Positions vvherin those primitiue circumstances be examined, which are necessarie for the training vp of children, either for skill in their booke, or health in their bodie. VVritten by Richard Mulcaster, master of the schoole erected in London anno. 1561. in the parish of Sainct Laurence Povvntneie, by the vvorshipfull companie of the merchaunt tailers of the said citie

Chapter 19. Of the Top and scourge.

HE that will deny the Top to be an exercise, indifferently capable of all distinctions in stirring, the verie boyes will beate him, and scourge him to, if they light on him about lent, when Tops be in time, as euerie exercise hath his season, both in daie and yeare, after the constitution of bodies, and quanti∣ties in measure. Of this kinde of Top, that we vse now a dayes, both for young and olde people, to warme them in cold wea∣ther, I finde nothing in writing, bycause hauing no yron ringes, nor pinnes, it cā neither be the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, nor 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, though the running about be bold to borrow the last name trochus. For they whirled about, and along, with a marueilous great, though a pretie noyse, and were pastimes for men euen in the midst of sommer, when our Tops be bestowed, and laid vp a∣gainst the spring. It resembleth the Latin Turbo most, and the Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The place of Virgil in the 7. of his AEneis, where he compareth Amata the Queene in her furie to this Turbo which the boyes scourged about the wide haule: de∣clareth both what Turbo is, and whose play it was, and that it best resembleth our Top. Of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 there was an old Greek Epi∣gram, which maketh it either the like or the same with our Top.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Which is to say, that children when they had their whirling gigges vnder the deuotion of their scourges, caused them to troule about the broad streates. The harme this exercise may bring must be to the head & eyes, thorough stouping to much forward, or to the backe and shoulders by bending to much

downwardes, otherwise it warmeth the bodie, and worketh all the effectes, which those exercises do that either by mouing the legges or armes most, and with all the whole bodie in de∣gree, enlarge and stirre the naturall heat either to prouoke ap∣petite, or to expell superfluities. The more roome the Top hath to spinne in, the better for the legges and feete, the bigger it is, the better for the armes and handes. The vprighter one scour∣geth, the better for all partes, whom neither bending doth crushe, nor moysture corrupt. It were to be wished, that it were whipt with both the handes, in play to traine both the armes, seing vse makes the difference, and no infirmitie in nature. As both Plato wishing the same professeth it to be most true and our experience teacheth vs, both in left handed peo∣ple, which vse but the left, and in double right handed which vse both the handes a like, and beare the name of the right hand as the more common in vse. But bycause the place of Plato concerning the left hande is verie pithie to this purpose though I vse not to auouch much in the Greeke toungue, yet me thinke I maye not ouerpasse it. In the seuenth booke of his lawes, allowing the indifferent vse of our feete and legges, he complayneth of to much partialitie vsed towardes the armes and handes,* 1.1 in these wordes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. For the per∣formance of any kinde of labour there is no difference, sayeth he, in the legges, and lower partes. But for our armes, thorough ignoraunt nurses and mothers, we be euery one of vs halfe lamed. For wheras naturally both the armes be almost of e∣quall strength, thorough our owne default we make the dif∣ference. And so he passeth on still prouing the vnnaturall hand∣ling of the left hande, when it is left weaker then the right hande is.

These be the exercises which I terme within dores, bycause they may be practised at home vnder couert, when we can∣not go abroad for the weather: though all may be vsed abroad, if the roome and the weather do serue abroad. Wherein I take

it,* 1.2 that I haue kept Galenes rule in chusing these exercises, and that they be all both pleasant, profitable and parable, the per∣fect circunstances of all good and generall exercises, not to be costly to compasse, nor vnpleasant to loth them, nor vnpro∣fitable to leaue them. Those that require more libertie of roome, to raunge at will, or to forrage in the field, be these, which I noted before, walking, running, leaping, swimming, riding, hunting, shooting, and playing at the ball.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Plato.
• * 1.2

  Lib. de parua pila.