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ON THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF 

 MANLY AND ATHLETIC EXERCISES, 



SUCH AS SPARRING 5 AND A FEW REMARKS IN 



DEFENCE OF THE MUCH-ABUSED CUSTOM 



OF BRITISH BOXING. 



" Why should scholars bend for ever 



Over Livy's pictured tome, 

 Why ponder o'er the terse with lore 



Of ancient pagan Rome ? 

 Why sigh to view the chariots 



Career 'midst dust and spray, 

 Why long for oil and canvass 



Of an ancient circus day ? 



II. 



" Ye artists, take Apelles* pencil, 



'Twas a sight to woo the chisel 

 Of a Phidias, when each Roman 



Chose to die before he'd " mizzle." 

 When the Latian tens of thousands, 



Sat and gloried in the " foight," 

 At the clashing of the cestus, 



At the glancing of the quoit. 



III. 



" Oh, then there were no crosses, 

 When a man once dared to peel, 



No lyings down to compromise, 

 No turnings on the heel. 



