st famous poets made these combats the
subject of their verses; the beauty of whose poetry, whilst it
immortalized themselves, seemed to promise an eternity of fame to those
whose victories it celebrated. Hence arose that uncommon ardour which
animated all Greece, to tread in the steps of those ancient heroes, and
like them, to signalize themselves in the public combats.

A reason more solid, and originating in the very nature of these combats,
and of the people who used them, may be given for their prevalence. The
Greeks, by nature warlike, and equally intent upon forming the bodies and
minds of their youth, introduced these exercises, and annexed honours to
them, in order to prepare the younger sort for the profession of arms, to
confirm their health, to render them stronger and more robust, to inure
them to fatigues, and to make them intrepid in close fight, in which, the
use of fire-arms being then unknown, strength of body generally decided
the victory. These athletic exercises supplied the place of those in use
amongst our nobility, as dancing, fencing, riding the great horse, &c.;
but they did not confine themselves to a graceful mien, nor to the
beauties of a shape and face; they were for joining strength to the charms
of person.

It is true, these exercises, so illustrious by their founders, and so
useful in the ends at first proposed from them, introduced public masters,
who taught them to young persons, and from practising them with success,
made public show and ostentation of their skill. This sort of men applied
themselves solely to the practice of this art, and carrying it to an
excess, they formed it into a kind of science, by the addition of rules
and refinements; often challenging each other out of a vain emulation,
till at length they degenerated into a profession of people, who, without
any other employment or merit, exhibited themselves as a sight for the
diversion of the public. Our dancing-masters are not unlike them in this
respect, whose natural and original designation was to teach youth a
graceful manner of walking, and a good address; but now we see them mount
the stage, and perform ballets in the garb of comedians, capering,
jumping, skipping, and making variety of strange unnatural motions. We
shall see in the sequel, what opinion the wiser among the ancients had of
their professed combatants and wrestling-masters.

There were four games solemnized in Greece. The _Olympic_, so called from