Star.
London, England, 1829-03-30 00:00:00

IN HIGH LIFE.

DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF THE LATE DUEL

lISOH TQa 011511111111 t Or TUTZIDAT.
go secret were the negotiations preparatory to this
duel, that none of the most intimate friends of either
party were privy to what was passing. Sir Henry Hat-
dioge, as the friend of the Duke, made his appointments
with the Earl of Falmouth, who was the friend of the
• Earl of Winchilsea, at the House of Lords, where the
Noble Lord was regularly in attendance, and could be
conversed with unnoticei.
It was not till late on the night of Friday se'nnight,tbat
Mr. Hume, theDuket.f Wellington's old friend and Pen-
insular surgeon, was apprised that his Grace wished him
.7 'todneakfast with him, and to talk on particular busi•
tress EA Battersea, at half past seven o'clock on the fol-
lowing morning;
.and it is a fact, that Sir Henry
Harding. carried in his pocket a set of surgical instru-
' merits, &co to be used by the Doctor in case of accident.
, -The Duke of Wellington and Sir H Rry Hardinge
rode to the ground, attended only by a single groom.
The Earl of Winchilsea and Lord Falmouth those up
'7lhottly after in a carriage and pair; and it was only
. then that Dr. Hume, who was in his carriage in the
narrow road beyond the Gothic Chapel, perceived what
• was about to take place.
" No conversation occurred on the ground before the
firing, except that Lord Falmouth handed a sealed let-
ter. to Sir Henry Hardinge, stating that it was not in-
tended to be opened at that moment. The pistols were
their loaded by Sir Henry Hardinge, who first measured
the ground at twelve paces. The parties were then
placed io their position by their respective friends, en
profsle,_as the observers of etiquette describe 11; but in
plate sideivays; it being the usual precaution
for the combatants mutually to present as narrow a
• front to each other's fire as size and muscular power
will- permit.
The Eail of Wincbilsea, with a lavish exposure of his
person,. immediately wheeled, and presented his full
frontr.he is a stout man, and thus made himself a very
'prontisent matk. The word " fire r was, at the mo-
ment, given by Sir Henry Herdinge, and the Duke's
.pistr.l hung 6re for a moment, and he was obses vett
rather to incline the muzzle downwards ; his ball could
. not have (as some of the Morning Papers stated) pierced
the harp!! of the Earl of Winchilsea's coat, for then his
Lordship, (nimbi' full front position," must have been
- woonded.--The supposition is that it passed between
his legs.
The firing was almost simultaneous; of the two, the
Duke fired first, as well as the rapid intonation of the
~..„pound of both pistols could be distinguished. The Earl
•.,,; of Winchilsea instantly fired, elevating his arm, and dis.
~,,charging hes pistol in the air. Upon the Duke observing
.tbe Noble Lord's intention. of 6ring in the air. he called
ow in a loud voice, " That won't•clo.'" S;r Henry HAt.
dioge and Lord Falmouth then approached each Mier,
and the former returned the Noble Lord's letter, the
seal otwhich was instantly broken by -Lord Falmouth.
..and• the .written apology which it enclosed presented
• to• Sir Henry, who, atter perusing it, handed it to
-:the Duke of Wellington. After a minute's conver
sation, Sir Henry Hardinge returned to Lord Fol.
'sleuth. and roasted that, after the general expression'
it ofregret," the words, " in apology," should be in-
.serted, which, after a few words of explanation, was
agreed to, arid these were written in pencil upon the
paper. It was then handed to the Doke i•f Welhegton,
-ss ho put it in his pocket, touched hi. hat, and said,
GOod morning, my Lords." The salutation 104 to
and all the parties rode off the grottos], toinng
alifferent ditections, the 'Noble Lords returning-alrn;
13.4ttersea-bi nig and the Duke of Wellingtou along
Vauxhall-bridge, which was the route by which he atilt.
PROM THE LITERARY GAZLTTE.
• • The Duke art Wellington aid his second, Sir H.
Heeding!. rode to the ground, one. of the Battersea
fields; Dr. Hume (an old Peninsular and campaigning
. friend of hie Grace) having previously been directed to
-• repair-to the same spot. On the Doctor's arrival with
-the pistols and monition of war, which of course the
equestrians could not conveniently carry, he found the
latter in waiting; and on getting out of his carriage
was jocosely accosted by the Duke of Wellington, with
doWell, Hume. I suppose you ate surprised to find me
here;" for it seems the worthy physician was not aware
who was the principal for whom his services had been
required; bur; having been hastily summoned from
Earl Camden's by Sir H. Hardinge, supposed that gal-
.:. lent offices to be the combatant. In a short • time. the,
Earl of Winchil.ea and the Earl of Falmouth drove up,
and the former apologised for being late, to con•es
ctuente ofhis coachman having gone to Putney i:.stead
of Battersea bridge. The parties were now as cobbled,
but theretappened to be a pet son whetting a scot's: t in
•the enclosure where they rret ; and to c.c.'s- observa-
tion they leaped a di•ch and sought a more tetiredsitua.
• sloe: Here the ground, 12 paces, was measured; hut in
consequence if the p rsrtiuo of some trees, a remark was
made by Ltd Wolcott ea, which led to an immediete
change of post e,where Sir 11. Hardinge again mrasu-ed
off the same distance.T e pistols were now prodoced and
lorded; tf•e Duke's by D.. Home, as his s.cond has
list an arm in b-uric; and we belies e the le lord
Doctor also gave his aid in this respect to loud Fel.
mouth, who-e anxiety for his f h rid was evinced by
considerable and honourable ens, tom. Toe preliminas
ri• s hung thus tar tooled, and tie parties placeJ on the
ground, it was arranged th ir Srr H. Havoingn,should
woody ask, -Are y.o ready ?" and, beta,] apieered
in the affirmative, give the word " Fire r. a
moment elapse] ere this was done. " Are you.mauy ?"
4. Yes,' distil ctly from both. " e! ' Yoe Duke in-
stantly laised his pistol, and fired at his opponent, with.
out doing him (or his clot' es, a. aOsutuly rumoured)
the slightest injury. The East or Wiocbslsea then raised
his weapon upright, and discharged it in the air.
The Earl of Falmouth upon this approached Sir H.
Hardinge, and presented a p ,per, with which that Gen-
tleman and the Duke of ‘'s ellington walked awara few
paces; when his Grace, turning round quickly, said,
" This is no apology! To he effectual, the word apo-
logy' must be introduced into the body of the docu- •
merit." To this Lord Falmouth felt it to be his duty to
assent, and the word was accordingly inserted In pencil
by that Noble L rd.
The pacer being then returned, the Doke and his
second immediately mounted their horses, and his
Grace siightly touching his hat, they rode from the
grottos]. '
Such were the circumstances attending this remarka-
ble affair ; and we have only to add, on authoriiy no.
to be doubted, that nothing could exceed the manly and
intrepid bearing of. the Earl of Winchilsea throughout
tilt whole of the rencoti re; and that his adversary also
displayed the utmost sangfroid and self-possession.
When the illustrious Premier arrived at Windsor Cas-
tle, whither he went a few hours after the duel, .be
transacted his public business with the King before he
mentioned what had taken place. On explaining the
circumstances which led to the meeting, it was found
Pat his Majesty had never read the letter of Lord
Winchilsea in which the original offence was given. It

