首页 >出版文学> Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions>第35章
  Theevilhadreachedanalarmingheight,when,intheyear1808,anopportunitywasaffordedtoKingGeorgeIIIofshowinginastrikingmannerhisdetestationofthepractice,andofsettinganexampletotheIrishthatsuchmurderswerenottobecommittedwithimpunity。Adisputearose,inthemonthofJune1807,betweenMajorCampbellandCaptainBoyd,officersofthe21stregiment,stationedinIreland,aboutthepropermannerofgivingthewordofcommandonparade。Hotwordsensuedonthisslightoccasion,andtheresultwasachallengefromCampbelltoBoyd。Theyretiredintothemess-roomshortlyafterwards,andeachstationedhimselfatacorner,thedistanceobliquelybeingbutsevenpaces。Here,withoutfriendsorsecondsbeingpresent,theyfiredateachother,andCaptainBoydfellmortallywoundedbetweenthefourthandfifthribs。Asurgeonwhocameinshortly,foundhimsittinginachair,vomitingandsufferinggreatagony。Hewasledintoanotherroom,MajorCampbellfollowing,ingreatdistressandperturbationofmind。Boydsurvivedbuteighteenhours;andjustbeforehisdeath,said,inreplytoaquestionfromhisopponent,thattheduelwasnotfair,andadded,“Youhurriedme,Campbell——you’reabadman。“——“GoodGod!“repliedCampbell,“willyoumentionbeforethesegentlemen,wasnoteverythingfair?Didyounotsaythatyouwereready?“Boydansweredfaintly,“Oh,no!youknowIwantedyoutowaitandhavefriends。“Onbeingagainaskedwhetherallwasfair,thedyingmanfaintlymurmured“Yes:“butinaminuteafter,hesaid,“You’reabadman!“Campbellwasnowingreatagitation,andwringinghishandsconvulsively,heexclaimed,“Oh,Boyd!youarethehappiestmanofthetwo!Doyouforgiveme?“Boydreplied,“Iforgiveyou——Ifeelforyou,asIknowyoudoforme。“
  Heshortlyafterwardsexpired,andMajorCampbellmadehisescapefromIreland,andlivedforsomemonthswithhisfamilyunderanassumedname,intheneighbourhoodofChelsea。Hewas,however,apprehended,andbroughttotrialatArmagh,inAugust1808。Hesaidwhileinprison,that,iffoundguiltyofmurder,heshouldsufferasanexampletoduellistsinIreland;butheendeavouredtobuoyhimselfup,withthehopethatthejurywouldonlyconvicthimofmanslaughter。Itwasprovedinevidenceuponthetrial,thattheduelwasnotfoughtimmediatelyaftertheoffencewasgiven,butthatMajorCampbellwenthomeanddrankteawithhisfamily,beforehesoughtBoydforthefatalencounter。Thejuryreturnedaverdictofwilfulmurderagainsthim,butrecommendedhimtomercyonthegroundthattheduelhadbeenafairone。HewascondemnedtodieontheMondayfollowing,butwasafterwardsrespitedforafewdayslonger。Inthemeantimethegreatestexertionsweremadeinhisbehalf。HisunfortunatewifewentuponherkneesbeforethePrinceofWales,tomovehimtousehisinfluencewiththeKing,infavourofherunhappyhusband。Everythingafondwifeandacourageouswomancoulddo,shetried,togaintheroyalclemency;butGeorgeIIIwasinflexible,inconsequenceoftherepresentationsoftheIrishViceroythatanexamplewasnecessary。Thelawwasthereforeallowedtotakeitscourse,andthevictimofafalsespiritofhonourdiedthedeathofafelon。
  ThemostinveterateduellistsofthepresentdayarethestudentsintheUniversitiesofGermany。Theyfightonthemostfrivolouspretences,andsettlewithswordsandpistolstheschoolboydisputeswhichinothercountriesarearrangedbythemoreharmlessmediumofthefisticuffs。Itwasatonetimethecustomamongthesesavageyouthstoprefertheswordcombat,forthefacilityitgavethemofcuttingoffthenosesoftheiropponents。Todisfiguretheminthismannerwasanobjectofambition,andtheGermanduellistsreckonedthenumberofthesedisgustingtrophieswhichtheyhadborneaway,withasmuchsatisfactionasasuccessfulgeneraltheprovinceshehadreducedorthecitieshehadtaken。
