duel with Major Allan; and as a relation of the particulars cannot but redound immortal honour to the name of Aston, it is hoped they will not be unfavorably received. Colonel Aston, being for a short time absent from his regiment, a misunderstanding occurred between Major Picton and Major Allan, with a Lieutenant. Immediately on the return of the Colonel, he was made acquainted with the affair, and wrote his opinion in a private letter, that the two Majors had acted somewhat " illiberal" to the inferior officer. This letter was shewn, and Majors P. and A. demanded a court of enquiry, which was refused by the Commander in Chief, under the impression that it might destroy that harmony which is so essential to be supported in all regiments on foreign duty. Major Picton now called on Colonel Harvey Aston, to demand an explanation of the term " illiberal"- Colonel A. said he did not consider himself bound to account for his conduct in the discharge of his duty as Colonel of his regiment to any inferior officer; but if Major Picton had any thing to reproach him with, as a private gentleman, he was prepared to give every satisfaction that laid in his power. It was now put on the footing of a private quarrel, and the next day they met, accompanied by their seconds. Major Picton had the first fire; his pistol snapped, but was considered equal to a fire by the seconds; Colonel Aston immediately fired in the air, declaring he had no quarrel with the Major. They now mutually explained and shook hands. Notwithstanding the kindly manner in which this af fair had been settled, reciprocally to each others honour, Major Allan the next day demanded satisfaction for the private opinion given by the Colonel of his conduct: a similar answer was returned, that the Colonel denied his right to call on him for any act of his official duty; that he at all times was ready to vindicate his private conduct, but at the same time was unconscious of having offended Major A. The latter, however, assumed a tone of vehemence and authority, which rendered the meeting on the part of the Colonel unavoidable. Major Allan fired the first shot-the seconds did not perceive the ball had taken effect. The Colonel having received the fire, appeared unhurt, stood erect, and with the greatest composure levelled his pistol with a steady hand, shewing he had power to fire on his antagonist; he then leisurely drew it back, and laying it across his breast, said, " I am shot through the body; I believe the wound is mortal, and therefore decline returning the fire; for it never shall be said that the last act of my life was dictated by a spirit of revenge." He sat down on the ground, was carried home, where he languished in excessive agony for several days, and without a murmur expired. Colonel Harvey Aston was brother to the pretty Mrs. Hodges, well known in the sporting world. He married Miss Ingram, the daughter of Lady Irwine, and sister to the Marchioness of Hertford, Lady William Gordon, Lady Ramsden, and Mrs. Meynell, whom he left with a young family to deplore this melancholy occurrence. In the same year we have also to record the demise of the Duke of Hamilton, the celebrated patron of pugilism. He died the latter end of July, at Hamiltonplace, near Edinburgh, in the forty-second year of his age. The titles of his Grace were Duke of Hamilton and Brandon in England, and Chattelherault in France; Marquis of Hamilton, Clydesdale, and Douglas; Earl of Angus, Arran, and Lanark; Lord Macanshire, Polmont, Abernethy, and Aberbolrick, in Scotland, and Baron Dutton, in England; Lord Lieutenant of the county of Lanark, and hereditary keeper of the palaces of Holyrood-house and Linlithgow. He was son to James Duke of Hamilton, by Elizabeth late Duchess of Argyle. On April 5, 1788, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Purrell, Esq. and sister to the Duchess of Northumberland and Lord Gwydir, who was afterwards divorced by sentence according to the laws of Scotland, in consequence of his illicit connection with Mrs. Esten, the celebrated heroine of Thespis. His Grace dying without issue, Lord Archibald Hamilton, his uncle, succeeded to his titles and estates. On Monday, the 2d of September, 1799, a battle was fought on Enfield race-ground, between Howser, an Israelite, and Owen, the bruiser, for 10 guineas a side; the former was seconded by Jack Bartholomew, and the latter by Joe Ward. The contest lasted 40 minutes, when Owen was so much beat as to be obliged to be carried to the hospital. Wednesday, February 26, 1800, James Stevens, the old nailer and noted pugilist, fought a taylor of the name of Miller, and was severely beat. On On Thursday, May 15, 1800, a boxing match which had long excited the attention of the sporting world, was fought for 300 guineas, on Finchley-common, near Barnet, between Jack Bartholomew, the noted bruiser, now about 37 years of age, and James Belcher, a Bristol youth, aged 20, who had long been under the tuition of the scientific Ward, and was by the amateurs considered a great favorite. A stage having been erected, about half past one the combatants mounted, and immediately set to with the greatest vehemence and ferocity. In the first round Belcher evidently displayed advantage, and the odds were greatly in his favour. In the second round Bartholomew gave his antagonist a most severe knockdown blow, and his friends considering fortune was about to favour him, flew a pigeon to London with intelligence. In the fourth round Belcher with great adroitness threw Jack on his head with such violence that his eye-sight became injured, and he appeared much confused; Jack, however, with great courage persevered, and put in several tremendous blows; but, at | the end of the seventeenth round, having began to vomit blood, in consequence of a violent blow his adversary had put in in the pit of the stomach, he gave in. The contest lasted 20 minutes, and was more obstinately contest than any battle that had been seen for some years past. : Immediately after the fight Bartholomew was taken... into custody under the authority of a Judge's warrant, for breaking the peace before the expiration of the bonds $2 : bonds of security; was brought to town in a hackneycoach, and directly bailed. On Tuesday, July 1, 1800, a boxing match which had long been expected was fought in a hollow near the foot of Abbershaw's gibbet, on Wimbledon-common, for 100 guineas, and bets to the amount of £5000, between Andrew Gamble, the Irish pugilist, and Noah James, formerly belonging to the horseguards; Ben Stanyard was Gamble's second, and Jack Bartholomew his bottle-holder; Joe Ward seconded James, and Hall was his bottle-holder. About ten o'clock the combatants set to, when odds were six to four in favour of James; they fought with astonishing fierceness and displayed great science. In the twelfth round Gamble put in a very severe blow in the face of his antagonist, and cut his nose dreadfully; in the twentieth he broke his collar bone, and in the twenty-first his jaw bone; but notwithstanding such a dreadful state of circumstantial inferiority, James fought four rounds afterwards with determined courage, when he fell almost lifeless on the stage. James was a Cheshire man, and had fought 17 battles; he was allowed to display more bottom than any other man. After this battle, being given over by his medical attendants, and considering himself at the last extremity, he sent for Gamble, and generously exchanged forgiveness with the successful champion. Gamble equally open hearted, gave Mrs. James a very handsome present for the more comfortable support of the unfortunate bruiser. Gamble was born in the year 1771, was apprenticed to |