s de H--, descended of an ancient family in Brittany, also in
the Garde du Corps, likewise fought innumerable duels, killing many of
his antagonists. I have heard that on entering the army he was not of
a quarrelsome disposition, but was laughed at, and bullied into
fighting by his brother officers; and, like a wild beast that had once
smelt blood, from the day of his first duel he took a delight in such
fatal scenes--being ever ready to rush at and quarrel with any one.
The marquis has now, I am glad to say, subsided into a very quiet,
placable, and peacemaking old gentleman; but at the time I speak of he
was much blamed for his duel with F--, a young man of nineteen. While
dining at a cafe he exclaimed, "J'ai envie de tuer quelq'un," and
rushed out into the street and to the theatres, trying to pick a
quarrel; but he was so well known that no one was found willing to
encounter him. At last, at the Theatre de la Porte St. Martin, he
grossly insulted this young man, who was, I think, an eleve of the
Ecole Polytechnique, and a duel took place, under the lamp-post near
the theatre, with swords. He ran F-- through the body, and left him
dead upon the ground.

The late Marshal St. A-- and General J-- were great duellists at this
time, with a whole host of others whose names I forget. The meetings
generally took place in the Bois de Boulogne, and the favourite weapon
of the French was the small sword, or the sabre; but foreigners, in
fighting with the French, who were generally capital swordsmen, availed
themselves of the use of pistols. The ground for a duel with pistols
was marked out by indicating two spots, which were twenty-five paces
apart; the seconds then generally proceeded to toss up who should have
the first shot; when the principals were placed, and the word was given
to fire.

The Cafe Foy, in the Palais Royal, was the principal place of
rendezvous for the Prussian officers, and to this cafe the French
officers on half-pay frequently proceeded in order to pick quarrels
with their foreign invaders; swords were quickly drawn, and frequently
the most bloody frays took place: these originated not in any personal
hatred, but from national jealousy on the part of the French, who could
not bear the sight of foreign soldiers in their capital; which, ruled
by the great captain of the age, had, like Rome, influenced the rest of
the world. On one occasion our Guards, who were on duty at the Palais
Royal, were calle