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fafts. Modern Italy, k is faid, has no gladiators, but nu- 

 ni'Tous afrafiiiis ; wluTt-as anciiiit Rome iind fcarcdy one 

 aflafTin, but whole armies of gladiators. As far as it re- 

 fpcrts the national cnaraiter, it fctnis to be of little mo- 

 ment, whether bidis be killed by biitcliers or by champions ; 

 and it is well known, that lueh fpe6taclcs have little or no 

 influence on the difpofition, becaufe they are attended by 

 people of all ages and itatlons, and yet tliey neither give 

 energy to the feeble, and baldnefs to the timid, nor make 

 any alteration in the niildntfs of their manners. The bull- 

 figi\ts of Spain and Portiioal attrad a crowd of fpetkators, 

 and yield very confiderable fums of money to thofe who un- 

 dertake and conduct them, of which part is appropriated 

 to tlie pin-pofe of defraying the txpence of horfes and bulls, 

 and of paying the hire of the toradors ; and part is applied 

 to the fupport of religious and eleemofynary eftablilluiients. 

 Thefe entertainments have formed one of the chief funds of 

 the hofpital at Madrid. The bulls that are felefkd for thefe 

 eombats are of a pec\diar breed, and the connoilTeurs can rea- 

 dily dillinguifli by a view of them where they have been bred. 

 The arena, where thefe (liows are exhibited, is a kind of circus 

 furroundcd by ranges of feats, one above another ; and the 

 highellof them is covered. The lower part of the edifice is oc- 

 cupied by boxes. At Valladohd, which has no circus appro- 

 priate to thefe lights, the principal fquare is converted into a 

 theatre, and the balconies of the adjoining houfesare made to 

 projeft in fuch a manner as to accommodate the numerous 

 fpeftators who aflemble on thefe occafions. The fpeftacle 

 commences bv a kind of procefiion around the fquare, in 

 which the combatants appear both on horftback and on 

 foot ; and they are preceded by two alguazils on horfeback, 

 who are deputed to obtain of the prelident of the (liow an 

 order for its commencement. Upon a certain fignal, the 

 animal appears ; and the officers of juilice by hallily with- 

 drawing, give notice to the fpedlators that their cruel paf- 

 tims is about to begin. The bull is received, on his ap- 

 pearance, with loud fliouts ; and the conteft is begun by the 

 " picadors," who arc mounted on horfes and dreffed in the an- 

 cient Spanifli mode, each of them being armed with a long 

 lance. To the honour of this part of the combat, which 

 requires ftrength, courage, and dexterity, feveral perfons of 

 rank occafionallv afpire. When the bull darts upon thefe 

 combatants, wi'hout any previous irritation, his courage is 

 applauded ; and if in fpite of the pointed weapon which re- 

 fills his afiault, he returns to tlie charge, the fliouts of the 

 fpeflators are redoubled, and their joy feems to tranfport 

 them into enthullafm ;' but if the bull is timid, and avoids 

 his perfecutors, he is hooted at and hiffed by the fpeftators, 

 and infulted with reproaches and blows by thofe who are 

 near him. If thefe modes of provocation are infufficient to 

 roufe his ferocity, large dogs are let looie upon him, which 

 feize him in a furious manner by the neck and ears ; and 

 which he totTes into the air, fo that they fall to the ground 

 flunncd, and fometimes mangled. At length, however, the 

 combat is renewed, and the animal, overcome by his afTail- 

 ants, perifhcs ignobly. If the animal manifells fpirit and 

 iiercenefs, the picadors pierce him with their lances ; and thus 

 irritated, he furioully attacks the horfe which carries the 

 combatant, rips up his fides, and overturns him and his ri- 

 der. The picadors thus difmounted and endangered, are 

 relieved by other combatants on foot, called " Chulos ;" 

 who divert the animal's attention by fhaking pieces of dif- 

 ferently coloured cloth before him; thefe the provoked animal 

 purfues; and they efcaps merely by their agility. Some- 

 times they are under a neceflity of throwing thcmfelves over 

 a barrier that cnclofes the arena. When this barrier is 

 fingle, the bull purfuing the chulo, fometimes jumps over 

 Vol. V. 



