliation. Mr. Cocheran, according to
his custom, hummed a popular or operatic tune ; but,
as a member of a temperance society, he decUned a
glass of wine which was offered to him. The prepa
rations ha'ving been made, Mr. Ash, the second of
Mr. May, who was the offended party, had the melan
choly pri'vilege of gi'ving the signal. " Are you ready,
gentlemen ?" he cried out. Both replied, " Ready !"
and Mr. Cocheran flung up his hat in the air. At the
word " Fire ! . . . one," both flred almost at the same
instant; but Mr. Oocheran's fire was a little behind,
and his adversary's ball struck him exactly in the
centre of his forehead, kiUing him on the spot, Mr.
May was not wounded.

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES.
Mr. Steward and Mr. Coker.
(a.d. 1854.)
Onthe 19th of June, 1854, a duel, accompanied by
terrible circumstances, took place at Newmans'viUe,
Florida, between two young lawyers, who were inti
mate friends, Mr. Steward and Mr. Coker. Steward,
who was on the point of being married, had taken
Coker into the secret of certain detaUs of the ball
which was to foUow his wedding-dinner, making him
promise not to say a word about them to any one be
forehand. Coker, however, broke his word, and lost
no time in divulging the whole to the young lady her
self, whom, of all persons. Steward wished to surprise
'with his design and preparations. Enraged by this
abuse of confidence and 'violation of his word, Steward
'wrote and told Coker that he must immediately send
him a letter of apology, in which he simply and purely
acknowledged himself guUty of falsehood, or prepare
for a duel to the death ! Coker refused to submit to
this humiliation, and, as all the efforts of their mutual
friends failed to bring about a reconcUiation, the duel
took place.
On the appointed day the two adversaries, both
armed with double-barrelled fowling-pieces, met, with
their seconds, in a plain situated three miles from
Newmans'viUe. Coker had put twelve balls in the
barrel of his gun — double the charge, in fact, of what
it was capable of taking. As for Steward, he had
loaded his gun with about thirty buck-shot.

314 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
A first discharge, at seventy-five paces' distance,
was without result. The combatants, advancing ten
paces upon each other, re-loaded their pieces as before,
and fired — again without any result on either side.
Again they advanced ten paces ; they were now only
thirty-five paces apart ; they reloaded, and fired. This
time Steward was knocked over by three balls — ^two
in his left shoulder, and the third, after having entered
below the right breast, tore through the flesh, and
lodged in the upper part of his right shoulder.
Judge Teery and Me. Broderick.
(a.d. 1859.)
The cause of this very remarkable duel was as fol
lows, Terry wished to be re-elected judge of the
Supreme Court, but Mr, W. W, Cope was chosen in
his place. In his bitter disappointment he delivered
a very intemperate speech, in which he attacked, in no
measured terms, all his political opponents. The name
of Broderick was mentioned, in the midst of his pas
sionate declamation. The newspapers of Sacramento
published the speech, which produced very great irri
tation. Two days after, Broderick was breakfasting
at the International Hotel. He had just read the
scurrilous expressions which Terry had applied to him,
and under the great excitement which they had pro
duced in him, he spoke of Terry in very violent terms,
which were immediately taken up by a friend of the
latter, D. W. Perley, who happened to be sitting near

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 315.
him. Perley took the part of his absent friend; a
sharp altercation ensued, notwithstanding the presence
of numerous ladies at breakfast, and led to a direct
challenge to a duel.
The parties met in a ra'vine, situated on the property
of Mr, Davis, two miles from the Lake Merced, and
about twelve miles from San Francisco.
More than seventy persons were present on the spot
to -witness the dreadful drama, the denouement of
which was, perhaps, to be the death of one of the com
batants. The adversaries took off their coats. Broderick ap
peared agitated, his hand seemed under the influence
of a nervous contraction when he received his weapon.
His second had to place him in position again. He
wore a hat which he drove low down on his forehead.
His attitude did not indicate fear, but hurry to get
done -with the transaction. As for Judge Terry, he
held himself erect and immovable — like a man quite
habituated to such affairs.
The seconds retreated. One of them commenced
the signal agreed upon, and the combatants raised
their pistols, which tiU then were turned towards the
ground, when Broderick's suddenly went off before he
had raised it towards his atagonist. The ball buried
itself in the ground at some distance from his feet.
Terry then fired, instantly exclaiming, "The shot is
not mortal; I have hit him two inches to the right
side." Broderick made a movement as though to

316 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
tum, then he gradually sank down, and finally fell
upon the ground. He did not utter a word. He stUl
held his pistol with a convulsive clutch. MeanwhUe,
Judge Terry was standing in his place. His seconds
approached him, and they quitted the field together.
The surgeons went up to the wounded man, opened
his dress, and at once verified the track of the ball in
the right side of poor Broderick, as Judge Terry had
declared. It had entered near the breast, traversed
the anterior part of the body, and lodged in the left
side. Broderick expired in the course of the night.
Duels in Dark Rooms.
The desperate gambling of the Americans frequently
leads to quarrels, and these are generally settled on
the spot with the revolver or bowie-knife, or in a dark
room on the premises.
On one occasion a Southern planter went to a
gaming-house attended by a negro, whom he left in
waiting at the door. This negro soon got gambling
'with another, by whom he was taxed with cheating.
A Mexican gentleman who had come up . and over
looked the game, interfered, and told the negro that
he saw him cheat. The fellow told the Mexican that
he lied, and the latter instantly stabbed him to the
heart. The master, on coming to the spot and learn
ing the circumstances, turned to the Mexican, saying,
" Sir, my negro's quarrel is mine ; I demand satis
faction ; follow me." The Southerner led the way to

DUELLING IN THE UNITED STATES. 317
a room on the premises ; two shots were heard ; both
had fallen in the conflict, killed on the spot.
They tell of another gaming-house duel, as foUows : —
Two Yankees quarrelled about a bet, and resolved to
settle the matter with pistols in a dark room. They
took up thefr position at the distance of the corner's
of the apartment. One fired and missed. " Now, you
rascal," cried the other, " I'll track you till I send my
buUet into you." Thereupon he began sidling about
stealthUy, groping for his intended victim. After a
while, not finding him, nor hearing the least sound
of footsteps or breathing, he began to think that his
man had "absquatulated;" but, at length, a "notion"
struck him, and he exclaimed, " Oh ! I know where
you are — capital — just the thing !" Thereupon, going
to the fireplace, he poked his pistol up the chimney,
saying, " Now for it !" — " For God's sake, don't fire ;
I'U pay the bet," said a voice up the chimney, whUst
the other Yankee kept his muzzle close to the speaker's
seat of honour. "Will you pay me 800 dollars?"
asked the latter. " Oh yes ; do take away that d 
pistol !" — " Stop a bit," said the other, "I must have
a voucher." Thereupon he took out his knife, and
cut off the seat of the fellow's breeches, saying, " Now,
I have got your bond, you may come down." The
chimney-groper descended, paid the money, and was
glad to sUnk off, minus his money, and the piece of
his outer integument.

318

CHAPTER VI.
DUELS IN THE COLONIES.
In the Colonies, especially the French and EngUsh,
duels used to be very common, if they are not so at
the present day, and always very serious, to use the
consecrated expression. Both the British and French
Creoles are hasty in the expression of thefr displeasure,
and vindictive in seeking to avenge their real or sup
posed 'wrongs. A rather ingenious explanation of
this peculiarity has been suggested by Millingen,
namely, that it is to be attributed to the great mor-
taUty which affiicts these unhealthy regions, as the
constant sight of death, and the incessant tolling of
the passing bell, must in a great measure strip death
of many of its terrors.
In accordance with this state of things, fencing and
pistol-practice were early attended to, indefatigably
cultivated, and mastered to perfection. It was no
uncommon thing to see a broad-headed naU driven

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 319
in by successive pistol shots at twelve or fifteen paces,
and many fencers there were who found it utterly
impossible to touch each other. Being thus thoroughly
prepared on all occasions, and possessing unbounded
confidence in thefr proficiency, the sending or the
acceptance of a challenge was a matter of very tri-vial
import, although no " child's play " entered into their
expectations. To these social causes of duelling were superadded,
if they are not still added, the constant dissensions
in colonial politics, where the representatives of the
place were often in collision with the government ;
and it was to be lamented that too frequently the
crown lawyers themselves, instead of endeavouring to
check the evUs that must arise from such a want of
concert and harmony, were the first to disturb the pablic
peace ; and attorney-general and solicitor-general were
occasionally the most troublesome and pugnacious
members of society. It was not only in the British
colonies that law officers showed the detestable ex
ample of duelling; in 1829, the Attorney- General of
Martinique shot a French Count, in consequence of
some ill-timed jokes in a ball-room. The Governor
of one of our transatlantic possessions fought a duel
'with the Chief Justice of the island.
Dr. Williams and Dr, Bennet,
The disagreements of the doctors may sometimes
cause the death of their patients, but at the period in

320 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
question they often proved fatal to themselves; in
stead of being content to kill their unfortunate patients
they kiUed each other, when, no doubt, the Morrisons
of the day said " so much the better for their patients."
The duel between Dr. WiUiams and Dr, Bennet
occurred in the year 1750, at Kingston, Jamaica, in
the West Indies, where, in the olden time at least, if
not at present, dreadful deeds were committed and
frightful tragedies enacted.
Dr. Williams and Dr. Bennet, two physicians of
Kingston, who had grossly abused each other in print,
on matters relating to their profession, met on Decem
ber 28th, 1 750, and had a scuffle, when some blows
passed ; and the same day, some letters and messages
were sent by Dr. Bennet, proposing a meeting, when
they might decide their difference "like gentlemen."
This offer being, it seems, rejected by WilUams,
Bennet went next morning, and knocking at his door,
WiUiams, on opening it, discharged a pistol loaded
with duckshot into his breast. The wounded doctor
retired across the way towards a friend's house, pur
sued by Williams, who, very near the door, fired
another pistol into his body ; and while he was striv
ing to draw his sword, which was fastened in the
scabbard, by his strongly knocking with the pummel
at his friend's door, Williams, with his sword, ran him
through the body, Bennet, in this dismal condition
amidst so many wounds, had yet at last the strength
to draw his sword, and praying to God to invigorate

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 321
him to avenge his death upon his murderer, gave
WUliams a home thrust, which entered the upper part
of his breast, and came out at the shoulder-blade, the
sword breaking, and lea'ving part in the wound,
WUUams, in retreating to his house, fell do'wn dead,
and Bennet lived four hours after, during which he
settled his affafrs,*
A DESPERATE DuELLIST ChASTISED,
Captain Stewart and Henri D'Egville,
Henri D'Egville was a French Creole of St, Domingo,
and had obtained great notoriety from the frequent
quarrels and frequent duels in which he had been en
gaged. In the year 1817, he made his appearance at
Kingston, Jamaica, whither he had escaped from the
massacres of Hayti, He was dining one day in com
pany with several persons, among whom was a Scotch
captain, of the name of Stewart, The meeting was
con'vivial, and various songs and toasts were called for
and given. The captain was requested to sing a Gaelic
song, but he said he did not know one. D'Egville,
however, peremptorUy insisted upon having a Gaelic
song from the Scot, who, pretending to yield to his
insolent persistence, said he would sing one — "The
Lady of Scotland's Mountains ;" and thereupon, being,
* ' Gentleman's Magazine,' xxi. Millingen relates this duel or
rencontre, with some little variation, and, moreover, omits the
important point of the transaction, namely, that it occurred in
the West Indies.
VOL. II. ^

322 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
it appears, a first-rate Greek scholar, he intoned an
ode of Anacreon, which was rapturously applauded by
the guests, D'Egville joining in more on account of
his success than otherwise, and not aware of the trick
which the captain had played. One or two of the
party, however, well aware of the joke, not only en
joyed it, but, of course, talked it over afterwards as
an " uncommonly good thing."
The party broke up, and Stewart repafred to his
vessel, accompanied by a friend, when the conversa
tion turned upon duelling, and the reputation that
D'Egville had obtained as a dangerous man. Stewart
expressed his horror of duelling, and admitted that it
had been his misfortune to kUl one of his intimate
friends in a hostile meeting, occasioned by some dif
ference between them concerning a lady, when his
friend had struck him. The Scotchman expressed his
deep sorrow for that melancholy event, which had ever
since embittered' his existence, WhUe the parties
were thus conversing, they perceived a boat puUing
towards the ship, and Stewart recognized in it a Cap
tain WUthorpe, an officer in the Columbian service, a
professed dueUist, and worthy companion of D'EgvUle.
Stewart had a foreboding at this unexpected visit,
which was soon realized. WUthorpe came on board,. '
and, after politely saluting the captain and his friend,
delivered a message from Henri D'EgviUe, who had
considered himself mystified by Stewart's having
sought to impose upon him a Greek ode for a Gaelic

