Dangerous Friends: The Second and the Later English Duel

The paper considers honour disputes and duelling in the English society of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Its author argues that it was the seconds, or friends, of the disputants, who made both the peaceful resolution of disputes socially possible and, if necessary, the carefully structured violence of the duel containable. The second, an independent man of reputation who assayed the honour of his principal, has oft been neglected in modern duelling studies. Here the author examines the nuances, privileges and obligations of his situation and the indispensable role that he played in sustaining honour culture.