it, and caufes great conllernation among the fpeflatow 

 on the lower benches, fo that in tlieir precipitance for ef- 

 caping, they fiidtr as much as they might have done from 

 the fury of the animal, who, however, becomes incapable 

 of this kind of purfuit. The pxador, when elTedtually 

 relieved, mounts his horfe, or if the firll horfe be killed or 

 become unfit for fervicc, procnrci another, and renews the 

 combat. When the picadors have fufliciently tormented the 

 bull, they withdraw, and leave him to the irritation of the 

 combatants on foot. Thefe latter, denominated " banderil- 

 leros," go before the animal ; and when he aims at tliem, 

 they plunge into his neck darts, called " banderillas," with 

 hooked points, and ornamented with fmall dreamers of co- 

 loured paper. The fury of the bull is now redoubled ; he 

 roars and tolTes his head, and aggravates by the violence of 

 his motion, the pain occafioned by his wounds : and in this 

 fituation, the agility of his adverfaries is fignally difplayed. 

 The danger that threatens them alarms the fpeiSators ; but 

 accuRomtd to this kind of combat, they fecure themfelves 

 by their addrefs and dexterity. When the vigour of the 

 bull is almoft cxhaufled, and he is bathed with blood, and 

 the people are anxious to witnefs the combnt of another vic- 

 tim, the prefident of the entertainment iflues the fignal of 

 death, which is proclaimed by the found of trumpets. The 

 " matador" then advances ; and holding a dagger in one 

 hand, he waves before his adverfary with the other hand a 

 kind of flag. They both flop and gaze at one another; 

 and the fpeftators are again amufed for fome time by the 

 impetuofity of the bull, and the agility of the matadoi-. 

 The affembled obfervers witnefs this fcene in profound fi- 

 lence : and the niatador coolly difpatches the furious animal 

 by a blow, where the fpinal marrow joins the head. The 

 death is bloodlefs and inftantaneous, and dcferves imi- 

 tation, as humanity would with to fave pain to the animals 

 (laughtered for food. When the animal falls, a thoufand 

 voices proclaim with loud fliouts the triumph of the con- 

 queror. If the blow is not decifive, and the bull furvivcs, 

 murmurs fucceed applaufe, and the matador is regarded 

 only as an unikilful butcher. When the tragedy termi- 

 nates, three mules ornamented with bells and dreamers ap- 

 pear, and the bull is dragged by means of a rope tied 

 rousd his horns from the arena. Sometimes the bull is 

 pierced in various parts with lances, to wiiich fquibs are 

 faftened, which being fet on fire, the maddened animal 

 Hands pawing the ground while he draws in and exhales vo- 

 lumes of fmoke. Sometimes an American is introduced, 

 who, after the manner of hunting the wild bull in hib own 

 counti-y, throws a rope round the horns, and entangling him 

 as in a net, then kills him with perfeft fafety. 



On each of the days fet apart for thefe entertainments, 

 fix are thus facrificed in the morning, and 12 in the after- 

 noon : at leaft this is the cafe at Madrid. The three lalt 

 belong exchifively to the matador, who, unaided by the pi- 

 cadors, exerts his ingenuity to diverfify the pleafure of the 

 fpedators. The Spanilh government are not infiiiliblc pf 

 the moral and political inconveniences arifing from this fpe- 

 cies of frenzy. So far from encouraging, they difcounte- 

 nance it ; whilft it would be dangerous precipitately to abo- 

 li(h it. The court itfelf formerly reckoned it among the 

 number of its feftivals, which occurred at certain periods. 

 The theatre of them' was the "Plaza-Mayer," and they 

 were honoured with the prefeiice of the king and royal fa- 

 mily ; and his guards prcfided there in good order. His 

 halberdiers formed the interior circle of the fcene ; and their 

 long weapons, held out in a dcfenfive pofturc, were the only 

 barrier which they oppofed againft. the dangerous caprices 

 of the bull. Thefe enteitainments, which by way of ex- 



3 T ccllence 



