of the body This beginning being well learned is more then half the whole Art And to proceed to declare the ends of swimming they are many some delight herein to cool themselves from the parching beams of the Sun to cleanse their bodies of sweat to whiten and purifie the skin others use this excellent Art for the delight and pleasure of the exercise others practise this Art to fortifie themselves from the danger of waters and this is the greatest use thereof and therefore in it self seemes to challenge a necessity for the learning of it for the chiefest end and aim to which this Art is destinated is for the preservation of life from the danger of drowning Swimming being a facultie which Nature hath denyed to man more then to all others creatures SECT II. Whether all creatures do naturally Swim Nature as an indulgent parent hath infused into every creature a special care of self-preservation and Armed them accordingly to defend themselves but not every one after the same manner nor against all things much lesse against that incurable suffocation or choaking in water Now to speak distinctly of all beasts and other creatures which do naturally Swim and which not is a work of some difficulty But if we consider the fabrick of Nature in the work of their bodies what Element most abounds in their composition and what motion place and action they for the most part naturally affect the matter will be the more easily made appear for every creature followes the seeds of its own nature so that whither Nature directs thither all things naturally tend and incline themselves Therefore such creatures which Nature hath ordained to inhabit in the Caverns of the earth are more unapt to Swim then others and do with greater difficulty support themselves above the waters as may appear by worms who being cast into the water soon go to the bottom A Toade is of a more large body then a Frogg and by his form may be thought more apt to Swim then a Frogg yet because he inhabits in holes of the earth and is as it were an earthly poison reposed in the Cavernes of the earth and the Frogg is composed of a more light Airy substance therefore he more easily swims on the top of the water altogether representing a man Swimming upon his belly Snakes and Eeeles feeding on durt and dust and inhabiting therein do difficulty Swim on the top of the water the same reason may be given why birds of the Air that are conversant in Airy and mountanous places do flie more swiftly then such as are bred upon the earth and walk thereupon as domestick fowls SECT III. What creatures do naturally Swim As bodies without life which partake more of Air and fire then other are not without difficulty immerged under the waters as Wood and those which partake more of earth and water will not swim above the waters as Lead So those Animals which by constitution of body are hottest do most easily and swiftly Swim above the waters The Lion a beast of the sun because he is hot of bloud swift and nimble in members Swims swiftly and strongly like unto him for Swimming is the dogg temperately hot of a more inferiour degree in Swimming are the Horse the Ox the Asse the Hogg being conscious of their own death And these Animals do not so easily Swim because of the natural temperament of their bodies but because the figure of their bodies is well disposed to Swim And here a question may arise why a Cock Swimmeth not so well as a Duck the one being a bird of the Sun the other Saturnine but it may be thus resolved that the Cock wanteth such membranes to his feet as Nature hath indued the Swan the Duck and Goose withall whereby they direct themselves in Swimming and whereby they raise themselves to fly out of the water so that fowls and worms and four-footed beasts do for the most part all know how to preserve themselves in the water but to man onely Nature hath denyed this gift SECT IV. That man Swimmeth by the help of Nature As we have already declared that man doth not altogether naturally Swim as other creatures do but immediately descends towards the bottom it is partly becaule of the erected and upright figure of a man going onely with his feet upon the ground and his body straight up as Nature hath ordained As an Arrow Armed with an Iron head soon sinkes down right if it be cast upon the water 's but take away the Iron and it will Swim prostrate upon the superficies of the water so if man when he goes into the water extend himself flat upon the water whether it be casually or skilfully he may support himself from sinking And although the whole Art of Swimming may appear in projection which may easily open unto us a perfect progresse to the rest yet neverthelesse as we shall hereafter more plainly teach if onely upon his back fixing his eyes steadfast up to heaven without moving hands feet or any motion of his body which is not granted to any four-footed beasts he may swim free from any danger of the waters And those that perish in the water do strive with their hands and feet but they bow down and bend themselves seeming to comprehend and hold the water in their Arms and thereby are violently attracted towards the bottom which they endeavour to take hold of with theirhands which none that are skilful in Swimming will do And those that are altogether unlearned and unskilful in the Art of Swimming when they do sink to the bottom they are not long detained there while life remaines but by a certain Natural reluctancy ascend again twice or thrice to the top of the waters which doth manifestly teach that Nature doth assist men to swim SECT V. A man excels all other creatures in Swimming As all other creatures have the gift of Nature in greater or lesser measure to swim without the help of Art which they are incapable of so man by Art together with the help of Nature excels all other creatures in Swimming But here it may be objected that fishes whose perpetual motion is Swimming and that in a wonderful manner are to be excepted To this we answer that fishes are by nature assigned to this element and this is their natural place wherein they live without any respiration but to a man who gives out and draws in breath the water is violent and deadly wherefore fishes being long detained in the Air or men in the water die and perish so that although fishes may challenge to themselves a precellency in Swimming yet if we consider this very reason of their habitation and nature fishes are very far inferiour to a man who is skilful in the Art of Swimming For a man may swim with his face upwards downwards on his right side on his left side stand sit lie carry his clothes and other things safely walk in the bottom of the
