Ballads, English -- Texts; English poetry -- 19th century; Street literature -- Great Britain
Eighty eight rounds were fought, when Caunt he could not rise,
And all declared the Bendy cock had fairly won the prize.
The Tipton Slasher now may come, but soon he’ll get to know,
That he was not quite big enough to wollop Bendigo.
THIS fight scarcely comes within the scope of this work, but I
introduce it, because it was supposed to be the last of
Prizefighting. Unfortunately, the brutal sport has been revived,
but it can never attain the dimensions and importance it enjoyed
during the latter part of the reign of George III. and the whole of
that of George IV. Gully was page to that monarch and M.P. for
Pontefract, and Jackson was a gentleman, after his kind.
Sayers was of Irish extraction, though born at Brighton. Heenan’s
parents were also Irish, although America was the place of his
birth. The fight between these two took place on April 17, 1860,
near Farnborough. They fought thirty-seven rounds in two hours and
twenty minutes. Sayers was all but helpless, and Heenan, although
full of fight--indeed, he ran _amuck_ of every body at last--was
blind, when the police and spectators broke into the ring, and a
more disgraceful scene was never witnessed, even at a prize-fight.
Many noblemen and Members of Parliament attended this fight; in
fact, many of the latter made a subscription in Sayers’ behalf, as
also did the Members of Lloyd’s, the Stock Exchange, and the
brokers in Mark Lane--clogged, however, with the condition that he
should fight no more. Altogether over three thousand pounds were
subscribed and invested for the benefit of his children, he
receiving the interest for life. He became partner and afterwards
proprietor of Howe’s and Cushing’s Circus--at which he lost all the
money he had. He drank fearfully, and shortly afterwards died of
consumption, aged thirty-nine. His tomb may be seen in Highgate
Cemetery.
_THE BOLD IRISH YANKEY BENICIA BOY._
ATTEND, you sons of Erin, and listen with delight,
To a ditty, ’tis concerning the great and glorious fight,
On the seventeenth of April, when thousands went with joy,
To see the English champion, and the bold Benicia boy.
_Chorus._
He is young, bold and powerful, no care does him annoy,
He can boldly stand ’gainst any man, and fib away with joy;
And he’ll beat the English champion, will the bold Benicia boy.
His father, an Irishman, from the King’s County came,
His son is a bold Benicia boy, young Heenan is his name,
The British ring, he did step in, and came up to the scratch,
When Sayers, the English champion, found that he’d got his match.
It was early in the morning, before the cock did crow,
Unto the scene of action these gallant lads did go.
Both men did fight most manfully, to win each one did try,
But they both appeared determined to conquer or to die.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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