en's people are angry at it, and the common-room say there,
'tis silly, dull stuff; and they are seconded by some that have been of
the same college. But men that are indifferent commend it highly, as it
deserves."

17_th Nov._ 1712.--"On Thursday last (13th Nov.), duke Hamilton and the
Lord Mohun being before Mr Oillabar, one of the masters of Chancery,
about some suit depending between them, and some words arising, a
challenge was made between these two noble men, and the duell was fought
on Saturday (15th Nov.) in the Park. My lord Mohun was killed on the
spot, and the duke so wounded that he died before he got home. This lord
Mohun should have been hanged some years agoe for murder, which he had
committed divers times."

24_th Nov._--. . . "The duke having given Mohun his mortal wound, and
taking him up in his arms, as soon as Makartney saw it, he and col.
Hamilton fell to it; but Hamilton, though he was wounded by Makartney in
the leg, disarmed Makartney, and threw his sword from him, and
immediately went to Mohun to endeavour also to recover him. Mean time
Makartney (who is a bloudy, ill man) runs and takes up his sword, comes
to the duke, and gives him his mortal wound, of which the duke dyed
before he could get home."

It is of some interest to compare the above with Thackeray's account of
the duel in _Esmond_, book iii., chap. v.--

"'Twas but three days after the 15th November 1712 (Esmond minds him well
of the date), that he went by invitation to dine with his General
(Webb)." At the end of the feast Swift rushes to say that Duke Hamilton
had been killed in a duel. "They fought in Hyde Park just before
sunset."

When I read the story in _Esmond_ I was naturally struck by Thackeray's
making the duel occur three days after 15th November instead of on that
day. I applied to my friend Dr Henry Jackson, who pointed out that the
apparent error arises from the absence of a comma. The above passage
should run:--

"It was about three days after, the 15th of November 1712 (Esmond minds
him well of the date), that he went, etc." This makes Thackeray's
account agree with Hearne's. Dr Jackson has pointed out to me that the
duel was fought at 7 A.M., not just before sunset as Swift is made to
declare. The evidence is in Swift's Journal to Mrs Dingley, of which
extract Charles John Smith gave a facsimile in his _Historical and
Literary Curiosities_, 1840:--

"Before this comes to your Hands, you wil