382 Manly and Athletic Exercises. 



gentleman can reason with another, which would be of little use 

 with a rough after he had sent forth the fierce British challenge, 

 bidding you " stand up fairly and fight like a man." 



I deny altogether that to settle a quarrel by an appeal to arms (as 

 I understand the term) is (quoting the words of my opponent) " the 

 most unfair and cowardly that human ingenuity can devise." The 

 weak is not, as he says, always necessarily at the mercy of the strong, 

 for how often do we see a big bully soundly thrashed by a man of 

 half his size. 



Although I am not going to set myself up as champion for the 

 morals of the members of the British P.R., I will say this, that I 

 have known many of them, and some pretty intimately, from old 

 Tom Crib down to Jem Mace, and, take them as a class, they have 

 invariably been quiet and well-behaved men, and in general far 

 superior to men of the same rank in life following different occu- 

 pations. 



I have no wish to see members of our aristocracy in the habit 

 of attending executions, and I will never for a single moment allow 

 that the attraction to such a sight is " the same feeling of morbid 

 excitement" which draws a man to the side of the prize-ring. There 

 doubtless are some brutes in the world who would gloat over any 

 sight of refined cruelty, but it would be the grossest libel upon some 

 of the kindest and best-hearted men I ever had the pleasure of 

 knowing to say that this was the feeling which attracted them 

 (where I have often seen them, and where they were not ashamed 

 of being seen themselves) to the side of the prize-ring. If this 

 argument holds good, it will, of course, apply to myself as 

 well as any other man. Now, I have seen one execution in 

 my life, at Horsemonger-lane, and I would not see another 

 for a large sum of money. Through the influence of the Under- 

 Sheriff, I was admitted into the gaol, and stood close to the poor 

 wretch when the drop fell. I have seen many and many a good 

 prize-battle since, and all I can say is, that I wish I was going to 

 see another, conducted after the old style, to-morrow. But the 

 " feeling of morbid excitement " never drew me again to the foot 



