Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 2 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-1740, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863Miles, Henry Downes
History
Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 2 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-1740, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Miles, Henry Downes
Boxing
A few minutes before one o’clock, Spring, arm-in-arm with his backer and
a baronet, made his way through the crowd towards the stage, and was
received with loud huzzas, Cribb and Painter close behind him. Spring
threw up his hat, which alighted upon the stage, then ascended the
ladder and jumped over the rails.
While Spring was taking off his boots, Cribb and Ned Painter put on
knee-caps, made of chamois leather and stuffed with wool. It having been
circulated in Ireland that Painter used his knee against Langan when he
was on the ground, in the fight at Worcester, a sergeant-major in a
marching regiment, quartered at Norwich, and occasionally visiting the
house of Painter, observed, “By J——s, Mr. Painter, I’ll take care you do
not hurt Langan this time with your knees: I’ll have a couple of
knee-caps made for you both, and if you mean to give Jack fair play, I
insist that you wear them during the battle.” The sergeant had them made
according to his own order, and as Painter and Cribb always were lovers
of fair play, both these pugilists, with the utmost good humour, placed
the caps, tied with a narrow blue ribbon, round their knees.
Langan shortly followed, under the patronage of Colonel O’Neil. Belcher,
Harmer, and O’Neil (not “Ned,” of Streatham), his bottle-holder, were in
attendance. The Irish champion ascended the stage, and in a modest
manner dropped his hat within the rails. He was prepared for action; but
the Champion not being ready, he walked up and down the boards with the
utmost composure.
A black silk handkerchief was placed loosely round Langan’s neck, which,
we understand, was tied by the delicate hands of the lady of a gallant
Irish Colonel O’B——, before he left the inn, at which the lady stopped
in her journey to the Isle of Wight. Mrs. O’B—— offered him a green
handkerchief, as a token of his country; but Langan politely refused,
saying, “I am not of importance enough to make it a national affair: I
do not wish it, indeed, madam; it is merely to decide which is the best
man; therefore, if you please, I prefer a black one, having fought under
that colour.” Mrs. O’B——, on tying it round his neck, romantically
exclaimed, “You are Irish: colour is immaterial to a brave man: glory is
your only object. Go, then, and conquer!” Langan returned thanks very
politely for the attention paid to him, and the good wishes of the lady.
Everything being ready, the colours, dark blue with bird’s eye for
Spring, black for Langan, were tied to the stage, and Mr. Jackson
arranged the spectators round the ring in an orderly and comfortable
manner. Betting two to one, and five to two, at the beginning of
THE FIGHT.
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