" Name, name 1" Jones, seeing Winter a fine looking
young man, and without enquiring his name, in the
impulse of the moment, exclaimed," Young Spring!"
which designation Winter has held ever since ; and it
is most likely the appellation of Spring will continue
with him until the day of his death.



fought and won several battles in his own
neighbourhood before he arrived in London ;
however, it is rather singular to state, that
although he experienced defeat in one of his
battles, yet he has BEATEN all the men he ever
fought with in the Prize Ring. The following
are a list of the Ex-Champion's battles :



1. Stringer .
2. Painter .
3. Ditto . .
4. Carter .
5. Ben Burns
6. Bob Burns
7. Josh Hudsor
(This was a


h. m. rda.
Sept. 9, 1817.. 39.. 29
April 1, 1818.. 1 29.. 31
Aug. 7,1818..! 4. .42
May 4, 181 9.. 1 55.. 71
Dec. 20, 1819.. 18.. 11
May 1C, 1820.. 30.. 18
i Tune 27, 1820.. r 10. . 5
turn-up under peculiar cir-



cumstances.)

8. Tom Oliver . Feb.

9. Bill Neat . May

10. John Langan Jan.

11. Ditto . . . June



20, 1821.. 05..25

20, 1823.. 37.. 8

27, 1824.. 2 29.. 7t

8, 1824.. 1 49.. 76



The Castle Tavern still maintains its rank
amongst the Sporting Houses ; and on any par-
ticular occasion it is filled to an overflow ; but
in general, it has a very good share of custom.
It is well situated for business : and strangers
from all parts of the country are continually
' dropping in* in the course of the day ; and
it is also a good half-way house between the
East and West End sporting gentry to call in
and settle their matters. But in the evening
it is an attractive feature altogether ; and a
great deal of curiosity attaches to the Castle
Tavern as a sporting house : more especially r
the landlord of it having been once the cham-
pion of England the very sound of which
carries importance along with it and those
persons, particularly from the country, who
have never visited such houses, in general^
feel anxious to take a peep at the resort of
the Fancy, merely to " see what it is like !"
It also offers the opportunity of viewing the
heroes of the ring ; and other persons who
are considered ' public characters' connected
with the turf, &c. The Castle Tavern is most
respectably conducted under its present pro-
prietor, in spite of the calumny which is con-
tinually heaped on such places by hypocrites
and canting knaves :

Yet more, the diff 'rence is as great between

The optics seeing as the object seen ;

All manners take a tineture from our own,

Or some discolour'd through our passions shown ;

Or Fancy's beam enlarges, multiplies,

Contracts, inverts, and gives ten thousand dyes.

The appearance of " Mine Host " is very
much in his favour; and there is a manly dig-
nity about his person which is prepossessing j
his language is also mild and perfectly cor-
rect ; and his behaviour at all times truly
civil and attentive to his customers. A NIGHT
spent at Tom Spring's may not be regretted
by the most fastidious visitor ; and, perhaps,
more amusement and information may be de-



PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.



73



lived from the pro and con'* afloat there, than
from a " residence of six \VEVKS AT LONG'S."
The Castle Tavern, most certainly, is con-
sidered and called a fighting house ; but,
nevertheless, FIGHTING is expressly forbidden
in it by the landlord. "Words," says he,
" cost nothing ; indeed they are little more
than wind ; and you may make use of as
many of them as you like to support your ar-
gument ; but blows are not only painful and
sometimes dangerous, but very often prove
expensive: therefore, you may talk about
lighting as much as you please to promote
milling, but not a blow shall pass in my pre-
sence. However, if you are determined to
have a mill, and inclined to u show off" in it,
I advise you to get a ring made a few miles
from Town, where you will have plenty of
scope for your exertions, and fair play into
the bargain."

The groupes to be met with in the Coffee
room, at times, as the embellishment repre-
sents, are highly characterist ic of the different
grades of life abounding with ORIGINALS of
all sorts a kind of Masquerade, with this
difference only, where the characters play
their parts without resorting to the assistance
of masks ; yet, nevertheless, a great many
persons * pop in on the sly,' who have not
courage to acknowledge who they are ; and
who are equally cautious, if possible, to pre-
vent recognition. But there is no need of this
display of sensitive feeling;* the visitor may
be as qniet as a mouse ; or as talkative as a
clown outside a show if he has any desire
to amuse the company. You may be seated
next to an M. P. without being aware of that
honor ; and you may likewise rub against
some noble lord without committing a breach
of privilege. You may meet poets on the
look out for a hero ; artists for subjects ; and
boxers for customers. Young surgeons you
may likewise meet with at the Castle tavern
who will cut you up in argument, if they can-
not in any other way : and " modest men,"
according to the late witty brilliant orator and
writer, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Esq., "are
dumb " we therefore suppose, that accounts
for the numerous dummies who are nightly
seated at the above Temple of the Fancy ;
but then have not these persons a most excel-
lent excuse for their taciturnity (< to hear
much and speak little, is laudible." If the
cars cannot at all times be gratified with the



