The following is his memorable letter written to Lord Viscount Villiers in the year 1616:— “MY VERY GOOD LORD,—Yesterday was a day of great good for his Majesty’s service, and the peace of this kingdom concerning duels, by occasion of d’Arcey’s case. I spake big, and publishing his Majesty’s strait charge to me, said, it had struck me blind, as in point of duels, cartels, &c., I should not know a coronet from a hatband. I was bold also to declare how excellently his Majesty had expressed to me a contemplation of his concerning duels; that is, that when he came forth and saw himself princely attended with goodly noblesse and gentlemen, he entered into the thought, that none of their lives were in certainty, not for twenty-four hours, from the duel; for it was but an heat or a mistaking, and then a lie, and then a challenge, and then life; saying, that he did not marvel seeing Xerxes shed tears to think not one of his great army should be alive in a hundred years. His Majesty was touched with compassion to think that not one of his attendants but might be dead within twenty-four hours by the duel. This I write, because his Majesty may be wary what he saith to me (in things of this sort), I being so apt to play the blab. In this also, I forgot not to prepare the judges, and wish them to protest, and as it were to denounce, that in all cases of duel capital before them, they will use equal severity towards the ‘_insolent_’ murder by the duel, and the ‘_insidious_’ murder; and that they will extirpate that difference out of the opinion of men, which they did excellently well.” Footnote 3: Charles Moore. Footnote 4: Whitelocke’s Memorials. Footnote 5: William, first Duke of Devonshire. Footnote 6: The officious interference of the Speaker on this occasion was evidently offensive to the professional character of Dr. Brocklesby and Mr. Graves; and Mr. Wilkes, by the delicacy of his behaviour, conveyed a severe censure on his conduct and that of the House. Footnote 7: 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 exclaimed, “Egad! Adam, it would have been all over with me, if you had not been charged with Government powder!” Footnote 8: See pp. 327, 349. Footnote 9: Christian’s Blackstone, vol. iii. p. 125. Footnote 10: Blackstone. Footnote 11: See the verdict of a court-martial, holden 1818, on charges preferred against Lieutenant-Colonel Abernethie, of the Marines, for _neglecting_ to demand the “_honourable adjustment_” of a dispute, and the subsequent decision of the Prince Regent on that occasion. Footnote 12: Blackstone. Footnote 13: Robertson.