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lows of fpirit were proud to be enrolled in the lift of his companions; but as their conftitutions were more puny than his, three fets of them had dropt into the grave, and left him at the head of the fourth. He would often boaft of the many promifing geniutes, who had fallen in the vain attempt of keeping pace with him in various fcenes of debauchery. In this light we may confider him as an accellary to so many wanton murders. By the operation of his confcience, at every tavern door he might have met with an acquaintance to bar his paffage; and in the midt of his jollity, like Macbeth, he might have dafhed down his glafs, and imagined that he faw a departed friend filling the vacant chair.

From the nature of the 'facts, which have already been recorded of Tom Dare-devil, the reader will easily conc.ude, that he must have been an Atheist. No creature, who believed in a Supreme Being, could have acted fo vitely towards his fellow-creatures. Tom was prefident of an abominable club, who met together every Sunday night to utter the most horrid blafphemies. The members of this moft fcandalous fociety must have heard of the manner of their great tutor's death. Let us imagine, therefore, that they could figure to themfeives his ghoft ap pearing to them, warning them of their

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What I have here fuppofed might have been the cafe of one particular reprobate, is in the power of every perfon to put in practice for himself. Nothing is a furer inftance of the goodness of the Creator, than that delicate inward feeling, fo ftrongly impressed on every reasonable creature. This internal fenfe, if duly attended to, and diligently cherished and kept alive, would check the finner in his career, and make him look back with horror on his crimes. An ancient is commended for withing, that he had a window in his breast, that every one might fee into it: but it is certainly of more confequence to keep ourselves free from the reproach of our own hearts, than from the evil opinions of others. We fhould therefore confider Confcience as a mirrour, in which every one may fee himself reflected, and in which every action is represented in it's proper colours.

N° XXIX. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1754.

TH

GAUDENT SCRIBENTES, ET SE VENERANTUR.

FROM SELF EACH SCRIBBLER ADORATION DRAWS,
AND GATHERS INCENSE FROM HIS OWN APPLAUSE.

HAT there is a vanity inherent in every author must be confeffed, whatever pains they may take to conceal it from the rest of mankind. For my own part, I readily acknowledge, that I am always wonderfully delighted with my own productions. I fnatch up the favourite theets wet from the prefs, and devour every fyllable; not the least particle efcapes my notice; and I dwell with admiration on the beauties of an expreffive and or emphatical the. If every reader was to pay the fame attention to my works, or perufe them with half the fatisfaction, Mr. Town might be fairly pronounced the greatest author

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of the age. But I am afraid I fhall fcarce find another, who will fo heartily join in the good opinion I have conceived of myself; and many a choice fentiment, many a culled expreffion, which I have repeated to myself over and over again with extafy, has by others perhaps been as hastily hurried over, as any common article in a newspaper.

An author, who is ever big with the idea of his own importance, will gather matter for self flattery from the most trivial circumstances. On the mornings of publication I have fometimes made it my bufinels to go round the coffee

houfes,

heufes, in order to receive whatever incenfe of praife I could collect from the approbation of my readers. My heart you may imagine has bounded with joy, when I have heard the room echo with calling for the Connoiffeur: but how has it funk again, when I have found the fame tokens of esteem fhewn to a brother writer! I could have hugged any honeft fellow, that has chuckled over my performances, and pointed out my good things; but I have been no lefs chagrined, when I have feen a coxcomb coolly take up my paper, fquint over the first page, and throw it down again with all the indifference imaginable: though, indeed, I have never failed within myself to pronounce of fuch a perfon, that he is dull, ignorant, and illiterate. I once happened to be feated in the next box to two noted critics, who were looking over the file of my papers, and feemed particularly pleafed with feveral parts of them. I immediately conceived a very high opinion of their taste and judgment: I remarked with fingular fatisfaction the effect which my wit and humour had on their countenances; and as they turned over the pages, I imagined I could point out the very paffages which provoked them frequently to finile, and fometimes to burst into a loud laugh. As foon as they were gone, I feized the file; when lo! to my great mortification, I found they had been reading, not my own admirable works, but the lucubrations of a brother effayift.

