DUEL WITH 'THE SQUIRE' 85 



duelling. Nevertheless he was once obliged to go out, 

 and his opponent was none other than the redoubtable 

 Squire Osbaldeston. The quarrel originated in a betting 

 transaction between the parties at Heaton Park. At 

 Newmarket Craven Meeting, Mr. Osbaldeston, riding up 

 to Lord George Bentinck, said: " Lord George, I want 

 400, won of you at Heaton Park." To this the reply 

 was : " You want 400 that you swindled me out of at 

 Heaton Park." Such a rejoinder hardly admitted of an 

 apology, and after the usual preliminary arrangements, 

 they met to fight a duel. It fell to Lord George's lot to 

 fire first. His pistol missed fire, whereupon, without 

 any appearance of excitement, he said to his adversary : 

 " Now, squire, it is two to one in your favour." " Is it?" 

 said his opponent. " Why, then, the bet's off," and dis- 

 charged the contents of his pistol in the air.' 



With all deference to the writer, my impression is 

 that this unpleasant affair originated, not at Heaton 

 Park, but at Croxton Park, when the squire was beat on 

 one of his horses on the first day, and riding the same 

 horse on the next day, won, when he had taken Lord 

 George's 400 to 100 that he would do so. But surely 

 there is nothing that could be called swindling about 

 such an occurrence, which we may see every day, unless, 

 indeed, we put all the world down as swindlers. And I 

 cannot but think, and many will think with me, that 

 Lord George was in the wrong in making so grave an 

 accusation without being able to substantiate it. It 

 would seem rather to have been a novel and good way of 

 settling one's debts without payment. I am sure that 

 no one who ever knew ' the Squire,' will imagine for a 

 moment that he was capable of doing anything approach- 

 ing an ungentlemanly action. That he was in the habit 

 of doing foolish ones I admit, and was oftener swindled, 



