CELEBRATED DUELS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2985, 19 January 1881, Page 4

CELEBRATED DUELS.

A celebrated duel occured at Paris in the winter of 1858-59, between Count Trcpanco a Neapolitan nobleman, and the Marquis de Pierrefonds. The marquis had presentod to a young woman of the demi-monde a vase of cardenias'of unique beauty. On the same evening he accompanied her to a ball, which, by the way, was given by the notorious Merope Barruci, While dancing the lancers with the girl, the marquis noticed in the same set a handsome youth. He wore a cardenia in his button-hole. He questioned his partner, and was satisfied that she had given the flower to the Italian. Ho went straight to tho count and tore the flower from his breast. A challenge followed. Pistols were selected. Twelve shots were exchanged at a distance of twenty feet, without result. The Italian insisted on continuing the duel, saying that ho could not be an actor in a farce. At tho thirteenth shot he received a bullet in the heart and expired. In his testamenrary letter he entreated, in case he should be killed, that the Marquis de Pierrefonds would place upon his cold heart the cardenia which had been the cause of the strife. Six months later Pierrefonds, who was aide-de-camp to Gen. l'Espinasse, •was entering a Tillage during the battle of Magenta. The first shot from the neighboring houses struck him in the heart, making a wound identical to that received by the Italian count. The dry leaves of a cardenia were found in an envelope above the dead xaarquis's heart.

A bouquet of violets was the cause of a fatal duel. The young Count de Seignslay, attache to the French legation at the Hague, was visiting Brussels. The youthful diplomaist had been desperately in love with Diane de Chancery, a beautiful woman. One evening, as the count was witnessing a performance at the Theatre de la Monnai, he saw her, covered with diamonds and laces, in a box with the Prince de Klostovcarnp. The heart of the young lover beat violently. All the souvenirs of his former happiness flashed before him. Diane grew paler than the lace she wore. She levelled her opera glass at him, and kept it fastened upon him for a long time. Then she tore a bouquet of violets from her bosom and began to kiss and bite them. Ihey gazed at each other like Italian lovers. As the performance was drawing to a close she arose to depart. Seignslay placed himself in the foyer at the foot of the marble stair-case. He requested a friend who was acquainted with Prince Klostercamp to engage him in conversation for a moment, so as to give him an opportunity to exchange a few words with the lady. His friend Fervacques did so. Diane, a f tev kissing the violets, thrust them beneath the open vest of the young lover. The prince, however, saw the action. Next morning two of his friends called on the attache with a challenge. A duel followed. Swords were the weapons. Seignslay wa3 pierced through the heart after five assaults, and expired in the arms of his friends, uttering the name of Diane. He was buried in a cemetery at Brussels. Two years later the writer visited the cemetery and saw a bouquet of fresh violets on the stone that marked his grave.

Violets recall another duel with anodouriferous basis. In this instance, however, the casus belli was a piece of Roequefort cheese. Hercule-Pantaleon de Capaillan was the scion of a distinguished Gasgon family. From Hs early youth he showed a warlike disposition. He had fought several duels in -which he had acquired the reputation of a swordsman. One day he entered a fashionable restaurant at Bordeaux, an ordered an excellent dinner—oysters, consomme, with poached eggs, a truffled partridge, and other delicacies, with a bottle of Leoville half a century old. At a neighbouring table sat a plainly-dressed man, whoso finance did nob permit his indulgence in such choice dishes. He ordered some codfish. Capaillan detested the smell of codfish. The stranger was next served with some slewed veal and onions. Capailian could not endure the smell of onions, and began to cast threatening glances at the gentleman. •' Waiter," said the latter, after he had eaten his onions, " bring me a piece of Roequefort cheese." This was too much for captain. He arose from his seat, and addressing the waiter, said :" I forbid you to bring any Rocquefort to monsieur;" and then, addressing the latter, " and I forbid you to eat any stin'ring cheese in my presence." Unfortunately the man was nob one who could easily be imposed upon. He was a naval officer, just returned from Japan. He called Capaillan a fool, and insisted on eating whatever he pleased. A duel was readily arranged, and on the following morning the officer, without once embracing his family, whom he had not seen for three years, was stretched dead for eating a pieoe of cheese.