They both had pluck and courage, Each proved himself a man, None better since the days of Spring In the British ring did stand. Erin-go-bragh, cried Heenan, I want the English belt, When Tom let fly, saying, I will die, Or keep the belt myself. At length bounced in the peelers, And around the ring did jog, So those heroes were surrounded By a lot of Hampshire hogs, Who caused them to cut their stick, And from the fight refrain, That they were both determined In the ring to meet again. We admit Tom Sayers had his match One who did him annoy, With lots of pluck and courage, Was the bold Benicia boy. And when two heroes fight again, For honour and for wealth, He that’s the best man in the ring, Shall carry off the belt. H. Disley, Printer, 57, High Street, St. Giles, London. TERRIBLE ACCIDENT ON THE ICE IN REGENT’S PARK, AND LOSS OF FORTY LIVES. Of all the dread calamities you ever yet did hear, Either in history or story; If pity is within your breast, you will shed a silent tear, And mourn for those drowned, now in glory! The 15th of January, that Tuesday afternoon, Some hundreds on the ice took their station, Young men and boys, in youth and bloom, To the park went for healthy recreation. But soon it gave way, more than 40 lost their lives, The widows and poor orphans ’twill distress them; God bless those gallant hearts, to save life did strive, And those now in Heaven,--God rest them. ’Twas near four o’clock, how dreadful to relate, The ice it broke up in every quarter; Two hundred then fell in, oh, what a sad fate, All struggled for their lives in the water. The cries of the people, as they stood upon the shore, To witness such a scene most distressing, Some clung to each other, but now are no more, In grief are the friends of the missing. What must have been the feelings of those standing by, Unable to save and madly raving? The women rushed about, and bitterly did cry, My children, my children, oh save them! Wives calling to their husbands,--children, father dear, But few that were able to assist them, Now all will miss their own, for them shed a tear, Kind fathers, the children will miss them. They clung to the ice, until benumbed with cold, The ice in their grasp broke asunder; One lady on the shore, in grief did behold Her husband, exhausted, go under; Two sisters were screaming and calling for aid, Their sorrow, poor girls, could not smother, In anguish wrung their hands, and franticly said, For God’s sake save my poor brother.