Themines，accostingtheMarquisdeRichelieu，complained，inaninsultingtone，thattheBishopofLuconhadbrokenhisfaith。TheMarquisresentedboththemannerandmatterofhisspeech，andreadilyacceptedachallenge。TheymetintheRued’Angouleme，andtheunfortunateRichelieuwasstabbedtotheheart，andinstantlyexpired。
　　FromthatmomenttheBishopbecamethesteadyfoeofthepracticeofduelling。Reasonandtheimpulseofbrotherlylovealikecombinedtomakehimdetestit，andwhenhispowerinFrancewasfirmlyestablished，hesetvigorouslyaboutrepressingit。Inhis“TestamentPolitique，“hehascollectedhisthoughtsuponthesubject，inthechapterentitled“Desmoyensd’arreterlesDuels。“Inspiteoftheedictsthathepublished，themembersofthenobilitypersistedinfightinguponthemosttrivialandabsurdpretences。AtlastRichelieumadeaterribleexample。TheinfamousDeBoutevillechallengedandfoughttheMarquisdeBeuoron；and，althoughtheduelitselfwasnotfataltoeither，itsconsequenceswerefataltoboth。Highastheywere，Richelieuresolvedthatthelawshouldreachthem，andtheywerebothtried，foundguilty，andbeheaded。Thusdidsocietygetridofoneofthemostbloodthirstyscoundrelsthateverpollutedit。
　　In1632twonoblemenfoughtaduel，inwhichtheywerebothkilled。Theofficersofjusticehadnoticeofthebreachofthelaw，andarrivedatthesceneofcombatbeforethefriendsofthepartieshadtimetoremovethebodies。InconformitywiththeCardinal’sseverecodeuponthesubject，thebodieswereignominiouslystripped，andhangeduponagallows，withtheirheadsdownwards，forseveralhours，withinsightofallthepeople。[MercuredeFrance，vol。xiii。]
　　Thisseveritysoberedthefrenzyofthenationforatime；butitwassoonforgotten。Men’smindsweretoodeeplyimbuedwithafalsenotionofhonourtobebroughttoarightwayofthinking:bysuchexamples，howeverstriking，Richelieuwasunabletopersuadethemtowalkintherightpath，thoughhecouldpunishthemforchoosingthewrongone。Hehad，withallhisacuteness，miscalculatedthespiritofduelling。Itwasnotdeaththataduellistfeared:itwasshame，andthecontemptofhisfellows。AsAddisonremarkedmorethaneightyyearsafterwards，“Deathwasnotsufficienttodetermenwhomadeittheirglorytodespiseit；butifeveryonewhofoughtaduelweretostandinthepillory，itwouldquicklydiminishthenumberofthoseimaginarymenofhonour，andputanendtosoabsurdapractice。“Richelieuneverthoughtofthis。
　　Sullysays，thatinhistimetheGermanswerealsomuchaddictedtoduelling。Therewerethreeplaceswhereitwaslegaltofight；
　　Witzburg，inFranconia，andUspachandHalle，inSwabia。Thither，ofcourse，vastnumbersrepaired，andmurderedeachotherundersanctionofthelaw。Atanearlierperiod，inGermany，itwasheldhighlydisgracefultorefusetofight。Anyonewhosurrenderedtohisadversaryforasimplewoundthatdidnotdisablehim，wasreputedinfamous，andcouldneithercuthisbeard，beararms，mountonhorseback，orholdanyOfficeinthestate。Hewhofellinaduelwasburiedwithgreatpompandsplendour。
　　Intheyear1652，justafterLouisXIVhadattainedhismajority，adesperateduelwasfoughtbetweentheDukesdeBeaufortandDeNemours，eachattendedbyfourgentlemen。Althoughbrothers-in-law，theyhadlongbeenenemies，andtheirconstantdissensionshadintroducedmuchdisorganizationamongthetroopswhichtheyseverallycommanded。Eachhadlongsoughtanopportunityforcombat，whichatlastaroseonamisunderstandingrelativetotheplacestheyweretooccupyatthecouncilboard。Theyfoughtwithpistols，and，atthefirstdischarge，theDukedeNemourswasshotthroughthebody，andalmostinstantlyexpired。UponthistheMarquisdeVillars，whosecondedNemours，challengedHericourt，thesecondoftheDukedeBeaufort，amanwhomhehadneverbeforeseen；andthechallengebeingaccepted，theyfoughtevenmoredesperatelythantheirprincipals。
