Honour and the Sword by Joseph Farrell

“Guy,” says Ivor Claire in Evelyn Waugh’s novel Officers and Gentlemen, “what would you do if you were challenged to a duel?” “Laugh,” Guy replies.

Joseph Farrell quotes this exchange early in his fascinating examination of the culture of duelling, and it is very much to the point. Ivor and Guy recognise that 150 years ago their understanding of Honour would have compelled them to accept a challenge to a duel, even in certain circumstances to offer one. Guy, a Roman Catholic (like Waugh himself ), remarks that “moral theologians were never able to stop duelling – it took democracy to do that”.

According to the duelling code, it was dishonourable to accept an insult unchallenged. Shakespeare has Falstaff dismiss honour as a mere word and say he’ll have none of it, but Falstaff was a man ahead of his time.

Neither the Greeks nor Romans had a cult of duelling; fights between gladiators in the arena had no honour about them. Nor were the jousts between mounted knights duels, though doubtless there may often have been personal animosities. But they were essentially a form of dangerous sport, like boxing today. The cult of duelling really dates from the Renaissance and the developing idea of the Gentleman.

Duelling was made illegal in many countries, among them England, but was nevertheless practised. Cabinet ministers fought duels, the Duke of Wellington doing so even as Prime Minister. Daniel O’Connell, the great Irish “Liberator”, killed a man in a duel. Alexander Hamilton, as everyone

now knows from the musical, was killed by Aaron Burr in a duel, even though he disapproved of the practice.

Professor Farrell, erudite, intellectually curious author of several admirable books about Italy and Stevenson in Samoa, ranges widely – there is even a chapter on duels fought by women.

This splendid book provokes thought. Read it once for pleasure. Then ponder its significance in our time of false news and slanderous speech.