Agility and force.

Here follows some stories from various 16th century books about people famous for their skills. Some wording hasn’t aged well in the text that follows. 

It is put in the number of wonders of nature, the flying and balancing of those which run and guide themselves upon a rope. Some few years since there was one known throughout all Italy called the little Venetian as well for that he was born in Venice. As for his small stature, but so nimble and an expert to run upon a rope without any difficulty. As sometimes he tied himself up in a snack having nothing but his hands free to manage his counterpiece [balance]. Sometimes he put a round basin under either foot or balls under his heels and did so run with an incredible swiftness upon a long rope tied to the top of a house. Moreover he was so strong as with his knee he would break the thigh bone of an ox. With his hands he would wrench out three great nails as big as a man’s little finger as if they had been soft and pliable. He would take upon his shoulders a beam of about twenty foot long and a foot thick, supporting it long without any help of his hands and then would he remove it from one shoulder to another. Theodore a doctor of law who had seen these feats of agility and force with many other witnesses have reported it unto me. A physician of our time makes mention of the same or of the like whom he said he saw at Augsburg and another in Silesia who with his teeth would take up a great pipe like unto the barrels in Germany full of beer without any help and cast if over his head.  

Ferdinand  D’Avalos Marquis of Pescara, lieutenant of Emperor Charles V in the duchy of Milan had a Spaniard in his troops called Lupon who was so strong and so light of foot as he would with a sheep upon his shoulders outrun any man. He was valiant and hardy to attempt and execute anything for the confidence he had in his nimble force. The marquis desiring to be truly informed of the estate of the French army lying near. Gave orders to Lupon to run into their camp to discover anything of value. 

Lupon thinking himself takes a Harquebusier on foot with him in whom he trusted and approached near the camp little before day, he viewed the situation there and then coming near a french soldier that stood sentinel who was not well awake he suddenly leaps upon him and although the soldier were strong and of a big stature Lupon takes him up on his shoulders notwithstanding any resistance he could make or his crying out for help and carries him around his neck like a calf and so returns with speed being supported by his Harquebusier who shot at them who would approach near them. Arriving at the Spanish camp he laid his prisoner at the Marquis feet who having laughed his fill at this strange sight and learned from the prisoner’s own mouth the state of the french camp  he presently charge the french giving them so big an alarm […] he prevented the execution of that which they had prevented against him and his. 

Paolo Giovio in the life of the marquis of Pescara.

A Spaniard called Peter came to Naples came to Naples in the year 1555 where he made trial of his force as follows. A man that was strong and heavy sat striking on his right shoulder and another on his left, on his left arm he carried a man and on his left another. He had two men upon his feet and walked up and down with all this burden as if he had not carried anything. Then binding down his hands he caused a man to stand upon either of them when done he stood up and raised his hands as high as his head. After this they bound his hands with a strong cord then ten men laid hold off and standing as firmly as they could they sought to shake him but he on Theo ther side drawing his hands towards him laid them cross on his chest with such violence as many of the ten fell down. With his forehead (as if it had been a hammer of iron) he did beat a nail half into a wall true it is that he did hurt himself a little with that blow. Stretching forth his arm he did shut his hand so fast as those ten men together could not force him to open it nor to bend his arm. Two thieves finding him alone would have delayed him but he took them both by the necks and beat their heads so violently together as their brains flew out and they were found dead. He had a pleasing aspect a quick eye and a gracious severe countenance not too tall but well proportioned and his flesh was so firm and sinewy that when he did stretch forth his arm and shut his hand it was impossible to pinch him. His voice was strong and clear and he did sing very well. He was no great feeder.

Anthoinie of Nebrisse [Antonij Nebrisse] affirms that he had seen a man at Siuille born in one of the Canary Islands who without moving his left foot out of a circle where he did set it did offer himself as a mark to anyone that would cast a stone at him eight paces of and was never hit for that he did shift and turn himself in such a sundry sort and fashion as it was impossible to touch him and for a farthing he would show any man this sport. Nebris in the 2 decad of the hist. Of Spaine lib 2. C.1

We have seen a man in italy marching and dancing on a rope which was strained in the air holding tow long swords and having his thighs armed so as he would be forced to open his legs. He did go firmly and boldly thereon. Then he would tie basins to his feet and with them run upon the rope showing such nimble tricks as they seemed impossible to them that had not seen them. Simon Mayolus an Italian bishop in his canicular days colloq 4.

