Themines，accostingtheMarquisdeRichelieu，complained，inaninsultingtone，thattheBishopofLuconhadbrokenhisfaith。TheMarquisresentedboththemannerandmatterofhisspeech，andreadilyacceptedachallenge。TheymetintheRued’Angouleme，andtheunfortunateRichelieuwasstabbedtotheheart，andinstantlyexpired。
FromthatmomenttheBishopbecamethesteadyfoeofthepracticeofduelling。Reasonandtheimpulseofbrotherlylovealikecombinedtomakehimdetestit，andwhenhispowerinFrancewasfirmlyestablished，hesetvigorouslyaboutrepressingit。Inhis“TestamentPolitique，“hehascollectedhisthoughtsuponthesubject，inthechapterentitled“Desmoyensd’arreterlesDuels。“Inspiteoftheedictsthathepublished，themembersofthenobilitypersistedinfightinguponthemosttrivialandabsurdpretences。AtlastRichelieumadeaterribleexample。TheinfamousDeBoutevillechallengedandfoughttheMarquisdeBeuoron；and，althoughtheduelitselfwasnotfataltoeither，itsconsequenceswerefataltoboth。Highastheywere，Richelieuresolvedthatthelawshouldreachthem，andtheywerebothtried，foundguilty，andbeheaded。Thusdidsocietygetridofoneofthemostbloodthirstyscoundrelsthateverpollutedit。
In1632twonoblemenfoughtaduel，inwhichtheywerebothkilled。Theofficersofjusticehadnoticeofthebreachofthelaw，andarrivedatthesceneofcombatbeforethefriendsofthepartieshadtimetoremovethebodies。InconformitywiththeCardinal’sseverecodeuponthesubject，thebodieswereignominiouslystripped，andhangeduponagallows，withtheirheadsdownwards，forseveralhours，withinsightofallthepeople。[MercuredeFrance，vol。xiii。]
Thisseveritysoberedthefrenzyofthenationforatime；butitwassoonforgotten。Men’smindsweretoodeeplyimbuedwithafalsenotionofhonourtobebroughttoarightwayofthinking:bysuchexamples，howeverstriking，Richelieuwasunabletopersuadethemtowalkintherightpath，thoughhecouldpunishthemforchoosingthewrongone。Hehad，withallhisacuteness，miscalculatedthespiritofduelling。Itwasnotdeaththataduellistfeared:itwasshame，andthecontemptofhisfellows。AsAddisonremarkedmorethaneightyyearsafterwards，“Deathwasnotsufficienttodetermenwhomadeittheirglorytodespiseit；butifeveryonewhofoughtaduelweretostandinthepillory，itwouldquicklydiminishthenumberofthoseimaginarymenofhonour，andputanendtosoabsurdapractice。“Richelieuneverthoughtofthis。
Sullysays，thatinhistimetheGermanswerealsomuchaddictedtoduelling。Therewerethreeplaceswhereitwaslegaltofight；