CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH CLASSICS
English Works of
Roger Ascham
ROGER ASCHAM
Born 1515 Died 1568
ROGER ASCHAM
f ENGLISH WORKS
TOXOPHILUS
REPORT OF THE AFFAIRES AND STATE OF GERMANY THE SCHOLEMASTER
EDITED BY
WILLIAM ALOIS WRIGHT, M.A.,
VICE-MASTER OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGE :
at the University Press
1904
SonDon: C. J. CLAY AND SONS, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS WAREHOUSE,
AVE MARIA LANE. ®laasota: 50, WELLINGTON STREET.
: F. A. BROCKHAUS. 1 ork : THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, anto Calcutta: MACMILLAN AND CO.. LTD.
JAN 1 6 1956
[All Rights reserved}
PREFACE.
OF the three English Works by Ascham printed in this volume, the Toxophilus is probably the only one which appeared in his lifetime. It was first published in 1545 by Edward Whitchurch. A second edition printed by Thomas Marshe appeared in 1571, and a third in 1589 printed by Abell leffes. As copies of the first edition vary slightly, it is as well to state that I have followed one in the Library of Jesus College, Cambridge, for which I have been indebted to the kindness of Mr Arthur Gray, with occasional reference to the Capell copy in Trinity Library. There are some readings in one of the copies in the British Museum (C. 31. c. 27) which I have found nowhere else. Mr Arber in his reprint appears to have followed this.
The Report and Discourse of the affairs and'state of Germany was written in 1553, about the time of the death of Edward the Sixth (see p. 138), but it was apparently not printed till after Ascham's death by John Daye, without date but probably about 1570. In Bohn's edition of Lowndes's Bibliographer's Manual it is said that l there are two other editions, one 1570, the other without date,' but I can find no other record of them. In the Dictionary of National Biography it is said to have been republished in 1572, but I do not know on what authority.
The Scholemaster first appeared in 1570, two years after Ascham's death, and was printed by John Daye. A second edition, also printed by Daye, was issued in 1571, and a third in 1589, printed by Abell leffes. Other editions in 1572, 1573, 1579, and I5^3-> 'according to the bibliographers,' are mentioned in the Dictionary of National Biography. I have not been able to discover any trace of them, except that in the edition of 1571, although 1571 is on the title-page, we find 1573 in the colophon.
In giving the list of Errata in the early copies, I have not thought it necessary to record any but those which are mis- leading, nor have I mentioned the many printer's errors in Greek which have been silently corrected. On pages 72 and
vi Preface
1 68 I have substituted 'leste' for 'lesse,' supposing it to be a misprint, but not feeling certain that it might not be a pro- vincialism if not an archaism, I have allowed ' lesse ' to stand on pages 215 and 258, though it is altered in the edition of 1571. In the curious Italian Pasquinade in the Report (p. 136) 1 have been assisted by the kindness of Count della Rocchetta, Mr Arthur Tilley, and Mr E. G. W. Braunholtz, to whom are due the corrections which have brought it to its present form. It originally stood as follows :
Interlocutor! Pasquillo et Romano.
Pasq. T Anno vn bel gioco il Re, et rimperatore
\_ J_ per terzo el Papa, e giocano a Primera. Rom. che v* e cT in vito ? Pasq. Italia tutta intera. Rom. Chi vi r ha messa ? Pasq. il coglion del pastor e. Rom. Che tien in mono il Re ? Pasq. Panto magiere
el Papa hacinquant' vno, e se despera. Rom. Ctesar che Ponto sa ? Pasq. lui sta a Primera Rom. che gli manca f Pasq. danari a far sauore
II Papa dice a vol, e voll Partita :
Casar Pensoso sta Sopra di questo,
teme a Scropir di trouar moneta
II Re dico, no, no, Scoprite Presto,
che to tengo Ponto, a guadagnar f in vito
P ho li danari, et Ceesar se gli aspeta.
IF Tufti stanno a vedetta.
Chi di lor dui guadagni. Rom. il Papa ? Pas. e fuora vinca chi vol, lui Perda, in sua ma!' hora.
IT Le Jmp era tore anchor a.
Teme, Men stretto, e Scopre Piau le carte, e qui, la sorte gioca, pin che /' Arte.
1F Metra questi indisparte. Stabilito e nel del quelle, che esserde, ne giona al nostro die, questo Sara questo e.
W. A. W.
ao October 1904.
H> ReioyfeEnglandeileghddftnd me r/r, TR O T H E ouercommeth thyneenemyes <t/7. T/ie Scor,tfor Frenche ma n,the Pope,and hcfttie OVERCOMMED by Trothe^xe had * fail: Sttckc ro the Trothe,and eKermorethoHfhjll
Alt maner of enemies, quite cue rrkroWc
Gualterus Haddonus Cantabrigien.
Mittere qui ce/eres summa uelit arte sagittas,
Ars erit ex isto summa profefla libra. Quicquid habent arcus rigidi, neruifa rotundty
Sumere si /ibet, hoc sumere fonte licet. Aschamus est author, magnu que fecit Apollo
Arte sua, magnum Pa/las & arte sua. Doff a mar? dedit hue, dedit hue mes dofia libellu :
Qua: uidet An Psus uisa, parata facit. Optimum heec author quia tradidit optima scripta,
Conuenit hec uobis optima uelle sequi.
To the moste graciouse, and our most drad Soueraigne lord,
Kyng Henrle the .viii, by the grace of God, kyng
of Englande, Fraunce and Irelande, Defen
der of the faythe, and of the churche
of Englande & a/so of Irelande
in earth supreme head, next vn
der Christ, be al health
viflorie, and fe-
licitie.
WHAT tyme as, moste gracious Prince, your highnes this last year past, tooke that your moost honorable and victorious iourney into Fraunce, accompanied with such a porte of the Nobilitie and yeomanrie of Englande, as neyther hath bene lyke knovven by experience, nor yet red of in Historic : accompanied also with the daylie prayers, good hartes, and willes of all and euery one your graces subieftes, lefte behinde you here at home in Englande : the same tyme, I beinge at my booke in Cambrige, sorie that my litle habilitie could stretche out no better, to helpe forward so noble an enterprice, yet with my good wylle, prayer, and harte, nothinge behynde hym that was formoste of all, conceyued a wonderful desire, bi the praier, wishing, talking, & communicatio that was in euery mas mouth, for your Graces moost vi6loriouse retourne, to offer vp sumthinge, at your home cumming to your Highnesse, which shuld both be a token of mi loue and deutie toward your
Maiestie, & also a signe of my good minde and zeale tovvarde mi countrie.
This occasion geuen to me at that time, caused me to take in hand againe, this litle purpose of shoting, begon of me before, yet not ended tha, for other studies more mete for that trade of liuinge, vvhiche God and mi frendes had set me vnto. But when your Graces moste ioifull & happie viclorie preueted mi dailie and spedie diligencie to performe this matter, I was com- pelled to vvaite an other time to prepare & offer vp this litle boke vnto your Maiestie. And whan it hath pleased youre Highenesse of your infinit goodnesse, & also your most honor- able Counsel to know and pervse ouer the contentes, & some parte of this boke, and so to alow it, that other me might rede it, throughe the furderaunce and setting forthe of the right worshipfull and mi Singuler good Master sir Vvilliam Pagette Knight, moost worthie Secretarie to your highnes, & most open & redie succoure to al poore honest learned mes sutes, I moost humblie beseche your Grace to take in good worthe this litle treatise purposed, bego, and ended of me onelie for this intent, that Labour, Honest pastime & Vertu, might recouer againe that place and right, that Idlenesse, Vnthriftie gamning and Vice hath put them fro.
And althoughe to haue written this boke either in latin or Greke (which thing I wold be verie glad yet to do, if 1 might surelie know your Graces pleasure there in) had bene more easier & fit for mi trade in study, yet neuerthelesse, I supposinge it no point of honestie, that mi commodite should stop & hinder ani parte either of the pleasure or profite of manie, haue written this Englishe matter in the Englishe tongue, for Englishe men : where in this I trust that your Grace (if it shall please your Highnesse to rede it) shal perceaue it to be a thinge Honeste for me to write, pleasaunt for some to rede, and profitable for manie to folow, contening a pastime, honest for the minde, holsome for the body, fit for eueri man, vile for no man, vsing the day & ope place for Honestie to rule it, not lurking in corners for misorder to abuse it. Therfore I trust it shal apere, to be bothe a sure token of my zeele to set forvvarde shootinge, and some signe of my minde, towardes honestie and learninge.
XI
Thus I vvil trouble your Grace no longer, but
with my daylie praier, I vvil beseche God to
preserue your Grace, in al health and feli-
citie : to the feare and ouerthrovve
of all your ennemies : to the
pleasure, ioyfulnesse and
succour of al your sub-
iectes : to the vtter
destruction
of papi-
strie and heresie : to the con-
tinuall setting forth of
Goddes vvorde
and his glo
rye.
Your Graces most bounden Scholer,
Roger Ascham.
TO ALL GENTLE MEN AND YOMEN OF ENGLANDE.
Bias the wyse man came to Cresus the ryche kyng, on a tyme, when he was makynge newe shyppes, purposyng to haue subdued by water the out yles lying betwixt Grece and Asia minor : What newes now in Grece, saith the king to Bias ? None other newes, but these, sayeth Bias : that the yles of Grece haue prepared a wonderful companye of horsemen, to ouerrun Lydia withall. There is nothyng vnder heauen, sayth the kynge, that I woulde so soone wisshe, as that they durst be so bolde, to mete vs on the lande with horse. And thinke you sayeth Bias, that there is an ye thyng which they wolde sooner wysshe, then that you shulde be so fonde, to mete them on the water with shyppes ? And so Cresus hearyng not the true newes, but perceyuyng the wise mannes mynde and counsell, both gaue then ouer makyng of his shyppes, and left also behynde him a wonderful example for all commune wealthes to folowe : that is euermore to regarde and set most by that thing whervnto nature hath made them moost apt, and vse hath made them moost fitte.
By this matter I meane the shotyng in the long bowe, for English men : which thyng with all my hert I do wysh, and if I were of authoritie, I wolde counsel all the gentlemen and yomen of Englande, not to chaunge it with any other thyng, how good soeuer it seme to be : but that styll, accordyng to the oulde wont of England, youth shulde vse it for the moost honest pastyme in peace, that men myght handle it as a mooste sure weapon in warre. Other stronge weapons whiche bothe
Xlll
experience doth proue to be good, and the wysdom of the kinges Maiestie & his counsel prouydes to be had, are not ordeyned to take away shotyng : but y* both, not compared togither, whether shuld be better then the other, but so ioyned togither that the one shoulde be alwayes an ayde and helpe for the other, myght so strengthen the Realme on all sydes, that no kynde of enemy in any kynde of weapon, myght passe and go beyonde vs.
For this purpose I, partelye prouoked by the counsell of some gentlemen, partly moued by the loue whiche I haue alwayes borne towarde shotyng, haue wrytten this lytle treatise, wherin if I haue not satisfyed any man, I trust he wyll the rather be content wl my doyng, bycause I am (I suppose) the firste, whiche hath sayde any thynge in this matter (and fewe begynnynges be perfect, sayth wyse men) And also bycause yf I haue sayed a misse, I am content that any man amende it, or yf I haue sayd to lytle, any man that wyl to adde what hym pleaseth to it.
