In order to succeed in doing so, the wrestler grasped his opponent by the arms, dragged him forward, drove him back, seized him by the throat, twisted his neck till he cried out, entwined his own limbs with those of his antagonist, shook him with all his might, endeavoured to lift him in the air, or hurl him upon his side. Some commenced with the preliminary sparring with the hands, of which we have spoken,

while others, lowering their heads, threw themselves forward, butting like rams. This was not all. "Observe," says Lucian, "how one lifts his adversary by the legs, as they do in the gymnasiums, throws him to the earth, casts himself upon him, prevents him from rising, and drives him into the ground; squeezes his stomach with his legs, sinks his thumbs into his gullet, and soon chokes the poor wretch, who, striking his conqueror on the shoulder, begs him, with earnest entreaty, not to strangle him." The established

rules of the combat actually permitted the athlete to rip up the stomach of his adversary, and to tuck his elbow under his chin so as to deprive him totally of the power of respiration. In spite of the terrible shocks received in these conflicts, the physicians of antiquity recommend them as favourable to health, asserting that "horizontal" wrestling acted beneficially upon the loins and the lower extremities, while upright wrestling affected in a similar manner the

upper parts of the body. Cælius Aurelianus extolled the exercise, as tending to prevent obesity.

This much is certain, that, as a rule, wrestling as practised among the Greeks assisted in developing the muscles and the respiratory organs, facilitated the circulation of the blood, and helped to expel noxious secretions, which are discharged through the pores. So thoroughly were the Greeks convinced of the benefits of these sports, that they accorded the privilege of combating with their equals at the Olympic games even to young children. In wrestling,

a value was also assigned to the elegance and grace of the various attitudes of the body.

"Forced to appear without clothes before a vast assembly," says Solon to Anacharsis, in Lucian's dialogue, they will take care that their attitudes are beautiful, that they may not have to blush for their nudity, and that they may render themselves in all things worthy of victory."

The wrestling of the Swiss mountaineers presents to the artist of the present day not less interesting subjects of

Another Scene. (From a painted vase found at Vulci.)

study. To the tourist the exercise is nothing more than an object of curiosity; but let him take care to act the modest part of a spectator, and not join in their rough sport, as the people of the country will certainly invite him to do. Were he the most renowned gymnast in Germany, he would infallibly come off second best in the encounter.

I would not assert that the Swiss in their wrestling call to mind the athletes of the Olympic games, but in many respects they imitate them. They sometimes begin the contest in the fashion of the ancient wrestlers, by only touching the upper parts of each other's bodies, and striking

head against head. As a rule, before coming to close quarters, they shake hands to show that they bear no malice, and then each places one hand on his opponent's belt. and the other on his shoulder. This is the signal for the commencement of the struggle, the object of which is to

Another Scene. (From an antique bronze.)

throw one's adversary upon his back, and victory is only gained when this has been achieved. Soon all the muscles are strained, all the veins swollen, the eyes seem about to start from their sockets, and the panting nostrils are wide open, Each athlete endeavours to pass his leg under that of the other in order to throw him over it, and give him the fall; but this manoeuvre is met by one not less ingenious,

for the other slides his left hand under the right thigh of his opponent and brings it in front of his left thigh. Taking him thus by the legs he lifts him in the air with all the strength of his wrists, and throws him upon his back, perhaps even on his head. At other times it is the blow of heel against heel that determines the fall.

The pancrace-that is to say, wrestling accompanied with fighting-does not appear to form part of these Helvetic games. Among the Greeks it was simply wrestling developed to its utmost perfection, and carried out in the fiercest and most uncompromising manner. The athletes who devoted themselves to it became the most renowned for strength, as may be readily believed, seeing that in this kind of combat all the members-the hands, feet, arms, thighs, shoulders, neck, elbows, and knees-had to play their part. The pancrace was the combination of wrestling with pugilism. We have described the former, it now

remains to speak of the latter.