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once advertifed to be performed by the grimace Spaniard, who had for fome time amufed the town by making ugly faces. A great company was drawn together by the novelty of the promifed entertainment, but it ended as the bulinels of'the bottle-conjurer did, lome years afterwards. A portrait of Tigg is introduced by Hogarth, in hisfecond plate of the Hake’s progrefs. There is a print of him in inezzotinto, by Faber. After Figg’s death the celebrated Broughton occupied an amphitheatre near the fame l’pot, and was for many years the hero of bruifers, as Figg had been of the prize-fighters, till at laft he was beaten On his own ftage, by Slack, a butcher.* The victor was fup-pofed to have gained £. 600 by the event Of the battle: the fums wonand loft by the Lye-ftanders were to a great amount, the houfe being crowded with amateurs, fome ofwhom were of very high rank. Not long afterwards a flop was put to all public exhibitions of boxing and prize-fighting, by act of parliament. They had long been found prejudicial, in a great degree, to the morals of the people, and were grown into difiepute, even among the amateurs of the art', who found that the ftage- * owners impofed upon them by making up {ham battles, in which the combatants had fettled the , event before they mounted ^he ftage. ■ From about the year 1730 to 1750, the newfpapers teemed with theiradvertisements, which generally.contained the challenges and an-fwers of the boxers, all couched in the fame ftyle of boafting aOurance.f“ one arrived here, who, by lier make and ffature, feems mighty enough to eat her Bp:“ however, Mrs. Stokes, being true Englifh blood (and remembering l'ome late reflec- . “ tions that were caftupon her hulband by fome of that country valk), is refolved to *• lee her out vi at armisThis being like ti prove a notable and diverting engagement,“ it is not doubted but abundance of gentlemen will crowd to Mr. I igg’s amphitheatre,“ on Wednefday, the 24th inftant, on purpol'e to fee this uncommon performance.”’ M ist’s Journal, Nov, 20, 1725.♦ • • it The following advertiferaent announced this celebrated combat:—“The battle u between Mr. John Broughton and Mr. Johii Slack will be decided at the amphitheatre u in Oxford-road, to-morrow, the 11th inftant, exattly at 11 o’clock. Note : By defire-4t of feveral noblemerr and gentleffien, tickets for the matted galleries will be delivered u out at Mr. Broughton’s houfe, in the Hay market.“ As Mr. Broughton fome time fince took leave of the ftage, it may not be improper to acqaaint the public, that nothing but an infult, which to let pais unrefented would highly impeach his manhood/could ever have provoked him again Into the lifts; but he flatters hiinfeJf it will only furnifti an opportunity to add one more wreath to that trophy which, during thlt;* fpace of twenty-four years, he has been raifing by an unin* terrupted courfc of vitlories ; and henceforth hopes that he (hall meet with the indulgence of the old Roman champion, and be at liberty with him to fay* Hie uutfar cajiu* *f arfemque repono”; ’V *•The two following advertifeinents may ferve as fpecimtns of the language of the amphitheatres :—u At Broughton's new amphitheatre in Oxford-ftreet, the back of the late u Mr. Figg’s, on Wednefday next, the 13th inftant, will be exhibited sn experimental lafture in manhood, by Hawkclley and Benjamin Boiweil, profeffors of athletics,* My behaviour in a late combat w'ith Mr. Smallwood, uotwithftanding my inexperience at that time in the art of boxing, having given a favourable opinion of in* prowefs, and being ambitious to give a farther demonftration of it, do now* invite the celebrated Mr. BolwcIl to a trial of his abilities; and doubt not, in fpite of his jaw-u breaking talents, to give him fo manly a reception, as convince the fpedtutors that I u need not defpair of ouc dajr%arrivuig at a Broughton iaD csccllence in tbi* loc nee; nay,If 3 o prrli j'psaititaititaaitu
Newspaper Details
London Annual Register
London, Middlesex, GB
Wed, Jan 01, 1794
Page 1109
Full Page
Clipped by
Peter R.
UK 04 Mar 2020
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