The Usefulness of Boxing.

Otago Witness, Issue 1861, 22 July 1887, Page 25

The Usefulness of Boxing.

"True courage does notarise from, me re boxing — from the mere beating or beingbeaten, but from the sentiments fexcited by the contemplation and cultivation of suoh practices." So said' the. Right Hon. W. Windham, many years ago, in the course of a speech he made i^ t^e Hfouse of Commons in defence of th> Prize Ring, and he proceeded to Ulu.strate the extreme usefulness of pugilism by the following anecdote :— " One night J was bidding adieu to a young lady after handing her down stairs at the opera, when her brother pressed me to ttak e a sandwich, with him in St. James street. With the lady between us we proceeded along ftill Mail, and when turning into St. James street two men, apparently in a state of intoxication, rushed out of an entry and tried to seize the lady, who at that moment was unguarded on the right hand, feer brother being a few paces in the rear. On hearing his sister scream, 'however, he bounded forward and with o»e blow laid the foreriiosfc of her assailants ia the gutter. What surprised m,o ii?, this was that he was such a little iieyjQ.w, being barely above sft in stature, while these fellows were two tall, raw-boned coalheavers, who.loaked capable of crushinghim at a* blow, and although one was put Iwrs do C9,mfait % I was alarmed about *be= other and shonted lustily for the watch. My companion was not in the least tflanantecC however. ' You take care of my sister,' hesaid, * and if I cannot manage, a pair* off rascals like these I ought to.be <S— d..* The second ruffian, seeing bis fellow on the ground, aimed a blow, $,t me-, but I not only avoided it but saved nay fair partner from harm, on vehjcb, ovu? little ohampion rusbedi f orwa.r4 received the blow on the poirvd ©if his and returned it with one ist the> pit of; th& stomach, which so staggered thewretch that he reeled several' paces, anel finally tumbled headlong into an area at least 3yds deep. This was a.ll the work of an instant, and having taught our foes to,, bite the ground, our skilful champion seized' hold of his sister's disengaged arm, arid not-, suffering the grass to grow under our feet* we arrive^ saiely at his house: This anecdote yX\ I think, establish the usefulness ofi pugilism. Had my friend been as little knowing in the science as his adversaries, very dreadful might have been the consequences, for might wcmia have overcome right, unless the fellows would have hswl the patience to wait until ho ran home for liis sword, and then, indeed, he might have killed them in s\ gentlemanly manner. The next day I pat myself under a master of thu art of self-defence, and I consider n knowh-dge of boxing to be as necessary to the education oi a gentleman as. Greek and Latin."