Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

What a treasure health is, they that haue it do finde, though they feele it not till it faile, when want bewrayes what a iewell they haue lost, and their cost discouers how they mynde the recouerie. The ende of our being here is to serue God and our country, in obedience to persons, and perfourmance of duties: If that may be done with health of bodie, it is effectual and pithie: if not, then with sorow we must shift the soner, and let other succede, with no more assurance of life, then we had made vs, without this healthfull misterie: in perpetuall change to let the world see, that multitude doth supply with number the defect of a great deale better, but to sone decaying paucity.

To liue and that long of whom is it not longed for, as Gods blessing if he know God: as the benefit of nature, if he be but a naturall man.

The state of our bodie, when we are in good health, so liuely and lusty, so comfortable and cleare, so quicke and chearie, in part and in hole, doth it not paint vs, and point vs the valew of so preciouse a iewell, as health is to be esteemed?

The pitifull grones, the lamentable shrikes, the lothsome lookes, the image of death, nay of a pyning death, yea in hope of recouery: the rufull heauines, the wringing handes, the wayling friendes, all blacke before blacke, when health is in despaire, do they not crie and tell vs, what a goodly thing health is, themselues being so griesy?

So many monuments left by learned men, so much sumptuousnes of the mightiest princes, so many inuentions of the noblest wittes bestowed vpon exercises to maintaine this diamond, are they not sufficient to enflame the executour, being a partaker him selfe, and a distributer to others, that the subiect wherein he dealeth is both massie, most worth, and most meruelous? let him thinke it to be so, bycause he seeth it is so, and vpon that presumption proceede to his so healthfull, and so honorable an execution. In whom his owne iudgement is of speciall force to further his good speede. For being well resolued in the excellencie of his owne subiect he will both himselfe execute the better, and perswade other sooner to embrace that with zeale, which he professeth with iudgement. If you will haue me weepe for you, saith the Poet, then weepe you first: he shall hardly perswade an other to like of that, which is his owne choice, who shall himselfe not seeme to set by it, where himselfe hath set his choise.

How to become a skillfull exercising maister.

2. The knowledge wherewith, and how to deale therein is so much the easier, bycause it is so generall, and so many wayes to be wonne. I will not seeme to raise vp the memorie which can neuer dye, giuen to this traine by all both old and new histories: which prayse those vertues and valiances, which they found, but had neuer had matter to praise, nor vertues to finde, if exercises had not made the personages praiseworthy, whereby they did such thinges, and of so great admiration, as had bene vnpossible to any not so trained as they were. What Philosopher describeth the fairest forme of the worthiest common weale, either by patterne of one person, as allowing that state best, where one steares all: or by some greater multitude, as preferring that gouernment, where many make much stirre: but he doth alwaye, when he dealeth with the youth, and first trayning of that state, not onely make mention, but a most speciall matter of exercise for health?

Who is it in any language that handleth the Padagogicall argument, how to bring vp youth, but he is arrested there, where exercise is enfraunchised? As for the Physicians, it is a principall parcell of their fairest patrimonie, bycause it is naturally subiect, and so learnedly proued to be by Galene in his booke intitled Thrasybulus, to that parte of their profession which seeketh to preserue health, and not to tarie till it come to ruine, with their gaine to repare it, though it still remaine ruinous and rotten, which is so repared. Therefore whensoeuer the maintenance of health, is the inscription of the booke, this title of exercise hath some euidence to shew. Further in the discours of Exercises we finde eche where the names of diet, of waking, of sleeping, of mouing, of resting, of distemperature, of temperature, of humours, of elementes, of places, of times, of partes of the bodie, of the vses therof, of frictions and chafings, of lassitude and wearinesse, and a number such, which when the training maister meeteth with among the Physicians, or naturall Philosophers, what els say they vnto him, but that where ye finde vs before the dore, ye may be bold to come in? As for naturall Philosophy the ground mistresse to Physik it must needes be the foundation to this whole traine. Hence the causes be set, which proue eche thing either good or bad, either noysome or needefull to health. All naturall problemataries, dipnosophistes, symposiakes, antiquaries, warmaisters, and such as deale with any particular occurence of exercise, if ye appose them well: you shall finde them yours freindes. This terme Gymnastice, which emplyeth in name, and professeth in deede the arte of exercise, is the verie seat, wheron the trainer must builde. And therefore all either whole bookes, or particular discourses in any writer by the waie, concerning this argument, do will him to rest there. In which kinde, for the professed argument of the whole booke, I know not any comparable to Hieronymus Mercurialis, a verie learned Italian Physician now in our time, which hath taken great paines to sift out of all writers, what so euer concerneth the whole Gymnasticall and exercising argument, whose aduice in this question I haue my selfe much vsed, where he did fit my purpose.

By these reasons I do see, and by some proofe I haue found, that the waye to be skilfull in the preseruatiue part of Physick, and so consequently in exercises, as the greatest member therof, is very ready and direct, bycause it is so plaine, so large, and with all so pleasant: as it is also most honorable, bycause it seekes to saue vs from that, which desireth our spoile. And therefore this execution requireth a liberall courage, where the gaine is not great, but the disposition much praised. The repairers get the pence, the preseruers reason faire. And as the effect commendes the knowledge: so being of it selfe thus necessarie for all, a student may with great credit trauell in the cunning, if it were for no more but to helpe his owne health, and vpon better affection, or some gainfull offer to empart it with other. For to helpe himselfe he is bound in nature, and will do it in deede: to do good to all if he may, he is bound by dutie, and so sure he ought. But to helpe as many as he may, and himselfe to, what nature can but loue? what dutie can but like? chiefly where the thing which he must do, may be done with ease, and the good which he shall do, shall gaine him praise, besides the surplus of profit. Some will say perhaps to traine vp children, what needes so much cunning: or in so petie a matter what needes so much labour? Though I entreat of it here, where it first beginnes, yet it stretcheth vnto all, both ages and persons: neither is the matter so meane, which is the readiest meane to so great a good, but if it were meane, the meanest matter requireth not the meanest maister, to haue it well done: and the first groundworke would be layd by the best workeman. For who can better teach to reade, then he which for skill can commaund the language? And what had more neede to be exactly done then that principle, which either marreth the whole sequele, with insufficiencie, or maketh all sound, being it selfe well layd? The thing you will graunt to be of such efficacie, such an excutor you despaire of: such a man may be had, nay a number of such may be had, if recompence be prouided to answere such sufficiencie. The common not opinion but error is, he hath cunning enough for such a small trifle. It is not that small which he hath that can do the thing well, but your skill is small, to thinke that any small skill, can do anything well. He must know a great deale more then he doth, which must do that well, which he doth: bycause store is the deliuerer of the best effectes, neede which sheweth all at once, is but a sorie steward, and must put in band, that he hath some credit, though verie smal substance.

For the skill of the trayner I take it to be verie euident, both whence it may be had, and how plentiful a store house he hath for his prouision. Thence he may haue the generall groundes, and causes of his cunning.