BULL- F I G H T. 
remainder of tile city was divided between the Colonna 
and Urlina families: the two factions were proud of the 
number and beauty of their female bands : the charms of 
Savella Urlini are mentioned with pi .die ; and the Colonna 
regretted the abfence of the youngcfl: of their honk, who 
had fprained her ancle in the garden of Nero’s lovVer. 
The lots of the 'champions were drawn by an,old and re- 
fpeflable citizen ; and they delcended into the'arena, to 
encounter the wild bulls on foot, with a tingle fpear. 
Amidft the crowd, onr ahodlift has feledted the names, 
colours, and devices, of twenty of the mod confpicuOus 
knights. SevCral-of the names are the molf iiliiftrious of 
Rome and the eccleliaftical date; J^alatefta,-Polenta, del¬ 
la Valle, C a fa re llo, Saveli i, Cappoccio, Conti, Annibaldi, 
Altieri, Corli. The colours were adapted to their tafle 
and (ituation ; and the devices are expreflive of hope or 
■delpair, and breathe the fpirit of gallantry and arms! “ I 
ant alone, like the youngeit of the Koratii,” the confi¬ 
dence of an intrepid (Iranger : “ T live difconfolate,” a 
weeping-widower : “ 1 burn uiider the allies,” a difereet 
lover: “ 1 adore Lavinia or Lucretia,” the ambiguous 
declaration of a - recent pallion : “ My faith is as pure,” 
the motto of a white livery : “ Wlip is llrongcr cluiu nty- 
ielf?” of a lion’s hide : “ If I am drowned in bloodjp hat 
a pleafant death!” the wifh of ferocious courage. The 
pride or prudence of the Urlini re ft rained them from the 
■field, which was occupied by three of their hereditary ri¬ 
vals, whofe inferiptions denoted the lofty greatnefs of the 
Colonna name: “ Though fad, I am flron'g :” “ Strong 
•as I am great:” “ If 1 fall (-add re fling himfelf to the fpec- 
tators), you fall with me:” intimating, (fays the writer,) 
that, w hile the other families were the ftibjedts of the Va¬ 
tican, they alone were the fupporters of the Capitol. The 
■combats of the amphitheatre were dangerous and bloody. 
Every champion iuccelTively encountered a wild bull ; 
and the victory may be aferibed to the quadrupeds, fince 
no more than eleven were left oil the field, with the lofs 
of nine wounded and eighteen killed on the fide of their 
adverfaries. Some of the nobleft families might mourn ; 
but the pomp of the funerals, in the churches of St. Joint 
Lateran and St. Maria Maggiore, afforded a fecond holi¬ 
day to the people. Doubtlefs it was not in fuch conflicts 
chat the blood of the Romans fhould have been filed; 
yet, in blaming their raflinefs, we are compelled to ap¬ 
plaud their gallantry ; and the noble volunteers, who dif- 
play their magnificence and rifk their lives under the bal¬ 
conies of the fair, excite a more generous fympathy than 
the thoufands of captives and malefactors who were re¬ 
luctantly dragged to the Rene of daughter.” 
A firriking relic of this pagan feftival is obfcrvable in 
ihe Snanifh manners at the prefent day. Many Spaniards 
confider this practice as the lure means of preferving that 
•energy by which they are charadterifed, and of habitua¬ 
ting them to violent emotions, yhich are terrible only to 
timid minds. Rut it feems difficult to comprehend what 
relation there is between bravery and a fpedhicle where 
the afTiflants now run no danger ; where the aitors prove, 
by the few accidents w hich befal them, that, theirs has 
nothing in it very interelting ; and where the unhappy vic¬ 
tims meet only with certain death as the reward of their 
vigour and courage. Another proof that thefe ('pedlaries 
have little or no influence on the difpofitio'n of the mind 
■is, that children, old men, and people of all 'ageS, Ra¬ 
tions, and characters, affift at them ; and yet their being 
accufromed to fuch bloody entertainments appears neither 
to corredl their timidity, nor alter the mildnefs of their 
manners. Thefe bull-fights .are very expensive; but they' 
bring great gain to the undertakers. The word places 
.coft two or four rials, according as they are in the fun or 
in the’fhade. The price' of the higheft is a dollar. When 
the price of tire horfes and bulls, and .the wages of the 
iorveadores , or bull-fighters, have been paid chit of this 
money, the reft is generally appropriated to pious foun¬ 
dations: at Madrid it forms one of the principal funds of 
the hofpital. ft is only during luminer that thefe com- 
Vot. 111 . No. 144. 
