In fact, they usefully served their part in the manners and customs of the age, and perhaps were not badly employed. In truth, "An idler is like a watch that wants both hands, As useless if it goes, as when it stands." CowPER. The celebrated Kirby fish-hook was brought into use at this period, and whose good qualities have kept his name up so long; he was taught the art of tempering them by Prince Rupert. Angling is frequently alluded to by almost all the writers of the period. Thus speaks Drayton : "The goodly well-grown trout, I with my angle strike, Next to the chase and shooting, fishing was the principal out-door amusement, particularly by the fair sex! "In King Charles II.'s reign, ladies used to fish in the canal in St. James Park, London." "The angler's tackle was very beautiful, and very costly; some have been valued as high as £50, and they were fond of displaying it."-Walton. PRIZE FIGHTS. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear it, that the opposer may beware of thee." SHAKSPEARE. I PRESUME my readers will be no better pleased with reading this part of the sports than I am in writing it, but, as it is a prominent feature in the manners and customs of the period, I have no alternative. They had become frequent, at which the common weapons were broad-swords, small-swords, daggers, and single sticks ;* and the gladiators, who mangled each other for the amusement of the crowd, and the benefit of the taverns in which they were holden, devoted themselves to this savage calling as a regular trade, and subsisted upon the subscription purses, or admittance fees. Many of these fellows went or sent round the country challenges to combat in every village. The following sketch gives a description of the nature of the fight at that time: "Seats The single stick is excellent practice to prepare sailors for a boarding party. The weapon is an ash stick, about the thickness of the thumb, and about four feet long, with a wicker, or basket handle, to protect the hand. There are but few untaught men, with the broad-sword, that could beat the proficient with a single stick. were filled, two drums were beating, dogs yelping, butchers and foot-soldiers clattering with their sticks; at last the two heroes, in their bosom❜d Holland shirts, mount the stage about three o'clock, cut large collops out of each other, to divert the mob, and make work for the surgeons; smoking, drinking, cuffing, and stinking, all the while the company stay."* The writer adds, that even the ladies attended such exhibitions, and viewed them with interest. The most distinguished of these bullies was Figg. This personage taught "the noble art of self-defence," in Oxford-street road, London, where gentlemen were trained in the use of the small sword, and single stick.t In the Spectator, No. 436, honourable mention is made of John Parkes, or Sparkes, a prize fighter. He was buried on the north side of St. Michael's Church, Coventry, under a flat stone, upon which was originally engraved the following inscription : To the memory of Mr. John Parkes, He was a man of a mild disposition, At length quitted the stage, sheathed his sword, The Baron de Bielfield, who was in London in the year 1741, after mentioning the national sport, boxing, he speaks of a combat with swords. The feet of the antagonists, he says, were placed in sandals, which were affixed to the ground, so that they could not stir in the least from one position. Their swords were extremely sharp, and very slight toward the point; and the wounds they gave each other were never very deep; "but the blood soon flowed, at which the people applauded exceedingly." It was from the cultivation of the science of the art of selfdefence, that scientific boxing took its rise, which was found to be a great change for the better; for, some how or other, men will, or rather do, quarrel. And it has been found much better, when such untoward events arise, to settle the difference with the fists rather than with more deadly weapons; ; have " a clear stage, and fair play." Hence England, since then, has rarely + Pierce Egan's Boxiana. * Works of T. Brown. been disgraced with private assassinations by Englishmen. "Of two evils, common sense says, choose the least." Boxing matches, therefore, were hailed with delight. The deadly weapons were laid aside, and the pugnacious encouraged the practice, under the idea that pugilism would, as it did, promote manliness of character. The magistrates sanctioned it, and it had for a while, the influence and the patronage of all ranks, and as well the wealthy A few years after, it brought forth William Willis, whose cognomen was the fighting Quaker; also Broughton, and others. Broughton, the prize fighter, was a waterman, (died 1788, aged 85, he had realized £7000,) and won the first Dogget's* coat and badge. In 1715, he rowed from old Swan stairs, near London bridge, to the white Swan, Chelsea; the distance is five miles, which was once rowed by Mullins, a waterman, in forty-eight minutes against the tide. It is an annual boat race on the first of August. Edmund Kean, the player, added to the prize during his lifetime. It may be remarked, as a noble trait in the English character, as a proof of his manliness and generosity, that when provoked, he seeks not the aid of other instruments; he is content with no other weapons for righting his own wrongs, than those which nature gave him. am not holding up the Englishman as a model in all cases; every nation has its peculiar characteristics; in this particular, an