The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-14 00:00:00

DUELLING IN FRANCE.

(From Dr. Millingen's History of Duelling.)
France may be considered the classic ground o
duelling, the field of single combat par excellence ,
whence, from the Duchy of Normandy, as we have al-
ready seen, it was introduced into the British isles. If
we are indebted to our neighbours for this practice, it
is also to t hem that we owe the various codes and re-
gulations drawn out to equalise, as far as possible, the
chances of victory, and to prevent any unfair advan-
tages being obtained to the prejudice of the opposite
party. Of these various documents, possibly the rules
given by Brantome may oe considered the most curious.
In the first instance, be says :—" On no account what-
ever let an infidel be brought out as a second or a
witness : it is not proper that an unbeliever should
witness the shedding of Christian blood, which would
delight him ; and it is moreover abominable that such
a wretch should be allowed such an honorable pastime.
The combatants must be carefully examined and felt, to
ascertain that they have no particular drugs,
witchcraft, or charms about them. It is allowed to wear
oo such occasions some relics of Our Lady of Loretto,
and other holy objects ; yet is is not clearly decided
what is to be done when both parties have not these
relics, as no advantage should be allowed to one com-
batant more than to another. It is idle to dwell upon
courtesies—the man who steps into the field must have
made up his mind to conquer or die, but, above all
things, never to surrender ; for the conqueror may treat
the vanquished as he thinks proper—drag him round the
ground, bang him, burn him, keep him a prisoner ; in
short, do with him whatever he pleases. The Danes
and Lombards in this imitated Achilles, who, after his
combat with Hector, dragged him three times round the
walls at the tail of his triumphant car. Every gallant
knight must maintain the honour of ladies, whether
they may have forfeited it or not ; if it can be said
that a gentille dame can have forfeited her honour by
kindaess to her servant and her lover. A soldier may
tight his captain, provided he has been two years upon
actual service, and he quits his company. If a father
accuses a soa of any crime that may tend to dishonour
him, the son may demand satisfaction of his father :
since he has detne him more injury by dishonouring him,
than he had bestowed advantage by giving him life."
" Notwithstanding Brantome's authority, the right of
a soldier to call out his Captain has been a questionable
point ; and La Beraudierc, and Basnage, and Alciat,
have discussed the point very minutely. The last au-
thor came to the conclusion that such a meeting could
only be tolerated when both parties were off duty,—
post funetionem secus. The same learned writer main-
tains that you can only refuse to fight a bastard ; and
he therefore strongly recommends all noblemen to legi-
timaeze their sons, that they may be rendered worthy
of the honour of knighthood and of duelling : and he
further declares, that all challenges from a roturier, a
mere citizen, or a man in business, must be considered
as null and void.
" There is a passage in Brantome which singularly
applies to modern France, as regards the multiplicity
of decorations of honour, and their various button-hole
badges ; distinctions which, from the facility with
which they are obtained, he does not consider as
qualifying the wearer to fight a gentleman. If these
people were attended to,' hesays,' onecould no longerfight
a proper duel : such numbers of them pullulate in every
direction, that we see nothing but knights of St. Mi-
chael and of the Saint Esprit ; to such an extent were
these orders abused during our civil laws, to win over
and retain followers being no longer the meed of
valour or of merit.' To tear off a decoration, or even
to touch it, was considered an unpardonable insult ; and
we have seen in more modern times an example of the
respect to which such attributes of distinction are en-
titled. In August 1833, Colonel Gallois, an officer in
the service of Polaad, felt himself offended by an
article in the Figaro, a paper conducted by Nestor
Roqueplan ; and, having met him, tore off his riband
of the Legion of Honour. The parties met in the
wood of Meudon, when Roqueplan received three
won't*, and Gallois one in the knee : the two seconds
of Gallois at the same lime had thrown off their coats,
and challenged the seconds of Roqueplan, who very
wisely declined any participation in 1 he fight ; when one
of Gallois's party insisted upon satisfaction from Mr.
Leon Pillet, a friend of Roqueplan, with whom lie was
on intimate terms, and, to urge his suit, requested that
he might be allowed to take the badge of the Legion
off his coat, to overcome his apparent repugnance ;
adding, that he entertained too much friendship and
esteem towards him to offend him in any other manner.
There was no refusing so polite a request.
" The colours of a lady, in a knot of ribands' worn

