This exercise of ours by forme of definition, is said to be a vehement, and a voluntarie stirring of ones body, which altereth the breathing, whose ende is to maintaine health, and to bring the bodie to a verie good habit. Doth not exercise at this her first entry offer to performe so much as I did vndertake for her? health of the body, and an healthy habit of all the limmes: which two effectes, bycause they be good, who doth not desire them? and being got by exercise, why is it not in price? and being reducible to order, why should it not be in traine? They that write of exercise, make three degrees in it, wherof they call the first a preparatiue, in Greek παρασκευαστικόν, the next simply by the name of exercise γυμνὰσιον the third a postparatiue, in Greek ἀποθεραπευτικὸν. The preparatiue serued, not to passe rudely, and roughly into the maine exercise, without qualifying the bodie by degrees before, bycause sudden alteration workes ill disposition. The postparatiue or apotherapeutike followeth the maine exercise, to reduce the body by gentle degrees, to the same quietnesse in constitution, wherin it was, before it was so moued. Which two pointes bycause they rest most in the maisters consideration, which is to ouersee the traine, I commit them to his care: so to applie his cunning as he shall see cause in exercising his charge. And yet herein I entend to helpe him, when I shall handle the circunstances which direct exercises.
The third degree, which is enclosed betwene these two, is that same exercise, which I praise so much, and vpon whom the other two waite, wherof, as writers make to many, and to finely minced distinctions, so I make account but of one at this time, wherof I do make two braunches, or spieces, the one to be vsed within dores, and the other abroade, that whether the weather be faire or fowle, the exercise in some kinde may neuer faile.
OF THE PARTICULAR EXERCISES, WHY I DO APPOINT SO MANIE, AND HOW TO IUDGE OF THEM, OR TO DEUISE THE LIKE.
I will not here runne thorough all the kindes of exercises that be named either by _Galene_ or any other writer, wherof many be discontinued, many be yet in vse, but out of the whole heape I haue pickt out these for within dores, _lowd speaking, singing, lowd reading, talking, laughing, weaping, holding the breath, daunsing, wrastling, fensing, and scourging the Top_. And these for without dores, _walking, running, leaping, swimming, riding, hunting, shooting, and playing at the ball_. Wherof though the very most be vsed oftimes, not in nature of exercises, but either of pleasure, or necessitie, yet they be all such, as will serue well that waie, and be so made account of among the best writers, that deale in this kinde: and for that some of them maye be said to be most proper to men, and farre aboue boyes plaie: you must remember, that I deale for all studentes, and not for children alone, to whom it is in choice, besides all these to deuise other for their good, as circunstance shal lead them. There may also be reasons, to perswade some men to mislike of, I do not thinke all, but I suppose some, of these thinges, which I do appoint, as both commendable and profitable exercises, with whom I will not here striue, but desire them to iudge of me, without preiudice, and to stay their sentence, vntill they see in what sorte I allow them. For knowing the cause of offence, I might seeme very simple, if I should simply allow that, which is disallowed vpon reason, and not misliked without manifest shew of probable cause: and so to reserue the thing, as I did not remoue the blame. They must also thinke that nothing is abused, but that both may and ought to be well vsed, which well, they must vse, and refuse the ill: seing where misuse draweth blame, there right vse deserueth praise.