waters which no fishes nor other creature can do SECT VI. What time of the year is to be observed Those that would learn to be perfect and expert in this Art must in their progress make several observations And first of the time of the yeer and the season of the month when to swim although if cruel Necessity compel we must not then respect the time of the yeer nor the water but be inured to swim in all times cold or hot and in any water but commodiously to chuse a time to commit our render skin to the water and to learn Experience in the Art of Swimming these four months are most proper viz. May June July August which yield a calm and temperate Air although in May there are sometimes rigid and sharp blasts and more hurtful then in the other months yet in that month and in all the other there is an Election of time to be taken and of the dayes for in the hottest months the water is on some dayes more cold and hurtful then in others yet from the twentieth day of May unto the twentieth of August we may commodiously adventure our Bodies in the water SECT VII Swimming in the night is not to be used As the time of the year is to be chosen by him that without hurt to himself would learn to swim so also are the dayes for the learner ought not to swim every day and not at all in the night for going into the water by night is altogether to be avoided Although it hath been much used because in the night the waters seem to be more warm then in the day-time yet dear-bought experience hath made many leave it off And though the waters seem warmer in the night then in the day-time yet the Sun the Author of heat light and life is absent and darkness is spread over us and the author of death lurkes in deep waters And in the night many deadly dangers occur and that suddenly and unthought of As boughs stubbs mudd flaggs weeds quick-sands and infinite other dangers of present death And if you do fall into danger to whom can you call in the night for help And besides these dangers the night it self may be the cause of many more As fumes and thick poisonous vapours arising from the water hurtful and noisom vapours in the Air by reason of the absence of the Sun Toades snakes and other hurtful poisonous things abroad And although the moneth be very hot yet every day it is not good to go into the water SECT VIII It is not good to Swim every day The days and hours are also to be observed by the diligent learner the knowledge whereof we shall now lay down unto you for there are some days and hours more hurtful then all others and more obnoxious to these Aquatical and watery exercises in which the Air is much more raw and crude then in others and the water therefore more cold and the exercise consequently more dangerous which are the days and hours of the Change or New Moon especially if it happen in earthly or watery fignes it renders the waters more cold the Stomack raw and crude And therefore the body is the more unfit to endure the water is more unapt to swim and therefore in more danger of drowning the same same rule is when the Moon passeth earthly or watery Signes or the Sun and Moon suffering an Eclipse in any such Signes SECT IX When it raines Swimming is not to be practised Youth do oftentimes with pleasure purchase ensuing pain and sorrow which in this Art to avoid be careful in observing the rules thereof therefore in cloudy or rainy weather attempt not to go into the water for the falling of the rain is alwayes accompanied with a cold and moist Air unprofitable to the body hurtful to the eyes and to the whole man bringing many inconveniences The bankes also of the river are diligently to be observed where we intend to go into the water for there are many fit and commodious places and many dangerous and discommodious let therefore such banks be chosen as are not sandy not full of soft clay nor muddy for therein your feet may stick so that you cannot get out neither let it be a place growing full of weeds or grasse for therein often lurk Toades Froggs and other noisome and hurtful vermine But chuse a solid hard dry gravelly bank with green grass growing in the Meadow by the rivers side flourishing with flowers SECT X. The waters are to be searched A convenient bank being chosen as before is directed yet before we attempt to go into the waters the River is diligently to be sounded and searched that is that the water be clear and clean upon the top without any grasse straw stickes leaves froth or any sordid and unclean superfluities upon the top then we are with a carefull penetrating eye to look unto the bottom and diligently observe whether it be pure and cleane And that there be no earth or other thing fallen thereinto from above nor no filth cast therein And that it be not muddy for such a place is altogether to be shunned And then we are certainly to inform our selves of the depth of the water of the quantity and quality of the bottom where it is deep and where shallow for if it be muddy and shallow in one place and suddenly falling into deep holes in another or muddy such a place to the unskilful Swimmer is very â—angerous And if you be a skilful Artist in Swimming yet in waters which are muddy at the bottom unlesse the water be very deep you may oftentimes have no cause to boast of your attempting therein for if your leggs happen to stick in the mudd the water will soon be a deadly covering for your head And if one should have such an unhappy chance as to stick in the mudd by how much the more he strives to deliver himself out by so much the deeper he stickes into the bottom unlesse happily the mudd lie but thin and not very deep having firm ground underneath then he having standing for his feet may raise himself up therefore a cleer stream having a firm hard sandy or gravelly bottom which may plainly be seen is to be chosen by boyes and learners to swim And therefore whenever you intend to exercise the Art of Swimming first walk round the banks of the water before you adventure into it diligently observing the depth and bottom of the same having to that purpose a fishingrod or some such thing with a line and a plummet of Lead affixed there unto where with you may plainly and exactly try the depth of every place which be sure to try everywhere until you are well acquainted with the degrees of the water in every place And never presume to go into any water which you are not acquainted withall until you are a skilful Swimmer and seldom or never venture into any water alone without a tutor or a
