To Make Carps Grow Large, &c.
About the Month of April, when you perceive your Pond grow low in VVater, rake all the sides where the VVater is fallen away with an Iron Rake, and sow Hay-seeds there, and rake it well; and at the Latter end of Summer you shall have good store of Grass: The Winter being come the VVater will encrease and over-top all the Grass, and there being VVater enough to carry them, the Carps will resort to the seeds, and feed briskly and grow as fat as Hoggs: Thus do every Summer, till you sue your pond, and no River Carp can surpass them.
Thus much of Fishing and Fish-Ponds.
The Use of the Bow is of so great Antiquity, and of so important a Consequence for a defensive and offensive Armes, that I could not but a little consider, how needful the true knowledge of its Use was esteemed of Old, and how little it is accounted now. It is uncertain, as well as (almost) unknown, who was the First Inventor of the Bow; but if we examine the Probability there may be of its being derived from the Tyranical Government of Nimrod, that so Mighty Hunter before the Lord, we may Conjecture him to be the first Inventor of the Bow: For as he is called the First Founder of a Monarchick Government, by reducing and subduing a disordered People under the Government of himself; so was he likewise esteemed a Mighty Hunter in another respect, for that he Subdued likewise the Beasts of the Field; as is observed of him and his Character, by sundry Commentators on him and his Family. So that in the whole we may suppose him to be the Inventor, or first Finder out of the Bow, as a Weapon of an infallible Execution and mortal Efficacy on that account. Nor can I find any mention made of the Bow thro the whole Hystory of Genesis from Nimrod to Esau, they both being characterized with those Epithets of Mighty and Cunning Hunters, Men of the Field; who very well understood the Use of the Bow, as well for their Profit as Pleasure; the last of which is particularly hinted in the commands of Isaac to Esau, that with his Quiver and his Bow, he should Hunt and take that only Seasonable Dish, which might procure and entaile a Blessing on him and his Posterity. Nay, that Holy Patriarch Jacob himself, in his last Will and Testament to his Illustrious Family, bequeaths a singular Portion to his beloved Joseph, which the strength of his Bow had intitled him to. Gen. 48. 22.
Nor are we to doubt in what Estimation it was held to the Reign of David King of Israel, who thought it the most Necessary Qualification of his Subjects, to be very well versed in the Use of the Bow. The Bow which was the Famous Signal between his beloved Jonathan and himself, and made the private Testimonial of the undeserv’d Fury of his Maliciously & Enviously incensed Father Saul: By reason of whose eminent Skill, in the expert use of it, he chants forth his Mournful Elegy, The Bow of Jonathan returned not empty, from the Blood of the slain, &c. Nay further so useful (no doubt) he thought the Knowledge of the Bow was, and of so necessary a Consequence for a Defensive as well as Offensive Armes, that it is observable he issued out a particular Edict or Proclamation, commanding the general Learning its use throughout Judah. And the Use of it continued and still does in the East, as the only Weapon they are skilled in.
Dr. Heylin in his Cosmographical Description of the World, tells us, That the Czeremissi, a People living in great Forrests, without Houses, feeding on Honey & the Flesh of Wild Beasts & Clothed with their Skins, under the Empire of the Czar of Russia, are such excellent Archers, and so light of Foot, that they carry their Bows continually in their hands, and practise their Children so timely in it, that (after such an age) till they can hit a White that is set before them, they give them nothing to eat.
Further; it is recorded of the Parthians (and indeed all the Persians too) that their greatest Fame consisted in their skilful handling their Bows and Arrows, & were deservedly reckon’d the best Archers in the World, having the Art of Shooting backwards, and making their Retreat and Flight more pernicious and terrible, than their Charge and Onset. So that when Marcus Crassus in his expedition against them, was told by an Astrologer, that having found an ill Aspect in Scorpio, he presaged his Enterprize would prove unsuccesseful, Tush Man (quoth he) I fear not Scorpio, but Sagittarius.
And to descend to our own Countrymen the English, the frequent Victories they obtained over the French formerly, rendred them as famous and able Bow-men (next the Parthians) as were in the World.
But since the Ingenious Franciscan Fryer (Bertholdus Swart) appeared in Germany, his Sulphureous Brain has quite (or almost) blown up the Reputation of the Bow, and all other Ancient Devices and Engines of War, by his Accidental Invention of that Fatal Instrument the Gun, which he first communicated to the Venetians, Anno 1330. Who gave by these (then so called) Bombards, a notable discomfiture to the Genoys; and was next made use of by the Inhabitants of the Baltick Sea; And at the Siege of Callice Anno 1347. used by the English; who taught it the Mounsieur Frenchman, and he gratified him with the death of the Famous Leader, Thomas Mountacute Earl of Salisbury, shot at the Siege of Orleance, Anno. 1425. After which Spain learnt it, and the Jews and Moors from thence taught the Turk; and from the first Invention of large and unweildy, they were made fit for Walls and Hands; and in fine is a less expensive way of shedding blood than that of Archery is.
Thus you see how Ancient the Use of the Bow is, and how lately its Disuse began (I mean in relation to the Common-Wealth, as a defensive, or offensive Weapon) and how great the Ancient Fame of our English was in the knowledge of it: However the Glory of it is somewhat still preserved (though in a Pastime) by the Honourable City of London, whose Lord Mayor annually appears to see a Prize performed by Shooting with a Pound Arrow: And therefore all I have to say more, is, That it is deservedly placed amongst my Recreations, having Metamorphosed its Use, and become a Healthful Conserver, instead of Destroyer of mens Bodies. And is vulgarly distinguished into two sorts, the Long-bow, and the Cross or Crow-Bow.
