Of shooting.
The physicians seeme to commend shooting for the vse of health sufficiently, in that they make Apollo and Æsculapius the presidentes and protectors of Archerie, which both be the greatest gods, and chiefest patrones of ther owne profession. And that it is a thing to be beloued, and liked, what argument is there that can be alleadged of comparable force to that of Cupide himselfe, which in the matter of loue, doth bend with his bow, and enamour with his arrow? But in sadnes to say enough of this exercise in few wordes, which no wordes can praise enough for the commodities which it bringeth to the health of the body: as it hath bene vsed by diuers nations, in diuerse sortes, both on horsebacke and on foote, both for peace and warre, for healthfull exercise and pleasant pastime: so none either now doth vse it, or heretofore hath vsed it, more to health, and bettering of the body then our owne countrimen do. As if it were a thing somewhat naturall to Ilandes, bycause they of Crete and Cyprus in olde stories, they of the Indian Ilandes in new stories are noted also for neare Shooting, strong Darting, and streight Slinging, whereof the Balear Ilandes seeme to take their name. Nay by all auncient monumentes Shooting should seeme to be both the eldest, and the vsuallest defence in fighting a farre of, which though it haue now, and tofore, haue had great place in the fielde for warfare: yet hath it a great deale better place in our fields for wellfare: and therefore the more, because it consisteth both of the best exercises, and the best effectes of the best exercises. For he that shooteth in the free and open fields may chuse, whether betweene his markes he will runne or walke, daunce or leape, hallow or sing or do somewhat els, which belongeth to the other, either vehement or gentle exercises. And whereas hunting on foote is so much praised, what mouing of the body hath the foote hunter in hilles and dales, which the rouing Archer hath not in varietie of growndes? Is his naturall heate more stirred then the Archers is? Is his appetite better then the Archers is though the prouerbe helpe the hungrie hunter? Nay in both these the Archer hath the vantage. For both his howers be much better to eate, and all his mouing is more at his choice: because the hunter must follow his game of necessitie, the Archer neede not but at his owne leasure. For his pastime will tarystil, till he come to it, the hunters game is glad to get from him. In fine what good is there in any particular exercise, either to helpe natural heat, or to cleare the body, or to prouoke appetite, or to fine the senses, or to strengthen the sinewes, or to better all partes, which is not altogither in this one exercise? Onely regard to vse it in a meane doth warrant the archer from daunger to himselfe: and an eye to looke about, doth defende the passager from perill by him. I could here speake much, if it were not to much, to say euen so much in such a thing, being so faire a pastime, so pleasant to al people, so profitable to most, so familiar to our country, so euery where in eye, so knowne a defence, such a meane to offende, as there is no man but knoweth it to be a preseruatiue to health, and therefore well to be numbred among the trayning exercises. And chiefly as it is vsed in this Iland, wherein the rouing must nedes be the best and most healthful, both for varieties of motion in diuersities of soile, and by vsing all archery, in exercising one kinde. For in rouing, you may vse either the butte, or the pricke by the way for your marke, as your pleasure shalbe. This exercise do I like best generally of any rownde stirring without the dores, vpon the causes before alleadged, which if I did not, that worthy man our late and learned countrieman maister Askam would be halfe angrie with me, though he were of a milde disposition, who both for trayning the Archer to his bow, and the scholler to his booke, hath shewed him selfe a cunning Archer, and a skilfull maister.
In the middest of so many earnest matters, I may be allowed to entermingle one, which hath a relice of mirth, for in praysing of Archerie, as a principall exercise, to the preseruing of health, how can I but prayse them, who professe it throughly, and maintaine it nobly, the friendly and franke fellowship of prince Arthurs knightes in and about the citie of London, which of late yeares haue so reuiued the exercise, so countenaunced the artificers, so enflamed emulation, as in themselues for friendly meting, in workemen for good gayning, in companies for earnest comparing, it is almost growne to an orderly discipline, to cherishe louing society, to enrich labouring pouertie, to maintaine honest actiuity, which their so encouraging the vnder trauellours, and so encreasing the healthfull traine, if I had sacred to silence, would not my good friend in the citie maister Hewgh Offly, and the same my noble fellow in that order Syr Launcelot, at our next meeting, haue giuen me a sowre nodde, being the chiefe furtherer of the fact, which I commend, and the famosest knight, of the fellowship, which I am of? Nay would not euen prince Arthur himselfe maister Thomas Smith, and the whole table, of those wel known knights, and most actiue Archers haue layd in their chaleng against their fellow knight, if speaking of their pastime, I should haue spared their names? whereunto I am easily led, bycause the exercise deseruing such praise, they that loue so praiseworthie a thing neither can of them selues, neither ought at my hand to be hudled vp in silence.
CHAPTER 27.
Of the ball.