　　Thiscombat，beingwithswords，lastedlongerthanthefirst，andwasmoreexcitingtothesixremaininggentlemenwhostayedtowitnessit。
　　TheresultwasfataltoHericourt，whofellpiercedtotheheartbytheswordofDeVillars。Anythingmoresavagethanthiscanhardlybeimagined。Voltairesayssuchduelswerefrequent，andthecompilerofthe“Dictionnaired’Anecdotes“informsus，thatthenumberofsecondswasnotfixed。Asmanyasten，ortwelve，ortwenty，werenotunfrequent，andtheyoftenfoughttogetheraftertheirprincipalsweredisabled。Thehighestmarkoffriendshiponemancouldmanifesttowardsanother，wastochoosehimforhissecond；andmanygentlemenweresodesirousofservinginthiscapacity，thattheyendeavouredtoraiseeveryslightmisunderstandingintoaquarrel，thattheymighthavethepleasureofbeingengagedinit。TheCountdeBussyRabutinrelatesaninstanceofthisinhisMemoirs。Hesays，thatashewasoneeveningcomingoutofthetheatre，agentleman，namedBruc，whomhehadnotbeforeknown，stoppedhimverypolitely，and，drawinghimaside，askedhimifitwastruethattheCountdeThiangeshadcalledhimBrucadrunkard？Bussyreplied，thathereallydidnotknow，forhesawtheCountveryseldom。“Oh！heisyouruncle！“repliedBruc；
　　“and，asIcannothavesatisfactionfromhim，becausehelivessofaroffinthecountry，Iapplytoyou。““Iseewhatyouareat，“repliedBussy，“and，sinceyouwishtoputmeinmyuncle’splace，Ianswer，thatwhoeverassertedthathecalledyouadrunkard，toldalie！““Mybrothersaidso，“repliedBruc，“andheisachild。““Horsewhiphim，then，forhisfalsehood，“returnedDeBussy。“Iwillnothavemybrothercalledaliar，“returnedBruc，determinedtoquarrelwithhim；
　　“sodraw，anddefendyourself！“Theybothdrewtheirswordsinthepublicstreet，butwereseparatedbythespectators。Theyagreed，however，tofightonafutureoccasion，andwithallregularformsoftheduello。Afewdaysafterwards，agentleman，whomDeBussyhadneverbeforeseen，andwhomhedidnotknow，evenbyname，calleduponhim，andaskedifhemighthavetheprivilegeofservingashissecond。Headded，thatheneitherknewhimnorBruc，exceptbyreputation，but，havingmadeuphismindtobesecondtooneofthem，hehaddecideduponaccompanyingDeBussyasthebravermanofthetwo。DeBussythankedhimverysincerelyforhispoliteness，butbeggedtobeexcused，ashehadalreadyengagedfoursecondstoaccompanyhim，andhewasafraidthatifhetookanymore，theaffairwouldbecomeabattleinsteadofaduel。
　　Whensuchquarrelsasthesewerelookeduponasmeremattersofcourse，thestateofsocietymusthavebeenindeedawful。LouisXIV
　　veryearlysawtheevil，andasearlydeterminedtoremedyit。Itwasnot，however，tilltheyear1679，whenheinstitutedthe“ChambreArdente，“forthetrialoftheslowpoisonersandpretenderstosorcery，thathepublishedanyedictagainstduelling。Inthatyearhisfamousedictwaspromulgated，inwhichhereiteratedandconfirmedthesevereenactmentsofhispredecessors，HenryIVandLouisXIII，andexpressedhisdeterminationnevertopardonanyoffender。Bythiscelebratedordinanceasupremecourtofhonourwasestablished，composedoftheMarshalsofFrance。Theywerebound，ontakingtheoffice，togivetoeveryonewhobroughtawell-foundedcomplaintbeforethem，suchreparationaswouldsatisfythejusticeofthecase。
　　Shouldanygentlemanagainstwhomcomplaintwasmaderefusetoobeythemandateofthecourtofhonour，hemightbepunishedbyfineandimprisonment；andwhenthatwasnotpossible，byreasonofhisabsentinghimselffromthekingdom，hisestatesmightbeconfiscatedtillhisreturn。
　　Everymanwhosentachallenge，bethecauseofoffencewhatitmight，wasdeprivedofallredressfromthecourtofhonour——suspendedthreeyearsfromtheexerciseofanyofficeinthestate——wasfurtherimprisonedfortwoyears，andsentencedtopayafineofhalfhisyearlyincome。Hewhoacceptedachallenge，wassubjecttothesamepunishment。Anyservant，orotherperson，whoknowinglybecamethebearerofachallenge，was，iffoundguilty，sentencedtostandinthepilloryandbepubliclywhippedforthefirstoffence，andforthesecond，sentforthreeyearstothegalleys。
