PEN AND SWORD

Evening Star, Issue 19519, 29 March 1927, Page 5

PEN AND SWORD

DUELS FOUGHT BY LITERARY MEN

I elsewhere seek, 0 Rome, indeed ! must, (Excuse ,me) men, and not mere human dust.

This passage in Lamartine’s * Childe Harold, written in Rome, was to cause a duel; for, when a Colonel Pepe retorted with a reference to “ the rhymester who tries to make up for the poetic vigor which he lacks by; insults, the blows of conyirds,”, Lamartine at once demanded satisfaction. The fight took place in Florence. After receiving a slight wound the French poet won his opponent’s friendship by giving a festive dinner in his honor. _ ]3y tho very nature of their calling, writers have ever been peculiarly exposed to the risk of duels. An offensive word or sentence—tho inevitable challenge; and the pen has had temporarily to cede place to pistol or sword. The result has often been comedy—-alas, 100 often tragedy. “THAT . . . ALMOST FATAL FRAY.”

Comedy there certainly was when Tom Moore demanded satisfaction of Jeffries for an attack on his ‘ Odes and Epistles’ in the ‘Edinburgh Review. A quiet spot was chosen lor the encounter. Tho two opponents stood with pistols levelled, waiting for tho signal to fire, when a horde of police officers burst through the thicket to sweep 'them off to gaol. It was this episode that prompted Byron’s famous linos Can none remember that eventful day, That ever glorious, almost fatal tray, When Littlo’s leadless pistols met his gyn And Bow Street myrmidons stood laughing by? But duelling was to Byron a hateful subject (although he himself had fought Lord Calthorp at Eton for calling him a damned atheist), for his great-uncle had ruined a fine career by killing his opponent in a duel. Comedy also emerged when Samto-, Beuve, to show his sense of humor, fought a duel on a rainy day beneath an umbrella; when that inveterate Don Juan, the poet Alfieri,,was dragged from; his box at the opera to appaase the,honor of an outraged husbaud in St.; James’s Park; and in the case of tjie, French journalists, Isambart and Do Moleyues. The two Frenchmen fought until Isambart was wounded in tbo arm. “Ah!” exclaimed his opponent,' “that will be a lesson for the young' press!” “Yes,” retorted Isambart, quietly, “ a fencing lesson.” And their, seconds had no easy task to prevent & ,

renewal of the fight. THE SECONDS TOO!

But tragedy lias far more often loomed over the duelling ground. John Scott, whoso books Thackeray described as “famous good reading,” was editor of the ‘ Champion 1 when challenged by Christie in respect of an article attacking Lockhart. Tho two mot by moonlight at Chalk Farm in 1821. Christie s bullet passed through the body of the editor, and, in Byron’s words, “ John Scott died like a brave man.” Fourteen years later tho uncompromising editor of the ‘Morning Chronicle,’John Black, fought a duel with Roebuck over a pamphlet that the latter had published. So heated did the affair become that after the principals bad each fired tw’ice the seconds indulged in a combat that nearly proved fatal. Somewhat naturally, French writers have ever been addicted to the sword. Voitnre, the poet, was an incurable duellist. Not content with having fought by moonlight and in sunlight, lie indulged in an nflnir by torchlight'* This time lie was severely wounded in tho thigh, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that his lackeys were restrained from murdering _ their master’s opponent. La Fontaine, Dumas the cider, Thiers the historian-all had to satisfy honor on tho field, whilst Voltaire was only prevented from meeting the Chevalier do Rohan by being thrown into tho Bastille. Pride of place amongst literary duellists goes to two Englishmen and an Irishman, SHERIDAN’S ELOPEMENT. "When Richard Brinsley Sheridan eloped with Miss Linlcy, Major Mathews, a chagrined rival, published a letter denouncing tho dramatist as “a liar and a treacherous scoundrel.” A duel with swords in a London tavern with the disarming of Mathews, who, in fear of his life, apologised. Sheridan promptly published the apology. This was too much for Mathews, and a second duel resulted. The two met on Kingsclown and a desperate fight ensued. First each discharged his pistol; then swords were drawn; and finally they closed with each other on the ground. When at Inst the seconds dragged tho angry duellists apart, a piece of Mathews* sword remained in Sheridan’s ear. Some friends of Richard Steele, of ‘Spectator’ fame, “ having thought fit to misuse him_ and try their valor on him,” a meeting took place which is recorded thus m Lnttrell’s diary: “Sunday night one Mr Kelly and Capt. StoMe of the lord Cuts reeiment, fought in Hyde Park, and the first dangerously wounded.” Kelly’s life was long in danger; tho suspense affected Steele so greatly that he remonstrated ever afterwards against “ tho barbarous custom of duelling.” THE PEN WINS. In 1789 there occurred the famous encounter between the Duke of York and ColoneT Lennox. The impropriety of this affair so shocked Tlieophilns Swift., the Irish writer, that he published “ An open letter to the King,” which contained the statement trio s “ Tho. Nation with equal horror an* amazement have beheld an attempt made by an illegitimate descendant of tho Stuart family to cut off the lawful issue and heir presumptive of your. Crown.” Lennox’s seconds promptly waited upon Swift, w r ho whs dumbfounded at the ulea of discarding the pen in favor of the sword. The meeting took place in a field off tho Uxbridge road, with the inevitable result that Swift was wounded. Ho retaliated, however, by publishing further pamphlet* •