Some of this is pretty questionable, I need to go over this again, might be some interesting stuff though. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A26187.0001.001 From The whole art of the stage containing not only the rules of the drammatick art, but many curious observations about it, which may be of great use to the authors, actors, and spectators of plays : together with much critical learning about the stage and plays of the antients / written in French by the command of Cardinal Richelieu by Monsieur Hedelin, Abbot of Aubignac, and now made English. 1684 page 10 The Discus or Coite is onely a diversion of the meaner sort of People.*Boxing or fighting with Cudgels or Clubs, becomes the roughness of none but Savages, and it would in my Opinion be a very scurvy Diversion in the Gallantry of the French Court. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A52003.0001.001 Entertainments of the cours: or, Academical conversations. Held upon the cours at Paris, by a cabal of the principal wits of that court. 1658 A lively force (said the Baron) gives a man a power, over such as will exercise it: a temperate force affords him an eminent superiority, over such as depend upon him; and a gentle force both conquers, and captivates all resistance, much better then the former. Now the first, is the force of the Body, which shews it self in all its actions, and which gulls not the senses with a false apparence, but makes them feel its strains, and vigor: The second is the force of Authority, which hath a Soveraign power to rule, and command: And the third, is the force of Love, which seazes, disarms, and conquers the Soul, how obstinate and rebellious soever she be. I have observed, that there is never any dispute, about the force of the Body, and that when a man hath had the worst at any exercise, (as boxing, wrestling, or fencing) he ingeniously confesses, and ac∣knowledges it: And it is also as certain, that every man stoops freely, and without grudging, to the force of Authority, and to the power of a Soveraign: Nor is there indeed any man, who is perfectly a man, and who bears the character of Reason, but hath sometime sacrificed it to the force of Love, and acknowledges himself to have been willing to be the prize, of so sweet, and so pleasant a Conquest. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A40522.0001.001 A new account of East-India and Persia, in eight letters being nine years travels begun 1672 and finished 1681 : containing observations made of the moral, natural and artifical estate of those countries As we came nearer Swally,* Groves of Brabb-Trees present them∣selves; from whence the Parseys draw Wine a kin to Toddy, which after the Sun is up, contracts an Eagerness with an heady Quality; so that these places are seldom free from Soldiers and Seamen of the Moors, which sometimes meeting with ours, there happen bloody Frays, especially if the Quarrel be about Strumpets, who here ply for their Fares: The like disputes are sometimes among the Euro∣peans themselves, and then they make sport for the Parseys upon the Trees, who have the diversion of the Combatants; as Boxing among the English; Snicker-Sneeing among the Dutch; ripping one anothers Bellies open with short Knives; Duelling with Rapiers among the French; Sword and Dagger among the Portugals. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A43142.0001.001 The canting academy, or, The devils cabinet opened wherein is shewn the mysterious and villanous practices of that wicked crew, commonly known by the names of hectors, trapanners, gilts, &c. : to which is added a compleat canting-dictionary, both of old words, and such as are now most in use : with several new catches and songs, compos'd by the choisest wits of the age 1673 Search being made, I was found with my Cloak lying at the stair foot, not able to stir; but my merciless foes did soon put life in me by by boxing and kicking me one to another; they had done me a kindness had they kick'd me out into the street; but hold there, after all this mis-usage I was car∣ried before a Justice, who presently sent me to Newgate. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A58159.0001.001 A collection of curious travels & voyages in two tomes 1693 he 23d. we got up early again, and went the next way to Orpha, another Town, to which we had Five Days Journey. From thence the nearer we came to the Mount Tauri (which separateth Armenia from Me∣sopotamia, towards the South) the worse grew the Roads, which we found very sufficiently the next Day, for when we came further into the Mountains, the ways were so full of Stones that we were hindered very much. Going thus on, after it had snowed a little (which I have never seen but twice in these Countries) it happened, that one of the Jew's Horses which was empty was frightened at something, and flung it self over and over. The Jew hearing this noise, looked back, and seeing me stand by it, he grew angry with me, as if I had done it, and began to handle his Bow and Arrows to shoot at me, when I found him in ear∣nest, and remembred how I lost my Wine in the Ship, when we went down the River, I did not delay, but went to hinder him, took him by his Leg and flung im off his Horse, before he could take his aim at me; so we fell a boxing one another so long, until at length I tripped up his Heels. When the other two saw that we spoiled thus the Figure of the Snow, and that I was too hard for him, and had given him several hard blows, they came immediately to sepa∣rate us, and to make Peace again between us; I see∣ing that they did not come to wrong me, and also considering that we were to Travel together still fur∣ther, took their Counsel, and was friends with him again, and so we went on in our way. At Night we came to another Village again, in a narrow Valley ly∣ing at the bottom of a great ascent, near which we found a great Stable wherein we went, this was quite cut into the Hill, and so was that wherein we lodged the Night before, so that you could see nothing of it, but only the entrance, for they are commonly so in these hilly Countries