The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-09-26 00:00:00

onIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

park, Sept. 20.
It bl often iPiTin kat], thtit !LP chat:loer of
a people is best a.certeined by that of their nmose-
metst%; though this has been a thousand times re-
peated, it is only 4)artially true. I,* Paris or London,
for esample, ROC.' i CIIIPri,.II a odd be ridiculous,
because the imagi .atien has b.en racked to invent
every possible variety of amusement to captivate all
tastes, and oat unfropum•lv tt a pob!ic are censured
for a depravity of f.'s*" which b!.langs exclusively to
the purveyors of the an.oseinents. A principle,
common to all ranks of hornets nature, is the love of
Lovelty ; and if to cherish that principle authors will
alt union nature for mere'r:cions nrt, the eye of the
spectator is captivated, and, perhaps, his imagina-
tion also ; but it is only a transient sentiment, like
th? pleasure we feel in satiny female charms displayed
to warm the v..luptanus fancy. We may admire
beauty even in frailty ; but sober unheeded virtue
Soon rescmes her empire, and_ gains a permanent
useendzoicy--so it is with taste. We may go to plays
we despise, because they possess charms for children,
magnificent spectacle, but when these have blazed
Oueir hour, we return with pleasure to good sense and
Si/ IKL,PEIIIE.

There are, however, Gases where the character of
vbtr spectators may, in a great measure, he ascer-
tained. In a place like Paris, where all that can en-
ch tnt and captivate in immense variety arc constant-
ly disi:layed, and all these are neglected fur an
enterthiament which can only feed the worst passions
of the human heart, we may conclude that at least
th portion of the community are of the most de-
paved habits ; but this will be more apparent in a
description of the WPM.. On one of ihe posting-bills
uith which Paris, tike London, abounds, was an-

. . .
zinunced, that " On Sunday next would be exhibit-

ill at the Ancient Barrier of Combat, several dog-
fights, a combat between dogs and a wolf, betwee•i
dog- and a bear, and a boll-fight, in which e young
and vigorous bull would he killed by the dogs•"—
We. have often, Sir, heard of the ferocity of a Paris

mob, and thinking this a favourable opportunity of
witnessing the indul4ence of their habits, I deter.
ruined to embrace it, even of, a Sunday, for on no
other day of the week is this select entertainment rzlveo. •
At about five in the afternoon the four galleries
sur-
rounding the quadrangular arena were completely
filled with men and women in general, very decently
dressed. About twelve couple of dogs were brought
in succession ; and though the amateuts of Tothil-
fields would have thought very poorly of their per-
formances, they highly delighted the spec.
tators. Tile dogs in general we're afraid of each
other, and actually required to be thrown at each
oilier, being brought out for combat every Sunday,
and sometimes twice or thrice in one day, aud always
taken off when they Legit) to warm in the battle.—
No wonder that the poor animals should tremble as
they do, and endeavour to g t away. They are
parted by means of spears forced into the jeers 1-ay
two of the attendants, and acting on each side as a
lever, the dog is compelled to let go his hold. To
these succeeded a wolf fight, the wolf being cliaieed
in the centre of the arena: he showed floe sport,
and kept at least half a dozen dogs at bay, lulling
at them at the length of his chain. At length, num•
bers attacking him on every side, they got him down,
this was the signal of defeat—the dogs w ere whipped
off, and the wolf re-conducted to his den. The bile'
of the wolf is dreadful, and one dug who had felt it,
being pursued by the wolf, dashed for safety at 6:
grated door of a large Polish bear, but he soon found
that this was only avoiding Scylla to be devoured by
Charybdis. An ass was nest brought into the arena,
and moonted by ore of the boys. Ilariog n..ver either
seen or heard of an ass fight, I fancied it was to
perform some part iu the bullfight, but I was
assured to the contrary ; and presently two or
three dogs were let, in, who fell upon the ass, while
he defended himself in gallant style, kicking them
cif, beating them down with his fore feet, or, if they
got hold, running off close tr. .he wall and pressing
the dog so close to it that he was compelled to let go
Lis bola; more doll were let in, at length the acs
ly seized one of the fiercest by the back and gal- !
hyped round the arena with him in his mouth in
triumph, w hi, of course, called forth universal
plau,lits. A soiall wild hoar was next turned loose,
hich, after a most gallant defence, was overpowered
by numbers. 'I his was followed by a boar fight.
The bear was a s nal young one, and this excited It
great dkappi ohation and repeated cries of the Polish
•Imar the l'oliah bear! V•is was disregarded by the
rlegant puree) or of the entertainment, and the bear
was suffered to fight his battle in pcaue. It would
not be correct to say, the dogs got him down several
times, for he thr.,w hint3elf on his back to make the
Letter defence. The fiAht continued with various
thins of fortune for about 15 minutes, when he was
taken away, and a young bull brought forward; he
was only a yearling, without horns, and looked as
mild and inoffensise as Lord Jo cc when he paid his
address's to Clay Kunor.t. The cries for the Polish
bear wero reiterated, but to no purpose; upwards of
half a dozen clogs were let in, who attacked the
poor animal with fury, and he had no idea of de-
feuding himself. Tee clogs were of all descriptions,
' from the bull rtes down to a moiugret cur. It was
really a horrid night to see the poor inoffensive crea-
ture torn to pieces in such a maoner.one sot of dogs
being taken off and replaced by another. The cries
for the oilsll bear continuing with great activity) I

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