ht fight, yet lose his credit for
want of understanding the fashion.

Col. PLUME. Why, Sir Mark, in the beginning of July, a man would have
been censured for want of courage, or been thought indigent of the true
notions of honour, if he had put up [with] words, which in the end of
September following, one could not resent without passing for a brutal
and quarrelsome fellow.

Sir MARK. But, Colonel, were duels or rencounters most in fashion in
those days?

Col. PLUME. Your men of nice honour, sir, were for avoiding all censure
of advantage which they supposed might be taken in a rencounter;
therefore they used seconds, who were to see that all was upon the
square, and make a faithful report of the whole combat; but in a little
time it became a fashion for the seconds to fight, and I'll tell you how
it happened.

Mr. SAGE. Pray do, Colonel Plume, and the method of a duel at that time,
and give us some notion of the punctos upon which your nice men
quarrelled in those days.

Col. PLUME. I was going to tell you, Mr. Sage, that one Cornet Modish
had desired his friend, Captain Smart's, opinion in some affair, but did
not follow it; upon which Captain Smart sent Major Adroit (a very
topping fellow of those times) to the person that had slighted his
advice. The Major never inquired into the quarrel, because it was not
the manner then among the very topping fellows; but got two swords of an
equal length, and then waited upon Cornet Modish, desiring him to choose
his sword, and meet his friend Captain Smart. Cornet Modish came with
his friend to the place of combat; there the principals put on their
pumps, and stripped to their shirts, to show they had nothing but what
men of honour carry about them, and then engaged.

Sir MARK. And did the seconds stand by, sir?

Col. PLUME. It was a received custom till that time; but the swords of
those days being pretty long, and the principals acting on both sides
upon the defensive, and the morning being frosty, Major Adroit desired
that the other second, who was also a very topping fellow, would try a
thrust or two only to keep them warm, till the principals had decided
the matter, which was agreed to by Modish's second, who presently
whipped Adroit through the body, disarmed him, and then parted the
principals, who had received no harm at all.

Mr. SAGE. But was not Adroit laughed at?

Col. PLUME. On the contrary, the very topping fellows were ever after of
opinion, that no m