I T A L I A N S C E N E R Y , M A N N E R S , A N D C U S T O i l S . 13
JPILATE y i l .
PLAYING AT THE RING.
'^FhE youtli of I taly, averse to every thing of a sedentary nature, are most amused with
sports where considerable agi l i ty is required. This indeed is common to the youth of every
country; but in I taly they are considered as a part of educat ion, and as seriously enforced,
fls «-ere formerly athlet ic exercises, being esteemed conduc ive to health and strength.
At a very early age the game of fives in the open air begins to oc cupy them; and this is
continued, from the fineness of the cl imate, for at least nine months in the twelve. Whe n
they are more advanced in yeara and growth, the balloon, or large leathern ball, filled with
air, succeeds fives ; and in towns where there is a court kept on purpose for this game, and
where skilful players arc hired, it is considered as the most amusing entertainment for af ternoons,
and the publ ic resort to it as to a theatre, pa y ing tor their admission. Th e late carl
of Pembroke endeavoured to introduce this amusement into England, and sent for the faous
Taccaio from Florence. This man was a maker of leather balloons himself, and one of
the first players of his time. i\. cour t was accordingly laid out at Pimhc o ; but the summer
of that year proved so stormy, that they could not play more than eight times : whenc e it
was concluded, that such a game was unfit for the climate of England.
Italy provides also many other pastimes ibr it's youth ; some confined indeed solely to the
lower class, such as pht/fiig at the rbig. Two persons in general are the players, each of
whom is provided with a wooden bal l and a small bat. The r ing is fixed to the ground, and
the art consists in striking the bal l with the bat , so as to drive it through the ring, and make
it hit the ball of the antagonist. 'J'his game is very nmch in vogue at Rome and Naples .
There is a variety of this g ame ; in which the ring is made to turn on the iron fixed in
the ground, in the same manner as we spin a piece of money on a table with the fingers.
The proper time must then be wat ched, and the ball passed through the ring before it stops.
The ragged appearance of the y oung players remiiuls us of an occurrence, that f requent l y
happens lo them. As they seldom have any money, and never much, the boys frequent l y
agree to play for the metal buttons they have about them, which having lost, and sometimes
to the very last, they never fail to receive a severe flogging when they go home. If it happen,
that they win them back, previous to their going home they apply to some chari table woman
in the neighbourhood to have them sown on agaiu.
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