My minde is, in profitynge and pleasynge euery man, to hurte or displease no man, intendyng none other purpose, but that youthe myght be styrred to labour, honest pastyme, and vertue, and as much as laye in me, plucked from ydlenes, vnthriftie games, and vice : whyche thing I haue laboured onlye in this booke, shewynge howe fit shootyng is for all kyndes of men, howe honest a pastyme for the mynde, howe holsome an excercise for the bodye, not vile for great men to vse, not costlye for poore men to susteyne, not lurking in holes and corners for ill men at theyr pleasure, to misvse it, but abiding in the open sight & face of the worlde, for good men if it fault by theyr wisdome to correct it.
And here I woulde desire all gentlemen and yomen, to vse this pastime in suche a mean, that the outragiousnes of great gamyng, shuld not hurte the honestie of shotyng, which of his owne nature is alwayes ioyned with honestie : yet for mennes faultes oftentymes blamed vnworthely, as all good thynges haue ben, and euermore shall be.
If any man woulde blame me, eyther for takynge such a matter in hande, or els for writing it in the Englyshe tongue, this answere I maye make hym, that whan the beste of the
XIV
realme thinke it honest for them to vse, I one of the meanest sorte, ought not to suppose it vile for me to write : And though to haue written it in an other tonge, had bene bothe more profitable for my study, and also more honest for my name, yet I can thinke my labour wel bestowed, yf wl a little hynder- aunce of my profyt and name, maye come any fourth er- aunce, to the pleasure or commoditie, of the gentlemen and yeomen of Englande, for whose sake I tooke this matter in hande. And as for ye Latin or greke tonge, euery thyng is so excellently done in them, that none can do better : In the Englysh tonge contrary, euery thinge in a maner so meanly, bothe for the matter and handelynge, that no man can do worse. For therin the least learned for the moste parte, haue ben alwayes moost redye to wryte. And they whiche had leaste hope in latin, haue bene moste boulde in englyshe : when surelye euery man that is moste ready to taulke, is not moost able to wryte. He that wyll wryte well in any tongue, muste folowe thys councel of Aristotle, to speake as the comon people do, to thinke as wise men do : and so shoulde euery man vnder- stande hym, and the iudgement of wyse men alowe hym. Many English writers haue not done so, but vsinge straunge wordes as latin, french and Italian, do make all thinges darke and harde. Ones I communed with a man whiche reasoned the englyshe tongue to be enryched and encreased therby, sayinge : Who wyll not prayse that feaste, where a man shall drinke at a diner, bothe wyne, ale and beere ? Truely quod I, they be all good, euery one taken by hym selfe alone, but if you putte Maluesye and sacke, read wyne and white, ale and beere, and al in one pot, you shall make a drynke, neyther easie to be knowen, nor yet holsom for the bodye. Cicero in folowyng Isocrates, Plato and Demosthenes, increased the latine tounge after an other sorte. This waye, bycause dyuers men yl write, do not know, they can neyther folowe it, bycause of theyr ignorauncie, nor yet will prayse it, for verye arrogauncie, ii. faultes, seldome the one out of the others companye.
Englysh writers by diuersitie of tyme, haue taken diuerse matters in hande. In our fathers tyme nothing was red, but bookes of fayned cheualrie, wherin a man by redinge, shuld be led to none other ende, but onely to manslaughter and baudrye.
XV
Yf any man suppose they were good ynough to passe the time with al, he is deceyued. For surelye vayne woordes doo woorke no smal thinge in vayne, ignoraunt, and younge mindes, specially yf they be gyuen any thynge thervnto of theyr owne nature. These bokes (as I haue heard say) were made the moste parte in Abbayes, and Monasteries, a very lickely and fit fruite of suche an ydle and blynde kinde of lyuynge.
In our tyme nowe, whan euery manne is gyuen to knowe muche rather than to liue wel, very many do write, but after suche a fashion, as very many do shoote. Some shooters take in hande stronger bowes, than they be able to mayntayne. This thyng maketh them sumtyme, to outshoote the marke, sumtyme to shote far wyde, and perchaunce hurte sume that looke on. Other that neuer learned to shote, nor yet knoweth good shafte nor bowe, wyll be as busie as the best, but suche one comonly plucketh doune a syde, and crafty archers which be agaynst him, will be bothe glad of hym, and also euer ready to laye and bet with him : it were better for suche one to sit doune than shote. Other there be, whiche haue verye good bowe and shaftes, and good knowlege in shootinge, but they haue bene brought vp in suche euyl fauoured shootynge, that they can neyther shoote fayre, nor yet nere. Yf any man wyll applye these thynges togyther, [he] shal not se the one farre differ from the other.
And I also amonges all other, in writinge this lytle treatise, haue folowed sume yonge shooters, whiche bothe wyll begyn to shoote, for a lytle moneye, and also wyll vse to shote ones or twise about the marke for nought, afore they beginne a good. And therfore did I take this little matter in hande, to assaye my selfe, and hereafter by the grace of God, if the iudgement of wyse men, that looke on, thinke that I can do any good, I maye perchaunce caste my shafte amonge other, for better game.
Yet in writing this booke, some man wyll maruayle per- chaunce, why that I beyng an vnperfyte shoter, shoulde take in hande to write of makyng a perfyte archer : the same man peraduenture wyll maruayle, howe a whettestone whiche is blunte, can make the edge of a knife sharpe : I woulde ye same man shulde consider also, that in goyng about anye matter, there be .iiii. thinges to be considered, doyng, saying, thinking and
XVI
perfe&nesse : Firste there is no man that doth so wel, but he can saye better, or elles summe men, whiche be now starke nought, shuld be to good : Agayne no man can vtter wyth his tong, so wel as he is able to imagin with his minde, & yet perfe&nesse it selfe is farre aboue all thinking. Than seing that saying is one steppe nerer perfe&enesse than doyng, let euery man leue maruaylyng why my woorde shall rather expresse, than my dede shall perfourme perfe6te shootinge.
I truste no man will be offended with this litle booke excepte it be sume fletchers and bowiers, thinking hereby that manye that loue shootynge shall be taughte to refuse suche noughtie wares as they woulde vtter. Honest fletchers and bowyers do not so, and they that be vnhonest, oughte rather to amende them selues for doinge ill, than be angrie with me for sayinge wel. A fletcher hath euen as good a quarell to be angry wl an archer that refuseth an ill shaft, as a bladesmith hath to a fletcher yl forsaketh to bye of him a noughtie knyfe : For as an archer must be content that a fletcher know a good shafte in euery poynte for the perfecler makynge of it, So an honeste fletcher will also be content that a shooter knowe a good shafte in euery poynt for the perfiter vsing of it : bicause the one knoweth like a fletcher how to make it, the other knoweth lyke an archer howe to vse it. And seyng the knowlege is one in them bothe, yet the ende diuerse, surely that fletcher is an enemye to archers and artillery, whiche can not be content that an archer knowe a shafte as well for his vse in shotynge, as he hym selfe shoulde knowe a shafte, for hys aduauntage in sellynge. And the rather bycause shaftes be not made so muche to be solde, but chefely to be vsed. And seynge that vse and occupiyng is the ende why a shafte is made, the making as it were a meane for occupying, surely the knowelege in euery poynte of a good shafte, is more to be required in a shooter than a fletcher.
Yet as I sayde before no honest fletcher wil be angry with me, seinge I do not teache howe to make a shafte whiche belongeth onelye to a good fletcher, but to knowe and handle a shafte, which belongeth to an archer. And this lytle booke I truste, shall please and profite both partes : For good bowes and shaftes shall be better knowen to the comoditie of al shoters,
XV11
and good shotyng may perchaunce be the more occupied to the profite of all bowyers and fletchers. And thus I praye God that all fletchers getting theyr lyuynge truly, and al archers vsynge shootynge honestly, and all maner of men that fauour artillery, maye lyue continuallye in healthe and merinesse, obeying theyr prince as they shulde, and louing God as they ought, to whom for al thinges be al ho- nour and glorye for euer. Amen
TOXOPHILVS,
The schole of shootinge
conteyned in two
bookes.
To all Gentlemen and yomen of Englande^
pleasaunte for theyr pastyme to rede,
and profitable for theyr use
to folow, both in war
and peace.
The contentes of the first booke.
Earnest businesse ought to be refreshed wyth ho-
neste pastyme. Fol. I. [p. i.]
Shootyng moost honest pastyme. 3. [ 4.]
The inuention of shootinge. 5. [ 6.]
Shootynge fit for princes and greate men. 5. [ 7.]
Shootyng, fit for Scholers and studentes. 8. [ TO.]
Shootynge fitter for studentes than any musike
or Instrumentes. 9. [ 12.]
Youthe ought to learne to singe. u. [ 14.]
XIX
No maner of man doth or canvse to muche shoo- tynge. 14. [p. 18.]
Agaynste vnlawfull gammes and namelye car- des and disc. 16. [ 21.]
Shootyng in war. 24. [ 32.]
Obedience the best propertie of a Souldyar. 25. [ 33.]
Reasons and authorites agaynste shootynge in war with the confutacion of the same. 26. [ 35.]
God is pleased with stronge wepons and valy- aunt feates of war. 28. [ 39.]
The commoditie of Shootyng in war throughe the Histories Greke and Latin, & all nations Chri- sten and Hethen. 29. [ 41.]
Vse of shootynge at home causethe strongeshoo- tinge in warre. 41. [ 55.]
Vse of shootynge at home, except men be apte by nature, and connynge by teachyng, doth litle good at all. 43. [ 58.]
Lacke of learnynge to shoote causethe Englande lacke many a good archer. 46. [ 62.]
In learnyng any thyng, a man must couete to be best, or els he shal neuer attayne to be meane. 47. [ 63.]
XX
A Table conteyning the seconde booke.
By knowing • thinges belo- ging to shoo- tyng.
I Eraser Shotingloue Strynge Bowe Shaftes
[Wether General to I
all men. |Marke.
|
Shotyng > |
||
|
streyght. |
Bothe |
|
|
Hittyng the |
>-comme |
|
|
marke, by |
Kepyng |
partly. |
|
.a length J |
By hande- ^linge thyn- ges beloging *
to shotyng.
IStandinge Nockynge Drawinfe Holdynge Lov^singe.
/Bolde corage. within a man. ! Auoydynge
I all affeftion.
