It appeared upon the trial, that Hall had expressed his wish to marry Mrs. Bracegirdle, and conceived that the rivalry of Montford was the only obstacle to the success of his suit; he repeatedly swore, that he would get rid of him some way or other; and it was to effect this purpose that he and Lord Mohun had exchanged coats and hats in the scene-room of the theatre. That the assassination of their victim had been coolly premeditated, there could not be the slightest doubt. Hall had spoken to Mrs. Knight, of Drury Lane Theatre, telling her, that he was certain that Mrs. Bracegirdle detested him in consequence of her attachment to Montford, and at the same time requested her, as an intimate friend of Mrs. Bracegirdle, to give her a letter. This proposal Mrs. Knight very properly declined, observing, that she had already too many enemies to increase their number. “What enemies?” replied Hall. “Do you mean Montford? I shall find a way to rid you of him speedily. Subsequently, in the presence of a Mrs. Sandys, Hall had sworn that he would stab Montford if he resisted; and at the same time Lord Mohun declared that he would stand by him. Hall, it also appeared, had borrowed a brace of pistols from a Captain Leister, to accomplish his purpose. And further, when Hall seemed to doubt the resolution of his lordship, and observed at the tavern, that he was ruined, unless Lord Mohun attended at the theatre to assist him by 6 o’clock, Lord Mohun replied, “Upon my soul and honour I will be there!”
Notwithstanding this evidence, Lord Mohun was acquitted of the charge of having been accessory to the murder. The only circumstance in his favour was the question whether Hall had stabbed Montford when unprepared, or whether the unfortunate man had defended himself. It was proved that his sword had been broken. Howbeit, little doubt could exist as to the culpability of Lord Mohun, in having coolly and deliberately planned the act of violence against Mrs. Bracegirdle, with a determination to rid themselves of her supposed paramour any how; and we cannot but marvel at his peers allowing him to escape unpunished. It was the baseness and profligacy of this man that confirmed the general belief that the Duke of Hamilton had been foully murdered by M’Carthy, Mohun’s second and friend, no doubt as worthy as his former companion Hall.
William Montford was an actor of considerable merit, and was also a successful dramatic writer. He was only thirty-three years of age when he met with this untimely end. Cibber speaks of him in the following terms:—“He was tall in person, well made, fair, and of an agreeable aspect. His voice full, clear, and melodious. In tragedy, he was the most affecting lover within my memory. His addresses had a resistless recommendation, from the very tone of his voice, which gave his words such softness that, as Dryden says,
Like flocks of feather’d snow,
They melted as they fell!
It was to be expected, that such worthless ruffians as Mohun and Hall should have been anxious to remove the rivalry of a person so likely to please Mrs. Bracegirdle, although the intimacy between her and Montford was such, as to leave those acquainted with the parties firmly convinced that no improper intercourse existed between them. From her walk in the drama, they constantly performed together, and a strict intimacy had not only arisen between them, but between Mrs. Bracegirdle and Mrs. Montford.
In 1662 a meeting took place between Mr. Jermyn, nephew to the Earl of St. Alban’s, and afterwards himself Lord Jermyn, and Colonel Giles Rawlins on the one side; and Captain Thomas Howard, brother to Lord Carlisle, and a friend on the other. Mr. Jermyn was severely wounded, and his second killed. They fought in the old Pall Mall, St. James’s. Mr. Jermyn, the challenged party, was entirely ignorant of the nature of the offence he had given, nor could he induce his antagonist to inform him. Captain Howard was supposed to have worn a coat of mail under his dress.
The records of Parliament notice a challenge sent to Lord Chancellor Clarendon by Lord Ossory, son of the Duke of Ormond, for injurious words made use of in the House of Lords, on the debate upon a bill for prohibiting the importation of Irish cattle into England. The Chancellor submitted the message to the House. This bill was intended to protect English agriculture and the landed interest, and was chiefly supported by Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale; and in its provisions its framers appeared to have lost sight of the fact, that if the Irish were deprived of the means of selling their principal commodities, it was not in their power to apply the produce of the sale to the purchase of English goods. Buckingham supported it with all his powers; and indulging both in his national animosity towards Ireland and his present enmity to the Duke of Ormond, maintained with much vehemence, that no one could oppose it who had not an Irish interest and an Irish intellect. Lord Ossory immediately sent him a challenge, which Buckingham evaded, on the pretext that he had mistaken the place and hour of the rendezvous, during which time his opponent was apprehended.
This Bill led to much violent recrimination, and also to personal conflict, Buckingham having had a scuffle with the Marquis of Dorchester, who tore off a handful of his hair, while the Duke pulled off his periwig.
Pepys, in his notes, alludes to the sad prevalence of duels about this period, which he states to be “a kind of emblem of the general complexion of the whole kingdom” at the time; and he relates, in the following terms, the meeting that took place between Sir H. Bellasses and Mr. Porter in 1667:—“They two dined yesterday at Sir Robert Carr’s, where, it seems, people do drink high, all that come. It happened that these two, the greatest friends in the world, were talking together, and Sir H. Bellasses talked a little louder than ordinary to Tom Porter, giving him some advice. Some of the company standing by said, ‘What! are they quarrelling, that they talk so high?’ Sir H. Bellasses hearing it, said, ‘No, I would have you know, I never quarrel, but I strike; take that as a rule of mine!’—‘How?’ said Tom Porter, ‘strike! I would I could see the man in England that durst give me a blow?’ With that Sir H. Bellasses did give him a box on the ear; and so they were going out to fight, but were hindered. And by and by Tom Porter went out; and meeting Dryden the poet, told him of the business, and that he was resolved to fight Sir H. Bellasses presently, for he knew, if he did not, they would be friends to-morrow, and then the blow would rest upon him; and he desires Dryden to let him have his boy to bring him notice which way Sir H. Bellasses goes. By and by he is informed, that Sir H. Bellasses’s coach was coming; so Tom Porter went down out of the coffee-room, where he stayed for the tidings, and stopped the coach, and bade Sir H. Bellasses come out. ‘Why,’ said Sir H. Bellasses, “you will not hurt me coming out, will you?’—‘No,’ says Tom Porter. So out he went, and both drew. And Sir H. Bellasses having drawn and flung away the scabbard, Tom Porter asked him, whether he was ready. The other answered, he was; and they fell to fight, some of their acquaintances by. They wounded one another; and Sir H. Bellasses so much, that it is feared he will die. And finding himself severely wounded, he called to Tom Porter, and kissed him, and bade him shift for himself; ‘for,’ says he, ‘Tom, thou hast hurt me; but I will make shift to stand on my legs till thou mayest withdraw, and the world not take notice of thee; for I would not have thee troubled for what thou hast done.’ And so, whether he did fly or not, I cannot tell; but Tom Porter showed Sir H. Bellasses that he was wounded too; and they are both ill, but Sir H. Bellasses to the life. And this is fine example! and Sir H. Bellasses a parliament man too; and both of them extraordinary friends” Bellasses only lived a few days, and Pepys, in noticing his death, adds: “It is pretty to see how the world talk of them, as a couple of fools, that killed one another out of love.” This deed took place in Covent Garden.