I shall begin first with the Long-bow, whose Use is (now) thus to be understood. That it conduces much to the Health of our Body, disperses our stagnated Blood, extends our contracted Limbs, and renders the Members of our Bodies plyant, and flexible; and for the better obtaining these Effects, the following Rules are to be Observed.
Before the Archer goes to his Sport (to follow the Method of this Treatise) he must first provide himself with necessary Accoutrements, viz, The Bow which claimes his first Care, must be the best (as best is best Cheap) of Spanish or English Yew, (the VVithen, or Elme being the worst:) Next his Shaft, which must be of Birch, Sugar-Chest, or Brazeel, with Gray, or White Feathers.
Thus equipt, to the Field, and here we are to understand three sorts of Marks, viz, The But, which is a Mark that is level, and requires a strong Arrow with a broad Feather: The Prick, a Mark of some compass, of a certain distance, requires an Arrow that is strong, and nimble, with a middle Feather: The Rover, is an uncertain Mark, and Proportionable to the distance, suit your Arrows. But before you Shoot, hold a little, and hearken to your Charge.
First, The Archer must have a good Eye, to see and discern his Mark; attended with a Knowing Judgment, to Understand the distance of Ground, and in what compass his Arrow must Fly, and to take the true Advantage of a Side-Wind; and a Dexterity to give his Shaft a sharp strong and sudden Loose, and without hanging on the string, to draw his Arrow close to the Head, and in an instant deliver it.
Secondly, He must observe a Decorum in his standing Posture, that his Body be fair, comely, and upright; his left Foot a convenient stride before his right, with both his Hams stiff, his left Arm holding his Bow in the midst, stretch’d out streight; and with his three Fore-Fingers and Thumb of his right-hand, draw the string to his right Ear, the Notch of his Arrow resting between his fore and long Fingers of his Right-Hand, and the Steel of his Arrow below the Feathers upon the middle Knuckle of his fore-finger, on his Left-Hand, drawing it up close, as abovesaid.
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
Were both too short to serve their loose Delight?
See how their curved Bodies wreath, and skrue
Such Antick shapes as Proteus never knew:
One rapps an Oath, another deals a Curse,
He never better bowl’d, this never worse;
One rubs his itchless Elbow, shruggs and laughs,
The t’other bends his beetle-brows, and chafes;
Sometimes they whoop, sometimes the Stygian Cryes,
Send their black Santo’s to the blushing Skies:
Thus mingling Humours in a mad Confusion
They make bad Premisses and worse Conclusion.
Thus much for Bowling.
This Recreation is of the same Date for its Antiquity of Invention with Bowling, and for the Violence of its Exercise to be preferred before it. This sport indeed is of so universal an Acceptance, that Majesty it self is pleased to design it its Recommendation, by tracking its laborious steps; and Princes and Lords admire it too for the most proper Recreation, to suit with Innocence, and true Nobility. Here the body is briskly exercised more than ordinary, and inured in Agility and Nimbleness; this renders the Limbs flexible and mettlesom, and adapts them for the most Vigorous Enterprize: It makes the languid and slothful, brisk and sprightful; and rejects Effeminacy and Delicacy, as contemptible and unworthy so Royal and Noble a Recreation: And so General indeed is the Estimation this Exercise of Tennis amongst most meets with, that it is reckoned one of the most absolute Qualifications of a well-bred Gentleman, throughly to understand this famous Game.
But why should we wonder at the general Love Gentlemen have for this Recreation, since it must be acknowledged, it challengeth as deserving a place in the Catalogue of violent Exercises, as any that goes before it in this Treatise; indeed it may be well rankt among those great Excellencies of Exercise which rendered the Lacedemonians, Famous to all Posterity for instructing their young Gentlemen and Noblemen in: Nay for ought I know it is a derivative Vertue which descended to the true English Gentleman, from that so excellent Method of Education used amongst the Warlike Nation the Gothes: Who (as Olaus Magnus informes us) amongst the greatest Severities, as Beatings and Wounds, Change of Heat into sudden Cold, lying (not on Downe but) upon Boards, coursely clad, and Feeding on Ordinary, but strong Food, used themselves to the most tedious, wearisome and Violent Exercises, as Riding, Darting, Shooting, &c. Wearing heavy Armes, Swimming on Horse-Back and in Armour; And had they been acquainted with this Exercise of Tennis, would not have omitted that neither: But I shall not enlarge any further on its Encomium, its being the Pastime of the most knowing and greatest men, shall stop any longer Eulogies my Pen can make on its Worth and Excellence. All I have to say is, I am heartily sorry, there are no Rules which fall within the Sphere of Demonstration, to be laid down for my Readers use, for the right prosecuting this Noble Game: Practice and Experience alone must be his Information and Direction, and not any Writing may be communicated to him: Only let me say this.
Tennis and Baloon are Sports which are play’d almost with the same Instruments; and therefore may be under one and the same Head: The first is a pastime, used in close or open Courts, by striking a little Round Ball to and fro, either with the Palmes of the hands (and then is called Pila palmaria in Latin) or else a Racket, made for the purpose, round with Net or Cat-gut, with a Handle: The other a strong and moving Sport in the Open Fields with a great Ball of a double Leather filled with Wind, and so driven to and fro with the strength of a Mans Arm, armed in a Brace of Wood: And thus much shall suffice to speak of the Baloon and Tennis; only let me desire you, let not this or any other Pastime disturb your Minds; divert you from the diligent and careful Prosecution of your own lawful Business; or invite you to throw away your Time and Money too lavishly and idley; nor engage you in any Passion; that so you may not offend God, dislike your Neighbour, nor incomode your Self and Family in your Well-being and Felicity; and then you may recreate your self without Fear, and in this Recreation observe the ensuing Morality of