The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-10-10
THE KAISER FAvORS 1T.
THE DUEL rs OF ANCIENT AND
HONORABLE ORIGIN.
Something or Its HIstory-Frons Achilles
and Hector to the Present Day
"A Bioodloss Duel Caused
by On.

To the rising generation the history
OF duelling as it was practised by our
forefathers reads more like tale OF
romance than record OF actual facts.
From the time when Achilles contend
ed with Hector down to the present
epoch OF bloodless contests in the Bots
de Boulogne. 1t is the old story OF a
resort to single combat as the only
means OF repelling injuries and aveng-
ing wrongs.
But the earliest record we have OF
duelling being publicly recognized and
legally established Is to be found in
the lave OF Gundebald, King OF the
Burgundians, in the year Sol. The
king there set forth that, being con-
vinced that his subjects were for divers
reasons frequently guilty OF perjury,
in order to suppress the crime he or
dained that whenever two Burgundians
were at variance. 'if the defendant
shall swear that he owes not what is
demanded OF him. or that he is not
guilty of the crime laid to his charge,
and the plaintiff, on the other hand.
not satisfied Herewith. shall declare
that he is ready to maintain, sword in
hand, the truth OF what he advances;
IL the defendant does not then &C
quiesce, it shall be- lawful for them to
decide the controversy by dint OF
sword" But there was a loophole OF
escape for the challenged, Of which in
the present day, we fancy many would
be glad to avail themselves II they had
the chance.
The accused had the liberty to
choose a champion in his stead but
the accuser must appear in his own
person. and with equality of weapons.
The spectators of these public duels
were not allowed to make the slightest
noise or give any sign whatever dur
ing the combat and by way of making
things complete bier stood ready to
carry away the body OF who should be
slain.
This particular vice never nourished
more than it did in the early part Of the
eighteenth century, and its headquar-
tiers were undoubtedly established on
French soil. On every conceivable
pretence. trumpery or otherwise re-
course was had to the sword, and 1t
was no unusual thing for duel to be
decided on the Paris boulevards in
open day.
1t is related that two officers one
morning having dispute about an
Angola cat promptly adjourned to an
open space in front of the Tuileries,
and then and there fought the matter
out. The battle being under the very
nose of royalty, the Duke dOrleans
removed the combatants from their
corps, and sentenced them to a fort
nights Imprisonment, at the same
time remarking that the quarrel
should have been settled with claws
instead of swords
Those were the days when the pro-
fessional duellist flourished in all his
glory. and was even made hero Of
One Of these gentry named st. Folk,
was dining in Paris cafe when he
exclaimed that gentleman opposite
him had got COMPOUNDED bad dinner.
OF course the stranger demanded sat
isfaction for the insult which was
cordially granted. St. Folk was severe
ly wounded; but turning to his antag-
onist he coolly remarked. If you had
killed me, SIR, / still should have per-
sisted in maintaining that a bavaroise
is COMPOUNDED bad dinner"
Two physicians having quarrelled
because one called the other q quack.
on the ground that medical question
should be settled incidentally, agreed
that they should each swallow a pill
drawn by lot the one poisonous and
the other innocuous.
On another occasion the Marquis de
Tenteniac, having misbehaved himself
behind the scenes of theater, pro-
voked the audible anger Of the audi
dience. Seeing this, he stepped for
ward to the footlights and said: Lad
les and gentlemen-Withy your per-
mission, piece will be performed to-
morrow called The Insolence of the
Pit Chastised, in as many acts as may
be desired, by the Marquis de Tenten-
lac" In a reckless age this imper-
tinent challenge was received with
shouts of laughter and applause.
A braggart once met with serious
punishment says the Saturday Even
ing Post A colonel of the French
guards was relating his good fortune
in never having had to fight u duel, as
he had not given offense, and no one
had ever presumed to insult him,
when an officer present struck him in
the face. and said. Perhaps you will
consider that an insult?" The colonel
| quietly left the room and sent the
usual challenge. When the combat
ants appeared on the ground the
colonel had piece Of court plaster
about the size Of a crown piece on the
cheek which had received the blow.
After quickly wounding his antagonist
in his sword arm, he took of the
plaster, and cut an edge from it with
a pair OF scissors at the same time in
timating that he would be ready to
meet his opponent again when he had
recovered from his wound. He met
him frequently afterwards, wounding
him each time. until the piece OF court
plaster was reduced to the size OF a
shilling then he ran him through the
body, and calmly contemplating the
corpse he observed, II now take of