Britain, (and, prpfecygd' j t chitfert£v jt^ifult^gup, tw,b:^l J ^ f r
never affe&ed at all, or ^itfti indifference in otheryparts'-of .the ifland,
we cannot 'lay; certain, it as, the Grecian whpy traded hifftef for'
tin, and. hither only,; had;tfte higheft eftcejn for this exereife, The
arts, pf • the Palteftra*were chiefly cultivated by the Lacedemonians,
and yet Platp himfelf I an|ong !the AtfterUans.was ffo far from difap-
prnvfng tha exei;qifc,1 that he recommends it-tp-tbe» pradtife ofr;old
; as weftajsyoung women,. and thinks it properffpr then^roftentimes
to wreftle with men, that thereby th,ey might become more patiept
jof .latptir, .and legrn. to ftruggle with,, th? difficulties • ipeident to 7a
warlike Ante. The ardour for this exercife.f%prevailed atdaft, that
*; . all, Greece .devoted their time and inclinations to the Gymnafia and
Paltejlra, and.chofc rathery to- - be accounted the moft expert Wref-
tlefs, thap to he {.celebrated as thg.mqft knowing and Valiant cotti-
manders \ Whether the Cornilh hpirowed thriqcuftomj frdrh-stfefe
Grecians, or whatever elfc waY" the- caufe>:uyou lhall hardly' any
where (as Mr. Grnewrobferves, page ^6) pieet -iwith. a pa?|y-
boys who will not readily entertain you with a fpgcknen^ofr their
/kill in this profeffion.
s e c t . x. H in l in g is a tr ia l o f lk ill and adtivity
Hurling, twenty, forty, or any indeterminate number%Jf|h|iiiies ibetwixt t\vp
or more pariihes, but more ufually, and indeed p$adtifed inta, mpje
friendly manner, betwixt thofe of the^ feme ,par,i(hj for, the’.bett-qr
underftanding which diftindtion, it muft be premife^ .^atit^etwsd:
thofe of .the fame pariih there is a-natjpal cpnne^onjii^hlcfch^ 1
which (aeteris paribus) no one member pan idep^t3wfth^^^i|f|ihng
alL eftcem. As this unites the inhabitants <^a« pariih, *eaoh parifh
looks upon itfelf as obliged to contend for its*own fame, 'and oppofe
the pretentions, and luperiority of its neighbours.
It is fo termed from throwing or burling a ball^which-is a round
piece of timber, (about three inches diameter) covered with plated .filver,
fometimes gilt. It has ufually a motto in the Cornilh tongue alluding
to the paftime, as Guare wheag, yw Guaretgag, that is, fair play
is good play. Upon catching this ball dexteroufly when it is' dealt,
and carrying it off expeditioully notwithftanding all the oppolition of
the adverfe party, fuccefs depends. This exereife requires force and
nimblenels of hand, a quick eye, fwiftnels of foot, lkill in wreftling,
ftrength and breath to perfevere in running, • addrefs to deceive and
evade the enemy, and judgment to deliver the ball into proper
hands, as occafron lhall offer: in fhort, a paftime that kindles
emulation in the youngeft breaft, and like this requires fo general
• Alex, ab Alexandro, lib. n. vol. I. page 494.
an exertion of all the faculties of the body, cannot but be of great
ufe to hippie, ftrengthen, and particularly tend to prepare it for all
the exercifes of the cam|W-%
|&$h§f& itw^psftoms of Wreftling -and. Wurling^were formerly much
^lore pfedrthamat iprefeft^land ^tis^realt^pSty fthiif' frolicking and
drinking immi$terately»tf' Wh'at i^ff^d'beffrue ) dt the pariih‘fefti-
^d^jfbould'itabe plice^^Mff'ancleBty^nd^funder s fewVcgmla^
tiohsjufuch ■ j'Kra'able and' mardy’recre&tiohs'.ifft The t particu ferrules
bfid cuftomsI^^fiicH -ritefe -fcWo- paftimes-fefe * dhfe&edy- add the dif-
^ e n t manrieifife1 whichJfeykte praiftifed,>CanifoWbb more dSftindtly
related, thanjj the reader®^fe)'1 defirestjfo* beladquainteff^vith'ffhem
itiore minuMy^. will|-‘fifld-'W Mk CafewT1 Sutveyft|6ffeGornwall
(®dit.'Ji|, page -Thferek 'K^%#ftatdd’ tiniebfdn hurlings'and
wreftling4';-but i they’, are5 generally parlr oftfeheir fe^ivafrbfttertaih-
’melitszii/ Every ^pa^Ih has 'its;anti pal feA^ln^'.a$rfuch^time^-ho^
Cyerpoor’ a¥dlh^tt^iie^^.th^M^)'..dp^::^^t'hnlf;i^^e;'a ihift ip
entertain .his friend^ and relatt&ns onu-the |>unday; Tne Mdiiday
and Tuefday all bufrdefs is- fu^lnded-, anfftne' ^Cuiagimen affein-
ble and hurl or wreftle', or both# in fofifC part of tihilr^ml# df ,the
moft public refort.
Thefetffeafts inftituted' in memory of the -dedication' of thefr sec'
parochial Ghurth, * wete AJf '«deem among* thdprimitive Par|i
Ghriftians, and Originally keptkon that^ainf'S' day fo. whbfeFffiemory
the-Church was dedicated: the munificence 1 bf * thetiifeih^id^r/r'and
endower of the church',*Was- at* the fame, ‘time^celebrated, iand< a ,
particular fervite cOcripofed fo^thesoccafionc. On- the eve rqf ‘that
s^aythere were prayers all might in the fchurch," 'and hymns ftmg
in memory ^ the Sairit,' and thbv dedifeatiom rn^a^to nim.*^ Fro'm
tllele watfchings, the feftivals, were,called Wakes, and the name frill ’
continu^iin many parts«bf England,' though the cuftoirr whence it
arofe ihas been long atdKfhedi The incbnvenienCy of bbler'Wrtg ,
thefe feftivals on’ the Saint’s* day* being' fenfibly|;''felt^,'j|efpediaJly in
^arveft time)j they were hy thef fpedi’a l ' authority ;io f , thfr^iffipp
^ansferred to the 5 nratt 'following Sunday, and . thisydntidvhtion
bce|fioned the injundtion -of' the: twenty-eighth o f Henly VIU.
that tfie feaft. cif the dedication o f 'dhUrches fhould bi\"'eelbbfatJs
I P a^^tfaces of this redilm'on the jferft Sunday^ in- Odtober.-for
ever, and? upon no othei**day.' ^hi^lhjundtion was chmptfedB&th
in fome places, but neVet'kimverfally^feiitted, cUftpm: intthffcafe .
prevailing agairxft Law. ^ 'T h e^ feaft^'are' mubh exclaimed againft
by thofe who diftinguifh" not,1 as theybught, between t^e'ihftitution,
0 Sec DuranduslRatronaliiDivin. foil'251, and Dugdale’s Warwick(birg.*
I H and