The Fire-Eaters. Rules and Regulations.

Chapter XXXVIII. **

The Fire-Eaters.**

Passion for duelling in Ireland - ancient duel before the judges and law authorities, &c., at the Castle of Dublin - List of official and judicial duellists in author’s time - Family weapons described - The Fire-eaters’ Society

• Their chiefs - Elegant institutions of the Knights of Tara - Description of them - Their exhibitions and meetings - The rules of duelling and points of honour established by the fire-eaters, called the 36 Commandments - Singular duel between the author and Mr. Richard Daly, a remarkable duellist and fop - Daly hit - Author’s second the celebrated Balloon Crosby - His singular appearance and character.

It may be objected that anecdotes of duelling have more than their due proportion of space in these sketches, and that no writer should publish feats of that nature (if feats they can be called), especially when performed by persons holding grave offices or by public functionaries. These are very plausible, rational observations, and are now anticipated for the purpose of being answered.

It might be considered a sufficient excuse, that these stories refer to events long past; that they are amusing, and the more so as being matter of fact (neither romance nor exaggeration), and so various that no two of them are at all similar. But a much better reason can be given; namely, that there is no other species of detail or anecdote which so clearly brings in illustration before a reader’s eye the character, genius, and the manners of a country as that which exemplifies the distinguishing propensities of its population for successive ages. Much knowledge will necessarily be gained by possessing such a series of anecdotes, and then going on to trace the decline of such propensities to the progress of civilisation in that class of society where they had been prevalent.

As to the objection founded on the rank or profession of the parties concerned, it is only necessary to subjoin the following *short *abstract from a long list of official duellists who have figured in my time, and some of them before my eyes. The number of grave personages who appear to have adopted the national taste (though in most instances it was undoubtedly before their elevation to the bench that they signalised themselves in single combat) removes from me all imputations of pitching upon and exposing any unusual frailty; and I think I may challenge any country in Europe to show such an assemblage of gallant *judicial *and *official *antagonists at fire and sword as is exhibited even in the following list:-

[Single combat was formerly a very prevalent and favourite mode of administering justice in Ireland, and not being considered so brutal as bull-fights, or other beastly amusements of that nature, it was authorised by law, and frequently performed before the high authorities and their ladies - bishops, judges, and other persons of high office generally honouring the spectacle with their presence.

The last exhibition of that nature which I have read of was between two Irish gentlemen, Connor Mac Cormac O’Connor, and Teigue Mac Kilpatrick O’Connor. They fought with broadswords and skeens (large knives) in the castle of Dublin, in the presence of an archbishop and all the chief authorities and ladies of rank. They had hewed each other for a full hour, when Mr. Mac Kilpatrick O’Connor, happening to miss his footing, Mr. MacCorman O’Connor began to cut his head off very expertly with his knife, which, after a good deal of cutting, struggling, and hacking, he was so fortunate as to effect; and having got the head clear off the shoulders, he handed it to the lords justices, who were present, and by whom the head and neck was most graciously received]

The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Earl Clare, fought the Master of the Rolls, Curran.

The Chief Justice K. B., Lord Clonmell, fought Lord Tyrawly (a privy counsellor), Lord Llandaff, and two others.

The judge of the county of Dublin, Egan, fought the Master of the Rolls, Roger Barret, and three others.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Honorable Isaac Corry, fought the Right Honorable Henry Grattan, a Privy Counsellor, and another.

A Baron of the Exchequer, Baron Medge, fought his brother-in-law and two others.

The Chief Justice C. P., Lord Norbury, fought Fire-eater Fitzgerald and two other gentlemen, and frightened Napper Tandy and several besides: one hit only.

The Judge of the Prerogative Court, Doctor Duigenan, fought one barrister and frightened another on the ground. - N. B. The latter case is a curious one.

The chief counsel to the Revenue, Henry Deane Grady, fought Counsellor O’Mahon, Counsellor Campbell, and others; all hits.

