DUELLING. clix 



to sit in the House of Commons, as he was an attendant on 

 the Lords; but it was resolved that the present Attorney 

 General shall for this parliament remain in the house, 

 although this privilege shall not extend to any future 

 attorney general. 



Upon his entrance on the discharge of his legal duties, Duelling. 

 an opportunity to eradicate error accidentally presented 



itself. Amongst the criminal informations filed in the Star Jt. 54. 

 Chamber by his predecessor, he found a charge against 

 two obscure persons for the crime of duelling. Of this 

 opportunity he instantly availed himself, to expose the 

 nature of these false imaginations of honour, by which, 

 in defiance of virtue, disregard of the law, and contempt 

 of religion, vice and ignorance raise themselves in the 

 world upon the reputation of courage ; and high-minded 

 youth, full of towardness and hope, such as the poets call 

 &quot; aurorse filii,&quot; sons of the morning, are deluded by this 

 fond disguise and puppetry of honour. () 



courses, and others the like, I hope, are gone with the 

 deviser of them, which have turned your majesty to inesti 

 mable prejudice. 



I hope your majesty will pardon my liberty of writing, 

 I know these things are majora quam pro fortuna : but 

 they are minor a quam pro studio et voluntate. I assure 

 myself your majesty taketh not me for one of a busy nature; 

 for my state being free from all difficulties, and I having 

 such a large field for contemplations, as I have partly, and 

 shall much more make manifest to your majesty and the 

 world, to occupy my thoughts, nothing could make me 

 active but love and affection. So praying my God to bless 

 and favour your person and estate, Sec. 



(a) In the tract, which may be found in vol. vi. p. 108, 

 he considers, 1st, the mischiefs of duelling; 2ndly, the 

 causes; 3rdly, the origin, &c. and various other topics. 



