WOMEN WHO FOUGHT DUELS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 291, 7 December 1929, Page 3

WOMEN WHO FOUGHT DUELS

(By

C. Romanne Janies)

A duel between two women sounds like fiction, but there were such, things in the old duelling days. Some time in the eighteenth, century a notable duel was fought between the Marquise de Nesi© and the Comtesse de Polignac, all arrangements for which were formally and correctly carried out. The duel was the outcome of a shocking scene, in which the two -women rivals for the attentions of the Due de Richelieu tore out each other’s hair!

They met at six o’clock in the morning with their seconds—two noblemen of distinction —and fought with pistols. The first shots missed, and the seconds strove to prevent further hostilities. But the ladies would not hear of it! They blazed away again, and th 0 Marquise de .Neale fell, dangerously wounded, while the avenging Comtesse do Polignac escaped with, a mere scratch on her ear.

But there were other, more worthy, occasions in which women took part in duels. For instance, when the Chevalier de St. Belmont, vainly defending a weak position, was taken prisoner, his wife remained upon the estates to care for them. Without orders or invitation a cavalry officer of the occupying forces took up his quarters in her castle. The lady at once sent him a courteous note of protest which, he treated with insolent contempt. She then sent him a challenge, signing it, accepted, and the lady, wearing a suit “Le Chevalier de St. Belmont.” He accepted and the lady, wearing a suit of her husband’s clothes, met him on the field of honour. They drew their swords immediately and, after a few skilful passes, Aladame neatly disarmed her opponent, whom she then addressed, with a gracious smile: “You thought, sir, that you were fighting the Chevalier de St. Belmont, but you were mistaken; I am Aladame de St. Belmont. I return you your sword, sir, and politely beg you to pay proper respect to the request of a lady in future.” Overcome with shame, the officer paid belated respect to brave woman and promptly removed himself from the scene of his defeat. The other duel in which a lady distinguished herself occurred in the ancient English family of Hotot in 1390. The head of the house had quarrelled with a gentleman named Ringdale about a piece of land, and the two had agreed to meet on the disputed spot and settle the matter by a duel. One the appointed day, however, Hotot was crippled by an attack of gout, and his spirited daughter, Agnes, unwilling that her father should suffer cither in honouor or in property, armed herself cap-a-pie, mounted his steed, and rode to meet Ringsdale. They fought a stubborn fight, which she won. When her opponent, unhorsed, rolled on the ground at her feet, she stooped over him to see what assistance she could render. As she did so, her long hair becam e loosened and flowed about her shoulders. The heraldic crest of the family of Dudley, into which she married, i s the helmeted head of a woman, with loosened throatlatch and a shower of ringlets. PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT For those who require high-grade groceries only, the Shepherd Service Stores will make a direct appeal. New premises in the Avenue have recently been taken over and renovated through out. Fittings, etc., ar.e the last word in modern grocery establishments, and the new stocks are so fresh and so attractively displayed that it at once becomes a pleasure to shop there. While the increase of business necessitated that removal to larger and more commodious premises, extra staff have now been employed to give that essential quality of the firm: “Good Service.” Christmas delicacies are now in stock and have been specially selected for their good quality. The Shepherd Service Stores stock full lines of all Sanitarium Health Food products at very reasonable prices. Above all, you will always find the groceries or confectioneries in which Shepherd’s specialise at the highest grade obtainable. Watch their advertisement in the “Chronicle’’ for special Christmas lines.

DOWN PETTICOAT LANE, At the Opera. Very many Wanganui folk were present at the Choral Society’s concert this week, and much enjoyed the splendid programme. Among those noticed in the audience were Alesdames Clay, Hughes-Johnson, Air and Mrs Haszard, Mrs Bullock-Douglas, Miss Bringezu, Mrs Robbins, Mrs Lilburn, Alias Cummings, Aliss Rose, Mrs Alarchant, Mrs Ivo Symes, Mrs Bignall Airs Trevor Thomas, Airs Day, Mrs’ Dean, Aliss Ralph, Aliss Alargaret Campbell, Air Dix, Air Douglas Campbell. Garden Enthusiasts Meet.

A very happy little afternoon was spent on Wednesday last at the Jellicoe Club, when the Gardening Circle met together for the exchange of plants which helps to keep members’ gardens lovely. A splendid collection of “exchanges” had been brought around, and many were the admiring exclamations, “Oh, your lovely pansies,” or “I simply must have a slip of that gorgeous pink thing. ’ ’ Dainty afternoon tea was. as always, a pleasant break in the afternoon’s business, and the gardening circle feels that interest is very well maintained in its activities. Among those present were Mrs H. Bayly, Airs H. Hammond, Mrs Triggs, Airs Bullock-Douglas, Mrs Lomas, Airs Franklin, Mrs Moore Hunter, Mrs Haszard, Airs Jackson, Airs Oldacre, Mrs Wall, Mrs Walker, Mr s D. Bly th. Mrs J. Blyth, Airs Cross, Airs Barron,’ Airs Lewis, Airs Day, Miss Neumann and Aliss Murray. A Cavalier Ghost. ‘‘There are more things in Heaven and earth,” or so declares a Wanganui girl who spent a holiday not long ago in a lovely old house in England. On the first night of her arrival, too tired to notice anything but the ivied gables and general old world charm of the place, she went to sleep easily enough, but her drcams were a curious mixture of ancient names and places, with a man in the costume of Charles I. ’s day as Master of Ceremonies. In the morning she was told that the house had at one time been a lodge actually used by King Charles, and now she wonders whether some old reminiscence unconsciously affected her thoughts or whether the gates of the strange ’world of dreams sometimes do let queer visitants slip out. I Wounded Trees. I A Wanganui girl who spent some | time in Brittany says that there’s just one depressing feature about that lovely country, and that’s the unkindness of the French peasant to his trees. Of course, on the ancient French estates, the trees arc marvellous, but those which unwisely decide to grow near the coastline are regarded as “fair game” by the peasant, and every second year their branches are lopped off almost to’ the trunk for firewood. So groves of straight-up-and-down and sadly leafless trees disappoint the eye of the visitor who looks to find in nature the same charm which the art of Brittany’s parks and gardens offers him. Convent Entertainment,

I hear most interesting things Of the annual eetertainment which the Sacred Hear Convent has arranged for December 17. A one act play, “The Prince Who Was a Piper,” is the main item on the programme, and the theme has the happy inevitability of a fairytale. Uhough there are no fairies (in the conventional sense of the word) there is a sense of enchantment—a dream world where “beauty’s king and Art is law.” The “Fortune Ballot,” a delightful musical play for girls, is another item to be performed by the seniors, and the wee ones will appear on a plzyet, “King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid.” Physical drill by the seniors will provide an interesting little display of quite another nature. Altogether, the little breaking-up ceremony should be one of the most attractive devised by the Wanganui schools.