THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 15 



robust and vigorous, and capable of supporting the 

 severe fatigue of a soldier's life, that they were wisely 

 made to form a part of their religious worship), he had 

 read that the most celebrated characters of their day 

 excelled in the boxing and wrestling arts. Epaminondas, 

 for example, one of the greatest generals and most perfect 

 characters that Greece ever produced, was a patron of, as 

 well as conspicuous in, all such exercises ; and it is gravely 

 stated in history that a knowledge of the art of wrestling 

 gave to the Thebans under his command the battle of 

 Leuctra, and decided the fate of Sparta. Having read 

 of all this, his wonder ceased at finding that master of 

 the wrestling art, Hippomachus, declare that he could 

 discover his scholars at a distance, though they were 

 only carrying meat from the shambles ; or that crowns 

 of olive should have been bestowed by the Eleans on 

 boys of his own age, who had excelled in gymnastic 

 exploits. Nor was the art of boxing exhibited to his 

 young, but aspiring mind, in less glowing colours. He 

 found not only that Milo, one of the athletae of his day, 

 could knock down a bull by a blow of his arm, but, by 

 the example of Dares, that the science of self-defence, as 

 the modern term is, was not beneath the notice of a 

 prince. So far from it, indeed, that, among the Greek 

 and Roman nobility and gentry, scarcely a day, he found, 

 passed without their practising bodily exercises in the 

 gymnasium the use of the csestus among the number; 

 and, to his surprise, he learned that even the love of 

 gladiatorial shows amongst the Romans increased as they 

 progressed in civilization, and their manners became more 

 refined ; and that such exhibitions nourished during the 

 reigns of two of their most humane emperors, Trajan and 

 Titus. Then, again, he had listened to his father while 

 discussing the subject with his friends, in reference to 

 the doings of those days when Broughton, Slack, 

 Humphries, Mendoza, Big Ben, and others, all famous 

 men in the ring, were in their zenith. Mr. Raby, 

 however, was no patron of pugilism. His duties as a 

 magistrate forbade it ; still, as conducted in those days, 

 he was rather favourably inclined towards it than other- 

 wise. At all events, he would occasionally deliver his 

 sentiments on the subject somewhat after this manner : 

 " I am doubtful," he would say, " as to the effect of con- 

 flicts between animals, on the courage of the people ; at 



