The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-02 00:00:00

Classic Prize-Fighting,

As described by Stating in his Thebaid, accord-
ing to the epitome of the Roman Poet's description
by a North British Reviewer
As soon as Adiastus has proclaimed that the boxing_
match is to begin, which he does by commending the
prowess shown in boxing as " bells et ferro proxima
virtu," Capaneni rises like the Homeric Epeios or the Vir-
gilian Dares, puts the lead-weighted gauntlets on hands as
hard as they, and asks for an oppcnent, intimating that he
would rather have had a itheban, whom he might fairly
have killed, instead of being obliged to shed the blood of a
citizen. Alcidamas, a young Spartan, rises at last, to the
surprise of all but his compatriots, who know that he is a
child of the palaeetra, having been trained by Pollux :
" Ipso dens posuitque manna et brachia flnxit
Materiam (suadebat amor) : tunc smpalocovit

Cominus, et simili stantem miratus in ira
Sustulit exultans, nudumqua ad pectora pressit."
The passage is not altogether easy;' but we suppose the
meaning to be that Pollux had nioulded the rudimentary
gristle of his young favourite into bone and muscle, had
stood up with him repeatedly, and had been so charmed
witlxhis spirit and endurance as to catch him to his breast
and embrace him then and there. Nov let us think of
Vii gil's notice of Dares' victory over Butes, or Entellus'
companionship with Eryx, • and we shall be better able to
appreciate this unseasonable attempt to interest us by
minute word-painting in the antecedents of a personage on
whom the eye is only meant to rest for a second or two.
Capaneus is indignant, scornful, and affectedly contem-
tuous ; at length, however, his languid sinews swell, and
he stands up to fight. They confront each other, the one
like what Tityos would be if the birds would suffer him to
rice; the other so young as o arrest the sympathies of the
spectators, who tremble *at the prospect of seeing him bleed.
"_Quem vinci hand quiequani; EaWO nets sanguine tingi
Malit, et erecto timeat spectacula vote."

At first they are prudent and cautious, sparring rather
hitting: " explorant caz3tus hebetantque terendo." Alci-
dames continues this Fabian policy, and keeps his fury in
reserve, " differet animum Capaneus becomes enreged,
and expends both his hands recklessly : " ambas consumit
sine lege menus." The young Spartan has the advantage,
parrying his opponent's hits, while he sometimes goes into
him (the word is Statius' own, " intrat,") like a wave
breaking on a rock, and finally plants a wound on his fore-
head. Capaneus hears the shout of the spectators, but is
unconscious that blood has been drawn; at last, however,
he puts up his hand to his brow, when the sight of the
stains makes him more furious than a wounded lion ; he
rushes on Alcidamas, who is driven before him, preserving
his coolness nevertheless. •

"Non tamen immemor artig,
Adversus fugit, et fugiens tamen iotibus obstat."

The mad effirt soon exhausts them both, and they pause
to take breath; and the poet takes breath too in a short
simile:

" Sic übi longs vagos lassarunt 83 quora nautas
Et Signo de puppi dato posuere parumper
Brachia, via requires, jam vox ciet altera remos."

The giant makes another rush, but his nimble adversary
first ellades him and then butts him over, "sponturuens
mersusqus humeris," knocking him down again as he is
rising, till he is alarmed at his own success. The Argives
raiso a shout which the ehores and woods but faintly echo ;
but Adrastus sees that Capaneus is not beaten, but only
made more dangeroul, and interposes. to prevent murder
from being done.

" Ite, oro, aocii, furi : ite, opponite dextras,
Festinate, furit, palmamque et pratnnia ferte :
Non prins effraeto gip= misceat ossa cerebro
Absistet, video : moriturum auferte Lacona."

Tydeus and Hippomedon with some difficulty hold
Capaneus, telling him that he has conquered, and that it is
graceful to spare a vanquished foe who happens to be an
ally; but he thrusts aside the prize, and complains that he is
not altowad to beat the minion to a mummy, and send him
back thus to his patron. Tho Spartans welcome their
champion, and indulge in a distant laugh at Capanstii'
blustering; and so the scene is ended.

We feel that this summary has done but little justice to
the real points of the narrative, which is at once far more
ingenious, and for that reason possibly more tedious,
than our plain prose can make it. Almost every line
contains some terse, pointed expression; not a few of
them are distinguished by graphic and picturesque touches,
which we have been compelled to omit.

RACING FIXTU

Maidstone
Paris
11.800 t
Hampton l5
Newton'
Odiham
Bibury .. 22

Ju.
Carlisle .. 5
Newmarket July
Pontefract
Abingdon
Liverpool July
Stamford

Au,
Brighton 2
Brighton Club
Lewes
Huntingdon
Wolverhampton
Reading
Egham
Dover .. lB

Oxford
Yarmouth
York August 2i
Plymouth
Lichfield
Devon and Exeter
Stockton ....
Derby
•
:MM.

