. Six and one abroad. ld is shivered and falls, and a duelistsinks with a fatal wound, and as his head droops in weakness,the pathetic words of Byron, who stood where we are standingand who saw the vision we are seeing, comes to mind: I see before me the gladiator lie. He leans upon his hand—his manly brow Consents to death, but conquers agony And his drooped head sinks gradually low. And through his side the last drops, ebbing slow From the red gash fall heavy, one by one. The arena swings around him—he is gone. Ere ceased the inhuman shout which hailed the wretch who won. He heard it but hee
. Six and one abroad. ld is shivered and falls, and a duelistsinks with a fatal wound, and as his head droops in weakness,the pathetic words of Byron, who stood where we are standingand who saw the vision we are seeing, comes to mind: I see before me the gladiator lie. He leans upon his hand—his manly brow Consents to death, but conquers agony And his drooped head sinks gradually low. And through his side the last drops, ebbing slow From the red gash fall heavy, one by one. The arena swings around him—he is gone. Ere ceased the inhuman shout which hailed the wretch who won. He heard it but heeded not—his eyesAVere with his heart, and that was far away;He recked not of the life he lost nor prize,But where his rude hut by the Danube layThere were his young barbarians all at play,There was their Dacian mother—he their sire .Butchered to make a Roman holiday. During the reigns of Claudius, Domitian and Diocletian thelast scene in the tragedy of this sport was reserved especially 216 Si I and One Abroad. The Colosseum hij Mooulight 217 for the contest between Christians and wild animals, whichwas a cniel farce, the Christians being allowed to defendthemselves with arms they could illy nse. Sometimes artificialmounds of soil and shrubs and grass would appear mysteriouslyin the arena and out of these tigers, bears and hyenas wouldspring, arousing the audience to transports of savage excite-ment. A door opens and a long line of human beings appear, drivenby goads and scourges. In the hands of each a .sword isplaced, a mockery not unlike that which Jesus underwent atJerusalem. With these poor weapons they are to defend them-selves against the beasts. I see them turn their faces to heaven,not in pleading for rescue from their fate, for they have knownthousands of their colleagues in religion to go the same routeand there is no hope of their exemption and they expect nofavors from God nor man in this instance. But upon theirfaces is a look of assurance that with the bl
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