. •

was therefore necessary 16 send into the town .for a
newspaper containing this document; upon the receipt
of which the Minister thought it proper to leave his
Royal Master for a while, to afford leisure for its un-
influenced perusal and consideration. On his return, it
is stated, his Majesty expressed -himself to the effect,
that it was a matter of personal honour and feeling ;
and that- being a soldier, his Grace might perhaps be
more sensitive on such points than an individual of a
different class in society. He therefore supposed that
the course pursued had been unavoidable.
f A sort of emblem of old Time • and not the most pleasant
monitor on such an occasion.—Ed. Lit. Cm&
FIRE, AND ONE PERSON BURNT TO DEATH.

A fire broke out on Sunday morning, between one
and two o'clock, in the house of Mr. Semon, the land•
l•.rd of the Hoop and Grapes public-house, in Cross-
street, Hatton-garden, which, in a very short period,
destroyed the premises; and a lodger, named Swan,
fell a victim to the shocking disaster.
The watchman, who discovered the fire, immediately
alarmed the family and neighbourhood, by beating at
the window shutters, and in a few minutes Mr. and
Mrs. Semon (the larter having a child in her arms) ap-
peared at the front door, and effected their escape, al-
most in a state of nudity. The servant girl, and a
female lodger who slept in a back room on the aame
floor with her master and mistress, rushed out of the
building in their night clothes, as the flames were
raging in the fluor above. It was stated by Mr. Semon
to the firemen, that one of the lodgers, Mr. Swan,:was
in bed in a room•on the second floor, and a ladder was
procured with all possible dispatch, and reared against
the wind'ow of the apartment; and one of the parish
beadles.who ascended, found the flames issuing through
the windows with such violence that he was compelled
to make a precipitate retreat. The parish engine, also
the private engine of Reid and Co. the brewers, and
those of 0 e principal tire offices, were very soon on
t' e spot ; arid by the united exertions of the firemen,
With a good supply of water, they soon extknguished
the fire, without des nage to the adjoining buildings.
Th• re is no doubt that Mr. Swan, who is an infirm
elderly man, has perished in the flames, and no sidings
were heard of nim during yesterday. Tire escape of the
female lodger is said to be truly miraculous, the stair-
case which she descended to get out of the house, being
in fl :nses at the time, and she rushed through them
without sustaining airy material injury except the ef-
fects occashned by the fright consequent up.•n
alarming an occurrence. The premises, we understand;
were insured by Mt. Semen, and none of the stock in
the cellar is destroyed. How the fire originated is at
present quite a mystery.