42 



Round, within round, the blind maeanders run, 



Untiac'd and dark, and end where they begun. 



The skilful youths in sport ahernate ply 



The siiifiing course, by turns they figlit and fly. 



As dolphins gambol in the watery wa3', 



And bounding o'er the tides in wanton circles play. 



These sports Ascanius when in mighty length 



He rais'd proud Alba, glorying in her strength, 



Tauglit the first fathers of the Latian name, 



As now hesolemniz'd the noble game: 



From their successive Alban offspring come. 



These ancient plays to grace imperial Rome. 



Who owns her Trojan band, and game of Troy, 



DerivM through ages from -the princely boy. 



Pitt's virgil. 



But the funereal games of the ancients, in which chariot races were 

 exhibited, are of the highest antiquity, and celebrated by Homer. 

 The Romans in after ages, were accustomed to have led Horses at 

 their funerals, and in other public processions, a custom still retained by 

 most modern nations; and the decursioiies equestres, or equestrian ex- 

 ercises, in which the young Romans were used to display their skill 

 and address in horsemanship, before the ladies, doubtless gave birth to 

 those tournaments which became so universally prevalent during the 

 chivalrous ages. Thus we find almost every possible use and applica- 

 tion of the Horse, whether to business or pleasure, seem to have been 

 anticipated by the ancients ; proving the earliest sense and conviction 

 of his immense importance to man. 



That the French first adopted the tournament, appears probable from 

 the concurrent testimony of historians. The word, together with its 

 correlative, carotisel, are of Gallic extraction. As early as the year 840, 

 on the occasion of an interview at Strasburg, between Charles the 

 Bald and his brother Lewis of German}^ the courtiers of each tilted on 

 horseback, in order to display their proficiency and emulation in the 

 military equestrian exercises. Three centuries afterwards, tournaments 

 were instituted at Constantinople, expressly upon the French model. 



Tournaments were solemnized in England in the year 1140, during 



the 



