of
his fellows. As Addison remarked more than eighty years afterwards, "Death
was not sufficient to deter men who made it their glory to despise it; but
if every one who fought a duel were to stand in the pillory, it would
quickly diminish the number of those imaginary men of honour, and put an
end to so absurd a practice." Richelieu never thought of this.

[62] _Mercure de France_, vol. xiii.

Sully says, that in his time the Germans were also much addicted to
duelling. There were three places where it was legal to fight; Witzburg in
Franconia, and Uspach and Halle in Swabia. Thither of course, vast numbers
repaired, and murdered each other under sanction of the law. At an earlier
period in Germany, it was held highly disgraceful to refuse to fight. Any
one who surrendered to his adversary for a simple wound that did not
disable him, was reputed infamous, and could neither cut his beard, bear
arms, mount on horseback, or hold any office in the state. He who fell in
a duel was buried with great pomp and splendour.

In the year 1652, just after Louis XIV. had attained his majority, a
desperate duel was fought between the Dukes de Beaufort and De Nemours,
each attended by four gentlemen. Although brothers-in-law, they had long
been enemies, and their constant dissensions had introduced much
disorganisation among the troops which they severally commanded. Each had
long sought an opportunity for combat, which at last arose on a
misunderstanding relative to the places they were to occupy at the
council-board. They fought with pistols, and, at the first discharge, the
Duke de Nemours was shot through the body, and almost instantly expired.
Upon this the Marquis de Villars, who seconded Nemours, challenged
Hericourt, the second of the Duke de Beaufort, a man whom he had never
before seen; and the challenge being accepted, they fought even more
desperately than their principals. This combat, being with swords, lasted
longer than the first, and was more exciting to the six remaining
gentlemen who stayed to witness it. The result was fatal to Hericourt, who
fell pierced to the heart by the sword of De Villars. Any thing more
savage than this can hardly be imagined. Voltaire says such duels were
frequent, and the compiler of the _Dictionnaire d'Anecdotes_ informs us
that the number of seconds was not fixed. As many as ten, or twelve, or
twenty, were not unfrequent, and they often fought together after their
principals were d