Sir Ch. I am not a quarrelfome man: But as it was early known that I made it a principle not to engage in a duel, I was the more fubjected, I have reafon to think, for that, to inconveniencies of this

nature.

Mr Jor. Had you always, Sir Charles, that magnanimity, that intrepidity, and steadiness, I know not what to call it, which we have feen and admire in you?

Sir Ch. I have always confidered spirit as the diftinction of a man. My father was a man of fpirit. I never feared man, fince I could write man. As I never fought danger, or went out of the way to meet it, I looked upon it when it came as an unavoidable evil, and as a call upon me for fortitude. And hence I hardly ever wanted that prefence of mind in it, which a man ought to thew; and which fometimes, indeed, was the means of extricating me from it.

Sir Har. An inftance of which this morning, I fuppofe you think, has produced?

Sir Ch. I had not that in my head. In Italy, indeed, I fhould hardly have acted as in the inftance you hint at. But in England, and, Sir Hargrave, I was willing to think, in Cavendishfquare, I could not but conclude myself safe. I know my own heart. I wished you no evil, Sir. I was calm. I expected to meet you full of fire, full of refentment: But it is hard, thought I (as. fome extraordinary step seems neceffary to be taken), if I cannot content myself with that fuperiority (excufe me, Sir Hargrave) which my calmnefs, and Sir Hargrave's paffion, muft give me over him, or any man. My fword was in my pow

er.

Had I even apprehended affaffination, the houfe of an English gentleman could not have been the place for it; and where a confidence was repofed. But one particular inftance, I own, I had in my mind, when I faid what I did,

All

All the gentlemen befought him to give it.

Sir Ch. In the raging of the war, now fo feasonably for all the powers at variance concluded, I was paffing through a wood in Germany, in my way to Manheim. My fervant, at fome distance before me, was endeavouring to find out the right road, there being more than one. He rode back affrighted, and told me he had heard a loud cry of murder, fucceeded by groans, which grew fainter and fainter, as thofe of a dying perfon! and befought me to make the best of my way back. As I was thinking to do fo (though my way lay through the wood, and I had got more than half-way in it), I beheld fix Pandours illue from that inner part of the wood, into which, in all probability, they had dragged fome unhappy pallenger; for I faw a horie bridled and faddled, without a rider, grazing by the road-fide. They were well armed. I faw no way to escape. They probably knew every avenue in and out of the wood: I did not. They ftopped when they came within two mufquet-fhots of me, as if they had waited to fee which way I took. Two of them had dead poultry flung across their fhoulders, which fhewed them to be common plunderers. I took a refolution to ride up to them. 1 bid my fervant, if he faw me attacked, make the best of his way for his own fecurity, while they were employed either in rifling or murdering me; but if they fuffered me to pafs, to follow me. He had no portmanteau to tempt them. That, and my other baggage, I had caufed to be fent by water to Manheim.-I am an Englifhman, gentlemen, faid I (judging, if Auftrians, as I fuppofed they were, that plea would not difavail me): I am doubtful of my way. Here is a purfe; holding it

out.

As foldiers, you must be gentlemen: It is at your service, if one or two of you will be fo kind as to escorte and guide me through this wood. They

Ě 2

They looked upon one another: I was loth they fhould have time to deliberate—I am upon business of great confequence. Pray direct me the nearest way to Manheim. Take these florins.

Át laft, one that feemed of authority among them held out his hand; and, taking the purse, faid fomething in Sclavonian; and two of them, with their pieces flung on their shoulders, and their fabres drawn, led me out of the wood in fafety; but hoped, at parting, my farther generofity. I found a few more florins for them; and they rode back into the wood; I fuppofe to their fellows; and glad was I to come off fo well. Had I either feemed afraid of them, or endeavoured to escape, probably I had been loft. Two perfons were afterwards found murdered in the wood; one of them, perhaps, the unhappy man whom my fervant had heard cry out, and groan.

