Honor, as it was laid down by Francis I., and as it prevails to this day, that "the lie was never to be put up with, without satisfaction, but by a base-born fellow!"—and for fear of possible mistake, we are told that lies were divided into not less than thirty-two categories, with their corresponding degrees of satisfaction.

The following rules of the chivalric duel, by Brantôme, curiously illustrate the spirit of the age in several particulars. In the treatment which they justified towards the conquered knight, and the very amiable indulgence to all offences of a too yielding tenderness on the part of the lady, they afford a just glimpse into the real ferocity and licentiousness of that boasted age of chivalry, upon which so much mawkish nonsense of regret has been wasted in our infinitely better modern days:

“On no account whatever let an infidel be brought out as a second or witness: it is not proper that an unbeliever should witness the shedding of Christian blood, which would delight him; and it is moreover abominable that such a wretch should be allowed such an honorable pas

time.

"The combatants must be carefully examined and felt, to ascertain that they have no particular drugs, witchcraft, or charms about them. It is allowed to wear on such occasions some relics of Our Lady of Loretto, and other holy objects; yet it is not clearly decided what is to be done when both parties have not these relics, as no advantage should be allowed to one combatant more than to another.

"It is idle to dwell upon courtesies: the man who steps into the field must have made up his mind to conquer or die, but, above all things, never to surrender; for the conqueror may treat the vanquished as he thinks proper,-drag him round the ground, hang him, burn him, keep him a prisoner, in short, do with him whatever he pleases. The Danes and Lombards in this imitated Achilles, who, after his combat with Hector, dragged him three times round the walls at the tail of his triumphant car.

"Every gallant knight must maintain

the honor of the ladies, whether they may have forfeited it or not,-if it can be said that a gentille dame can have forfeited her honor by kindness to her servant and her lover. A soldier may fight his captain, provided he has been two years upon actual service, and he quits his company.

"If a father accuses a son of any crime that may tend to dishonor him, the son

may demand satisfaction of his father; since he has done him more injury by dishonoring him than he had bestowed advantage by giving him life."

But it was not formerly deemed inconsistent with honor to seek any advantage which could be secured in the fended or the challenged party who desperate game of blood; and the ofwas entitled to the choice of weapons and mode of fighting, often used his privilege so as to constitute it little better than a butchery of his helpless antagonist. For example, Dr. Millengen relates the case of an ingenious mode of fighting which was adopted by a young soldier, of a diminutive stature, who had been insulted by a tall, sturdy Gascon: he insisted that they should both wear a steel collar round their neck, bristled with pointed blades as sharp as razors; and wearing no armor, their bodies and limbs were exposed to the swords of little man could look up at his antagoeach other. By this invention the nist without any danger, while the tall fellow could not look down at his adversary, without cutting his chin with the acerated points of his collar; in consequence of which he was soon run through the body. A curious instance is also related of a knight who, having been taught, as a peculiar trick of fence, invariably to strike the region of the heart, insisted upon fighting in a suit of armor with an opening in each cuirass of the breadth of the hand over the heart; the result of which, of course, was immediately fatal to his antagonist.

Nor were these valiant knights, as our author remarks, very particular as to odds.

He relates the instance of two French gentlemen, La Villatte and the Baron de Salligny, who fought a duel with two Gascons of the names of Malecolom and Esparezat; when Malecolom having speedily killed his opponent Salligny, and perceiving that his companion Esparezat was a long time despatching Villatte, went to his assistance; and when Villatte, thus unfairly pressed by two antagonists, remonstrated against the treachery, Malecolom very coolly replied, "I have killed my adversary, and, if you kill yours, there may be a chance that you may also kill me; therefore here goes!

But we have some better stories in our own times of the advantageous use made of the privileges of choice accorded by the law of the Duel to the challenged party, and we suggest them to Dr. Millengen to enrich a future edition of his work.

The following is generally fathered upon "Old Put," with what degree of authenticity we will not undertake to say. It may fairly be allowed to pass for his, and will do no discredit to his memory. Being once challenged by an English officer, during the French war, he insisted on this mode of either ensuring a common fate to both, or subjecting their courage to a pretty severe test; both were to take their seats on a keg of gunpowder, with a lighted match inserted in it, of which they were to watch the gradual consumption. Both bore bravely for a time the sight of the shortening match. Down went the fatal spot of fire, lower and lower, and nearer and nearer to the point of junction with the dark mine beneath them, which was to blow them into eternity-till at last flesh and blood could stand it no longer, and the officer sprang to his feet and ran almost as fast as though under the impulse of the explosion. "Stop, stop!" was the cool exclamation of the other, who dauntlessly retained his place," you need not run so fast-it's only onion-seed!"

