When I found, continued he, that this unchristian custom owed its rise to the barbarous northern nations, who had, however, some plea to make in excuse, which ive have not, as they were governed by particular lords, and were not united under one head or government, to which, as to a last resort, persons supposing themselves aggrieved, might ap-peal for legal redress; and that these barbarous nations were truly barbarous, and enemies to all politeness; my reasoning on this occasion added new force to prejudices so well founded.

The gentlemen seemed afraid, that Sir Charles had done speaking. They begged he would go on.

I then had recourse, proceeded he, to the histo-ries of nations famous for their courage. That of

G the Romans, who by that quality obtained the empire of the world, was my first subject. I found not any traces in their history, which could countenance the savage custom. When a dispute happened, the challenge from both parties generally was, “ That each should appear at the head of the army the next engagement, and give proofs of his intrepidity against the common foe.” The instance of the Horatii and Curiatii, which was a public, a national combat, as I may call it, affords not an exception to my observation. And yet even that, in the early ages of Rome, stands condemned by a better example. For we read, that Tullus challenged Albanus, general of the Albans, to put the cause of the two nations upon the valour of each captain’s arm, for the sake of sparing a greater effusion of blood: but what was the answer of Albanus, though the inducement to the challenge was so plausible? “ That the cause was a public, not a private one; and the decision lay upon the two cities of Alba and Rome.”

Many ages afterwards, Augustus received a chal-lenge from Mark Antony. Who, gentlemen, thought of branding as a coward that prince, on his answering, “ That if Antony were weary of his life, he might find many other ways to end it than by his sword? ”

Metellus, before that, challenged by Sertorius, answered with his pen, not his sword, “ That it was not for a captain to die the death of a common soldier.”

The very Turks know nothing of this savage cus-tom: and they are a nation that raised themselves by their bravery from the most obscure beginnings, into one of the greatest empires on the globe, as at this day. They take occasion to exalt themselves above Christians, in this very instance; and think it a scandal upon Mussulmans to quarrel, and endea-vour to wreak their private vengeance on one another.