TOXOPHILVS,
A,
\
first bofee of tfte grfiole of sfjotmg,
Philologus. 'Toxophilus.
pHILOLOGUS. You studie to sore Toxophile. TOX. I X wil not hurt my self ouermoche I warraut you. PHI. A Take hede you do not, for we Physicions saye, that it is nether good for the eyes in so cleare a Sunne, nor yet holsome for ye bodie, so soone after meate, to looke vpon a mans boke. TOX. In eatinge and studyinge I will neuer folowe anye Physike, for yf I dyd, I am sure I shoulde haue small pleasure in the one, and lesse courage in the other. But what newes draue ou hyther I praye you ? PHI. Small newes trulie, but that as came on walkynge, I fortuned to come wl thre or foure that went to shote at the pryckes : And when I sawe not you amonges them, but at the last espyed you lokynge on your booke here so sadlye, I thought to come and holde you with some com munication, lest your boke shoulde runne awaye with you. For me thought by your waueryng pace & earnest lokying, your boke led you, not you it. TOX. In dede as it chaunced, my mynde went faster then my feete, for I happened here to reade in Phedro Platonis, a place that entretes wonderfullie of
the nature of soules, which place (whether it were T D, ,
. '. ^n. . . In fnearo.
for the passynge eloquence of rlato, and the Greke tongue, or for the hyghe and godlie description of the matter, kept my mynde so occupied, that it had no leisure to loke to my feete. For I was reding howe some soules being well fethered, flewe alwayes about heaue and heauenlie matters, other some hauinge their fethers mowted awaye, and droupinge, sanke downe into earthlie thinges. PHI. I remebre the place verie wel, and it is wonderfullie sayd of Plato, & now I se it
2 Toxophilus. A.
was no maruell though your fete fayled you, seing your minde flewe so fast. TOX. I am gladde now that you letted me, for my head akes wl lolcing on it, and bycause you tell me so, I am verye sorie yl I was not with those good feloes you spake vpon, for it is a verie faire day for a ma to shote in. PHI. And me thinke you were a great dele better occupied & in better copanie, for it is a very faire daye for a ma to go to his boke in. TOX. Al dayes and wethers wil serue for that purpose, and surelie this occasio was ill lost. PHI. Yea but clere wether maketh clere mindes, and it is best as I suppose, to spend ye best time vpon the best thinges : And me thought you shot verie wel, and at that marke, at which euery good scoler shoulde moste busilie shote at. And I suppose it be a great dele more pleasure also, to se a soule flye in Plato, then a shafte flye at the prickes. I graunte you, shoting is not the worst thing in the world, yet if we shote, and time shote, we ar not like to be great winners at the length. And you know also we scholers haue more ernest & weightie matters in hand, nor we be not borne to pastime & pley, as you know wel ynough M Cic i off. w^° savtk' TOX. Yet the same man in the
same place Philologe, by your leue, doth admitte holsome, honest and manerlie pastimes to be as necessarie to be migied with sad matters of the minde, as eating & sleping is for the health of the body, and yet we be borne
for neither of bothe. And Aristotle him selfe ribui. io!T sayth, yl although it were a fonde & a chyldish
thing to be to ernest in pastime & play, yet doth
he affirme by the authoritie of the oulde Poet Epicharmus,
. Afi3t pol that a man may vse play for ernest matter sake.
8. 3. And in an other place, y* as rest is for labour, &
medicines for helth, so is pastime at tymes for sad & weightie studie. PHI. How moche in this matter is to be giuen to ye audoritie either of Aristotle or Tullie, I ca not tel, semg sad me may wel ynough speke merily for a merie matter, this I am sure, whiche thing this faire wheat (god saue it) maketh me remebre, yl those husbadmen which rise erliest, and come latest home, and are content to haue their diner and other drinckinges, broughte into the fielde to them, for feare of losing of time, haue fatter barnes in haruest, than they whiche will either slepe at none time of the daye, or els make merie
'The schole of shoting. 3
wl their neighbours at the ale. And so a scholer yl purposeth to be a good husband, and desireth to repe and enioy much fruite, of learninge, muste tylle and sowe thereafter. Our beste seede tyme, whiche be scholers, as it is verie tymelye, and whan we be yonge : so it endureth not ouerlonge, and therfore it maye not be let slippe one houre, cure grounde is verye harde, and full of wedes, our horse wherw1 we be drawen very wylde as Plato sayth. And infinite other mo lettes whiche wil make a thriftie scholer take hede how he spedeth his tyme in sporte and pleye. TOX. That Aristotle and Tullie spake ernestlie, and as they thought, the ernest matter which they entreate vpon, doth plainlye proue. And as for your husbandrie, it was more probablie tolde with apt wordes propre to ye thing, then throughly proued with reasons belongynge to our matter. For contrariwise I herd my selfe a good husbande at his boke ones saye, that to omit studie somtime of the daye, and sometime of the yere, made asmoche for the encrease of learning, as to let the lad lye sometime falloe, maketh for the better encrease of corne. This we se, yf the lande be plowed euerye yere, the corne commeth thinne vp: the eare is short, the grayne is small, and when it is brought into the barne and threshed, gyueth very euill faul. So those which neuer leaue poring on their bokes, haue oftetimes as thinne inuention, as other poore me haue, and as smal wit and weight in it as in other mens. And thus youre husbandrie me thinke, is more like the life of a couetouse snudge that oft very euill preues, then the labour of a good husbad that knoweth wel what he doth. And surelie the best wittes to lerning must nedes haue moche recreation and ceasing from their boke, or els they marre them selues, whe base and dompysshe wittes can neuer be hurte with continuall studie, as ye se in luting, that a treble minikin string must alwayes be let down, but at suche time as when a man must nedes playe : when ye base and dull stryng nedeth neuer to be moued out of his place. The same reason I finde true in two bowes that I haue, wherof the one is quicke of cast, tricke, and trlme both for pleasure and profyte : the other is a lugge slowe of cast, folowing the string, more sure for to last, then pleasaunt for to vse. Now sir it chauced this other night, one in my chabre wolde nedes bende them to proue their strength, but I can not tel how,
A 2
4 T'oxophilus. A.
they were both left bente tyll the nexte daye at after dyner : and when I came to them, purposing to haue gone on shoting, I found my good bowe clene cast on the one side, and as weake as water, that surelie (if I were a riche man) I had rather haue spent a crowne : and as for my lugge, it was not one whyt the worse : but shotte by and by as wel and as farre as euer it dyd. And euen so I am sure that good wittes, except they be let downe like a treble string, and vnbent like a good casting bowe, they wil neuer last and be able to cotinue in studie. And I know where I speake this Philologe, for I wolde not saye thus moche afore yong men, for they wil take soone occasion to studie litle ynough. But I saye it therfore bicause I knowe, as litle studie getteth litle learninge or none at all, so the moost studie getteth not ye moost learning of all. For a mans witte sore occupied in ernest studie, must be as wel recreated with some honest pastime, as the body sore laboured, must be refreshed with slepe and quietnesse, or els it can not endure very longe, as the noble poete sayeth.
Quid. What thlg watf quiet & meri rest endures but a smal while.
And I promise you shoting by my iudgement, is ye moost B honest pastime of al, & suche one I am sure, of all other, that hindreth learning litle or nothing at all, whatsoeuer you & some other saye, whiche are a gret dele sorer against it alwaies tha you nede to be. PHI. Hindereth learninge litle or nothinge at all ? that were a meruayle to me truelie, and I am sure seing you saye so, you haue some reason wherewith you can defende shooting wlall, and as for wyl (for the loue that you beare towarde shotinge) I thinke there shall lacke none in you. Therfore seinge we haue so good leysure bothe, and no bodie by to trouble vs : and you so willinge & able to defende it, and I so redy and glad to heare what may be sayde of it I suppose we canne not passe the tyme better ouer, neyther you for ye honestie of your shoting, nor I for myne owne mindsake, than to se what can be sayed with it, or agaynste it, and speciallie in these dayes, whan so many doeth vse it, and euerie man in a maner doeth common of it. TOX. To speake of shootinge Philologe, trulye I woulde I were so able, either as I my selfe am willing or yet as the matter deserueth, but seing with wisshing we can not haue one nowe worthie, whiche
The schole of shoting. 5
so worthie a thinge can worthilie praise, and although I had rather haue anie other to do it than my selfe, yet my selfe rather then no other. I wil not fail to saye in it what I can wherin if I saye litle, laye that of my litle habilitie, not of the matter it selfe whiche deserueth no lyttle thinge to be sayde of it. PHI. If it deserue no little thinge to be sayde of it Toxophile, I maruell howe it chaunceth than, that no man hitherto, hath written any thinge of it : wherin you must graunte me, that eyther the matter is noughte, vnworthye, and barren to be written vppon, or els some men are to blame, whiche both loue it and vse it, and yet could neuer finde in theyr heart, to saye one good woorde of it, seinge that very triflinge matters hath not lacked great learned men to sette them out, as gnattes and nuttes, & many other mo like thinges, wherfore eyther you may honestlie laye verie great faut vpo men bycause they neuer yet praysed it, or els I may iustlie take awaye no litle thinge from shooting, bycause it neuer yet deserued it. TOX. Trulye herein Philologe, you take not so muche from it, as you giue to it. For great and commodious thynges are neuer greatlie praysed, not bycause they be not worthie, but bicause their excellencie nedeth no man hys prayse, hauinge all theyr comendation of them selfe not borowed of other men his lippes, which rather prayse them selfe, in spekynge much of a litle thynge than that matter whiche they entreat vpon. Great & good thinges be not praysed. For who euer praysed Hercules (sayeth the Greke prouerbe) And that no man hitherto hath written any booke of shoting the fault is not to be layed in the thyng whiche was worthie to be written vpon, but of men which were negligent in doyng it, and this was the cause therof as I suppose. Menne that vsed shootyng moste and knewe it best, were not learned : men that were lerned, vsed litle shooting, and were ignorant in the nature of the thynge, and so fewe menne hath bene that hitherto were able to wryte vpon it. Yet howe longe shotying hath con- tinued, what common wealthes hath moste vsed it, howe honeste a thynge it is for all men, what kynde of liuing so euer they folow, what pleasure and profit cometh of it, both in peace and warre, all maner of tongues & writers, Hebrue, Greke and Latine, hath so plentifullie spoken of it, as of fewe other thinges like. So what shooting is howe many kindes there is of it,
6 Toxophilus. A.
what goodnesse is ioyned with it, is tolde : onelye howe it is to be learned and brought to a perfectnesse amonges men, is not toulde. PHI. Than Toxopkile, if it be so as you do saye, let vs go forwarde and examin howe plentifullie this is done that you speke, and firste of the inuention of it, than what honestie & profit is in the vse of it, bothe for warre & peace, more than in other pastimes, laste of all howe it ought to be learned amonges men for the encrease of it, whiche thinge if you do, not onelye I nowe for youre comunication but many other mo, when they shall knowe of it, for your labour, & shotying it selfe also (if it coulde speke) for your kyndnesse, wyll can you very moche thanke. TOXOPH. What good thynges me speake of shoting & what good thinges shooting bringes to men as my wit & knowlege will serue me, gladly shall I say my mind. But how the thing is to be learned I will surely leue to some other which bothe for greater experience in it, & also for their lerninge, can set it out better than I. PHI. Well as for that I knowe both what you can do in shooting by ex- perience, & yl you ca also speke well ynough of shooting, for youre learning, but go on with the first part. And I do not doubt, but what my desyre, what your loue toward it, the honestie of shoting, the profite that may come therby to many other, shall get the seconde parte out of you at the last. C TOXOPH. Of the first finders out of shoting, diuers
men diuerslye doo wryte. Claudiane the poete inhistri™ sayth that nature gaue example of shotyng first,
by the Porpentine, whiche doth shote his prickes,
and will hitte any thinge that fightes with it : whereby
„.. , men learned afterwarde to immitate the same in
findyng out both bowe and shaftes. Plinie re-
ferreth it to Schythes the sonne of lupiter. Better and more
noble wryters bringe shoting from a more noble inuentour : as
Insympo. Plato, Calimachus, and Galene from Apollo.