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 323
song. The Scotch captain expressed his surprise at
this communication, and at the same time declared his
firm resolution not to fight a duel after the melancholy
result of a former one in which he had been engaged.
WUthorpe 'withdrew, and returned to his boat. Shortly
after Stewart, having occasion to go on shore, met
D'EgviUe on horseback, when the latter rode up to
him, struck him 'with a horsewhip, and galloped off.
Stewart, greatly indignant at this outrageous con
duct, instantly made the resolution to rid the world of
such a pestilent fellow ; but at the same time to peril
his own life by compelling the Creole to fight a duel
which would render the fall of both of them certain.
He sent him a message, and requested a meeting be
hind the Iguana Rocks. Then, accompanied by two
of his crew, he proceeded to the rendezvous, and di
rected the men to dig a grave sufficiently deep to re
ceive two bodies. D'EgvUle soon appeared, and Stew
art at once proposed, as conditions of the duel, that
they both should stand in the grave, holding their pis
tols in one hand, and the end of a pocket-handkerchief
in the other — a duel a outrance.
The sun was shedding its parting rays on the 'wild
spot Stewart had selected. He was firm and calm, in
implacable resolve. The creole, despite his efforts to
appear undismayed, betrayed e-vident signs of pertur
bation. The seconds, one of whom was WUthorpe,
drew lots for the word of command — the fatal signal
of death. The parties descended into the grave, — ¦
y 2

324 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Stewart, with an undaunted step ; D'EgviUe, with
much trepidation. The handkerchief was placed in
their hands ; firmly grasped by the Scot, — tremblingly
held by the Creole. The word " Ffre 1" was about to
be given, when the ruffian fainted, and feU at the feet
of his adversary, the pistol and handkerchief dropping
from his hands as though he had been suddenly struck
dead. Stewart spurned him with his foot as a das
tardly coward, and exclaiming — " Cowardly cut-throat,
you are too pitiable an object to excite my anger," —
left him to the care of his worthy companion and
friend.* An unexpected Shot.
A fatal duel of a most singular nature took place in
Jamaica, in the year 1830, Two planters, ha-ving made
rather free at a merry dinner, quarreUed, and deter
mined to fight a duel with muskets, Thefr boon com
panions consented to the meeting ; but, knowing the
friendship that had long subsisted between them and
the absurdity of the dispute, they determined to load
the pieces with powder, and without ball. The parties
met; it was night; torchlights were placed beside
them ; they fired by signal ; and to the utter dismay
of the seconds and the party assembled to witness the
sham-fight, one of them was shot, and dropped a
corpse ! The poor feUow, however, was shot in the
* This affair was originally described in the ' Monthly Maga
zine,' and was slightly varied by Dr. Millingen.

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 32S
haclc; and this fact led to inquiry. Recovering from
their surprise, they carefully examined the surround
ing bush, when at last they discovered a negro con
cealed under a tree, and armed with a carbine. The
man was seized, and he confessed that he was the as
sassin. The motives that had impelled him to this
deed were as singular as the result. It appeared that
the preceding day one of the planters had passed by a
gibbet on which a negro was hanging, when he wan
tonly put a tobacco-pipe in the mouth of the culprit.
It was a friend of the unfortunate man, who, on be
holding the unfeeling action, resolved on punishing
the planter as soon as a favourable opportunity might
be presented. He was present when the duel was de
cided on, and he hastened to his cabin, loaded a car
bine, and, concealing himself behind a tree near the
scene of action, intended to fire upon his victim ; but
the darkness of the night led to the fatal mistake.
The idea was certainly ingenious. He expected to
escape the consequences by confounding his bullet
with that of the combatants ; but, instead of hitting
the offender, he sent his bullet into the back of the in
nocent opponent of the latter !
LoNG-SlGHTED AND ShOET-SiGHTED.
At Martinique, in the year 1836, M. L. de Maynard,
author of a romance entitled ' Outre-Mer,' was bitterly
criticized by a journaUst. He sent him a challenge,
which the journaUst declared he was quite wilUng to

326 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
accept, in order to give him satisfaction, but that being
long-sighted he could not fight except at a long dis
tance. M. de Maynard, on his part, declared that,
being short-sighted, he expected to fight at a short
distance. After some discussion ten paces was the
distance agreed upon, and M. de Maynard was killed.
A Peomised Memento.
When the Creoles 'visited the mother-country, they
brought 'with them their swords and pistols, together
-with their keen susceptibili-ties ,and recklessness ; but
they were not always in the wrong. On one occasion
at a table d'hote in Paris, a young Creole perceived
that a Frenchman was annoying an English young
lady with his assiduities, and resolved to interfere.'
Going up to the gentleman he requested him very
politely to discontinue his attentions, as they were evi
dently not acceptable to the lady. The Frenchman, of
course, resented the intrusion, insisted upon an ex
change of cards, and left the table in a fury. The
Creole went to his apartments, and ere long received a
visit from a gentleman who described himself as the
friend of the Comte de  , requesting the honour of
knowing the name of a friend with whom the un
avoidable affair might be brought to the issue. The
Creole rang his bell, and, on the appearance of the
ga.rgon, told him to request M. de  to step up to
him at once. As soon as M. de  entered, the
Creole said, to the challenger's second, "Now, Sir, I

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 327
meant no offence to your principal. Had the lady
been his sister or friend, I suppose he would have felt
much obliged to me for interfering, had a stranger thus
annoyed her. I repeat, I meant no offence. But, if
your principal insists upon fighting, I am ready, and
depend upon it I shaU give him a memento of the trans
action — a reminder that he ought to have listened
quietly to a friendly hint. Pistols are my weapons,"
The meeting took place in the Bois de Boulogne, at
twelve paces. The Frenchman had the first fire and
missed. The Creole then fired, and his bullet cut a
piece clean off the top of his right ear ; the part was
aimed at, and the wound was the intended memento.
A Quick Shot.
Two friends had a quarrel respecting a bet, sharp
words passed between them, and a meeting with pistols
was arranged. The distance was fifteen paces; and
the combatants were to fire together at a given signal.
They were both good shots, one from the island of
Martinique, the other from Barbadoes, The word
Fire ! was given ; but only one report was heard,
when the arm of the Barbadian was seen to drop
gradually, still holding the pistol. His adversary's
ball had broken his fore-arm before he could pull the
trigger. Brain or Heart?
Two most intimate friends in one of the West India

328 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
islands had a trivial quarrel, over which, however, one
of them brooded unreasonably, and at length persuaded
himself that he was called upon to demand satisfaction.
The other, on receiving the challenge, made a joke of
it, and laughing outright, said, " Tell him to come and
breakfast 'with me to-morrow, and that I say he ought
to be ashamed of himself for thinking that I could be
capable of fighting with him." Whether the bearer of
the message aggravated the matter by gi'ving a false
colour to the incident and expression of this interview,
did not conclusively appear, but it is probable that he
did, and the consequence was that the challenge was
repeated more urgently than before,
Mr. R  ', the party challenged, felt at length com
peUed to consent to the duel ; but he urged his second
to do all he could to prevent a meeting. His second
complied with his request, but at length returned to
him declaring that Mr, N  r-, the challenger, would
hear of no accommodation; on the contrary, that he
had even hinted that Mr, R  was afraid to meet him,
and that he was determined to shoot him through the
head. On hearing these words, Mr, R  became pale
with emotion, and after a momentary pause, said to
his second, " Then I'U shoot him through the heart ! "
They went to the ground. They were the two
deadUest shots ever known in the island. The distance
agreed upon was fifteen paces. They were to fire
together at a given signal. They fired, Mr, N 

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 329
missed his adversary, whose bullet went, as he had
resolved, through the heart of the unfortunate nian,
who had only time to grasp the hand of his sorrowing
friend, and expired without uttering a word.

The End of a Duellist,
In one ofthe West India Islands a Mr, Cain enjoyed
the reno'wn of being an unapproachable dueUist and in
fallible dead-shot. He had killed about a score of men,
and was the terror of the community, doing and saying
what he pleased. Nobody ever thought of venturing
to give him offence ; but, unfortunately for everybody,
he would manage to take offence when not intended,
and insist upon ha'ving satisfaction, — apparently merely
for the pleasure of ha'ving a shot at somebody. One
day he brutally insulted a young man, a mere stripling.
Of course the idea of calling out Cain could not be en
tertained ; but the opprobrious insult clung to the young
man; his companions taunted him with it; society
seemed closing its doors to him ; his Ufe became worse
than death. A friend of his went to him — this time
not to reproach him, but the first words he uttered
were, " You must kUl Cain." — " I was just thinking of
letting him kiU me, to get rid of my horrid existence !"
said the young man, utterly desponding. "Tut!"
said the friend, " I'U manage the affafr. Only do all I
prescribe and I warrant you a safe skin out of the
scratching. Do you consent ?" — " Oh, anything you

330 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
like ; I cannot be in a worse condition !" said the
young man.
Forthwith the comforter took the young man to his
house, and put him through a course of training -with
the pistol, and in about a fortnight he pronounced him
ready for the encounter. " At any rate," said the
trainer, " even if he kills you, you 'will have a good
chance of being a public benefactor, by ridding the
world of a monster."
Of course this gentleman was to be the young man's
second. He delivered the challenge, which was gladly
accepted by Cain, who observed that " the fellow had
been a long time screwing up his courage to the stick
ing point," The place was named, and the time fixed
for half-past six precisely on the foUo'wing morning.
The young man and his second were early on the
ground. This was intended by his second, who had
also managed somehow to get the negro delayed who
was to bring Cain's pistols, Cain came on the ground,
and finding himself anticipated by the other party, and
moreover that his negro was behind time, began to
fume and swear intemperately. The young man's
friend inwardly rejoiced at this^ kno'wing that Cain
was getting himself into the worst condition for cool,
steady firing. At length the negro came up with
the pistols, when Cain said to him furiously, "You
scoundrel ! As soon as I have shot this fellow, I'll
give you a good hiding." The poor negro slunk out
of the way, — no doubt inwardly praying that a good

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 331
shot might be vouchsafed to save him from a merciless
hiding. The seconds tossed up for the position. The young
man's second won it; the result was that the rising
sun blazed full in Cain's face, — to his additional disgust
and annoyance. A tall tree was also just behind him.
Nothing could be better for his adversary. The parties
were to fire together at a given signal, by Cain's se
cond. The word was given ; the two shots went off
together ; the young man was safe ; Cain had missed
him, but received his adversary's bullet right in his
heart. He sprang about two feet from the ground,
and, falUng hea-vily, expired.
Strange Effect op being Shot.
Two West Indians, both in love with the same
young lady, determined to decide the question as to
who should have the prize, by a duel. They were
both good shots, and therefore liked nothing better
than bringing the matter to this conclusion. On the
appointed morning they took their ground, at twelve
paces, to fire at the word of command, and simulta
neously. They fired ; only one was shot, and strange
to say he sprang up a tree close by, and then roUed
down dead to the ground.
What it Costs to Kill a Man,
A man of small stature called upon the Count

