Old-time Camsons

Ftrmius, a native oí Seleucia, who was mi : e Emperor Aurelian for espou i anse of Zenobia, :is celebrated for hia feats of strength. In his account of the lifo of Firmius, who Jived in the third eentuiy, Vopiscus iniorms iis that he could si . to be íorged upon an anvil placed upon his breast. Ea doing this he lay upon his back, and resi andshoiildera againet some support, hia Whole body formed an b : ntil the fourteeni 'i centnry the exhibition of such feata does not seeia to b eommon. In the churchyard of St Peter's, Isle of Thanet, Cent, the tombstone of :i man. . land ;s wel] as sea, u b.0 was drowned in a smuggling transaction, has : ■ in eonnty handboo] :.!.-r-. Thisman was Air. Richard Joy, called "The Kentish k wlio died JI:y 18, 17-12, aged 07. In youth he wasi before King William [II. ai liis f th, and was named "Tlie Second Samson." Among liis foats were bo pull agais horse, I bn ;;', a n pe capable of suspftnding 35 cwt. and lift 2,200 pounds. llic epitaj Herculeau hero! Famed for strength. At last [lea here, h s br.-acltli and lengtb, See how thc a Ighty man la fallen! To dea th t lio stioii},' and weah are al] une; And tlic same jadgnenl ik.tli befall Gollatb grc-al aod David small. His ow:i p ra aal strength was very great, bit he had ulso discovered various positions of the body in which mra even of eommon strengt! couM pcrforra very surprising feats. In the ceñirse of eightor ten yearsj howevér, his methods were discovered. Some time afterwards John Charlo Eckeberg, a native of Harzegerode, in Hainault, traveled through Europe under the appellation of "Samson," exhibiting very remarkable examples of his stréng-th. Dr. Desagiiliers, by patiënt observation, found out that his performances were exhibitions of skill rather than of streng-th, and performed many of the feats himself, with more or less sueeess. The famous Thomas lopham, of London, relied on hia povvers alone for the Buccesa of his feats of strength. Dr. Desaguliers gives the relative view of strength of individuáis: Pound. Strength of the woakest men m Strength of very strong men 400 Strength of Topham ...'.'.'. 1.800 Ihe weiglit of Topliam i joo The Emperor Maximin was nine feet in height and he could draw with ease aladen chariot which tvvo h rses could not move. The feats of t:.e famous Roman athlete Milo are too '.veil known to need description. The p.vsent Czar oí Kussia can roll up a florin in a bouquet-holder, flatten a metal cup, etc., by the simple pressure of his hands. He often surprises his friends by the exhibition oí such feats. It will be Been that the name of "Samson" has been plagiarized from an early date. Like their gTeat prototype, most of the world's famous men have come to a Violent end; Milo was devoured by wild beasts; while Maximin was