The Master of the Rolls fought Lord Buckingham, the Chief Secretary, &c.

The Provost of the University of Dublin, the Right Honorable Hely Hutchinson, fought Mr. Doyle, master in chancery (they went to the plains of Minden to fight), and some others.

The Chief Justice C. P., Patterson, fought three country gentlemen, one of them with swords, another with guns, and wounded all of them.

The Right Honorable George Ogle, a privy Counsellor, fought Barney Coyle, a distiller, because he was a papist. They fired eight shots and no hit; but the second broke his own arm.

Thomas Wallace, K. C., fought Mr. O’Gorman, the Catholic secretary.

Counsellor O’Connell fought the Orange chieftain; fatal to the champion of Protestant ascendency.

The collector of the customs of Dublin, the Honorable Francis Hutchinson, fought the Right Honorable Lord Mountmorris.

The reader of this dignified list (which, as I have said, is only an abridgement - 227 memorable and official duels have actually been fought during my grand climacteric) will surely see no great indecorum in an admiralty judge having now and then exchanged broadsides, more especially as they did not militate against the law of nations.

However, it must be owned that there were occasionally very peaceful and forgiving instances among the barristers. I saw a very brave king’s counsel, Mr. Curran, horsewhipped most severely in the public street, by a very savage nobleman, Lord Clanmorris; and another barrister was said to have had his eye saluted by a moist messenger from a gentleman’s lip, Mr. May’s, in the body of the House of Commons. Yet both those little *incivilities *were arranged very amicably, in a private manner, and without the aid of any deadly weapon whatsoever, I suppose for variety’s sake. But the people of Dublin used to observe, that a judgment came upon Counsellor O’Callaghan for having kept Mr. Curran quiet in the horsewhipping affair, inasmuch as his own brains were literally scattered about the ground by an attorney very soon after he had turned pacificator.

In my time, the number of killed and wounded among the bar was very considerable. The other learned professions suffered much less.

It is, in fact, incredible what a singular passion the Irish gentlemen (though in general excellent-tempered fellows) formerly had for fighting each other and immediately making friends again. A duel was indeed considered a necessary piece of a young man’s education, but by no means a ground for future animosity with his opponent.

One of the most humane men existing, an intimate friend of mine, and at present a prominent public character, but who (as the expression then was) had frequently played both “hilt to hilt” and “muzzle to muzzle,” was heard endeavouring to keep a little son of his quiet, who was crying for something: “Come, now, do be a good boy! Come, now,” said my friend, “don’t cry, and I’ll give you a case of nice little pistols tomorrow. Come, now, don’t cry, and we’ll shoot *them all *in the morning!” “Yes! yes! we’ll shoot them all in the morning!” responded the child, drying his little eyes and delighted at the notion.

I have heard the late Sir Charles Ormsby, who affected to be a wit, though at best but a humorist and *gourmand, *liken the story of my friend and his son to a butcher at Nenagh, who in like manner wanted to keep *his *son from crying, and effectually stopped his tears by saying. “Come, now, be a good boy-don’t cry, and you shall *kill a lamb *tomorrow! Now won’t you be good?” “Oh! yes, yes,” said the child sobbing; “father, is the *lamb *ready?”

Within my recollection, this national propensity for fighting and slaughtering was nearly universal, originating in the spirit and habits of former times. When men had a glowing ambition to excel in all manner of feats and exercises, they naturally conceived that manslaughter, in an *honest *way (that is, not knowing *which *would be slaughtered), was the most chivalrous and gentlemanly of all their accomplishments; and this idea gave rise to an assiduous cultivation of the arts of combat, and dictated the wisest laws for carrying them into execution with regularity and honour.

About the year 1777, the fire-eaters were in great repute in Ireland. No young fellow could finish his education till he had exchanged shots with some of his acquaintances. The first two questions always asked as to a young man’s respectability and qualifications, particularly when he proposed for a lady-wife, were: “What family is he of?” “Did he ever blaze?”

