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.