In the year 1582 at the solemnity of the circumcision of Mahomet the third son to Amurath (Murad III) emperor of the Turks among many other sports there appeared 50 men on horseback well armed with scimitars by their sides their targets about their necks, bows in their left hands and in the right staffs like half pikes after the Arabian manner. In the park appointed for the jousts at Constantinople they had raised up eight hills of sand of equal height and distance, four one one side and four on the other. In the midst there was a narrow passage but well covered with fine sand that if any of them should chance to fall in running it be less dangerous upon these hills of sand there were posts set, the four of Theo nes side having round blanks at the end and the other four and ovals all made of leather and paper very artificially. These were the marks where at these fifty horsemen did aim who began to march easily by this way, first in troupe and then in ranks as it were in battle. Suddenly they disband and begin to run with a full carrier one after another so near and so justly as one was at another’s heels. In running they took their arrows out of their quivers and shot with such dexterity as they did hit the marks so swiftly as the beholders eyes could not discern the shot nor the blows.  At the second course whereas they had shot but at the round blanks they now delivered their arrows against both with wonderful dexterity sometimes using the left hand and sometime the right hand with one motion, for the third charge in shooting off they’re arrows they sometimes discovered the the right shoulder sometimes the left with their targets and that with an incredible swiftness. Moreover in running a full carrier they drew out their scimitars which they drew out again they beat them down and suddenly they bend their bows again and shoot into the air. They did wonders with their half pikes in diverse kinds of combat and in the end they made even these hills with their scimitars pulling away those stakes that were set upon the hills of sand, they cast them into the air and in running they received them again and held them in their hands. Then staining upon their feet in the saddle they began to run and handle their scimitars, bows and staffs as before without any further repetition of these particularities. I will note one notable act the which perchance will be held as fiction but I did see it. Of these fifty there were two goodly young men which withdrew themselves from the rest. The one stood upright in his saddle and bore his companion standing upon his arms. Being in this posture they run the horse a full carrier and yet stood fast, the uppermost shot certain arrows at a peel of wood which he that carried him held in his right hand. Moreover these two having died tow horses together by the bridle one of them set one foot upon one saddle and the other upon the other standing firmly upon both as if they had been glued together and carrying his companion upright in his arms and holding in his hand that peel of wood against the which the other standing aloft shot without missing while that the tow horses did run most swiftly. 

There were others which having six naked scimitars tied the points upward unto their saddles set their heads into the saddle and their heels upward in this sort of run their horses so swiftly as you would say that they had flowed. Besides them there were two that did sit in one saddle and as the horse did run in his full speed they would leap down and up again presently. Others did turn in their saddles their horses running swiftly sometimes behind sometimes before doing admirable tricks. This done […] did all run in troupe and standing upright in their saddles they shot many arrows. To the end the sport standing thus upright they did run one at the other with their half pikes doing many exercises which lancers are accustomed to Tod in their courses on horseback. To conclude whatsoever is done in skirmishes. Courses, combats duels battles retreats and other military acts was there practices by these fifty cavaliers. Georg Lebelski a Polonia in the description done at Constantinople at the circumcision of Amvraths sonne in the yeare 1582.

I have often seen with amazement in the court of the prince of Bamber a German peasant nourished and bred up among the beasts in the near mountains who was active and nimble in his body as all that did see him in his motions and tumbling were amazed and thought that he used some sort of enchantment the which he never dreamt of. That which was most to be admired in him he showed his nimbleness not standing upon his feet but going up on feet and hands like a dog or a cat. In the same court there was a dwarf which […] rode upon the peasant as if head been a horse making him to turn and bound in diverse manners as a rider would a genet of Spain but when the peasant slit he would overthrow the dwarf do what he could. Sometimes he would fight with the mastiffs and great English dogs which his prince had and by retain counterfeit barking and a furious dogfish snarling he would make them run away. This done he would bound upon his hands and his feet with wonderful agility climbing up at the corner and of the wainscot of the hall more nimbly than an ape although otherwise he was rude big and of heavy mould. I did twice see (being at the prince’s table) after that he had cast down the dwarf chased away the dog she leaped upon one guest’s shoulder and from there to the table without overthrowing any dish or goblet, then he leaped so saddles down as you would have judged him to have been a squirrel or a wild cat. He would usually rune as fast upon the tops of houses built pointed and slopes as our house cats would do. He did so many other apish tricks as in divers places they talked of him as of an extraordinary thing and not heard of I would not have set any thing down in this book if I had not seen his tricks with my own eyes and that there were not many credible persons yet lying that had seen them. When I collected my historical discourses he was lying and married. PH Camerarvs as a learned Germanie Lavvier in his historical meditations, chap 75.

When as a certain Turk danced upon a rope in the city of Paris his feet being in a basin many seeing him in danger to break his neck trembled in fear and dared not look at him. Ambr Pare in his 13 booke chap 11. 

The lord of Montaigne said that he had seen his father being about three score years old laugh at their activities he would leap into the saddle with furred night down around him he would turn about the table upon his thumb and did seldom go to his chamber but he would leap three or four steps at once. Montaigne in his essaies lib. 2. Chap. 2.