Popular Sports and Exercies, 183 



portant changes have taken place in Europe, 

 with respect to religious, political and civil 

 institutions. The melioration of the condition 

 of man in his social and domestic state, and 

 the general rehnement of his character and 

 manners, have been the happy result of these 

 moral and political revolutions. Yet still there 

 remain sufhcient vestiges of antient barbarity 

 to throw a dark shade on the present state of 

 improved civilization. The cruel sports still 

 so highly relished in many parts of modern 

 Europe, and which bear so near a resemblance 

 to the savage contests of the Circus, exhibit 

 lasting and disgraceful proofs of the relics of 

 antient barbarism. Our own country has been 

 but too justly stigmatized, even by her less 

 polished neighbours, for the devotion of the 

 lower ranks of the people to those amusements 

 which are derived from the sufFerins:s of the 

 brute creation. 



Although the resemblance (whether it be 

 original or imitative is of little importance) 

 between the cruel diversions of England and 

 of Rome, may be considered a subject of just 

 regret ; yet the similarity in some of the manly 

 exercises and hardy sports, practised by the 

 two nations, cannot but claim our warm and 

 just admiration. 



If we have retained more of the barbarous 