* One of the lower order of ranting preachers,
contiguous to Bolton-in-the- Moors, a few years since,
addressed his auditors in the following -metaphorical
language : " I dare say you'd all pay to see a boxing
match between Turner and Randall ; and yet you
don't like to pay for seeing a pitched battle between
me and Beelzebub. Oh, ray friends, many a hard
knock, and many a cross-buttock have I given the
black bruiser for" your sake ! Pull! do pull off these
gay garments of Mammon ; strike the devil a straight
blow, and darken hi.s .spi> itual day-lights. At him
manfully, and I'll be your bottle holder. I ask no-
thing but the money, which 1 hope you'll not forget
bf/ore you go."



various topics of argument brought forward
at the above tavern, the eyes have no cause
for complaint, the coffee room and every part
of it is covered over with some attractive
device ; and if there are not so many pictures
for criticism as may be seen at the ' Exhibi-
tion,' yet there are a number of most excellent
sporting subjects well worthy the attention of
the observer. One of the most prominent
amongst them for a display of talent, is a
" Picture of the Road Going to a fight,"
drawn and etched from life by Robert Cruik-
shank, Esq.*

The company, in a great measure, may be
viewed as rather promiscuous ; therefore, any-
thing like a set of routine faces are not to be
met with every evening as fixtures to the
apartment ; and it is this perpetual change of
visitors that gives fresh life to the scene. The
order at all times is excellent ; and which
good conduct renders the Castle Tavern a
desirable place to pass away a dull or leisure
hour, which might otherwise hang very heavily
on a person's hands : and although we are
quite aware that the landlord is more of a
Sinner than a Saint ; also, that the Castle
Tavern is not exactly the * Paradise* of the
Fancy ; yet it is well known that any thing in
the sh;ipe of * Hell't does not form any portion
of the premises ; and upon all sides of the
question, it is generally admitted that Tom
Spring is nothing else but a " good man."
As an example the following song says a
' tiny bit' about his " goodness !"



" For that sketch," observes the author of the
" Every- Night Hook," oil tl e opposite wall round
which three or four persons are laughing so heartily,
we are indebted to the burine of our young Hogarth
George Cruikshank, the matchless, delightful Cruik-
shank. We have laughed until laughter hath become
a pain to us, at his productions : and, in gratitude for
the jocund moments his pencil hath afforded us, we
would, and we could, even take a wrinkle from his
bnnv, and place it on our own." This is not the fact,
and as the opportunity occurs we hasten to set the
matter right, in order that every tub may stand upon
its own bottom; or, in other words, that the saddle
may be put on the right horse. Soon after the above
' Picture of the Road to the Fight' was hung up at
the Castle Tavern, I met there one evening my two
friends, Mr. Hone (the very clever editor of the ' Every
Day Hook' and several other publications of merit,)
and Mr. George Cruikshank. On looking at the pic-
ture, Mr. Hone said to me, after praising it to the
skies, George has out-done himself!" " No," I re-
plied," you mean Bob Cruikshank." Indeed, I do
not," answered Mr. H., "I repeat, that George has
outdone himself ; and more clever touches of art I
never saw they are beautiful!" " Well," said I, " if
you are so positive, Mr. Hone, I will bet you any thing
yon like, from a glass of grog to a five pound note,
that Bob Cruikshank accompanied myself down the
Road to Moulsey Hurst, to accomplish the above pic-
ture." Upon Mr. Hone appealing to George Cruik-
shank on the subject, the latter celebrated artist, with-
out the least hesitation, answered, " I had no hand
in it." After this declaration, Mr. Hone did not.
attempt to retract the compliments he had paid to the
merits of the picture in question ; but, of course, they
now operated with double effect on the talents of Mr.
Robert Cruikshank.

t Ht'Ll- The cant phrase for a gambling house;,
nothing of the kind being permitted to take place at
the Castle Tavern.



74



PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPOUTS.



THE TRUE BOTTOM'D BOXER ;

OA, THE CHAMPION OF FAME.

(T. Jones.)

