Democratic messenger., 1893-02-18


from the arena. and | saw the places
where they kept the hyenas and lions and
panthcrs and wild boars and beastly vio-
lcnces of all sorts without food or water
until made fierce enough for the arena,
and saw the underground rooms where
the gladiators We're accustomed To wait
until the clarping of the people outside
demanded that they come forth armed
to murder or be murdered. All the ar
rangcmcnts We're complete. as enough Of
the cellars and galleries still remain 10
indicate. What fun they must have had
turning lions without food or drink upon
an unarmed disciple of Jesus Christ.
At the dedication of this Coliseum
1900 wild beasts and 10000 immortal
men were slain. SO that the blood of men
and beast was rot Il brook, but Il river:
not a pool, but LAKE. Having been in
that way dedicated. he not surprised
when tell You that Emperor Probus on
one occasion threw into that arena of
the Coliseum GOO stays. 900 boars and
1000 ostrichcs. What fun it must have
bcen-th" sound of irumpets. the roar of
" iAt ssI'I4lS Va
while i'll the gallery the wives and chill
drcn OF those down under the lions paw
wrung their hands and shrieLed ont in
widowhood and orphanagc. while 100. 600
people clapped their hands. and there
was "Iia. ha." wide as Rome and deep
rs pcrdition.
The corrscs Of that arena We're put on
a cart or dragged Ly hook out through
what was called the Gate of Death. What
an excitement it must have been when
two combatants entered the arena, the
one with sword and shield and the other
with net and spear. The swordsman
strikes at the man with the net and
spear. He ,,odges the sword and then
filings the net over the head of the swords
man and jerks him 10 the floor of the
arena. and the man who flung the net
puts his foot on the neck of the fallen
sworlsman. and spear in hand looks up
TO the galleries. rs much as 10 say. shall
| let him mp. or shall plunge this spear
into his body until he is dead:'
The audience had two signs, either of
which they might give. If they waved
thNAk Atrs's ~ lsaAt tit dOii-
testant. If they turned their thumbs
down. it meant slay him. Occasionally
the audience would wave their flags.
and the fallen would be let up. but that
was too tame sport for most occasions,
and generally the thumbs from the gal
leries were turned down. and with that
sign would be heard the accompanying
shout of xiii, Kill! Kill. kill-'
CRUELTY ApDED TO CRUELTY.
Yet it was far from being a monotone
of sport. for there was change of pro
gramme in that wondrous Coliseum
Under strange and powerful machin-
cry. beyond anything of modern inven-
tion. the floor of the arena would begin
to rock and roll and then give away. and
there would appear n lake of bright
water, and on its banks trees would
spring mp rustling with foliage. and Ii
gers appeared among the iungles. and
armed men would come forth. and there
would be- tiger hunt. Then ON the lake
i'll the Coliseum armed ships would float,
and there would be Il sea fight. What
fun. What lots of fun! When pcstilcnce
came. in order TO appease the gods. in
this Coliseum IA sacrifice would be made,
and the people would throng that great
amphitheater. shouting, The Christians
to the wild beasts" and there would be
cracking of human bones in the jaws
of leonine ferocity.
But all this was to be stopped. BY the
outraged sense of public decency: No.
There is only one thing that has ever
stopped cruelty and sin, and that is
Christianity. and it was Christianity.
whether you like its form or not, that
stopped this massacre of centuries One
day while in the Coliseum Roman
victory was being celebrated. and l0O,-
900 cnraptured spectators We're looking
down upon two gladiators in the arena
stabbing and slicing eacn other to death.
an Asiatic monk Of the name of Tele-
machus was so overcome by the cruelty
that he lcaped from the gallery into the
arena and ran III between the two
sworlsmen and pushed first ore back
and then the other back and broke up the
contest.
OF course the audience was affronted
at having their sport stopped. and they
hurled stones at the head of Telemachus
until he fell dead in the arena. But
when the day was passed. and the pas
sions of the people had cooled off. they
deplored the martyrdom of the brave
and Christian Telcmachus. and as a re-
suit of the oyerdone cruelty the human
sacrifices of the Coliseum were forever
abolished.
TIE SAME SPIRIT STILL MANIFESTED.
What good thing. say you. that such
cruelties have ceased. NV friends, the
same spirit of ruinous amusements and
of moral sacrifice is abroad in the woi Id
today. although il takes other shapes.
Last summer in our southwest there oc-
CURED Il scene of pugilism on which all
Christendoin looked down. for saw the
papers on the other side of the Atlantic
ocean giving whole columns of it. Will
some one tell me in what respect that
brutality of last summer was superior to
the brutality of the Roman Coliseum? In
some respects il was worse by so much
as the 10Th century pretends to be more
merciful and more decent than tho ST.:
century.
That pugilism is winning admiration
II this country Is positively proved by
the fact that years ago such collision
was reported in half dozen lines of
newspaper. if reported at all, and now il
takes the whole side of newspaper 10
tell what transpi-ed between the first
blood drawn by one loafer and the throw
ing up of the sponge by the other loafer.
and it is not the newspapers fault. for
the newspapers give only what the peo-
pie want. and when newspapers put car
rion on your table it is because you pre-
fer carrion.
The same spirit of brutality is seen to-
day in many an ecclesiastical court
VIXEN minister is put on trial. Look
at the countenances Of the prosecuting
ministers. and not in all cases. hut in
many eases. you will find nothing but
diabolism inspires them. They let ont
on one poor minister who cannot defend
4 Al. e n