ing. I have Lord Bruce's leave of abfence for ten days.' I am, with fincere regard, Sir, Your very humble fervant, JOHN WILKES. I hope that we may make a partie quarrée for fupper on Tuesday at Bagfhot. Directed to Colonel Berkeley. SIR, • I have read all the letters and shall depend upon the pleasure of fupping with you at Tilbury's the Red Lion at Bagfhot Tuesday evening. My fervant will attend me, as the going alone ⚫ would give room for fufpicion, but you may de pend upon his following your direction at Bagfhot, and that he shall not be seen where you would not have him-I am much obliged by your favourable opinion, and am, Your very humble fervant, Camp near Winchester, N. BERKELEY. Sept. 30, 1762. • Inclosed is the copy of a letter received by Mr. Stanley this afternoon. [It related to the taking the Havannah.] Directed to Colonel Wilkes. [To thefe letters we fhall fubjoin the following paper, as it also relates to the North Briton.] To EARL TEMPLE, Oct. 5, 1762. MY LORD, Red Lion at Bagfhot, Tuesday, ten at night. "I had the honour of tranfmitting to your Lordship copies of seven letters, which passed between Lord Talbot and me. As the affair is now over, I enclose an original copy of Col. Berkeley's, with a copy of mine previous to it, which fixed the particulars of our meeting, and therefore remained a fecret, very facredly kept by the four perfons concerned. "I came here at three this afternoon, and about five I was told, that Lord Talbot and Colonel Berkeley were in the house. Lord Talbot had been here at one, and was gone again, leaving a meffage, however, that he would foon return. I had continued in the room where I was at my first coming, for fear of raising any fufpicion. I sent a compliment to Colonel Berkeley, and that I wish. ed to fee him. He was fo obliging to come to me directly. I told him that I fuppofed we were to fup together with Lord Talbot, whom I was ready to attend, as became a private gentleman, and that he and Mr. Harris, [Mr. Wilkes's Adjutant] as our feconds, would fettle the business of the next morning, according to my letter to him from Winchefter, and his anfwer. Berkeley faid, that his Lordship defired to finish the business immediately. I replied, that the appointment was to fup together that evening, and to fight in the morning, that in confequence of fuch an arrangement, I had, like an idle man of pleasure, put off fome business of real importance, which I meant to settle before I went to bed. I added, that I was come from Mednenham Abbey, where the jovial Monks of St. Francis had kept me up till four in the morning, that the world would therefore conclude that I was drunk, and form no favourable opinion of his Lordfhip from a duel at fuch a time, that it more became us both to take a cool hour of the next morning, as early a one as was agreeable to his Lordfhip. Berkeley said, that he had undertaken tổ bring us together, and, as we were both now at Bagfhot, he would leave us to fettle our own bufinefs. He then asked me, if I would go with him to his Lordship. I faid I would any moment he pleafed. We went directly with my adjutant. I found his Lordfhip in an agony of paffion. He faid, that I had injured, that I had infulted him, that he was not used to be injured, or insulted: What did I mean? Did I, or did I not, write the North Briton of Auguft the 21ft, which affronted See the North Briton, No. 12, at the end of 'this volume. Most [3 8 138 his honour? He would know; he infifted on a direct answer: here were his piftols. I replied, that he would foon use them, that I defired to know by what right his Lordship catechifed me about a paper, which did not bear my name; that I fhould never refolve him that question, till he made out the right of putting it; and that if I could have entertained any other idea, I was too well bred to have given his Lordship and Colonel Berkeley the trouble of coming to Bagshot. I obferved, that I was a private English gentleman, perfectly free and independent, which I held to be a character of the highest dignity; that I obeyed with pleasure a gracious Sovereign, but would never submit to the arbitrary dictates of a fellow subject, a Lord Steward of his Houfhold; my fuperior indeed in rank, fortune, and abilities, but my equal only in honour, courage, and liberty. His Lordship then afked me, if I would fight him that evening. I faid, that I preferred the next morning, as it had been fettled before, and gave my reafons. His Lordship replied, that he infifted on finishing the affair immediately. I told him that I should very foon be ready, that I did not mean to quit him, but would abfolutely first settle fome important bufinefs relative to the education of an only daughter, whom I tenderly loved, that it would take up but a very little time, and I would immediately after decide the affair in any way he chofe, for had brought both fword and pistols. I rung the bell for pen, ink, and paper, defiring his Lordship to conceal his piftols, that they might not be feen by the waiter. He foon after became half frantic, and made ufe of a thousand indecent expreffions, that I fhould be hanged, damned, &c. I faid, that I was not to be frighted, nor in the leaft affected, by fuch violence; that God had given me a firmness and spirit, equal to his Lordship's, or any man's; that cool courage should always mark me, and that it would be feen how well bottomed I was. “After the waiter had brought pen, ink, and paper, I proposed that the door of the room might be locked, and not opened, till our bufinefs was decided. His Lordship on this propofition became quite outrageous, declared that this was meer butchery, and that I was a wretch, who fought his life. I reminded him, that I came there on a point of honour, to give his Lordfhip fatisfaction; that I mentioned the circumftance of locking the door only to prevent all poffibility of interruption, and that I would in every circumftance be governed, not by the turbulence of the most violent temper I had · ever seen, but by the calm determinations of our two feconds, to whom I implicitly fubmitted. His Lordship then asked me, if I would deny the paper. I answered, that I neither would own, nor deny it; if I furvived I would afterwards declare, not before. Soon after he grew a little cooler, and |