PRIZE-FIGHTING

or BOXING. “P_R. | was known to every one a3 Prize Rin | when prize fighting was in vogue and || fight for the championship was patronise | by the highcst in the land. The rin; | so-called, was really a square of 24 fee ‘|enclosed by two ronan 2 and 4 feet fro: the ground. Each combatant had h -|own corner of the square, to which } | retired between the bouts, and where t | was attended by his seconds with spong and bottle. The battle ended when or |of the combatants failed to come ¢ scratch after half-a-minute’s rest. Tt.| scratch was a line drawn in the middle « | the ring which the combatants had to tc before beginning or renewing the figh,}and where ae! shook hands prior to th | Grst round. Every endeavour was mad | to secure good temper and fair play; i.| other words, a strict observance of th _| rules of the ring, one of which forbad | hitting below the belt, represented b a coloured handkerchief round the wails _| The common expre ions “to throw u,| the sponge” and ** to come up to scratch |} witne to the influence of the ring j }} times past. Tho or fir at came int —- about 1716, and attained i || highest popularity oa century later, whe Jack Shaw, the mighty life-gaardsma 1} was the hero of the day. After the r }| tirement of Tom Spring, {in 1824, am on \|}the most famous eg wer |} “Gentleman” Jackson and Cribb, who: |} monumental tombs attest their forme,| greatne : Jackson’s, in Brompte -| Cemetery, London, and Cribb’s in -|eburchyard at Woolwich; and last, nc _|least, Tom Sayers, whose fight wit.|Hleenan was regarded as a nation: }}event, 1860. Sayers was a light Su e man, 5 feet 8 inches in height; Heena: _|a huge American, 5 or 6 inches taller. 1 was a Ozht between akill and strengtl | It lasted over 2 hours, and the lat /}rounds were fought with the America \| practically blind and the Englis;|champion one-handed. Eventually th \} fight was interrupted. Sayers die »| 5 years later, and was followed to tt, | grave in High gate Cemetery by a coun »} le throng of admirers, After the matc 1} between King and Heenan, in which th latter was ey killed, prize fights, ths \}is, contests with the naked fists, wer || declared illegal (1863)..| PROCRUS’ TES, in Greek legend,.|robber of plausible tongue who wayla! || travellers and invited them to his strony |} hold to share bis hospitality. The gue || on retiring to slumber was placed on a bey || which he was made to Ot by having b le | limbs strotched or lopped according as they s.| were too short or too long. He was slain by the Greck hero, These us. “ I'ro- |, | crustean bed " and “ ’rocrustean proce ” s.| have become metaphorical expre ions. e,| PROCTOR (shortened from L. pro- 3,| curator), one who acts for another. In ve | the Law Courts the proctors hare almost ‘a | disappeared, their places being taken by n | solicitors. The King’s Proctor acta in J | divorce cases to prevent a decree being e, | made absolnte that has been obtained by s. | collusion or concealment of fact a. At the ir) universities the proctors are officials m | appointed by the authorities to see that is | the reculations are adhered to. | [s. 249]