Having read the three musketeers and even The count of Monte Cristo, André Dumas seems to imply that duelling amongst Gentleman was commonplace. To such an extent that it would occur on a monthly basis. Sometimes friends also duelled your enemies firends. This too, to the death.

What would like to ask is, was this as commonplace as it's made out by these novels? Or is there creative licence used to romanticise the novels?