The play at the Ball seemeth compound, bycause it may be vsed, both within dores, and without. Wherof good writers haue deliuered vs thus much: that in the olde time there were diuers kindes of balles and diuers kindes of exercise therwith, according to the diuers vse of the ball either small or great: both amongst the Romaines and Greekes, whose names I vse so much, bycause they were best acquainted both with the thinges, and with the right vse therof. Galene in his first booke of maintaining health, speaking of the Germains, who vsed then to dippe their new borne children into extreme cold water ouer head and eares, to trie their courage and to harden their skinne, sayeth that he wrate those lessons of health and exercise, no more to the Dutch and such rude people as we also were then, then to beares, boares and lyons: but to Greekes and such people, as though barbarous in nature, yet by traine and learning, were become greekish as we now are, and the Romains then were. So that our examples be fetcht from these two nations, which either vsed the thinges most, and handled them best: or else enriched their owne tongues with all that was best, and when they had so done set them ouer vnto vs. But of all their exercises with the Ball, we haue not any so farre as I can gesse, by their notes, though we retaine the name: and yet our playing with the Ball worketh the same effectes, which theirs did, as it appeareth by their descriptions. Wherfore seeing they be so farre different from ours, and almost worne out of knowledge euen to curious coniectures, which seeke to sift them out, I will neither trouble my selfe with studying to set downe their names: nor my reader with reading to gesse what they were, and how they were vsed.
Three kindes shall content me, which our time knoweth, wherein all the properties of their balles, and all the effectes of their exercises, be most euidently seene. The hand ball, the footeball, the armeball.
1. The litle hand ball whether it be of some softer stuffe, and vsed by the hand alone, or of some harder, and vsed with the rackette, whether by tennice play with an other, or against a wall alone, to exercise the bodie with both the handes, in euerie kinde of motion, that concerneth any, or all the other exercises, is generally noted, to be one of the best exercises and the greatest preseruations of health. In so much as Galene bestoweth an whole treatise vpon the vse and praise of it, wherein he compareth it with other exercises, and preferreth it before all, for parabilitie, to be all mens game: for profitablenesse, to do all men good: for pleasauntnesse, to quicke all mens spirites, and in short knits vp the some of his conclusion thus. That the vse of the litle ball doth plant in the minde courage, in the bodie health, in all the limmes a trim and wel proportionate constitution: so it be moderately and aduisedly executed. Playing at the ball in generall is a strong exercise, and maketh the bodie very nimble, and strengtheneth all the vitall actions. The litle handball is counted to be a swift exercise, without violence, and therefore the rakketters in tennyse play, if they vse it in that kinde, which is thought to be most healthfull, must shew them selues nymble without strayning, and yet it falleth out most conmonly contrarie, while desire to wynne some wager makes the winners loose a benefit, which they wish for more, and would gladly get to better their health by. This playing abateth grossenes and corpulence, as al other of the same sort do: it maketh the flesh sownd and soft, it is very good for the armes, the greene and growing ribbes, the back, and by reason the legges are mightely stirred ther by, it is a great furtherer to strength, it quickneth the eyes by looking now hither, now thither, now vp, now downe, it helpeth the ridgebone, by stowping, bending and coursing about: it is verie good for bellies and stomakes, that be troubled with winde or any paine which proceedeth from colde. Now to the contrary it is not good for ill and bleare eyes raw stomakes, vndigested meat, which haue more neede of rest then stirring, and for such as will soone be turnesicke, which the oft turning about of the head and eyes cannot but cause. The playing at tennyse is more coastly and strayning to aunswere an aduersary, but the playing against the wall is as healthfull, and the more ready, bycause it needeth no aduersary, and yet practiseth euery kinde of motion, euery ioynt of the body, and all without danger. Children vse this ball diuersly, and euery way healthfully, in regard of the exercise: if accidentarie faultes fall out among children, in the vse of the play, the parties must beare the blame, and not the play.
The second kinde I make the Footeball play, which could not possibly haue growne to this greatnes, that it is now at, nor haue bene so much vsed, as it is in all places, if it had not had great helpes, both to health and strength, and to me the abuse of it is a sufficient argument, that it hath a right vse: which being reuoked to his primatiue will both helpe, strength, and comfort nature: though as it is now conmonly vsed, with thronging of a rude multitude, with bursting of shinnes, and breaking of legges, it be neither ciuil, neither worthy the name of any traine to health. Wherin any man may euidently see the use of the trayning maister. For if one stand by, which can iudge of the play, and is iudge ouer the parties, and hath authoritie to commaunde in the place, all those inconueniences haue bene, I know, and wilbe I am sure very lightly redressed, nay they wil neuer entermedle in the matter, neither shall there be complaint, where there is no cause. Some smaller number with such ouerlooking, sorted into sides and standings, not meeting with their bodies so boisterously to trie their strength: nor shouldring or shuffing one an other so barbarously, and vsing to walke after, may vse footeball for as much good to the body, by the chiefe vse of the legges, as the Armeball, for the same, by the vse of the armes. And being so vsed, the Footeball strengtheneth and brawneth the whole body, and by prouoking superfluities downeward, it dischargeth the head, and vpper partes, it is good for the bowells, and to driue downe the stone and grauell from both the bladder and kidneies. It helped weake hammes, by much mouing, beginning at a meane, and simple shankes by thickening of the flesh no lesse then riding doth. Yet rash running and to much force oftentimes breaketh some inward conduit, and bringeth ruptures.