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Article THE REVELATIONS OF A SQUARE. ← Page 15 of 20 →
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The Revelations Of A Square.
and 1767 , and was established according to the former authorities , 2 nd February , 1733 , and b y the latter , February 17 , 1734 . Its origin is someAvhat extraordinary , and worth hearing . "About the year 1730 , or it mi g ht be a year or two
later , the attention of Brother Desaguliers Avas attracted bv reports of the great strength and muscular poAver of a man named Thomas Topham , Avho kept the Red Lion publichouse , nearly opposite the old hospital of St . Luke , and was called , by way of eminence , the STBONG MAN . It appears that he settled down in this locality from its vicinity
to the famous ring in Moorfields , where athletic exercises were performed , such as boxing , wrestling , SAVord-play , and cudgelling , under the superintendence of Old Vinegar , whom I remember well . As was his name so AA'as his nature . A most truculent looking felloAv , Avith a flat nose , swelled cheeks , low forehead , broad across the back ,
shoulderot-mutton fists , and the strength of a giant ; and yet Topham found no difficulty in loAvering his pride ; and ' he overthrew him in the ring as if he had been made of cork , amidst the shouts and halloos of the fancy , and to the supreme deli ght of those whom the potency of Old Vinegar had hitherto forced to succumb .
"The first public feat which Bro . Desaguliers saw Topham perform for the purpose of actuall y testing his strength was this . _ A powerful cart-horse was harnessed and placed on one side ofthe low Avail which then divided the upper from the lower Moorfields , and Topham on the other . Taking hold ofthe end of the traces , the fellow planted his fee ° firml y against the Avail , and told the spectators to flog the horse , which they did , Avithout producing any effect ; for
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Revelations Of A Square.
and 1767 , and was established according to the former authorities , 2 nd February , 1733 , and b y the latter , February 17 , 1734 . Its origin is someAvhat extraordinary , and worth hearing . "About the year 1730 , or it mi g ht be a year or two
later , the attention of Brother Desaguliers Avas attracted bv reports of the great strength and muscular poAver of a man named Thomas Topham , Avho kept the Red Lion publichouse , nearly opposite the old hospital of St . Luke , and was called , by way of eminence , the STBONG MAN . It appears that he settled down in this locality from its vicinity
to the famous ring in Moorfields , where athletic exercises were performed , such as boxing , wrestling , SAVord-play , and cudgelling , under the superintendence of Old Vinegar , whom I remember well . As was his name so AA'as his nature . A most truculent looking felloAv , Avith a flat nose , swelled cheeks , low forehead , broad across the back ,
shoulderot-mutton fists , and the strength of a giant ; and yet Topham found no difficulty in loAvering his pride ; and ' he overthrew him in the ring as if he had been made of cork , amidst the shouts and halloos of the fancy , and to the supreme deli ght of those whom the potency of Old Vinegar had hitherto forced to succumb .
"The first public feat which Bro . Desaguliers saw Topham perform for the purpose of actuall y testing his strength was this . _ A powerful cart-horse was harnessed and placed on one side ofthe low Avail which then divided the upper from the lower Moorfields , and Topham on the other . Taking hold ofthe end of the traces , the fellow planted his fee ° firml y against the Avail , and told the spectators to flog the horse , which they did , Avithout producing any effect ; for