In hym. Yet longe afore those dayes do we reade in the
Afolf' bible of shotinge expreslye. And also if we shall
beleue Nicholas de Lyra, Lamech killed Cain
Nic.delyra. with a snafte go this great continuaunce of
shoting doth not a lytle praise shotinge : nor that neither doth
not a litle set it oute, that it is referred to thinuention of
Apollo, for the which poynt shoting is highlye praised of
T'/ie schole of shoting. j
Galene : where he sayth, yl mean craftes be first foud out by men or beastes, as weauing by a spider, and Galen in ex- suche other : but high and comendable sciences by hor. ad bo- goddes, as shotinge and musicke by Apollo. And nas artes- thus shotynge for the necessitie of it vsed in Adams dayes, for the noblenesse of it referred to Apollo, hath not ben onelie comended in all tunges and writers, but also had in greate price, both in the best comune wealthes in warre tyme for the defece of their countrie, and of all degrees of men in peace tyme, bothe for the honestie that is ioyned with it, and the profyte that foloweth of it. PHILOL. Well, as concerning the fyndinge oute of it, litle prayse is gotten to shotinge therby, seinge good wittes maye mooste easelye of all fynde oute a trifelynge matter. But where as you saye that mooste com- mune wealthes haue vsed it in warre tyme, and all degrees of men maye verye honestlye vse it in peace tyme : I thynke you can neither shewe by authoritie, nor yet proue by reason. TOXOPHI. The vse of it in warre tyme, I wyll declare here- after. And firste howe all kindes and sortes of men (what degree soeuer they be) hath at all tymes afore, and nowe maye honestlye vse it : the example of mooste noble men verye well doeth proue. Cyaxares the kynge of the Medees, and greate graunde- father to Cyrus, kepte a sorte of Sythians with him onely for this purpose, to teache his sonne Astyages to shote. Cyr5 being a childe was brought vp in shoting, which thinge Xenophon wolde neuer
haue made mention on, except it had ben fitte ^en: m instlf r • i i Lyn. i.
for all princes to haue vsed : seing that
Xenopho wrote Cyrus lyfe (as Tullie sayth) not to shewe
what Cyrus did, but what all maner of princes
both in pastimes and ernest matters ought to do. ^ Quint.
Darius the first of that name, and king of Persie shewed plainly howe fit it is for a kinge to loue and vse shotynge, whiche commaunded this sentence to be grauen in his tombe, for a Princelie memorie and prayse.
Darius the King lieth buried here Strabo. 15.
That in shoting and riding had neuer pere.
Agayne, Domitian the Emperour was so cuning in shoting that he coulde shote betwixte a mans Tranq. suet.
8 Toxophilus. A.
fingers standing afarre of, and neuer hurt him. Comodus also was so excellent, and had so sure a hande in it, that there was nothing within his retche & shote, but he wolde hit it in what place he wolde : as beastes runninge, either in the heed, or in the herte, and neuer mysse, as Hero- diane sayeth he sawe him selfe, or els he coulde neuer haue beleued it. PHI. In dede you praise shoting very wel, in yl you shewe that Domitian and Commodus loue shotinge, suche an vngracious couple I am sure as a man shall not fynde agayne, if he raked all hell for them. TOXOPH. Wel euen as I wyll not commende their ilnesse, so ought not you to dispraise their goodnesse, and in dede, the Judgement of Herodian vpon Commodus is true of them bothe, and that was this : that beside strength of bodie and good shotinge, they hadde no princelie thing in them, which saying me thinke commendes shoting wonderfullie, callinge it a princelie thinge.
Furthermore howe commendable shotinge is for princes : Themistius the noble philosopher sheweth in a
certayne oration made to Theodosius themperoure, in ora. o. i_ • •_ j ^ i • • /• • •• •
wherein he doeth commende him for .111. thmges,
that he vsed of a childe. For shotinge, for rydinge of an horse well, and for feates of armes.
Moreouer, not onelye kinges and emperours haue ben brought vp in shoting, but also the best comune wealthes that euer were, haue made goodlie a&es & lawes for it, as the Persians which Herod I dio vn<^er Cyrus coquered in a maner all the worlde, had a lawe that their children shulde learne thre thinges onelie, from v. yeare oulde vnto .xx. to ryde an horse
Leo de stra WeUj tO sJl°te WeJ1' tO sPealce trutne alwayes & tag. 20.^ r' neuer lye. The Romaines (as Leo themperour in his boke of sleightes of warre telleth) had a lawe that euery man shoulde vse shoting in peace tyme, while he was .xl. yere olde and that euerye house shoulde haue a bowe, and .xl. shaftes ready for all nedes, the omittinge of whiche lawe (sayth Leo) amonges the youthe, hath ben the onely occasion why the Romaynes lost a great dele of their empire. But more of this I wil speake whe I come to the profite of shoting in warre. If I shuld rehearse the statutes made of noble princes of Englande in parliamentes for the settyng forwarde of shoting, through this realme, and specially that acte made for shoting
The schole of shoting. 9
the thyrde yere of the reygne of our moost drad soueraygne lorde king Henry the .viii. I could be very long. But these fewe exaples specially of so great men & noble comon wealthes, shall stand in stede of many. PHI. That suche princes and suche comune welthes haue moche regarded shoting, you haue well declared. But why shotinge ought so of it selfe to be regarded, you haue scarcelye yet proued. TOX. Examples I graunt out of histories do shew a thing to be so, not proue a thing why it shuld be so. Yet this I suppose, y1 neither great mens qualities being comedable be without great authoritie, for other men honestly to folow them : nor yet those great learned men that wrote suche thinges, lacke good reaso iustly at al tymes for any other to approue the. Princes beinge children oughte to be brought vp in shoting : both by- cause it is an exercise moost holsom, and also a pastyme moost honest : wherin labour prepareth the body to hardnesse, the minde to couragiousnesse, sufferyng neither the one to be marde with tenderhesse, nor yet the other to be hurte with ydlenesse : as we reade how Sardanapalus and suche other were, bycause they were not brought vp w1 outwarde honest payneful pastymes to be men : but cockerde vp with inwarde noughtie ydle wantonnesse to be women. For how fit labour is for al youth, lupiter or else Minos amonges them of Grece, and Lycurgus amonges the Lacedemonians, do shewe by their lawes, which neuer ordeyned any thing ^ *' Tus' for ye bringyng vp of youth that was not ioyned with labour. And the labour which is in shoting of al other is best, both bycause it encreaseth strength, and preserueth health moost, beinge not vehement, but moderate, not ouerlay- ing any one part with werysomnesse, but softly exercisynge euery parte with equalnesse, as the armes and breastes with drawinge, the other parties with going, being not so paynfull for the labour as pleasaunt for the pastyme, which exercise by the iudgement of the best physicions, is most alowable. By shoting also is the mynde honestly exercised where
a ma alwaies desireth to be best (which is a worde ' *' d,e
c . . . i i L san- fatnd-
of honestie) and that by the same waye, that
vertue it selfe doeth, couetinge to come nighest a moost perfite ende or meane standing betwixte .ii. extremes, eschewinge shorte, or gone, or eithersyde wide, for the which causes
i o Toxophilus. A.
Aristotle him selfe sayth that shoting and vertue be very like. Moreouer that shoting of all other is the moost
Anst. i. de honest pastyme, and hath leest occasion to morib. . . r J . , . . . .. ,.
noughtmesse loyned with it .11. thinges very
playnelye do proue, which be as a man wolde saye, the tutours and ouerseers to shotinge : Daye light and open place where euerye man doeth come, the maynteyners and kepers of shoting, from all vnhonest doing. If shotinge faulte at any tyme, it hydes it not, it lurkes not in corners and huddermother : but openly accuseth & bewrayeth it selfe, which is the nexte waye to amendement, as wyse men do saye. And these thinges I supgose be signes, not of noughtinesse, for any man to disalowe it : but rather verye playne tokens of honestie, for euerye man to prayse it.
The vse of shotinge also in greate mennes chyldren shall greatlye encrease the loue and vse of«hotinge in all the residue of youth. For meane mennes myndes loue to be lyke greate menne, as Plato and Isocrates do saye. And that euerye bodye shoulde learne to shote when they be yonge, defence of the comune wealth, doth require whe they be olde, which thing can not be done mightelye when they be men, excepte they learne it perfitelye when they be boyes. And therfore shotinge of all pastymes is moost fitte to be vsed in childhode: bycause it is an imitation of moost ernest thinges to be done in manhode.
Wherfore, shoting is fitte for great mens children, both bycause it strengthneth the body with holsome labour, and pleaseth the mynde with honest pastime and also encourageth all other youth ernestlye to folowe the same. And these reasons (as I suppose) stirred vp both great men to bring vp their chyldren in shotinge, and also noble commune wealthes so straytelye to commaunde shoting. Therfore seinge Princes moued by honest occasions, hath in al commune wealthes vsed shotynge, I suppose there is none other degree of men, neither D lowe nor hye, learned nor leude, yonge nor oulde. PHIL. You shal nede wade no further in this matter Toxophile, but if you can proue me that scholers and men gyuen to learning maye honestlie vse shoting, I wyll soone graut you that all other sortes of men maye not onelye lefullie, but ought of dutie to vse it. But I thinke you can not proue but that all
The schole of shoting. 1 1
these examples of shotinge brought from so longe a tyme, vsed of so noble princes, confirmed by so wyse mennes lawes and iudgementes, are sette afore temporall men, onelye to followe them: whereby they may the better and stroglyer defende the commune wealth withall. And nothing belongeth to scholers and learned men, which haue an other parte of the commune wealth, quiete and peaceable put to their cure and charge, whose ende as it is diuerse fro the other, so there is no one waye that leadeth to them both. TOXO. I graunte Philologe, that scholers and lay men haue diuerse offices and charges in the comune wealth, whiche requires diuerse briging vp in their youth, if they shal do them as they ought to do in their age. Yet as temporall men of necessitie are compelled to take some- what of learning to do their office the better withal : So scholers maye the boldlyer borowe somewhat of laye mennes pastimes, to maynteyne their health in studie withall. And surelie of al other thinges shoting is necessary for both sortes to learne. Whiche thing, when it hath ben euermore vsed in Englande how moche good it hath done, both oulde men and Chronicles doo tell : and also our enemies can beare vs recorde. For if it be true (as I haue hearde saye) when the kynge of Englande hath ben in Fraunce, the preestes at home bicause they were archers, haue ben able to ouerthrowe all Scotlande. Agayne ther is an other thing which aboue all other doeth moue me, not onely to loue shotinge, to prayse shoting, to exhorte all other to shotinge, but also to vse shoting my selfe : and that is our kyng his moost royall purpose and wyll, whiche in all his statutes generallye doth commaunde men, and with his owne mouthe moost gentlie doeth exhorte men, and by his greate gyftes and rewardes, greatly doth encourage men, and with his moost princelie example very oft doth prouoke all other me to the same. But here you wyll come in wl teporal man and scholer : I tell you plainlye, scholer or vnscholer, yea if I were .xx. scholers, I wolde thinke it were my dutie, bothe with exhortinge men to shote, and also with shoting my selfe to helpe to set forwarde that thing which the kinge his wisdome, and his counsell, so greatlye laboureth to go forwarde : whiche thinge surelye they do, bycause they knowe it to be in warre, the defence and wal of our countrie, in peace, an exercise moost holsome for the body, a pastime moost honest for the
1 2 Toxophilus. A.
mynde, and as I am able to proue my selfe, of al other moste fit and agreable with learninge and learned men.
