after the morrow, which was Sunday, the 15th of November, at seven in the
morning, was appointed for the meeting.

At that hour they assembled in Hyde Park, the duke being attended by his
relative Colonel Hamilton, and the Lord Mohun by General Macartney. They
jumped over a ditch into a place called the Nursery, and prepared for the
combat. The Duke of Hamilton, turning to General Macartney, said, "_Sir,
you are the cause of this, let the event be what it will._" Lord Mohun
did not wish that the seconds should engage, but the duke insisted that
"_Macartney should have a share in the dance._" All being ready, the two
principals took up their positions, and fought with swords so desperately,
that after a short time they both fell down mortally wounded. The Lord
Mohun expired upon the spot, and the Duke of Hamilton in the arms of his
servants as they were carrying him to his coach.

This unhappy termination caused the greatest excitement not only in the
metropolis, but all over the country. The Tories, grieved at the loss of
the Duke of Hamilton, charged the fatal combat on the Whig party, whose
leader, the Duke of Marlborough, had so recently set the example of
political duels. They called Lord Mohun the bully of the Whig faction (he
had already killed three men in duels, and been twice tried for murder),
and asserted openly that the quarrel was concocted between him and General
Macartney to rob the country of the services of the Duke of Hamilton by
murdering him. It was also asserted that the wound of which the duke died
was not inflicted by Lord Mohun, but by Macartney; and every means was
used to propagate this belief. Colonel Hamilton, against whom and
Macartney the coroner's jury had returned a verdict of wilful murder,
surrendered a few days afterwards, and was examined before a privy council
sitting at the house of Lord Dartmouth. He then deposed, that seeing Lord
Mohun fall, and the duke upon him, he ran to the duke's assistance; and
that he might with the more ease help him, he flung down both their
swords, and as he was raising the duke up, _he saw Macartney make a push
at him_. Upon this deposition, a royal proclamation was immediately
issued, offering a reward of 500l. for the apprehension of Macartney, to
which the Duchess of Hamilton afterwards added a reward of 300l.

Upon the further examination of Colonel Hamilton, it was found that
reliance could not be placed on all his statements, and that he
contra