The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-26 00:00:00

THE DUELLO IN SPAIN.

A NOT unamusing series of documents have been
published this week, relating to a quarrel between
Don Narvaez and Don Guell y Rents. As an illus-
tration of modern Spanish manners they are pecu-
liarly characteristic. Before referring to the pacers,
we will briefly observe that Senor Guell y ltente is
a Spanish Liberal, a Deputy, the husband of a cousin
of the Queen and of a sister of the Queen's husband.
After the first downfall of Narvaez, Senor Guell,
assuming Narvaez to be a "dead man," had attacked
the ex-Premier in the Chambers, but with very small
foresight, as it turned out, for before many months
Narvaez, on the downfall of O'Donnell, resumed the
reins of Government. On the 9th of October, 1850,
Narvaez and Guell y Bente accidentally met at the
house of the Countess de la Pena del Moro. What
followed, in the presence of this lady and her niece,
we leave Senor Guell to tell in his letter to Narvaez
of the 9th November last :
I rose to receive you like a well-bred man, with all re-
quisite politeness.
You twice stared at me, then a third time, but with an
imperious gesture, to which I replied with the greatest
courtesy—"Guell y Rents, my general." " [ am not
your general," you said to me, " because you aro a clod-
hopper—a fellow whose blond I would drink and tear his
heart out." Speaking thus you threatened me with a stout
cane, with which you touched my coat.
I instantly replied that I required a satisfaction as great
as the insult done to my honour. You rejoined that you
felt haste to give it me, and that you should like to tear
out of my heart the words I had uttered in the Chamber
of Deputies. I replied that your wish should soon be gra-
tified.

A challenpe was of course the result. The weapons
were agreed upon and the day fixed; but in the in-
terim, Narvaez was appointed President of the Coun•
cil of Ministers. As Prime Minister, Narvaez either
could not or would not fight, but his retirement into
private life reopened the question of satisfaction,
and Don Gaon y Rente writes to him :
To-day, without hatred, or vengeance, or wrath, because
am a man devoted to study and nothing else, I write
you this letter in the same way that, without uttering a
coniplaiht, without replying to your insults by similar in-
sults, I have devoured my despair by silence, but not my
dishonour, because no one's insults degrade a man like
me. I live by my reputation, and no one can tarnish my
reputation.
In the society wherein we live there is a law, a custom,
a formality that is sacred to me. You offered me a grave
insult before a lady, your hand holding a weapon ; come
now with a sword, as is the duty of every man possessing
a sense of shame. Come and tear out my heart as you
promised.
You were elected to the Presidency of the Council of
Ministers after you offended me, after you sent me your
seconds, after you accepted the weapons and indicated both
the hour and the ground at and on which we should meet,
so that what was an excuse then is no longer so now. I
now hope that as soon as you receive this letter you will
decide upon repairing, with the prudent reserve that be-
comes a gentleman, to the appointed spot and at the ap-
pointed hour, in order that God, who is always just, may do
reason to him who is in the right.
JOSE OCELL Y BENTE.

Madrid, Nov. 5, 1857.
This letter led to new arrangements for a duel, but
a difference arose as to the weapons. M. Guell's
representative had precise orders, and could admit
no weapon save the small-sword, because this arm
had been chosen by the two parties when the condi-
tions of the duel were settled a year before :
The seconds of the Duke of Valentia, although charged
with sufficient powers to admit any arm whatsoever, have
conceived it their duty only to authorise the duel with pis-
tols, admitting nevertheless to the adverse party the abso-
lute right of filing all the conditions of the duel and the
nature of the weapons. To justify their refusal to come
to an understanding with M. Guell's seconds, the seconds
of General Narvaez have alleged with effect the various
considerations proceeding front social pasition, the dif-
ference of age and skill between the adversaries, adding,
nevertheless, that they desired an equal and frank combat,
such as might give M. Guell the most complete satisfac-
tion on the ground he chose. M. Guell believed he had
the right only to fight with the small-sword, and he re-
fused to surrender that right. The Duke of Valentia's
seconds maintained on their side the choice of the pistol,
and there the matter has remained.

And so this amusing little episode ends for the pre-
sent. Both adversaries desii eto cut out each other's
heart, but they differ as to tho manner of accom-
plishing that amiable purpose.