333 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
d'E  , French consul at Valparaiso, and sent in his
card, upon which were these words : — " M, S  ,
French consul at Peru." As soon as he was intro
duced he sat do'wn in the coolest manner possible.
" You wUl remember," he said, looking fixedly at the
Count, "the voyage I had the honour of making in
your company about a year ago, in a French ship of
war, bound to Peru. You know there was a -violent
quarrel at table one night, on a most tri'vial subject.
One of the guests got up, and coming up to the party
who was speaking to him, gave him a slap in the face.
The aggressor I need not name, Sfr ; the party struck
was myself. Do you remember the transaction?"
— " Perfectly well," replied the consul, becoming very
pale. The visitor continued, "The captain of the
ship, having disembarked you at Valparaiso, refused to
allow me to go on shore ; consequently, I continued
my joumey and reached Lima. A year has passed
away, and doubtless you thought I had forgotten the
incident, but shame is ineffaceable from the memory
of a man of honour. I applied for leave of absence,
but it was refused ; as I could not obtain it, I have
taken it. I took passage in an American whaler
bound for Valparaiso, We set sail, and here I am,"
— "And resolved to fight ?" asked the consul. " Yes,"
was the reply. "And you will accept no other satis
faction ?" — "Yes, one. It is this. To-morrow, in the
presence of two witnesses, one of them chosen by
yourself, the other by me, I shall return you the slap

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 333
you gave me." — "Very well," said the consul, "come
back this evening with a friend."
In the evening, accordingly, the Peru'vian consul
returned, accompanied by a naval offlcer. The Count
d'E  was waiting for him in company with a
chargS d'affaires.
"Yon consent ?" asked M, S  in a low voice,
" Yes," replied Count d'E  with a strange smile,
M. S  was embarrassed with his too easy re
venge. He hesitated to take it. At length he made
up his mind to raise his hand, when the Count, grasp
ing and crushing it 'with a clutch of iron, exclaimed,
" And you reaUy thought the thing possible ! Be
cause you have patiently endured the shame of a slap
for one year, you think I would bear the affliction for
ever ! You did not perceive that I wished to see how
far you would carry your demands and your credulity.
You are indeed very amusing, Sfr; but you had
better undeceive yourself. I am not a stone, I am
a man."— "I prefer that," repUed M. S  . There
upon he told the witnesses that he was not desfrous
of taking advantage of his position as the offended
party; he said he had been practising daily for a
year, both with the sword and the pistol, and believed
that, 'with either weapon, he was now equal to his
adversary, who was considered a great proficient.
The Count d'E  on being asked what weapon
he would prefer, said, " the pistol, the sword, a knife,
anything you please," Upon which aU the parties

334 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
immediately went out, directing their steps to a spot
which was closed in by the mountains on one side and
the ocean on the other. The seconds made an attempt
to effect a reconciliation, insisting on the long time
that had elapsed since the injury was received, " Im
possible !" said M. S  . "The Count's hand is stiU
on my cheek."
The moon was shining ; it was as bright as day.
The two combatants were posted at the distance of
twenty-five paces, M. S  keeping himself as side
ways as possible, and the Count presenting almost an
entire front to his adversary. The first shot was
exchanged without result. The pistols were reloaded.
The Count lost hold of the pistol as it was given to him ;
it went off as he tried to catch it, and the ball went
into the ground at his feet, M. S  called upon
the seconds to reload his adversary's pistol, but the
Count refused -to permit it, " Fire, Sir, I insist upon
it," he exclaimed, M. S  was obliged to comply
and the Count fell, muttering the words, " It is
ended!" M. S  rushed towards him, in utter despair, and
when he was told that the wound was mortal, he ran
off like a madman, with haggard eyes, and tearing
his hafr. The man who had hankered after revenge
for a twelvemonth, now that he had got it to his
heart's content, cursed the skUl which had served him
so well. He died of remorse a few years after. Be
fore breathing his last, he called his son to his bed-

DUELS IN THE COLONIES. 335
side, and pointing to the fatal pistol, hanging on the
waU and covered with crape, he said, " Keep that
weapon as the best part of your inheritance. The
remembrance which it will ever caU to your mind will,
perhaps, render you less a slave than I have myself
been to the cruel laws of the noint of honour. At
any rate, it will teach you what it costs to kill a
man."

336

CHAPTER VII,
BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829 TO THE LAST ON
RECORD.
The Duke of Wellington and the Earl of
Winchilsea,
(a.d. 1829.)
This celebrated affafr of honour must be considered an
epoch in duelling. Nothing can be more significant
of the change which has come over our sentiments
and opinions during the last thirty yea,rs than that
such a man should have felt it his duty to resort to
such a practice in 'vindication of his character.
It is quite evident, however, that the Duke thought
very lightly of duelling. In his letter to Lord Lon
donderry, before quoted, he states that he had entreated
his Royal Highness to keep the 10th regiment in Dub
Un, although he knew that duels would be the conse
quence. "I think it not impossible," he says, "they
may have to fight a duel or two ; but that I consider of

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 337
no conseqiience." Only think of such an authority as
the Duke of Wellington giving utterance to such an
opinion, and only thirty years ago !
Such being the sentiments of the Great Duke on
the subject of duelling, we cannot be surprised at his
conduct when insulted by the Earl of Winchilsea,
Doubtless, however, the Duke little thought, when ad
judicating, as we have seen, on the Londonderry and
Battier duel, before described,* that he would himself
be the next personage to figure in a simUar transaction,
and to render himself amenable, not indeed to the
rules and regulations of the Horse Guards, but to the
laws of the country and public opinion. The circum
stances of this very curious duel were as follows.
The constitutional part which the Duke of WelUng-
ton took, as Minister of the country, in bringing in
the Roman CathoUc Relief BiU, stirred up the fanatic
-wrath of the Earl of Winchilsea, who was strongly
opposed to that simple measure of justice ; and he
thought proper to try the effect of a " diversion," or a
little bit of " skirmishing," to damage the great stra
tegist and tactician, as he could not oppose him
" in force." The Duke had generously given his va
luable patronage to the estabUshment of King's Col
lege, London; and the Earl of WinchUsea thought
proper to write a letter to the secretary of its com
mittee, in which he stated that the Duke, " under the
cloak of some outward show of zeal for the Protestant
* Vol. ii. p. 270.
VOL. II. z

338 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
religion, was carrying on his insidious designs for the
infringement of our liberties, and the introduction of
Popery into every department of the State." At the
present day such an aspersion would be laughed at by
a prime minister of England; but, unfortunately, it
was otherwise in those ticklish times when the "No
Popery" cry had to be seriously considered by the
Government. A^ccordingly, the Duke considered that
the averment quoted imputed to him, " in no measured
terms, disgraceful and criminal motives for his conduct
in the part which he took in the establishment of the
college," and called upon Winchilsea to " relieve him
self from the pain of having thus insulted a man who
never injured or offended him."
A prodigious correspondence ensued. In the seventh
"memorandum," Winchilsea offered terms; he would
withdraw the imputation, pro-vided the Duke would
state " that at the time he came forward to preside at
the meeting for the establishment of King's CoUege,
he did not contemplate the measures then in progress
for Roman CathoUc emancipation." This, of course,
was an absurd demand, totaUy frrelevant — " imperti
nent," as the lawyers call it ; and therefore the Duke
returned to the " charge," and said plainly enough, re
iterating the original sin — " For this insult 1 beUeved,
and am not willing to part with the belief, that his
lordship will be anxious to give me reparation." Now,
" reparation" is the same as " satisfaction," and it was
quite evident that this was what the Duke was driving

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 339
at. The Earl of WinchUsea, or his " friends," did not,
¦or would not, see the evident " drift" of the war, and
more letters passed, " beating the bush." At length,
by the Duke's command, went forth these words, —
" I repeat what has already been verbally arranged
between us, that the Duke of Wellington will be at the
place appointed at eight o'clock to-morrow morning ;"
followed by a note from the Duke himself, in which he
says, " I now call upon your lordship to give me that
satisfaction for your conduct which a gentleman has a
right to reqnfre, and which a gentleman never refuses
to give. I have the honour, etc., Wellington." To
this Winchilsea replied at last, — " The satisfaction
which your Grace has demanded, it is, of course, im
possible for me to decline, I have the honour to be,
etc., Winchilsea."
Accordingly, the Duke of Wellington and the Earl
of WinchUsea met at the place appointed, Battersea
Fields, on the next morning, and the foUo-wing is,
I have good reason to believe, the only true account of
the transaction. On their first arrival on the ground
the parties were interrupted by the presence of some
common people, and they moved off to another locality,
apparently, however, without improving the situation
in this respect, for it is certain that the affair was wit
nessed by several bystanders.
After some little delay, and a sort of address
from Lord Falmouth expressive of regret, etc., the
pistols were delivered to the principals in position.
z 2

340 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
At the word " Fire," the Duke raised his pistol, but
seemed to hesitate, as indeed he must have done, for
he saw that Lord Winchilsea kept his pistol pointing
to the ground, e-vidently not intending to fire. The
Duke fired, but, of course, at random. Thereupon,
Lord Falmouth, Winchilsea's second, delivered to Sir
Henry Hardinge, the Duke's second, a memorandum
expressing his Lordship's regret for publishing the
opinion in question, and after a word was added in
pencil at the Duke's demand, the latter declared him
self satisfied, — the Earl declaring that he would cause
this expression of his regret to be inserted in the
' Standard ' newspaper, as the same channel through
which the offensive letter was given to the public.
The parties then separated, but not without a little ex
planation being demanded by a person who was present,
from Lord Falmouth, The party in question expressed
his astonishment to Lord Falmouth that the Duke of
Wellington should be put in such a situation of peril.
Lord Falmouth thereupon assured him that the only
condition on which he consented to act as second to
the Earl of Winchilsea was, that the latter should not
fire at the Duke ! This was certainly a very odd
arrangement ; but Lord Falmouth went on to say that
the Earl of Winchilsea thought that the injury he had
done the Duke was too great for a mere apology, and
that he ought to receive his fire. Was ever infatuation
carried further ? And yet I believe that this is the
true version of the affair, as given by one who was

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 341
both an eye- and ear-witness of it from beginning to
end, and whose manuscript I have perused.
Of course such a duel was well calculated to make a
great noise, and the foUo'wing is one ofthe most eloquent
and amusing versions of it, given in the columns of the
venerable 'Morning Herald' (23rd March, 1829) :—
"The City was thrown into a great ferment this
morning by a report which seemed so utterly impro
bable, that at first few people believed it, except those
whose mental swallows are so outrageously capacious
as to take down everything in the shape of news that
is presented to them. For our part we were amongst
the incredulous, considering the story as only fit to
amuse male and female old ladies — the gossipers in
and out of petticoats. Notwithstanding our unbelief,
however, we were seriously told by every third person
we met how his Grace the Duke of Wellington had
taken offence at his lordship's, the Earl of Winchilsea's
letter, about the King's College; how the aforesaid
noble Duke had chaUenged the aforesaid noble Earl;
how the said noble belUgerents had agreed, through
thefr seconds, the Earl of Falmouth and Sfr Henry
Hardinge, to meet, stand up, and fire at one another,
at the distance of twelve paces, like sage legislators
and true Christians ; how they accordingly did meet
this morning in Battersea Fields, among the cabbages ;
how his Grace, the premier, the champion of emanci
pation, shot at his lordship, the Earl of WinchUsea, the
champion of Protestantism ; how the above-mentioned

342 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Duke was near settling emancipation, and the above-
mentioned Earl to boot, by shooting him through the
body ; how, notwithstanding, the ball hit the lappel of
his lordship's coat only; how thereupon the noble
Earl fired his pistol in the air ; how the seconds then
interfered; how the lord presented to Sir Henry
Hardinge, the Duke's second, a written apology; how
it was accepted ; and, lastly, how the affair was thus
amicably arranged; the Duke luckily being left at
liberty to defend the Emancipation Bill instead of
being called upon to defend himself from a charge of
murder ; while the Earl may, if he chooses, again take
his place at the head of the 'No Popery ' boys, instead
of being quietly laid up in the narrow house, to decay
among the bones of his buried ancestors. Strange as
this story appears, it turned but in aU its principal
features to be literally true. Yes; reader, the Duke
of Wellington, the conqueror of a greater conqueror
than either Alexander or Ceesar, the first wan-ior of his
day, the victor of a hundred battles, the Prime Minister
of Great Britain, and the author of a measure which, he
says, is necessary, absolutely necessary, for the welfare of
the empire, setting all these things at nought, placed him
self in a situation where it was probable he might have
become a murderer; might have committed a deadly
crime, which would have brought him to the bar of his
country to plead for his life as a felon of the blackest
dye. And all this risk was run, forsooth — all this
wickedness was to be perpetrated — merely because a

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 343
noble lord, in a fit of anger, wrote a pettish letter,
which even his best friends and warmest admirers
laughed at. Truly it is no wonder that the multitude
should break the laws when we thus see the law
makers themselves, the great, the powerful, and the
reno-wned, setting them at open defiance,
" The Duke -wished Lord Winchilsea good morning,
and, the compliment being returned, the parties left
the ground and returned to town. About fourteen or
fifteen gardeners and labouring men, who were on the
spot during the transaction, advised the noble combat
ants to settle the matter in dispute 'with their fists,
" The spot on which the occurrence took place was
well known to the Duke of WeUington, being the same
which his Grace, in company -with some noblemen and
gentlemen, a number of years since, frequented for the
purpose of practising shooting."
There was, I have reason to believe, not the slightest
foundation for the last statement ; but it is not impro
bable that the rabble present made remarks on the
affair, — although it is rather singular that no letters
appeared in papers from that source of information
respecting this extraordinary duel.
It seems that the pistols used were hired ones ; they
were bought by a gentleman who kept them in his
museum ; and they were subsequently offered for sale
to the present Duke of Wellington, who declined the
purchase, as it was impossible to vouch for the one
used by his father on the occasion.

