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.

3. The third kind I call the Armeball which was inuented in the kingdom of Naples, not many yeares agoe, and answereth most of the olde games, with the great ball, which is executed with the armes most, as the other was with the feete, and be both very great helpers vnto health. The arme in this is fensed with a wooden brace, as the shin in the other with some other thing for meeting with a shrew. The armeball encreaseth the naturall heate, maketh way for superfluities, causeth sound sleepe, digesteth meate wel, and dispatcheth raw humors, though it stuffe the head, as all vehement exercises do. It exerciseth the armes and backe chiefly, and next to them the legges, and therfore it must needs be good for such, as desire to haue those partes strong and perfit, to digest their meate at will, to distribute profitable iuice to the whole body, and to auoide needelesse matter, as well by sweate, as by any other kinde of secret euacuation. And yet it is very ill for a naughtie backe, for hoat kidneyes, for sharp vrine, and generally for any that is troubled with infirmities and diseases in those parts which are strained with stirring.

Thus much concerning the particular exercises, which I haue pickt out from the rest, as most reducible to our time and countrie, wherein I haue not followed the ordinarie diuision, which the training maisters and Physicians do vse, but I deuised such a one, as I tooke to be fittest for myne owne purpose regarding our soyle and our seasons. Neither haue I rekened vp the other antique exercises, but haue let them rest with their friends and fauorers, which be long ago at rest. For the tumbling Cybistike, the thumping Pugillate, the buffeting Cestus, the wrastling Pancrace, the quayting Discus, the barlike Halteres, the swinging Petawre, and such old memorandums, they are to auncient and to farre worne from the vse of our youth: the considering whereof may rather stirre coniecture, then stai assurance, what they were, when they were. And of these which I haue named, many be farre beyond boyes plaie, for whom alone I do not deale, but for all studentes in generall, neither yet do I exclude either any age, or any person, if I may profit any else beside studentes and scholers. Neither do I tie the trayne to these exercises alone, but alway to some though not alway to one kinde. The cause and consideration must leade all, which may bring forth the like, and why not the better vpon due and wel obserued circunstance? For though the general cause do direct much, yet the particular circunstance directeth more, being it self enformed in the generall iudgement. The most of these notes, which I haue alleaged, were giuen in Italie, Greece & Spaine, and that climate farre distant, and much differing from our degree. Wherefore our traine vpon consideration of the degrees in soyle, in temperature, in constitution, and such like, must appropriate it selfe where the difference is apparent. Therefore both to vse these exercises which I haue named, to the best, and to deuise other by comparison and circumstance, as cause shal offer, I will runne thorough those particularities, which either make by right, or marre by wrong applying, both all that I haue said, or that can be deuised in this kinde, to preserue health.