Air" Oh ! nothing in life can sadden us."
Spring's the boy for a Monlsey-Hurst rig, my lads,

Shaking & flipper, and milling a pate ;
Fibbing a nob is most excellent gig, my lads,

Kneading the dough is a turn out in state
Tapping the claret to him is delighting,

Eelly-go-firsters and clicks of the gob;
For where are such joys to be found as in fighting,

And measuring mu%s for a chancery job :
With flipping and milling, and fobbing and nobbing,

With belly-zo-firsters, and kneading the dough,
With tapping of claret, and clipping and gobbing,

Say just what you please, you must own he's the go;
Spring's the boy for flooring and flushing it,

Hitting and stopping, advance and retreat,
For taking and giving, for sparring and rushing it,

And will ne'er say enough, till he's downright dead

beat ;
No crossing for him, true courage and bottom all,

You'll find him a rum un, try on if you can ;
You shy cocks, he shows them no favur, od rot'em all,

When he fights he tries to accomplish his man ;
With giving and taking, and flooring and flushing,

With hitting and stopping, huzza to the ring,
With chancery suiting, and sparring and rushing,

He's the champion of fame, and of manhood the
Spring.

Spring's the boy for rum going and coming it,

Smashing and dashing, and tipping it prime,
Eastward and westward, and sometimes back-slumm-
ing it,

He's for the scratch and come up too in time ;
For the victualling office no favor he'll ask it,

For smeller and ogles he feels just the same ;
At the pipkin to point, or upset the bread basket,

He's always in twig, and bang up for the game ;
With going and tipping, and timing and priming,

'Till groggy and query, straight forward's the rig;
With cgles and smellers, no piping and chiming,

You'll own he's the boy that is alwayt in twig. (

MORTALITY IN THE PRIZE RING.

Oh mourn not for prize-fighting kiddies inglorious ;

Lament not the fate of those swells of " the Ring ;"
The Championship's mine ! for I'm ever victorious,

And fam'd Botiana my prowess shall sing!
Then hoist the black fogle ; let marrow bones rattle ;

And push round the skulls which with claret o'erflow ;
Drink, drink to the CHAMPION, who, fairly in battle,

The fam'd men of mutcle for ever laid low !

Within the last twenty-five years the mor-
tality in the P. R. has been very great indeed :
the renowned Jem Belcher, the pride of
Bristol, and the admiration of the London
Ring ; the out-and-out game chicken, Hen.
Pearce, a boxer of rare pretensions, and never
defeated ; and the confident, gay, anglo-Irish
boy, Jack Power, that could * hit and get
away' from every body, except the grand
finisher of the human race ! Bob Gregson, the
Poet-Laureate to the P. R., was likewise
compelled to yield to his devouring gripe, in
the midst of a Sonnet ; the Nonpareil, Jack
Randall, who could get out of trouble like
magic, but, with all his science, he could not
escape from the paralizing corner of the
*' gristly foe ;" and the hardy Welshman,
Ned Turner, who never turned his back upon
danger, was floored to rise no more ! Old
Dutch Sam, the phenomenon, who had aston-
ished every body else with his tactics, was
ultimately astonished, surprised, and captured,
before he was prepared for the attack of the



grim general. The leary Caleb Baldwin, of
Tothill Downs notoriety ; the tremendous
Molineux, and the iron-like man of colour,
Sutton, all of whom were compelled to knock
under, and obey the awful summons. The
lively, entertaining Bill Richmond, better
known as " Lilly-white" was cut short in one
of his funny stories ; the corner-stone of the
P. R., the illustrious hero of the Fancy, Bill
Gibbons,* likewise was compelled to bolt, and
leave his office to other boxers ; and the face-
tious, punch-drinking Irish Champion, Dan
Donnelly, was called away quite in spirits!
The unflinching glutton, Bob Purcell, who
would never strike his colours to any man,
while a chance remained, could not resist the
all-powerful grasp of the grim Tyrant ; the
scientific BillEales ; the prime chanter, Peter
Warren ; Jack Curtis, a bold one, and brother
to the Pet ; the bottom, Jack Ford ; Bristol
Cabbage; the iron-armed copper-smith. Elias
Spray; and Pat Halton: all bowed before
him, and obeyed his terrifying notice. The
swell, DanDogherty, never listened to a decree
with so much real sorrow and regret ; and the
brilliant George Head, who had so often * set
the table in a roar,' with ( all the family,' was
suddenly missed one night at the festive board.
Tom Tnng, one of the finest made men of his
time, porter to the late king, George IV., when
prince of Wales, and who challenged all
England for 1000 aside, was, after all his
boasting, defeated in a second by the skeleton
boxer : the ferocious, determined, neck-or-
nothing gas-light man, Tom Hickman, received
his quietus in an instant ; and the muscular,
hardy, strong White-headed Rob, was forcibly