344 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Mr, RoEBiTCK, M.P,, and Me. Black.
(a.d, 1835.)
This duel is, I find, rather slightingly alluded to,
but I think it shows the original pluck of the British
dog "Tear' em" as strikingly as any incident in the
Ufe of the veteran poUtician. In one of his political
pamphlets published in 1835, Mr. Roebuck imputed
cowardice to Mr, Black, the editor of the 'Morning
Chronicle,' and applied the epithets " base and utterly
disgraceful" to his conduct with reference to Mr.
Goldsmid. For these words Mr. Roebuck was caUed
to account, Mr. Black insisting that they should be
retracted. Mr, Revans, Mr, Roebuck's second, said
he felt authorized in saying that Mr. Roebuck had
never intended to impute cowardice to Mr, Black, in
fact, " that he reaUy believed him to be a philosopher,
and as such would, of course, not fight; this was aU
that Mr, Roebuck would admit," Mr, Black, how
ever, although no doubt a philosopher, was also, it
seems, a fighting-cock, and rejected this comical ex
planation, demanding a hostUe meeting. They met,
Mr, Roebuck received Mr. Black's fire, fired in the
air, and, advancing towards Mr, Black, said, "Now,
Sir, I again repeat that I had no intention of imputing
cowardice to you, I find I was led into error in
stating that the correspondence between you and
Mr, Goldsmid was copied into the ' Morning Chronicle,'
which I have been informed is not the fact. But I

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 345
am stUl of the same opinion respecting the conduct of
yourself towards Mr. Goldsmid, and I vindicate to
myself the right of stating my opinion of the public
act of a public man."
Mr. M'GUli-vray, Mr. Black's second, then insisted
that the words " base " and " disgraceful " should be
retracted, as he said they could, without dishonour to
Mr, Roebuck, Mr. Roebuck answered, that his opinion
respecting the conduct in question remained un
changed ; that he could not say he did not think it
base and disgraceful; it was dishonest and unjust,
and stiU, in his opinion, disgraceful.
On this, Mr. M'GilUvray said that the affair must
go on, unless Mr. Roebuck consented to withdraw the
expressions complained of. Thereupon Mr. Roebuck
walked back to the ground, and shots were then ex
changed, but -without effect.
Mr. Roebuck asked what was now required, and an
apology was again demanded, and again refused.
Mr. Revans observed, that they were there with their
minds made up, and that, if Mr. M'GUli'vray desired,
the affair must go on. Mr. M'GiUi'vray here declared
that he was the proprietor of the ' Morning Chronicle,'
and that Mr, Black ought not to be further exposed
upon account of that journal. Mr. Roebuck asked
if that was meant as a threat. Mr. Revans here
reminded Mr, M'GUlivray, that though he might be
the proprietor of the ' Chronicle,' in this affafr he was
a second, Mr. Revans further observed that he was

346 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
ready to meet Mr. M'GUU'vray immediately, in any
way he might desire. Mr. M'GUlivray then observed
that he did not know Mr, Revans ; and Mr. Roebuck
answered, " Sir, I am a sufficient guarantee for any
man ; Mr. Revans is a friend of mine, and I desire
that no altercation of this sort may proceed. If you
are not satisfied, I am here, and you must determine
for yourself what you will do. I am not to be driven
from what I believe just by any threats of assassina
tion. I vindicate to myself the right of saying that I
think the conduct of a public man ' base ' and ' dis
graceful,' and I will not be driven from this. Choose
what you will do," On this Mr, M'Gilli-STay decided
that the affair should end. Mr. Roebuck then said to
Mr, Black, " I have respect for you. Sir, but, though
I say this of you, I still assert my right to speak of
your acts as I have done. It must now, however, be
distinctly understood, that hereafter, Mr, Black is
personally responsible for everything said in the ' Morn
ing Chronicle,' and by me -will be held so." Mr. Black
repUed that he did not think what Mr. Roebuck was
now doing would do him credit. Mr. Roebuck re
plied, that he himself must be allowed to judge for
himself. Some little controversy ensued as to Mr. Roebuck's
fire on the occasion ; but it seems certain that at the
first shot he fired in the air after recei'ving his adver
sary's fire, but that at the second discharge the fire
of the combatants was simultaneous. Mr, Roebuck,

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 347
in the conversation foUowing the first shot, alluded to
his mode of firing, saying, " You saw how I fired ;"
whether he fired in like manner at the second shot is
not stated, although it may be inferred,*
The Hon. Grantley Berkeley and De. Magin.
(' Feasee's Magazine.')
(a.d. 1836.)
An article appeared in ' Eraser's Magazine,' con
taining matter extremely offensive to Mr. Grantley
Berkeley ; and on his applying to the publisher, Mr,
James Fraser, respecting it, an altercation ensued, in
which he committed an outrageous assault on that
gentleman. Thereupon, Dr. Magin, the author of the
article in question, left his card at Berkeley House,
with an acknowledgment of the offence. A hostile
message was forthwith sent by Mr. Berkeley to Dr.
Magin, and a meeting was agreed upon for seven
o'clock in the evening : it was in the month of August.
Major Fancourt was Mr. Berkeley's second, and Mr.
Hugh Fraser attended Dr. Magin,
The parties met in a field near the Edgware Road,
and after exchanging three shots without effect, Mr.
Hugh Fraser thought it high time to withdraw his
chivalrous principal, no apology nor explanation hav
ing been requfred or tendered. This was certainly a
very odd termination to the affair, although, of course,
* 'Morning Chronicle,' November 21, 1835.

348 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Mr. Hugh Fraser deserves great credit for not allo-wing
the parties to risk their valuable lives any further.
An unfoetunate Lovee,
LoED Castleeeagh and M, Gerard de Melcy,
(A.D. 1838).
Lord Castlereagh, then a young man, became
violently in love with the celebrated singer Giulia
Grisi, then the wife of M, Gerard de Melcy, The
lady gave him no encouragement whatever; but his
lordship never failed to be present at every repre
sentation of the Italian Opera in London, Placing
himself in that part of the theatre which is termed the
omnibus, it was his habit to applaud the actress with
irrepressible enthusiasm, and in the intervals between
the acts he would proceed behind the scenes to offer
her his immense and sincere admfration. There was
no great harm in aU this ; but, unkickily, his lordship
thought proper to go a step further. He wrote the
lady a letter, conceived in the warmest terms. Un
fortunately this letter fell into the hands of the lady's
husband, who was, of course, greatly annoyed thereat,
although the terms of the letter conclusively proved
that it was a first declaration, and even expressed
little hope of a favourable reply. M. de Melcy called
twice at Lord Castlereagh's, but was unable to get an
interview, his lordship being at Ascot, He then -wrote
a letter to him, stating that he had intercepted his cor-

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 349
respondence, and expected the only satisfaction that a
gentleman can give.
As soon as Lord Castlereagh received this letter, he
went to M, de Melcy, and assured him that he (Lord
Castlereagh) was alone to blame in the affair; that
nothing whatever on the part of Madame de Melcy had
countenanced or warranted such a hazardous proceed
ing, and he expressed his great regret for the error,
promising to renounce the insane delusion. M. de
Melcy replied, that he could not be satisfied -with verbal
excuses, but that his -wife's honour demanded a different
sort of reparation. A duel was therefore arranged.
The young lord was attended by Mr. Bentinck as his
second, and M. de Melcy by another Frenchman,
M, Cottreau. The meeting was fixed for the foUow
ing moming, at half-past four o'clock, at Wormwood
Scrubs, a rather appropriate name for the place where
his lordship was to receive a bitter lesson.
The champions came to the ground, bringing thefr
pistols ; but a difference arose among the seconds on a
novel point in duelling. There was an objection to
allowing the combatants to use the weapons -with
which they had been accustomed to practise, and it
was actually resolved to send and purchase a new pair
of pistols at a gunmaker's. This, of course, caused
much delay, and it was ten o'clock when the unhappy
lover and the husband were placed in position for
mortal combat. Before proceeding. Lord Castlereagh,-
by his second, gave to his adversary's friend a folded

350 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
letter, with permission to read it where and as he
pleased, A distance of twelve paces having been
measured, it was agreed that the two adversaries
should fire together to the signal— "Are you ready,
gentlemen ? Fire !"
These words being given, the two shots were fired
together. Lord Castlereagh was wounded; the ball
entered his wrist, furrowed his arm, and grazed his
breast, causing a great effusion of blood. Thereupon
Mr. Bentinck declared that the affair should not go
any further. " Por the present," said M. de Melcy,
It was then that Lord Castlereagh's letter, before
mentioned, was read by the offended husband. In
that letter his lordship said, in the most solemn man
ner, that having, perhaps, in a few minutes to appear
before his Maker, he declared that Madame de Melcy's
honour was utterly untainted, and that the lady had
never even written to him, nor authorized him to write
to her. With this declaration M. de Melcy considered
his honour satisfied, and consented to terminate the
affair. The Linendraper and the Innkeeper's Son.
MiRFiN AND Eliot.
(a.d. 1838.)
This is the famous tragi-comedy, the ridicule of
which gave the first serious blow to the practice of
dueUing in England. Mirfin was the son of a mercer
at Doncaster, and had kept a linen-draper's shop in

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 351
Tottenham-Court Road, and Eliot was the nephew of
an innkeeper at Taunton, and recently an officer in
the Spanish Legion, of regretful memory.
The duel arose out of a dispute which took place
at the Saloon in PiccadUly, and was fought on Wimble
don Common, in a ravine about two hundred yards
from the mill.
The parties fired at a distance of twelve paces. At
the first shot Eliot's ball went through Mirfin's hat.
The seconds immediately interfered; but the latter
objected, and insisted upon having a second shot.
The pistols being reloaded, the parties fired again,
when Mirfin fell. He was immediately attended by a
surgeon, but his death was nearly instantaneous.
Warrants were immediately issued for the appre
hension of all the parties concerned, and Young and
Webber, the seconds, were tried at the Old BaUey
on the 21st of September following.
The jury, after retfring about twenty minutes,
brought in a verdict of " Guilty." The foreman then
said that he had been desired by his brother jurors
to express the horror they felt at the conduct of
Mr. Scott ; and to say that, in their opinion, he ought
to have been placed at the bar along with the pri
soners, Mr. Justice Vaughan said he quite agreed
with the jury as regarded Mr. Scott. Mr. Chambers
said he was instructed by the brother of the deceased,
who had felt it his duty to institute the prosecution,
to recommend the prisoners to mercy, on account of

352 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
the excellent character they had received. Mr. Justice
Vaughan said the recommendation should be attended
to, but for the present, the Court would order that
sentence of death should be recorded against the
prisoners, and they would from that understand that
their lives would be spared. The sentence of death was
afterwards commuted to twelve months' imprisonment,
the last month to be passed in solitary confinement,
Eliot and the other parties had escaped abroad. As
before stated, all the parties who had appealed to this
" gentlemanly " mode of settling a difference and the
code of refined honour, could, apparently, claim only
a very doubtful gentiUty, thus gi'ving rise to much
sarcastic comment in the press at the time ; and there
can be no doubt, as previously remarked, that this
affair did much to bring the practice of duelling into
ridicule and detestation. It was destined, however,
to get its honour restored to it for a time, two years
after, by the celebrated Cardigan-Tuckett affair.
The Marquis of Londonderry and Mr, Henry
Grattan,
(a.d. 1839.)
In consequence of some expressions which were
made use of by the Marquis of Londonderry in the
House of Lords, with regard to a speech reported to
have been made by Grattan at a public meeting in
Dublin, the latter addressed a letter of inqufry to the
Marquis, to which the following answer was re-