Tipperary and Galway were the ablest schools of the dueling science. Galway was most scientific at the sword:

Tipperary most practical and prized at the pistol: Mayo not amiss at either: Roscommon and Sligo had many professors and a high reputation in the leaden branch of the pastime.

When I was at the university, Jemmy Keogh, Buck English, Cosey Harrison, Crowe Ryan, Reddy Long, Amby Bodkin, Squire Falton, Squire Blake, Amby Fitzgerald, and a few others were supposed to understand the points of honour better than any men in Ireland, and were constantly referred to.

In the north, the Fallows and the Fentons were the first hands at it; and most counties could have then boasted their regular *point-of-honor *men. The present Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was supposed to have understood the thing as well as any gentleman in Ireland.

In truth, these oracles were in general gentlemen of good connexions and most respectable families, otherwise nobody would fight or consult them. [There was an association in the year 1782, a volunteer corps, which was called the “Independent Light Horse.” They were not confined to one district, and none could be admitted but the younger brothers of the most respectable families. They were all both “hilt and muzzle boys;” and that non member should set himself up as greater than another, every individual of the corps was obliged, on reception, to give his honour “that he could cover his fortune with the crown of his hat.”

Roscommon and Sligo then furnished some of the finest young fellow, fire-eaters I ever saw; their spirit and decorum were equally admirable, and their honour and liberality conspicuous on all occasions.]

Every family then had a case of hereditary pistols, which descended as an heirloom, together with a long, silver-hilted sword, for the use of their posterity. Our family pistols, denominated *pelters, *were brass (I believe my second brother has them still). The barrels were very long, and *point-blankers. *They were included in the armoury of our ancient castle of Ballynakill in the reign of Elizabeth (the stocks, locks, and hair-triggers were, however, modern), and had descended from father to son from that period; one of them was named “Sweet Lips,” the other “The Darling.” The family rapier was called “skiver the pullet” by my grand-uncle, Captain Wheeler Barrington, who had fought with it repeatedly, and run through different parts of their persons several Scots officers, who had challenged him all at once for some national reflection. It was a very long, narrow-bladed, straight cut-and-thrust, as sharp as a razor, with a silver hilt and a guard of buff leather inside it. I kept this rapier as a curiosity for some time; but it was stolen during my absence at Temple.

I knew Jemmy Keogh extremely well. He was considered in the main a peacemaker, for he did not like to see anybody fight but himself; and it was universally admitted that he never killed any man who did not well deserve it. He was a plausible, although black-looking fellow, with remarkably thick, long eyebrows, closing with a tuft over his nose. He unfortunately killed a cripple in the Phoenix Park, which accident did him great mischief. He was a land-agent to Bourke of Glinsk, to whom he always officiated as second.

At length, so many quarrels arose without sufficiently *dignified *provocation, and so many things were considered quarrels of *course, *which were not quarrels at all, that the principal fire-eaters of the south saw clearly disrepute was likely to be thrown on both the science and its professors, and thought it full time to interfere and arrange matters upon a proper, steady, rational, and moderate footing; and to regulate the time, place, and other circumstances of dueling, so as to govern all Ireland on one principl - thus establishing a uniform, national code of the *lex pugnandi - *proving, as Hugo Grotius did, that it was for the benefit of all belligerents to adopt the same code and regulations.

In furtherance of this object, a branch society had been formed in Dublin, termed the “Knights of Tara,” which met once a month at the theatre, Chapel Street, gave premiums for fencing, and proceeded in the most laudably systematic manner. The amount of admission money was laid out on silver cups, and given to the best fencers as prizes, at quarterly exhibitions of pupils and amateurs.

Fencing with the small-sword is certainly a most beautiful and noble exercise; its acquirement confers a fine, bold, and manly carriage, a dignified mien, a firm step, and graceful motion. But, alas! its practicers are now supplanted by contemptible groups of smirking quadrillers with unweaponed belts, stuffed breasts, and strangled loins - a set of squeaking dandies, whose sex may be readily mistaken, or, I should say, is of no consequence.

