Chapter 7

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 & 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, shrugs 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.

_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 Palms 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 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 _Plays, 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 shows 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._

Whosoever would 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 =College 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 _Tenor_; So must they successively strike one after another both _Fore-stroke_ and _Back-stroke_, in a due Musical time or Equi-distance, 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 separately 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 ways of Harmony; which being so obvious to common Observation, I shall not go about to demonstrate; for that if two may be varied two ways, 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 and 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 overhead, that the Notes may be hard 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 accustom your self 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 graceful 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 Useful 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 Precedency of _Notes_.

_Fourthly_, How to make a _Change_ in _Ringing_.

_Fifthly_, and _Lastly_, How to Practice 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 the 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-stroke, 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 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 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 concerned 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 ways, 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 ways 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 was 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._

He that Rings the slowest _Hunt_, ought to notify the _extream 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.

_Of Cross-peals._

Or 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 _College 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 Instance 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.

There is one Difficulty to be removed e're I can come to prick down those Peals I design to be the Subject of the Discourse of this _Epitome_, and that is, _How to make the first Changes at the beginning of each Peal_; I mean to make the _Second_, _Third_, _Fourth_, &c. _whole Hunts_; and this In short is thus directed: In any _Cross-peal_ the _whole Hunt_ may move either up or down at the beginning; and the Motion of the _whole Hunt_, in the first Course of each of the following Peals will direct the first Motion of any _Cross-Hunt_, and by Consequence of making the first Changes in that Peal. Taking along with you this Observation.

That whensoever the first Change of any Peal happens to be _single_, it must be made at the back-stroke, to prevent _cutting Compass_, and the like when a double Change happens first in a Peal of _Triples and doubles_: But when it happens, that the first Change is made at the Back-stroke, then Consequently the Bells at the end of the Peal will come round at a Fore-stroke Change.

I shall omit speaking to any of the several Peals on _four or five Bells_; for that in my opinion little _Musick_ is heard, though much _Practical Observation_ is made, from them; and therefore shall begin with _Grandsire-bob_, as having mentioned it but just before in my general View I made of _Cross-peals_.

_Grandsire Bob._

_Bob_ Changes take their Name from this; _viz._ When the _Treble_ leads in the _Second_ and _Third_, and the _Fifth_ and _Sixth's_ places, then they are called _Bob-changes_. In Ringing which you are to observe these Rules, _viz._

Whatsoever Bells you follow when you _Hunt up_, the same Bells in the same order you must follow in _Hunting down_; as in the Changes here prickt, where the _Treble_ hunting up _First_ follows _Second_, then _Fourth_, and then _Sixth_; when it comes behind, _First_ follows _Second_, in hunting down _Fourth_; and when hunting up follows _Sixth_ in the same Order: The like may be observed in Ringing any other Bell, with this Difference betwixt the whole Hunt and the rest, _viz._ Every time the Whole hunt leaves the _Treble's_ place, and hunts up, it followeth different Bells, from what it did at its first hunting up.

In the ensuing Peal here prickt are _Eighteen-score_ Changes, wanting one. It may be Rung with any _Hunts_, and begin the Changes _Triple_ and _Double_: You may make your extream at the first, second, or third _single Bob_; or the first, second, or third time, that the half and _Quarter-hunts_ dodge behind; the _single_ must be made behind in either of these.

