The Austrians are angry with him because in a certain place, and for a
certain occasion, he allowed the Bohemians to use their own language for
official business. The Bohemians are angry with him for having forbidden
a certain public meeting; and others are again incensed against the
Prime Minister for having offended them in various, apparently
unimportant ways.

It was on account of his unpopularity and the various quarrels with him
that he was so badly treated by the members of the parliament, and was
finally so exasperated that he determined to fight a duel.

In Austria it is a criminal offence to fight a duel, and all the persons
engaged in an affair of the kind can be imprisoned for from one to five
years.

The Prime Minister, however, felt that he had been so terribly insulted
that nothing but a duel could satisfy his sense of honor.

He therefore telegraphed to the Emperor, asking his permission to fight.

Duelling used to be a very common practice in Europe, and was considered
the only means of avenging an insult. It was, however, carried to such
an extent, that men would call one another out, as it was termed, for
the most trifling offence. So many good and brave men were killed in
this unreasonable manner, that one country after another began to make
laws forbidding the practice. These laws have only been in force for a
very few years, and in cases where men are terribly provoked, they still
turn to duelling as a means of settling their disputes.