THE

GENTLEMAN's and LONDON

MAGAZINE,

For FEBRUARY,

B O X I N G.

1788.

Embellished with an elegant Copper-plate Engraving, reprefenting the memorable and fevere Contest at Odibam, near Basingstoke, on the 9b of January 1783, between Richard Humphries and Daniel Menduza the Jew; drawn on the Spot by R. Dighton.

his Bottleholder, appeared thereon, and was received by reiterated huzzas, and plaudits; after howing to the audience he proceeded to ftrip. His dress when ready to engage, was, a pair of flannel drawers, tied with a coloured ribbon, white filk ftockings with gold coloured clocks, and a pair of light hoes, faftened with black ftrings. While he was preparing, Mendoza attended by Jacobs as his Second, and another Jew, his Bottle-holder, mounted the flage, and was alfo.rceived with loud acclamations, from a prodigious concourse of Jews who flocked from all parts. Mendoza's dress was more plain than that of Humphries.'

The price of admiffion into the paddock wherein the Stage was erected, was half-aguinea, and many hundreds paid. The avenues and doors were guarded by Tring, Ryan, Dun, Sandal, and many other noted bruifers; who with uplifted gigantic arms, for a while intimidated the populace from breaking into the places appropriated for the amateurs; but what can refift the shock of an English nob?-They broke down the fences, and feized on every vacant place.

The combatants were prepared for the onfet in a few minutes after they came upon the Stage, and on shaking hands, it was begun by Mendoza with all the heat and impetuolity of a man determined on victory. Humphries appeared aftonished, and retreated, guarding and catching the blows of his adversary, which were thrown in with much activity and quickness. Full fifteen minutes did the Jew attack, with fuch apparent f

H

perior

58

Account of the Battle at Odiham.

Feb.

him by the nofe. This was inhuman and
pitiful, and whick called loudly for fomething
Various have been the different accounts
more than the interference of the Second.
of this conteft in the daily publications, but
our readers may depend upon our correctness,
as the writer was a near eye-witness to the
whole.

periority, that the odds, which were two to one against him, changed to the like proportion in his favour. Humphries remain ed undaunted, fill acting on the defence. It is yet a matter of difpute, whether his conduct in the onfet was manuvre, or whether the nouvelle stile in which he was attack ed, addel to the unexpected vigour of his antagonist, made him give way until oppor tunity offered to display his skill to advantage. We are inclined to give credit to the latter; for early in the battle he was driven into a corner of the Stage, where he received a blow which knocked him against the rails, and his body was fufpending. In this fituation, Mendoza was preparing a fecond, which would have driven him off the Stage, had not Johnson caught it. On this, many called out Foul! Foul!-But the umpires, as well as every amateur, declared that Johnson was juftified, Humphries being confidered as completely knocked down. The Stage from the wetness of the day, was ve ry flippery, which proved more unfavourable to Humphires. He took off his fhoes; but filk ftockings did not contribute to remedy the inconvenience; he therefore had recourfe to a worfted pair which he had At ten minutes after one o'clock, I fet to thrown off on ftripping, in which he flood more firm, and began to manifest his great fuperiority in gimnaftic exercife. He flood with Mr. Humphries; and, for nearly 20 up to his antagonist, who was flushed with minutes, I had moft evidently the fuperiorifuccefs, in attitudes, which would have ar- ty. Finding with eafe, I could flop most of ed by Mr. Humphries, (a mode of fightrefted the pencil of a painter, and with an his blows, and though I was frequently clofundaunted fortitude. From this moment the odds again changing I could wish to avoid) I found an ability ed in favour of Humphries. He threw in a to throw him. blow near the loins of his antagonist with great judgment; and the next round, planted a more dreadful one in his neck, which fickened and almost disabled him. Mendoza, however, fill continued the battle with much determination of spirit, until extravafated blood and exhaufled wind, made him so helpless that he lay on the Stage unable to move, and yielded the conteft.

Humphries, before the battle, declared a refolution of never fighting on a Stage again; but in confequence of Mendoza's defire of a second trial, he has fent him another Challenge, "purely as he terms it, to oblige him ;" and the following Letters have passed between the two champions, but the terms are not likely to be agreed on. MENDOZA's Letter in Vindication of bis Behaviour at the late Contest between him and HUMPHRIES.

A battle in which there was fo much dexterity and skill, with fuch equality of ftrength and mufcle, perhaps never was fought, and certainly there never was a conteft on which fo much money depended. The battle lafted 29 minutes. The jew was carried off the Stage totally exhaufted, and feemingly lifelets. Humphries was not out of breath; and fuffered no material injury from the blows.

The friends of Mendoza ftill complain of Johnfon's interference, at the time when the blow he caught would have gained the battle. This is illiberal, after the determination of the umpires. On the other fide, a charge is made of Mendoza's attempt to gouge the eye of Humphries, and when every other exertion was ineffectual, to pull

Understanding with no little degree of anxiety, that fome gentlemen have disputed the propriety of my conduct on Wednefday laft, in the battle between Mr. Humphries and myself, I am induced to exhibit the following facts; on the proof of which I will bazard every credit from a generous public, whom I never have, and never will deceive.

