I cannot well resolue, whether I should more commend this game for
the manhood and exercise, or condemne it for the boysterousnes and
harmes which it begetteth: for as on the one side it makes their
bodies strong, hard, and nimble, and puts a courage into their hearts,
to meet an enemie in the face: so on the other part, it is accompanied
with many dangers, some of which do euer fall to the players share.
For proofe whereof, when the hurling is ended, you shall see them
retyring home, as from a pitched battaile, with bloody pates, bones
broken, and out of ioynt, and such bruses as serue to shorten their
daies; yet al is good play, & neuer Attourney nor Crowner troubled
for the matter.
Wrastling is as full of manlinesse; more delightfull, and lesse
dangerous: which pastime, either Cornish men deriued from Corineus,
their first pretended founder, or (at least) it ministred some stuffe
to the farcing of that fable. But to let that passe, their continual
exercise in this play, hath bred them so skilfull an habit, as they
presume, that neither the ancient Greek Palestritae, nor the Turks
so much delighted Peluianders,not their, once countrymen, and stil
neighbours, the Bretons, can bereaue them of this Laurell: and
matchlesse, certes, should they be, if their cunning were answerable
to their practise: for you shall hardly find an assembly of boyes,
in Deuon or Cornwall, where the most vntowardly amongst them, will not
as readily giue you a muster of this exercise, as you are prone to
require it.
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