The Pedestrian's Record

THE PEDESTRIAN'S RECORD. 37 battles could not be won; consequently, every human endeavour was made to produce strength of body. Every variety of exercise was indulged in, and as long as wars were dependent for success on stalwart bodies and brute force, so long this necessity for training men in all kinds of gymnastic and athletic work existed, and was pursued with national severity; but when the demand ceased, the supply fell into decay : artillery supplanted the bow and arrow; breastplates could not resist the inroad of the bullet ; battle-axes were useless against gunpowder ;armour became defenceless ; the occupation of the soldier who depended on his brute force for success had passed away, and with it those exercises which had made the tournament the arena of great and daring deeds, giving to the knights their chivalry, and the English archer his never-to-be-broken historical re­ cord at both long and short distances ; the cannon and ball usurped the place of the arrow; arms of precision rendered useless the battle-axe and javelin ; defenceless armour fell from overweighted warriors, never to be reassumed ; the period of scientific war­ fare had commenced, and the tournament was soon supplanted by horse-racing. Heavy weights might have ridden at first, but speed was the order, increas­ ing from day to day ; moderate weights sat in the saddle, to be succeeded by a rider, as at the present time, not weighing eight stone ; gymnastic exercises ceased to be so exacting, and ultimately declined, and no longer represented anational institution; lighter