A few years ago the captain of a Yankee whaler, stopping at one of the West India Islands, had a quarrel forced upon him by a rude bully, who happened also to be an officer in a British regiment stationed at the island. Accepting the challenge, he was on the ground at the appointed hour, provided with two harpoons of equal length, which he insisted upon as the weapon he had the right to choose for the fight, and the only one he knew how to wield. Forced to assent, the officer had to station himself opposite his now formidable antagonist, who stood poising the long spear of his weapon in his right hand, while his left held the coil of rope attached to it. Though greatly troubled, yet shame and desperation for a while kept up his show of courage-till the whaler cast his coil of rope into the hands of his second (the mate of his ship), exclaiming in a gruff but cool voice, as though very much a matter of course, "Stand

by, to haul the critter in!”—“ Aye, aye, sir!"-the ready response; but before it was well uttered, the "critter" was far beyond the reach of harpoon or tackle, and history does not record that he ever again troubled a Yankee whaler.

But the most sensible use made of privilege which we have ever heard, was a few years ago, by a gentleman, a Member of the New York Legisla ture, distinguished as well for his wit and humor as for his talents and sound democracy. Receiving a challenge, he expressed his readiness to accept it, with the privilege of the choice of ground and weapons,--which, after some considerable correspondence and diplomacy, conducted with great_gravity on his part, were conceded by his impatient adversary. These prelimi naries at length adjusted, he fixed the place of encounter on the opposite banks of a certain stream in his county (St. Lawrence), the weapons being broad-swords! Anxious to accommodate the opposite party, he expressed himself, at the same time, willing to use pistols, in the following mannerthe two principals to stand back to back on the top of a certain sharp conical hill indicated by him, to walk each forward in a straight line down the opposite descent to the bottom, and then, at the word, to turn and fire! We would recommend either of these plans of fighting as admirable models for imitation on all similar occasions.

France, in our author's own words, was the classic ground of the Duel. The number of gentlemen that perished in that country during the reign of Henri IV., from 1589 to 1607, is estimated at not less than four thousand. Though that monarch issued repeated decrees of great severity against it, yet not only was the general spirit of the time too strongly set in its favor to be arrested by such means, but even he himself so far participated in it, that he was not only ready to pardon every offence against his own edicts, (he pardoned not less than 14,000 duellists,) but we find him on one occasion, when sympathizing with a friend who complained of having been insulted, assuring him that if he could lay aside his quality of sovereign, and obey the promptings of friendship alone, "you should find me most ready to draw my sword, and most cheerfully to expose

my life." The custom had at that time become general, which arose during the reign of Henri III., borrowed from the Italians, that the seconds engaged together at the same time with their principals. In the succeeding reign, that of Louis XIII., the Marquis de Beuvron, having been challenged by François de Montmorency, better known under the name of Bout teville, one of the most renowned duellists of the day, proposed a duel without seconds. To which Boutteville replied, "that he would have no objection to this arrangement, had not two of his friends expressed a wish to join the party; and that he should have to give them satisfaction if they were disappointed." The result was, that the duel was fought on the Place Royale, one of the most public places in Paris, at three in the afternoon, one of the seconds being killed, and another put hors de combat;-the principals, having got each his dagger at the other's throat, mutually asked for quarter, and wound up by quietly going to lunch together at a barber's shop. But this was in the days when Richelieu liked nothing better than a fair excuse for cutting off the head of a high nobleman; and the great name of Montmorency was rather a recommendation for the scaffold than a shield; so that, being arrested, Boutteville was condemned to death, and executed with great military pomp on the Place de Grève. He was as anxious, we are told, to preserve his mustachoes as Sir Thomas More was to put his beard out of the way of the executioner's axe; and when the Bishop of Nantes, who attended his last moments, observed, "Oh! my son, you must no longer dwell on worldly matters! Do you still think of life?" "I only think of my mustachoes! the very finest in France!" replied the penitent.