5 04- 
bats are-exhibited, becaufe the feafon then permits the 
f’peCfators to lit in the open air, and becaufe the bulls'are 
then more vigorous. Thofe which are of the bed breed 
tire condemned to this kind of facrifice ; and connoi (lehrs 
are lo well acquainted with their diflinguifhing marks, 
that; as foon as a bull appears upon the arena, they'can 
mention the place where he was reared. This arena is a 
kind of circus furrounded with feats, riling one above ano^ 
ther ; the higheft of which only is covered. The boxes 
occupy the lower part of the edifice. In fome cities, Val¬ 
ladolid for example, which have no place particularly fet 
apart for thefe combats, the principal fquare is,converted 
into a theatre. The balconies of the Houfes are widened, 
fo as to project over the ftreets which end there ; and it 
is really a very interelting light to fee the different dalles 
of .people affembled around this fquare, waiting for the- 
fignal when the entertainment is to commence, and exhi¬ 
biting every external fign of impatience and joy. The 
XpeStacle commences by a kind of proediion round the 
fquare, in which appear, both on horfeback and on foot, . 
the combatants who are' to attack the’fierce.animal ; after 
which two alguazils, drelfed in perukes and black robes, 
advance with great gravity on horfeback ; who go and 
aTk from the prefident of the entertainment an order for it 
to commence. A fignal is immediately given ; and the 
animal, which was before fhut up in a kind of hovel with 
a door opening into the fquare, foon makes his appearance. 
The bull is received with loud fhouts, and alp-toil (tunned 
by the noify exprellions of joy. He lias to contend fir ft 
again ft the picadores, combatants on horfeback, who, 
drefied according to the ancient Spanifh manner, and as it 
were fixed to their faddles, wait for hint, each lining arm¬ 
ed with a long lance. This exercife, which requires 
ftrength, courage, and dexterity, is not confidered as-dif- 
graceful. Formerly the greateft lords did not di.fdairi to 
pradtif'e it; even at prefent fome of the hidalgos (elicit 
for the honour of fighting the bull on horfeback, and they 
are then previoirfly prefented to the people, under the 
aufpices of a patron, who is commonly one of the princi¬ 
pal perfonages at court. 
The picadores, whoever they may be, open the feene. 
It often happens that the bull, without being provoked, 
darts upon them, and every body emertains a .favourable 
opinion of his courage. If, notwithfla'iiding the (harp- 
pointed weapon which defends his attack, he returns im¬ 
mediately to the charge, their (bouts are redoubled, as 
their joy is converted into enthufia.fm ; but if the bull, 
.(truck with terror, appears pacific, and avoids his peife- 
cutors, by walking roiincUthe fquare in a timid manner, 
he is hooted at and hilfed, and thole near whom he paffes 
load him with blows and reproaches; He.Items then to 
be a common enemy, who has fome great crime to expi¬ 
ate; or a vidian, in the .facrifice. of which all the people 
are interefted. If nothing can .awaken his courage,, he is 
judged unworthy of baling 'tormented by men ; the cry of 
perros, perros, -'brings forth new enemies a gain ft him, and 
large dogs are let loofe upon him, which feize him by the 
nepk and ears in a furious manner, Tlte -animal then finds 
the ufe of thofe weapons with which-nature has furnifhed 
him ; he tofies the pigs into the air, who fall down (tunned, 
and fometitnes mangled; they however recoyer, renew the 
combat,' and generally finifh hy overcoming their adver- 
fary, who thus perilhes ignobly. If, on t.lsa other hand, 
he preTents himfelf with.a.good grace, he runs a longer 
and nobler, but a much move painful, career. The find- 
a€l of the tragedy belongs to the Combatants on horfe¬ 
back this is the.moft animated and bloody of all tlte > 
feenes, and often the molt difgufiiWgj' The irritated ani¬ 
mal braves the pointed Heel, which makes deep-wonttds 
in his neck, attacks with fury the innocent horfe who car¬ 
ries his enemy, rips up It is- Tides, and Of-rturns him to; 
gether with his rider. The latter, then duVnounted and 
'Afar tried, would be. expo fed to imminent danger, did not 
combatants 0:1 foot,called c hulas', come to divert the'bull's 
attention, by (baking before Jinn pieces of cloth of'Various. 
6 M -colours, 
