"

The dwarf, who seemed never so well pleased as when tormenting the
more fortunate and better shapen of his species, unloosed the cords
with something of the like feeling and intention as a cat when
liberating some unfortunate mouse from her talons.

"There's a chance of rare sport i' the shows to-morrow," said the ugly
jailer. "We are sure of _thee_, anyhow. Didst ever see the criminals
fight with wolves, Hyrcanian bears, and such like? I would not miss
the sight for the best feather in my cap."

The cruel slave here rubbed his hands, and his yellow eyes glistened
with the horrible anticipation. His victim groaned aloud.

"I'll tell thee a rare device," continued he, "whereby thou mayest
escape being eaten at least a full hour; and we shall have the longer
sport. Mind thee, the beasts do not always get the carcases for
dinner. If they be cowardly and show little fight, we give the dead
bestiarii to the dogs. I remember me well the last we threw into the
emperor's kennel, the dogs made such a fighting for the carrion that
he ordered each of us a flagellation for the disturbance. Let me see,
there was--ay"----Here the knave began to count the number of shows
and human sacrifices he had seen, recounting every particular with the
most horrible minuteness. Cedric felt himself already in the gripe of
the savages, and his flesh verily quivered on his bones.

Brutal and demoralising were those horrid spectacles. The people of
Rome, it has been well observed by a modern writer, were generally
more corrupt by many degrees than has been usually supposed possible.
Many were the causes which had been gradually operating towards this
result, and amongst the rest the continual exhibition of scenes where
human blood was poured forth like water. The continual excitement of
the populace demanded fresh sacrifices, until even these palled upon
the cruel appetites of the multitude. Even the more innocent
exhibitions, where brutes were the sufferers, could not but tend to
destroy all the finer sensibilities of the nature. "Five thousand
wild animals, torn from their native abodes in the wilderness and the
forest," have been turned out for mutual slaughter in one single
exhibition at the amphitheatre. Sometimes the _lanista_, or person who
exhibited the shows and provided the necessary supplies, by way of
administering specially to the gratification of the populace, made it
known, as a particular favour, that the whole of these should