Of riding.

If any wilbe so wilful as to denie Riding to be an exercise and that a great one, and fittest also for greatest personages, set him either vpon a trotting iade to iounce him thoroughly or vpon a lame hakney to make him exercise his feete, when his courser failes him. In all times, in all countries, among all degrees of people, it hath euer bene taken, for a great, a worthy, and a gentlemanly exercise. Though Aristophanes his testimonie, were naught against honest Socrates, yet it is good to proue, that riding was a gentlemanly traine, euen among the principles of education in Athens. And Virgile in the legacie sent to Latinus, describeth the same traine in the Romain children, which, sayeth he, exercised themselues on horsebacke before the towne. And Horace accuseth the young gentleman in his time as not able to hange on a horse. But to deale with stories, either Greeke, or Latin, for the Romain or other nations exercise in riding in a matter of such store, were more then needeles. The Romains had their whole citie diuided into partialities, by reason of the foure factions of those exercising horsemen. Who of the foure colours, which they vsed, Russet, White, Greene, and Blew, were named Russati, Albati, Prasini, Veneti.40 For the warres how great a traine riding is, I would no countrey had tried, nor had cause to complaine, nor the subdued people to be sorofull, though the conquerour do vant himselfe, of his valiantnesse on horsebacke. For health it must needes be of some great moment, or els why do the Physicians seeme to make so much of it? They saye that generally it encreaseth naturall heat, and that it purgeth superfluities, as that to the contrarie it is naught for any sicke bodie, or that hath taken Physicke hard before, or that is troubled with infection or inflammation of the kidneies. They vse to deuide it into fiue kindes, Slow, quicke, trotting, ambling, and posting.

1. Of Slow riding they write that it wearieth the grines very sore, that it hurteth the buttokes, and legges, by hanging downe to long, and yet it heateth not much: that it hindreth getting of children, and breadeth aches and lamenesse.

2. Of quicke riding they saye, that of all exercises it shaketh the bodie most, and that yet it is good for the head ache, comming of a cold cause: for the falling euill, for deafnesse, for the stomack, for yeaxing or hikup, for clearing and quickning the instrumentes of sense: for dropsies: for thickning of thinne shankes: which was found true in Germanicus CÆsar41 nephew to Tiberius the Emperour, which so helped his spindle shankes. Againe quick riding is naught for the bulke: for a weake bladder, which must forebeare all exercises, when it hath any exulceration: for the Ischiatica, bycause the hippes are to much heated and weakned, by the vehementnesse of the motion. Whervpon the humours, which are styrred rest there: and either breede new or augment olde aches.

Of trotting, it is said euen as we see, that it shaketh the bodie to violently, that it causeth and encreaseth marueilous aches, that it offendes the head, the necke, the shoulders, the hippes, and disquieteth all the entrailes beyond all measure. And though it may somewhat helpe the digestion of meate, and raw humours, loose the belly, prouoke vrine, driue the stone or grauell from the kidneyes downward, yet it is better forborne for greater euilles, then borne with for some sorie small good.

Ambling as it exerciseth least, so it anoyeth least, and yet looseth it the bellie.

As for posting, though it come last in reading, it will be first in riding, though for making such hast, it harme eche part of the bodie, and specially the bulke, the lungues, the bowells generally, the kidneyes: as what doth it not allway anoy, and oftimes either breake or put out of ioynte by falles or straynes? It warmes and paires the body to sore, and therfore abateth grossenes, though a grosse man be ill either to ride post himselfe, or for a iade to beare. It infecteth the head, it dulleth the senses, and especially the sight: euen til it make his eyes that posteth to run with water, not to remember the death of his friendes, but to thinke how sore his saddle shakes him, and the ayer bites him.