isabled. The highest mark of friendship one man could
manifest towards another, was to choose him for his second; and many
gentlemen were so desirous of serving in this capacity, that they
endeavoured to raise every slight misunderstanding into a quarrel, that
they might have the pleasure of being engaged in it. The Count de
Bussy-Rabutin relates an instance of this in his Memoirs. He says, that as
he was one evening coming out of the theatre, a gentleman named Bruc, whom
he had not before known, stopped him very politely, and, drawing him
aside, asked him if it was true that the Count de Thianges had called him
(Bruc) a drunkard? Bussy replied that he really did not know, for he saw
the count very seldom. "Oh, he is your uncle!" replied Bruc; "and, as I
cannot have satisfaction from him, because he lives so far off in the
country, I apply to you." "I see what you are at," replied Bussy, "and,
since you wish to put me in my uncle's place, I answer, that whoever
asserted that he called you a drunkard, told a lie!" "My brother said so,"
replied Bruc, "and he is a child." "Horsewhip him, then, for his
falsehood," returned De Bussy. "I will not have my brother called, a
liar," returned Bruc, determined to quarrel with him; "so draw, and defend
yourself!" They both drew their swords in the public street, but were
separated by the spectators. They agreed, however, to fight on a future
occasion, and with all the regular forms of the duello. A few days
afterwards, a gentleman, whom De Bussy had never before seen, and whom he
did not know even by name, called upon him and asked if he might have the
privilege of serving as his second. He added, that he neither knew him nor
Bruc, except by reputation, but having made up his mind to be second of
one of them, he had decided upon accompanying De Bussy as the braver man
of the two. De Bussy thanked him very sincerely for his politeness, but
begged to be excused, as he had already engaged four seconds to accompany
him, and he was afraid that if he took any more the affair would become a
battle instead of a duel.

When such quarrels as these were looked upon as mere matters of course,
the state of society must have been indeed awful. Louis XIV. very early
saw the evil, and as early determined to remedy it. It was not, however,
till the year 1679, when he instituted the "Chambre Ardente," for the
trial of the slow poisoners and pretenders to sorcery, that he published
any edict against du