Englishman stands far superior to all other nations in the world. He will protect himself, he will defend the weaker sex, he will revenge helpless innocence with his bared, stalwart arm; nay, he will do more! he will lay down his deadly weapon, if his ordinary working tool is one, and will feel satisfied when his adversary cries, "hold, enough." While all other nations will fly to the first deadly weapon they can grasp; and not remain satisfied, till they have maimed or disfigured, or probably taken life. This great change, this amazing difference in the national character, can be traced as clearly arising from the pugilistic contests of this century, as the flight of the cricket ball can be traced to the bat. There is a very interesting chapter on this subject, in Combe's System of Phrenology, article Combativeness. I beg these remarks may not be taken as an apology for the gratification of a pugnacious disposition: ""Tis folly only, and defect of sense, Turns trifles into things of consequence." MARTIAL. I hope I am fully alive to the propriety of forgiving, rather * Dogget was a comedian of some celebrity at the commencement of the seventeenth century.. than resenting injuries. I have oft reflected, and I would, was I capable, plead with the force of the most eloquent divine, the necessity of forbearance. I how with reverence to the maxim "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord!" I am doing no more than stating an historical fact, in what I have written. SKATING. This diversion is mentioned by Fitz Stephen, a monk of Canterbury, as far back as 1170. The fastest skaters reside in the neighbourhood of the fenny districts of Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, and Cambridgeshire, there it is practised in hard winters, on the meres, with much enthusiasm; about thirty-five years past, a skater easily beat a fleet horse, who galloped by the side of the mere (there was some snow on the ground.) A fast skater, on good ice, will nearly equal the race horse for a short distance, because the foundation on which he moves is then not proper for him: but for length of time, the horse has no chance. In the year 1838, Mr. Simpson, of (Queen's College) Cambridge, accomplished forty miles over very indifferent ice, in two hours and thirtysix minutes; speaking of this noble diversion, when I was young, I never found myself tired, after five or six hours exercise; and, although I lay no claim to having been a swift skater, yet, in point of endurance, I have no doubt I could have tired down any horse. In the year 1821, two extraordinary skaters, Young, and Staples, skated on Whittlesey mere (a match) two miles, in five minutes and ten seconds. It is recommended, that the skates proper for speed, should be low in the iron, with the toe lying near the ice, and higher at the heel than the toe, the irons lying perfectly level on the ice the whole length. A stout man with considerable length of limb, will, in long distances, generally beat one of a lighter frame. There are some fast and excellent skaters in Scotland. This is a diversion in which the fair sex may display themselves with much grace and elegance. Hundreds of the London belles, may be seen thus sportively employed, on the serpentine river, in Hyde Park. I have seen lady's, after an hour's exercise upon the ice, in the face of "rude Boreas," look so as to prompt one to say, "Of nature's gifts, thou may'st with lillies boast, These Hygeian tints, so different to a blowzy appearance, are always much admired in the female countenance; they bespeak health, vigour, and longevity, and which strong exercise in the open air tends to acquire and preserve. If I may be permitted to recommend anything more calculated to preserve the beauty of the American female countenance, which, up to a certain age, ranks them among the most beautiful sylphs in the world. I should certainly recommend them in summer, to mount the horse, and in winter, take to the ice; and, in the language of Klopstock, "like the Homeric goddesses, stride with winged feet over the sea, transmuted into solid ground." How much better this is than medicine, may be easily inferred from the following verse: "Carminatives and diuretics Will damp all passions sympathetic; One blast will put out all the fires." SWIFT. CRICKET. "He (Shenkin) was the prettiest fellow At foot-ball or at cricket, At hunting, race, or nimble pace, How featly he could prick it." T. D'URFEY. IN Pierce Egan's Book of Sports, quoted from Strutt, "He states this manly game is English. 'Tis English, sir, from top to toe." The Penny Cyclopedia says, it is "an English game of strength and activity." In a letter from Horace Walpole, dated Strawberry Hill, 1747. He informs Mr. Conway, "Lord John Sackville predecessed me here, and instituted certain games, called cricketalia, which have been celebrated this very evening in honour of him, in a neighbouring meadow." It began in the southern counties, but has spread all over the country; there are now many clubs, the "Lord's ground, Maryle-Bone," London, is the one most in repute. The members are mostly of the nobility. The Duke of Hamilton once struck a ball 132 yards from his wicket. It may now be said: "I trust we have within our realm, Five hundred good as he." A later poet than Tom D'Urfey observes: 86 'England, when once of peace and wealth possess'd, So grew polite, hence all her well bred heirs, Gamesters and jockies turn'd, and cricket players." JENYNS. All classes play at it; some years past, there was a strong |