A Short introduction for to learne to Swimme Gathered out of Master Digbies Booke of the Art of Swimming And translated into English for the better instruction of those who vnderstand not the Latine tongue By Christofer Middleton AT LONDON Printed by Iames Roberts for Edward White and are to be sold at the little North doore of Paules Church at the signe of the Gun 1595. To the Worshipfull and well accomplished Gentleman Maister Simon Smith SIR the report of your perfection in this facultie hath imboldened me to presume vpon your curtesie the rather for that as experience in other things hath taught mee howe Birds of one kinde with mutuall consent helpe to support the younger and weaker sort till nature hath sufficiently enabled them so doth hope in this thing perswade me that men of one disposition will as willingly accord in their commendable exercises tending to profitable ends as the sencelesse Fowles of the ayre naturally agree mutually to maintaine their owne estate Thus vnder your thrise worthy protection as a sufficient shelter from all the ayerie Buzzards shroude I my selfe Dum virum me fecerit etas which if you vouchsafe it shall embolden mee so to imploy my next vacant time as may in some better sort requite your VVorshipfull fauour Yours in all dutifull obedience C. M. To the Reader I Writ not this gentle Reader to derogate from his worth whose labor first brought this worke within the rules of Arte and hath thereby as Virgill for the tillage of the earth Vigetius for Millitary profession Hipocrates and Gallen for Phisick Iustinian for the Law Aristotle Tullie Euclides Boetius Ptolomeus for the liberall Sciences Pomponius Mela for Cosmography or Marcator for the Globes of the world thought his matter may be of some accounted as the least yet for his forme deserued commendations with the best but for his learned style exceedeth the capacitie of the greater part of men and the matter it selfe being so necessary for all I haue as I could gathered his worke into a briefe compendium for theyr better vnderstanding that are ignorant in the Latine tongue Thus not to gaine the reward of other mens labours nor to attribute to my selfe other mens vertues but to vncurtaine that to the view of all which was onely appropriated to a fewe haue I vnder-gone this taske which I doubt not will proue as profitable as pleasant Uale Of the Art of Swimming ALthough from the beginning amongst all the Authors of Artes and Sciences there are fewe or none which haue bestowed any paines in the explayning or publishing this Art of Swimming it being so profitable a thing as it is towards the preseruing of mans lyfe when as he is at any time distressed in the greedie iawes of the swelling Sea destitute of other helpe Et si tamen a nullo laudetur laudabile tamen est natura although it be by none praysed yet doth nature it selfe preferre it sufficiently especially in man which aboue all Foules of the ayre Fishes of the Sea Beasts of the earth or other creatures whatsoeuer excelleth in this facultie as hereafter shall more at large be expressed If Phisicke be worthy of commendations in respect of the nature in purging poysoned humors dryuing away contagious diseases and by this meanes adding longer date vnto the life of man well then may this Art of Swimming come within the number of other Sciences which preserueth the precious life of man amidst the furious billowes of the lawles waters where neither riches nor friendes neither birth nor kindred neither liberall Sciences nor other Artes onely it selfe excepted can rid him from the daunger of death Nor is it onely to be respected for this great helpe in extreamitie of death but it is also a thing necessarie for euery man to vse euen in the pleasantest and securest time of his lyfe especially as the fittest thing to purge the skinne from all externall pollutions or vncleannesse whatsoeuer as sweat and such like as also it helpeth to temperate the extreame heate of the bodie in the burning time of the yeare And if we respect throughly the nature of this Art we may easilie perceaue and see that it doth not much differ from the rest of the liberall Sciences A libera mente procedentes Whether all thiâ—â—â— swimme by nature 〈◊〉 NAture our prouident mother hath carefully prouided for euery seuerall creature seuerall meanes for their preseruation in their seuerall kindes as vnto those creatures which haue their lyuing in the inmost bowels of the earth or other such places far remote from the daunger of water to those hath she not imparted this knowledge for that is a thing to them altogether impertinent but to other her creatures eyther those whose continuall aboade is in the deepes as Fishes Foules and some Beastes that liue in the water or to other which in the actions of their liues doe any waies tend towards the waters on them for their better preseruation hath shee bestowed this great gift yet not to euery creaturâ— alike but what Element doth most abound in the composition of their