Memoirs of Major Alexander Ramkins (1718) Read online

way. Ithappen'd that a young Lady who lodg'd in the same House with him, hadoccasion to pay a visit to her Acquaintance; my Brother observing her ina Posture to go out of the House alone, offer'd to usher her to theplace she design'd for. The Lady with the usual _French_ Freedom andobliging Air, made him a Courtsey, and accepted the Offer. When hecomplied with this Piece of Civility, he took his leave, and return'd tohis Lodgings. From this Accident my Brother dated an Intrigue. TheLadies Carriage (which by the way was nothing but what is customarythere upon a slender Acquaintance) encourag'd him to make Advances; thenext Step he made was to drink Tea with her in her Chamber, andafterwards he invited her to the _Opera_. But the young Lady as she wasstrictly Virtuous, never gave way to none of these Freedoms, but in theCompany of her Landlady or her Daughter, who were both Prudes. In themean time a Relation of this Gentlewoman's, who was a Lieutenant in theRegiment of _Navarre_ came up to _Paris_, and had not been long in Townbefore he was inform'd by some busy Noddle, that his Cousin was eitherupon the Point of being married, or what was rather suggested to him,that one Captain _Ramkins_ a _Scotch_ Officer, who lodg'd in the sameHouse, had dishonourable Designs upon her. Now as Persons never wantArguments to induce them to take things in the worst Sense, (tho' I willnot avouch for my Brothers Intention) so the _French_ Officer being of asuspicious and also a fiery Temper, wanted no body to exasperate him. Hetook it for granted the Thing was so, and taking Coach he came to hisKinswoman, and after having attack'd her with a great deal of scurrilousLanguage, he waited not for her Reply, but flung away to find my Brotherin order to cut his Throat. My Brother was then at St. _Germains_receiving his last Orders from the Secretary for his departure for_Ireland_, but return'd that Night to _Paris_. His Landlady at hisReturn gave him a Note, which she said was deliver'd to her by the Post.The Contents were a double Surprize to him, first a bold and daringChallenge, and again, he neither knew whom he was to meet, nor upon whatAccount, only the Time and Place were mention'd. Thus doubtful withhimself what Course to take, he acquainted his Landlady with the Subjectof the Letter, but she was also at a loss, having neither seen theLady's Relation, nor heard that he was come to Town, otherwise it mighthave created some Suspicion. But after Supper, according to Custom, shewent up to have an Hours Chat with the young Lady, and among otherThings, mention'd the odd Letter Captain _Ramkins_ had receiv'd thatEvening; the Lady suspecting what the matter really was, gave theLandlady sufficient Intimation by the Consternation she was in, that shewas not unacquainted with the Occasion of that Letter. In the mean time,my Brother was gone to consult with some of his Acquaintance how heshould behave himself in this juncture: Some advis'd him to neglect itas a sham Challenge, whereby some of his Acquaintance being merrydispos'd had a mind to divert themselves; others judg'd it might be aDesign to Assassinate him upon account of some old Grudge now worn outof his Memory; in conclusion, 'twas order'd that he should presenthimself at the Place mention'd in the Challenge, and in case it was areal Thing, and that he escap'd with Life, a Horse should be ready toride Post to _Brest_, whether he and his Recruits were order'd to takeShipping. But that he might not Alarm his Lodgings, he spent theremainder of the Night in the Tavern with his Friends, a fitterPreparation than praying for the Work he was about. About Five in theMorning he set out towards the Place of Battle, half a dozen of hisAcquaintance following him at a convenient distance, to wait for theIssue, and to see Justice done in case he was assaulted against theusual Method of Duelling. When he came to the Place apointed, he saw ayoung Gentleman walking and musing under a Hedge with his Arms a Kimbo,whom he rightly judg'd to be his Man. When he came within Speech of him,the _French_ Officer stop'd and ask'd him if his Name was not _Ramkins_,and whether he had not receiv'd a Note the Evening before upon such anOccasion? my Brother made no other Reply, but that he took himself to bethe Person, and that he would indite an Answer with the Point of hisSword; for though, said he, I am a Stranger both to you and the occasionof this Trouble you have given me, yet as I take you to be a Man ofHonour, so I suppose you think your self injur'd to that degree, thatSatisfaction either cannot or will not be given any other way, andtherefore I am here ready to make up this mysterious Quarrel after theMethod you have made choice of. It sometimes happens that Peace isstruck up between Two Nations Sword in Hand; but my Brother's Antagonistwas too warm to stand a Parley and act the Part of a Plenipotentiary;upon which, without making the least Reply, he whips off his Cloathsinto his Shirt, and open'd his Breast to show his Adversary he scorn'dto take any ungenerous Advantage. My Brother was also honourable uponthe same score; for though he wore a short Buff Waiscoat without Skirtsaccording to the Fashions of those Times, and which might have deadeneda Push, yet he threw it off and put himself upon the Level with hisAdversary in all respects, so to it they went. My Brother found himselfmuch superior in Strength and Vigour, and that in all probability hecou'd Command his Adversary's Sword, paried with him a considerableTime, and put by several Pushes without attempting the Gentleman's Life,but finding him Resolute, and that one of them must fall, he made onehome Thrust, and drove his Sword quite through his Adversary's Body,falling upon him at the same time; and thus fell this unfortunate youngGentleman a Victim to his ungovernable Passion.

