Part 7
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_.
Of Bowling,
This is a Recreation of an Ancient Institution, the _Lydians_ being thought to have been the first Inventors of _Sphaeromachia_, 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_.
Of Tennis.
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
The Tennis-Court.
_When as the Hand _at Tennis_ Playes, And Men to Gaming fall, _Love_ is the _Court_, _Hope_ is the _House_, And _Favour_ serves the _Ball_._
_This _Ball_ it self is _due Desert_, The _Line_ that measure showes Is _Reason_, whereon _Judgment_ looks Where Players win and lose._
_The _Tutties_ are _Deceitful Shifts_, The _Stoppers_, _Jealousy_, Which hath Sir _Argus_ hundred Eyes, Wherewith to watch and pry._
_The _Fault_ whereon _Fifteen is lost_, Is _Want of Wit and Sense_, And he that brings the _Racket_ in Is _Double Diligence_._
_But now the _Racket_ is _Free-Will_, Which makes the _Ball_ rebound, And noble _Beauty_ is the _Choice_, And of each Game the _Ground_._
_Then _Racket_ strikes the _Ball_ away, And there is _Over-sight_, A _Bandy_ ho! the People cry, And so the _Ball_ takes flight._
_Now at the length _Good-liking_ proves _Content_ to be their _Gain_: Thus in the _Tennis-Court_, _Love is A Pleasure mixt with Pain_._
Of Ringing.
Since this Recreation of _Ringing_ is become so highly esteemed, for its excellent _Harmony of Musick_ it affords the _Ear_, for its _Mathematical Invention_ delighting the _Mind_, and for the _Violence of its Exercise_ bringing Health to the _Body_, causing it to transpire plentifully, and by Sweats dissipate and expel those Fuliginous thick _Vapours_, which _Idleness_, _Effeminacy_ and _Delicacy_ subject men to; I say for these and sundry other Reasons, I was induced to bring this of _Ringing_ into the Company of _Exercises_ in this Treatise, that I might as well recreate you with some health-conducing Pleasure at _home_, as I have carryed you _abroad_, and there endeavoured to please you in what Pastime your Inclinations may most peculiarly select.
Whosoever would then become an accurate Master of this excellent Art and Pleasure, and is very desirous to be esteemed an Elaborate and Ingenious _Ringer_, and be enrolled amongst that Honoured _Society_ of +Colledge Youths+; I must beg Leave to instruct him before he enters the _Bell-free_, in these ensuing short Rules, which he must strictly observe. _viz._
1. That as all _Musick_ consists in these six plain _Notes_, _La Sol Fa Mi Re Ut_; so in _Ringing_, a Peal of Bells is Tuned according to these Principles of Musick: For as each _Bell takes its Denomination from the Note it Sounds_, by its being flatter or deeper, as, _First_, or Treble, _Second_, _Third_, _Fourth_, &c. as they are in number to _Ten_ or _Twelve_ Bells, the Last being called the _Tennor_; So must they successively strike one after another both _Fore-stroke_ and _Back-stroke_, in a due Musical Time or Equidistance, to render their Harmony the more pleasant, and to make the Young Practitioner the better informed to observe the _Life of Musick_, and indeed of true Ringing, _Time_; and therefore is called, _Round-Ringing_.
2. As in Musick, so in Ringing there are _three Concords_, so called from their Melodious Harmony and Agreement, which Principally are these; _Thirds_, _viz._ 1 3, 2 4. _&c._ _Fifths_ 1 5, 2 6 _&c._ _Eights_ 1 8, 2 9, 3 10 &c. and these are the more pleasant according to the Number of Bells they are struck on, and as they are struck, whether seperately or mutually. From hence _Changes_ are made, which is only a Changing place of one _Note_ with another, so variously, as Musick may be heard a thousand wayes of Harmony; which being so obvious to common Observation, I shall not go about to demonstrate; for that if two may be varied two wayes, surely by the _Rule of Multiplication_, a Man may easily learn how many times 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 12 Bells Notes may be varied, which will run almost _ad infinitum_.
3. For the better observing the Ringing of _Changes_ or _Rounds_, these three things are to be noted.
1. _The Raising true in Peal._
2. _Ringing at a low Compass_; And
3. _Ceasing in true Peal_; All which three are the most essential Parts to render a Practitioner _Excellent_.
