THE CATS. 25 
sums were lavished in their arrangement; even the armies, when 
stationary for a short period, had their circus; and traces of 
_these erections are to be found in the most distant parts of the 
Roman empire. Training men to these sports became a pro- 
fession, and persons of rank were emulous to engage in them, 
because they were thought to keep up the martial spirit of the 
nation. 
The number of fierce animals collected at these shows was 
immense, and the slaughter no less so. Cornelius Scipio Nasica 
introduced sixty-three Lions. Scylla exhibited 100, which he 
received as a present from Boschus, King of Mauritania, with 
some Mauritanians to fight them. Pompey, at the opening of 
his theatre, exhibited a variety of games and battles with wild 
beasts, in which 500 Lions were slain in five days; and in 
another exhibition, the tragedy consisted in the massacre of 
too Lions, and an equal number of Lionesses, 200 Leopards, 
and 300 Bears. In the extravagant theatre built by Scaurus, 
500 Panthers were let loose in the-arena on a single occasion. 
At a later period, by many of the Indian sovereigns beasts 
of prey were kept to be hunted; or, being tamed, were placed 
near the throne upon occasions of pomp. They were also much 
more frequently employed as the executioners of criminals, or 
persons who had dispieased their despotic masters. The King 
of Pegu kept a park for Lions, Tigers, and other fierce beasts, 
called Liparo ; and it was a sad and daily sight to see criminals 
devoured by them. 
But in other parts of these countries, particularly Hindustan, 
instead of being used to rouse the martial spirit of the youth, 
the beasts of prey occupy a prominent part in the religious 
rites. In the mythology of the Hindus, many of them are held 
as sacred, or as evil spirits which can be propitiated by food. 
It is therefore a crime to destroy a Tiger ; and the teeth and 
claws are worn as charms against their ravages. Similar ideas 