bodies according to the qualitie therof is their kinde of Swimming As for example a Toade hath a broader body then a Frog and to mans iudgement more fitte to swimme and yet because her complection is more earthly and therefore heauier by nature and féedeth vpon the sollid poyson of the earth either presently after shee commeth into the water sinketh right downe or if the doe remaine any time vpon the superficies of the water it is with great labour whereas a frog feeding on the aierie dewe that lyeth vpon the grasse pleasantlie playeth vpon the water liuely representing the true Swimming of a man The like reasons is of the Foules of the ayre as the Swallowes that feede vpon the slender buzzing Flies of the ayre they nimblier flye to and fro and lightlier drinke on the toppe of the water then other Foules that eyther feede on the wormes of the earth or the Fishes of the Sea And euen as the liuelesse truncks which in theyr constitution haue a greater temperature of ayre or fire then of water or earth are of theyr owne accord carried aboue the water as wood and such like and on the contrary heauy constitutions of water or earth as lead iron stone and such directly settle downe to the bottom so is it with all creatures that haue life as the Lyon the beast of the sunne and king of the Forrest because he is of a sanguine complexion a hot constitution nimble of his ioynts and of a noble courage swims lightly and strongly and so of the dogge and other creatures whose constitution is a lower degrée of heate But some kindes of Foules although they bee of a good constitution of body yet for some impediment in their forme are hindered and doe not swimme so well as other whose bodies are more grosse as the Cock which is the bird of the sunne for that he wanteth as we call them
whereunto in the heate of Sōmer men are greatlie subiect for that comming into the cold water it maketh a suddaine chaunge in body which is very daungerous but rather by walking easily in some coole shade or some such other moderate meanes let him before hee enter into the water bring his bodie into a reasonable temperature of heate and cold and then not as some which are more bold then wise rudely leape into the water with their féete downwarde as this picture next following sheweth Or when he commeth at the side fall in vpon his right or left side after this fashion Or else leaping from the banck and casting forth his leggs but yet keeping of them close together hee may light vpon his hippes and the hinder parts of his leggs as you sée in this picture To swimme on the back But for that with long swimming on his belly he will be wearied Nature that prouident nurse which carefully prouideth for euery creature things fitting their kinde hath as in all things so in this thing made man excell euery thing for hym hath the taught in this to ease his wearie armes by lying in the water vpon his backe which we call Swimming vpon the back A gift which shee hath denied euen to the watrie inhabitants of the Sea no Fish no Foule nor other creature whatsoeuer that hath any lyuing or being either in the depth of the Sea or superficies of the water swimmeth vpon his backe man onely excepted and therefore when he hath perfectly learned to swim to and fro on his bellie as hee lifteth let him learne thus to turne vpon his backe by thrusting out his right hand as far as he can before him and withall turne ouer his left side and still keepe out his right hand vntill he be turned vpon his backe for that it doth in turning so support him from sincking as in this example following And when he is thus layd vpon his back he must lie very straight not bending or bowing with his bodie any way saue onely his legs which he must easily pull out and in as when he was on his belly to put him forwards in the water as thus To turne in the water like a Roach There is an other kinde of turning when a man is swimming vpon his belly with his head one way suddainly to turne himselfe stil being vpon his belly bring about his head and all his body the other way and for that it is to be done quickly as oft times you may see the fishes within the water when in the pleasant heate of Sommer they wantonly friske to and fro it is commonly called the Koach turne and that is done thus if he will turne towards the right hand hee must suddainely put the water from him with his left hand and pull that water behinde towards him with his right hand turning backe his head and his bodie as you see in this next figure To turne the Bell turne in the water There is also a turning which is called the bell turne as when one swimming one his bellie shall suddainely pull in his féete and in stead of striking with them as is afore sayd he shall heauing backward with his foreparts strike forward with his feete which motion will turne him vpon his backe and because he may at his pleasure turne so vpon his backe and belly as hee will it is called the bell turne resembling also a bell when it is ringing as for