1. For _Raising a Peal of Bells true_, the modern & best Practice recommends the _swiftest and quickest possible_, every one taking Assistance to raise his Bell, as its going requires: The _lesser_ Bells as _Treble_, _&c._ being by main strength _held down_ in their first Sway (or pull) to get time for the striking of the rest of Larger Compass; and so continued to be strong pulled till Frame-high, and then may be slackned: The _Bigger_, as _Tenor_, &c. must be _pincht_ or checkt over head, that the Notes may be heard to strike roundly and hansomely. Observe that all the Notes strike round at one Pull: I do not mean the First; but 'tis according to the Bigness and Weightiness of your Bells: However in raising a Peal, do not let one _Bell_ strike before the rest, or miss when the rest do; this is contrary to the Strict Rules of _true Ringing_: And this is called _Round-Ringing_. Now if you design to raise a Peal of Bells for _Changes_, you ought to raise them to a Set-Pull, as the most proper for commanding the Notes, and he who is not well skilled to manage his Bell at a _Set-Pull_, will be apt to drop or overturn it, be in a Wood, and fruitlessly toil and moil himself. Therefore in practising the Setting of a Bell, cast your Eye about the other Bell-Ropes, during your managing your own, that you may accustome your selfe to manage it according to the _Change_.
2. For _Ringing at a Low Compass_, is thus observed: By keeping a due _punctum_ or beat of Time, in the successive striking one after another of every Bell; the _best Ringer_ being set to the _Treble_, that may guide and direct the rest of the Notes in their due _Measure_.
3. For _Ceasing a Peal of Bells_; Let them fall gradually from a set _Peal_, checking them only at Sally, till the low Compass renders it useless; and when so low, that for want of Compass, they can scarce strike at Back-stroak; then let the _Treble_-Ringer stamp, as a Signal, to notify, that the next time they come to strike at the Fore-stroke, to check them down, to hinder their striking the Back-stroke; yet Fore-stroke continued, till brought to a neat and gracefull Chime, which may be the _Finis_ to that _Peal_.
Thus much in short, for _Raising_, _Round-Ringing_, and _Ceasing_ a _Peal_ of _Bells_; I come next to lead you forth into that spacious _Field_ of Variety of _Changes_, and present you with Instructions that may be meerly necessary, for the right Understanding the several kinds of them.
Now in _Ringing Changes_, two of our best Senses, are to be employed, _viz._ The _Ear_, and the _Eye_: The _Ear_, Hearing when to make a _Change_; and the _Eye_ directing the _Bell_ in making it: The _Bells_ being the Object of the Former, and the _Bell-Ropes_ the Object of the Latter. And to render both the Eye and Ear Usefull in Ringing _Changes_, these _Five_ things are throughly to be Understood
_First._ Endeavour to distinguish the _Notes_ of a _Peal_ of _Bells_, one from another while Ringing.
_Secondly_, Learn to apprehend the Places of the _Notes_.
_Thirdly_, Understand the Precendency of _Notes_.
_Fourthly_, How to make a _Change_ in _Ringing_.
_Fifthly_, and _Lastly_. How to Practise the four fore-going Notions in General.
1. _To know the Notes of a Peal of Bells asunder_ (which is easy in _Round-Ringing_) in _Changes_ is thus: Get the skill of Tuning them with your _Voice_, by imitating their Notes while _Ringing_. Or if you are acquainted, either by your self or Friend, with some _Singing-master_, or one who has skill in _Singing_, get him to instruct you in the true Pitch of any _Note_, and aid your distinguishing them; otherwise you may be puzzled in this, to know which is _Treble_, which _Second_, &c. as in 532641, _&c._
2. To know the Places of the _Notes_, is no way better to be apprehended than thus: The Practitioner ought to form an _Idea_ in his Head of the Place of each _Note_, whether in a direct _Line_, or _Obliquely_; and representing them by a _Figure_ in his mind, see (as it were) by the Eye of his Understanding each stroke of the _Bell_, as the _Treble_, 1. _Second_ 2. _Third_ 3. _&c._ so that as the _Ear_ is to direct him, when to make the Change, so a right Apprehension of the _Motion_ and _Places_ of the _Notes_, ought to be a means to guide his Ear.
3. The Precedency of _Notes_, is of a very Obvious Demonstration; thus: In Ringing _Changes_, the Fore and Back-stroke, successively following one another, are properly said to _Lye behind_ one another, according to their places of striking. Or in short, in 12345. the _Note_ that leads either at Fore or Back-stroak, is said to _Lye before_ the rest, and the last to be behind. As the 2 is said to lye behind the 1, so it lyeth before the 3, as the 3 lyeth behind the 2, so it lyeth before the 4. And so of as many as are _Rung_.
4. The manner of making a _Change_, is very common, and needs no particular, but general Rule; That it is made by moving one _Note_ into anothers place, Up and Down, as Occasion requires; but all usually made by two _Notes_ standing one next the other, as hereafter may be Observed.
_Lastly_, In your Ringing _Changes_, these two things (in which consists the practick part of this Art) are to be rightly considered. _First_, Readily to know which two _Bells_ are to make the succeeding _Change_. And _Secondly_, to consider (if you are concern'd in it) what _Bell_ you are to follow in making it. To understand which the more perfectly, you must imprint in your memory, the Method of the _Changes_ prick'd in _Figures_, and to be expert likewise in setting them down divers wayes, and making any _Figure_ a _Hunt_ at Pleasure; and thus without pausing or hesitating to consider the Course, you may throughly understand the Methods; the Four preceding Observations being first perfectly understood.
