Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/76

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BULLINGER


52


BULLS


bull-fight were evolved. Juan Romero was the first to organize a cuadriUa de toreros (band, or company, of bullfighters).

The Modern Bull-fight. — The modern bull- fight begins with the entrance of the toreros into the plaza (ring), marching to music, and dressed in richest satin, embroidered in silk or gold thread. The costume consists of tight-fitting satin knee-breeches, a short open Andalusian coat and vest, silk hose, and shoes without heels. The shoulders are deco- rated with handsome shoulder knots which in reality serve as protection in case of falls, as also the moha, a pad which is worn on the head, and which is covered with a rich cloth cap ornamented with tassels on each side. From the shoulders a short cape of embroi- dsred satin is suspended. In the centre of the ring they ceremoniously salute the presiding official — the governor, sometimes the king himself — and receive from him the key of the bull pen (toril). Then each one takes his place. At the four equi- distant points of the circumference of the ring the picadores are situated. These are men mounted on old or otherwise incapacitated horses, with cow-boy saddles, very large iron stirrups, and one leg protected against the bull's horns by the espinillera, an appa- ratus of iron. The bugle now gives the signal, the door of the pen opens, and the first bull is released. The capeadores attract the bull's attention with their scarlet capes, leading him towards the picadores who ride into the middle of the ring to meet him, and parry his attacks with their spears. If the bull hap- pens to unhorse one of the picadores, or kill his horse, the capeadores rush to the rescue, attracting the bull once more with their scarlet capes, and carrying him off to another part of the ring. When the picadores have had their turn with the bull, the bugle sounds for banderiUas. These are tiny steel points to which are attached many coloured ribbons or papers, which are stuck in the fleshy portion of the bull's neck by the banderilleros, who await his coming in the cen- tre of the ring, facing him with arms extended. These, and many other tricks, such as el salto de la garrocha, etc., besides giving incident and variety to the spec- tacle, have as their object to weaken the enormous strength of the bull, so as to render possible and less dangerous the work of the matador — not, as many im- agine, to infuriate the bull still more. When the pre- siding officer gives the signal for the death of the bull, the matador draws near trie bull with the muleta in his left hand and the sword in his right hand; he calls the bull to him, or throws himself upon him, and plunges the sword into the neck of the bull. If he strikes him in the nape of the neck, killing him instantly, it is called dcscabellar, but if the bull is simply wounded the purdillero puts an end to his life with a dagger. The music now strikes up, while two little mules, richly caparisoned, drag out the bull and the dead horses. This is repeated again and again, the num- ber of bulls being usually eight for each corrida.

Bull-fights have occasioned many accusations of barbarity against the Spaniards. The reason for this is, first, an utter ignorance of a game in which man with his reason and dexterity overcomes the brutal strength and ferocity of the bull. Foreigners as a rule think that die Spanish populace go to the bull-fight to witness the shedding of human blood. This is false. Generally there are no casualities; and when an accident does occur, no one derives pleasure from it; on the contrary, all deplore it. Second, the misconception implies a lack of com- parison with other spectacles. The risks taken by acrobats, tight-rope dancers, and tamers of wild I leasts are no less barbarous than those of the bull- fight, although the performances themselves are less diverting. And prize-fighting is surely much more brutal, seeing that the vanquished is a human being and not a brute. Lastly, the modern theatre is


frequently more evil in its effects than bull-fighting, which, whatever else may be said of it, arouses no immoral or anti-social passions.

The authorities of the Catholic Church have often condemned bull-fighting. St. Pius V (1 November, 1567, Const. "De salute") prohibited this form of amusement everywhere, threatening with many pen- alties the princes who countenanced it, as well as the performers and spectators, especially clergymen and religious. But in Spain to-day these prohibi- tions are not in force. Gregory XIII (23 August, 1575, "Exponi") moderated the constitution of St. Pius V for Spanish laymen, and Clement VIII (Bull "Suscepti muneris", 12 January, 1597) reduced it to a -jus commune, limiting the prohibition to holidays and to the clergy. Moralists as a rule are of the opinion that bull-fighting as practised in Spain is not forbidden by the natural law, since the skill and dexterity of the athletes precludes immediate danger of death or of serious injury (of. P. V, Casus conscientiae, Vromant, Brussels, 1895, 3d ed., I, 353,354; Gury-Ferreres, Comp. Th. mor., Barcelona, 1906, I, n. 56). Even in Spain and Spanish America they have been forbidden to clergymen and relig- ious, by Pius V, as well as by the Plenary Council for Spanish America (n. 650; cf. also C. prov., Vallisol., I, p. 5, tit. 1, n. 11). The Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo received the same answer from the Penitentiaria (19 September, 1893). It is false to say that the Spanish clergy encourage these spectacles. Al- though public festivals are celebrated with religious ceremonies as well as bull-fights, the clergy is in no- wise responsible for this. If both are announced on the same bill poster, the authorities, or particular associations, are responsible for the printing of this, not the clergy. It is worthy of note that foreigners who have been present at bull-fights are not so harsh in their judgments as those who have formed an opinion from what they have heard about them from the societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Ram6n Ruiz Amado.

Bullinger, Johann Heinrich. See Zwingli.

Bullion, Angeliqtje, b. in Paris, at commence- ment of the seventeenth century, her parents being Guichard Favre and Madeleine Brulart de Sillery. Claude de Bullion, her husband, was Keeper of the Seals and Superintendent of Finances under Louis XIII; Cardinal Richelieu annually rewarded his intelligent and disinterested administrations by a bonus of 100,000 livres. After his death (1640), her four children being well provided for, she followed the advice of the Recollet Father Rapin, and con- tributed in 1641-42, 60,000 livres to the foundation of Ville-Marie, now the city of Montreal, Canada. She founded and endowed (1643) a Hotel-Dieu in honour of St. Joseph, begun at Ville-Marie (1642) by Mademoiselle Mance, and confided in 1657-59, to the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph, an order in- stituted at La Fleche by a pious layman, Royer de la Dauversiere, one of the joint founders of Montreal. She likewise contributed more than 20,000 livres for the defence of the settlement against the Iroquois Indians, thereby helping to save the whole colony of New France from destruction. She always in- sisted on being mentioned in the deeds ratifying her donations as "An unknown benefactress". Her identity was revealed only after her death.

Faillon, Vie d* Mademoiselle Mance (Villemarie, 1854). Lionel Lindsay.

Bulls and Briefs. — A bulla was originally a circular plate or boss of metal, so called from its re- semblance in form to a bubble floating upon water (l.at. hid/ire, to boil). In course of time the term came to be applied to the leaden seals with which papal and royal documents were authenticated in the early Middle Ages, and by a further development