Manly and Athletic Exercises. 381 



sent day (and which have alone brought the prize-ring to the low 

 position it now holds) were unknown. I would wish no more. 



I do not consider that a combat between two parties who are 

 free agents and rational beings, who can begin when they please, 

 leave off when they please in fact, have no occasion to begin at 

 all unless they do please can even by the most ingenious sophistry- 

 be placed in the same category as the baiting of bulls and other dumb 

 animals. I am no advocate myself for dog-fighting, because I am 

 sorry to see such faithful, generous, and useful animals put to so bad 

 a purpose j but I am not here going to defend or condemn it. I 

 see nothing in cock-fighting a bit more cruel or barbarous than many 

 other of our field sports ; and if the same " innate cruelty of our 

 nature" is at the bottom of all, the motive that leads me to see an 

 execution, a prize-fight, a cock-fight, a horse-race, or a steeple-chase, 

 must be the same j and hunting, shooting, and angling must, if we 

 are consistent, and argue only on these grounds, be placed in schedule 

 A, as well as prize-fighting. 



I do most sincerely wish to see those times return (if they have 

 ever departed from our countrymen, which I much doubt), when 

 the rules of fair fighting, as exemplified in the prize-ring, became, 

 as it were, the law of the land ; when a dispute had to be settled by 

 an appeal to arms ; and by arms, be it clearly understood, that I 

 mean such only as nature has provided man with. 



It is in my opinion, one of the best features of the age we live in 

 that duelling- is abolished, and I trust it will never be revived j and 

 I hope I may yet live to see the day when flogging in the 

 army will be put a stop to. I will allow that it is an open question, 

 but, for my part, I should be happy to see capital punishment abo- 

 lished in all civilized nations. 



Some gentlemen may be inclined to settle their disputes amicably 

 or by an appeal to the courts of law two very excellent plans, but 

 hardly to be adopted I fear in all cases. We must, I suppose, allow 

 something for the difference of habit and feeling, acquired by educa- 

 tion, between the higher and lower classes. Disputes between gen- 

 tlemen do not in general commence with any violence, and one 



