and of the person who had used them; that none of the members of the club had given him information of any such insult being in their knowledge; and therefore he expected, in justice to his character, that the great man should contradict the report as publicly as he had asserted it: in plain English, that he should eat his own words on parade. The great man could not stomach such a public déjeuné; besides that to have conceded a point, although justice demanded it, would have been inconsistent with his hereditary obstinacy; and he sent an unsatisfactory answer. Lendknocks therefore desired a meeting, which took place on Thimbledown Common. The ground was measured, and it was agreed between the seconds, that the principals should fire together by signal. When it was given, Lendknocks fired, and the ball grazed against that part of the human frame which, in rational mortals, is denominated the seat of reason; in others, a smoke jack; that is, it passed so near to the ear as to discommode the side-curl. The great man withheld his fire, and his second interfered, and said that he thought enough had been done. Lendknocks observed that his opponent had not fired; to which the second replied that it was not his intention to fire; he had come out, on Mr. Lendknocks's desire, to give him satisfaction, and had no animosity against him. Lendknocks pressed that his opponent should fire, but it was declined. His second then approached the great man, and expressed his hope that he could have no objection to say that he considered lieut.-col. Lendknocks as a man of honour and courage. To which the great man replied, "That he should say nothing; he had come out to give lieut.-col. Lendknocks satisfaction, and did not mean to fire at him; if lieut.-col. Lendknocks was not satisfied, he might fire again." Lendknocks rejoined, that he could not possibly fire again at his opponent, as he did not mean to fire at him. On this, both parties left the ground. This was the substance of the account published by the seconds, to preclude any unfounded representations; to which they added, that both parties behaved with the most perfect coolness and intrepidity; but for the latter part, we would rather believe the evi - dence of their laundresses, to whom the symptoms of fear must have been obvious, if there had been any. Mandeville further observes, that Man is civilized by nothing so irresistibly as by his fear; for, according to lord Rochester's oracu lar sentiment, "If not all, at least most men would be cowards,* if they durst." The dread of being called to a personal account keeps abundance of people in awe; and there are now many thousands of mannerly and well-accomplished gentlemen in Europe, who would have turned out very insolent and very insupportable coxcombs, without so salutary a curb, to keep under restraint their naturally eruptive petulance.' Our great man was either not to be civilized by fear, or else his obstinacy was paramount to it. Lendknocks requested him, as colonel of the regiment, to permit a call of the officers of * "The good we act, the ill that we endure, ""Tis all for fear, to make ourselves secure; "Merely for safety after fame we thirst, "For all men would be cowards if they durst." Rochester. the corps, in order that certain propositions, touching his conduct and situation, might be submitted to their consideration. The great man replied, that he could not possibly op pose any design which might tend to relieve Mr. Lendknocks from his present embarrassment :' "The proud man's contumely'— Shakspeare. The meeting was convened, and, after considerable deliberation and discussion, came to the following resolution: That subsequent to the day of the meeting at the orderly-room, lieutenant-colonel Lendknocks has behaved with courage; but, from the peculiar difficulty of his situation, not with judgement.' Mere chips in porridge!-It was evident that he had behaved with courage; but if they had added judgement, they must have thrown all the blame on the great man, their present colonel, and future commander-in-chief. When the latter should happen, such an affront would damn all their hopes of preferment. They were conscious, however, that Lendknocks was injured, and they glossed over their oblique imputation of want of judgement, with ascribing it to the particular difficulty of his situa tion. Now we-our noble and independent selfwill hold our court impartial on the subject. An able writer on military affairs has said, that ' in regard to private conversation, politeness should exceed authority, and the officer subside in the gentleman.'-There could be nothing like politeness in the great man's stigmatizing Mr. Lendknocks behind his back; nor could his conduct be ascribed to a tenderness for Lendknocks's honour, as he totally refused every explanation necessary for his demanding satisfaction for such an insult. As Lendknocks requested all the gentlemen present at the club to inform him whether any such words had been used to him, adding, that he should consider their silence as a declaration that no such words could be recollected;-as such declaration was effectually made by their silence, and as the great man himself could not say what were the words, and by whom spoken ;-if we are too charitable to impute the charge to pri |