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 353
turned : — " Lord Londonderry presents his compli
ments to Mr, Henry Grattan, Lord Londonderiy
read, in his place in the House of Lords, an extract
from the reports of the newspapers of a speech of
Mr. O'Connell's, stated to have been made at a public
meeting in Dublin, to address the Queen, in which
accusations were made against that party to which
Lord Londonderry is proud to belong. The para
graph Lord L. cited is as follows : — ' Mr. Grattan had
said, that her Majesty's Ufe would not be safe if the
Tories came into power; and he (Mr, O'ConneU) de
clared solemnly he was convinced she would not li'^e
six months, if that event took place,' Lord London
derry at once admits, if these sentiments are accurately
reported, accusing the Tory party of the intention of
murdering the Queen, he considers them base and
infamous. It was to such accusations Lord London
derry's epithets appUed."
In a second letter, Grattan begged to say, that he
was not accountable for any opinion or expression in
Mr. O'Connell's speeches. As he had not alluded, in
any speech of his, in any way to Lord Londonderry,
he requested his lordship would distinctly say, whe
ther he intended that the words "base" and "in
famous" should be applied to him? In answer to
this letter. Lord Londonderry observed, that, un-
TisdUing as he should be to fix upon any individual
such sentim(=Stts as those reported in the public ac
counts of the meeting to which he aUuded, he must
vol. ii, 2 a

354 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
adhere to the opinion he had already expressed, as
applying to any individaal who was prepared to avow
such language. The epithets complained of were, he
said, applied not to indi-viduals, but to injurious accu
sations reported to have been publicly uttered against
a political body; and since there was no disavowal,
on Mr, Henry Grattan's part, of the language and
sentiments reported to have been used. Lord London
derry regretted he could not recede from the opinions
he had already expressed. In consequence of this
correspondence, a meeting was arranged, which took
place at three o'clock in the day, on Wimbledon
Common, Upon the signal being given. Lord Lon
donderry received Mr. Grattan's fire, and then fired in
the air, Mr. Bodkin, on the part of Mr, Grattan, then
expressed himself perfectly satisfied, and the affair
terminated. Lord Powerscourt and Mr. Roebuck.
(a.d. 1839.)
Mr. Roebuck had appUed certain insulting words to
Lord Powerscourt in a speech which he delivered at
Bath, A meeting was the consequence, at Coombe
Wood, His lordship was attended by the Hon, H,
Fitzroy, and Mr, Roebuck by Mr, Trelawney, On the
ground endeavours were made in vain to prevent pro
ceeding to extremities, Lord Powerscourt's second
insisting on Mr. Roebuck's retracting or apologizing
for the offensive words in question. Mr, Roebuck

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829, 355
received his adversary's fire, discharged his pistol in
the air, and, advancing to Lord Powerscourt, said,
"Now, my Lord, I am ready to make any apology
your Lordship may suggest, — for certainly, in my
speech at Bath, I did not mean to imply anything
personaUy offensive," With this declaration aU parties
being satisfied, the affair terminated.
Threats should be Avoided.
Lord William Paget and Mr. Fiske.
(a.d. 1839.)
This duel took place on Wimbledon Common.
Mr. Fiske received his lordship's fire, and fired in
the air; when the seconds interfered. It appears that
Lord WiUiam had called upon Mr. Fiske to deny that
he had ever lent money to his lordship, as had been
stated in a morning paper, — which request Mr. Fiske
refused to comply 'with on the ground of its being
accompanied by a threat; but, after receiving his
lordship's fire, he said he had no hesitation in de
claring, in the presence of the seconds. Captain BaUUe
and Mr. Nightingale, that he never had lent any money
to his lordship.
The Earl of Cardigan and Captain H. G. P. Tdckbtt.
(a.d. 1840.)
This celebrated affair commenced at a party which
Lord Cardigan, Lieut.-Colonel of the 10th Dragoons,
gave at Brighton. According to custom, he had in-
2 A 2

356 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
yited the majority of the officers of the 11th Hussars
in garrison at that place, A handsome young lady
among the guests happened to express her surprise at
not seeing Captain Reynolds at the party.
Lord Cardigan repUed, "Milady, Captain Reynolds
is not one of the persons whom I receive." This
reply, probably 'with variations and additions, was
reported to Captain Reynolds, who wrote to his lord
ship for an explanation ; but received no answer. On
the foUo'wing day he sent a challenge to Lord Cardigan,
His lordship consulted his friends, and all declared'
that the regulations prohibit a duel between a superior
and an inferior officer, although belonging to different
regiments. But Captain Reynolds became more urgent,
writing letter after letter. At length Lord Cardigan
sent the whole batch, of correspondence to Prince
Albert, who was Colonel of the 11th Hussars. The
Prince sent the letters to Lord HiU, Commander-in-
Chief, who, instead of caUing a court-martial, took
upon himself to place Captain Reynolds under arrest.
Matters were in that state when a new incident
supervened, affording great excitement to the press.
Captain Tuckett, late of the 11th Dragoons, took up
the cause of his comrade Captain Reynolds, and in
serted in the ' Morning Chronicle ' a letter with the
signature of " An Old Soldier," which Lord Cardigan
considered very offensive to his honour. This time
the difference of grade seems to have been disregarded;
Lord Cardigan, through Captain Douglas, sent a chal-

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 357
lenge to Mr. Tuckett, which the latter accepted, select
ing Captain Wainwright as his second, to arrange the
preliminaries. An apology was demanded by the
noble Earl ; to which the reply was that if he would
deny the allegations contained in the letter referred to,
it should be given. Lord Cardigan declared that cer
tain portions were true ; but that the greater part were
calumnies. One of the allegations was, if I remember
rightly, his lordship's great antipathy to ordinary
black bottles — the consequence being that people
began forth'with to call black bottles " Cardigans."
On the apology being refused, the meeting was fixed
on. It took place on a Saturday afternoon (12th of Sep
tember) on Wimbledon Common. The first shot was
ineffectual on both sides ; on the second, Mr, Tuckett
received his adversary's ball in the back part of the
lower ribs, which traversed round the spine.
As Lord Cardigan and his second were moving off
after the duel, they were taken into custody. When
the inspector said he hoped his lordship had not been
fighting with Captain Reynolds, the noble Earl stood
up erect, and seemed to reject it, by his action, with
the utmost disdain, and said, " Oh, no ! do you sup
pose I would fight with one of my own officers ?" This
was certainly not very complimentary to his "o'wn
officers." Lord Cardigan and his second were Uberated on
bail being given to the poUce for their appearance

358 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
before the magistrates at Wandsworth on the follow^
ing Monday, — when Sir James Anderson deposed that,
after the removal of Mr, Tuckett to his house, he made
an examination, and found that a pistol-buUet had
entered on the upper part of his right hip-bone, slightly
shattering it, had passed transversely, and come out
over the spine of the backbone. The parties were
required to enter into hea'vy recognizances, the Colonel
in one thousand pounds and Captain Douglas in five
hundred. Lord Cardigan was tried by his peers in the House
of Lords for the " felony," amid all the pomp and cir
cumstance of glorious law. Into the voluminous de
tails of that mighty great sham it would be wearisome
to enter; but a single specimen of the proceedings will
suffice to give an idea of the whole. Sir James Ander
son, the surgeon at the duel, was called, of course ; and
equally, of course, he was at once cautioned by the
Lord High Steward as follows : — " With, the permis
sion of the House, I think it my duty to inform you
that, after the opening of the Attorney- General, you
are not bound to criminate yourself," Then foUowed
a remarkably exhUarating scene. Sir James was then
examined by the Attorney- General, " Of what profes
sion are you ?" — " I am a physician." " Where do you
live ? — " In New Burlington Street." " Are you ac
quainted with Captain Tuckett ? — " I must decline an
swering that question." " Were you on Wimbledon
Common on the 12th of September ?" — " I must decline

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 359
answering that also," — (Laughter.) "Were you on
that day caUed on to attend any gentleman that was
wounded?" — "I must decline that again," — (Laughter.)
"Can you tell where Captain Tuckett lives?" — "I
must decline the question." " Has he a house in Lon
don?" — "I decline answering that question." — (Laugh
ter.) " Do you decline answering any ' question re
specting Captain Tuckett ?" — " Any question that may
criminate myself," " And you consider answering any
question respecting Captain Tuckett may tend to cri
minate you?" — "Possibly it would." "And on that
ground you decline ?" — "I do."
The termination of the trial was equally hilarious.
After proclamation made for sUence, the Lord High
Steward, standing up, by a list called every peer by
his name, beginning with the junior Baron, and asked
him, — "John Lord Keane, how say your lordship, is
James Thomas, Earl of Cardigan, guilty of the felony
whereof he stands indicted, or not guilty ?" Where
upon each peer, upon his name being called, standing
up in his place uncovered, and laying his right hand
upon his breast, answered, " Not gnUty, upon my ho
nour," — the only exception being the Duke of Cleve
land, who said, " Not guilty legally, upon my honour,"
which happened to be the very reverse of public
opinion, and certainly wrong " on the merits." After
all the peers had given their verdict, the Lord High
Steward, standing up uncovered, declared his opinion
to the same effect. The Earl of Cardigan being then

360 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
brought to the bar, the Lord High Steward said, —
" James Thomas, Earl of Cardigan, you have been in
dicted for a felony, for which you have been tried by
your peers, and I have the satisfaction of informing
you that thefr lordships have pronounced you not
guUty by a unanimous sentence. The number of
their lordships who gave this verdict I have not pre
cisely at this moment before me, or I should have been
glad to have stated it to your lordship; but thefr
lordships have unanimously said, ' Not GuUty,' " The
Earl of Cardigan ha'ving retired, proclamation was
made for dissolving the commission; and the white
staff being delivered to the Lord High Steward by the
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, his Grace stood up
uncovered, and, holding the staff in both hands, broke
it in two, and declared the commission to be dissolved.
There is no doubt that this duel tended to revive the
practice of duelling, which had been on the decline.
A writer in the ' Times' said that " Lord Cardigan's
acquittal was 'honourable,' no doubt, in the eyes of
those who would have thought it equaUy honourable to
be convicted, and of those alone." Captain Douglas
was, of course, acquitted in his plebeian trial. Captain
Reynolds was deprived of his commission by court-
martial for ha'ving challenged his superior officer.
Colonel Patbrson and Mr. Robert Mark Marsden,
(A.D. 1841.)
Colonel Paterson was of the East India Service, and

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 361
Mr, Marsden was a gentleman, residing at Park Lodge,
Regent's Park. The parties met in a field at the back
of the Eyre Arms Tavern, at day -break, and exchanged
shots without effect. The seconds then interfered, and
endeavoured to reconcUe the gentlemen ; but not suc
ceeding, the parties were again placed on the ground.
At the second fire, the ball from Mr. Marsden's pistol
took effect on the right side of the gallant Colonel,
which was severely shattered. The affair then ter
minated. This duel had the honour of attracting the attention
of the House of Lords, when several noble lords, among
the rest. Lord Eldon, the Earl of Mountcashel, Lard
Melbourne, and the Bishop of London, took occasion
to denounce " the barbarous, 'wicked, and unchristian
practice of duellling."
The ' Times' put forth a well-reasoned leader on the
subject, hitting very hard at the absurd farce of the
Cardigan trial. " What the effect upon society in ge
neral must be of letting it be understood, that there is
a crime which must not, or cannot, be restrained or
punished, because peers and ' gentlemen' think pro
per to commit it, while the law declares it to be felony,
we leave those to judge who know the power of exam
ple, and the aptness of the lower orders to leam evU
from their betters. We are firmly con'vinced that no
more pernicious or anarchical principle than that of the
defenders of dueUing was ever broached by Chartism,
or even SociaUsm itself."