example To tumble in the water There is also a kinde of tumbling in the water as a man would roule and tumble in the grasse and that is doone thus swimming on his belly or backe which way hée meaneth to roule himselfe as towards the right hand or the left hee must thrust that hand broad-wayes downe into the water with the palme downward and hee must carry the other close beside him as ready to vse so vpon the other side and with the vppermost legge still as hee turneth strike the superficies of the water so that the motion with the hande helpeth to turne ouer the body and the striking with the feet keepeth better vp the hindmost parts which are most heauie of themselues as in this picture following To strike the superficies of the water To strike the superficies of the water with foure parts of the body at twice is thus doone by lying vpon your backe and somthing declining your body towards the left side which hand must bee in the water labouring to and fro like the finne of a Fishe to keepe him from sinking and so may hee lift his right hand and right legge out of the water and beate them downe againe and so of the left side as the picture following sheweth To swim with hands and feete vpward To swim with hands and feete vpward is nothing els but the swimming vpon the back as wee taught before sauing that hée vseth his hands as a boate dooth her Dares casting thē out on both sides and drawing them in againe which maketh hys motion swifter as in this example To swimme backward That is when one lying vpon his back with his body stretched foorth and holding vp his breast as much as hée can that his back may lie hollow which will keepe him from sincking and lifting easily one foote after another aboue the water and so drawing them forceably towards him vnder the water they will pul his body backward as in this example is shewed To roule vpon ones backe This is done onely by lying straight vpon his backe pressing downe the water with his hands so may he roule from side to side like a ship in the Sea as thus To make a circle in the water with his feete This is done as we saide afore by lying straight vpon his backe without bending any part of his body if he will turne from the right hand then must he lie somewhat ouer vpon hys left side and first of all pull his right legge out of the water and afterwards his left as fast as he can and strike with them toward the left hand one after another and about one foote one before another which will turne his bodie round and make his head lye in the midst like the center of a circle as thus To stand vpright and turne about in the water He must by stirring of his feete vp and downe in the water keepe vp his bodie and keeping his hands vnderneath the water pull the water towards him that way which he would turne and so also incline the motion of his feete as thus To swimme with his hands together This must be done in all respects as is saide afore for the first kinde of swimming vpon the belly sauing the motion of the hands which must be ioyned with their palmes together the thombs standing right vpward which he must pull in to his brest and thrust them forth againe without parting of them as for example To swimme vpon his side This kinde of swimming though
the webs of his feete swimmeth not so easily as a Duck which is more melancholy and heauy by nature according to the disposition of Saturne Man swimmeth by nature THe Fishes in the Sea whose continuall life is spent in the water in them dooth no man denie swimming to be the onely gift which Nature hath bestowed vpon them and shall wee thinke it then artificiall in a man which in it dooth by many degrees excell them as dyuing downe to the bottoms of the deepest waters and fetching from thence whatsoeuer is there sunck downe transporting things to and fro at his pleasure sitting tumbling leaping walking and at his ease perfourmeth many fine feates in the water which far exceeds the naturall gifts bestowed on Fishes nay so fit is the constitution of mans body that who so dooth but with himselfe throughly consider of it cannot but accord with mee in thys that a man of all creatures vnder the circumference of heauen naturally excelleth in swimming As for example a shaft shotte in the water when it riseth againe hangeth perpendicularly downeward with the head and the vpper parts and feathers swim aboue the water euen so is it with a man who although the lower parts of his body be earthly aud heauy yet aboue is the life of liues the vitall spyrits the externall internall scences to be short the life spirits of euery man exceedeth the liues of all Beasts for that they only retayne the vigitable and sensuall powers the one whereby they grow and increase and the other whereby they heare feele see smell and taste But in man is all these whose least part exceedeth the greatest quantity of the other in the highest degrée a reasonable soule so y t hee hath not onely in great measure the other helpes which Nature hath prouided for this