The theatre of the Knights of Tara, on these occasions, was always overflowing. The combatants were dressed in close cambric jackets, garnished with ribbons, each wearing the favourite colour of his fair one; bunches of ribbons also dangled at their knees, and roses adorned their morocco slippers, which had buff soles to prevent noise in their lunges. No masks or visors were used as in these more timorous times; on the contrary, every feature was uncovered, and its inflections all visible.

The ladies appeared in full morning dresses, each handing his foil to her champion for the day, and their presence animated the singular exhibition. From the stage-boxes the prizes were likewise handed to the conquerors by the fair ones, accompanied each with a wreath of laurel, and a smile then more valued than a hundred victories!

The tips of the foils were blackened, and therefore instantly betrayed the hits on the cambric jacket, and proclaimed without doubt the successful combatant. All was decorum, gallantry, spirit, and good temper.

The Knights of Tara also held a select committee to decide on all actual questions of honour referred to them: to reconcile differences, if possible; if not, to adjust the terms and continuance of single combat. Doubtful points were solved generally on the peaceable side, provided women were not insulted or defamed; but when that was the case, the knights were obdurate and blood must be seen. They were constituted by ballot, something in the manner of the Jockey Club, but without the possibility of being dishonourable, or the opportunity of cheating each other.

This most agreeable and useful association did not last above two or three years. I cannot tell why it broke up:

I rather think, however, the original fire-eaters thought it frivolous, or did not like their own ascendency to be rivalled. It was said that they threatened direct hostilities against the knights; and I am the more disposed to believe this, because, soon after, a comprehensive code of the laws and points of honour was issued by the southern fire-eaters, with directions that it should be strictly observed by gentlemen throughout the kingdom, and kept in their pistol-cases, that ignorance might never be pleaded. This code was not circulated in print, but very numerous written copies were sent to the different county clubs, etc.

My father got one for his sons, and I transcribed most (I believe not all) of it into some blank leaves. These rules brought the whole business of duelling into a focus, and have been much acted upon down to the present day. They called them in Galway “the thirty-six commandments.”

As far as my copy went, they appear to have run as follows:-

The practice of duelling and points of honour settled at Clonmell Summer Assizes, 1777, by the gentlemen delegates of Tipperary, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, and Roscommon, and prescribed for general adoption throughout Ireland. **

Rules.**

1. • The first offence requires the first apology, though the retort may have been more offensive than the insult. Example, - A. tells B. he is impertinent, &c., B. retorts that he lies; yet A. must make the first apology, because he gave the first offence, and then, after one fire, B. may explain away the result by subsequent apology.
2. • But if the parties would rather fight on, then, after two shots each, but in no case before, B. may explained first, and A. apologise afterwards.

N.B. - The above rules apply to all cases of offences in retort not of a stronger class than the example.

3. • If a doubt exists who gave the first offence, the decision rests with the seconds; if they won’t decide or can’t agree, the matter must proceed to two shots, or to a hit, if the challenger require it.
4. • When the lie direct is the first defence, the aggressor must either beg pardon in express terms, exchange two shots previous to apology, or three shots followed up by explanation, or fire on till a severe hit be received by one party or the other.
5. • As a blow is strictly prohibited under any circumstances amongst gentlemen, no verbal apology can be received for such an insult: the alternatives therefore are, the offender handing a cane to the injured party, to be used on his own back, at the same time begging pardon; firing on until one or both is disabled, or exchanging three shots, and then asking pardon, *without *the proffer of the cane.

If swords are used, the parties engage till one is well blooded, disabled, or disarmed; or until, after receiving a wound, and blood being drawn, the aggressor begs pardon.

N. B. - A *disarm *is considered the same as a *disable: *the disarmer may strictly break his adversary’s sword; but if it be the challenger who is disarmed, it is considered as ungenerous to do so.