362 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Me, Lynch and -Mr. Malachy Kelly.
(a.d. 1841.)
A steeplechase at Ballinasloe, near DubUn, in the
month of June, 1841, gave rise to a serious quarrel
between Mr. Lynch and Mr. Malachy KeUy. These
.gentlemen, who had ridden their own horses in the race,
mutually accused each other of a fraudulent infraction
of the regulations. From words they took to horse
whipping, Kelly's father was present, and he urged
his son to challenge Lynch to a duel. The parties
went to the ground, and old Mr. Kelly had the incon
ceivable courage to load the pistols himself! His son
was shot under his eyes.
The Hon, William Wellesley* and Count Hummell.
(a.d. 1843.)
This duel was fought in the Bois de Vincennes,
near Paris, The Count Hummell was a Belgian, said
to be of the oldest family in Europe. The dispute
occurred at Brussels, but on what subject did not
transpire. The Count, who was the chaUenger, re
quired that the duel should be with swords ; on the
part of Mr, Wellesley it was urged that, not only was
he unaccustomed to that weapon, but that an injury
to the elbow of his right arm disabled him from fight
ing with the sword, and he produced a certificate to
* Better known to the public as Mr. Wellesley Pole.

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 363
that effect from M. Cloquet, the eminent surgeon.
It was then agreed that they should fight 'with pistols,
and they met accordingly in the Bois de Vincennes.
After an exchange of shots, which did no harm,
Mr, Wellesley advanced towards his opponent, and
expressed his regret for ha'ving used the strong lan
guage which had given offence to Count Hummell.
A reconciliation immediately ensued ; they shook
hands, and the matter terminated. The seconds of
both parties were Frenchmen, but Mr. Wellesley was
further attended by Mr. J. Gunning, who had served
'with the Duke of WeUington, as principal surgeon,
during the whole of his grace's Peninsular campaigns,
and accompanied him to the field of Waterloo.
Colonel Fawcett and Lieut, Muneoe.
(a.d. 1843.)
On the 1st of July, 1843, two carriages, a brougham
and a phaeton, were observed, at a quarter to five
o'clock, by a poUceman passing by the Camden Villas,
towards the 'Brecknock Arms' tavern. At the toll-
gate they stopped, and the toU-keeper saw five gen
tlemen alight, and go by different dfrections, in parties
of two or three, into the adjoining fields. In about
ten minutes two gentlemen returned, and entering
the phaeton drove off quickly towards the Regent's
Park, The toll-keeper did not hear any shot, or did
not pay attention to it, as shots were often heard in
that neighbourhood early in the moming ; the ' Breck-

864 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
nock Arms ' ha'ving a rifle-ground attached to it. But
he told the policeman who had come up, that he
thought a duel had been fought ; and the two went to
the ground.
Here they found three gentlemen, one lying on the
ground, and two standing over him. The wounded
man was Lieutenant-Colonel David Lynar Fawcett, of
the 55th regiment ; one of the others was Mr. George
Gulliver, Surgeon in the Royal Horse Guards (Blue) ;
and the third was a slender gentleman, not of mUitary
aspect. He went, by the Colonel's desire, 'with the
brougham to fetch Mrs. Fawcett.
The policeman asked what was the matter, and the
Colonel answered, "What is that to you? it is an
accident." The policeman procured a board, and the
wounded man was carried to the ' Brecknock Arms,'
but the waiter, whose master was ill in the country
and mistress in bed, refused to admit them. ' They suc
ceeded, however, in obtaining admittance at the ' Cam
den Arms,' in Randolph Street. Mr. Sandys, a sur
geon at Kentish Town, was immediately summoned;
and the Colonel's friend, who had gone off, sent
Mr, Listen and Sir Benjamin Brodie, the eminent
medical men of the time.
It was ascertained that the ball had penetrated the
right side, and entered the cavity of the chest. The
sufferer was put under proper treatment, though 'with
slender hopes of his recovery.
On the arrival of Mrs. Fawcett, her husband con-

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 365
fessed that his antagonist was his brother-in-law.
Lieutenant Alexander Thompson Munroe, of the Royal
Horse Guards (Blue), then at Knightsbridge, The
two gentlemen had a dispute in the evening of the
day before, about the mode in which Lieutenant Munroe
had managed some property of Colonel Fawcett ; and
the Colonel, in a state of irritation, rang the beU and
ordered Mr. Munroe to leave the house ; and next day,
the latter sent a challenge by Lieutenant Grant.
The Colonel lingered till six o'clock on the morning
of the 3rd, when he died,
A coroner's inquest was immediately held, and after
repeated adjournments, the jury returned the foUo'wing
verdict : — " We find that Alexander Thompson Munroe,
Duncan Trevor Grant, and WiUiam Holland Leckie
Daniel Cuddy, are guilty of vrilful murder, as prin
cipals in the first degree, and that George Gulliver is
guilty of wilful murder, as principal in the second
degree, the jury believing that he was present only as
a medical attendant,"
At the report of this duel the pubUc were greatly
shocked, and then was formed the Anti-Duelling Asso
ciation, alluded to in a previous page, and consisting
of 326 members, so many of whom were of the two
services, or noblemen, baronets, and members of par
liament, that they fairly conceived themselves strong
enough in thefr union to lead public opinion in the
matter of personal honour. Their first act was to
denounce dueUing as contrary to the laws of God and

366 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
man, and eminently irrational as well as sinfal, and to
pledge themselves to discountenance by influence and
example the practice which they condemned. In the
next year the foUo'wing amended articles relating to
duelling were issued from the War- Office, by order of
the Queen : —
" 1 . Every officer who shall send a challenge, or
who shall accept a challenge to flght a duel with
another officer, or who, being pri'vy to an intention to
fight a duel, shall not take active measures to prevent
such duel, or who shall upbraid another for refusing or
not giving a challenge, or who shall reject or advise
the rejection of a reasonable proposition made for the
honourable adjustment of a difference, shall be liable,
if convicted before a general court-martial, to be
cashiered, or suffer such other punishment as the court
may award.
"2. In the event of an officer being brought to a
court-martial for having acted as a second in a duel, if
it appear that such officer exerted himself strenuously
to bring about an honourable adjustment of the differ
ence, but failed through the unwillingness of the ad
verse parties, then such officer is to suffer such punish
ment as the court shall award.
"3, Approbation is expressed of the conduct of
those who, having had the misfortune to give offence
to, or injure or insult others, shall frankly explain,
apologize, or offer redress for the same, or who, ha'ving
received offence, shaU cordially accept frank explana-

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 367
tions or apologies for the same ; or, if such apologies
are refused to be made or accepted, shall submit the
matter to the commanding-officer; and, lastly, all
officers and soldiers are acquitted of disgrace or dis
advantage who, being willing to make or accept such
redress, refuse to accept challenges, as they wiU only
have acted as is suitable to the character of honourable
men, and have done their duty as good soldiers who
subject themselves to discipline."
These articles constitute our British ' Code of
Honour.' I do not beUeve that the Anti-Duelling Association
had much effect ; but there can be no doubt that the
action taken by the War- Office, and by order of the
Queen, together 'with the 'vigilance of the police, the
determination of judges and juries to con'vict all duel
listic delinquents of the capital offence, and the re
iterated denunciations, sarcasms, or ridicule of the
pubUc press directed against the practice, — effectually
checked the evil, although, as I before observed, it
seemed inclined " to die hard." Not long after, there
occurred the following fatal duel : —
Me. Seton, of the 11th Hussars, and Lieutenant
H. C. M. Hawkey, Royal Marines.
(a.d. 1845.)
In this affair, it appears that at a soiree held at the
King's Rooms, on Southsea Beach, Mr, Seton paid
somewhat marked attention to the wife of Lieutenant

868 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
Hawkey; and was afterwards, in the public room,
most grossly insulted by Mr, Hawkey, who called him
a blackguard and a villain, and told him, if he would
not fight him, he would horsewhip him down the High
Street, at Portsmouth. At the time these words were
used, Mr. Seton was endeavouring to leave the ball
room, when Lieutenant Hawkey, who was sitting upon
a sofa, rose, and attempted to kick him as he passed.
The duel took place on the seashore, near Gosport.
The seconds were. Lieutenant Byron G. Rowles, R.N.,
for Mr. Seton, and Lieutenant Edward L. Pym, R.M.,
for Lieutenant Hawkey. The distance of the com
batants asunder was fifteen paces; the word was
given; when Mr. Seton fired, and missed his an
tagonist. Lieutenant Hawkey's pistol was placed in
his hand by his second at half-cock, and consequently
Lieutenant Hawkey did not have his shot. Other
pistols were, however, supplied to the combatants ; the
word was again given, and both fired, Mr. Seton im
mediately fell. Lieutenant Hawkey, without waiting
to see the result of his fire, or going up to his an
tagonist, immediately fled with his second, saying,
"I'm off to France,"
Mr. Seton was carried on a shutter on board a yacht
in waiting, and conveyed to the Quebec Hotel, on the
water's edge. Surgical assistance was called in; and it
was discovered that the patient had been dangerously
wounded on the right side of the abdomen, the ball
passing through and coming out on the left side, Mr.

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 309
Seton, like his opponent, was under thirty years of
age, was married, and had one child. Hopes were, for
some time, entertained of his recovery; but after a
lingering illness, fatal symptoms supervened, and the
unfortunate gentleman died, after an operation for
tying a main artery,
I think it may be said that this was the last duel of
Englishmen in England ; at any rate, I have been un
able to find the record of any other. 1 have reason,
however, to believe that parties now and then went
abroad to settle affairs of honour : and seven years
elapsed before another duel — the last I think fought in
England — gave the public a sensation,
COUENET and BaETHELEMY,
(a. d. 1852.)
The last duel fought in England was between two
Frenchmen, Cournet and Barthelemy. Cournet was a
refugee in England. At the time of the Exhibition in
1851, he had been the bearer of a confidential packet
for Barthelemy, but on learning that this man was the
keeper of a house of Ul-fame, he contented himself with
sending him the packet, resolved to decline his ac
quaintance ; but, in addition to this, whenever he fell
in 'with him he did not fail to let him feel the contempt
he had conceived for him. Hence the duel, on the
19th of October, 1852.
It was fought at Egham. When the parties met,
Cournet won the toss for choice of position, pistols,
VOL. II. 3 B

370 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
.and right to fire first. They were posted at forty
paces, each having to advance ten paces. Cournet
advanced ten paces, fired, and missed, Barthelemy
then advanced his ten paces, and thus standing twenty
paces from his adversary, addressed him in the true
style of French rhodomontade, reminding him that his
Ufe was now at his mercy, but that he would waive his
right to fire if Cournet would consent to continue the
duel with swords. Cournet, who, it is said, had pre
viously shot fourteen men in different duels, refused
the offer, and reminded his antagonist that he had still
the right of another shot if he should fail.* On this
Barthelemy raised his pistol, drew the trigger, but the
percussion-cap failed to discharge the pistol. A new
cap waa put on, a second attempt was made, but with
the same result. Barthelemy again appealed to Cournet
to have the contest decided with swords ; and again
Cournet refused, but offered him the use of the pistol
which he himself had previously discharged. The
offer 'w;as accepted ; the pistol was loaded, placed in
his hands, and discharged with fatal effect — Cournet
being shot through the body. The wounded man was
conveyed to the ' Barleymow,' a small public-house on
the Green, where he died in a few hours.
* According to the French account, Barthelemy said, "There
is still time to retract, and all may be arranged. I have received
your fire. Now, do your duty." — "No, no," replied Cournet;
" I shall certainly not retract at the muzzle of your pistol. It
would be cowardice. I will not. We shall see what's to be after
wards.''

