TO-DAY IN HISTORY

Southland Times, Issue 20496, 26 May 1928, Page 6

TO-DAY IN HISTORY

MAY 26. St. Augustine’s Day. Born: Charles, Duke of Orleans, 1391; Dr. Michael Ettmuller, eminent German physician, at Leipzig, 1644; John Gale, London, 1680; Shute Barrington, Bishop of Durham, 1734; Queen Mary born 1867. Died: The Venerable Bede, historian, at Jarrow, Durham, 735; Samuel Pepys, diarist, at Clapham, 1703; Thomas Southern, dramatist, 1746; James Burnet, Lord Monboddo, at Edinburgh, 1799; Francis Joseph Haydn, composer, at Grumpendorff, Vienna, 1809; Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, 1840; Jacques Lafette, French banker, at Paris, 1844. Events: Two years’ position warfare on the Yser begun, 1915; U.S. Note on Allied searching of neutral vessels, 1916; Italians stormed Monticello Pass, 1918. COLONEL LENOX’S DUEL. The political excitement caused by the mental alienation of George 111, and the desire of the Prince of Wales, aided by the Whig party, to be appointed Regent, was increased rather than allayed by the unexpected recovery of the king, early in 1798 ,and the consequent public rejoicings thereon. At that time the Duke of York was Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, and Charles Lenox, nephew and heir to the Duke of Richmond, was lieutenant-colonel of the same regiment. Colonel Lenox, being of Tory predilections, and having proposed the health of Mr Pitt at a dinner

party, the Duke of York, who agreed with his brother in politics, determined to express his resentment against his lieutenant, which he did in the following manner:—At a masquerade given by the Duchess of Ancaster, a gentleman was walking with the Duchess of Gordon, whom the Duke, suspecting him to be Colonel Lenox, went up to and addressed saying that Colonel Lenox had heard words spoken to him at D’Aubigny’s club to which no gentleman ought to have submitted. The person thus addressed was not Colonel Lenox as the Duke supposed, but Lord Paget, who informed the former of the circumstances, adding that, from the voice and manner, he was certain that the speaker was no other than the Duke of York. Colonel Lenox took the opportunity of publicly asking him what were the words he (Lenox) had submitted to hear, and by whom they were spoken, but the Duke declined to give his authority for the alleged words at D'Aubigny’s, though he expressed his readiness to answer for what he had said, observing that he wished to derive no protection from his rank.

Colonel Lenox then wrote a circular letter to every member of D'Aubigny's club, requesting to know whether such words had been used to him, begging an answer within the space of seven days; and adding that no reply would be considered equivalent to a declaration that no such words could be recollected. The seven days having expired and no member of the club recollecting to have heard such words, Colonel Lenox felt justified in concluding that they had never been spoken so he formally called upon the Duke, through the Earl of Winchelsea, either to give the name of his false informant or afford the satisfaction usual among gentlemen.

Accordingly the Duke, attended by Lord Rawdon, and Colonel Lenox accompanied by the Earl of Winchelsea, met at Wimbledon Common, May 26, 1789. The ground was measured at twelve paces; and both parties were to fire at a signal agreed upon. The signal being given Lenox fired, and the ball grazed his Royal Highness’s side curl; the Duke of York did not fire. Lord Rawdon then interfered and said he thought enough had been done. Lenox observed that his Royal Highness had not fired. Lord Rawdon said it was not the Duke’s intention to fire; his Royal Highness had come out upon Colonel Lenox's desire to give him satisfaction and had no animosity against him. Lenox pressed that the Duke should fire, which was declined with a repetition of the reason. Lord Winchelsea then went up to the Duke of York and expressed his hope that his Royal Highness could have no objection to say that he considered Colonel Lenox was a man of honour and courage. He replied that he should say nothing; he had come out to give Colonel Lenox satisfaction, and did not mean to fire at him. On this, both parties left the ground.

Three days afterwards a meeting of the officers of the Coldstream Guards took place at the requisition of Colonel Lenox, to deliberate on a question which he submitted; namely, whether he had behaved in the late dispute as became an officer and a gentleman. After considerable discussion and an adjournment the officers came to the following resolution: “It is the opinion of the Coldstream Regiment that subsequent to the 15th of May the day of the meeting in the orderly room, Lieutenant-Colonel Lenox has behaved with courage, but, under the peculiar difficulty of his case, not with judgment.” Swift wrote a pamphlet on the affair, taking the Duke’s side of the question. This occasioned another duel in which Swilt wus shot in the body by Coldhel Lenox. The wound, however, was not mortal, for there is another pamphlet extant, written by Swift on his own duel.

Colonel Lenox immediately afterwards exchanged into the 35th Regiment, then quartered at Edinburgh. On his joining this regiment the officers gave a grand entertainment, the venerable castle of the Scottish metropolis was brilliantly illuminated, and twenty guineas were given to the men for a merrymaking. Political feeling, the paltry conduct of the Duke, the bold and straightforward hearing of the Colonel, and probably a lurking feeling of Jacobit ism—Lenox being a left-handed descendant of the Stuart race—made him the most popular man in Edinburgh at the time. MAY 27. Born: Alighieri Dante, poet at Florence, 1265; Caspar Scioppius, grammarian and controversialist, *at Neumarck, 1576; Cardinal Louis de Navilles at Paris, 1651; Arnold Bennett, 1867. Died: John Calvin, theologian, at Geneva, 1564; Gui de Faur, seigneur de Pibrae, reformer of the bar of France, 1584; Vincent Voiture, prince of belles left res of France of his day, 1648; Archibald Marquis of Argyle, beheaded at Edinburgh, 1661; Charles de la Rue, one of the fabricators of the ‘ Delphin Classics,” 1725; Noah Webster, Isxicographer, at Newhaven, United States, 1843; General Gallieni, defender of Paris, 1916. Events: Habaes Corpus Act passed (U.K.), 1679; Opening at Auckland of the first session of the General Assembly of New Zealand by Lt. Col. Wynyard, Administrator of Government, 1854; New Zealand Government took over Midland Railway, 1895; Third assault of the German offensive and fourth battle of the Aisne, 1918.