eating of old kettles to me!

The truth is, serving-men themselves, and city apprentices had got
reckless, and the duels, no death following, ceased to be sublime. About
fifty years ago, serious men took to fighting with rapiers, and the
buckler fell away. Holles, in Sherwood, as we saw, fought with rapier,
and he soon spoiled Markham. Rapier and dagger especially; that is a
more silent duel, but a terribly serious one! Perhaps the reader will
like to take a view of one such serious duel in those days, and
therewith close this desultory chapter.

It was at the siege of Juliers, in the Netherlands wars, of the year
1609; we give the date, for wars are perpetual, or nearly so, in the
Netherlands. At one of the storm parties of the siege of Juliers, the
gallant Sir Hatton Cheek, above alluded to, a superior officer of the
English force which fights there under my Lord Cecil, that shall be
Wimbledon; the gallant Sir Hatton, I say, being of hot temper, superior
officer, and the service a storm-party on some bastion or demilune,
speaks sharp word of command to Sir Thomas Dutton, who also is probably
of hot temper in this hot moment. Sharp word of command to Dutton; and
the movement not proceeding rightly, sharp word of rebuke. To which
Dutton, with kindled voice, answers something sharp; is answered still
more sharply with voice high flaming;--whereat Dutton suddenly holds in;
says merely, "He is under military duty here, but perhaps will not
always be so;" and rushing forward, does his order silently, the best he
can. His order done, Dutton straightway lays down his commission; packs
up, that night, and returns to England.

Sir Hatton Cheek prosecutes his work at the siege of Juliers; gallantly
assists at the taking of Juliers, triumphant over all the bastions, and
half-moons there; but hears withal that Dutton is at home in England,
defaming him as a choleric tyrant and so forth. Dreadful news, which
brings some biliary attack on the gallant man, and reduces him to a bed
of sickness. Hardly recovered, he dispatches message to Dutton, That he
shall request to have the pleasure of his company, with arms and seconds
ready, on some neutral ground,--Calais sands for instance,--at an early
day, if convenient. Convenient; yes, as dinner to the hungry! answers
Dutton; and time, place, and circumstances are rapidly enough agreed
upon.

And so, on Calais sands, on a winter morning of the year 1609, this is
what we see most authen