therefore we request you will ufe them tenderly and kindly, which will induce them to live contentedly with you."

An authentic narrative of the duel between lord Byron and William Chaworth, eiq; in which Mr. Chawath was unfortunately kill

ed.

L

ORD Byron and Mr. Cha worth were neighbours in the country, and it was their cuftom to meet with other gentlemen of Nottinghamshire, at the Star.and Garter tavern in Pall Mall once a month, at what was called the Nottinghamshire club.

The meeting, at which the unlucky difpute arofe that produced the duel, was on the 26th of January 1765, at which were prefent John Hewett, efq; who fat as chairman, lord Byron, the honourable Thomas Willoughby, Sir Robert Burdett, Frederick Montagu, John Sherwin, Francis Molineaux, William Chaworth, George Donfton, and Charles Mellith, jun. efgrs.

Their ufual hour of dining was foon after four, and the rule of the club was, to have a bill and a bottle brought in at feven.

Till this hour all was jollity and good humour; but Mr. Hewett, who was toaft-mafter, happening to ftart fome converfation about the best method of preferving the game, fetting the laws in being for that purpose out of the queftion, the fubject was taken up by Mr. Chaworth and lord Byron, who happened to be of different opinions, Mr. Chaworth infifting

on severity against poachers and unqualified perfons; and lord Byron declaring that the way to have moft game was to take no care of it at all. Mr. Hewett's opinion was, that the most effectual way would be to make the game the property the owner of the foil. The debate became general, but was carried on with acrimony only between lord Byron and Mr. Chaworth; the latter, in confirmation of what he had said, infifting that fir Charles Sedley and himself had more game on five acres, than lord Byron had on all his manors. Lord Byron in anfwer to this, propofed a bet of 100 guineas, and Mr. Chaworth called for pen, ink, and paper, to reduce the wager to writing, in order to take it up; but Mr. Sherwin treating it in a jefting manner, as á bet that never could be decided, no bet was laid, and the converfation went on. Mr. Chaworth said, that were it not for fir Charles Sedley's care, and his own, lord Byron would not have a hare on his eftate; and lord Byron afking, with a fmile, what fir Charles Sedley's manors were? was anfwered by Mr. Chaworth, Nuttall and Bulwell. Lord Byron did not difpute Nuttall, but added, that Bulwell was his; on which Mr. Chaworth with fome heat replied, "If you want information with refpect to fir Charles Sedley's manors, he lives at Mr. Cooper's in Dean-ftreet, and, I doubt not, will be ready to give you fatisfaction; and as to myfelf, your lordthip knows where to find me, in Berkley-row;" or words to that ef fect. These words uttered in a particular manner, could admit of no reply, and at once put an end

to

to that fubject of difcourfe; every gentleman in company fell into chat with him who fat next to him, and nothing more was faid general ly till Mr Chaworth called to fettle the reckoning, as was his general. practice, in doing of which Mr. Fynmore, the mafter of the tavern, obferved him a little flory'd; for, in marking, he made a fmall miftake. The book had lines ruled in checks, and against each member prefent an o was placed, but if abfent, 5s was fet down. He placed 58. against lord Byron's name, but Mr. Fynmore obferving to him that my lord was prefent, be corrected his miftake. In a few minutes after this, Mr. Chaworth, having paid his reckoning, went out, and was followed by Mr. Doniton, who entered into difcourfe with him at the head of the stairs, and Mr. Chaworth ask. ed bim particularly, if he had attended to the converfation between himself and lord Byron; and if he thought he had been fhort in what he faid on the fubject. To which Mr. Donfton faid, "No; he bad rather gone too far upon fo trifling an occafion, but did not believe that lord Byron, or the company, would think any more about it;" and after a little ordi nary difcourfe bad paffed, they parted. Mr. Donfton returned to the company, and Mr. Chaworth turned to go down ftairs; but juft as Mr. Donfion entered the door, he met lord Byron coming out, and they paffed, as there was a large fcreen that covered the door, without knowing each other.. Lord Byron found Mr. Chaworth ftill on the ftairs, and it now remains a doubt whether lord Byron called upon Mr. Chaworth, or VOL VIII.

