Ball-rooms, masquerades, theatres, the open streets, the public walks, bagnios, and coffee-houses, now became constant scenes of strife and bloodshed; Covent-garden and Lincoln’s-inn-fields became the rendezvous for deciding points of honour; and at all hours of the night the clashing of swords might be heard by the peaceable citizens returning home, at the risk of being insulted and ill treated by the pretty fellows, and the beaux of the day. The system of duelling pervaded all classes, and even physicians were wont to decide their professional altercations at the point of the sword. Doctors Mead and Woodward fought under the gate of Gresham College; the latter slipped his foot and fell. “Take your life,” exclaimed Dr. Mead. “Any thing but your physic,” replied the prostrate Woodward.
Dr. Williams and Dr. Bennet, who had grossly abused each other in print on matters relating to their profession, had recourse to blows, when Dr. Bennet proposed a meeting to decide the business like gentlemen. This proposal being rejected by Dr. Williams, Dr. Bennet went the next morning to his house, and rapped at his door; Williams, on opening it, discharged a pistol, loaded with swan-shot, in the other’s breast. The wounded doctor retired across the way towards a friend’s house, being pursued by Williams, who, very near the door, fired a second pistol at him, and, whilst Bennet was endeavouring to draw his sword, which had been pacifically adhering fast to the scabbard, Williams ran him through the body. Bennet, although in this dismal condition, was able to draw his rapier; and praying to God to invigorate him to avenge his wrongs, he gave Williams a home thrust, which entered the upper part of his breast and came out at the shoulder blade, the sword snapping and part of it remaining in the wound. Williams in retreating to his house fell down dead, and Bennet lived but four hours after.
In the same year a duel was fought at Kinsale, in Ireland, which originated from Ensign Sawyer, of O’Farrell’s regiment, having beaten the servant of an officer of the same corps, for giving a slighting answer to his wife. His master, Captain Wrey, had permitted his servant to obtain a warrant for the assault, which the Ensign hearing of, before he could be served with it, challenged the Captain to fight him on the spot. The Captain, after having in vain remonstrated with him upon the impropriety of his conduct, accompanied him to some distance out of town, to gain some time for persuasion; when the Ensign on a sudden drew his sword, and at the first onset wounded the Captain in the left breast; at the second pass, in the left arm, but on the third lounge the Captain ran him through the body, by which he expired in two hours, first owning himself the aggressor, and giving the Captain a kiss as a last farewell.