My vanity has often prompted me to with, that I could accompany my papers wherefoever they are circulated. I flatter myself I should then be introduced to the politeft men of quality, and admitted into the closets of our fineft ladies. This confideration would doubtlefs make me vain of myself: but my pride would be foon checked by reflecting further, that were I obliged to follow my papers afterwards through all their travels and mutations, I should certainly undergo the shame of feeing many of them prostituted to the vileft purposes. If in one place I might be pleafed to find them the entertainment of the teatable, in another I fhould be no lefs vexed to see them degraded to the base office of ticking up candles. Such is the fatality attending these loose sheets, that though at their first publication they may be thought as precious as the

Sibyl's leaves, the next moment they may be thrown afide as no better than a last year's almanack.

Ever fince my first appearance in a fheet and half, I have felt great uneafinefs on account of the rude treatment which my works have been subject to in their prefent form. I turned off my printer for a very heinous affront offered to my delicacy, having detected fome foul proofs of my first numbers lodged in a very unfeemly place; and I almost came to an open rupture with my publifher, becaufe his wife had converted a fupernumerary half-fheet into a threadpaper. A lady, whofe fenfe and beau ty I had always admired, forfeited my efteem at once, by cutting out a pattern for a cap from one of my papers; and a young fellow, who had spoken very handfomely of one of my effays, entirely loft the good opinion I had conceived of him, by defiling the blank margin with a filthy lift of foul fhirts and dirty ftockings. The repeated abufes of illiterate bakers, paftry-cooks, and chandlers, I know I am condemned to suffer in common with other mortal writers, It was ever their privilege to prey indifcriminately on all authors good or bad: and as politicians, wits, freethinkers, and divines, may have their duft mingled in the fame piece of ground, fo may their works be jumbled together in the lining of the fame trunk or bandbox.

One inftance may indeed be brought, in which I am used to hail as a lucky omen the damages that my papers appear to have fultained in their outward. form and complexion. With what raptures have I traced the progrefs of my fame, while I have contemplated my numbers in the public coffee-houfes ftrung upon a file, and fwelling gradually into a little volume! By the appearance which they make, when thus collected, I have often judged of the reception they have fingly met with from their readers: I have confidered every fpeck of dirt as a mark of reputation, and have affumed to myself applaufe from the fpilling of coffee, or the print of a greafy thumb. In a word, I look upon each paper, when torn, and fullied by frequent handling, as an old foldier battered in the fervice, and covered with honourable scars.

I was led into this train of thought by an accident which happened to me

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the other evening, as I was walking in fome fields near the town. As I went along, my curiofity tempted me to examine the materials of which several paper-kites were made up; from whence I had fufficient room to moralize on the ill fate of authors. On one I discovered feveral pages of a fermon expanded over the furface; on another the wings fluttered with love-fongs; and a fatire on the ministry furnished another with his ballaft for the tail. I at length happened to cast my eye on one taller than the reft, and beheld several of my own darling productions pafted over it. My indignation was prefently raised, that I hould become the play-thing of children; and I was even afhamed, that the great name of Town, which stared me full in the front, fhould be expofed, like the compofitions of Dr. Rock on the wall, to every idle gazer. However, by a curious turn of thought, I converted what at firft feemed a difgrace, into a compliment to my own vanity.

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No XXX. THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1754.

MULTA VIRI NEQUICQUAM INTER SE VULNERA JACTANT,
MULTA CAVO LATERI INGEMINANT, ET PECTORE VASTOS
DANT SONITUS; ERRATQUE AURES ET TEMPORA CIRCUM
CREBRA MANUS: DURO CREPITANT SUB VULNERE MALE.
THUMPS FOLLOWING THUMPS, AND BLOWS SUCCEEDING BLOWS,
SWELL THE BLACK EYE, AND CRUSH THE BLEEDING NOSE:
BENEATH THE POND'ROUS FIST THE JAW-BONE CRACKS,
AND THE CHEEKS RING WITH THEIR REDOUBLED THWACKS.

Ta time when Peace fpreads her

tions, and when armies (like the harmlefs militia) are drawn into the field only to be reviewed, all Europe must undoubtedly be alarmed to hear of the bloody battle which has been lately fought in England. It is a juftice due to pofterity to preferve a faithful account of this inemorable event: I fhall therefore fet it down, as I find it recorded in thofe authentic registers of heroic actions, the news papers, without deviating a tittle from the expressive terms in which this extraordinary combat is related.