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 371
The cause of the failure of Barthelemy's pistol was
singular, and gave rise to snspicions of foul play. On
drawing the charge, a piece of linen rag was found
at the breech, which effectually prevented explosion ;
but it appeared that when the parties hired the pistols
they were somewhat foul, and therefore the seconds
had, in each other's presence, wiped out the barrels
with Unen rag, and afterwards sealed them in a packet.
They were also loaded in each other's presence, so
that the imputation of unfair dealing seems unjust;
but it is singular that Cournet, who was a good shot,
should have missed his helpless adversary, and should
have fallen at the first shot on the weapons being
exchanged. Cournet's fate was generally regretted, and the
papers were filled with his praises. He was only
eighteen years of age when, with only six men in a
long boat, he captured a Spanish frigate in the Tagus.
For this exploit he received the decoration of the
Legion of Honour. Before he was twenty-one he was
appointed lieutenant in the French navy by Admiral
Roussin, the Minister of Marine, in the reign of Louis-
Philippe, He was one of the deputation sent to
England to represent France at the coronation of her
Majesty. It is said that the Queen, caUing this fact
to mind, graciously sent one of her carriages to attend
the funeral obsequies of Cournet, who was followed to
the grave by a great multitude of sincere mourners.
I give the above on the authority of the French
2 K 2

372 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
account of the affair. Cournet was certainly of good
family, but he had involved himself in perpetual plots,
had had many quarrels, had fought many duels, had
been repeatedly imprisoned for political and other
offences, and had finally made himself so obnoxious by
his republican ideas, that on the accession of Louis
Napoleon to the Presidency, he had thought it safer to
withdraw from France.*
It seems to have been known for some weeks among
the French residents in Leicester Square and its
neighbourhood that the duel was to come off; and on
the day it took place, the pavements were crowded
'with expectants awaiting the result.
Barthelemy and his seconds were arrested, and tried
for the felony, when they were found guilty, and sen
tenced to two months' imprisonment. The leniency
of the sentence was in consideration of their being
foreigners, insufficiently acquainted with the laws of
this country against duelling ; besides, they had afready
passed more than five months in prison,
Barthelemy did not long survive Cournet, Within
two years of the duel, he committed a double murder
in Warren Street, Fitzroy Square, not only killing a
man in an ignoble quarrel about money said to be
due to a woman who accompanied him, but also shoot
ing another man who attempted to prevent his escape.
He was tried, cou'victed, and condemned to death.
His behaviour throughout was a mixture of deliberate
* ' Annual Register.'

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 373
defiance and bravado, not without intemperate blas
phemy. Neither the sheriff, the Protestant parson,
nor the Catholic priest could bring him to the least
sense of his situation. To the last he evinced the
greatest possible nerve and self-possession, and it was
evident that, for him, the dreadful death which awaited
hirn possessed no terror. Just before emerging from
the gaol-entrance to mount the scaffold, he stopped
for a moment, and addressing Calcraft, the hangman,
he said, "I have one thing to ask of you, do it
quickly." He then said, "Now I shall know the
secret ;" and walking rapidly up the steps of the scaf
fold, and calmly, or rather contemptuously surveying
the crowd, he placed himself boldly in position, was
S'wung off, appearing to expire in an instant — an easy
death for a murderer.
This Barthelemy was a notorious character in every
way. He had been condemned to the galleys in the
reign of Louis XVIII. for shooting down a gendarme ;
he was liberated at the Revolution of 1830, as a man
condemned for a political offence, and greatly dis
tinguished himself in the insurrection of June, 1848.
Victor Hugo talks of him, accordingly, as a hero,
among his ' Miserables.' It was in Consequence of his
acts that he sought refuge in England, to live and die
as he did in expiation.
This man did not think he deserved death; he
blamed Lord Campbell for the verdict ; moreover, he
said he " was going to be executed for murdering two

374 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
men, while the Emperor Louis Napoleon, who had
committed much greater crimes than he had, was
thought a great man." A very odd view of the sub
ject, certainly.
Strangely enough, the French refugees appeared
to suspect Barthelemy of being in the pay of the
French police, in spite of his boasted and ferocious
republicanism.* Me. Dillon and the Due de Grammont Oaderouse.
(a.d. 1862.)
This is the last duel on record fought by a British
subject, and it is remarkable not only as such, but on
account of all its incidents.
Dillon is an Irish name, but, according to my au-
thority,t Mr. DUlon was an Englishman, said to have
been a member of the bar. He had acted for many
years as editor of the French journal ' Le Sport ;' he
had been mainly instrumental in that organization of
the French turf which forms such a remarkable epoch
in the second Empire; and, as a racing and betting
man, was naturally hand-in-glove with the aristocratic
and luxurious class in Paris known as Gandins.%
* See ' Annual Register,' 1854 and 1855.
t 'Daily Telegraph,' 25th* October, 1862.
% This word sounds very much like " dandy,'' and still more
like " gander ;" but the derivation of the term is as follows : —
The ruined noblesse, or nobles of France, during their revolu
tionary and imperial proscription, took refuge at Ghent (in
French, Gand), and on their return at the Restoration theyfigured

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 375
The Due de Grammont Caderouse, the other party
to this duel, as is well known, is or was a Gandin
of the first water, and had been conspicuous with
M. Pozzo di Borgo and others in the strange 0. P.
(or old price) riots at the VaudevUle theatre. Small
blame to him for that, however; our EngUsh Gandins
occupy and amuse themselves as they please. Such,
then, was this French noble with the long name, ob
viously one of those human things which are, it seems,
the " necessary evUs" of civilization.
Now, it happened, on the occasion of some races at
the Chalons Camp, that the Due had taken exception
to a certain Mr. Thomas being described as a " gen
tleman rider," — ^just one of those exceptions that a
Gandin, French or British, would take. Well, it ap
pears that the gentility of this Mr. Thomas was a
matter of some importance to be established, and so
Mr, Dillon, in his paper ' Le Sport,' espoused the
cause of Thomas, and ¦wrote several articles reflecting
on the Due de Grammont Caderouse, which, of course,
roused that gentleman's, or rather, that nobleman's
fre. He did not, however, do what most Frenchmen
would do, at once request the writer to substitute the
sword or pistol for the pen, in the ' Bois de Boulogne.'
No ; he followed Dillon's example, and addressed sun-
in the Boulevard des Italiens, and affected to be the leaders of
ton, being termed Gandins, in ridicule, that is, " Men of Ghent."
They sent down the name to their present successors, who are
also caUed crev&, that is, " burst bubbles," or " crushed insects."

376 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
dry letters of recrimination to ' Le Sport,' and another
sporting paper, 'La France Hippique;' but neither
Dillon nor his covfrere would allow the Gandin to have
his " say" in their papers ; they threw his indignant
letters into the waste-paper basket.
Nobody, I think, will say that this was fair play,
even with a Gandin, British Gandins are not treated
in that way by the considerate and honourable editors
of British newspapers ; moreover, the latter have gene
rally the tact of allowing angry people to make greater
fools of themselves by " rushing into print."
Thus denied "simple justice," the Due de Gram
mont Caderouse sent his epistles to the editor of a
Belgian paper — the ' Independance Beige,' I think —
who, of course, was only too glad to put the " little bit
of excitement" into his journal. In nm'sery phrase,
this " tit-for-tat" could only be what everybody might
expect, especiaUy an editor who had attacked the
writer, that writer being, too, a Gandin. Besides,
DUlon could have returned to the charge, and given
the Due another " dressing,"
But, strange to say, the man who was first to attack,
was the first to appeal to artns to decide the quarrel.
Dillon considered his honour attacked in these letters,
adopted and conformed to the French ideas on the sub
ject, and challenged the Due to mortal combat, ap
pointing the Vicomte de Noe and an officer named De
Maury as his seconds — other Gandins, like the Due.
Most assuredly Mr. Dillon must have become intensely

BRITISH DUELS FROM 1829. 377
" Frenchified" to take this course. It may be all very
well to quote the proverb of doing at Rome what the
Romans do ; but I cannot help thinking that Mr. Dil
lon, the Englishman, should have had the good sense
to refrain from such a proceeding.
By a sort of providential hint, the proud Due de
Grammont Caderouse declined the challenge ; pleaded
his high ¦ rank, and alleged that he was not bound to
fight Mr. DiUon.
Now, ought not that to have been enough for an
Englishman ? for the editor of a paper ? What a glo
rious flourish of his trumpet might he not have given
forth, descanting on the baseness of a noble shielding
himself behind his rank when called to account for his
insolence ! But, no ; Mr. DiUon persisted : and at
length, stung by a strong letter from Dillon's second,
the Vicomte de Noe, the Due waived his peerage, ac
cepted the challenge, and named his seconds — the
Vicomte Talon, and the Prince d'Essling, a de
scendant, no doubt, of the sanguinary Davoust, of the
Imperial wars, who were authorized to arrange a
meeting. Contrary to the usage of duelling, Mr. Dillon in
sisted upon naming his weapon ; being the challenger
he required that pistols should be the weapons. Most
assuredly he had no right to the choice, and the Due
cannot be blamed for refusing to yield this point as
well as that of his rank. The demand evidently in
ferred that Dillon thought himself pretty well in hand

378 THE ROMANCE OP DUELLING.
with the pistol; and perhaps, the Due had a contrary
opinion of himself. Why, then, should he yield the
point and expose himself, perhaps, to a dead-shot ?
After a protracted negotiation, in the course of
which the Prince d'Essling resigned his place as
second to M. de Fitzjames, it was arranged that the
duel should be fought with swords.
The combat took place at St. Germains, on the
22nd of October, 1862, and after a few passes, Mr.
Dillon got the worst of it; he was run through the
body ; the heart was touched ; and he died on the spot.
There is no kno'wing what degree of proficiency in
the use of the foils Mr. Dillon had attained; but it
may be reasonably assumed that he was no very
shining exception to his countrymen in this respect;
and, consequently, no match for an adversary such as
the Due de Grammont Caderouse, who, like other
Frenchmen of his degree — and, indeed, of every
degree, from the common soldier to the Gandin — had
been habituated from early youth in the management
of the smaU sword. The particulars of the encounter
not being given, we can only suppose that Mr, Dillon,
like other inexperienced fencers, relied on his mere
physical strength, and on the impetuosity of his
assault ; and that the Due, hard pressed by a furious,
albeit clumsy foe, was forced to thrust where he could,
and so thrust home.
No doubt an unskilful but impetuous fencer has a
good chance at the first onset ; but he must make sure

BRITISH DUELS PROM 1829. 379
of his thrust at once ; for, the moment a skilful fencer
discovers his deficiency he will be able easily to make
him spit himself to the hilt, as I have before observed
in treating of the subject.*
In the English papers the death of Mr. Dillon was
termed a "cold-blooded murder;" but I cannot see it
in that light. It is quite evident that Mr. Dillon was
wrong in the first instance — that he forced the duel
on the Due — and would have killed, or maimed, or
wounded him, if he could. Had he succeeded in kill
ing the Due, in his impetuous onslaught, would people
have been justified in calling the death " a 7ioi-blooded
murder ?" I think not. And, at the termination of
this entire investigation of dueUing, I do not hesitate
to say, that this last representative of British dueUing
not only showed by his conduct, the absurdity of the
practice, but also brought upon himself the penalty of
his infatuation,
I must make another remark which is germane to
my subject.
Unquestionably, this duel was a most deplorable
affafr ; but if EngUshmen wiU go and mix -with French
men in France, and adopt their mode of " envisaging " t
matters, they had better take my advice and go
thoroughly prepared with both weapons — sword and
pistol — and ponder over very attentively all that I
have expounded in the third and fourth chapters of
this work.
* Yol. i., p. 61. t From the French, " envisager."

380 THE ROMANCE OF DUELLING.
On the other hand, however, I would also submit to
them the consideration of the 'wisdom of adopting the
following method of —
Disputing without Duelling.
A graduate of Cambridge gave another the lie, and
a challenge followed. The mathematical tutor of his
college, Mr. V  , heard of the dispute, and sent for
the youth, who told him he must fight.
" Why ?" asked the mathematician.
" Because he gave me the lie," said the youth.
" Very well ; let him prove it ; if he proves it, you
did lie, and if he does not prove it, he lies. Why
should you shoot one another ? Let him prove it,
Q.E.D."

the end.

LIST OF DUELS.

*^* Several Duels, under initials or in blanks, are not included in the list.

