The Cross-Bow (as I said in the Introduction to this Treatise) is of equal Benefit and Pleasure with the Long-Bow, when through an imbecillity in the Arm or Back, that will not be a suitable Recreation: This Bow must be made of the same Wood with the other, for Gafel carried upon a string, and the other end being placed in a Rest, furnish your self with strong and heavy Arrows, suitable to your Bows strength, and all the foregoing Marks, may afford you an equal Delight with the Former; but especially for Persons that have the unhappiness of looking asquint, it is an excellent Disposer of the sight, to a direct Line, and helps that Watermans quality of Looking one way, and Rowing another. Thus much shall suffice for Shooting.
This is a Recreation of an Ancient Institution, the Lydians being thought to have been the first Inventors of Sphæromachia, which signifies Bowling, as well as Tennis-Playing; besides these they instituted several other Games, as the Dice, Tables, Cards, &c. Necessity, and Hunger enforcing them to that Ingenuity, as Persius well observes, Artis Magister, Ingenijque largitor Venter: For that Country being Oppressed with a great Dearth and Famine, in the time of Atis, one of the Progenitors of Omphale, they Devised these Games, that every second day playing at them, they might beguile their Hungry Bellies, and drive away the Tediousness of the Famine. And indeed, according to its Original institution, of infinite use for the diverting Melancholly, for Exercise of the Body, by runing and stirring in this Game, for helping likewise sundry Bodily Infirmities, as the Stone, Gravel, Reins, &c. For which aforesaid ends several Pious, Learned and Sober Persons have sometimes made up the Company of a Bowling-Green (tho I must confess rarely to be seen in those common Bowling-Allies and Bares, which too usually are pestered with Damming-Rooks, Cunning Betters, Crafty Matchers, and base Booty-Players:) Herein we may see the World moralized, or emblematically described, where most are short, over, wide or wrong-Byassed, and few justle in to the Mistress Fortune: On one side we find Heraclitus and his Followers fret, vex, rail, swear and cavil at every thing; on the other side Democritus, and his Company rejoice and laugh, as if they were created for that purpose. On one side you may see the Mimick screwing and twisting his Body into several Postures, which he perswades himself adds either to the Swiftness or Slowness of his Bowl; On the other side the senseless Orator, with his perswasive Intreaties of Rub, O Rub a little; Or, Flee, Flee, and the like, to hasten or retard the Speed of his Bowl; when if the stupid Bowl lend a deaf Ear to his Perswasions, then he belyes his Disobedience, by crying Short, Short, O Short, when tis gone ten yards over; and when tis bowled short of the Jack six yards, he cryes, Gone a Mile, a Mile, a Mile, &c. But not to detain you any longer in characterizing this excellent sport: (Excellent I mean if rightly used) I shall before I lead you into the Green or Bare, instruct you in some Rules, how to choose your Bowls.
The first and greatest Cunning to be observed in Bowling, is the right chusing your Bowl, which must be suitable to the Grounds you design to run on, thus: For close Alleys, your best Choice is the Flat Bowl: 2. For open Grounds of Advantage, the Round-Byassed-Bowl; 3. For Green Swarths, that are plain and level, the Bowl that is Round as a Ball.
The next thing requires your Care is, The chusing out your Ground, and preventing the Windings, Hangings, and many turning Advantages of the same, whether it be in open wide places, as Bares and Bowling-Greens, or in close Bowling-Alleys.
Lastly, Have your Judgment about you to observe and distinguish the Risings, Fallings and Advantages of the Places where you Bowl: Have your Wits about you to avoid being rookt of your Money: And have your Understanding about you, to know your best Time and Opportunity for this Recreation; and finally a studious Care of your Words and Passions, and then Bowl away, and you may deserve, Well have you Bowled indeed.
But methinks I cannot conclude here, without admiring how aptly a Bowling-Green is by the Divine Quarles characterized, in the following Verses, thus.
Brave pastime, Readers, to consume that Day,
Which without Pastime flies too swift away!
See how they Labour, as if Day and Night