Page:Lacrosse- The National Game of Canada (New Edition).djvu/25

 8 Never was there ancient or modern field sport that so effectually tried the endurance and agility, and every physical instinct as the original game of Lacrosse. The gladiatorial games of the Romans, and the bull fights of Spain, were severe tests of stamina and skill; but neither the praises of Cicero nor the approval of Pliny can prevent the banishment of amusements deliberately designed for the shedding of blood, and the death of, at least, one of the combatants.

It may not be possible for one who has never handled a Crosse—even though he has witnessed many of the exciting matches of the present day, to conceive of the intensity and vehemence of the old game; but to a player who has tried his mettle against Indian wind and endurance, and experienced the exertion required in the present modified game, it is easier to estimate correctly the magnificent physical condition of the aborigine a century ago, and the unparalleled union of strength, agility and wind developed by, and necessary for, the primitive Lacrosse. It was not played as a superstitious rite in honor of the Great Spirit; it had none of the religious element of the Grecian games. It was