  It appear'd afterwards, that this _French_ Officer having been oftenplay'd upon by several in his Regiment, that he had been two Years amongthem and never yet made any Experiment of his personal Courage, toldthem at his going up to _Paris_, That they should here in a little Timehe had qualify'd himself by killing his Man. Now it is suppos'd hethought the _British_ Nation, not being fam'd for their Skill inhandling the Sword, he had an excellent opportunity of showing hisManhood, and the Advantage of making his escape when he had done theFact, because little or no Enquiry wou'd be made after a Stranger. MyBrother being convinc'd his Adversary was incapable to Rally, made hasteto gather up his Cloaths, exchanging the Evangelical Advice of _burying_the dead, to that natural Precept of _Self-preservation_, and I mustleave him pursuing his Journey towards _Brest_, to return to hisLodgings, and give an account how this Catastrophe came to affect me atmy coming to _Paris_.

  The young Lady who was the Innocent occasion of this unfortunateAccident, took little Rest after she was inform'd of the Contents of theNote left by her Kinsman, and her Concern grew upon her when sheunderstood Captain _Ramkins_ was out of his Lodgings all Night; thus sheremain'd under great Inquietudes till Three a Clock the next Day, whenshe, with her Landlady and Daughter, took a Coach privately and drovedirectly to the Place where the Gentlemen were to meet according to theContents of the Letter. They discharg'd their Coach upon a pretence oftaking a Walk in the Fields, and after a small Tour the Landlady'sDaughter put her Foot into a Cake of clotted Blood, but it was sochang'd, as to the Colour, that she could not well distinguish what itwas, but at a little distance finding a Glove, and several Blades ofGrass ting'd with a Vermillion Dye, being press'd down and ruffled as itwere with some Cattle weltring and tumbling about. They had a strongSuspicion one of the Gentlemen had ended his Days upon the Spot, and toclear their Suspicion, they walk'd back into the City till they arrivedat the _Petite Chastelet_, which is a publick Room in the Nature of aGuard Bed, where all Corps are expos'd to view and whither Peopleusually go in quest of any of their Friends, or Acquaintance that arewanting. And here the young Gentlewoman was quickly satisfy'd that herCousin's Rashness had brought him to his End. This Accident happeningnot long before I came to _Paris_, the Discourse of it was very fresh,and what occasion'd me to have an account of it at my first Arrival, wasmy Lodging at the same House with my Brother, it being the usualLodgings for _English_ and _Scotch_. 'Tis true that Landlady and herDaughter where remov'd to _Orleans_, where they had an _Estate_belonging to their Family, but the young Lady, Cousin to the deceas'dOfficer, was still in her old Apartment. I had not been above threeDays, but my Name began to be known as well by the Direction of someLetters I receiv'd out of _Germany_, as by other means there are ofhaving such Things divulg'd. The young Lady was not so struck with theHorro
r of the Name of her Cousins Murtherer, as not to have theCuriosity to peep at me as I came in and out of my Lodgings, and themore, because I had so great a Resemblance to him both as to Figure andFeatures, that without any extraordinary Skill in Physiognomy, she mightconclude I was either his Brother or some near Relation. Now whether myBrother's Cavaliers Carriage had left an Idea in the Lady's Head whichshe could not conveniently part with, or her Inquisitiveness after mewas only a Female Curiosity, I am not able to determine, but it was veryunfortunate to me to have been so near a Kin to one she admired in caseit was so, or that her Inquisitiveness should make me so publick; for Ihad