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"Note, The doors will be opened uniformity of the language fhews that at ten, and the combatants mount at all the advertisements from the Tot

twelve.

“There will be several bye-battles, as ufual; and particularly one between John Divine and John Tipping, for five pounds each."

May 4, 1742.

"At the Great Booth, at Tottenham-Court, to-morrow, the 5th of May, will be a Trial of Manhood between the following champions, viz. "Whereas I, John Francis (commonly known by the name of the Jumping Soldier) who have always had the reputation of a good fellow, and have fought feveral bruifers in the ftreet, &c. nor am afraid to mount the ftage, especially at a time when my manhood is called in question by an Irish braggadocio buffer, whom I fought in a bye-battle fome time fince at Tottenham Court, for twelve minutes, and though I had not the fuccefs due to my courage and ability in the art of boxing, do invite him to fight me for two guineas, at the time and place above-mentioned, when I doubt not but I fhall give him the truth of a good beating. JOHN FRANCIS." "I Patrick Henley, known to every one for the truth of a good fellow, who never refufed any one on or off the stage, and fight as often for the diverfion of gentlemen as for the money, accept the challenge of this Jumping Jack, and fhall, if he don't take care, give him one of my brothering blows, which will convince him of his ignorance in the art of boxing.

PATRICK HENLEY." This last advertisement appeared alfo in the Daily Advertiser, and is, together with the others, a curious fpecimen of the boafting ftyle ufed by zhose boxers in challenging each other. It must not, however, be fuppofed, that the challenges were penned by the refpective parties by the generality of these men, the art of writing was not esteemed a manly or an honourable ccomplishment. Besides which, the

tenham-Court Booth were written by one perfon, who was employed for the purpofe. We find, indeed, that this was really the cafe; and that, in the true fpirit of the heroick ages, a poet undertook to celebrate the exploits of thefe champions; and that poet, our readers perhaps will be a little furpri zed to hear, was no less a man than Mr Theophilus Cibber.

The Tottenham Court Booth was the only ftage on which thefe Profef fors, or as they called themselves, Mafters of the Boxing Art, difplayed their prowefs, till Broughton, en couraged and patronized by fome of the nobility and gentry, built his amphitheatre in Oxford Road. This place was finished 1742. George Taylor, the proprietor of the booth, was himfelf a very able practitioner, and welcomed every champion who offered himself to fight, by giving him what was called, in the cant language of those bruifers, the truth of a good drubbing.

The nobility and gentry, who patronized this exercife, and among whom were reckoned the first characters in the kingdom, having complained of the inconveniences fuftained at the Tottenham Court Booth, they prevailed on Mr Broughton, who was then rifing into note as the firft bruifer in London, to build a place better adapted for fuch exhibitions. This was accordingly done, in 1742, principally by fubfcription, behind Oxford road. The building was called Broughton's New Amphitheatre; and, befides the stage for the combatants, had feats correfponding to the boxes, pit, and galleries, much in the fame manner with thofe at Aftley's. The fol lowing advertisement, in the Spring of 1743, announced the opening of it to the publick, though feveral matches had been fought in it before..

March 10, 1743. "At Broughton's New Amphitheatre,

theatre, in Oxford-road, the back of the late Mr Figg's, on Tuesday next, the 13th inft. will be exhibited, The true Art of Boxing, by the eight famed following men, viz. Abraham Evans, Sweep, Belos, Glover, Roger Allen, Robert Spikes, Harry Gray, and the Clog-maker. The above-faid eight men are to be brought on the ftage, and to be matched according to the approbation of the gentlemen who fhall be pleased to honour them with their company.

"Note. There will be a Battle Royal between the noted Buckhorfe and feven or eight more; after which there will be feveral By-battles by others.-Gentlemen are defired to come betimes, by reafon of the number of battles.

"The doors will be opened at nine, and fome of the champions mount at eleven. No perfon to pay more than a fhilling."

