8

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

xxv.

1699 .

doubtedly entitled to take place of him, and had re-peatedly taken place of him without any dispute. Butangry passions now ran so high that a decent pretext forindulging them was hardly thought necessary. Cheyneyfastened a quarrel on Wharton. They drew. Wharton,whose cool good humoured courage and skill in fencewere the envy of all the swordsmen of that age, closedwith his quarrelsome neighbour, disarmed him, and gavehim his life.

A more tragical duel had just taken place at West-minster. Conway Seymour, the eldest son of Sir EdwardSeymour, had lately come of age. He was in possessionof an independent fortune of seven thousand pounds ayear, which he lavished in costly fopperies. The townhad nicknamed him Beau Seymour. He was displayinghis curls and his embroidery in Saint James’s Park on amidsummer evening, after indulging too freely, in wine,when a young officer of the Blues named Kirke, who wasas tipsy as himself, passed near him. “ There goes BeauSeymour,” said Kirke. Seymour flew into a rage.Angry words were exchanged between the foolish boys.They immediately went beyond the precincts of theCourt, drew, and exchanged some pushes. Seymour waswounded in the neck. The wound was not very serious;but, when his cure was only half completed, he revelledin fruit, ice and Burgundy till he threw himself intoa violent fever. Though a coxcomb and a voluptuary,he seems to have had some fine qualities. On the last