OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

soon equalled the most skilful of his instruc-tors, in the steadiness of the eye, and the dex-terity of the hand.

The servile crowd, whose fortune dependedon their master’s vices, applauded these ignoblepursuits. The perfidious voice of flattery re-minded him, that by exploits of the same na-ture, by the defeat of the Nemaean lion, and theslaughter of the wild boar of Erymanthus, theGrecian Hercules had acquired a place amongthe gods, and an immortal memory among men.They only forgot to observe, that, in the firstages of society, when the fiercer animals oftendispute with man the possession of an unsettledcountry, a successful war against those savagesis one of the most innocent and beneficial la-bours of heroism. In the civilized state of theRoman empire, the wild beasts had long sinceretired from the face of man, and the neighbour-hood of populous cities. To surprise them intheir solitary haunts, and to transport them toRome , that they might be slain in pomp by thehand of an emperor, was an enterprise equallyridiculous for the prince, and oppressive for thepeople. 8 Ignorant of these distinctions, Corn-modus eagerly embraced the glorious resem-

6 The African lions, when pressed by hunger, infested the openvillages and cultivated country; and they infested them with impu-nity. The royal beast was reserved for the pleasures of the emperorand the capita]; and the unfortunate peasant who killed one ofthem, though in his own defence, incurred a very heavy penalty.This extrordinary game-law was mitigated by Honorius , and finallyrepealed by Justinian . Codex Theodos. tom. v, p, 92, et Comment.Gothofred.

151

CHAP

IV.

Huntingof wildbeasts.