PHI. If you can proue this thing so playnly, as you speake it ernestly, the wil I, not only thinke as you do, but become a shooter and do as you do. But yet beware I saye, lest you for the great loue you bear towarde shotinge, blindlie Judge of shootinge. For loue & al other to ernest affe&ions be not for nought paynted blinde. Take hede (I saye) least you prefer shootinge afore other pastimes, as one Balbinus through blinde affe&ion, preferred his louer before all other wemen, although she were deformed with a polypus in her nose. And although shooting maye be mete sometyme for some scholers, and so forthe: yet the fittest alwayes is to be preferred. Therefore if you will nedes graunt scholers pastime and recreation of their mindes, let them vse (as many of the doth) Musyke, and playing on instrumentes, thinges moste semely for all scholers, and moste regarded alwayes of Apollo & the Muses. TOX. Euen as I can not deny, but some musike is fit for lerning so I trust you can not chose but graunt, that shoting is fit also, as Calimach9 doth signifie in this verse.
Col. hym. i. Both merle songes and good shoting deliteth Appollo.
But as concerning whether of them is moste fit for learning, E and scholers to vse, you may saye what you will for your pleasure, this I am sure that Plato and Aristotle bothe, in their bookes entreatinge of the comon welthe, where they shew howe youthe shoulde be brought vp in .iiii. thinges, in redinge, in writing, in exercise of bodye, and singing, do make mention of Musicke & all kindes of it, wherein they both agre, that (Musike vsed amonges the Lydians is verie ill for yong men, which be studentes for vertue and learning, for a certain nice, softe, and smoth swetnesse of it, whiche woulde rather entice the to noughtines, than stirre them to honestie.
An other kinde of Musicke inuented by the Dorians, they both wonderfully prayse, alowing it to be verie fyt for the studie of vertue & learning, because of a manlye, rough and stoute sounde in it, whyche shulde encourage yong stomakes, to attempte manlye matters. Nowe whether these balades & roundes, these galiardes, pauanes and daunces, so nicelye fingered, so swetely tuned, be lyker the Musike of the Lydians or the
'The schole of shoting. 1 3
Dorians, you that be learned iudge. And what so euer ye Judge, this I am sure, yl lutes, harpes, all maner of pypes, barbitons, sambukes, with other instrumentes euery one, whyche standeth by fine and quicke fingeringe, be codemned of Aristotle, as not to be brought in & vsed amonge them, whiche studie for learning and vertue. )
Pallas when she had inuented a pipe, cast it away, not so muche sayeth Aristotle, because it deformed her face, but muche rather bycause suche an Instrumente belonged nothing to learnynge. Howe suche Instrumentes agree with learning, the goodlye agrement betwixt Apollo god of learninge, & Marsyas the Satyr, defender of pipinge, doth well declare, where Marsyas had his skine quite pulled ouer his head for his labour.
Muche musike marreth mennes maners, sayth Galen, although some man wil saye that it doth not so, but rather recreateth and maketh quycke a mannes mynde, yet me thinke by reason it doth as hony doth to a mannes stomacke, whiche at the first receyueth it well, but afterwarde it maketh it vnfit, to abyde any good stronge norishynge meate, orels anye holsome sharpe and quicke drinke. And euen so in a maner these Instrumentes make a mannes wit so softe and smoothe so tender and quaisie, that they be lesse able to brooke, stronge and tough studie. Wittes be not sharpened, but rather dulled, and made blunte, wyth suche sweete softenesse, euen as good edges be blonter, whiche menne whette vpon softe chalke stones.
And these thinges to be true, not onely Plato Aristotle & Galen, proue by authentic of reason, but also
Herodotus and other writers, shewe by playne Herodotus
... . r „ J r, / , m Clio.
and euident example, as that or Cyrus, whiche
after he had ouercome the Lydians, and taken their kinge Cresus prisoner, yet after by the meane of one Pactyas a verye headie manne amonges the Lydians, they rebelled agaynste Cyrus agayne, then Cyrus had by an by, broughte them to vtter destruction, yf Cresus being in good fauour with Cyrus had not hertelie desyred him, not to reuenge Pactyas faulte, in shedynge theyr blood. But if he would folowe his counsell, he myght brynge to passe, that they shoulde neuer more rebel
1 4 Toxophilus. A.
agaynst hym, And yl was this, to make them weare log kyrtils, to ye foot lyke woomen, and that euerye one of them shoulde haue a harpe or a lute, and learne to playe and sing whyche thinge if you do sayth Cresus (as he dyd in dede) you shall se them quickelye of men, made women. And thus lutinge and singinge take awaye a manlye stomake, whiche shulde enter & pearce depe and harde studye.
Euen suche an other storie doeth Nymphodorus an olde
greke Historiographer write, of one Sesostris kinge Nymphod. & „ i • • • u sli u
of Egypte, whiche stone because it is somewhat
longe, and very lyke in al poyntes to the other and also you do well ynoughe remembre it, seynge you read it so
Comment. j t - Sophoclis commentaries, I wyll nowe passe in Antig. / . . ' '. „. . r
ouer. I herefore eyther Aristotle and rlato knowe
not what was good and euyll for learninge and vertue, and the example of wyse histories be vainlie set afore vs or els the minstrelsie of lutes, pipes, harpes, and all other that standeth by suche nice, fine, minikin fingering (suche as the mooste parte of scholers whom I knowe vse, if they vse any) is farre more fitte for the womannishnesse of it to dwell in the courte among ladies, than for any great thing in it, whiche shoulde helpe good and sad studie, to abide in the vniuersitie amonges scholers. But perhaps you knowe some great goodnesse of suche musicke and suche instrumentes, whervnto Plato & Aristotle his brayne coulde neuer attayne, and therfore I will saye no more agaynst it. PHI. Well Toxophile is it not ynoughe for you to rayle vpon Musike, excepte you mocke me to ? but to say the truth I neuer thought my selfe these kindes of musicke fit for learninge, but that whyche I sayde was rather to proue you, than to defende the matter. But yet as I woulde haue this sorte of musicke decaye amonge scholers, euen so do I wysshe from the bottome of my heart, that the laudable custome of Englande to teache chyldren their plainesong and priksong, were not so decayed throughout all the realme as it is. Whiche thing howe profitable it was for all sortes of men, those knewe not so wel than whiche had it most, as they do nowe whiche lacke it moste. And therfore it is true that Teucer sayeth in Sophocles. «
Sophocles Seldome at all good thinges be Knowen how good to be
Before a man suche thinges do misse out of his handes.
The schole of shoting. 1 5
That milke is no fitter nor more naturall for the bringing vp of children than musike is, both Gallen proueth by authoritie, and dayly vse teacheth by experience. For euen the litle babes lacking the vse of reason, are scarse so well stilled in suckyng theyr mothers pap, as in hearynge theyr mother syng. Agayne how fit youth is made, by learning to sing, for grammar and other sciences, bothe we dayly do see, and Plutarch learnedly doth proue, and Plato wiselie did alowe, whiche receyued no scholer in to his schole, that had not learned his songe before. The godlie vse of praysing God, by singinge in the churche, nedeth not my prayse, seing it is so praysed through al the scripture, therfore nowe I wil speke nothing of it, rather than I shuld speke to litle of it.
Besyde al these commodities, truly .ii. degrees of mene, which haue the highest offices vnder the king in all this realme, shal greatly lacke the vse of Singinge, preachers and lawiers, bycause they shal not without this, be able to rule their brestes, for euery purpose. For where is no distinction in telling glad thinges and fearfull thinges, gentilnes & cruelnes, softenes and vehementnes, and suche lyke matters, there can be no great perswasion.
For the hearers, as Tullie sayeth, be muche affe&ioned, as he is that speaketh. At his wordes be they drawen, yf he stande still in one facion, their mindes stande still with hym : If he thundre, they quake : If he chyde, they feare : If he coplayne, they sory with hym : and finally, where a matter is spoken, with an apte voyce, for euerye affe&ion, the hearers for the moste parte, are moued as the speaker woulde. But when a man is alwaye in one tune, lyke an Humble bee, or els nowe vp in the top of the churche, nowe downe that no manne knoweth where to haue hym : or piping lyke a reede, or roring lyke a bull, as some lawyers do, whiche thinke they do best, when they crye lowdest, these shall neuer greatly mooue, as I haue knowen many wel learned, haue done, bicause theyr voyce was not stayed afore, with learnyng to synge. For all voyces, great and small, base & shril, weke or softe, may be holpen and brought to a good poynt, by learnyng to synge.
Whether this be true or not, they that stand mooste in nede, can tell best, whereof some I haue knowen, whiche, because they learned not to sing, whan they were boyes, were fayne to take peyne in it, wha they were men. If any man shulde heare me
1 6 T'oxophilus. A.
Toxophile, that woulde thinke I did but fondly, to suppose that a voice were so necessarie to be loked vpon, I would aske him if he thought not nature a foole, for makig such goodly instrumentes in a man, for wel vttring his woordes, or els if the .ii. noble orators Demosthenes & Cicero were not fooles, wherof the one dyd not onelie learne to sing of a man : But also was not ashamed to learne howe he shoulde vtter his soudes aptly of a dogge, the other setteth oute no poynte of rhetorike, so fullie in all his bookes, as howe a man shoulde order his voyce for all kynde of matters. Therfore seinge men by speaking, differ and be better than beastes, by speakyng wel, better than other men, and that singing is an helpe towarde the same as dayly experiece doth teache, example of wyseme doth alowe, authoritie of learned men doth approue wherwith the foundacion of youth in all good common wealthes alwayes hath bene tempered ; surelye if I were one of the parliament house, I woulde not fayle, to put vp a bill for the amendment of this thynge, but because I am lyke to be none this yeare, I wil speake no more of it, at this time. TOX. It were pitie truly Philologe, that the thinge shoulde be neglected, but I trust it is not as you say. PHI. The thing is to true, for of them that come daylye to ye vniuersitie, where one hath learned to singe, vi. hath not. But nowe to cure shotinge Toxophile agayne, wherin I suppose you can not say so muche for shotyng to be fitte for learninge, as you haue spoken agaynste Musicke for the same. Therfore as concerning Musike, I can be content to graunt you your mynde : But as for shooting, surely I suppose that you can not perswade me, by no meanes, that a man can be earnest in it, and earnest at his booke to : but rather I thynke that a man wl a bowe on his backe, and shaftes vnder hys girdell, is more fit to wayte vpon Robin Hoode, than vpon Apollo or the Muses. TOX. Ouer ernest shooting surely I will not ouer ernestlye defende, for I euer thought shooting shoulde be a wayter vpon lerning not a mastres ouer learning. Yet this I maruell not a litle at, that ye thinke a man with a bowe on hys backe is more like Robin Hoode seruaut, than Appllose, seing that Apollo him selfe in Alcestis of Euripides, whiche tragidie you red openly not long ago, in a maner glorieth saying this verse.
