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
For the details of this gallant contest we must also refer to the memoir
of the victor. To the minutiæ there given we must here add a few proofs
from contemporary publications of the deservedly high position in which
Langan’s gallant conduct placed him with the public at large and
sporting men generally.
Spring, it cannot be denied, received considerably more punishment in
this battle than in any of his previous contests. This speaks for
itself, and refutes the imputation of Langan being a bad fighter. The
hero of the black fogle hit hard at a greater distance than most boxers.
Mr. Jackson went round the ring and collected several pounds for Langan;
and in the course of a few minutes, as a proof of how high the Irish
Champion stood in the opinion of the amateurs, Pierce Egan collected on
the stage, from a few gentlemen, £12 16s., of which sum Mr. Gully
subscribed five sovereigns. The following letter from John Badcock (the
Jon Bee of Sporting Literature) forms a fitting accompaniment to the
appended verses in praise of Langan:—
“Well, sir, there is redemption in Gath, and the Philistines are
discomfited, the Puritans overthrown, the Parliament of the
Barebones dissolved, the opponents of the fancy defeated in their
designs, the impugners of manhood laughed into scorn. There have now
been no beaks, no x x’s, like clouds and storms upon the pugilistic
hemisphere; we have had a noble, manly, fair British fight—the flag
of the P.R. is again triumphant, and the colours of both the
combatants covered with glory. The conqueror has reaped new laurels,
the conquered has renewed and refreshed his: Spring has been truly
triumphant, but Langan is not disgraced—as the old Major says,
‘quite the contrary.’
“You have acted, and you have written nobly, sir, about the
discomfited son of Erin: you have rendered unto Cæsar Cæsar’s goods.
I am an Englishman, and I love, I reverence, the land of mawleys and
roast beef; but I can respect our brethren of the Union, and speak
well of the country of shillelahs and potatoes. The hero of the
sable banner shall yet be a conqueror—‘quoit it down, Bardolph!’—and
so, my jolly Daffs, let us have a stave for the Black Fogle.
“JOHN OF CORINTH.
“THE BLACK FOGLE.
“‘Hic Niger est, hunc tu Romane caveto.’—_Old Classics._
“‘He sports a black flag, ye millers beware of him.’—_Modern
Classical Translation._
“Hail to brave Pat! though he’s had a sound thumping,
Long life to the Champion from Ireland so dear;
Strike up, ye fancy coves, and be all jumping,
To give the brave Paddy a benefit clear,
Crest of John Langan—
Faith, ’tis a queer ’un,
A fogle of sable as black as can be,
And he hath stuck to it,
Though without luck to it—
Whack for the fogle and Jack Langan’s spree!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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