clared, upon his honour, that he himself had witnessed the alleged affront to Captain Miles, and therefore, as his friend, insisted on the satisfaction of one gentleman to another. Miles backed this declaration upon his honour, and (as preconcerted between him and Fitzgerald) swore a tremendous oath, that if Mr. Bate did not immediately strip and box with him, he (Miles) would post him for a coward, and cane him handsomely wherever he met with him.

The parson was thunderstruck; and, though one of the fancy of his day, he for a time urged the vulgarity of the proposed exhibition; saying that, "Although he was by no means afraid of the issue, he did not choose to fight in any way unbecoming a gentleman" adding, "that that, for one of his cloth, was bad enough in the opinion of the public; but having no desire to flinch, he was ready to meet Captain Miles, either with sword or pistol, whenever and wherever he chose to appoint."

This proposition, however reasonable, was by no means satisfactory, either to Captain Miles or to the honourable Mr. Fitzgerald, for they had a particular object in view, and they both insisted on their first demand; the former declaring that he was inexorable on the point of pugilism, and repeating his former threat of personal chastisement.

The parson was puzzled how to act, until Miles at length said something about cowardice, which he could not stomach; therefore, to prevent Fitzgerald, Lyttleton, &c., from enjoying a triumph at his expense, Mr. Bate consented to encounter the redoubted Captain immediately, and on his own terms. A ring was accordingly formed, the combatants strip

ped, and Fitzgerald exulted in the prospect of seeing Bate soundly thrashed. But he reckoned without his host for, in less than fifteen minutes, the parson beat the Captain almost to a jelly.

The latter having at length cried peccavi to Mr. Bate's repeated question, of "Have you had sufficient satisfaction?" the poor devil was taken away half dead, his eyes being so closed that he could not see his way home.

Here the matter rested for the present; but, in a few days afterwards, it was discovered that Captain Miles was no less a personage than Fitzgerald's own footman, whom (being an athletic fellow and an expert pugilist) his master had dressed up in military style, and dubbed an officer and gentleman, for the purpose of punishing and disgracing the parson!

Mr. Bate now very properly exposed the whole affair to the public, in the Morning Post: designating the conduct of the parties privy to the affair as most infamous. This produced recriminatory letters in all the other newspapers; but the public were unanimously of opinion that our heroes had entirely degraded themselves from the rank of gentlemen. Croftes was deprived of his commission as an officer; Mr. Lyttleton, after being shunned by his companions for some time, at length made the amende honorable, and was again received into society; but Fitzgerald, though he published a sort of bastard apology, was universally condemned, not only by the gentlemen of the army, but by all ranks, and in all companies.

One gentleman, Captain Scawen, of the Guards, reprobated his conduct in such severe terms, that, to

prevent himself being shunned by the whole of his friends and associates, Fitzgerald thought it necessary to call him out, or bully him into an apology. Meeting him, therefore, at the Cocoa-Tree, he demanded, in a swaggering and ferocious manner, "Whether Captain Scawen had ever dared to take liberties with his name and character ?”

"Liberties, Sir," answered the Captain: "no liberties can be taken with that which is already infamous. I avow having reprobated your conduct, which is degrading to a gentleman; and I shall continue to do so until you make due amends to Mr. Bate for the insult you have so unworthily cast upon him."

Fitzgerald was enraged beyond measure, and challenged Scawen, on the spot, to fight with swords; the latter, however, being aware of Fitzgerald's reputed superiority over himself and others in the use of that weapon, declined this mode of settling the dispute; but offered to fight him with pistols wherever he pleased. To this, Fitzgerald's brave spirit would not accede; though, according to the etiquette of all modern duellos, the challenged person invariably has the choice of weapons.

In refusing his consent, however, to so fair and so proper an alternative, our hero chose to add some very insulting expressions, which induced Captain Scawen to cane him soundly round the coffee-room. The consequence was eternal disgrace, or immediate consent to meet his opponent on his own ground. He chose the latter; and the parties set out in a few days for Flanders, with their surgeons and seconds.

They first met at Lisle, according to Fitzgerald's appointment, and all matters relating to the duel be

ing adjusted, they arrived on the ground, in the Austrian territory, on the first day of September. In describing this extraordinary rencontre, we cannot do better than make use of the words of Captain Fagan, Fitzgerald's second, as they appeared in one of the prints of the period:

"When the gentlemen came to the ground, which was in the Queen's country, between Pont-au-Tressin and Tournay, Mr. Fitzgerald loaded his pistols; and Captain Nugent of the Guards, Mr. Scawen's second, assisted the latter to load his. It was agreed that the distance should be ten steps, which was measured by the seconds; and the choice of places was determined by throwing up a piece of money, by which it fell upon Mr. Scawen.

"The principals then took their ground, and the seconds retired. Captain Scawen asked Mr. Fitzgerald if he would fire first; which proposition he accepted, and immediately discharged his pistol: the ball passed under Mr. Scawen's chin. Mr. Scawen then presented and levelled his pistol; but Mr. Fitzgerald, in bringing his SECOND pistol to a level, acCIDENTALLY discharged it before Mr. Scawen had fired off his:-upon which Mr. Scawen said, 'Mr. Fitzgerald, you have fired your second pistol! To which, Mr. Fitzgerald replied, "It is true, Sir; but I assure you it was merely accidental, and I ask your pardon for it.' And then, advancing a pace or two towards Mr. Scawen, Mr. Fitzgerald added, 'You have both your pistols, Sir; I desire you will fire them, and we will both load again."*

*This part of Fagan's account was positively contradicted by Captains Nugent and Pigott, who published another account, of

"Mr. Scawen then said, 'Sir, it makes no difference; I am glad it happened so ;' and immediately came up to Mr. Fitzgerald, and addressing himself to him, told him, if he had said any thing disrespectful (!) against him, it must have been when he was disordered with liquor; and he was extremely sorry for it.' Then, taking a cane out of one of the surgeons' hands, he delivered it to Mr. Fitzgerald, who very lightly laid it on Mr. Scawen's shoulders: and afterwards told Mr. Scawen, that he was very sorry for what he had said of him, as he now behaved like a gentleman!

"The gentlemen then shook hands, went and spent the evening together, and parted perfectly reconciled!"

Thus ended this curious affair, which made a great noise at the time. How Scawen could have been reconciled, or spend the evening with, but, above all things, make an apology to, a man who had behaved so ill, and who had, moreover, taken such a mur

which the following is an extract:-"Mr. Scawen, in going to his ground, asked Mr. Fitzgerald if he chose to fire first? who replied, 'it was a matter of indifference to him:' but altering his opinion, said, he would take the first shot;'-to which Mr. Scawen readily assented. Mr. Fitzgerald then presented his pistol, and fired: the shot seemed to pass very near Mr. Scawen. After Mr. Fitzgerald had fired his first pistol, he took hold of the other, and stood with it in the attitude of presenting, to receive Mr. Scawen's fire. Mr. Scawen then presented his pistol; but before he could pull the trigger, was surprised at the report of Mr. Fitzgerald's second pistol. On this, Mr. Scawen immediately recovered his; telling Mr. Fitzgerald, at the same time, that as both his pistols were discharged, he could not think of firing at him,' and immediately discharged his in the air. Mr. Fitzgerald replied, 'I assure you, I did not mean it; my pistol went off by accident: but I'LL LOAD AGAIN!!!' The seconds and surgeons here interposed," &c. &c.