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12 March 1870 — Madrid | |
Saturday. 12th [March 1870]. I began to knit some socks for Mme Riaño & also wrote some letters to Connie &c &c. We lunched early & went off at ½ past 2 to the Cortes & arrived just as the sitting began. There was a Mr Ittersum already there & he greeted me with “Have you heard the news”? No– “Montpensier & D. Enrique de Bourbon have fought a duel this morng & the Duke has killed D. Enrique”. Of course this quite took ones breath away– It appeared that D. En: had written a very insulting letter to the Duke & accused him of cowardice & the Duke had called him out. They had fought early this morning & each fired 3 shots the last killing D. En: dead on the spot. Presently Sickles came in & said that Don En: had gone to him the night before to ask him to be one of his seconds but that on acct of his official position he had declined– Then Mercier came in & said the same thing but that also thinking Don E was very excited & wild he had looked upon him as rather mad. It appears he told Mercier that he knew there would be foul play & that the Duke of M.’s seconds would manage to have him murdered—that he wished to go to Portugal to fight but that the Duke wd not. Mercier told him such an idea was absurd but that he would not be his 2nd. It also appears that the police had been apprised of the intended duel & had followed the party closely. They had intended fighting in the Buen Retiro but seeing they were followed went out to Caravanchel where was a encampment got let in & gave the sentinels orders not to admit the police & then fought. The baffled police sent for the Govr of Madrid Moreno Benites who arrived just in time to hear the last shot & to see D. Enrique die—he breathed five minutes. After the 2nd shots Montpensier declared himself satisfied but D. En:’s 2nds (2 Republicans & a maitres d’armes) insisted on their going on till blood was shed & the Duke’s last shot went thro’ his temples. The Duke was carried off fainting, bled & put to bed in a high fever. We heard Castelar make his speeches. He began by saying that out of respect for the Duke he should not recur to what had happened & then proceeded to make a very fierce & rather rambling attack on the whole govt. man by man. He was too abusive & violent to be impressive but has certainly a wonderful flow of words. He spoke for more than 2 hours & was answered by Prim, who as far as I could hear made a good reply. He is calm collected & speaks well & deliberately. We left about 6 & walked home. We found the Hunts waiting for us for me to practice singing but I was too tired. We had a cup of tea & dressed for dinner & then went to the Opera where Henry saw Prim & Moreno Benites & from them heard the rights of story of the duel. I came home at 10 leaving Henry & the Hunts at the Opera “Lucia” with a new actress & went to bed as I was tired & had a bad headache. | |
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