by her admirer, and called an emprise, were equally
sacred ; and, when a brave of those chivalric days was
anxious for a combat, he exerted himself to find some
daring desperado who would put his finger on the badge
of love. In Ireland to this day, in many of its wild
districts, a pugnacious ruffian will drag his jacket after
him, and fight unto death any spalpeen who ventures to
tonch it.
" Choice of arms was a matter of great importance
in these meetings, indeed of a vital nature ; since, if a
weapon was broken in the hands of one of the parties,
bib cm considered vanquished, and at the discretion of
his cpnqueior—such an accident being looked upon as
a dveision of Providence : a mis-fire at the present day
is considered a shot, although on a less religious prin-

cipla. Pistels were introduc:d in the reign of Henry
11. ; and,, being considered as affording a more equal
chance to both combatants, this arm has been gene-
rally selected in modern duels, more especially in Eng-
land. On the Continent the small-sword and the
sabre were more frequently resorted to ; and we shall
shortly see the regulations regarding their employ-
ment, which in France form a regular code. Some
of the ancient modes of fighting were most singu-
lar and whimsical. Brantome relates a story of
two Corsicans who had fixed short sharp-pointed
daggers in the front of their helmets, being covered
with a suit of mail called a jacque' over their
shirts, although the weather was remarkably cold ; such
an arrangement having been proposed by the offended,
Who had the right to select and name the mode of
combat, and who was fearful of his antagonists' renown
for his power and dexterity in wrestling. Both were
armed with swords, and they fought for some time with
such equality of skill that neither was wounded ; at
length they rushed upon each other, and wrestling com-
menced. It was during this struggle that the daggers
caine into play, each butting in his antagonist's face,
and neck, and arms, until blood was streaming in every
direction, and in such profusion that they were sepa-
rated . one of them only lived a month ; in consequence
of which the survivor was well nigh dying of tristesse
and ennui, as they had become friends, and expected
that they both should have died—Notwithstanding
this valorous disposition, it appears that the choice of
arms and appointments was frequently made a subter-
fuge to gain time, or cause much trouble and expense ;
and Brantome relates that, in the fatal duel between
Jarnac and Chastereraye, the former prcposed no less
than thirty different weapons to be used on horseback
and on foot, and bad also specified various horses,
Spanish, Turkish, Barbes, with different kinds of
saddles ; in consequence of which our chronicler adds,
that if his uncle had not been a man of some independ-
ebce, and moreover assisted by his royal master, he
could not have maintained the challenge; and he very
truly observed, when receiving it, " This man wants to
fight both my valour and my purse." This privilege of
the offended to choose their arms and regulate the na-
ture of the combat, however capriciously, afforded con-
siderable advantages ; since the art of fencing taught
many secret tricks, the knowledge of which gave great
reputaticn to professors. So secret, indeed, were these
instructions, that not only was the pupil solemnly
sworn never to reveal the mysterious practice, but in-
structions were given in private, after having examined
every part of the room, the furniture, and the very
walls, to ascertain that no third person could have been
concealed to witness the deadly lesson. To this day in
France such cuts and thrusts are called coups de
roitre, and by the lower classes coups de matins.
is A curious case is recorded of a knight, who,
having been taught invariably to strike
of
the region of
,
the heart, insisted upon fighting in a suit
armour, with an opening in each cuirass of the breadth
of the hand over the heart ; the result, of course,
was immediately fatal to his antagonist.
" The ' cunning' of arrnnurers was also frequently..
mewled to to obtain unfair advantages. A skilful
workman in Milan had carried his mode of tempering
steel to such a point of perfection, that the solidity of
the sword and dagger depended entirely on the manner
in which they were handled : in the hands of the inex-
perienced the weapons flew into shivers ; whereas, in
the grasp of a skilful combatant, they were as rusty as
the most approved Toledan blade. Nor were these va-
liant knights very particular as to odds. It is related
of two French gentlemen, La Villatte and the Baron.
de Salligny, who fought a duel with two Gascons of
the names of Malecolom and Esparezat, that Malecolom
having speedily killed his antagonist Salligny, and per-
ceiving that his companion Esparezat was a long time
despatching Villatte, went to his assistance. When
Villatte, thus unfairly pressed by two antagonists, re-
monstrated against the treachery, Malecolom very coolly
replied, I have killed my adversary ; and if you
kill yours, there may be a chance that you may also kill
me ; therefore, here gees !'
" More punctilious, however, were some of these
persons in points of honour. We read in Branteme of
two Piedrnontese officers, intimate friends, who, having
gone out to fight, one of the parties received a wound
that was supposed to be mortal, when his opponent,
stead of despatching him, assisted bins off the ground,
to conduct him to a surgeon. !' exclaimed the
wounded man, do not be generous by halves !—let it
not be said that I fell without inflicting a wound : so,
pray wear your arm in a scarf, and say that I hit you
ere I succumbed,' His friend generously acceded to
the proposal ; and, having smeared a bandage in his
blood, ho wrapped it round his arm, publishing abroad
that he had been wounded ere his brave companion re-
ceived his mortal thrust. The wound, however, not
Droving fatal, an everlasting friendship, cemented by
latitude, ever after prevailed between them."
.DUELS BETWEEN FRENCH WOMEN.
That women, who can mostly get silly people to fight