Mr. Chaworth upon lord Byron; but both went to the first landing. place, having dined upon the fe cond floor, and Loth called the waiter to fhew an empty room, which a waiter did, and having first opened the door himself, and placed a fmall tallow candle, which he had in his hand, on the table, he retired; when the gentlemen entered, and pulled the door after them.

In a few minutes the affair was decided; the bell was rung, but by whom is uncertain; the waiter went up, and perceiving what had. happened, ran down ftairs frighted, told his matter the catastrophe,, who ran 'inftantly up stairs, and, found the twacombatants ftanding clofe together; Mr. Chaworth had his fword in his left hand, and lord Byron his in his right; lord Byron's left hand was round Mr. Chaworth, as Mr. Chaworth's right hand was round lord Byron's neck, and over his fhoulders. He defired Mr. Fynmore to take his fword, and lord Byron delivered up his at the fame time; one, or both, called to him to get fome help immediately, and in a few minutes Mr. Hawkins the furgeon was fent for, who came accord. ingly.

In the mean time, Mr. Montague, Mr. Hewett, Mr. Donfton, Mr. Willoughby, Mr. Molyneux, and Mr. Sherwin, had entered the room; the account Mr. Chaworth then gave, was, "That he could not live many hours; that he forgave lord Byron, and hoped the world would; that the affair had paffed in the dark, only a small tallow candle burning in the room; that lord Byron aiked him, if he meant the converfation on the [P]

game

game to fir Charles Sedley or to him? To which he replied, If you have any thing to fay, we had better thut the door; that while he was doing this, lord Byron bid him draw, and, in turning, be faw his lordship's fword half drawn, on which he whipped out his own, and made the firft pafs; the fword being through my lord's waistcoat, he thought he had kil. led him, and atking whether he was not mortally wounded, lord Byron, while he was fpeaking, fhortened his fword, and ftabbed him in the belly."

When Mr. Hawkins, the fur geon, came in, he found Mr. Chaworth fitting by the fire, with the lower part of his waiftcoat open, his thirt bloody, and his hand upon his belly; he was ve. ry earnest to know if he thought him in imminent danger: and being anfwered in the affirmative, he defired his uncle Levinz might be fent for, that he might feitle his private affairs; and, in the mean time, gave Mr. Hawkins a particular detail of what had paf fed. He faid, "That lord Byron and he entered the room toge ther, lord Byron leading the way; that his lordthip, in walking for wards, faid fomething relative to the former difpute, on which he propofed faftening the door; that on turning himself round from this act, he perceived his lordfhip with his fword either drawn, or nearly fo; on which he inftantly drew his own, and made a thruft at him, which he thought had wounded or killed him; that then per. ceiving his lordship fhorten his fword to return the thruft, he thought to have parry'd it with

his left hand, at which he looked twice, imagining he had cut it in the attempt; that he felt the fword enter his body, and go deep thro' his back; that he ftruggled, and being the ftronger man, disarmed his lordship, and expreffed a concern as under an apprehenfion of having mortally wounded him; that lord Byron replied by saying fomething to the like effect; adding, at the fame time, that he hoped now he would allow him to be as brave a man as any in the kingdom" Mr. Hawkins adds, that pained and diftreffed as Mr. Chaworth then was, and under the immediate danger of death, he reveated what he had heard he had declared to his friends, before," That he had rather be in his prefent fituation, than live under the misfortune, of having killed another perfon."

