233 that frequent the Courts of Juftice are witneffes of The dog that comes conftantly to Westminster on the first day of the term, did not appear until the first day according to the Oxford Almanac; whose inftinct I take to be a better guide than mens erroneous opinions, which are ufually biaffed by intereft. I judge in this cafe, as King Charles the Second, victualled his navy with the bread which one of his dogs chofe of feveral pieces thrown before him, rather than truft to the affeverations of the victuallers. Mr. Cowper, and other learned counfel, have already urged the authority of this Almanac, in behalf of their clients. We fhall therefore go on with all fpeed in our caufe; and doubt not, but chancery will give at the end what we loft in the beginning, by protracting the Term for us until Wednesday come fevennight. And the University Orator fhall for ever pray, &c.

From my own Apartment, July 7.

The fubject of Duels has, I find, been started with fa good fuccefs, that it has been the frequent fubject of converfation among polite men; and a dialogue of that kind has been tranfmitted to me verbatim as follows. The perfons concerned in it are men of honour and experience in the manners of men, and have fallen upon the trueft foundation, as well as fearched the bottom of this evil.

Mr. Sage. If it were in my power, every man that drew his fword, unlefs in the fervice, or purely to de fend his life, perfon or goods, from violence, (I mean abstracted from all Puncto's or whims of honour) fhould ride the wooden horfe in the Tilt-yard for fuch first offence, for the fecond ftand in the pillory, and for the third be prifoner in Bedlam for life.

Col. Plume. I remember that a Rencounter or Duel was fo far from being in fashion among the Officers that ferved in the parliament-army, that on the contrary it was as difreputable, and as great an impediment to advancement in the fervice, as being bafhful in time of action.

Sir Mark. Yet I have been informed by fome old cavaliers, of famous reputation for brave and gallant men,

that

that they were much more in mode among their party than they have been during this last war.

Col. Plume. That is true too, Sir.

Mr. Sage. By what you fay, Gentlemen, one should think that our prefent military Officers are compounded of an equal proportion of both those tempers; fince Duels are neither quite difcountenanced, nor much in

vogue.

Sir Mark. That difference of temper in regard to Duels, which appears to have been between the court and the parliament-men of the fword, was not (I conceive) for want of courage in the latter, nor of a liberal education, because there were fome of the best families in England engaged in that party; but gallantry and mode, which glitter agreeably to the imagination, were encouraged by the Court, as promoting its fplendour; and it was as natural that the contrary party (who were to recommend themselves to the public for men of serious and folid parts) fhould deviate from every thing chi'merical.

Mr. Sage. I have never read of a Duél among the Romans, and yet their nobility used more liberty with their tongues than one may do now without being challenged.

Sir Mark. Perhaps the Romans were of opinion, that ili-language and brutal manners reflected only on those who were guilty of them; and that a man's reputation was not at all cleared by cutting the perfon's throat who had reflected upon it: But the cuftom of thofe times had fixed the fcandal in the action; whereas now it lies in the reproach.

Mr. Sage. And yet the only fort of Duel that one can conceive to have been fought upon motives truly honourable and allowable, was that between the Horatii and Cariatii.

Sir Mark. Colonel Plume, pray what was the method of fingle combat in your time among the cavaliers? I fuppofe, that as the ufe of clothes continues, though the fashion of them has been mutable; fo Duels, though ftill in use, have had in all times their particular modes of performance.

Col.

Col. Plume. We had no conftant rule, but generally conducted our difpute and tilt according to the last that had happened between perfons of reputation among the very top fellows for bravery and gallantry.

Sir Mark. If the fashion of quarrelling and tilting was fo often changed in your time, Colonel Plume, a man might fight, yet lofe his credit for want of underftanding the fashion.

Col. Plume. Why, Sir Mark, in the beginning of July a man would have been cenfured for want of courage, or been thought indigent of the true notions of honour, if he had put up words, which in the end of September following, one could not refent without paffing for a brutal and quarrelfome fellow.

Sir Mark, But, Colonel, were Duels or Rencounters moft in fashion in those days?

Col. Plume. Your men of nice honour, Sir, were for avoiding all cenfure of advantage which they fuppofed might be taken in a Rencounter; therefore they used feconds, who were to fee that all was upon the fquare and make a faithful report of the whole combat; but in a little time it became a fafhion for the feconds to fight, and I will tell you how it happened.

Mr. Sage. Pray do, Colonel Plume, and the method of a Duel at that time, and give us fome notion of the puncto's upon which your nice men quarrelled in those days.