Harlton in Norfolk, July 30. Yefterday in the afternoon Slack and Pettit met and fought. At the first SET. TO, Pettit feized Slack by the throat, and held him up against the rails, and GRAIN'D him fo much as to

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'make him extremely black; this con'tinued for half a minute, before Slack 'could break Pettit's hold; after which 'for near ten minutes Pettit kept fighting and driving hard at Slack, when

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at length Slack clos'd with his antagonist, and gave him a very fevere 'fall, after that a fecond and third; but between thefe falls Pettit threw

Slack twice off the stage, and indeed 'Pettit fo much dreaded Slack's falls, that he ran directly at his hams and tumbled him down, and by that means 6 gave Slack an opportunity of making the falls very easy. When they had 'been fighting eighteen minutes, the odds ran againit Slack a guinea to a fhilling; whereas on first setting out, it was three or four to one on his head; but after this time Slack SHORTENED Pettit fo, as to difable him from running and throwing him down in

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the manner he had done before, but obliged him to ftand to close fighting. • Slack then closed one of his eyes, and beat him very much about the face. At twenty minutes Pettit grew weaker, Slack ftronger; this was occafioned by Slack's STRAIT way of fighting. At twenty-two minutes the best judges allowed Slack to have the advantage over Pettit very confiderably, as he was then recovering his WIND, which was owing to GAME: when they had boxed twenty-four minutes, 'Pettit threw Slack again over the rails. • This indeed Slack fuffered him to do, as by that means he FIXED A BLOW UNDER Pettit's RIBS, that hurt him much. Whilt Slack was again getting upon the stage, (it was not half a minute before he was remounted) Pettit had fo much the fear of his ⚫ antagonist before his eyes, that he walked off without fo much as civilly taking leave of the fpectators, or faying any thing to any perfon. This the Cockers call ROGUING of it; for it is generally thought, that Pettit ran away full ftrong. The whole time of their fighting was twenty-five ⚫ minutes; and this morning the BATTLE was given to Slack, who drew the first ten guineas out of the box. Thus ended this dreadful combat.'

Every man, who has the honour of the British fist at heart, must look with admiration on the bottom, the wind, the game, of this invincible champion SLACK. How muft they applaud his addrefs in fighting frait; and with what deteftation muft they look upon his daftard antagonist, who could fo fhamefully rogue it! Captain Godfrey, the fublime hiftorian of these hardy heroes, would have exclaimed on this occalion- Hail, mighty Slack, thou pride ' of the butchers! Let the fhambles echo with thy praife, and let marrow'bones and cleavers proclaim thy glorious triumph. What was that half bred bruifer Milo, who is celebrated by the ancients for knocking down an ox, to cut out the hide into thongs for ⚫ his Ceftus? Every petty slaughterman ⚫ of Clare Market can perform greater feats: but thou with refiftlefs arm haft not only knocked down oxen, but made the sturdy race of barbers, coblers, and watermen, fall before thee.'

I cannot but lament the cruelty of

that law, which has shut up our amphitheatres: and I look upon the profeffors of the noble art of Boxing, as a kind of difbanded army, for whom we have made no provifion. The mechanics, who at the call of glory left their mean occupations, are now obliged to have recourfe to them again; and coachmen and barbers refume the whip and the razor, inftead of giving black eyes and cross-buttocks. I know a veteran that has often won the whole house, who is reduced, like Belifarius, to spread his palm in begging for an halfpenny. Some have been forced to exercife their art in knocking down paffengers in dark alleys and corners; while others have learned to open their fifts and ply their fingers in picking pockets. Buckhorfe, whofe knuckles had been used to indent many a bruife, now clenches them only to grafp a link; and Broughton employs the mufcles of his brawny arm in squeezing a lemon or drawing a cork. His amphitheatre itself is converted into a Methodist meeting-houfe: and perhaps (as laymen there are admitted into the pulpit) thofe very fifts, which fo lately dealt fuch hearty bangs upon the stage, are now with equal vehemence thumping the cushion.