purpose but he hath wisdome by Arte to perfect that in himselfe which by nature is left vnperfect and hauing plaine rules of Arte howe by motion to keepe vp the heauy parts of his body which by reason of theyr heauines are naturally carried downe it cannot otherwise be but that swimming must naturally come to a man and in swimming he must excell all creatures whatsoeuer But for some will obiect that if swimming were so naturall a thing to a man then should not so many perish in the water to these in a word I thus answere that men who haue not had some practise in it afore when by any sinister occasion they fall into the water the discreet vse of their sences is taken away by a suddaine feare and so vnorderly labouring in the water they by the indirect moouing of their bodyes pull downe themselues vnder the water and so are drowned which to auoyde I leaue it to euery seuerall mans consideration how necessarie a thing this Art of Swimming is Of the place and time to swimme OF all the circumstances which the Authour of this our Art hath in his first booke learnedly set down as necessarie antecedents before he enter into the practise it selfe I hold these two sufficient for the vnlearned sort to knowe time and place and leaue the rest to their wise cōsiderations which are able throughly to vnderstand the Latine tongue The time which the temperature of this our clymate affords as good to swimme in is comprehended in foure monethes May Iune Iuly and August for that in these monethes the Sunne drawing nearer vnto our Zenith his beames falling more directly downe vpon the superficies of this earth make a greater reflection and thence commeth a more vehement heate which dooth temperate the water and make wholsome the ayre The winde and weather ought also in these moneths to be regarded especially of those whose weake constitution is not so able to endure the cold as others of a stronger composition of bodie The windes that are most vnwholsome and daungerous to swimme in is the East and North for that blowing from cold and drie places they bring diuers and sundrie discommodities The weather that is to be eschewed is rayne for these considerations the droppes doe trouble the superficies of the water hurteth the bodie disturbeth the eyes and lastly drayning from the bancks into the Riuer bringeth also with it whatsoeuer dunge strawe leaues and what filth or vnwholsome things else doe lie neare adioyning vnto the place In the place is two things especially to be respected first that the bancks bee not ouergrowen with ranck thicke grasse where oft-times doe lie and lurke many stinging Serpents and poysoned Toades not full of thornes bryers stubbes or thistles which may offend the bare feete but that the grasse be short thinne and greene the bancke beset with shadie trees which may be a shelter from the winde and a shadowe from the parching heate of the Sunne Next that the water it selfe bee cleare not troubled with any kinde of slymie filth which is very infectious to the skinne that the breadth depth and length therof be sufficiently knowne that it be not muddie at the bottome least by much treading the filth rising vp frō the bottome thicken the water and so make it vnfitte for that purpose Also that there be not in the bottome of the Riuer any olde stakes or sharpe stones which may greatly indaunger the Swimmer but that it be a cleare running water not a standing corrupted poole the bottome faire sande where from the bancks may easily be perceaued whatsoeuer doth lye in the deepest place of the Riuer Which tyme and place according to these rules and directions when he hath fitly selected let him asociate himselfe with some one that is taller and stronger then himselfe which may both comfort him and helpe to sustaine him for that at the first enterance the chilnes of the water will greatly discomfort him as also he may thereby be better directed where the water is deepe and where it is shallowe But if so be that he for any extraordinarie occasion or other reason whatsoeuer rather delight to be alone then thus let him take a longe rod like vnto an angle and vpon the end thereof hange in a long small corde a plummet of lead wherewith hee may standing vpon the bancke sound euery place of the water and if he cannot reach the further side with his pole boldlie venturing so far into the water as by this direction he hath experienced he may reach further and further vntill he hath tried it all which if he finde correspondent in euery point to the rules before rehearsed and that there be not any suddaine or plum falling downe into any great holes which exceede his owne height nor any whirlpooles as we call them or kinde of swift or violent streames that may forcely carry him away let him there practise according to these rules following and venture not into any other vnknown place vntill hee be a perfect practisioner in this Art Thus much for the time place For the maner of his going into the Riuer it must not be sweating a thing