SEFT.
Weymouth 1
Baden-Baden 1
Warwick September 6
Bridgwater 8
Leicester 8
Doncaster ..

Brecon .. 19
Richmond
Royal Caledonian Hunt 21
Monmouth
Manchester Autumn
NewmarketFiret October 27
IMBER.

NoTs
Worcester Autumn .... 1
Shrewsbury Autumn .. 14 1

Leamington &War. Hunt 22

A NEW WORK ON THE AMERICAS !—Viscount
Berry is preparing a work on North and South America,
which will narrate the emigrations of the various European
nations—Dutch, Spanish, English, and French— into Ame-
rica, from the sixteenth century.
CHARACTER OF LORD ELGlN.—Wherever he
went, and it was his fate that in the four different
spheres in which his lot was cast the same r-lations were
cdnstantly reappearing, it was his fixed determination that
the interests of the subject races should be protected from
the impatience or violence 'of his fellow-countrymen—the
emancipated slaves of Jamaica, the French Canadians, the
Chinese in their dealings with the European residents, the
Indian population in its dealings with the Anglo-Indian
conquerors. That he had no bloodshed on his hands was
his pride in Canada. "No human power shall induce me
to accept the office of oppressor of the people" was his sin-
cere resolve in China. The order to burn the Imperial
Palace at Pekin was wrung from him by the severest sense
of the necessity of the crisis. When in India, the protec-
tion of the Indians was the constant source of solicittide to
him. The stern determination with which he carried out
the execution of an English soldier for causing the death of
a native was of itself enough to mark his strong sense of
what was due from the Viceroy of India to the interests of
the conquered race. "His combination of speculative and
practical ability," so wrote one with deep experience of his
mind, '•fitted him more than any man I have ever known to
solve the problem how these subject races are to be governed."
It may be that in these acts he merely served to represent
the growing humanity and justice of the age ; but it is a
great boon to mankind when the beat tendencies of the age
find a congenial soul in which to take root and heir fruit ;
and such a soul, in every sense, was that of Lord Elgin.
It might almost be said that the sense of responsibility tar
the classes confided to his care, especially of those who
were comparatively friendless, was to him a kind of reli-
gion—an expression of his sense of the justice and love of
God for all his creatures. And it may be remarked how,
from this religious sense of the duty devolved upon him, it
came to pass that, if there was any subject which more
strongly moved his indignation than another, it was the
sight, whether in foreign lands or in our own, of Christianity
invoked, or of the influence of the teachers of religion
brought to bear, against the general claims of justice and
humanity on behalf of those who might be regarded, in
face, or religion, or opinion, aliens from ourselves.—North
British. Review.

THE EXODUS FROM LIVERPOOL.—The emigration
from the port of Liverpool continues without any
sensible abatement, and, as heretofore, the majority of those
leaving the Mersey are natives of the sister isle, and their
destination the United States. During the past month these
sailed to the United States, Wunder the Act," 29 ships,
with 13,991 steerage and 348 cabin passengers; to Canada,
4 ships, with 930 steerage and 117 cabin passengers; to
Queensland, 1 ship, with 319 steerage and 4 cabin pas-
sengers; to New South Wales, 1 ship, with 405 passengers;
and to Victoria, 3 ships, with 1,159 steerage and 15 cabin
passengers—making a grand total of 16,794 steerage and
544 cabin passengers. Of these numbers, 2,973 English,
666 Scotch, 9,355 Irish, and 1,117 Gershtans, &c., went to
the United States; 492 English, 33 Scotch, 114 Irish, and
246 foreigners went to Canada; 62 English, 40 Scotch, and
217 Irish went to Queensland ; 80 English, 64 Scotch, 267
MAI, and 2 Germans went to New South Wales;' 42.6
English went to Victoria, and also 103 Scotch, 593 Irish,
and 37 foreigners—making a total of 4,033 English, 801
Scotch, 10,668 Irish, and 1,402 foreigners. The number of
"short ships" sailing, "not under the Mt" to the United
States were 10, with 732 passengers ;*to ballade, 1 ship.
with 17 passengers ; to New Brunswick, 1 ship, and 19
passengers; to Nova Scotia, 1 ship, and 33 passengers; to
Victoria, 1 ship, and 25 passengers; to New South Wales,
'1 ship, and 16 passengers ; to the West Indies, 1 ship, and
12 passengers ; to South America, 4 ships, and 75 pas"
sengers ; to Africa, 1 ship, and 35 passengers—making a
total of 21 ships, and 914 passengers. A total emigration
from the Mersey for the, past month of 18,302, The num-
ber of pa'ssengers who lefts Liverpool in April was 22,241
This is accounted for by the fact of the great exodus from
Ireland direct to the United States,during A pril, being in
Liverpool the busiest emigration month of the year.