Mr For. I feel now very fenfibly, Sir Charles, your danger and efcape. Your fortitude indeed was then of fervice to you.

Sir Har. But, Sir Charles, methinks I fhall be easier in myself, if you give me one inftance of your making before now an enemy a friend. Have you one in point?

Sir Ch. Stories of this nature come very ill from a man's own mouth.

Sir Har. I must have it, Sir Charles. A brother-fufferer will better reconcile me to myself. Sir Ch. If you will not excufe me then, I will tell you the ftory.

Mr Jor. Pray, Sir—

Sir Ch. I had a misunderstanding at Venice with a young gentleman of the place. He was about twenty-two. I was a year younger

Mr Bag. At the Carnival, I fuppofe !-About a lady, Sir Charles?

Sir Ch. He was the only fon of a noble Venetian family, who had great expectations from him.

He

He was a youth of genius. Another noble family at Urbino, to which he was to be allied in marriage, had alfo an intereft in his welfare. We had made a friendship together at Padua. I was at Venice by his invitation, and stood well with all his family. He took offence against me, at the instigation of a defigning relation of his; to own the truth, a lady, as you fuppofe, Mr Bagenhall, his fifter. He would not allow me to defend my innocence to the face of the accufer; nor yet to appeal to his father, who was a perfon of temper as well as fenfe. On the contrary, he upbraided me in a manner that I could hardly bear. I was refolved to quit Venice; and took leave of his whole family, the lady excepted, who would not be feen by me. The father and mother parted with me with regret. The young gentleman had fo managed, that I could not with honour appeal to them; and at taking leave of him in their prefence, under pretence of a recommendatory letter, he gave into my hand a challange. The anfwer I returned, after protefting my innocence, was to this effect: "I am setting out for Verona in a few hours. You know my principles; and I hope ⚫ will better confider of the matter: I never, while I am mafter of my temper, will give my'felf fo much cause of repentance to the last hour of my life, as I fhould have, were I to draw my fword, to the irreparable injury of any man's family; or to run the fame rifque of injuring my own, and of incurring the final perdition of 6 us both!"

Mr Mer. This anfwer rather provoked than fatisfied, I fuppofe?

I

Sir Ch. Provocation was not my intention. defigned only to remind him of the obligations we were both under to our respective families, and to throw in a hint of a ftill fuperior confideration. It was likely to have more force in that Roman

E 3

Catholic

Catholic country than, I am forry to fay it, it would in this Proteftant one.

Sir Har.

How, how, Sir Charles, did it end? Sir Ch. I went to Verona. He followed me thither; and endeavoured to provoke me to draw. Why fhould I draw? faid I. Will the decifion by the fword be certainly that of justice? You are in a paffion. You have no reafon to doubt either my skill, or my courage [on fuch an occafion, gentlemen, and with fuch a view, a man may perhaps be allowed to give himself a little confequence]: And folemnly once more do I avow my innocence; and defire to be brought face to face with my accufers.

He raved the more for my calmnefs. I turned from him, with intent to leave him. He thought fit to offer me a perfonal infult-I now, methinks, blush to tell it-He gave me a box on the ear, to provoke me draw

Mr Mer.

And did you draw, Sir?

Mr Bag. To be fure you then drew? Mr For. Pray, Sir Charles, let us know. You could not then help drawing? This was a provocation that would justify a faint.

Sir Ch. He had forgot, in that paffionate moment, that he was a gentleman. I did not remember that I was one. But I had no occafion to draw.

Sir Har. What a plague-You did not cane him?

Sir Ch. He got well after a fortnight's lying by.

Sir Har.

Damnation!

Sir Ch. I put him into poffeffion of the lodgings I had taken for myself, and into proper and fafe hands. He was indeed unable for a day or two to direct for himfelf. I fent for his friends. His fervant did me juftice as to the provocation. Then it was that I was obliged, in a letter, to acquaint the father of a difcovery I had made,,