Sir Ch. Curfe not your fafety, Sir Hargrave. Mr for. Indeed, Sir Charles, I could not bear fuch an air of fuperiority 靠 Sir Ch. It is more than an air, Mr Jordan. The man who can think of justifying one violent action by another, muft give a real fuperiority against himfelf. Let Sir Hargrave confefs his fault-I have put him in the way of doing it, with all the credit to himself that a man can have who has committed a fault-and I offer him my hand. Sir Har. Damnable infult!-What! own a fault to a man who, without any provocation, has dafhed my teeth down my throat; and, as you fee-Gentlemen-fay, can I, ought I, now to have patience? Sir Ch. I intended not to do you any of this mifchief, Sir Hargrave. I drew not my fword, to return a pafs made by yours-Actually received a raking on my fhoulder from a fword that was aimed at my heart. I fought nothing but to hinder you from doing that mifchief to me, which I was refolved not to do to you. This, Sir Hargrave, this, gentlemen, was the state of the cafe; and the caufe fuch as no man of honour could refufe engaging in. And now, Sir, I meet you, upon my own invitation, in your own houfe, unattended, and alone, to fhew you, that I have the fame difpofition as I had from the first, to avoid doing you injury: And this it is, gentlemen, that gives me a fuperiority to Sir Hargrave, which he may leffen by behaving as I, in this cafe, would behave to him. Mr Bag. By G- this is nobly faid. Mr For. I own, Sir Hargrave, that I would fooner kneel to fuch a man as this than to a king on his throne. Sir Sir Har. D-n me, if I forgive him, with these marks about me !-I infift upon your taking one of those piftols, Sir.-Gentlemen, my friends, he boasts of his advantages: He may have fome from his curfed coolness: He can have none any other way. Bear witnefs, I forgive him if he lodges a brace of bullets in my heart-Take one of those piftols, Sir. They are equally loaded-Bear witnefs, if I die, that I have provoked my fate. But I will die like a man of honour. your own Sir Ch. To die like a man of honour, Sir Hargrave, you must have lived like one. You should be fure of your caufe. But these pistols are too ready a mischief. Were I to meet you in way, Sir Hargrave, I fhould not expect that a man fo enraged would fire his over my head, as I fhould be willing to do mine over his. Life I would not put upon the perhaps involuntary twitch of a finger. Sir Har. Well then, the fword. You came, though undreffed, with your fword on. Sir Ch. I did; and for the reafon I gave to Mr Bagenhall. I draw it not, however, but in my own defence.. Sir Har. (rifing from his feat) Will you favour me with your company into my own garden? Only you and I, Sir Charles. Let the gentlemen my friends ftay here. They fhall only look out of the windows, if they pleafe-Only to that grafsplot, Sir (pointing as I faw)-If you fall, I fhall have the worst of it, from the looks of the matter, killing a man in my own garden: If I fall, you will my friends to bring you off. have the evidence of Sir Ch. I need not look at the place, Sir Hargrave. And fince,. gentlemen, it is allowed, that the pistols may be difiniffed; and fince by their Jying loaded on the table, they feem but to ftimulate to mischief; you will all excufe me, and you, Sir Hargrave, will forgive me Di 3 And And fo faying, he arofe, with great tranquillity, as I faw; and taking the pistols, lifted up the fash that was next to that at which Sir Hargrave stood, and discharged them both out of the window. By the report, the writer is fure they were well loaded. In ran a croud of fervants, men and women, in difmay. The writer fat ftill in the clofet, knowing the matter to be no worse. One of the men cried out, This is the murderer. And they all (not feeing their master, as I fuppofe, at the window beyond Sir Charles, and who afterwards owned himself too much surprised to stir or speak) were for making up to Sir Charles. Sir Charles then retiring, put his hand upon his fword; but mildly faid, my friends, your master is fafe. Take care I hurt not any of you. Sir Har. Mr Bag I am safe-Begone, fcoundrels! Begone! Quit the room. Sir Har Begone! Begone! The fervants, as I faw, crouded out as fast as they came in. Sir Charles, then stepping towards Sir Hargrave, faid, you will fome time hence, Sir, think the discharge of those pistols much happier than if they had been put to the use defigned when they were loaded. I offer you my hand: It is an offer that is not to be twice refused. If you have malice to me, I have none to you. I invited myself to breakfaft with you. You and your friends fhall be welcome to dine with me. My time is near expired (looking at his watch)-for Sir Hargrave feemed too irrefolute either to accept or refuse his hand. Ar for. I am aftonished!