the horse falling so as to crush the rider between its body and the fence, he was killed on the spot.

The bull was now master of the arena; he had cleared it of men; three horses lay dead, and he stood in the midst lashing his tail, and looking round for another enemy. This was a time to observe the character of the people. When the unfortunate picador was killed, in place of a general exclamation of horror, and loud expressions of pity, the universal cry was, 'How courageous that bull is!' The whole scene produced the most unbounded delight. The greater the horror the greater the shouting, and the more vehement the expressions of satisfaction. Not a single female averted her head, or betrayed the slightest symptom of wounded feeling.

When this last bull was dispatched, the people immediately rushed on the arena; and the carcass was dragged out amid the most deafening shouts.

Such was the conclusion of this memorable pastime. The impression it left upon the English party was one of unqualified disgust and loathing. Edward was indignant at its cowardice. "The bull," he said, "has no chance whatever: he is opposed successively by fresh men and fresh horses; and when all these are baffled, they basely cut his ham-strings, and even then the noble animal keeps them at bay. I am an entire convert to Ellen's opinion: all my sympathy is for the bull."

OPINIONS ON THE BULL-FIGHT.

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"I agree with you perfectly," said his father; "if liberty was given to a bull that showed courage and resolution, the animal on two legs and the one on four would be more on a par; but as it is now arranged, it is merely a protracted slaughter, appealing only to the more brutal feelings of our nature."

"There was one moment, however, sir," said Edward, "when I was almost carried away by the general enthusiasm, when those thousands of persons rose by one general impulse, and expressed simultaneously their intense interest; what a collection of human faces that moment presented!"

"It was a fine spectacle, Edward, more imposing than the most crowded theatre could ever present; but still what was its object?—the peril and eventual death of their fellow-creatures, in a most brutal pastime. There was no regret, nor loathing; if there was any remembrance of the picador, it was only to despise his want of skill. These shows are a lively representation of the gladiatorial exhibitions of the Romans."

"But, sir," said Edward,

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we have our

own fights, have we not, that are much condemned ?"

"We have; but there is a wide distinction between the ring, as it is called, in England, and the bull-fights of Spain. I disapprove of them highly; but they are not open to the same censure as the

192

BOXING COMPARED WITH IT.

favourite sport of Spain. In England, two persons are pitted against each other, as nearly equal in talent as possible. There are rules and regulations of the strictest kind, most rigidly adhered to, which preserve the strictest impartiality; any infraction of them, any suspicion of unfair play, exposes the parties, even in that low scale of morality, to shame and contempt: consequently, no low cunning or revengeful feeling is excited or encouraged. When one man is overcome the thing is over; a succession of fresh men are not brought in to triumph over the conqueror; all is fair and upright in their proceedings with each other and in England, among high and low, there is a very general and strong feeling against every species of unfair play.

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Boxing, no doubt, leads to many evils, and is therefore most deeply to be censured; but it appears to me that it causes infinitely less harm than horseraces, where every species of iniquity and fraud is secretly committed; and yet there is nothing to fix or shock the public eye."

On their arrival at home, Frank ran to Ellen, and expressed all the horror with which the spectacle had inspired him. "Oh!" he said, "if you had but seen the horses!-but no, you could not have borne it; I myself was sick!"

"And how did the ladies bear it ?" said Ellen.

"I do not know; I never looked at them: the

"How disappointed I am!" he continued. "When the bull ran on the stage, I was delighted; and even when I saw the picador ride at him, I did not anticipate any thing so shocking: but the bull did not care for the lance, and he rushed at the horse; and the poor creature snorted, and opened its nostrils, and its large eyeballs stared; and, though you know horses make no noise, it looked in such agony! and then that horrible wound! oh, it was too shocking!"

"And the rider," said his sister, deeply interested.

"He escaped, though a little hurt but there was another bull that actually threw horse and rider into the air; and down they came. The man lay quite still, and papa says that he was dead: he did not move when they took him away. Was it not shocking?"

"Very shocking, I think," said Ellen: "but I am not so surprised as you are, because mamma told me how much cruelty was used towards the poor bulls; and that made me dislike to see this exhibition."

They were soon afterwards called to tea; and the subject was discussed by all.

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INFLUENCE OF THE BULL-FIGHTS.

"I am of opinion," said Mr. Delville, "that these exhibitions encourage that ferocious delight in blood and cruelty with which the Spaniards may justly be reproached. The Inquisition and the bull-fights could only be cherished in the nineteenth century by them: both have had a bad influence on the country. No one seemed to feel any thing disagreeable in the spectacle. Neither men nor women seemed to have any compassion for the sufferings of man or beast. It is said that the late queen wished to have the horses clothed in a net; by which contrivance much of the shocking spectacle would be avoided: but it was not done, because it was thought that the common people would not have liked it: perhaps they would not have consented to this refinement. And yet, notwithstanding all this, in all the common daily concerns of life the Spanish men and women are compassionate and kind, and wanting none of the gentleness or good feeling that is found among other nations. Their delight in these horrid scenes can therefore only be ascribed to habit; on which principle alone many of the inconsistencies of human nature can be explained."