a single combat, at a time and place appointed, in consequence of a challenge. This custom came originally from the northern nations, among whom it was usual to decide all their controversies by arms. Both the accuser and the accused gave pledges to the judges on their respective behalf; and the custom prevailed so far amongst the Germans, Danes, and Franks, that none were excused from it but women, sick people, cripples, and such as were under twenty-one years of age, or above sixty. Even ecclesiastics, priests, and monks, were obliged to find champions to to fight in their stead. The punishment of the vanquished was either death, by hanging or beheading; or, mutilation of members, according to the circumstances of the case. Duels were at first admitted not only on criminal occasions, but on some civil ones for the maintenance of rights to estates, and the like: in latter times, however, before they were entirely abolished, they were restrained to these four cases. 1. That the crime should be capital. 2. That it should be certain the crime was perpetrated. 3. The accused must, by common fame, be supposed guilty. And, 4. The matter not capable of proof by witnesses. At present it is used for a single combat on some private quarrel, and must be premeditated, otherwise it is called a rencontre. If a person is killed in a duel, both the principals and seconds are guilty of murder, whether the seconds engage or not. It is also a very high offence to challenge a person, either by word or letter, or to be the messenger of a challenge. The severe edicts made by Lewis XIV. against duels have, in a great measure, put a stop to the custom in France.

**Duellings**, in Scots law. See title 33.

**Duero**, or **Duro**, a large river, which, rising in Old Castile in Spain, runs from east to west, crosses the province of Leon, and, after dividing Portugal from Spain by a southerly course, turns westward, crosses Portugal, and falls into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto-Port.

**DUKE** is either the title of a sovereign prince, as the duke of Savoy, Parma, &c., the grand duke of Tuscany, Muscovy, &c., or it is the title of honour and nobility next below princes. The commanders of armies in time of war, the governors of provinces and wardens of marches in times of peace, were called *duces* under the later emperors. The Goths and Vandals divided all Gaul into duchies and counties, the governors of which they sometimes call *duces*, and sometimes *comites*. In France, under the second race of kings, though they retained the name and form of ducal government, there were scarce any dukes except those of Burgundy, Aquitain, and France. In England, among the Saxons, the commanders of armies, &c., were called dukes, *duces*, without any addition, till Edward III. made his son, the Black Prince, duke of Cornwall; after whom there were more made in the same manner, the title descending to their posterity. Duke then, at present, is a mere title of dignity, without giving any domain, territory, or jurisdiction over the place from whence the title is taken. A duke is created by patent, cincture of sword, mantle of state, imposition of a cap and coronet of gold on his head, and a verge of gold put into his hand. His title is Grace; and, in the style of the heralds, Most high, potent, high-born, and noble prince.

**Dulcifying**, in chemistry, is the sweetening any matter impregnated with salts, by frequently washing it in pure water.

**Dull**, in the menage. The marks of a dull horse, called by the French marquis de ladre, are white spots round the eye and on the tip of the nose, upon any general colour whatsoever. Though the vulgar take these spots for signs of stupidity, it is certain they are great marks of the goodness of a horse; and the horses that have them are very sensible and quick upon the spur.