After a little while he feemed to grow fironger, and he was then removed to his own houfe, where Mr. Adair, another furgeon, Mr. Man, an apothecary, and Dr. Addington, his phyfician, came to the affittance of Mr. Hawkins, but no relief could be given him; he continued fenfible, however, till the time of his death. And Mr. Le. vinz being now come, Mr. Partington, an attorney, was fent for to make his will, for which he gave very fenfible and diftin& inftructions; and while Mr. Partington was employed in his bufinefs, he gave Mr. Levinz, at his request, the fame account which he had before given to Mr. Hawkins, lamenting, at the fame time, his own folly in fighting in the dark, an expreffion that certainly conveyed no imputation on

Jord

lord Byron, and implied no more than this, that by, fighting with a dim light he had given up the advantage of his own fuperiority in fwordmanship, and had been led into the mistake, that he was in the breaft of his lordship when he was only entangled in his waiftcoat; for under that mistake he certainly was when lord Byron fhortened his fword, and ran him through the body: he added, to Mr. Levinz, that he died as a man of honour, and expreffed a fatisfaction that he was in his prefent fituation, rather than in that of having the life of any man to answer for.

Mr. Partington, when he had finished the bufinefs he was fent for, and the will was properly executed, recollected the probability that he should one day be called upon to give teftimony to the dying words of this unhappy client: and accordingly, with the caution that always accompanies a thorough knowledge of the law, he thought proper to commit to writing the latt words he was heard to fay on this occafion. This writing was put into the hands of Mr. Levinz, and gave rife to a report, that a paper was written by the deceased, and fealed up, not to be opened till the time that lord Byron fhould be tried; but no paper whatever was written by Mr.Chaworth, and that written by Mr. Partington was as follows:

"Sunday morning the twentyfeventh of January, about three of the clock, Mr. Chaworth faid, That my lord's fword was half drawn, and that he, knowing the man, immediately, or as quick as he could, whips out his fword, and

had the first thruft; that then my lord wounded him, and he difarm ed my lord, who then faid, By G-d, I have as much courage as any man in England."

These are the particulars of this unfortunate affair; by which it fhould feem, that neither Mr. Chaworth himfelf, nor any of his friends, could blame lord Byron for the part he had in his death. Mr. Chaworth, it is manifeft, was under the apprehenfions of having mortally wounded lord Byron; and lord Byron being ftill engaged, had a right to avail himself of that miftake for the prefervation of his own life. His lordship himfelf, no doubt, may with that he had, in that fituation, difabled him only; but in the heat of duelling who can always be collected? "Some time after this unhappy affair, lord Byron furrendered himself to be tried by his peers; and on the 16th of April 1765, about half an hour after nine in the morning, his lordship, efcorted by parties of the horfe and foot guards, and attended by the lieutenant governor and constable of the tower, and another gentleman, was brought for that purpofe in a coach by the new road, Southwatk, to Weftmintter-hall: and in the evening, between five and fix, his lordship was conducted back the fame way, and in the fame manner, before all the witneffes for the prosecution could be examined.

The trial being refumed the next day, as foon as their lordthips had examined the rest of the witneffes in fupport of the charge againft lord Byron, the folicitor general fummed up the evidence; after which lord Byron, [P] 2

who

who declined examining any wit neffes on his own behalf, told their lordships, that what he had to offer in his own vindication he had committed to writing, and begged that it might be read by the clerk, as he feared his own voice, confidering his prefent fituation, would not be beard. His fpeech was accordingly read by the clerk in a very audible and diftinct manner, and contained an exact detail of all the particulars relating to the melancholy affair between him and Mr. Chaworth. He faid, he declined entering into the circumftances of Mr. Chaworth's behaviour farther than was neceflary for his own defence, ex. preffed his deep and unfeigned forrow for the event, and repofed himfelf with the utmoft confidence

on their lordships juftice and humanity, and would with chearful nefs acquiefce in the fentence of the nobleft and moft equitable judicature in the world, whether it were for life or for death. The peers then adjourned to their own houfe, and after fome time return ed, when they found his lordthip guilty of manslaughter. And.as. by an old ftatute, peers are, in all cafes where clergy is allowed, to be difmilled without burning in the hand, lofs of inheritance, or corruption of blood, his lord/hip was immediately difiniffed on paying his fees.-The witneffes examined on behalf of the crown, were the feveral gentlemen in company at the Star and Garter tavern when the accident happened, the mater and waiters, Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Adair, the furgeons who attended Mr. Chaworth, his uncle, and the lawyer who made his will.

The council for his lordfhip