123456 | _bob._ | 134256 | 143265 | 126435 ------ | 156423 | 312465 | 142356 | ------ 214365 | 514632 | 321645 | ------ | 162345 241635 | 541362 | 236154 | 124536 | 163254 426153 | 453126 | 263514 | 125463 | ------ 462513 | 435216 | 625341 | ------ | 136524 645231 | 342561 | 652431 | 152643 | 135642 654321 | 324651 | 564213 | 156234 | ------ 563412 | 236415 | 546123 | ------ | 153462 536142 | 263145 | 451632 | 165324 | _bob._ 351624 | 621354 | 415362 | 163542 | 135426 315264 | 612345 | 143526 | ------ | ------ 132546 | 165243 | _bob._ | 136452 | 153246 135264 | 162534 | 134562 | _bob._ | 152364 312546 | 615243 | 315426 | 163425 | ------ 321456 | 651423 | 351246 | ------ | 125634 234165 | 564132 | 532164 | 136245 | 126543 243615 | 546312 | 523614 | 132654 | ------ 426351 | 453621 | 256341 | ------ | 162453 462531 | 435261 | 265431 | 123564 | 164235 645213 | 342516 | 624513 | 125346 | ------ 654123 | 324156 | 642153 | ------ | 146325 561432 | 231465 | 461235 | 152436 | _bob._ 516342 | 213645 | 416325 | 154263 | 164352 153624 | 126354 | 143652 | ------ | ------ 156342 | 123645 | _bob._ | 145623 | 146532 513624 | 216354 | 134625 | _bob._ | _bob._ 531264 | 261534 | 316452 | 154632 | 164523 352145 | 625143 | 361542 | ------ | ------ 325416 | 652413 | 635124 | 145362 | 146253 234561 | 564231 | 653214 | _bob._ | 142635 243651 | 546321 | 562341 | 154326 | ------ 426315 | 453612 | 526431 | ------ | 124365 462135 | 435162 | 254613 | 145236 | ------ 641253 | 341526 | 245163 | 142563 | 123456 614523 | 314256 | 421536 | ------ | ====== 165432 | 132465 | 412356 | 124653 |

Thus much for the _Grandsire-bob_; I shall next collect what _London Peals_ I think most Harmonious, and agreeable, without troubling my self to go to _Oxford_, or _Nottingham_, or _Redding_, to enquire after their different Methods of Peals, as indeed needless; and my reason is this: Because I think the same Rules for _Peals_ that are suitable to our _London Genius_, may challenge likewise an Acceptance amongst other _Cities_; provided their _Steeples_ are furnished with as many, and as good _Bells_, and their _Belfree's_ with as ingenious and elaborate _Ringers_ as here in _London_.

I shall begin then with _Peals upon six Bells,_ and herein in order, measure out the Delights on _Peals_ from _Six_ to _Eight Bells_, and setting out early, present you with

_The Morning Exercise._

_Doubles_ and _singles_. The whole _Hunt_ is the _Treble_, which Hunteth up into the _Second_, _Third_, and _Fourth_ places, lying twice in each; and then lyeth still in the _Sixth_ place, having dodged behind, and makes another, and then _Hunts_ down as it _Hunted_ up, and then leads four times. Observing the manner of its Pricking, and its Practice, may excuse any further defining it.

123456 | ------ | 265143 | 163425 | 125643 | 143256 213465 | 265134 | ------ | 125634 | 134265 213456 | 265143 | 165243 | ------ | 134256 231465 | 261534 | 165234 | 124365 | ------ 231456 | 216543 | 156243 | 124356 | 136524 234165 | 216534 | 156234 | 142365 | 136542 234156 | 126543 | ------ | 142356 | _bob._ 243516 | 126534 | 154326 | ------ | 135624 243561 | 162543 | 154362 | 146532 | 135642 245316 | 162534 | _bob._ | 146523 | ------ 245361 | ------ | 153426 | _bob._ | 132465 254631 | 164352 | 153462 | 145632 | 132456 254613 | 164325 | ------ | 145623 | 123465 256431 | _bob._ | 152643 | ------ | 123456 256413 | 163452 | 152634 | 143265 | ------

This will go a 120 _Changes_, and by making _Bobs_, 240, 360, 270.

_A Cure for_ Melancholy.

_Doubles_ and _Singles_.

I should think it needless to explain the method of prick'd _Peals_, and give a large Definition of them, when their plain Demonstration might be sufficient; However, as the Old _Phrase_ is, _Because 'tis usual_, something shall be said of this too.