for them, should not fight themselves is natural, but
there are instances on record in which ladies have shown
their determination to avenge their own wrongs. Ma-
dame de Villechen mentions a duel fought with swords
by Henriette Sylvie of Moliere with another wo-
man, both in male attire. In the letters of Madame
Dunoyer, a case is mentioned of a lady of Beaucaire
and a young lady of rank, who fought with swords
in their garden, and would ha% e killed each other
bad they not been separated ; this meeting had been
preceded by a regular challenge. De la Colombiere
mentions a duel that took place on the Boulevard St.
Antoine, between two ladies of doubtful virtue, in
which they inflicted on each other's face and bosom
several wounds, two points at which female jealousy
would naturally aim. St. Foix relates the tale of Ma-
demoiselle Durieux, who in the open street fought her
lover of the name of Antinotti. But the most cele-
brated female duellist was the actress Maupin, one of
the performers at the Opera. Serane, the famous
fencing-master, was one of her lovers, and from him
she received many valuable lessons. Being insulted
one day by an actor of the name of Dumeny,
she called him out; but as he refused to give her sa-
tisfaction, she carried away his watch and his snuff-
box as the trophies of her victory. Another
performer having presumed to offend her, on his declin-
ing a meeting was obliged to kneel down before her and
implore her forgiveness. One evening at a ball, having
behaved in a very rude manner to a lady, she was re-
quested to leave the room, which she did on the condi-
tion that those gentlemen who had warmly espoused the
offended lady's cause should accompany her. To this
proposal they agreed ; when, after a hard combat, she
killed them all, and quietly returned to the ball-room.
Louis XIV. granted her a pardon, and she withdrew to
Brussels, where she became the mistress of the Elector
of Bavaria. However, she soon afterwards returned
to the Parisian opera, and died in 1707, at the age of
thirty-seven.
Under the regency a pistol meeting took place be-
tween the Marquise de Nesle and the Countess Polig-
nac for the possession of the Duc de Richelieu ; and in
more modern times, so late, indeed, as 1827, a Madame
B- at St. Rambert, received a challenge to fight
with pistols ; and about the same period a lady of
Chateauroux, whose husband had received a slap in the
face without resenting the insult, called out the offender,
and fighting him with swords severely wounded him.
" In 1828 a duel took place between a young girl
and a garde dit corps. She had been betrayed by the
gallant soldier, and insisted upon satisfaction, selecting
her own weapons by the right of an offended party.
Two shots were exchanged, but without any result, as
the seconds very wisely had not loaded with ball. The
young lady, however, ignorant of this precaution, fired
first, and received the fire of her adversary with the
utmost coolness, when, to try her courage, after taking
a long and deliberate aim, he fired in the air, and thus
terminated the meeting, which no doubt led to many
others of a less hostile nature.

In the same month, as a striking instance of the
contagion of this practice, a duel was fought near Stras-
bourg between a French woman and a German lady,
both of Whom were in love with a painter. The parties
met on the ground armed with pistols, with seconds of
their own sex. The German damsel wanted to fire
across a pocket-handkerchief, but the French lady and
her seconds insisted upon a distance of 25 paces. They
both fired without effect, when the exasperated Gerreau
insisted that they should carry on the contest until one
of the parties fell. This determination, however, was
controlled by the seconds, who put a stop to further
proceedings, but were unable to bring about a recon-
ciliation.—History of Duelling.