This undertaking of Mr Broughton Juftly gave alarm to the proprietor of the Tottenham-Court Booth, who immediately engaged Taylor, Stevenfon, James, and Smallwood, four firft-rate champions, under articles, like regular performers, not to fight on any stage but his. Mr Broughton's advertisement was anfwered by the following appeal to the publick :

To all Encouragers of the manly art of

Boxing.

"Whereas Mr Broughton has maliciously advertised several battles to be fought at his amphitheatre on Tuesday next, the 13th of March, in order to detriment me, who fight Mr Field the fame day at Tottenham-Court, I think it incumbent on me to undeceive gentlemen, by informing them the greateft part of the perfons mentioned to fight there never intended any fuch thing, or were ever acquainted with it; therefore hope this affertion will be under food (as it really is) a fpiteful undertaking.

"Mr Broughton has likewife inferted in his bills, that there never was a ny impofition on the champions who fought at his amphitheatre, and has in vain endeavoured to make it appear, which gentlemen will be fenfible of when an account of his exactions are fet forth at large in print, which will be done with all expedition.

"And to convince Mr Broughton that I have no difguft to his amphi theatre, I am willing to meet him there, and fight him for an hundred pounds, whenever he pleafes; not in the least regarding (as he expresses himself) the valour of his arm. G. TAYLOR." March 12, 1743.

Mr Broughton, in his reply to this declaration, stated, that he had built his theatre at the exprefs folicitation and defire of the publick; that it had coft four hundred pounds, of which eighty were by contribution; and that, having himself been at the expence of what was required beyond that fum, he thought it but fair and reasonable that he should appropriate to himself a third part of the money collected at the door, the reft going to the champions.

All the principal amateurs and en couragers of the fcience gave their fanction to Broughton's caufe; and in the end all the profeffors were obliged to come over. Taylor, and the others, finding that their exertions could not prevent the Tottenham-Court Booth from being deferted for Broughton's more commodious theatre, like the fe ceding actors in the Haymarket, gave up the conteft; and on condition that Mr Broughton engaged to make good to them the lofs incurred by the for feiture of their articles, they agreed to leave the Booth, and to fight no long er but on his stage.

Mr Broughton thus became fole mas nager and proprietor of the boxing the atre, engaged all the first performers, and reared many pupils, who were af terwards expert profeffors of this gym... pastick art.

Modern

9

Modern Satirifts-Party spirit-Spirit of levelling-Attack of the King

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R Pope has introduced a harmony of verfe which, however difficult to invent, is imitated with cafe. The clofe of the fenfe in couplets, and the frequent antithefes in the fecond line, are features fo prominent, that an artift of inferior skill, a mere faber imus, is able to copy them, and to preferve a refemblance.

His tranflation of Homer is a treafury of fplendid language; and he who has ftudied it will not find himself at a lofs for fhining epithets adapted to every occafion. I detract not from his merit; for, as the improver of English verfification, as the introducer of a brilliant diction unknown before, he has juftly obtained univerfal fame.

But that which is laudable in him as the inventor, cannot entitle his mere imitators to any great applaufe. They may be called good verfifiers, pretty poètalters, but they cannot rank with their mafter as a poet, or an original improver of verfification.

While they exercised their imitative fkill on fubjects not at all injurious, they might obtain approbation, and would certainly escape cenfure; but the candid, the moderate, and impartial part of mankind, have lamented that they have ftolen the graces of Pope's verfification to decorate and recommend a kind of fatire, abounding in virulent and perfonal invective. I am fenfible that fome works of this kind have been extolled in the highest terms; but I know, at the fame time, that the extravagant applaufe was, in great measure, the ebullition of party-zeal, or of that unhappy difpofition of the human mind which prompts it to rejoice in feeing elevated merit or rank degraded by defamation. Take away from fuch poems the perfonality, the local and temporary allufions, and how small a portion will re

VOL. VII. No. 37.

