vy weight on his chest when resting with his head and two feet on
two chairs. By supporting himself with his arms he could lift a piece
of cannon attached to his feet.

A little later Desaguliers studied an individual in London named Thomas
Topham, who used no ruse in his feats and was not the skilful
equilibrist that the German Samson was, his performances being merely
the results of abnormal physical force. He was about thirty years old,
five feet ten inches in height and well proportioned, and his muscles
well developed, the strong ligaments showing under the skin. He ignored
entirely the art of appearing supernaturally strong, and some of his
feats were rendered difficult by disadvantageous positions. In the feat
of the German--resisting the force of several men or horses--Topham
exhibited no knowledge of the principles of physics, like that of his
predecessor, but, seated on the ground and putting his feet against two
stirrups, he was able to resist the traction of a single horse; when he
attempted the same feat against two horses he was severely strained and
wounded about the knees. According to Desaguliers, if Topham had taken
the advantageous positions of the German Samson, he could have resisted
not only two, but four horses. On another occasion, with the aid of a
bridle passed about his neck, he lifted three hogsheads full of water,
weighing 1386 pounds. If he had utilized the force of his limbs and his
loins, like the German, he would have been able to perform far more
difficult feats. With his teeth he could lift and maintain in a
horizontal position a table over six feet long, at the extremity of
which he would put some weight. Two of the feet of the table he rested
on his knees. He broke a cord five cm. in diameter, one part of which
was attached to a post and the other to a strap passed under his
shoulder. He was able to carry in his hands a rolling-pin weighing 800
pounds, about twice the weight a strong man is considered able to lift.

Tom Johnson was another strong man who lived in London in the last
century, but he was not an exhibitionist, like his predecessors. He was
a porter on the banks of the Thames, his duty being to carry sacks of
wheat and corn from the wharves to the warehouses. It was said that
when one of his comrades was ill, and could not provide support for his
wife and children, Johnson assumed double duty, carrying twice the
load. He could seize a sack of wheat, and with it execute th