  Butitwouldbewearisometoenterintotheminutedetailofalltheduelsofmoderntimes。Ifanexaminationweremadeintothegeneralcauseswhichproducedthem,itwouldbefoundthatineverycasetheyhadbeeneitherofthemosttrivialorthemostunworthynature。Parliamentaryduelswereatonetimeverycommon,andamongstthenamesofthosewhohavesoiledagreatreputationbyconformingtothepractice,maybementionedthoseofWarrenHastings,SirPhilipFrancis,Wilkes,Pitt,Fox,Grattan,Curran,Tierney,andCanning。Sodifficultisitevenforthesuperiormindtofreeitselffromthetrammelswithwhichfoolishopinionhasenswathedit——notoneofthesecelebratedpersonswhodidnotinhissecretsoulcondemnthefollytowhichhelenthimself。Thebondsofreason,thoughiron-strong,areeasilyburstthrough;butthoseoffolly,thoughlitheandfrailastherushesbyastream,defythestoutesthearttosnapthemasunder。ColonelThomas,anofficeroftheGuards,whowaskilledinaduel,addedthefollowingclausetohiswillthenightbeforehedied:——“Inthefirstplace,IcommitmysoultoAlmightyGod,inhopeofhismercyandpardonfortheirreligiousstepInowincompliancewiththeunwarrantablecustomsofthiswickedworld
  putmyselfunderthenecessityoftaking。“Howmanyhavebeeninthesamestateofmindasthiswise,foolishman!Heknewhiserror,andabhorredit,butcouldnotresistit,forfearoftheopinionoftheprejudicedandunthinking。Noothercouldhaveblamedhimforrefusingtofightaduel。
  Thelistofduelsthathavesprungfromthemostdegradingcausesmightbestretchedouttoanalmostindefiniteextent。Sterne’sfatherfoughtaduelaboutagoose;andthegreatRaleighaboutatavernbill。[Raleigh,atoneperiodofhislife,appearedtobeaninveterateduellist,anditwassaidofhimthathehadbeenengagedinmoreencountersofthekindthananymanofnoteamonghiscontemporaries。Morethanonefellow-creaturehehaddeprivedoflife;
  buthelivedlongenoughtobeconvincedofthesinfulnessofhisconduct,andmadeasolemnvownevertofightanotherduel。Thefollowinganecdoteofhisforbearanceiswellknown,butitwillbearrepetition:——
  Adisputearoseinacoffee-housebetweenhimandayoungmanonsometrivialpoint,andthelatter,losinghistemper,impertinentlyspatinthefaceoftheveteran。SirWalter,insteadofrunninghimthroughthebody,asmanywouldhavedone,orchallenginghimtomortalcombat,coollytookouthishandkerchief,wipedhisface,andsaid,“Youngman,ifIcouldaseasilywipefrommyconsciencethestainofkillingyou,asIcanthisspittlefrommyface,youshouldnotliveanotherminute。“Theyoungmanimmediatelybeggedhispardon。]Scoresofduelsmanyofthemfatalhavebeenfoughtfromdisputesatcards,oraplaceatatheatre,whilehundredsofchallenges,givenandacceptedover-night,inafitofdrunkenness,havebeenfoughtoutthenextmorningtothedeathofoneorbothoftheantagonists。
  Twoofthemostnotoriousduelsofmoderntimeshadtheiroriginincausesnomoreworthythanthequarrelofadogandthefavourofaprostitute:thatbetweenMacnamaraandMontgomeryarisingfromtheformer;andthatbetweenBestandLordCamelford,fromthelatter。ThedogofMontgomeryattackedadogbelongingtoMacnamara,andeachmasterinterferinginbehalfofhisownanimal,highwordsensued。Theresultwasthegivingandacceptingachallengetomortalcombat。Thepartiesmetonthefollowingday,whenMontgomerywasshotdead,andhisantagonistseverelywounded。Thisaffaircreatedagreatsensationatthetime,andHeaviside,thesurgeonwhoattendedatthefatalfieldtorenderhisassistance,ifnecessary,wasarrestedasanaccessorytothemurder,andcommittedtoNewgate。