-Why, Sir Charles, what a tranquillity muft you have within you! The devil devil take me, Sir Hargrave, if you fhall not make up matters with fuch a noble adverfary. Mr Mer. He has won me to his fide. By the great God of Heaven, I had rather have Sir Charles Grandifon for my friend than the greatest prince on earth. Mr Bag. Did I not tell you, gentlemen ?-D-n me, if I have not hitherto lived to nothing but to my fhame! I had rather be Sir Charles Grandifon in this one past hour, than the great Mogul all my life. Sir Hargrave even fobbed, as I could hear by his voice, like a child.-D-n my heart, faid he, in broken fentences-And must I thus put up-And must I be thus overcome? By G—, By G—, Grandifon, you must, you must, walk down with me into the garden. I have fomething to propofe to you; and it will be in your own choice either to compromife, or to give me the fatisfaction of a gentleman: But you must retire with me into the garden. Sir Ch. With all my heart, Sir Hargrave. And taking off his fword, he laid it on the table. Sir Har. And muft I do fo too?-D-n me, if I do!-Take up your fword, Sir. Sir Ch. I will, to oblige you, Sir Hargrave. It will be always in my choice to draw it, or not. Sir Har. D-n me, if I can live to be thus treated!—Where the devil have you been till now ?— But you muft go down with me into the garden. Sir Ch. Shew me the way, Sir Hargrave. They all interpofed: But Sir Charles faid, Pray, gentlemen, let Sir Hargrave have his way. We will attend you prefently. The writer then came out, by the gentlemen's leave, who ftaid behind, at the windows. They expreffed their admiration of Sir Charles. And Mr Merceda and Mr Bagenhall (the writer mentions it to their honour) reproached each other, other, as if they had no notion of what was great and noble in man till now. Sir Charles and Sir Hargrave foon appeared in fight, walking and as converfing earnestly. The fubject, it feems, was fome propofals made by Sir Hargrave about the lady, which Sir Charles would not comply with. And when they came to the grassplot, Sir Hargrave threw open his coat and waiftcoat, and drew; and feemed, by his motions, to infift upon Sir Charles's drawing likewise. Sir Charles had his fword in one hand, but it was undrawn; the other was ftuck in his fide: his frock was open. Sir Hargrave feemed ftill to infift upon his drawing, and put himself into a fencing attitude. Sir Charles then calmly ftepping towards him, put down Sir Hargrave's fword with his hand, and put his left arm under Sir Hargrave's fword-arm. Sir Hargrave lifted up the other arm passionately: But Sir Charles, who was on his guard, immediately laid hold of it, and feemed to fay fomething mildly to him; and letting go his left hand, led him toward the houfe; his drawn fword ftill in his hand. Sir Hargrave feemed to expoftulate, and to resist being led, though but faintly, and as a man overcome with Sir Charles's behaviour; and they both came up together, Sir Charles's arm still within his fword-arm-[The writer retired to his first place]. D-n me, faid Sir Hargrave, as he entered the room, this man, this Sir Charles, is the devilHe has made a mere infant of me. Yet, he tells me, he will not be my friend neither, in the point. my heart is fet upon. He threw his fword upon the floor. This only I will fay, as I faid below, be my friend in that one point, and I will forgive you with all my foul. Sir Ch. The lady is, must be her own mistress,< Sir Hargrave. I have acquired no title to any influence over her. She is an excellent woman. She would be a jewel in the crown of a prince. But you |