It was during this reign that that madcap of chivalry, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, was the British ambassador at the French court, who in his memoirs has left many evidences of the state of public sentiment there prevailing on this subject, of which the following is the most striking:

"All things being ready for the ball, every one being in their place, and I myself next to the Queen, expecting when the dancers would come in, one knocked at the door somewhat louder than became, I thought, a very civil person; when he came in, I remember there was a sudden whisper among the ladies, saying, 'C'est also saw the ladies and gentlemen, one Monsieur Balaguy! Whereupon I after another, invite him to sit near them; and, what is more, when one lady had his company awhile, another would say, 'You have enjoyed him long enough. I must have him now.' At which bold civility of them, though I was astonished, yet it added to my wonder that his person could not be thought at most but ordinary handsome; his hair, which was cut very short, was grey; his doublet, but of sackcloth, cut to his skin; and his breeches only of plain grey cloth. Informing myself by some standers-by who he was, I was told that he was one of the gallantest men in the world, as having killed eight or nine men in single fight, and that for this reason the ladies made so much of him; it being the manner of all French women to cherish gallant men, as thinking they could not make so much of any else with the safety of their honor."

Lord Herbert himself afterwards tried to engage this redoubtable Balaguy in a quarrel, on the chivalric question of the worth of their respective lady-loves; but the other, whose courage in this way was of course not to be doubted, had the good sense to understand the crackbrained quixotism of the Englishman, and wisely declined the invitation.

As we have much yet to say on this subject, for which in the present Number no space remains at command, we will leave it here, though rather abruptly; with the intention of resuming it on a future occasion, when we may add no slight degree of entertainment to another Article, by some selections from the inexhaustible fund of anecdote presented by the volumes now before us. The practice under review presents indeed a moral phenomenon so singular, and, in the extent to which it still exists, an evil so sad and detestable, that it is not unworthy of a more extended consideration than we are here able to afford it.

FOR a long period of time the state of commercial affairs has been apparently deteriorating. That is to say, under the increasing abundance of the crops, proceeding out of the increasing industry of the country co-operating with its appreciating currency, prices, not only of produce and goods, but of property of all descriptions, have been constantly falling. This fact alone would be sufficient to account for the inactivity of trade, which, by re-acting upon prices, has accelerated a decline. The inertness of trade has lessened the demand for money, which has accumulated in the hands of banks and capitalists, as old obligations matured with out being replaced by new ones. The banking institutions of New York, which may be called the barometers of trade, have under this process found specie accumulating in their vaults, and the calls for money daily diminish ing. This process went on until, during the past month, the city banks, with capital amounting to $18,000,000, found themselves in possession of $7,000,000 in specie. This had been driven from the suspended districts in all quarters. The presence of depreciated bank paper drove it in the natural operatious of trade to the point of indebtedness, New York, where, there being no foreign demand for it, and the annual calls for money for business existing in but a very moderate degree, it remained idle in the bank vaults, of course reducing their profits. This was the state of affairs down to the fore part of the month, which has now elapsed. At that time the first impulse of re-action was felt. Low prices and the abundance of money began then to exhibit their natural effects of

Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore,

Richmond,

N. Carolina,.

Charleston,

re-animating trade. This first indication of returning commerce has been the immediate consequence of that return to specie payments by the banks of the west and south-west; the good results of which we have in former Numbers endeavoured to make sufficiently clear. The agricultural products of the western States gather upon the western waters, and flowing down the Mississippi, receive contributions in their course until the annual value of $50,000,000 or $60,000,000 is delivered at New Orleans. From that point the largest exports of produce are made. As long as the currency of that city, which forms the medium through which this vast amount of produce changes hands, consisted of the paper of suspended banks, a similar currency would prevail throughout the whole west, because the description of money received for produce must necessarily form the medium of payment in all the sections which produced it. Specie, of course, sought New York, the point of indebtedness where specie only was received in payment. The heavy losses sustained at the west by use of this depreciated currency gradually wrought its own cure. It destroyed the credit of the banks that issued it, and have forced upon the community a specie currency almost in their own despite. It was in this view that we hailed in a former number the failure of the western and New Orleans Banks as the first dawn of better times. The effects have now been felt. Exchanges, from having ruled high against New Orleans and in favor of New York, are now reversed, and are in favor of New Orleans. The following is a comparative table of rates:

Savannah,

31 a 4

6 a 64

3 a 8 par a

17 a 18

4 prem. 9 a 10 6 a 7 disc.

8

4 a 5

2 a 22 a 3

11 a 15