The dextrous ufe of the fift is a truly British exercife: and the fturdy English have been as much renowned for their Boxing as their Beef; both which are by no means fuited to the watery ftomachis and weak finews of their enemies the French. To this nutriment and this art is owing that long eftablished maxim, that one Englishman can beat three Frenchmen. A Frenchman, who piddles on a fricaffee of frogs, can no more encounter with an Englishman, who feeds upon beef, than the frog in the fable could fwell her little body to the fize of an ox: and from hence we may conclude, on the principles of philofophy, that the elastic fpring, which darts from the knuckles of an Englishman, falls into the heels of a Frenchman. One of my correspondents has already remonftrated against the degeneracy of the prefent times in our fhameful neglect of that fupport of our national ftrength, Old English Roast Beef. Indeed, we can never hope, that any of our modern heroes would attempt to fix a blow under the ribs, when they are afraid of plunging a knife into a furloin: and I will venture to prophe

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fy, that when the times come, that furloins are no more brought upon the table, we fhall not be able to produce one Englishman who can knock down

an ox.

Our prefent race of spindle-fhanked beaux had rather close with an orangewench at the playhouse, than engage in a bye-battle at Tottenham Court. It is therefore no wonder that they fhould object to this manly practice, for which they are fo ill fitted. How can we imagine that they could stand against the buffets of a bruifer, when they might almost be patted down with the fan of a lady? An attempt was once made by Broughton to bring this ftudy into vogue, by establishing a school for Boxing, in which he was himself to be the Jecturer. He invited the young gentlemen of the army, and all other men of fpirit, to engage under his directions; and promifed to arm their feeble wrifts with mufflers, fo that nothing might be apprehended by the fofteft head or tendereft skin. A few, indeed, were hardy enough to try a fall with him: but most of our young fellows gave up the gauntlet for fcented gloves; and loathing the mutton fifts of vulgar carmen and porters, they rather chofe to hang their hands in a fling, to make them white and delicate as a lady's. I cannot but regret, that this defign was not generally encouraged, as it might perhaps have abolished almoft the only ufe that is at prefent made of the fword; and men of honour, instead of tilting at each other, might have had fatisfaction in a tight fet-to behind Montague House.

The amufement of Boxing, I muft confefs, is more immediately calculated for the vulgar, who can have no relifh for the more refined pleasures of whift and the hazard-table. Men of fashion have found out a more genteel employment for their hands, in shuffling a pack of cards and fhaking the dice: and, indeed, it will appear upon a ftrict review, that most of our fashionable diverfions are nothing elfe but different branches of gaming. What lady would be able to boast a rout at her houfe, confifting of three or four hundred perfons, if they were not to be drawn together by the charms of playing a rubber? and the prohibition of our jubilee

masquerades is hardly to be regretted, as they wanted the most effential parts of their entertainments, the E O table. To this polite fpirit of gaming, which has diffufed itfelf through all the fafhionable world, is owing the vast encouragement that is given to the Turf; and horfe-races are esteemed only as they afford occafion for making a bet. The fame fpirit likewife draws the knowing ones together in a Cock-pit; and cocks are refcued from the dunghill, and armed with gaffles, to furnish a new fpecies of gaming. For this reason, among others, I cannot but regret the lofs of our elegant amusements in Oxford Road and Tottenham Court. A great part of the fpectators ufed to be deeply interested in what was doing on the ftage; and were as earnest to make an advantage of the iffue of the battle, as the champions themselves to draw the largest fum from the box. The am. phitheatre was at once a school for boxing and gaming. Many thousands have depended upon a match; the odds have often rifen at a black eye; a large bet has been occafioned by a crofs-buttock: and while the house has resounded with the lufty bangs of the combatants, it has at the fame time echoed with the cries of five to one, fix to one, ten to one.

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The lofs of this branch of gaming is a public calamity and I doubt not but the gentlemen at White's, and all others whom it concerns, will ufe their utmoft endeavours to reftore it. The many plates given all over the kingdom have undoubtedly improved our breed of horfes; and if the diverfion of Boxing was to meet with equal encouragement, we should certainly have a more ftout and hardy race of bruifers. It might perhaps become a fashion for gentlemen, who were fond of the fport, to keep champions in training, put them in fweats, diet them, and breed up the human fpecies with the fame care as they do cocks and horfes. In course of time this branch of gaming, like all others, would doubtlefs be reduced to a science; and Broughton, in imitation of that great genius Hoyle, might oblige the public with a Treatife on the Fift, and Ċalculations for laying the Odds at any Match of Boxing.

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