About (Edmond) and Vaudin, ii.,
17J..
Aolion and Matas, i. 143.
A Crack Shot, ii. 135.
Actors and Actresses, i. 292.
Aime Sirey and Durepaire, ii. 148.
Allen (ReT.) and Dulany, ii. 28.
Alley and Adolphus, ii. 238.
America, Duels in, ii. 298.
Anderson aud Jones, ii. 305.
A Promised Memento, ii. 326.
A Quick Shot, ii. 327.
Archaeologists, Duel between two, ii.
132.
Arraaud Carrel and Boux Laborie,
ii. 126.
Armand Carrel and De Girardin, ii.
150.
Artois (Comte d') and Conde, i.
266.
Aston and Allen, ii. 60.
Bamave and Cazalfes, i. 300.
Barrington and G-ilbert, i. 305.
Bayard and Don Alonzo de Soto
Mayor, i. 180.
Beaufort (Due) and Nemours, i. 225.
Bedford (Duke of) and Duke of
Buckingham, ii. 263.
Belasses and Porter, i. 229.
Belfield (Lord) and Herberd, i. 243.
Belgium, Duels in, i. 198, ii. 292.
Bergue (De) and Alie, ii. 144.
Berkeley and Magin, ii. 347.
" Beauty and theBeast " (the painter
of), ii. 250.

Binau, The three Brothers, i. 152.
Blano (Louis) and Pellatan, ii. 162.
Boisseuil and a Gambler, i. 224.
Bonaparte (Prince C.) and De Kossi,
ii. 165.
Boady and a Royalist Offlcer, ii. 101.
Boswell (Sir A.) and Stuart, ii. 259.
BouteTUle and De Beuvron, i. 30.
Brain or Heart ? ii. 327.
Bric and Hayes, ii. 265.
Brissac (Due de), i. 288.
Browne and Butler, ii. 202.
Burdett (Sir P.) and Paul, ii. 203.
Burr and Gen. Hamilton, ii. 301.
Bugeaud (Gen.) and Dulong, ii. 128.
Byron (Lord) and Chaworth, ii. 1.
Byron (the poet), i. 187 mote, ii. 13.
Camelford (Lord) and Best, ii. 188.
Cameron and M'Lean, ii. 215.
Camille Desmoulius, i. 302.
CampbeU and Boyd, ii. 208.
Cardigan (Lord) and Tuckett, ii. 355.
Castlereagh (Lord) and Canning, ii.
216.
Castlereagh (Lord) and De Melcy,
ii. 348.
Chataigneraye and Guy Chabot or
Jarnac, i. 140.
Chateauneuf and Lacbeanaye, i. 142.
Cheek (Sir H.) aud Sir T. Button,
i. 173.
Cilley and Graves, ii. 306.
Cocheran and May, ii. 311.
Colclough and Alcock, ii. 220.
Colonies, Duels in the, ii. 318, etseq.

382

LIST OF DUELS.

Conde (Prince de) and Agout, i. 272.
Conti and the Prior de Vendome, i.
226.
Corry and Newburgh, ii. 182.
Cournet and Barthelemy, ii. 369.
Covielle and D'Aulnay, ii. 179.
Crack-shot, A miss by a, ii. 152.
Curran and Hobart, ii. 42.
D'Andrieux, i. 154.
Dark Booms, Duels in, ii. 316.
Daru and De Lostande, ii. 180.
D'Aspremont, i. 153.
D'Entragues and Quelus, i. 144.
D'Eon, i. 275.
Dillon and Grammont-Caderouse,
ii. 374.
Disputing without Duelling, ii. 380.
Dog and Man, Duel between a, i.
135.
Donovan and Hanson, ii. 27.
Dorset (Earl of) and Lord Bruce,
i. 174.
Duel, A Public, ii. 146.
Duel for a Breakfast, ii. 166.
Duel with Billiard Balls, ii. 155.
Duellist, End of a, ii. 329.
Duellist, Eepai'tee of a, ii. 176.
Dufai and Eaoul (in a coach), ii. 80.
Dujarnier and BeauvoUon, ii. 156.
Dumas (Alex.) and Gillardet, ii. 133.
England and RowUs, ii. 48.
Escande and De Ginestous, ii. 165.
Excelmans and Beckendorf, ii. 68.
Eawcett and Munroe, ii. 363.
Fayot, ii. 111.
Fielding (Beau), i. 241.
Eonteuoy and Lachapelle, i. 154.
Foulquerre and Vasconoellos, i. 184.
Fournier and Dupont, ii. 71,
Fox and Adam, ii. 20.
Foy and Corday, ii. 99.
Fulliot and Burrowes, ii. 252.
Galiffet (Marquis de) and De Lau
riston, ii. 171.
Gambling Duels in 1818, ii. 241.

Garrick and Badderley, ii. 13.
Gameray and Raynouard, ii. 117.
Germany, Duels in, i. 194, ii. 279.
Girardin, ii. 110.
Goeler (De) and De Verefkin, ii.
284.
Gontran and Ingelger, i. 133.
Gordon (Hon. Col. C.) and Thomas,
ii. 31.
Gordon (Lieut.) and a French Offi
cer, ii. 97.
Gourgand and De Segur, ii. 117.
Graham and Julius, ii. 44.
Grammont-Caderouse and Dillon,
ii. 374.
Grandpree and Pique (in Balloons),
ii. 69.
Grattan, ii. 266.
Guise (De) and De Luz, i. 156.
Guise (De) and Coliguy, i. 221.
Gustavus IV. and Napoleon, ii. 69.
Herbert (Lord), i. 201.
Hervey (Lord) and Lord Cobham,
i. 247.
Hill (Rev.) and Gardiner, i. 325.
Hueston and Labranche, ii. 310.
Iceland, Duels in, i. 199.
Ignatius of Loyola, i. 193.
Irish Quartette Duel, i. 306.
Isambert and De Molenes, ii. 175.
Isnardi and Sartorius, ii. 296.
Italy, Duels in, i. 179, ii. 293.
Jermyn and Howard, i. 229.
Jew, A fighting, ii. 136.
Johnston and Browne, ii. 245.
Joseph (Emperor), ii. 282.
Kant and Dutilleux, ii. 292.
Kihnaurs (Lord), i. 325.
Kind (Baron) and Soria, ii. 283.
King and Fitzgerald, ii. 51.
Lady Duellists, ii. 58, ii. 125.
La Fontaine, the Fabulist, i. 218.
Lagarde Vallon and Bazenez, i. 150.
Lamartine (De) and Pepe, ii. 293.

LIST OP DUELS.

383

Lameth and Castries, i. 295.
Lareintz (Baron de) and De Lapelin,
Introd. vii.
Lauderdale (Lord) and Arnold, ii.
45.
Lee and Moore, ii. 309.
Lenfant and Mellant, ii. 156.
Lenox and Swift, ii. 42.
Leon and De Hesse, ii. 141.
Lethuilier and "Wattebaut, ii. 142.
Levasseur (Gen.) and Arrighi, ii. 152.
Lockyer and Cochrane, ii. 238.
Londonderry (Marquis of) and Bat
tier, ii. 268.
Londonderry (Marquis of) and H.
Grattan, ii. 352.
Long-sighted aud Short-sighted, ii.
3-25.
Lonsdale (Earl of) and Cuthbert,
ii. 46.
Ludovic de Piles, i. 208.
Lynch and Kelly, ii. 362.
Macartney and Stewart, ii. 33.
Manuel and Beaumont, ii. 115.
Martainville and Arnault, ii. 99.
Mary-Lafon, ii. 138.
Mennon, i. 201.
Mirabeau and Latour-Maubourg, i.
301.
Mirfin and Eliot, ii. 350.
Mohun (Lord), i. 233.
Montgomery and Macnamara, ii.
185.
Montford, i. 233.
Moore and Jeffrey, ii. 196.
Munster, Public Duel at, ii. 286.
Murat (Prince) and De Eouge, ii.
178.
Naylor and Brounaugh, ii. 307.
Ney, i. 285.
Noailles and his Captain, ii. 105.
Northern Em-ope, Duels in, i. 195.
O'ConneU (Dan.) and D'Esterre, ii.
225.
O'DonneU (Gen.) and Lopez, ii.
295.

Oneby and Gower, i. 244.
Ornano aud Bonnet, ii. 78.
Paget (Lord) and Cadogan, ii. 215.
Paget (Lord) and Fiske, ii. 355.
Pariset and Eenens, ii. 292.
Paterson and Marsden, ii. 360.
Paul and Dalton, i. 303.
Payne and Clark, ii. 219.
Pene (De) and an Officer, ii. 167.
Perpignan and Maurice, ii. 175.
Pickford and Marnier, ii. 244.
Pitt and Tierney, ii. 57.
Polignao (Comtesse de) and the
Marquise de Nesle, i. 257.
Priests preventing a Duel, ii. 163.
Purefoy and Roper, ii. 37.
Ramsey and Macrea, ii. 43.
Ranee (Abbe de), i. 211.
Reuly (De), i. 159.
Riboust and De Montebello, ii. 178.
Rice and Du Barry, u. 19.
Richelieu and Ponterieder, i. 220.
Richeheu aud Prince De Lixen, i.
221.,
Richelieu and De Bavifere, i. 255.
Richelieu aud Albini, i. 256.
Riddell and Cunningham, ii. 30.
Roebuck, (M.P.) aud Black, ii. 344.
Roebuck, (M.P.) and Lord Powers-
court, ii. 354.
Romieu aud a Poet, ii. 135.
Russia, Duels in, ii. 290.
Saint-Aulaire and Pierrebourg, ii.
118.
Saint-Foix, i. 260.
Saint-Georges, i. 280.
Saint-Just and Fosse, i. 147.
Sawyer and "Wrey, i. 242.
Scott and Christie, ii. 253.
Seconds killed by accident, ii. 177.
Seton and Hawkey, ii. 367.
Sevigne and D'Albert, i. 227.
Shelburne (Earl of) aud FuUarton,
ii. 24.
Sheridan and Matthews, ii. 15.
Shot, A remarkable, ii. 151.

k§4

LIST OP DUELS.

Shot, Unexpected, ii. 324.
Shrewsbury (Earl of) and Duke of
Buckingham, i. 231.
Signol and an Officer, ii. 124.
Smith (Dr.) and Dr. Jeffries, ii. 303.
Soult (Marshal), ii. 147.
Spain, Duels m, i. 192, ii. 295.
StaQkpole aud Cecil, ii. 223.
Steele, i. 246.
Steward and Coker, ii. 313.
Stewart aud D'EgvUle, ii. 321.
Stoney and Bate (Rev.), ii. 17.
Strange effect of being Shot, ii. 331.
Susse (Admiral de la), ii. 113.
Sweetman and 'VVatson, ii. 47.
Talma and Naudet, i. 295.
Terry (Judge) and Broderick, ii.
314.
Thiers and an injured Father, ii.
104.
Tobacconist and a Barber, ii. 154.
Tolstoy (Count De) and a Naval
Officer, ii. 291.
Townshend (Lord) and Lord BeUa-
mont, i. 328.
Tradespeople, Duels among, ii. 136.
Trautmansdorf (Baron) and Baron
De Ropp, ii. 284.
Trevor, u. 232.
Triens and Damarzid, ii. 119.
Trobriant and Pelicier, ii. 140.
Turpie and Hutton, Introd. vi.
Two youths, Duels between, u. 288.

United States, Duels in, ii. 298.
VasoonceUos. and De Foulquerre, i.
184.
Viau (De) and De Panat, i. 216.
Vighan (Du) and D'Ugeon, i. 258.
Voiture, i. 214.
Voltaire and De Rohan-Chabot, i.
262.
Walsh and PeUen, ii. 110.
"Warren and Du Boste, ii. 250.
Waterloo Duels, ii. 85, et seq.
"Webb and Marshall, ii. 308.
Wellesley and Count Hummell, ii.
362.
WeUington (Duke of) and Earl of
WinchUsea, ii. 336.
West Indies, Duels in, ii. 318, et
seq.
Wharton (Sir G.) aud-Su- J. Stew
art, i. 170.
What it costs to kill a man, ii. 331.
White and Bellamy, ii. 304.
Wflkes aud Earl Talbot, i. 307.
WUkes and Martin, i. 317.
WiUiams (Dr.) and Dr. Bennet, ii.
319.
WinchUsea (Earl of) and Wel
lington (Duke of), ii. 336.
York (Duke of) and Lenox, ii. 39.
Zass (Geu.) and Prince Dolgoroucki,
ii. 290.

PRINTED ET J. E. TAYLOR AND CO., LITTLE QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

. t -!

:'>"»-£«&a