Of these labours, exercises and recreations, which are likewise included, some properly belong to the body, some to the mind, some more easie, some hard, some with delight, some without, some within doors, some naturall, some are artificiall. Amongst bodily exercises, Galen commends ludum parvæ pilæ, to play at ball, be it with the hand or racket, in Tennis-courts, or otherwise, it exerciseth each part of the body, and doth much good, so that they sweat not too much.

It was in great request of old amongst the Greeks, Romanes, Barbarians, mentioned by Homer, Herodotus, and Plinius. Some write, that Aganella a fair maid of Corcyra, was the inventor of it, for she presented the first ball that ever was made, to Nausica the daughter of king Alcinous, and taught her how to use it.

The ordinary sports which are used abroad, are Hawking, Hunting, hilares venandi labores, one calls them, because they recreate body and minde, another, the best exercise that is, by which alone many have been freed from all ferall diseases. Hegesippus lib. 1. cap. 37. relates of Herod, that he was eased of a grievous melancholy by that means. Plato 7. de leg. highly magnifies it, dividing it into three parts, * by Land, Water, Ayre.

Xenophon in Cyropæd. graces it with a great name, Deorum munus, the gift of the Gods, a Princely sport, which they have ever used, saith Langius, epist. 59. lib. 2. as well for health as pleasure, and do at this day, it being the sole almost and ordinary sport of our Noblemen in Europe, and elsewhere all over the World. Bohemus de mor. gent. lib. 3. cap. 12. stiles it therefore studium nobilium, communiter venantur, quod sibi solis licere contendunt, ’tis all their study, their exercise, ordinary business, all their talk:

and indeed some dote too much after it, they can do nothing else, discourse of naught else. Paulus Jovius descr. Brit. doth in some sort tax our English Nobility for it, for living in the country so much, and too frequent use of it, as if they had no other means but Hawking and Hunting to approve themselves Gentlemen with.

Hawking comes neer to Hunting, the one in the aire, as the other on the Earth, a sport as much affected as the other, by some preferred. It was never heard of amongst the Romans, invented some 1200 years since, and first mentioned by Firmicus lib. 5. cap. 8. The Greeke Emperours began it, and now nothing so frequent: he is no body, that in the season hath not a Hawke on his fist. A great Art, and many books written of it.

It is a wonder to hear what is related of the Turkes Officers in this behalf, how many thousand men are imployed about it, how many Hawks of all sorts, how much revenewes consumed on that only disport, how much time is spent at Adrianople alone every year to that purpose. The Persian Kings hawk after Butterflies with sparrows, made to that use, and stares; lesser Hawks for lesser games they have, and bigger for the rest, that they may produce their sport to all seasons.

The Muscovian Emperours reclaime Eagles to fly at Hindes, Foxes, &c. and such a one was sent for a present to Queen Elizabeth: some reclaime Ravens, Castrils, Pies, &c. and man them for their pleasures.

Fowling is more troublesome, but all out as delightsome to some sorts of men, be it with guns, lime, nets, glades, ginnes, strings, baits, pitfalls, pipes, calls, stalking-horses, setting-dogs, coy-ducks, &c. or otherwise. Some much delight to take Larks with day-nets, small birds with chaffe-nets, plovers, partridge, herons, snite, &c.

Henry the third, king of Castile (as Mariana the Jesuite reports of him lib. 3. cap. 7.) was much affected with catching of Quailes, and many Gentlemen take a singular pleasure at morning and evening to go abroad with their Quaile-pipes, and will take any pains to satisfie their delight in that kinde. The Italians have gardens fitted to such use, with nets, bushes, glades, sparing no cost or industry, and are very much affected with the sport.

Tycho Brahe that great Astronomer, in the Chorography of his Isle of Huena, & castle of Uraniburge, puts down his nets, and manner of catching small birds as an ornament, and a recreation, wherein he himself was sometimes imployed.

Fishing is a kinde of hunting by water, be it with nets, weeles, baits, angling or otherwise, and yeelds all out as much pleasure to some men, as dogs, or hawks; When they draw their fish upon the bank, saith Nic. Henselius Silesiographiæ, cap. 3. speaking of that extraordinary delight his Countrymen took in fishing, and in making of pooles. James Dubravius that Moravian, in his book de pisc. telleth, how travelling by the high-way side in Silesia, he found a Nobleman booted up to the groines, wading himself, pulling the nets, and labouring as much as any fisherman of them all:

and when some belike objected to him the baseness of his office, he excused himself, that if other men might hunt Hares, why should not he hunt Carpes? Many Gentlemen in like sort with us, will wade up to the Arm-holes, upon such occasions, and voluntarily undertake that to satisfie their pleasure, which a poor man for a good stipend would scarce be hired to undergo.

Plutarch in his book de soler. animal. speaks against all fishing, as a filthy, base, illiberall imployment, having neither wit nor perspicacity in it, nor worth the labour. But he that shall consider the variety of Baits, for all seasons, and pretty devices which our Anglers have invented, peculiar lines, false flies, severall sleights, &c. will say, that it deserves like commendation, requires as much study, and perspicacity as the rest, and is to be preferred before many of them.