/f&«A I* l* my won* alwaies my bowe with me to beare
The schole of shoting. 1 7
Therfore a learned man ought not to much to be ashamed to beare that some tyme, whiche Apollo god of lerning him selfe was not ashamed always to beare. And bycause ye woulde haue a man wayt vpon the Muses, and not at all medle with shotyng I maruell that you do not remembre howe that the ix. muses their selfe as sone as they were borne, wer put to norse to a lady called Euphemis whiche had a son named Erotus with whome the nine Muses for his excellent shootinge, kepte euer more companie wlall, & vsed dayly to shoote togither in ye mount Pernasus : and at last it chauced this Erotus to dye, whose death the Muses lamented greatly, and fell all vpon theyr knees afore lupiter theyr father, and at theyr request, Erotus for shooting with the Muses in earth was made a signe, and called Sagittarius in heauen. Therfore you se, that if Apollo and the Muses either were examples in dede, or onelye fayned of wise men to be examples of learninge, honest shoting maye well ynough be companion with honest studie. PHI. Well Toxophile, if you haue no stronger defence of shotinge then Poetes, I feare yf your companions which loue shotinge, hearde you, they wolde thinke you made it but a triflyng and fabling matter, rather then any other man that loueth not shotinge coulde be persuaded by this reason to loue it. TOXO. Euen as I am not so fonde but I knowe that these be fables, so I am sure you be not so ignoraunt, but you knowe what suche noble wittes as the Poetes had, ment by such matters : which often- tymes vnder the couering of a fable, do hyde & wrappe in goodlie preceptes of philosophic, with the true Judgement of thinges. Whiche to be true speciallye in Homer and Euripides, Plato, Aristotle and Galene playnelye do shewe : when through all their workes (in a maner) they determine all cotrouersies, by these .ii. Poetes and suche lyke authorities. Therfore if in this matter I seme to fable, and nothynge proue, I am content you iudge so on me : seinge the same iudgement shal condemne with me Plato, Aristotle, and Galene, whom in that errour I am wel content to folowe. If these oulde examples proue nothing for shoting, what saye you to this ? that the best learned and sagest men in this Realme, whiche be nowe alyue, both loue shoting and vse shoting, as the best learned bisshoppes that be : amonges whome Philologe, you your selfe knowe .iiii. or .v. which as in all good learning, vertue and sagenesse they gyue
1 8 Toxophilus. A.
other men example what thing they shoulde do, euen so by their shoting, they playnely shewe what honest pastime, other me giue to learning, may honestly vse. That ernest studie must be recreated with honest pastime sufficientlye I haue proued afore, both by reason and authoritie of the best learned men that euer wrote. Then seing pastymes be lefull, the moost fittest for learning, is to be sought for. A pastyme, . saith Aristotle, must be lyke a medicine. Medi-
cines stande by contraries, therfore the nature of studying considered, the fittest pastyme shal soone appeare. In studie euery parte of the body is ydle, which thing causeth grosse and colde humours, to gather togyther & vexe scholers verye moche, the mynde is altogyther bent and set on worke. A pastyme then must be had where euery parte of the bodye must be laboured to separate and lessen suche humours withal : the mind must be vnbent, to gather & fetche againe his quicknesse withall. Thus pastymes for the mynde onelye, be nothing fit for studentes, bycause the body which is moost hurte by studie, shulde take away no profyte at all thereat. This knewe Erasmus verye well, when he was here in Cambrige : which when he had ben sore at his boke (as Garret our bookebynder hath verye ofte tolde me) for lacke of better exercise, wolde take his horse, and ryde about the markette hill, and come agayne. If a scholer shoulde vse bowles or tennies, the laboure is to vehe- ment and vnequall, whiche is codempned of Galene : the example very ill for other men, when by so manye actes they be made vnlawfull.
Running, leaping, and coyting be to vile for scholers, and so not fit by Aristotle his iudgement : walking alone into the felde, hath no token of courage in it, a pastyme jfcTT'i? ^ke a s'mP^e man wmch is neither flesh nor fisshe. Therfore if a man woulde haue a pastyme hole- some and equall for euerye parte of the bodye, pleasaunt and full of courage for the mynde, not vile and vnhoneste to gyue ill example to laye men, not kepte in gardynes and corners, not lurkynge on the nyght and in holes, but euermore in the face of men, either to rebuke it when it doeth ill, or els to testifye on it when it doth well : let him seke chefelye of all other for shotynge. PHILOL. Suche commune pastymes as men com- menlye do vse, I wyll not greatlye allowe to be fit for scholers :
The schole of shoting. 19
seinge they maye vse suche exercises verye well (I suppose) as Galene him selfe doth allowe. TOXOPH. Those exercises I remembre verye well, for I tuend. 2. read them within these two dayes, of the whiche, some be these : to runne vp and downe an hyll, to clyme vp a longe powle, or a rope, and there hange a while, to holde a man by his armes and waue with his heeles, moche lyke the pastyme that boyes vse in the churche whe their master is awaye, to swinge and totter in a belrope: to make a fiste, and stretche out bothe his armes, and so stande lyke a roode. To go on a man his tiptoes, stretching out thone of his armes forwarde, the other backewarde, which if he blered out his tunge also, myght be thought to daunce Anticke verye properlye. To tuble ouer and ouer, to toppe ouer tayle : To set backe to backe, and se who ca heaue an other his heles highest, with other moche like : whiche exercises surelye muste nedes be naturall, bycause they be so childisshe, and they may be also holesome for the body : but surely as for pleasure to the minde or honestie in the doinge of them, they be as lyke shotinge as Yorke is foule Sutton. Therfore to loke on al pastymes and exercises holsome for the bodye, pleasaunt for the mynde, comlye for euery man to do, honest for all other to loke on, profitable to be sette by of euerye man, worthie to be rebuked of no man, fit for al ages persos and places, onely shoting shal appeare, wherin all these commodities maye be founde.
PHIL. To graunt Toxophile, that studentes may at tymes conuenient vse shoting as moost holsome and honest pastyme : yet to do as some do, to shote hourly daylie, wekelye, and in a maner the hole yere, neither I can prayse, nor any wyse man wyl alowe, nor you your selfe can honestlye defende. TOXOPH. Surely Philologe, I am very glad to se you come to that poynte that moost lieth in your stomake, and greueth you and other so moche. But I truste after I haue sayd my mynde in this matter, you shal cofesse your selfe that you do rebuke this thing more tha ye nede, rather then you shal fynde that any man may spende by anye possibilittie, more tyme in shotinge then he ought. For first and formoost the hole tymc is deuyded into .ii. partes, the daye and the night : whereof the night maye be both occupyed in many honest businesses, and also spent in moche vnthriftinesse, but in no wise it can be
B 2
20 Toxophilus. A.
applyed to shoting. And here you se that halfe oure tyme, graunted to all other thinges in a maner both good and ill, is at one swappe quite taken awaye from shoting. Now let vs go forward, and se how moche of halfe this tyme of ours is spet in shoting. The hole yere is deuided into .iiii. partes, Spring tyme, Somer, faule of the leafe, and winter wherof the whole winter, for the roughnesse of it, is cleane taken away from shoting : except it be one day amonges .xx. or one yeare amonges .xl. In Somer, for the feruent heate, a man maye saye likewyse : except it be somtyme agaynst night. Now then spring tyme and faule of the leafe be those which we abuse in shoting. But if we consider how mutable & chaunge- able the wether is in those seasons, and howe that Aristotle him selfe sayth, that mooste parte of rayne fauleth in these two tymes : we shall well perceyue, that where a man wolde shote one daye, he shall be fayne to leaue of .iiii. Now when tyme it selfe grauteth vs but a litle space to shote in, lette vs se if shoting be not hindered amonges all kyndes of men as moche otherwayes. First, yong childre vse not, yong men for feare of them whom they be vnder to moche dare not : sage men for other greater businesses, wyll not : aged men for lacke of strengthe, can not : Ryche men for couetousnesse sake, care not : poore men for cost and charge, may not : masters for their housholde keping, hede not : seruautes kept in by their maisters very oft, shall not : craftes men for getting of their lyuing, verye moche leysure haue not : and many there be that oft beginnes, but for vnaptnesse proues not : and moost of all, whiche when they be shoters gyue it ouer and lyste not, so that generallye men euerye where for one or other consideration moche shoting vse not. Therfore these two thinges, straytenesse of tyme, and euery man his trade of liuing, are the causes that so fewe men shotes : as you maye se in this greate towne, where as there be a thousande good mens bodies, yet scarse .x. yl vseth any great shoting. And those whome you se shote the moost, with how many thinges are the[y] drawen, or rather driuen, fro shoting. For first, as it is many a yere or they begyn to be greate shoters, euen so the greate heate of shotinge is gone within a yere or two : as you knowe diuerse Philologe your selfe, which were sometyme the best shoters, and now they be the best studentes.
T'he schole of shoting. 2 1
If a man faule sycke, farewell shoting, maye fortune as long as he lyueth. If he haue a wrentche, or haue take colde in his arme, he may hang vp his bowe (I warraunt you) for one season. A litle blayne, a small cutte, yea a silie poore worme in his finger, may kepe him from shoting wel ynough. Breaking and ill luck in bowes I wyll passe ouer, with an hudred mo sere thinges, whiche chaunceth euerye daye to them that shote moost, wherof the leest of them may compell a man to leaue shoting. And these thinges be so trewe and euident, that it is impossible either for me craftelye to fayne them, or els for you iustly to deny the. Tha seing how many hundred thinges are required altogyther to giue a man leaue to shote, and any one of the denied, a ma can not shote : and seing euery one of them maye chaunce, and doth chaunce euery day, I meruayle anye wyse man wyll thynke it possible, that any greate tyme can be spent in shoting at all.
PHI. If this be true that you saye Toxophile, and F in very dede I can denye nothinge of it, I meruayle greatly how it chaunceth, that those, whiche vse shoting be so moche marked of men, and ofttymes blamed for it, and yl in a maner as moche as those which pleye at cardes and disc. And I shal tell you what I hearde spoken Ca^dd se of the same matter. A man no shoter, (not longe agoo) wolde defende playing at cardes & disc, if it were honestly vsed, to be as honest a pastime as youre shotinge : For he layed for him, that a man might pleye for a litle at cardes and dyse, and also a man might shote away all that euer he had. He sayd a payre of cardes cost not past .ii.d. and that they neded not so moche reparation as bowe and shaftes, they wolde neuer hurte a man his hande, nor neuer weare his gere. A man shulde neuer slee a man with shoting wyde at the cardes. In wete and drye, hote and coulde, they woulde neuer forsake a man, he shewed what great varietie there is in them for euerye mans capacitie : if one game were harde, he myght easelye learne an other : if a man haue a good game, there is greate pleasure in it : if he haue an ill game, the payne is shorte, for he maye soone gyue it ouer, and hope for a better : with many other mo reasons. But at the last he concluded, that betwixt playinge and shoting, well vsed or ill vsed, there was no difference : but that there was lesse coste and trouble, and a greate deale more pleasure in playing, then in shotynge.
