ae ae 
eg 
X. 12.] THE SECOND BOOK. 143 
: : 
is to say, for any point of ability whereunto the body of 
man may be brought, whether it be of activity, or of 
patience ; whereof activity hath two parts, strength and 
swiftness ; and patience likewise hath two parts, hardness 
against wants and extremities, and endurance of pain or 
torment; whereof we see the practices in tumblers, “in 
savages, and in those that suffer punishment. Nay, if 
there be any other faculty which falls not within any of 
the former divisions, as in those that dive, that obtain a 
strange power of containing respiration, and the like, I 
refer it to this part. Of these things the practices are 
known, but the philosophy which concerneth them is not 
much inquired; the rather, I think, because they are sup- 
posed to be obtained, either by an aptness of nature, 
which cannot be taught, or only by continual. custom, 
which is soon prescribed: which though it be not true, 
yet I forbear to note any deficiences: for the Olympian 
games are down long since, and the mediocrity of these 
things is for use ; as for the excellency of them it serveth 
for the most part but for mercenary ostentation. 
13. For arts of pleasure sensual, the chief deficience in 
them is of laws to repress them. For as it hath been 
well observed, that the arts which flourish in times while 
virtue is in growth, are military ; and while virtue is in 
state, are liberal; and while virtue is in declination, are 
voluptuary: so I doubt that this age of the world is some- 
what upon the descent of the wheel. With arts voluptuary 
I couple practices joculary; for the deceiving of the 
senses is one of the pleasures of the senses. As for 
games of recreation, I hold them to belong to civil life 
and education. And thus much of that particular human 
philosophy which concerns the body, which is but the 
tabernacle of the mind. 
