at the earl of Rochester had said
something very malicious of me; I therefore sent colonel Aston, a very
mettled friend of mine, to call him to account for it; he denied the
words, and indeed I was soon convinced he had never said them. But
a mere report, though I found it to be false, obliged me (as I then
foolishly thought) to go on with the quarrel; and the next day was
appointed for us to fight on horseback: a way in England a little
unusual, but it was his part to chuse. Accordingly I and my second lay
the night before at Knightsbridge privately, to avoid being secured at
London on any suspicion, which we found ourselves more in danger of
there, because we had all the appearance of highwaymen, that had a mind
to lye skulking in an odd inn for one night. In the morning we met the
lord Rochester at the place appointed, who, instead of James Porter,
whom he assured Aston he would make his second, brought an errant
life-guard-man, whom nobody knew. To this Mr. 'Aston took exception, as
being no suitable adversary, especially considering how extremely well
he was mounted, whereas we had only a couple of pads; upon which we all
agreed to fight on foot. But as my lord Rochester and I were riding into
the next field in order to it, he told me that he had at first chosen
to fight on horseback, because he was so weak with a certain distemper,
that he found himself unfit to fight at all any way, much less a foot.
I was extremely surprized, because no man at that time had a better
reputation for courage; and my anger against him being quite subsided,
I took the liberty to represent to him what a ridiculous story it would
make, should we return without fighting; and told him, that I must in my
own defence be obliged to lay the fault on him, by telling the truth of
the matter. His answer was, that he submitted to it, and hoped I would
not take the advantage in having to do with any man in so weak a
condition: I replied, that by such an argument he had sufficiently tied
my hands, upon condition, I might call our seconds to be witnesses of
the whole business, which he consented to, and so we parted. Upon our
return to London, we found it full of this quarrel, upon our being
absent so long; and therefore Mr. Aston thought fit to write down every
word and circumstance of this whole matter, in order to spread every
where the true reason of our returning without having fought; which
being not in the least contradicted, or resented by th