In case the challenged be disarmed and refuses to ask pardon or atone, he must not be *killed *as formerly; but the challenger may lay his own sword on the aggressor’s shoulder, then break the aggressor’s sword, and say, “I spare your life!” The challenged can never revive that quarrel - the challenger may.

6. • If A. gives B. the lie, and B. retorts by a blow, being the two greatest offences, no reconciliation *can *take place till after two discharges each, or a severe hit; *after which B. may beg A.’s pardon humbly for the blow, and then A. *may explain simply for the lie; because a blow is *never *allowable, and the offence of the lie therefore merges in it. (See preceding rule.)

N.B. - Challenges for undivulged causes may be reconciled on the ground, after one shot. An explanation or the slightest hit should be sufficient in such cases, because no personal offence transpired.

7. • But no apology can be received in any case after the parties have actually taken their ground, without exchange of fires.

8. -In the above case no challenger is obliged to divulge his cause of challenge, if private, unless required by the challenged so to do *before *their meeting.

9. • All imputations of cheating at play, races, &c., to be considered equivalent to a blow; but may be reconciled after one shot, on admitting their falsehood, and begging pardon publicly.
10. • Any insult to a lady under a gentleman’s care or protection, to be considered as, by one degree, a greater offence than if given to the gentleman personally, and to be regulated accordingly.
11. • Offences originating or accruing from the support of ladies’ reputation, to be considered as less unjustifiable than any others of the same class, and as admitting of slighter apologies by the aggressor - this to be determined by the circumstances of the case, but *always *favourable to the lady.
12. • In simple unpremeditated *rencontres *with the small sword, or *couteau-de-chasse, *the rule is - first draw, first sheathe; unless blood be drawn, then both sheathe, and proceed to investigation.
13. • No dumb-shooting or firing in the air admissible *in any case. *The challenger ought not to have challenged without receiving offence; and the challenged ought, if he gave offence, to have made an apology before he came on the ground; therefore, *children’s play *must be dishonourable on one side or the other, and is accordingly prohibited.
14. • Seconds to be of equal rank in society with the principals they attend, inasmuch as a second may either choose or chance to become a principal, and equality is indispensable.
15. • Challenges are never to be delivered at night, unless the party to be challenged intend leaving the place of offence before morning; for it is desirable to avoid all hot-headed proceedings.
16. • The challenged has the right to choose his own weapon, unless the challenger gives his honour he is no swordsman; after which, however, he cannot decline any *second *species of weapon proposed by the challenged.
17. • The challenged chooses his ground; the challenger chooses his distance; the seconds fix the time and terms of firing.
18. • The seconds load in presence of each other, unless they give their mutual honours they have charged smooth and single, which should be held sufficient.
19. • Firing may be regulated-first, by signal; secondly, by word of command; or thirdly, at pleasure, as may be agreeable to the parties. In the latter case, the parties may fire at their reasonable leisure, but *second presents *and *rests *are strictly prohibited.
20. • In all cases a miss-fire is equivalent to a shot, and a *snap *or a *non-cock *is to be considered as a miss-fire.
21. • Seconds are bound to attempt a reconciliation *before *the meeting takes place, or *after *sufficient firing or hits, as specified.
22. • Any wound sufficient to agitate the nerves and necessarily make the hand shake, must end the business for that day.
23. • If the cause of meeting be of such a nature that no apology or explanation can or will be received, the challenged takes his ground, and calls on the challenger to proceed as he chooses: in such cases firing at pleasure is the usual practice, but may be varied by agreement.
24. • In slight cases the second hands his principal but one pistol, but in gross cases two, holding another case ready-charged in reserve.
25. • Where seconds disagree, and resolve to exchange shots themselves, it must be at the same time and at right angles with their principals, thus:

If with swords, side by side with five paces interval.

N. B. - All matters and doubts not herein mentioned will be explained and cleared up by application to the committee, who meet alternately at Clonmell and Galway, at the quarter-sessions for that purpose.

