ut words, and that he was ready to make the apology in
whatever terms would be satisfactory, and the word 'apology' was
inserted on the ground. The Duke then touched his hat, said 'Good
morning, my Lords,' mounted his horse, and rode off. Hume was
there, without knowing on whose behalf till he got to the ground.
Hardinge asked him to attend, and told him where he would find a
chaise, into which he got. He found there pistols, which told him
the errand he was on, but he had still no notion the Duke was
concerned; when he saw him he was ready to drop. The Duke went to
Mrs. Arbuthnot's as soon as he got back, and at eleven o'clock
she wrote a note to Lord Bathurst, telling him of it, which he
received at the Council board and put into my hands. So little
idea had he of Lord Winchelsea's letter leading to anything
serious that when on Wednesday, at the Council at Windsor, I
asked him if he had read it, he said, laughing, 'Yes, and it is a
very clever letter, much the wisest thing he ever did; _he has
got back his money_. I wish I could find some such pretext to get
back mine.' At twelve o'clock the Duke went to Windsor to tell
the King what had happened. Winchelsea is abused for not having
made an apology when it was first required; but I think, having
committed the folly of writing so outrageous a letter, he did the
only thing a man of honour could do in going out and receiving a
shot and then making an apology, which he was all this time
prepared to do, for he had it ready written in his pocket. I
think the Duke ought not to have challenged him; it was very
juvenile, and he stands in far too high a position, and his life
is so much _publica cura_ that he should have treated him and his
letter with the contempt they merited; it was a great error in
judgment, but certainly a venial one, for it is impossible not to
admire the high spirit which disdained to shelter itself behind
the immunities of his great character and station, and the
simplicity, and almost humility, which made him at once descend
to the level of Lord Winchelsea, when he might, without
subjecting himself to any imputation derogatory to his honour,
have assumed a tone of lofty superiority and treated him as
unworthy of his notice. Still it was beneath his dignity; it
lowered him, and was more or less ridiculous. Lord Jersey met him
coming from Windsor, and spoke to him. He said, 'I could not do
otherwise, could I?'

[7] [The incident of the handkerc