ordinary you must use variety of Swimming and strive and endeavour SECT XXIX To Swim like a Dog Think not this way hard for many do as it were ignorantly fall upon this kind of Swimming that is used by four-footed creatures and are able to bear themselves up so in high water before ever they learn't to swim This you may do if lifting up and depressing or letting down a little both your hands by turns and so likewise your feet drawing the water to you with these and hiding them with these you may leap up as it were first using your right hand and legg then your left hand and legg alternately succeeding or changing by course SECT XXX The percussion or striking of the water to turn in the water It is a question worth the discussing for a man to know whether he strike the water with the hand or Legg without doubt take this for the resolution 't is with the right or left legg and the way thereof is ingenious and recreative this is performed ordinarily when Swimming nearly upon the back the legg being lifted either up or down every stroke the waves are struck drops are raised on high and bedew them they that are more expert in 't go about it with the chin depressed or hanging downward But if they endeavor to exercise it with more grace then every stroke is succeeded with a percussion or striking of the waters on high either proceeding from the right or left hand together with the circumvolution or turning round of the whole body This is a very neat trick and the most noble of all that have been forementioned Now if you would exercise and perform this feat you must lie on your back in the water with your body and leggs extended the breast being puft up or elevated with both hands open tending towards the bottom of the waters and partly lifting up the body whilst you jerk out the leggs that is in the water But if you intend to turn your self with a blow on the water then if you lift the leg out of the water you must depress or force it down of a sudden lifting up in the same instant your left turning your whole body at once with that onely action This Agilitie makes one swim more neatly and with less labour and SECT XXXI The sporting with one foot These neat gestures and good grace in Swimming seem to be more pleasant then profitable nay there are none of these but in times of danger as in Swimming there is very much afford more pleasure to him that wantonly plays so then use in freeing from danger therefore this discourse should be the more grateful to thee being there is in it a mixture both of pleasure and profit These playing with one foot that I am now mentioning though it seems to confer much to the pleasure of the swimmer because that they that have this trick seem to rise with a grace triumphing as it were yet it hath its destinated use and commodity perpetually succeeding it as I will manifest it by word and example They that affect this way while they swim look upon their feet lifted up out of water now the right then the left legg or foot in their proceeding they are tumbled up and down triumphing as it were wheeling their leg round three or four times in the Air together with a settled countenance the chinbeing bowed to the neck These seem an easie and pleasant sport but it is very difficult unless first with your breast strutting out with the palm of your hands under the water towards the ground treading the water with the other legg at the same time all which things require a stout heart elevating it self for while the legg is lifted up the head is implunged into the water This is a hard though neat trick and helps much to the shaking out of their feet that may be entangled in weeds or any other incumbrances Being terrified with this difficulty that you may not desist in the middle of your course this pleasant subsequent way will facilitate it SECT XXXII The shewing of the feet c. Sailing Any one may without touching ground shew both his feet on the top of the waters This indeed is common and very easie nor can they onely stand but swim forward shewing both their feet and the manner of it is thus he that desires to do it lies on his back the contrary is used in all other shewing of the feet bending his back downwards removed as it were from his hands on his belly whilst the palms of his hands are moved to and fro keeping up his body by the rowling of the waters his feet being lifted up on the top of the water The use of this action in the water is this after you have swom having obtained this art in a sufficient time you may see and look steadily on your feet whether they be clean enough white enough or washed enough although you chance to be in never so deep a place and as far as I can guess the feet excel the head in Agility for the head is the stable repository of Counsel and yet if our discourse should run from the heel to the head we should view one gesture the most excellent of all proper and peculiar to the head which is SECT XXXIII The suspension or holding up of the Chin. Whilst I am silently endeavouring to treat about the holding up of the chin I am at a stand for as the head standing on a high place is more eminent then the other parts of the body so really this faculty is far beyond all the rest and if it be neatly and artificially upheld it goes beyond Art it self for one that is skilful in this way stands