Manly and Athletic Exercises. 393 



put a stop to boxing. But I most emphatically deny that such is 

 the case j and with the recollection of the fight between King and 

 Heenan, and Heenan and Sayers, fresh in my mind, I feel confident 

 that if we had as good men in the ring as we had thirty years ago, 

 and if prize-fights were still conducted as fairly and honourably as 

 in those days, that boxing would still be as popular as ever, and 

 that it is owing solely to the misconduct of the men themselves 

 connected with the ring, and to no reaction of true British 

 feeling, that the prize-ring has been brought to its present low 

 position. 



