4 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



knocked me down. My brother Henry, wlio used 

 chiefly to superintend these fistic matters, was per- 

 haps the best gentleman setter-to with both hands 

 that ever mounted a stage. At sixteen he set-to with 

 no mean fighter of his day, Caleb Baldwin, with the 

 " trial gloves" on, at the " fives court," and had the 

 best of it. I can remember hearing of the set-to 

 between the present Lord Mexborough, if my recol- 

 lection serves me, and Mr. Fletcher Norton, at " the 

 Kooms," but whether they were Jackson's rooms or 

 those of " Mr. Angelo" I forget. I only know that I 

 heard that all London went to see it, and that, tliough 

 the noble Lord was quickest, Mr. Fletcher Norton was 

 the strongest at in-fighting, and was supposed to have 

 the best of it. The Duke de Grammont, then in the 

 10th Hussars, was very fond of a bout with the gloves, 

 and could set-to as well as most Englishmen. From the 

 Prince and Peer down to the gentle youth's serving 

 man or valet, all put on " the gloves " in those days ; 

 and I have ever been of opinion that it was a pity 

 that so much dishonesty crept into the old manly 

 upstanding ring, as to give the maudlin meddlers, 

 and would-be over good ones of the succeeding day, 

 and of the present day, a hold for putting the prize- 

 fight down. They fixed a false delinquency on 

 the words " prize-fight," totally forgetting that every 

 village boxing-match, arising from a quarrel, was 

 always for a prize, as one countryman invariably 

 put down all he had in his pocket, and dared his 

 antagonist to " cover it," while at the same time 

 they as invariably took the fair and open rules of the 

 prize ring as their guide in the settlement of the 

 affair. Of this I am positively certain, both by my 

 experience as a magistrate, and foreman of the 



