d him, that two men, covered
with dust and sweat, were at the door, and desired to speak with him in
all haste. He had scarce set his foot out of the chamber, in order to go
to them, when the roof fell in, and crushed the champion, with all his
guests, to death.

Sculpture united with poetry to perpetuate the fame of the champions.
Statues were erected to the victors, especially in the Olympic games, in
the very place where they had been crowned, and sometimes in that of their
birth also; which was commonly done at the expense of their country.
Amongst the statues which adorned Olympia, were those of several children
of ten or twelve years old, who had obtained the prize at that age in the
Olympic games. They did not only raise such monuments to the champions,
but to the very horses, to whose swiftness they were indebted for the
Agonistic crown: and Pausanias(163) mentions one, which was erected in
honour of a mare, called Aura, whose history is worth repeating. Phidolas
her rider, having fallen off in the beginning of the race, the mare
continued to run in the same manner as if he had been upon her back. She
outstripped all the rest; and upon the sound of the trumpets, which was
usual toward the end of the race to animate the competitors, she redoubled
her vigour and courage, turned round the goal; and, as if she had been
sensible that she had gained the victory, presented herself before the
judges of the games. The Eleans declared Phidolas victor, with permission
to erect a monument to himself and the mare, that had served him so well.

The different Taste of the Greeks and Romans, in regard to Public Shows.

Before I make an end of these remarks upon the combats and games so much
in estimation amongst the Greeks, I beg the reader's permission to make a
reflection, that may serve to explain the difference of character between
the Greeks and Romans, with regard to this subject.

The most common entertainment of the latter, at which the fair sex, by
nature tender and compassionate, were present in throngs, was the combat
of the gladiators, and of men with bears and lions; in which the cries of
the wounded and dying, and the abundant effusion of human blood, supplied
a grateful spectacle for a whole people, who feasted their cruel eyes with
the savage pleasure of seeing men murder one another in cool blood; and in
the times of the persecutions, with the tearing in pieces of old men and
infants, of women and tende