Crow Ryan, President; James Keogh and Amby Bodkin, Secretaries.

Additional Galway Articles.

1. • No party can be allowed to bend his knee or cover his side with his left hand; but may present at any level from the hip to the eye.
2. • None can either advance or retreat if the ground be measured. If no ground be measured, either party may advance at his pleasure, even to touch muzzle; but neither can advance on his adversary after the fire, unless the adversary steps forward on him.

N. B. - The seconds on both sides stand responsible for this last rule being *strictly *observed, bad cases having accrued from neglecting of it.

These rules and resolutions of the “Fire-eaters” and “Knights of Tara” were the more deeply impressed on my mind from my having run a great chance of losing my life, when a member of the university, in consequence of the strict observance of one of them. A young gentleman of Galway, Mr. Richard Daly, then a Templar, had the greatest predilection for single combat of any person, not a society fire-eater, I ever recollect: he had fought 16 duels in the space of two years - three with swords and 13 with pistols-yet with so little skill or so much good fortune that not a wound worth mentioning occurred in the course of the whole. This gentleman afterwards figured for many years as patentee of the Theatre Royal, Dublin, and had the credit of first introducing that superior woman and actress Mrs. Jordan, when Miss Francis; on the Dublin boards.

I was surprised one winter’s evening at college by receiving a written challenge in the nature of an *invitation *from Mr. Daly to fight him early the ensuing morning. I never had spoken a word to him in my life, and scarcely *of *him, and no possible cause of quarrel that I could guess existed between us. However, it being then a decided opinion that a first overture of that nature could *never *be declined, I accepted the *invitation *without any inquiry - writing in reply that as to place, I chose the field of Donnybrook fair as the fittest spot for *all *sorts of *encounters. *I had then to look out for a second, and resorted to a person with whom I was very intimate, and who, as he was a curious character, may be worth noticing. He was brother to the unfortunate Sir Edward Crosby, Bart., who was *murdered *by a court-martial at Carlow, May, 1798. My friend was afterwards called “Balloon Crosby,” being the first aeronaut who constructed an Hibernian balloon, and ventured to take a journey into the sky from Ireland. [And a most unfortunate journey it was for the spectators! The ascent was from the Duke of Leinster’s lawn, Merrion Square; the crowds outside were immense, and so many squeezed together and leaned against a thick parapet wall fronting the street, that it yielded to the weight and pressure, and the spectators and parapet wall came tumbling down together a great depth. Several were killed and many disabled; whilst Crosby sailed quietly over their heads, in all human probability to he drowned before an hour had expired.]

Crosby was of immense stature; being above six feet three inches high; he had a comely-looking, fat, ruddy face, and was, beyond all comparison, the most ingenious mechanic I ever knew. He had a smattering of all sciences, and there was scarcely an art or a trade of which he had not some practical knowledge. His chambers at college were like a general workshop for all kinds of artizans. He was very good-tempered, exceedingly strong, and. as brave as a lion, but as dogged as a mule. Nothing could change a resolution of his when once made, and nothing could check or resist his perseverance to carry it into execution.

He highly approved of my promptness in accepting Daly’s invitation; but I told him that I unluckily had no pistols, and did not ‘know where to procure any against the next morning. This puzzled him; but on recollection he said he had no complete pistols neither, but he had some *old locks, barrels, and stocks, *which, as they did not originally belong to each other, he should find it very difficult to make anything of, nevertheless he would fall to work directly. He kept me up till late at night in his chambers to help him in filing the old locks and barrels, and endeavouring to patch up two or three of them so as to go off and answer that individual job. Various trials were made; much filing, drilling, and scanning were necessary. However, by two o’clock in the morning we had completed three entire pistols, which, though certainly of various lengths and of the most ludicrous workmanship, struck their fire *right well *and that was all we wanted of them - symmetry, as he remarked, being of no great value upon *these *occasions.

