The History of Duelling. Vol. 1 (of 2)

John Stuart Mill · en
In 1209 we find Philip Augustus obliging his sons, Louis and Philip,
to make a vow against entering into any such meetings. In 1385 we find
Francis I. in a tournament between Ardres and Guines; and Henry II. in
1559,--a fatal encounter in which he died from a wound in the eye-ball
received from Montgomery, captain of his guards. This accident took
place on the occasion of the marriage of the King’s eldest daughter
to Philip, King of Spain; in honour of which there were balls,
masquerades, and tilting. His majesty, fancying to enter the lists, had
a lance sent to Montgomery to encounter him: the captain at first very
wisely declined the honour; but, upon the King’s repeated requests,
was reluctantly obliged to comply with his orders. The tilt-yard was
in the Rue St. Antoine, where the captain purposely and politely broke
his lance against his royal master’s breast-plate: unfortunately one
of the splinters flew into his eye, and penetrated the ball; the King
lingered in great agony for a month and died, after having forbidden
all similar exercises.[10]

To form an idea of the ferocity that marked these deadly meetings,
and the absurdity of what were called points of honour, we have only
to recount the particulars of a combat that took place between two
Spanish captains at Ferrara. These two heroes had demanded a “field”
of the Viceroy, Monsieur de Nemours. The Duchess of Ferrara was, of
course, most anxious to be present at the contest; she being, according
to Brantôme, the most beautiful and accomplished lady in Christendom,
both as regarded corporeal and mental qualities, speaking moreover
_force belles langues_: therefore was it, (and very naturally,) that M.
de Nemours was deeply enamoured of her, and wore her colours, (rather
sombre, to be sure,) black and grey. The combatants being engaged, one
of the parties received a desperate wound, which occasioned such a loss
of blood that he sunk on the ground; when his antagonist, according
to the noble institutions of chivalry, rushed on him with the point
of his sword to his throat. The which beholding, the Duchess, who was
as kind as she was courteous, and as beauteous as she was virtuous,
with clasped hands implored M. de Nemours to separate the combatants;
to which he replied, rather uncourteously for a knight, “You cannot
doubt, madam, that there is nothing in the world that I would not do to
convince you of my thorough devotion to your will; but in this instance
I can do nothing, nor offend against the laws of battle, nor can I
honestly and against reason deprive the conqueror of a prize which he
has obtained at the hazard of his life.”