22 Toxophttus. A.
TOX. I can not deny, but shoting (as all other good thinges) may be abused. And good thinges vngoodlye vsed, are not good, sayeth an honorable bishoppe in an ernester matter then this is : yet we muste beware that we laye not mennes faultes vpo the thing which is not worthie, for so nothing shulde be good. And as for shoting, it is blamed and marked of men for that thing (as I sayde before) which shoulde be rather a token of honestie to prayse it, then any signe of noughtinesse to disalowe it, and that is bycause it is in euerye man his sight, it seketh no corners, it hydeth it not : if there be neuer so litle fault in it, euerye man seeth it, it accuseth it selfe. For one houre spente in shoting is more sene and further talked of, then .xx. nightes spent in dysing, euen as a litle white stone is sene amonges .iii. hundred blacke. Of those that blame shotinge and shoters, I wyll saye nomore at this tyme but this, that beside that they stoppe and hinder shoting, which the kinges grace wolde haue forwarde, they be not moche vnlyke in this poynt to Wyll' Somer the king his foole, which smiteth him that standeth alwayes before his face, be he neuer so worshipfull a man, and neuer greatly lokes for him whiche lurkes behinde an other man his backe, that hurte him in dede.
But to him that compared gamning with shoting somewhat
wyll I answere, and bycause he went afore me in a coparison :
and comparisons sayth learned men, make playne matters: I
wyl surely folowe him in the same. Honest thynges (sayeth
Plato) be knowen from vnhonest thinges, by this
"* difference, vnhonestie hath euer present pleasure
in it, hauing neyther good pretence going before, nor yet any
profit folowing after ; which saying descrybeth generallye, bothe
the nature of shooting & gamning whiche is good, and which
is euyl, verie well.
Gamninge hath ioyned with it, a vayne presente pleasure, but there foloweth, losse of name, losse of goodes, and winning of an hundred gowtie, dropsy diseases, as euery man can tell. Shoting is a peynfull pastime, wherof foloweth health of body quiknes of witte, habilitie to defende cure countrye, as our enemies can beare recorde.
Loth I am to compare these thinges togyther, & yet I do it not bicause there is any comparison at al betwixte them, but therby a man shal se how good the one is, howe euil the other.
T'/ie schole of s hating. 23
For I thinke ther is scarse so muche contrariousnes, betwixte hotte and colde, vertue & vice, as is betwixte these .ii. thinges: For what so euer is in the one, the cleane contrarye is in the other, as shall playnlye appere, if we consider, bothe theyr beginnynges, theyr encreasynges, theyr fructes, and theyr endes, whiche I wyl soone rydde ouer.
C The fyrste brynger in to the worlde of shootynge, was Apollo, whiche for his wisdome, & great com- .
modities, brought amonges men by him, was estemed worthie, to be counted as a God in heauen. Disyng surely is a bastarde borne, because it is said to haue .ii. fathers, and yet bothe noughte : The one was an vngracious God, called Theuth^ which for his noughtines, came inPhedro neuer in other goddes companyes, and therfore Homer doth despise onse to name him, in all his workes. The other father was a Lydian borne, whiche people for suche gamnes, and other vnthriftines, as boowlyng and hauntyng of tauernes, haue bene euer had in most vile reputation, in all storyes and writers.
The Fosterer vp of shoting is Labour, ye companion of vertue, the maynteyner of honestie, the encreaser of health and welthinesse, whiche admytteth nothinge in a maner in to his companye, that standeth not, with vertue and honestie, and therefore sayeth the oulde poete Epicharmus very pretelye in Xenophon, that God selleth vertue, & all other good thinges to men for labour. The Nource of disc and cardes, is werisom Ydlenesse, enemy of vertue, ye drowner of youthe, that tarieth in it, and as Chauser doth saye verie well in the Parsons tale, the greene path waye to hel, hauinge this thing appropriat vnto it, that where as other vices haue some cloke of honestie, onely ydlenes can neyther do wel, nor yet thinke wel. Agayne, shooting hath two Tutours to looke vpon it, out of whose companie, shooting neuer stirreth, the one called Daye light, ye other Open place, whyche .ii. keepe shooting from euyl companye, and suffers it not to haue to much swinge, but euermore kepes it vnder awe, that it darre do nothyng in the open face of the worlde, but that which is good and honest. Lykewyse, dysinge and cardynge, haue .ii. Tutours, the one named Solitariousenes, whyche lurketh in holes and corners, the other called Night an
24 Toxophilus. A.
vngratiouse couer of noughtynesse, whyche two thynges be very Inkepers & receyuers of all noughtynesse and noughtye thinges, and therto they be in a maner, ordeyned by Nature. For on the nighte tyme & in corners, Spirites and theues, rattes and mise, toodes and oules, nyghtecrowes and poulcattes, foxes and foumerdes, with all other vermine, and noysome beastes, vse mooste styrringe, when in the daye lyght, and in open places whiche be ordeyned of God for honeste thynges, they darre not ones come, whiche thinge Euripides noted verye well, sayenge.
// thinges the night, good thinges the daye doth haunt & vse. Jphi. i Tau.
Companions of shoting, be prouidens, good heed giuing, true meatinge, honest comparison, whyche thinges agree with vertue very well. Cardinge and dysinge, haue a sorte of good felowes also, goynge commonly in theyr companye, as blynde Fortune, stumbling chaunce, spittle lucke, false dealyng, crafty conueyaunce, braynlesse brawlynge, false forswerynge, whiche good feloes wyll sone take a man by the sleue, and cause him take his Inne, some wl beggerye, some wyth goute & dropsie, some with thefte and robbery, & seldome they wyl leaue a man before he comme eyther to hangyng or els somme other extreme misery. To make an ende, howe shoting by al mennes lawes hath bene alowed, cardyng and dysing by al mennes iudgementes condemned, I nede not shewe the matter is so playne.
Therfore, whan the Lydians shall inuent better thinges than Apollo, when slothe and ydlenes shall encrease vertue more than labour, whan the nyghte and lurking corners, giueth lesse occasion to vnthriftinesse, than lyght daye and opennes, than shal shotynge and suche gamninge, be in sume comparison lyke. Yet euen as I do not shewe all the goodries, whiche is in shotynge, whan I proue it standeth by the same thinges that vertue it selfe standeth by, as brought in by God, or Godlyelyke men, fostered by labour, committed to the sauegarde of lyght and opennes, accompanied with prouision and diligens, loued and allowed by euery good mannes sentence, Euen lykewyse do I not open halfe the noughtines whiche is in cardyng & dising, whan I shewe howe they are borne of a desperate mother, norished in ydlenes, encresed by licence of nyght and corners,
The schole of shoting. 25
accompanied wyth Fortune, chaunce, deceyte, & craftines: condemned and banished, by all lawes & iudgementes.
For if I woulde enter, to descrybe the monstruousenes of it, I shoulde rather wander in it, it is so brode, than haue any readye passage to the ende of the matter : whose horriblenes is so large, that it passed the eloquence of oure Englyshe Homer, to compasse it : yet because I euer thought hys sayinges to haue as muche authoritie, as eyther Sophocles or Euripides in Greke, therfore gladly do I remembre these verses of hys.
Hasardry is Pery mother of ksinges, And of deceyte, and cursed sweringes, Blasphemie of Ch[r~\ist, manslaughter, and waste also, Of catel of tyme, of other thynges mo.
11 Mother of lesinges) trulye it maye well be called so, if a man consydre howe manye wayes, and how many thinges, he loseth thereby, for firste he loseth his goodes, he loseth his tyme, he loseth quycknes of wyt, and all good lust to other thinges, he loseth honest companye, he loseth his good name and estimation, and at laste, yf he leaue it not, loseth God, & heauen and all : and in stede of these thinges winneth at length, eyther hangyng or hell.
U And of deceyte) I trowe if I shoulde not lye, there is not halfe so muche crafte vsed in no one thinge in the worlde, as in this cursed thynge. What false disc vse they? as disc stopped with quicksiluer and heares, disc of a vauntage, flattes, gourdes to chop and chaunge whan they lyste, to lette the trew disc fall vnder the table, & so take vp the false, and if they be true disc, what shyfte wil they make to set ye one of them with slyding, with cogging, with foysting, with coytinge as they call it. Howe wyll they vse these shiftes, whan they get a playne man that can no skyll of them ? Howe will they go about, yf they perceyue an honest man haue money, which list not playe, to prouoke him to playe ? They wyl seke his company, they wil let hym paye nought, yea and as I hearde a man ones saye that he dyd, they wil send for hym to some house & spend perchaunce, a crown on him, and at last wyll one begin to saye : what my masters, what shall we do? shall euerye man playe his .xii. d. whyles an apple roste in the fyre, and than we wyll drinke & departe: Naye wyl an other saye, as false as he, you
26 T'oxophilus. A.
can not leaue whan you begyn, and therfore I wyll not playe: but yet yf you wyll gage, that euery man as he hath lost his .xii. d. shall sit downe, I am content, for surely I woulde winne no mannes money here, but euen as much as wolde paye for mye supper. Than speketh the thyrde, to the honest man that thought not to playe, what wylle you playe your .xii. pence if he excuse hym, tush man wyll the other saye, sticke not in honest company for xii. d. I wyll beare your halfe, and here is my mony.
Nowe al this is to make him to beginne, for they knowe if he be ones in, and be a looser, yl he wyl not sticke at his .xii. d. but hopeth euer to gette it agayne, whiles perhaps, he loose all. Than euery one of them setteth his shiftes abroche, some wl false disc, some wyth settynge of dyse, some with hauinge outelandishe syluer coynes guylded, to put away at a tyme for good gold. Than yf ther come a thing in controuersie, muste you be Judged by the table, and than farewell the honest man hys parte, for he is borne downe on euerye syde.
Nowe sir, besyde all these thinges they haue certayne termes, as a man woulde saye, appropriate to theyr playing : wherby they wyl drawe a mannes money, but paye none, whiche they cal barres, that surely he that knoweth them not, maye soone be debarred of all that euer he hath, afore he lerne them. Yf a playne man lose, as he shall do euer, or els it is a wonder, than the game is so deuilysh, that he can neuer leaue : For vayn hope (which hope sayth Euripides, destroyeth many
a man and Citie) dryueth hym on so farre, that In supph. ' J , . J iii 11
he can neuer retourne backe, vntyl he be so lyght,
that he nede feare no theues by the waye. Nowe if a simple man happen onse in his lyfe, to win of suche players, than will they eyther entreate him to kepe them company whyles he hath lost all agayne, or els they will vse the moste dyuellyshe fashion of all, For one of the players that standeth nexte him, shall haue a payre of false disc, and cast them out vpon the bourde, the honest man shall take them & cast them, as he did the other, the thirde shall espye them to be false disc, and shall crye oute, haroe, wyth all the othes vnder God, that he hath falselye wonne theyr moneye, and than there is nothynge but houlde thy throte from my dagger, than euery man layeth hande on the simple man, and taketh all theyr moneye from
'The schole of shoting. 27
him, and his owne also, thinking himselfe wel, that he scapeth with his lyfe.
Cursed swerying, blasphemie of Christe.} These halfe verses Chaucer in an other place, more at large doth well set out, and verye liuely expresse, sayinge.