* This was indeed a <f0M-blow to the " hopes of
the Fancy." It is true that we did not hear the last
words of poor Bill (to his credit be it spoken, he was
never heard to take an oath in conversation), but we
have no doubt he said, " Burn my breeches" (his fa-
vorite expression) to the mighty chief of the bone-
house, " you have tripped me up on thi sly, and also
taken advantage of me in an unguarded moment ; but
if I had had half a chance, I would have served
you out for such unfair conduct." Gibbons was a great
feature in the Prize Ring for fifty years; and the anec-
dotes respecting him, it" published, would form a most
interesting volume. Bill was considered one of the
best judges of dogs in the kingdom; in consequence
of which he became acquainted with several of the
great dons in the upper circles of society, and he was
also selected by them- to procure spaniels, and other
fancy animals, for their ladies. Through the above in-
troduction added to Bill's being termed an " insinni-
tating" sort of fellow; extremely humble in his deport-
ment, and mildness itself when addressing the above
high-born dames, he used to sell them valuable shawls,
French laces, veils, &c. Gibbons told the ladies he had a
knack of getting them into his possession, but the
Excise Officers called it smuggling, and, on one memo-
rable occasion, they would insist upon it they were
right. The Commissioners also backed their opinion,
and very politely informed Mr. Gibbons he must pay
into court 200 for his error. Bill shrugged up his
shoulders on hearing the fine ; but he had a friend at
court who made it " all right " for him ; and he never
afterwards heard any thing more about the matter.
We remember to have seen written, in the hand of
one of the most fashionable women at the west end of
the town, a note addressed fo her shoemaker" Make
the illustrious Bill Gibbons a most excellent pair of
boots ; and spare no expense."



PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS.



ejected from his prime * lush crib' before he
could return a blow. The ' lively kid' Stock-
many proved saucy and desperate to the last
moment of his existence, and even struggled
with Death to obtain the victory. " He's
coming, Jem," said he to his brother, " it's all
up !" And again, as if trying to stop him in
attitude, shouting, " D n his eyes, he's com-
ing !" fell backwards, and gave up the ghost.
And Old Joe Ward, the father of the Prize
Ring, who had for numerous years parried off
the blows of his terrific opponent, was grabbed
by him one night, ' on the sly,' before any of
his friends could render him any assistance.

Well ! so I've ', floor' d those fancy' fighting cocks,
And finisli'd them in style ! Presumptuous fellows !
They ' chaff 'd' of science and, forsooth, would box i
With one whos 'HITS' are sure to touch the ' bel-
li > us.
Cone jted mortals, thus to spar with DEATH,

W.'iose fame's as old almost as the Creation !
For knock-down bloirs which take away the breath,

I've even had a first-rate reputation :
They talk of Championship ! what next, I wonder f
Did they imagine DEATH would e'er ' knock under !'
And yet these heroes of the science nstic,-

Poor stupid drones !
Thinking I could'nt "come it pugilistic,"
Threw up their " castors," stak'd the " ready bustle,"
" Pci I'd and prepar'd with DKATH to have a tu^le
As though their jtesft and blood and muscle,
\\ . re proof against my bone* !

ould they, in fact, suppose
Jcar'd about their blo\\> '.

I! who can "draw the claret" when I please
" Fib," or "cross-buttock" 'em,orcloie their " peepers!"
1! who can "double up" the " swells"* with
And in.ike 'em senseless as the seven sleep. -r- !
Not /, indeed ; and so, it seems, they found,
For there they all lie sprawling on the ground ;
They'll never " come to time " again no, never
At least not here
For 'twill appear,

>V hen 1 their business do, 'tis done for ever !
No, no ! nor had they each a thousand lives,
Could they have stood against my rattling "bunch of
fives, "f

The veteran, Dan Mendoza, the Father of
the Prize Ring, and once its pride and orna-
ment as a scientific boxer, now and then may
be seen of an evening at the Castle Tavern,
talking of ' O the days when I was young."
It is forty-five years since Mendoza first ap-



* The Fancy, in general, thought it was "werry
cruel, nay, werry unfeeling" of Mister Death, to de-
prive them of two such heavy swells, and great patrons
of the ring, in the persons of the late splendid Mr.
Hellish, and the truly liberal-hearted Fletcher Reid,
Esq.

t DEATH has not merely the authority of Pierce
Egan, Lexicographer and Chronicler to "the Fancy"
(observes Mr. Samuel Maunder, a gentleman of con-
siderable research, and general literary talents, in
"Death') Doings," from which the above extracts have
been made) for using the scientific terms here intro-
duced, and specially marked for the benefit of the un-
initiated, bat be is also sanctioned by the classic
Blackwood, io whose pages may be found some high
encomiums on the transcendent merit of that eloquent
ttyle of composition vulgarly called flash ! And is not
its use sanctioned by the sweetest of all sweet poets
the " bard of Erin?" What bettei precedents would
the critics have ?



peared as a pugilist, with Martin, the Bath
butcher, at Barnet races.

