| Citation |
CG-NL.767.036
28 Aug 1767:23 (198)
Extract of a letter from Paris, dated May 12. This town has
been agitated and divided, relative to an unfortunate affair
which lately happened at the Concert Spirituale; and as you
will have various and imperfect accounts, take this as a
true and impartial one; Mr. H---e a young officer of Irish
parents, but born in France, being in the next box to Mr, H-
--y, a gentleman of some fortune in England, talked rather
louder to his company than proved agreeable to Mr. H---y;
who in a very abrupt manner, bid him hold his tongue. Mr.
H---e expressed his surprise at so rough a rebuke (as such a
manner of speaking is seldom used in France, even in the
greatest anger, by gentlemen) Mr. H---e, therefore,
continued his former conversations; whereupon the other,
still with more anger, will you not hold your tongue?
Whereupon Mr. H---e desired him to follow him out; but
before he was quite clear of the benches, H---y gave him a
box on the ear. [Here it is necessary to make a short
digression, to inform you, that by the laws of this country,
whoever strikes another, or draws his sword, in any Royal
palace or garden, is to be imprisoned for twenty years] A
blow however unexpectedly, induced Mr. H---e to draw his
sword, with which he made five passes in a narrow passage at
Mr. H---y, and slightly wounding him; by this time the
guards were alarmed, who secured H---y, but either by the
crowd, the dark, or favoured by the French, I cannot say
which, H---e made his escape, and the other was conducted to
goal. All the Frenchmen lament that H---e did not kill H---
y; for upon such a provocation no notice would have been
taken, and now the young man is inevitably ruined, as he
cannot serve in his corps, while H---y lives; and he will
not have an opportunity to put him to death, if H---y
refuses to fight him when he comes out; an indulgence
obtained for him by the favour of the Ambassador; in
consideration of some particular circumstances attending a
former part of H---y's life. There are two French officers,
now living, who, in consequence of an accidental blow, fight
every time they meet; which has already been sixteen, and
one is a man of very high rank. To such an absurd length do
the French carry point of honour.
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