nade. He then told me, his reason for asking me to accompany him was that he was anxious to have some conversation with a lady who would be in company with a female friend, whose attention to what might pass between them he wished me to divert by my attention to her. We did not join them till near dusk, when, drawing off from the public walk, we passed to that part of the garden near to the palace, where formerly, before the gardens were cleared of the underwood, many of the walks were bordered with very thick and high yew-hedges, which, from the trees and shrubbery behind them, were rendered impervious to the view. It was almost dark, the night being much overcast. We were sitting on one of the garden-seats, when, at some distance, we saw a man coming down the gravel-walk, The women proposed getting up, and re

tiring by one of the small passages between the yew-hedges into the shrubbery, lest the person approaching us might know them. It was now half past nine at night; and my friend and the two ladies. retired into the shrubbery. I stood before the opening of the yew-hedge, as this man came opposite to me on the gravel-walk; and when he was about six or seven paces from me, he made a dead halt, and faced about towards me. I spoke not a word for at least two or three minutes, while he kept walking a few paces backwards and forwards viewing me, and seeming as if he wished to see what was behind me. At length, quitting the centre of the gravelwalk, he advanced two or three paces nearer to me. It was then high time for me to decide what I should do. But, before I proceed, it is necessary to men

tion, that very imprudently I had put my glove in my mouth to disguise my voice; for, had I spoke to him in my natural tone, on perceiving that I could not be the person he sought after, he might have gone away. On his advancing, I again said, "Sir, you cannot pass this way." Upon which he immediately put his hand to his sword: nor did I delay to draw mine, when I retired within the narrow passage of the hedge, to make sure, if he was determined to force an entry, that I should have the advantage of parrying any thrust from him, when he could not prevent my acting against him. He immediately advanced close to the hedge, with his sword half through it; at the same time grumbling inwardly, and absolutely snorting and blowing with anger. I could have run him through the body, with the greatest facility, in the disadvan

tageous situation in which he was; but, instead of acting, I said, "For God's sake, Sir, do not advance! you cannot want any thing of me; it is impossible that I should be the person you are looking for: but I swear, if you advance one step further, I will kill you!" At this moment my friend came up on one side of me, and, in a low voice, said, "My dear George, for God's sake don't kill him!" In those days I was in great habits of fencing, having a person to attend me three times a-week to perfect me in that science. Being very strong in the arm and wrist, I was ever prepossessed with an idea, that if I could, unobserved, change from the one side of my adversary's blade to the other, and beat on it, I should be certain of hitting the very best fencer. This was a favourite coup of mine; and I now put it in practice

with such velocity, force, and success, that if it had not been for the hedge into which I drove his sword, and in which it was for a moment entangled, I believe sincerely that I should have forced the sword out of his hand. At the instant I beat upon his blade, I made a gentle bott at him, slightly opposing my sword to his body, and just pricked him, at which he started back a couple of paces. I never advanced, but kept my position within the hedge, knowing that, from the advantage of it, I could do any thing with him I chose; and, had he advanced again, I was resolved not to attempt to run him through the body, but to gather his blade, and attempt to disarm him. Notwithstanding my having made him lightly feel the point of my sword, he never spoke one word, but stood snorting and puffing with rage. I then said, "Sir, for God's