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main of real genius to recommend. them! They would not be read, notwithstanding their glare of epithet and their foncrous numbers.

It is ufual with thefe works to rife to univerfal fame immediately on publi-, cation; to bafk, like the ephemera, in the funthine for a day, and then to fall into a fudden and irretrievable obscurity.

One of the principal arts of their writers is to fecure attention by seizing the topic of the hour, by filling their poems with the names of perfons who are the fubject of converfation at the moment, and by boldly furprising their readers with attacks on the most ref pectable characters, or at least on perfons who, from their rank and their of fices, provided they are tolerably decent, ought to be exempted from virulent abuse and public obloquy. It is the intereft of the community, that perfons of high stations, whofe example is powerful, and whofe authority ought to carry weight, fhould not be held out to the vulgar as objects of derifon. If: they have common failings, or have been guilty of human errors, a veil fhould be thrown over them for the fake of decorum, and of that beautiful order in fociety which conduces to a thoufand beneficial purposes.

But a fpirit of levelling high characters and rank is one of the distinguishing marks of the prefent times.. It was introduced by what is called the Oppofition. Unfortunately for all that is decent, and honourable, and right, it has been judged expedient that Government, or the Minifters of Government, fhould be conftantly em barraffed by a standing Oppofition. The tools employed by the leaders of this Oppofition are often fuch as are only fit for dirty work. Unable to effect any more laudable purpose, they have

From Winter Evenings; or Lucubrations on Life and Letters. Fust published.

have been employed to afperfe the characters of the temporary poffeffors of office, and its confequent powers and emoluments. Not fatisfied with attacking the Political perfons, they have dared to go farther, to enter in to the privacies of family retirement, and to fpare neither age nor fex, in divulging whatever envy has fuggefted. The poetical fatirift has been called upon as a powerful auxiliary in conducting the levelling engine. Some read, and are pleafed with verfe, who would have overlooked the invective in humble profe. Good verfifiers have been found, and the most exalted perfons in the kingdom cruelly hitched in a rhyme, and thrown out to the vulgar, to be toffed about by the tongue of Infamy.

Every loyal fubject, every gentle man, every confiderate father of a family, every man of common humanity, is hurt at the cruel and opprobrious treatment which the King, the very fountain of honour, has experienced from the hands of rhyming ruffians.

Great pretenfions to good humour, mirth, and gaiety, are made by the fatirifts; but the pretenfions are a veil of gauze. It is eafy to fee through the pellucid disguise, the fnakes of envy, the horrid features of malice, the yellow tinge of jealoufy, the diftortions of difappointment grinning with a Sardonic fmile.

Hic nigræ fuccus loliginis, hæc eft
rugo mera.

mind fuffers on fuch occafions, and how little right a dark and malignant affaffin can have to inflict à punishment without an offence, to bring an accufation without coming forward as the accufer.

The practice is injurious to the public, as it tends to difcourage the growth of virtue, and all honeft attempts to be diftinguifhed by merit. Such attempts of neceflity render a man confpicuous; and he no fooner becomes fo, than he is confidered as a proper mark for Scorn to fhoot at, and for Envy to afperfe. A man may be afraid to exert himfelf, when, every step he advances, he is the more in danger of attracting notice, and confequently of becoming the mark at which the malevolent may bend their bows, and shoot out their arrows, even bitter words.

What a triumph to villany, profligacy, and ignorance; when virtuous and innocent, and inoffenfive characters are fingled out for that fatire which themselves only can defer've!

This is a vis digna lege regi. Expoftulation is in vain; and laws, which might reftrain it, will not be duly executed, in a country where licentioufnefs is unfortunately confidered as effential to the existence of civil liberty.