It was before seven o’clock on the 20th of March, with a cold wind and a sleety atmosphere, that we set out on foot for the field of Donnybrook fair, after having taken some good chocolate and a plentiful draught of cherry brandy, to keep the cold wind out. On arriving, we saw my antagonist and his friend, Jack Patterson, nephew to the chief justice, already on the ground. I shall never forget Daly’s figure. He was a very fine looking young fellow, but with such a squint that it was totally impossible to say what he looked at, except his nose, of which he never lost sight. His dress-they had come in a coach-made me ashamed of my own: he wore a pea-green coat, a large tucker with a diamond brooch stuck in it, a three-cocked hat with a gold button-loop and tassels, and silk stockings, and a *couteau-de-chasse *hung gracefully dangling from his thigh. In fact, he looked as if already standing in a state of triumph, after having vanquished and trampled on his antagonist. I did not half-like his steady position, showy surface, and mysterious squint; and I certainly would rather have exchanged two shots with his slovenly friend, Jack Patterson, than *one *with so magnificent and overhearing an adversary.

My friend Crosby, without any sort of salutation or prologue, immediately cried out, “Ground, gentlemen ground, ground, ground! damn measurement!” and placing me on his selected spot, ‘whispered into my ear, *“Medio tutissimus ibis: *never look at the head or the heels: *hip *the maccaroni! the hip for ever, my boy! hip, hip !” - when my antagonist’s second, advancing and accosting mine, said, Mr. Daly could not think of going any further with the business; that he found it was totally a mistake on his part, originating through misrepresentation, and that he begged to say he was extremely sorry for having given Mr. Barrington and his friend the trouble of coming out, hoping they would excuse it and shake hands with him. To this arm argument, I certainly had no sort of objection; but Crosby, without hesitation, said, “We cannot do that *yet, *sir: I’ll *show *you we *can’t,” *taking a little manuscript book out of his breeches pocket, “there’s the *rules! *look at that, sir,” continued he, “see No. 7: ‘no apology can be received *after *the parties meet, *without a fire.’ *You see, there’s the rule,” pursued Crosby, with infinite self-satisfaction; “and a young man on his *first blood *cannot break rule, particularly with a gentleman so used to the sport as Mr. Daly. Come, gentlemen, proceed! proceed!”

Daly appeared much displeased, but took his ground, without speaking a word, about nine paces from me. He presented his pistol instantly, but gave me most gallantly a full front.

It being, as Crosby said, my first blood, I lost no time, but let fly without a single second of delay, and without taking aim: Daly staggered back two or three steps, put his hand to his breast, cried, “I’m hit, sir!” and did not fire. Crosby gave me a slap on the back which staggered me, and a squeeze of the hand which nearly crushed my fingers. We got round him: his waistcoat was opened, and a black spot about the size of a crown-piece, with a little blood appeared directly on his breast-bone. I was greatly shocked: fortunately, however, the ball had not penetrated; but his brooch had been broken, and a piece of the setting was sticking fast in the bone. Crosby stamped, cursed the damp powder or under-loading, and calmly pulled out the brooch.

Daly said not a word, put his cambric handkerchief doubled to his breast, and bowed. I returned the salute, extremely glad to get out of the scrape, and so we parted without conversation or ceremony, save that when I expressed my wish to know the cause of his challenging me, Daly replied that he would *now *give no such explanation; and *his *friend then produced his book of rules, quoting No. 8: “If a party challenged accepts the challenge without asking the reason of it, the challenger is never bound to divulge it afterwards.”

My friend Crosby, as I have mentioned, afterwards attempted to go off from Dublin to England in a balloon of his own making, and dropped between Dublin and Holyhead into the sea, but was saved. The poor fellow, however, died far too early in life for the arts and sciences, and for friendship, which he was eminently capable of exciting. I never saw two persons in face and figure more alike than Crosby and my friend Daniel O’Connell; but Crosby was the taller by two inches, and it was not *so *easy to discover that he was an Irishman.

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