There are two wayes of _Ringing Changes_, viz. By _Walking_ them, as the Artists stile it; or by _Whole-pulls_, or _Half-pulls_: _Walking_ is, when in one _Change_ the _Bells_ go round, _Four_, _Six_, or _Eight_ times; which is a most incomparable way to improve a young Practitioner, by giving him time to consider, which two _Bells_ do make the next succeeding _Change_, and in making it, what _Bell_ each is to follow; so that by this means (by his industry) he may be capable of Ringing at _Whole-Pulls_; Which is, when the _Bells_ go round in a Change at fore and back-stroke; and a new Change is made every time they are pulled down at Sally: This an Ancient Practice, but is now laid aside, since we have learnt a more advantageous way of hanging our _Bells_, that we can manage a _Bell_ with more ease at a Set-Pull than formerly: So that Ringing at _Half-Pulls_ is now the modern general Practice; that is, When one Change is made at Fore-Stroke, another at Back-Stroke, _&c._
I have one Thing more to add in these _introductory_ Rules, and that in short is this: He that Rings the slowest _Hunt_, ought to notify the _extreme Changes_; which is, when the Leading _Bell_ is pulling down, that he might make the Change next before the Extreme, he ought to say, _Extreme_. By this means, betwixt the Warning and the Extreme there will be one compleat Change.
_Of Changes_, &c.
There are _two kinds of Changes_, viz. _Plain Changes_, and _Cross-Peals_; which Terms do denote the _Nature_ of them; for as the first is stiled _Plain_, so are its Methods easy; and as the second is called _Cross_, so are its Methods cross and intricate: The First have a general Method, in which all the Notes (except Three) have a direct _Hunting-Course_, moving gradually under each other, plainly and uniformly: _Plain_ are likewise termed _single Changes_, because there is but one single Change made in the striking all the Notes round, either at fore or back-stroke. But the Second is _various_, each Peal differing in its Course from all others; and _in Cross-Peals as many Changes may be made as the Notes will permit_. In short, as to _Plain-Changes_, I shall not dilate on them here, it being so _plainly_ understood by every one that lately have rung a _Bell_ in peal; All therefore I shall add is this, That any two Notes that strike next together may make a Change, which may be done either _single_ or _double_, as you list. The _single_, by changing Two Notes; and the _Double_, by changing Four, _i. e._ Two to make one Change, and two another; which is however called _One double Change_, and not two Changes; because tis made in striking the Notes of the _Bells_ once round. For the rest, common Observation and Practice bids me stop here, and demands a Clearing those dark Intricacies which attend _Cross-Peals_.
_Of Cross-Peals._
_Art_, being a curious Searcher and Enquirer into the hidden and abstruse _Arcana_'s of Difficulties, having found out that dark and remote Corner of Obscurity, wherein the nature of these _Cross-Peals_ lay at first invelopped, has exhibited by its _Proselytes_ the ensuing Demonstrations of that which before lay mantled up in Doubt: And to effect this, these _Favourites of Art_ have, like ingenious Architects, made Order and Method the _Basis_, on which the whole Structure depends: For in these _Cross-Peals_ we must observe the _prime Movement_, which sets the whole Frame a going, and that is called the _Hunt_, which hath _One constant Uniform Motion throughout the Peal_, and different from that of the other Notes; and indeed by this the whole Course of the Peal is Steered. This keeps a continual motion through the other Notes, _i. e._ From Leading, to strike behind, and from thence again to Lead; which is called one _compleat Course_.
Some Peals upon _five Bells_ consist of _single_ Courses, wherein are ten Changes, and twelve Courses make the Peal. Others upon Five, consist of Double Courses, wherein are twenty Changes to every Course, and six Courses in the Peal.
Upon _six Bells_ there are likewise _single_ and _double_ Courses, _viz._ Twelve Changes in every single Course, as in _Grandsire Bob_, &c. and Twenty-four Changes in every Double Course, as in _Colledge Bobs_, that being the first Change of every Course, wherein the _Hunt_ leaves Leading: In short, judiciously observe the first Course of any _Cross-Peal_, and you will soon see the general Method of the whole Peal: All Courses in Cross-Peals agreeing in these following three Respects. First, _In the motion of the Hunt_. Secondly, _In the motion of the rest of the Notes_: And Thirdly, _In making the Changes_. Which three things being well (to omit Instances of Demonstration) and narrowly observed, will be very helpful both in pricking and ringing Courses; the first and third for directing you in Pricking them, and the first and second in Ringing them.