upright without moving though he be in the deepest waters sinking Wherefore if the rest of our Arguments were obscure yet this one facility would evince it apparently that a man by nature is apt to swim viz. if he will lift up his head This is done after this manner when we swim on our backs after the last stroke of hands and feet we rest lying so on the water Then whilst the leggs are stretch'd forth as before sink down together when they come perpendicularly to the ground you must bend your leggs toward your knees your breast must be puft up your Arms both the backs of your hands laid on your back towards your shoulders must be gathered up or to be cast laterally and equally on each side your fingers close with the palms of your hands towards the bottom looking upwards with your countenance as much as possible This is a wonderful way and somtime profitable when in the deep of winter by accident you passe over some pond the brittle ice breaks this is the onely remedy if in dead time of the night you be compel'd by necessitie to passe over a River and your enemies follow you in a wherry you may stand sure by the help of this Agility even in
they have them all This is done with a great deal of expedition by Swimming under water circularly 'T is done by the faculty of the hands winding about the water with a great deal of activity winding them from the right to the left if you intend to turn to the right if to the left then the involution or turning of the hand proceeds from the contrary part or side When you pass by any thing lost in the water by a straight jumping in then you correct your error by a circular motion and in all Swimming under water you must have a care of going no lower then he hath light to shew him his way for if the water is obscured and your eye likewise this is a sign that you are crept too far under the bank or gone too deep or under a cock-boat or some such thing deceiving your sight of the beams of the light and covering or darkning the superficies or top of the water to have erred not without danger Now the difficulty is how to escape when you can neither see any thing nor call on any body nor rise up nor freely breath The onely and surest remedy is first to keep out of such thick obscure places but if you are obscured so through your hasty and speedy course remember which way you came and return in a direct line backward endeavouring to rise upward for the light will appear to you a great length above all be very careful that you breath not under water but if the enemy stand on the shoar with their mortal darts or arrows and keep you under longer then you can well bear then we have recourse to SECT LI. The Nimbleness of the Dolphin This teacheth you to rise up and go down bobbing up your head a little and so draw breath then down again with safety which may be done by those that are put to this extremity to save their lives five hundred paces together chiefly in the Summer and that with very little or no danger They that try this with some of the forementioned kinds of Swimming forward with their face downward do presently sink themselves the deeper the safer so that they can but see Swimming forward thus under water till they can no longer without prejudice and hurt to themselves hold their breath Then proceeding by degrees let them begin to rise and when they see through the clearness of the light that they are almost at the top let them of a suddain pop up their head and having breathed a little let them down again to the bottom of the water going forward according to their pleasure more or less and let them do this as often as the danger and present occasion requires Thus having related unto you these secrets with all possible brevity and succinctness viz. how a man may be safe and secure from receiving any danger by the water when he is in or under the water nay from any danger or enemy that prosecutes and follows us on the shoar what remains now but SECT LII The last Act or posture in Swimming Although the longer or more you swim you do it the better and with more grace yet after you have staid a sufficient while in the water you must go to shoar lest your members and joynts through the too nipping cold of the water as mine begin to be at present be benummed with the water Therefore when you are well wash'd and all the parts of your body clean return to the place that is most fit and commodious for you which ought to have been sought out before you committed your body to the tender and soft footing of the water and this must be done or at least I used to do it with my face upwards on my back or belly or side or by a supine retrogradation or returning on my back being upon the shore wrap your self in your cloke and having got a crust in your hand with your shoes slipt on run about the green fields leaping and playing The eating of bread belongs also to this Art very much for after the languishing digestion of the hungry Stomack it gathers and raiseth up the spirits within removes the pains of the head that are often the effects of too long Swimming it restores the heat renews the colour recreates the heart and finally exhilarates or enlivens the whole body These things have I related to you at present with much hast and according to my time I have instructed you how to behave your self like a Proteus in the water or A Sea-God to appear in several shapes which you may soon attain to with neatness and perfection so you frequent the River of Thames twice or thrice a day As for me I shall cordially rejoyce if my water-work hath promoted you a degree higher in the Art of Swimming But I forget my self Phebus is gone to bed and he honours Swimming so far as first to water his horses and the wearied hours of the day give place to the sable mantle of the night Now 't is time to sound a retreat and lest I should too much offend your weak Stomack by being so long on the water I le return to my proper Element the Land I am so reall hearted to this Nation that I have pen'd down and directed several wayes how men may avoid drowning As for that usual disaster that attends them by Land this is my Letany Good Lord deliver them Amen FINIS