I recollect dining, in 1816, at Hervey Aston's, at the Hotel Breteuil
in the Rue de Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries, where I met Seymour Bathurst
and Captain E--, of the Artillery, a very good-looking man. After dinner,
Mrs. Aston took us as far as Tortoni's, on her way to the Opera. On
entering the cafe, Captain E-- did not touch his hat according to the
custom of the country, but behaved himself, a la John Bull, in a noisy
and swaggering manner; upon which, General, then Colonel J--, went up
to E-- and knocked off his hat, telling him that he hoped he would in
future behave himself better. Aston, Bathurst, and I, waited for some
time, expecting to see E-- knock J-- down, or, at all events, give him
his card as a preliminary to a hostile meeting, on receiving such an
insult; but he did nothing. We were very much disgusted and annoyed
at a countryman's behaving in such a manner, and, after a meeting at
my lodgings, we recommended Captain E--, in the strongest terms, to
call out Colonel J--, but he positively refused to do so, as he said
it was against his principles. This specimen of the white feather astonished
us beyond measure. Captain E-- shortly after received orders to start
for India, where I believe he died of cholera - in all probability of FUNK.

I do not think that Colonel J-- would altogether have escaped with impunity,
after such a gratuitous insult to an English officer; but he retired
into the country almost immediately after the incident at Tortoni's,
and could not be found.

There were many men in our army who did not thus disgrace the British
uniform when insulted by the French. I cannot omit the names of my
old friends Captain Burges, Mike Fitzgerald, Charles Hesse, and Thoroton;
each of whom, by their willingness to resent gratuitous offences, showed
that insults to Englishmen were not to be committed with impunity.