As well as manly firmness.
’Tis godlike magnanimity to keep,
When most provok’d, our reason calm and clear,
And execute her will, from a strong sense
Of what is right, without the vulgar aid
Of heat and passion, which, though honest, bear us
Often too far.”
For the minor battles of Turner, which form the prefatory matter to his ring doings, we are entirely indebted to Pierce Egan, as the journals of the period contain no trace of these by-affairs of a boxer as yet without public fame.
“A publican, of the name of Keating, landlord of the Black Horse, in the vicinity of St. Giles’s, brought forward a big Irishman, whom he had patronised, to fight Turner in the cockpit at the Huntsman and Hounds, in Lock’s Fields, for five guineas a side (1813). For the first three rounds Paddy bored in upon Ned with the utmost fury, and the latter in going down fell with his back upon the short stakes which formed the pit. The contusion was so severe and painful that Turner did not recover from its effects for the course of several rounds. At length Ned got into work, and before twenty-five minutes had elapsed, Paddy was so bothered, beaten, and blind, that he could not tell whether he was living at that moment either in England or Ireland.
“Turner, soon after the above circumstance (1814), in company with three of his fellow-workmen, left London to fulfil an engagement he had made at a skin-yard in Glasgow. A man of the name of M’Neil, a spirit dealer, and a pupil of Carter’s, had threatened, previous to the arrival of Turner, to mill all the Englishmen in Glasgow. In fact, M’Neil was the champion of that place, and was in height five feet eleven inches, and weighing thirteen stone. Turner was soon singled out after his arrival in Glasgow by M’Neil for a trial of skill. A match was accordingly made for five guineas a side, and the contest was decided in a room. In the course of half an hour M’Neil was completely defeated. Some time afterwards he wished to have another trial allowed, and £5 a side was deposited to make it for a larger sum; but M’Neil preferred forfeiting the deposit to entering the ring again with Turner.