The History of Duelling. Vol. 2 (of 2)Millingen, J. G. (John Gideon)
Philosophy
The History of Duelling. Vol. 2 (of 2)
Millingen, J. G. (John Gideon)
Dueling
On Thursday, the 2nd of May, the following statement appeared in the
evening papers:—“We are authorised to state, that a meeting took place
this morning between the Duke of Bedford and the Duke of Buckingham,
accompanied by Lord Lyndock and Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, in consequence
of words uttered by the former at the Bedford County Meeting. Both
parties fired together at the distance of twelve paces, on a word given,
but without effect; when the Duke of Buckingham, observing that the Duke
of Bedford fired into the air, advanced to his Grace, and remarking,
that for that reason 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 Buckingham, nor to impute to him any bad
or corrupt motive whatever.’ The parties then shook hands, and the whole
business was terminated most satisfactorily.”
The following are the words used by the Duke of Bedford at the County
Meeting:—“He would now advert to another transaction which he was almost
ashamed to mention: he alluded to a great borough proprietor, now a
noble duke, whose services, and the services of whose adherents in
parliament, had been purchased by Government by conferring high offices
on those adherents. It was an odious thing to mention these
circumstances, but he introduced them for the purpose of asking whether,
if a reform had been effected, such transactions could possibly happen?
The noble duke’s family and connections were, of course, sent back to
their constituents, when they accepted of place; because, when a member
of the House took office, he must return to his constituents, to know
whether they would re-elect him. But how were the individuals in
question sent back? They were not sent back to the people of England;
they were not sent back to those who were free to choose or to reject
them: no, they were sent back to the borough proprietor, to their own
patron, to the person who had engaged in the corrupt traffic; who had,
in fact, made the bargain with Ministers. He would again ask, could such
a circumstance possibly occur, if a reform were effected in the Commons’
House?”
The Duke 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 on Thursday morning, accompanied by Lord Lyndock, and
drove directly to Kensington Gardens; where the Duke of Buckingham
arrived about the same time, attended by Sir Watkin Williams Wynn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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