under Ground, that the Caravans may safely rest there and defend themselves from Cold in the Winter. This Stable (being 25 Paces long and 20 broad, and all through equally high) was cut out of a Rock. About midnight, when we were in our first Sleep, one of the Grand Signior's Chiaus, or Chamber-Messengers, knocked at the door of the Stable, who was come back from Bagdet in Six Days to this place, to look about for some fresh Horses (because he had tired his own, and could not have others by the way, as in our Country where Posts are ordered.) So he went in, took away from one Mockeri or Carrier, three Pack-Horses, and two more from the Jew (that I had had Contention with before) for these Messengers of the Chamber have great Privileges, and in case of neces∣sity, where-ever they see Horses in City or Country, they may take them leaving theirs in the room thereof: They value one no more than another, except Mer∣chants and Strangers, which they excuse before others, to encourage Trade; those that they come to, must deli∣ver up their Horses, without any reluctancy, except they have a mind to be soundly bang'd (as one of our Friends was that did not open the Gates immediately) or else to fare worse. When this Chiaus believed he had got https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A65151.0001.001/ Familiar and courtly letters written by Monsieur Voiture to persons of the greatest honour, wit, and quality of both sexes in the court of France ; made English by Mr. Dryden 1700 Privateers were to our Merchant-men in the Chanel: We had Mons. L'Abadie, Mons. Ba∣lon, the Famous Burlesque Dancers from Pa∣ris, and the Famous Madam—Las—that had the Honour to Dance before the Duke of Orleance, the Daulphin, and the Lord knows how many Persons of Honour: Besides, I had lik'd to have forgot to tell you, that one of their Bills promised us wonderful Things, from a Gentleman that sung like a Turkey-****. Shortly, I sup∣pose, we shall have all sorts of Sights and Shows here, as, Jumping through a Hoop; for why may we not have that as well as Mr. Symson's Vaulting upon the Wooden∣horse, Dancing upon the high Ropes, Leap∣ing over eight Mens Heads, Wrestling, Box∣ing, Cudgeling, Fighting at Back-sword, and Quarterstaff, Bear-baiting, and all the other noble Exercises, that divert his Majesty's People at Hockley i'th' Hole? not forgetting the witty Pranks of Punchinello, and the merry Conceits of the little Pickle-herring.
@cross_trainer https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A36161.0001.001 A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers Danet, Pierre, ca. 1650-1709. GYMNICI LUDI. Exercises of the Greeks. In these Games, there was in the first place the Race, which has been of old, and the chief of all Exercises; secondly, leaping; thirdly, Discus or Quoits, made of Stone, Iron or Brass, cut in a round figure, and of a great weight, the Gamesters who threw it highest or furthest carried the Prize; the fourth kind of Game was wrestling, wherein two Wrest∣lers, having their Bodies stark naked, and anointed all over with Oyl, took hold one on another, each of them making all his efforts to throw his Adversary on the ground; the fifth sort of Game was boxing, these Gamesters had their Fists covered with Lea∣ther Straps, with pieces of Lead or Iron fast∣ned to it, called Cestus. Lucian speaks of these Games in the Dialogue of the bodily Exer∣cises, where he introduces Anacharsis discour∣sing thus with Solen. Anacharsis. What mean these young fellows, thus to collar and foyl themselves, and wallow in the mire like Swine, and strive to throttle and hinder one anothers breathing? they oyled and shaved one another pretty peaceably at first, but on a sudden stooping with their Heads, they butted each other like Rams: Then the one hoisting his Adversary aloft into the air, hurls him again upon the ground, with a violent squelsh, and falling upon him, he hindered him from rising, pressing his neck with his elbow, and punch∣ing him with his legs, so as I was afraid he had stifled him, though the other struck him on the shoulder, to desire him to let him go, as owning himself overcome. Me∣thinks they should be shie of fouling them∣selves thus in the dirt, after they had been steek'd; and they make me laugh to see them like so many Eels, slip out of the hands of their Antagonists. Look yonder's some doing the same in the face of the Sun, with this difference only, that it's in the Sun they rowl, like Cocks before they come to the skirmish, that their Adversary may have the better hold, and his hands not slip upon the Oyl or the Sweat. O see you others also fighting in the Dirt, and kicking and fisting, without endeavouring (like the former) to throw one another. The one spits out of his Teeth with sand and blood, from a blow he receiv'd in his Chaps, and yet that Officer attir'd in pur∣ple, who sets President, as I suppose, at these Exercises, doth not trouble himself a∣bout parting them. These others make the Dust fly, by kicking up their Heels in the air, like those who dispute for the prize of running. Solon. This here is the place of Exercises, and the Temple of Apollo Lycius, whose Statue you see upon that Column, in the posture of a weary Man, leaning upon his Elbow, having his Head supported up∣on his right hand, and holding his Bow in the left. Those whom you see wallowing in the mire, or crawling in the dirt, are skirmishing at a match of Wrestling, or at Fisticuffs in the Ring or Lists. There are still other Exercises, as Leaping, Quoits, and Fencing, and in all such Games the conqueror is crowned. These Games were play'd four times every year; viz. at Olympia in the Province of Elis, wherefore they were called Olympick Games, in honour of Jupiter Olympius; in the Isthmus of Corinth, called Isthmian Games, in honour of Neptune; in the Nemean Forest, cal∣led Nemean Games, in honour of Hercules; and the Pythean Games, in honour of Apollo, be∣cause he had kill'd the Serpent Pytho. The Masters of these Games were call'd Gymnastae. I shall speak severally of these Games, ac∣cording to their Alphabetick Order.