The ' Young Ruffian,' so denominated from his
athletic figure and determined resolution, and
who fought with the renowned Jem Belcher,
may also be seen at the Castle Tavern some
evenings, but so reduced in appearance as to
be little better than a mere ' walking skeleton,'
almost sans eyes sans taste sans blunt, and
sans every thing But the visitors are not
unmindful of his former efforts in the P. R.,
and frequently contribute their mites to alle-
viate his distressed state.

Old Jack Scroggins, the * gentlemanly sort
of man,' as he styles himself, generally pays a
visit every night to his friend Tom Spring ;
who, indeed, is a friend in reality towards
poor Jack. Scroggins is full of humour, and,
when the ' grog is not too much aboard,' con-
trives to keep the visitors alive ; he is full of
milling anecdotes, and talks over ' battles
nobly fought, and bravely won,' like the old
generals Blucher and Suwarrow.

The gay old Tom Owen, known by the
title of the Sage of the East, occasionally drops
in for ' auld lang syne ;' also the game Ben
Medley ; and on various evenings in turn, the
whole of the heroes belonging to the P. R.

One of the most striking characters who
frequently visits the Castle Tavern, is the re-
nowned frosty-face JACK FOGO, to have a bit
of a chit-chat ; also to see how the < world
wags,' and to throw * off a chant.' After the
death of Bob Gregson, he aspired to the situ-
ation of poet-laureate to the P. R. No oppo-
sition being offered to his claims, he was
declared duly elected, and took his seat ac-
cordingly. He has published a small volume
of chants, recording the heroic deeds of the
Prize Millers. The following is a specimen
of his style :

Of all the fighting men,

Down from Johnson to Big Ben,
I'll tell you of a su<i II that was so handy, O !

At once to raise his fame,

He fought on Moulsej plain,
But he proved nothing else but a dandy, O.

JACK originally was a translator of soles,
and a protector of * little feet,' but Fogo turned
up both those callings, to look after the 'bodies'
of the fighting men, as a more lucrative con-
cern. He is a facetious sort of fellow ; a
jolly companion, and a man of considerable
importance connected with the P. R., and the
benefits of the boxers. Since his accession
to the Ring he has become a kind of walking
Boxiana; having all the fights, as the saying
is, at his fingers' ends.

Who cries the Ring uncivihzes youth,
Outraging common sense and common truth 1
When science wakes the peasant's dormant wit,
His hands with elegance protect or hit ;
Soon he discards the rustic's sluggish mien,
With grace and gallantry to tread the green.
Ftzll oft the conquer'd kicks and clubs assail,
Where wood, and heath, and ignorance prevail.

It is curious to witness the great anxiety
displayed by the members of the Ring, on



PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.



those nights when Matches are made of great
importance ; and it should seem to the visitor
that as much argument is made use of to pre-
vent the losing, or to concede a point to each
other, as if the fate of nations depended upon
the issue of it ; something like settling the
boundaries between Holland and Belgium.
And so much interest has been manifested by
the public upon the decision of any great bat-
tle, that it has been necessary to employ
several police officers to prevent the crowd
from doing mischief, and also to keep the
door way clear at the Castle Tavern.

In order to give variety to the evening's
entertainment at the above Tavern, a most
excellent Free and Easy has been established
every Friday evening, where some first-rate
singing is always to be heard. Tom con-
tributes himself frequently towards the har-
mony of the evening, and who is also consi-
dered a very fair chanter. Spring is a favorite
with several of the professionals connected
with the theatre ; and who at times are not
backward in giving him a turn.

As a matter that might be expected, the
* Paul Pry sort of folks' who visit the Castle
Tavern, are generally on the alert to ascertain
who's who ? The old stagers are thus fre-
quently bored by the inquisitive stranger, with
" Pray, sir, can you tell me who that gen-
tleman is/' &c., &c. A circumstance like the
above occurred some time since : a young
swell from Oxford observing a person wishing
Spring good night, asked Tom the name of
that tall, gentlemanly-looking man, with spec-
tacles on, who had just left the coffee-room.
t am sure, said the Oxonian, he is some public
character ; and he appears to me to be a very