, produced fifty thousand wild beasts, which were all
killed in the arena. The Romans were undoubtedly a barbarous people,
who delighted in horrible spectacles. They viewed with pleasure the
dead bodies of criminals dragged through the streets, or thrown down
the Scalae Gemoniae and Tarpeian rock, for their contemplation. Their
rostra were generally adorned with the heads of some remarkable
citizens, like Temple-Bar, at London. They even bore the sight of
Tully's head fixed upon that very rostrum where he had so often
ravished their ears with all the charms of eloquence, in pleading the
cause of innocence and public virtue. They took delight in seeing their
fellow-creatures torn in pieces by wild beasts, in the amphitheatre.
They shouted with applause when they saw a poor dwarf or slave killed
by his adversary; but their transports were altogether extravagant,
when the devoted captives were obliged to fight in troops, till one
side was entirely butchered by the other. Nero produced four hundred
senators, and six hundred of the equestrian order, as gladiators in the
public arena: even the women fought with wild beasts, as well as with
each other, and drenched the amphitheatres with their blood. Tacitus
says, "Sed faeminarum illustrium, senatorumque filiorum plures per
arenam faedati sunt," "But many sons of Senators, and even Matrons of
the first Rank, exposed themselves in this vile exercise." The
execrable custom of sacrificing captives or slaves at the tombs of
their masters and great men, which is still preserved among the negroes
of Africa, obtained also among the antients, Greeks as well as Romans.
I could never, without horror and indignation, read that passage in the
twenty-third book of the Iliad, which describes twelve valiant Trojan
captives sacrificed by the inhuman Achilles at the tomb of his friend
Patroclus.

Dodeka men Troon megathumon uias eathlous
Tous ama pantas pur eathiei.

Twelve generous Trojans slaughtered in their Bloom,
With thy lov'd Corse the Fire shall now consume.

Even Virgil makes his pious Hero sacrifice eight Italian youths to the
manes of Pallas. It is not at all clear to me, that a people is the
more brave, the more they are accustomed to bloodshed in their public
entertainments. True bravery is not savage but humane. Some of this
sanguinary spirit is inherited by the inhabitants of a certain island
that shall be nameless--but, mum for that. You will naturally suppose
that