My ftrength and fpirits were fuperior to my adverfary, till the last fall but two, when I then found myself I fell directly on my head, and by the force pitched quite over. much hurt in the loins, indeed fo much, that it was with extreme difficulty I could ftand upright; but by the last fall I received I was rendered wholly incapable of ftanding; indeed I was fcarcely able to breathe ; and it was with great pain that I could fit on the knee of my Second. When Johnfon asked me if I had done, I could only anfwer him by a fign.

By this untoward accident alone, I loft a battle, on which my warmel hopes were fixed.

more;

To my friends and patrons on that occafithe confidence of which I never have on I owe much; to the public I owe fill betrayed. With this affurance I fhall only add, that if the world is defirous of renewing the conflict, and fhould Mr. Ilumphries be willing, I fhall be more than happy to D. MENDOZA, engage him.

No. 9, White fritts
Houndjd::co.

P. S. Mr.

་་

not but be his intereft, at leaft, to make a fhew of refpect.

HUMPHRIES'S REPLY TO MEN DOZA. Without replying to the invidious reflec- In fine the fentiments of juffice and libe tions fo bountifully beftowed on me by rality are readily conceived, and as easily Mr. Mendoza, (which, unless we were to conveyed :- Prefuming on this, I thought abide by common fenfe, muft only expofe us I gave fufficient time for a direct answer; to the derision of a difcerning public), 1- -but to give colour to artifice, that it may fall first observe, that it affords me infinite pleature, when I confider after a week's reflection on my answer to his challenge, it does not contain a fentiment I could with amended AndI mean unequivocally to abide by my first engagements, even to the article of odds; for how can he reconcile the juf tice of his remark on this head, with his bold affertion, "that I am indebted to Chance for the Victory!"

bear the femblance of endour, requires ar leaft a week's meditationor, it would be too easily detected."

Once more, I repeat it, that I fall meer him only on the conditions flated in my first letter; with this additional one,

That should I be beaten through accident, he shall give me an opportunity of re-eftaBlishing my credit in another conteft. It is clear, that fhould I accede to his ridiculous propofitions, it would only be driving him to new ftraits-for the whole tenor of his Letter only proves, that Parrying not Fighting, is the end of his wifbes.

RICHARD HUMPHRIES.

Yet I cannot help remarking, that neither Mr. Mendoza nor his friends feemed decided where they should fix this unlucky difaffer. At first it was in his ancle; and there were people who would have fworn they faw three of the bones come out. Then the diforder moved gradually up to his hips; from whence, (left it thould be mistaken for a rheumatic complaint), it fettled with moft excruciating pains in his long, whe finds it 'born in the province of Ireland ghe,

I am

convenient. His relying on his Surgeon for the moment when he fhall be pronounced recovered, is ridiculous; his complaint being of fuch a nature, that himself must be the beft, and only judge, when he is free from

it.

It may be true, what he obferves of the ftrain in his loins, "that it is fometimes an unwelcome companion through life;". But does it follow, that I am to ftand engaged to meet him, whenever he thall think proper to call upon me? Is there no time when a man may be fuppofed paft his prime for boxing? Or if not, fhall he never have the choice of retiring from fcenes, which at once involve the hazard of his life, and reputation?

The propofition which fentences," the firft man who clofes to be the lofer," I muft confefs, does not more furprise me for its abfurdity, than that it fhould come from the sman who in the laft conteft, was himself the fickt to clofe-not to mentien the folly, in depriving himself of the opportunity of gougeing, and practifing other unmanly arts, the effects of a defeated fpirit. Whoever confiders the above propofal, must be furprif ed it did not occur to him, to declare against hard blows; 66 a mode of fighting" he may alo" wish to avoid "But it is endless to trace his abfurdities, indeed, both his mode of reaioning, and the nature of his propofals, ate fuch, that it is wonderful no one fhould have reminded him, that the of fering them to the confideration of the pubsc mult Le decurred an infult, where it can

January 20, 1788.

A Sketch of the Life and Character of Dennis O'Kelly, Efq.

KELLY was a and

where the defcendants from the aborigenes of the island, and thofe of the old Milefian race moftly refide. His parents were probably peafants of the loweft order, as Mr. O'Kelly, though he latterly was able to affume the fang froid in his manners and converfation, was perfectly illiterate; but being oleffed with a good memory, and native drollery, he was feldom at a lofs in conver fation, and took part in every fubject propofed-always pleafant and never offenfive, for though his voice was coarfe, his addrefs was complaifant.

Poffeffing thefe qualities, to which may be added an inquifitive difpofition, it is not furprizing that he pleafed in the different claffes of mankind in which he has appeared.

It has been faid that his first rife was owing to the penchant of a lady, of fashion, but this is falfe: we have flated the facts of his life, and we are competent to say, that he rofe, by flattery: that the gradations of his adventures were through a medium of gambling; and that at la having been ruined by play, he was arrefted, and lay for a confiderable time a wretched prifoner in the Fleet prifon, where, after feveràl. months refidence he became tapfter to the warden.

It was here his acquaintance with Charlotte Hayes originated: the had money, and he poffeffed thofe abilities of perion and conftitution, which the preferred to all othert, and they formed a connection without the interference of Hymen, which laft

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