  IntheduelbetweenBestandLordCamelford,twopistolswereusedwhichwereconsideredtobethebestinEngland。Oneofthemwasthoughtslightlysuperiortotheother,anditwasagreedthatthebelligerentsshouldtossupapieceofmoneytodecidethechoiceofweapons。Bestgainedit,and,atthefirstdischarge,LordCamelfordfell,mortallywounded。Butlittlesympathywasexpressedforhisfate;hewasaconfirmedduellist,hadbeenengagedinmanymeetingsofthekind,andthebloodofmorethanonefellow-creaturelayathisdoor。Ashehadsowed,sodidhereap;andtheviolentmanmetanappropriatedeath。
  Itnowonlyremainstonoticethemeansthathavebeentakentostaytheprevalenceofthismadnessoffalsehonourinthevariouscountriesofthecivilizedworld。TheeffortsofthegovernmentsofFranceandEnglandhavealreadybeenmentioned,andtheirwantofsuccessisbuttoowellknown。Thesameeffortshavebeenattendedwiththesameresultselsewhere。Indespoticcountries,wherethewillofthemonarchhasbeenstronglyexpressedandvigorouslysupported,adiminutionoftheevilhasforawhileresulted,butonlytobeincreasedagain,whendeathrelaxedtheirongrasp,andasuccessorappearedoflessdecidedopinionsuponthesubject。ThiswasthecaseinPrussiaunderthegreatFrederick,ofwhoseaversiontoduellingapopularanecdoteisrecorded。Itisstatedofhimthathepermittedduellinginhisarmy,butonlyupontheconditionthatthecombatantsshouldfightinpresenceofawholebattalionofinfantry,drawnuponpurpose,toseefairplay。Thelatterreceivedstrictorders,whenoneofthebelligerentsfell,toshoottheotherimmediately。Itisadded,thattheknowndeterminationoftheKingeffectuallyputastoptothepractice。
  TheEmperorJosephIIofAustriawasasfirmasFrederick,althoughthemeasuresheadoptedwerenotsosingular。Thefollowingletterexplainshisviewsonthesubject:——
  “MYGENERAL,“YouwillimmediatelyarresttheCountofK。andCaptainW。TheCountisyoung,passionate,andinfluencedbywrongnotionsofbirthandafalsespiritofhonour。CaptainW。isanoldsoldier,whowilladjusteverydisputewiththeswordandpistol,andwhohasreceivedthechallengeoftheyoungCountwithunbecomingwarmth。
  “Iwillsuffernoduellinginmyarmy。Idespisetheprinciplesofthosewhoattempttojustifythepractice,andwhowouldruneachotherthroughthebodyincoldblood。
  “WhenIhaveofficerswhobravelyexposethemselvestoeverydangerinfacingtheenemy——whoatalltimesexhibitcourage,valour,andresolutioninattackanddefence,Iesteemthemhighly。
  Thecoolnesswithwhichtheymeetdeathonsuchoccasionsisserviceabletotheircountry,andatthesametimeredoundstotheirownhonour;butshouldtherebemenamongstthemwhoarereadytosacrificeeverythingtotheirvengeanceandhatred,Idespisethem。I
  considersuchamanasnobetterthanaRomangladiator。
  “Orderacourt-martialtotrythetwoofficers。InvestigatethesubjectoftheirdisputewiththatimpartialitywhichIdemandfromeveryjudge;andhethatisguilty,lethimbeasacrificetohisfateandthelaws。
  “Suchabarbarouscustom,whichsuitstheageoftheTamerlanesandBajazets,andwhichhasoftenhadsuchmelancholyeffectsonsinglefamilies,Iwillhavesuppressedandpunished,evenifitshoulddeprivemeofonehalfofmyofficers。Therearestillmenwhoknowhowtounitethecharacterofaherowiththatofagoodsubject;
  andheonlycanbesowhorespectsthelaws。