Thelastfollyofthiskindisstillmorerecent。IntheGermannewspapers，ofAugust1838，appearedanordonnance，signedbytheKingofBavaria，forbiddingcivilians，onanypretencewhatever，towearmoustachios，andcommandingthepoliceandotherauthoritiestoarrest，andcausetobeshaved，theoffendingparties。“Strangetosay，“adds“LeDroit，“thejournalfromwhichthisaccountistaken，“moustachiosdisappearedimmediately，likeleavesfromthetreesinautumn；everybodymadehastetoobeytheroyalorder，andnotonepersonwasarrested。

　　TheKingofBavaria，arhymesterofsomecelebrity，hastakenagoodmanypoeticallicencesinhistime。Hislicenceinthismatterappearsneitherpoeticalnorreasonable。Itistobehopedthathewillnottakeitintohisroyalheadtomakehissubjectsshavetheirs；nothingbutthatiswantingtocompletetheirdegradation。

　　Therewasanancientsagephilosopher，Whosworetheworld，ashecouldprove，Wasmadoffighting。***

　　Hudibras，Mostwriters，inaccountingfortheoriginofduelling，deriveitfromthewarlikehabitsofthosebarbarousnationswhooverranEuropeintheearlycenturiesoftheChristianera，andwhoknewnomodesoeffectualforsettlingtheirdifferencesasthepointofthesword。Infact，duelling，takeninitsprimitiveandbroadestsense，meansnothingmorethancombatting，andistheuniversalresortofallwildanimals，includingman，togainordefendtheirpossessions，oravengetheirinsults。Twodogswhoteareachotherforabone，ortwobantamsfightingonadunghillfortheloveofsomebeautifulhen，ortwofoolsonWimbledonCommon，shootingateachothertosatisfythelawsofoffendedhonour，standonthesamefootinginthisrespect，andare，eachandall，mereduellists。Ascivilizationadvanced，thebestinformedmennaturallygrewashamedofsuchamodeofadjustingdisputes，andthepromulgationofsomesortoflawsforobtainingredressforinjurieswastheconsequence。Stillthereweremanycasesinwhichtheallegationsofanaccusercouldnotberebuttedbyanypositiveproofonthepartoftheaccused；andinallthese，whichmusthavebeenexceedinglynumerousintheearlystagesofEuropeansociety，thecombatwasresortedto。Fromitsdecisiontherewasnoappeal。Godwassupposedtonervethearmofthecombatantwhosecausewasjust，andtogranthimthevictoryoverhisopponent。AsMontesquieuwellremarks，[“EspritdesLoix，“liv。xxviii。chap。

　　xvii。]thisbeliefwasnotunnaturalamongapeoplejustemergingfrombarbarism。Theirmannersbeingwhollywarlike，themandeficientincourage，theprimevirtueofhisfellows，wasnotunreasonablysuspectedofothervicesbesidescowardice，whichisgenerallyfoundtobeco-existentwithtreachery。He，therefore，whoshowedhimselfmostvaliantintheencounter，wasabsolvedbypublicopinionfromanycrimewithwhichhemightbecharged。Asanecessaryconsequence，societywouldhavebeenreducedtoitsoriginalelements，ifthemenofthought，asdistinguishedfromthemenofaction，hadnotdevisedsomemeansfortamingtheunrulypassionsoftheirfellows。Withthisview，governmentscommencedbyrestrictingwithinthenarrowestpossiblelimitsthecasesinwhichitwaslawfultoproveordenyguiltbythesinglecombat。BythelawofGondebaldus，KingoftheBurgundians，passedintheyear501，theproofbycombatwasallowedinalllegalproceedings，inlieuofswearing。InthetimeofCharlemagne，theBurgundianpracticehadspreadovertheempireoftheFrancs，andnotonlythesuitorsforjustice，butthewitnesses，andeventhejudges，wereobligedtodefendtheircause，theirevidence，ortheirdecision，atthepointofthesword。LouistheDebonnaire，hissuccessor，endeavouredtoremedythegrowingevil，bypermittingtheduelonlyinappealsoffelony，incivilcases，orissuejoinedinawritofright，andincasesofthecourtofchivalry，orattacksuponaman’sknighthood。Nonewereexemptfromthesetrials，butwomen，thesickandthemaimed，andpersonsunderfifteenorabovesixtyyearsofage。Ecclesiasticswereallowedtoproducechampionsintheirstead。Thispractice，inthecourseoftime，extendedtoalltrialsofcivilandcriminalcases，whichhadtobedecidedbybattle。

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