Col. Plume. I was going to tell you, Mr. Sage, that one Cornet Modif had defired his friend, Captain Smart's opinion in fome affair, but did not follow it; upon which Captain Smart fent Major Adroit (a very topping fellow of those times) to the perfon that had flighted his advice. The Major never enquired into the quarrel, because it was not the manner then among the very topping fellows; but got two fwords of an equal length, and then waited upon Cornet Modif, defiring him to choose his fword, and meet his friend Captain Smart. Cornet Modifh came with his friend to the place of combat; there the principals put on their pumps, and ftripped to their fhirts, to fhew they had nothing but what men of honour carry about them, and then engaged.

Sir Mark. And did the feconds ftand by, Sir?

Col. Plume. It was a received custom until that time; but the fwords of those days being pretty long, and the principals acting on both fides upon the defenfive, and the morning being frofty, Major Adroit defired that the other second, who was alfo a very topping fellow, would try a thruft or two only to keep them warm, until the principals had decided the matter, which was agreed to by Modifh's fecond, who prefently whipt Adroit through the body, difarmed him, and then parted the principals, who had received no harm at all.

Mr. Sage. But was not Adroit laughed at ?

Col. Plume. On the contrary, the very topping fellows were ever after of opinion, that no man who deferved that character, fhould ferve as a fecond, without fighting; and the Smarts and Modifhes finding their account in it, the humour took without oppofition.

Mr. Sage. Pray, Colonel, how long did that fashion continue ?

Col. Plume. Not long neither, Mr. Sage; for as foon as it became a fashion, the very topping fellows thought their honour reflected upon, if they did not proffer themfelves as feconds when any of their friends had a quarrel, fo that fometimes there were a dozen of a fide.

Sir Mark. Blefs me! if that cuftom had continued, we should have been at a lofs now for our very pretty fellows; for they feem to be the proper men to officer, animate, and keep up an army: But, pray Sir, how did that fociable manner of tilting grow out of mode?

Col. Plume. Why, Sir, I will tell you: It was a law among the combatants, that the party which happened to have the firft man disarmed or killed, fhould yield as vanquished: which fome people thought might encourage the Modishes and Smarts in quarrelling to the deftruction of only the very topping fellows; and as foon as this re fection was started, the very topping fellows thought it an incumbrance upon their honour to fight at all themfelves. Since that time the Modifhes and the Smarts, throughout all Europe, have extolled the French King's edict.

Sir Mark. Our very pretty fellows, whom I take to be the fucceffors of the very topping fellows, think a

quarrel

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quarrel fo little fashionable, that they will not be expofed to it by any other man's vanity, or want of fenfe.

Mr. Sage. But Colonel, I have obferved in your account of Duels, that there was a great exactness in avoiding all advantage that might poffibly be between the combatants.

Col. Plume. That is true, Sir; for the weapons were always equal.

Mr. Sage. Yes, Sir, but fuppofe an active adroit ftrong man had infulted an aukward or a feeble, or an unpractifed fword's-man?

Col. Plume. Then, Sir, they fought with pistols. Mr. Sage. But, Sir, there might be a ce sain advan tage that way; for a good mark's-man will fure to hit his man at twenty yards diftance; and a on whofe hand shakes (which is common to men that debauch in pleasures, or have not ufedtols out of their holters). will not venture to fire, as he touches the perfon he fhoots at. Now, Sir, of opinion, that one can get no honour in killing a man, if one has it all Rug, as the gamefters fay, win they have a trick to make the game fecure, though they fem to play upon the fquare.

Sir Mark. In truth, Mr. Sage, I think fuch a fact must be murder in a man's own private conscience, whatever it may appear to the world.

Col. Plume. I have known some men so nice, that they would not fight but upon a cloak with piftols.

Mr. Sage. I believe a cuftom well established would outdo the grand Monarch's edict.

Sir Mark. And Bullies would then leave off their long fwords, but I do not find that a very pretty fellow can stay to change his fword when he is infulted by a Bully with a long Diego; though his own at the fame time be no longer than a pen-knife; which will certainly be the cafe if fuch little fwords are in mode. Pray, Colonel, how was it between the hectors of your time, and the very topping fellows?

Col. Plume. Sir, long fwords happened to be generally worn in thofe times.

Mr. Sage. In anfwer to what you were faying, Sir Mark, give me leave to inform you, that your knights

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errant