[4] [O'Connell had called Lord Alvanley a 'bloated
buffoon,' and as usual took refuge in his vow never to
fight another duel. Upon this his son, Morgan
O'Connell, offered to meet Lord Alvanley in lieu of his
father, which was accepted and the duel took place.]

London, May 17th, 1835 {p.256}

Newmarket and gout have between them produced an interval of
unusual length in my scribblings, though I am not aware of having
had anything particularly interesting to record. We had Stanley at
Newmarket the second week as well as the first, taking a lively
interest in John Russell's defeat in Devonshire. This defeat was a
great mortification to his party, and was not compensated by the
easy victory which Morpeth obtained in Yorkshire. These elections
and the affair between Alvanley and O'Connell have been the chief
objects of attention; all the newspapers are full of details,
which I need not put down here. Alvanley seems to have behaved
with great spirit and resolution. There was a meeting at De Ros's
house of De Ros, Damer, Lord Worcester, and Duncombe to consider
what was to be done on the receipt of Morgan O'Connell's letter,
and whether Alvanley should fight him or not. Worcester and
Duncombe were against fighting, the other two for it. Alvanley at
once said that the boldest course was the best, and he would go
out. It was agreed that no time should be lost, so Damer was
despatched to Colonel Hodges, and said Alvanley was ready to meet
Morgan O'Connell. 'The next morning,' Hodges suggested. 'No,
immediately.' The parties joined in Arlington Street and went off
in two hackney coaches; Duncombe, Worcester, and De Ros, with Dr.
Hume, in a third. Only Hume went on the ground, for Damer had
objected to the presence of some Irish friend of O'Connell's, so
that Alvanley's friends could only look on from a distance. The
only other persons who came near them were an old Irishwoman and a
Methodist parson, the latter of whom exhorted the combatants in
vain to forego their sinful purpose, and to whom Alvanley replied,
'Pray, sir, go and mind your own affairs, for I have enough to do
now to think of mine.' 'Think of your soul,' he said. 'Yes,' said
Alvanley, 'but my body is now in the greatest danger.' The
Irishwoman would come and see the fighting, and asked for some
money for her attendance. Damer seems to have been a very bad
second, and probably lost his head; he ought not to have