"PLAYING THE GAME" AS UNDERSTOOD ABOUT 30 B.C.
[TO me EDITOR Or THE "SPEOTATOR."1
SIR,—A footrace for three prizes only, near Mount Eryx in Sicily. The names of five of the competitors were Nisus and Euryalus—bosom friends—Saline, Helymus, and Diores. When close to the goal, Nisus, who had led all the way, lost his balance on mud and fell. Mindful of his lOve for Euryalus, he contrived in rising to upset the second man, Euryalus, a bad third, then darted forward and amid deafening applause took the first place. Next came Helymus, with Diores after him. Saline eagerly protests that he bad been tricked out of the first prize, his overthrow by Nisus leaving been intentional, not accidental. The audience favours Euryalus, beautiful, mute, and tearful. Diores, who would have had to go without a prize bad Saline's claim been allowed, backs the right of Euryalus vehemently and clamorously. The umpire ruled against Salius, but awarded Lim an extra prize by way of compensation. Thereupon Nisus, with muddy face, urged that he deserved a prize quite as much as Salius. And he too was awarded an extra prize, not, perhaps, for having done his friend a good turn, but as consolation for his mischance when victory was almost his. It would be refreshing as well as instructive to hear the candid opinion of a public-school boy, English, American, or Colonial, on the trick of Nisus, the tears of Euryalus, the clamour of Diores, &c.--I am, Sir, &c., P.S.—The preceding narrative is taken, of course, from the fifth book of the Aeneid, which, by the way, contains the account of a heavy weight boxing match with a certain resemblance to the recent disgusting glove-fight in Australia.
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