Of affected Senfibility; a Lamentation over an unfortunate Animalcule*. ELINDA was always remarkably

But as a veil is ufed, as diverfion Brand of pathetic waves, tragies,

and pleasantry are promifed, and as detraction from illuftrious merit is but too agreeable to most men, the poems are read, and do much mischief in the fhort period of their existence.

The pain they give to individuals, who are burned with a cauftic, yet are conscious of having given no provocation, is enough to render the practice odious in the eyes of all who confider duly how much a feeling

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and elegies. Sterne's fentimental beauties were her peculiar favourites. She had indeed contracted fo great a tendernefs of fenfibility from fuch reading, that the often carried the amiable as weakness into common life, and would weep and figh as if her heart was breaking at occurrences which others, by no means deficient in humanity, viewed with indifference. She could not bear the idea of killing animals

From the fame.

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for food. She detefted the fports of fishing and hunting, because of their ineffable cruelty. She was ready to faint if her coachman whipt his horfes when they would not draw up hill; and the actually fell down in a fit on a gentleman's treading on her favourrite cat's tail, as he eagerly stooped to fave her child from falling into the fire.

As fhe was rather of a romantic turn, fhe would frequently utter fentimental foliloquies on benevolence and humanity; and when any catastrophe of a pathetic nature occurred, the generally gave vent to her feelings by writing a lamentation. I procured from one of her friends the following piece, with liberty to prefent it to the public eye.

Belinda, it feems, was at her toilette, adorning her treffes, when an animalcule of no great repute in the world, but who often obtrudes where he is not welcome, fell from her beautiful treffes on her neck. In the first emotions of her furprise and anger the feized the little wretch, and crushed it between her nails, till it expired with a found

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The noife and the fight of the vifcera foon recalled her fenfibility, and the thus expreffed it :

"Thou poor partaker of vitality, farewell. Life undoubtedly was fweet unto thee, and I have haftily deprived thee of it. But furely the world was wide enough for thee and me; and it was ungenerous to murder one who fought an afylum under my foftering protection.

"Because thou art minute, we are inclined to fuppofe thee infenfible. But doubtless thou hadst nerves and delicate fenfations proportioned to the fineness of thy organs. Perhaps thou hadft a partner of thine affections, and a numerous progeny, whom thou faweft rifing to maturity with parental de

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light, and who are now left deftitute of a protector in their helpless infancy.

"Thy pain is indeed at an end; but I cannot help deploring the unfeeling cruelty of those who deprive the smalleft reptile, to whom nature has given breath, of that life which, though it appears contemptible in the eyes of the thoughtlefs, yet is fweet to the meaneft animal was fweet to thee, thou departed animalcule. Alas, that I muft now fay was fweet to thee! Did I poffefs the power of refufcitation, I would re-animate thy lifeless corpfe, and cherish thee in the warmest corner of thy favourite dwelling-place. But adieu for ever; for my wish is vain. Yet if thy fhade is ftill confcious, and hovers over the head it once inhabited, pardon a hafty act of violence, which I endeavour to expiate with the tear of fympathy and the figh of fenfibility."

Flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli.

I am informed that the drawer of her writing-table is full of elegies and elegiac fonnets on rats and mice caught in traps, and of tom-tits and robin red-breafts killed by schoolboys. I remember to have heard a moft pathetic elegy recited on the death of a red-breast, but can only recollect one pathetic Erotefis," Who "killed Cock Robin ?"

There is alfo a fublime deification of an earth-worm which he once ac

cidentally trod upon as fhe was en-
deavouring to refcue a fly from a spi-
der in the garden. It concludes thus:

But cease to weep-no more to crawl
In the dark earth beneath yon wall,
And claim thy place in yonder skies.
On fnow-white pinions thou fhalt rife,

Efts, toads, bats, every thing that hath life, has a claim to her tenderest compaffion. And certainly her tendernefs to them does her honour ; but the exceffive fenfibility which their flighteft fufferings feem to occafion, gives room to fufpect that she is not without affectation. What is fo fin2

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