THE PRIZE RING 235 



wards, were hand in glove with him. Born in 1769, of 

 respectable middle-class parentage, Jackson had the advan- 

 tages of a good education and a magnificent physique ; 

 Byron says he was " the finest-formed man in Europe." 

 He was a splendid all-round athlete, and could lift loj 

 hundredweight from the ground without straps, and write 

 his name on a wall, above his head, with 84 lbs. suspended 

 from his little finger, 



Jackson was admitted to be the most formidable fighter 

 and the most accomplished boxer that had been seen up to 

 that time in the Ring. Yet he only fought three battles, 

 one of which he lost, owing to his accidentally breaking the 

 small bone of his leg. The great triumph which secured 

 him his position was his victory over Dan Mendoza, who 

 for years had held the Championship of England and was 

 deemed invincible. 



All the sporting world was agog with excitement over 

 the match, and the betting was 2 to i on the Jew, whose 

 beautiful science, especially in stopping, was thought far to 

 outweigh Jackson's superiority in height and strength. 

 The fight took place in a private park at Hornchurch in 

 Essex, on the 15th of April 1795. A huge wooden amphi- 

 theatre had been erected, capable of seating 3000 spectators, 

 with a raised and railed stage for the men to fight on. The 

 place was crowded, and in the front seats were dukes, 

 marquises, earls, and Royalty itself in the persons of the 

 Prince of Wales and the Duke of Clarence (afterwards 

 William IV.). The last time Jackson had peeled to fight 

 he was but a stripling ; he was now a full-grown man of 

 magnificent proportions. He stood 5 ft. 11 ins., and 

 weighed 14 st. 



Mendoza, the smallest man that ever held the Champion- 

 ship of England, looked a mere shrimp beside him, for Dan 

 was 4 ins. shorter and 2|- st. lighter. Yet so great was the 

 confidence of his backers that even now they laid 6 to 4 

 on him. 



For the first three rounds the Jew apparently had the 

 best of the fight. His wonderful quickness on his legs 

 and the extraordinary rapidity with which, after catching 

 a blow on his arm, he returned with the same arm a chop- 



