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CHAPTER XVIIl. 



MANLY GAMES AND EXERCISE. 



A Comparison— " The Noble Art of Self-defence "—Natural Weapons— Wrestling— A Few 

 Remarks— When you Hit, Hit Hard— Tips from Jem Mace— The Fists— Nose Tapped — 

 Black Bye— To Box Scientifically— Results-Ill-conditioned Fellows— To go Further— 

 Bullies— Best way to settle Matters— Author's Experience-" Tom Smith" and " Jack 

 Musters" — Masters of Schools — Another Tip — Hints to Young Boxers — Pierse Netter- 

 ville Barron — Vast Improvement in Manly Games — Archery — Croquet— Gymnastics — 

 The Gloves — Cricket — Football — Handball — Rackets — Lawn Tennis— Cycling — Polo — 

 Tennis Parties vice Dinner Parties — Cycles v. Horses — James Selby — His Record 

 Beaten — Author's Estimate of Cycling and Cyclers — Marvellous Record — Mr. Wedder- 

 burn Webster— "Sportascrapiana"— A Nut to Crack— Hunt Runners— Nickey 

 Conoran — Wonderful Feat — Swimming — Dunmore — Kelly's Rocks — What we Did 

 There— " The Forty-foot "—Author in the Bay of Biscay— Awkward Predicament — 

 Skating— "The City Man"— Thirty Years Ago— His Tastes— His Sons— His Clerks- 

 Office Hours— Holidays— Author a Scamp— Warehousemen— Work, Work— Great 

 Change for the Better— Exhaustive Particulars— What is the Cause ?— A National 

 Calamity— Stock Exchange of London—" On the Flags " of Liverpool— Commercial 

 Buildings of Dublin— Rattling Fine Fellows— Good Sportsmen— A Question— The 

 Answer — The Volunteers — Bank Holidays — Results— Author's Notion — Convincing 

 Evidence — Author Frames an Act of Parliament — Half Holiday Weekly— Whole 

 One Monthly— Beneficial Results— Alfred the Great— The Twenty-four Hours— All 

 Work, no Play— A Mighty Bad Rule— British Trading— Uniform Hours— Strikes — 

 Radicals- Early Hours — Advice to Young Gentlemen — A Fact — A Disgraceful Record. 



Although glorious are the subjects of some of my chapters up to 

 this, most of them, from one cause or another, have been at times some- 

 what unpleasant to deal with. 



Some of the chapters may be likened to vast woodlands where, when 

 the trees were young and before the undergrowth became entangled, 

 good scent lay. But now overhung as the ground is with offshoots and 

 deprived of the sun's influence, it has become in places a slough over 

 which scent lies badly and it is difficult to ride in safety. 



We now leave such dark and dismal regions and come to a fine open 

 country wherein there is nothing but oceans of grass and not a covert 

 to be found but that of the ever green gorse ! 



Yes, we now reach a chapter the subjects of which we cannot find 

 fault with ; on the contrary, everything connected with it is to be 

 highly commended, for boxing, athletics, and manly games never stood 

 in this kingdom as high as they do at present, and they are fast pro- 

 gressing. I must not, however, put the car before the horse. 



Boxing, I consider, stands first in the category, I therefore begin 

 with it. 



For over two centuries this fine old sport has been dubbed the 

 "Noble Art of Self-defence." Rightly it deserves the title, for it is a 

 noble art, and the very best means by which a man can defend himself. 

 The fists are man's natural weapons, and, unlike those wrought, they 