　　Anypersonwhoactuallyfought，wastobeheldguiltyofmurder，eventhoughdeathdidnotensue，andwastobepunishedaccordingly。
　　Personsinthehigherranksoflifeweretobebeheaded，andthoseofthemiddleclasshangeduponagallows，andtheirbodiesrefusedChristianburial。
　　AtthesametimethatLouispublishedthissevereedict，heexactedapromisefromhisprincipalnobilitythattheywouldneverengageinaduelonanypretencewhatever。Heneverswervedfromhisresolutiontopursueallduellistswiththeutmostrigour，andmanywereexecutedinvariouspartsofthecountry。Aslightabatementoftheevilwastheconsequence，andinthecourseofafewyearsoneduelwasnotfoughtwheretwelvehadbeenfoughtpreviously。Amedalwasstrucktocommemoratethecircumstance，bytheexpresscommandoftheKing。Somuchhadhethisobjectatheart，that，inhiswill，heparticularlyrecommendedtohissuccessorthecareofhisedictagainstduelling，andwarnedhimagainstanyill-judgedlenitytothosewhodisobeyedit。AsingularlawformerlyexistedinMaltawithregardtoduelling。Bythislawitwaspermitted，butonlyuponconditionthatthepartiesshouldfightinoneparticularstreet。Iftheypresumedtosettletheirquarrelelsewhere，theywereheldguiltyofmurder，andpunishedaccordingly。Whatwasalsoverysingular，theywerebound，underheavypenalties，toputuptheirswordswhenrequestedtodosobyapriest，aknight，orawoman。Itdoesnotappear，however，thattheladiesortheknightsexercisedthismildandbeneficentprivilegetoanygreatextent；theformerweretoooftenthemselvesthecauseofduels，andthelattersympathisedtoomuchinthewoundedhonourofthecombatantstoattempttoseparatethem。Thepriestsalonewerethegreatpeacemakers。Brydonesays，thatacrosswasalwayspaintedonthewalloppositetothespotwhereaknighthadbeenkilled，andthatinthe“streetofduels“hecountedabouttwentyofthem。[Brydone’s“TourinMalta。“1772。]
　　InEnglandtheprivateduelwasalsopractisedtoascandalousextent，towardstheendofthesixteenthandbeginningoftheseventeenthcenturies。Thejudicialcombatnowbegantobemorerare，butseveralinstancesofitarementionedinhistory。OnewasinstitutedinthereignofElizabeth，andanothersolateasthetimeofCharlesI。SirHenrySpelmangivesanaccountofthatwhichtookplaceinElizabeth’sreign，whichiscurious，perhapsthemoresowhenweconsiderthatitwasperfectlylegal，andthatsimilarcombatsremainedsotilltheyear1819。AproceedinghavingbeeninstitutedintheCourtofCommonPleasfortherecoveryofcertainmanorialrightsinthecountyofKent，thedefendantofferedtoprovebysinglecombathisrighttoretainpossession。Theplaintiffacceptedthechallenge，andtheCourthavingnopowertostaytheproceedings，agreedtothechampionswhoweretofightinlieuoftheprincipals。TheQueencommandedthepartiestocompromise；butitbeingrepresentedtoHerMajestythattheywerejustifiedbylawinthecoursetheywerepursuing，sheallowedthemtoproceed。Onthedayappointed，theJusticesoftheCommonPleas，andallthecouncilengagedinthecause，appearedasumpiresofthecombat，ataplaceinTothill-fields，wherethelistshadbeenprepared。Thechampionswerereadyfortheencounter，andtheplaintiffanddefendantwerepubliclycalledtocomeforwardandacknowledgethem。Thedefendantansweredtohisname，andrecognisedhischampionwiththedueformalities，buttheplaintiffdidnotappear。Withouthispresenceandauthoritythecombatcouldnottakeplace；andhisabsencebeingconsideredanabandonmentofhisclaim，hewasdeclaredtobenonsuited，andbarredforeverfromrenewinghissuitbeforeanyothertribunalwhatever。