Ey by goddes precious hert and his nayles
dnd by the blood of Christe, that is in
Seuen is my chaunce, and thine is sinke and treye,
Ey goddes armes, if thou falsly playe,
This dagger shall thorough thine herte go
This frute commeth of the becked boones twoo
Forsweringe^ Ire, falsnes and Homicide. &c.
Thoughe these verses be very ernestlie wrytten, yet they do not halfe so grisely sette out the horyblenes of blasphemy, which suche gamners vse, as it is in dede, and as I haue hearde my selfe. For no man can wryte a thing so earnestlye, as whan it is spoke wyth iesture, as learned men you knowe do saye. Howe will you thinke that suche furiousenes wyth woode countenaunces, and brenning eyes, with staringe and bragging, with heart redie to leape out of the belly for swelling, can be expressed ye tenth part, to the vttermost. Two men I herd my selfe, whose sayinges be far more grisely, than Chaucers verses. One, whan he had lost his moneye, sware me God, from top to toe with one breath, that he had lost al his money for lacke of sweringe : The other, losyng his money, and heaping othes vpon othes, one in a nothers necke, moost horrible & not spekeable, was rebuked of an honest man whiche stode, by for so doynge, he by and by starynge him in the face, and clappyng his fiste with all his moneye he had, vpon the boorde, sware me by the flesshe of God, that yf sweryng woulde helpe him but one ace, he woulde not leue one pece of god vnsworne, neyther wythin nor without. The remembrauce of this blasphemy Philologe, doth make me quake at the hart, & therefore I wyll speake no more of it.
And so to conclude wyth suche gamnying, I thynke there is no vngraciousenes in all thys worlde, that carieth so far from god, as thys faulte doth. And yf there were anye so desperate a persone, that woulde begynne his hell here in earth, I trowe he shoulde not fynde hell more lyke hell it selfe, then the lyfe
28 Toxophilus. A.
of those men is which dayly haunt and vse suche vngracious games. PHIL. You handle this gere in dede : And I suppose if ye had ben a prentice at suche games, you coulde not haue sayd more of them then you haue done, and by lyke you haue had somwhat to do with them. TOX. In dede, you may honestlye gather that I hate them greatly, in that I speake agaynst them : not that I haue vsed them greatlye, in that I speake of them. For thynges be knowen dyuerse wayes, as Socrates (you knowe) doeth proue in Alcibiades. And if euery man shulde be that, that he speaketh or wryteth vpo, then shulde Homer haue bene the best capitayne, moost cowarde, hardye, hasty, wyse and woode, sage and simple : And Terence an ouldeman & a yong, an honest man and a bawde : with suche lyke. Surelye euerye man ought to praye to God dayly, to kepe them fro suche unthriftynesse, and speciallye all the youth of Englande : for what youth doth begynne, a man wyll folowe comonlye, euen to his dyinge daye :
Euripides \vhiche thinge Adrastus in Euripides pretelye in supph. . }
doth expresse, saymge.
What thing a man in tender age hath most in vre That same to death alwayes to kepe he ska/ be sure Therfore in age who greatly longes good frute to mowe In youth he must him selfe aplye good seede to sowe.
For the foundation of youth well sette (as Plato doth saye) the whole bodye of the commune wealth shal floryshe therafter. If the yonge tree growe croked, when it is oulde, a man shal rather breake it tha streyght it. And I thinke there is no one thinge yl crokes youth more then suche vnlefull games. Nor let no ma say, if they be honestly vsed they do no harme. For how can that pastyme whiche neither exerciseth the bodye with any honest labour, nor yet the minde with any honest thinking, haue any honestie ioyned with it. Nor let noman assure hym selfe that he can vse it honestlye : for if he stande therein, he may fortune haue a faule, the thing is more slipperye then he knoweth of. A man maye (I graunt) syt on a brante hyll syde, but if he gyueneuer so lytle forwarde, he can not stoppe though he woulde neuer so fayne, but he must nedes runne heedling, he knoweth not how farre. What honest pretences, vayne pleasure layeth dayly (as it were entisemetes or baytes, to pull
The schole of shoting. 29
men forwarde withall) Homer doeth well shewe, by the Sirenes, and Circes. And amonges all in that shyp there was but one Vlysses, and yet he hadde done to as the other dyd, yf a goddesse had not taught hym : And so lykewyse I thinke, they be easye to numbre, whiche passe by playing honestlye, excepte the grace of God saue and kepe them. Therfore they that wyll not go to farre in playing, let them folowe this cousell of the Poete.
Stoppe the begynninges.
PHILOLO. Well, or you go any further, I pray you tell me this one thing : Doo ye speake agaynste meane mennes playinge onelye, or agaynste greate mennes playinge to, or put you anye difference betwixte them ? TOXOPHI. If I shulde excuse my selfe herein, and saye that I spake of the one, and not of the other, I feare leaste I shoulde as fondlye excuse my selfe, as a certayne preacher dyd, whome I hearde vpon a tyme speake agaynste manye abuses, (as he sayde) and at last he spake agaynst candelles, and then he fearynge, least some men woulde haue bene angrye and offended with him, naye sayeth he, you must take me as I meane : I speake not agaynst greate candelles, but agaynst lytle candels, for they be not all one (q>he) I promyse you : And so euerye man laughed him to scorne.
In dede as for greate men, and greate mennes matters, I lyst not greatlye to meddle. Yet this I woulde wysshe that all great men in Englande had red ouer diligentlye the Pardoners tale in Chaucer, and there they shoulde perceyue and se, howe moche suche games stande with theyr worshyppe, howe great soeuer they be. What great men do, be it good or yll, meane men communelye loue to followe, as many learned men in many places do saye, and daylye experience doth playnelye shewe, in costlye apparell and other lyke matters.
Therfore, seing that Lordes be lanternes to leade the lyfe of meane men, by their example, eyther to goodnesse or badnesse, to whether soeuer they liste : and seinge also they haue libertie to lyste what they will, I pray God they haue will to list that which is good, and as for their playing, I wyll make an ende with this saying of Chaucer.
Lordes might finde them other maner of pleye Honest ynough to driue the daye aivaye.
30 cToxophilus. A.
But to be shorte, the best medicine for all sortes of men both high and lowe, yonge and oulde, to put awaye suche vnlawfull games is by the contrarye, lykewyse as all physicions do alowe in physike. So let youthe in steade of suche vnlefull games, whiche stande by ydlenesse, by solitarinesse, and corners, by night and darkenesse, by fortune & chaunce, by crafte and subtiltie, vse suche pastimes as stand by labour : vpon the daye light, in open syght of men, hauynge suche an ende as is come to by coning, rather then by crafte : and so shulde vertue encrease, and vice decaye. For contrarye pastimes, must nedes worke contrary mindes in men, as all other contrary thinges doo.
And thus we se Philologe, that shoting is not onely the moost holesome exercise for the bodye, the moost honest pastime for the mynde, and that for all sortes of men : But also it is a moost redy medicine, to purge the hole realme of suche pestilent gamning, wherw1 many tymes it is sore troubled and ill at ease.
PHI. The more honestie you haue proued by shoting Toxophile, and the more you haue perswaded me to loue it, so moche truly the soryer haue you made me with this last sentence of yours, wherby you plainly proue that a man maye not greatly vse it. For if shoting be a medicine (as you saye that it is) it maye not be vsed very oft, lest a man shuld hurt him selfe with all, as medicines moche occupyed doo. For Aristotle him selfe sayeth, that medicines be no meate to lyue withall : and thus shoting by the same reason, maye not be moche occupyed. TOX. You playe your oulde wontes Philologe, in dalying with other mens wittes, not so moche to proue youre owne matter, as to proue what other me can say. But where you thinke that I take awaye moche vse of shoting, in lykening it to a medicine : bycause men vse not medicines euery daye, for so shoulde their bodyes be hurt : I rather proue daylye vse of shoting therby. For although Aristotle sayeth that some medicines be no meate to lyue withall, whiche is true : Yet Hippocrates sayth that our daylye meates be medicines, to withstande euyll withall, whiche is as true. For he maketh two kyndes of medicines, one our meate that we vse dailye, whiche purgeth softlye and slowlye, and in this similitude maye shoting be called a medicine,
T'he schole of shoting. 3 1
wherwith dayly a man maye purge and take away al vnlefull de- syres to other vnlefull pastymes, as I proued before. The other is a quicke purging medicine, and seldomer to be occupyed, excepte the matter be greater, and I coulde describe the nature of a quicke medicine, which shoulde within a whyle purge and plucke oute all the vnthriftie games in the Realme, through which the commune wealth oftentymes is sycke. For not onely good quicke wittes to learnyng be thereby brought out of frame, and quite marred : but also manlye wittes, either to attempt matters of high courage in warre tyme, or els to atcheue matters of weyght and wisdome in peace tyme, be made therby very quaisie and faynt. For loke throughoute all histories written in Greke, Latyne, or other language, and you shal neuer finde that realme prosper in the whiche suche ydle pastymes are vsed. As concerning the medicyne, although some wolde be miscontent, if they hearde me meddle anye thynge with it : Yet betwixte you and me here alone, I maye the boldlyer saye my fantasie, and the rather bycause I wyll onelye wysh for it, whiche standeth with honestie, not determyne of it which belongeth to authoritie. The medicine is this, that wolde to God and the kynge, all these vnthriftie ydle pastymes, whiche be very bugges, that the Psalme meaneth on, walking on the nyght and in corners, were made felonye, and some of that punyshment ordeyned for them, which is appoynted for the forgers and falsifyers of the kynges coyne. Which punishment is not by me now inuented, but longe agoo, by the mooste noble oratour Demosthenes : which meruayleth greatly that deathe is appoynted for falsifyers and forgers of the coyne, and not as greate punysh- mente ordeyned for them, whiche by theyr meanes forges and falsifyes the commune wealthe. And I suppose that there is no one thyng that chaungeth sooner the golden and syluer wyttes of men into copperye & brassye wayes then dising and suche vnlefull pastymes.
And this quicke medicine I beleue wolde so throwlye pourge them, that the daylye medicines, as shoting and other pastymes ioyned with honest labour shoulde easelyer withstande them. PHIL. The excellent commodityes of shotynge in peace tyme, Toxophile, you haue very wel and sufficiently declared. Wherby you haue so persuaded me, that God wyllyng hereafter I wyll
32 Toxophilus. A.
both loue it the better, and also vse it the ofter. For as moche as I can gather of all this communication of ours, the tunge, the nose, the handes and the feete be no fytter membres, or instrumentes for the body of a man, then is shotinge for the hole bodye of the realme. God hath made the partes of men which be best and moost neccessarye, to serue, not for one purpose onelye, but for manye : as the tungue for speaking and tasting, the nose for smelling, and also for auoyding of all excremetes, which faule oute of the heed, the handes for receyuynge of good thinges, and for puttyng of all harmefull thinges, from the bodye. So shotinge is an exercyse of healthe, a pastyme of honest pleasure, and suche one also that stoppeth or auoydeth all noysome games gathered and encreased by ill rule, as noughtye humours be, whiche hurte and corrupte sore that parte of the realme, wherin they do remayne.
But now if you can shewe but halfe so moche profyte in warre of shotynge, as you haue proued pleasure in peace, then wyll I surelye Judge that there be fewe thinges that haue so manifolde commodities, and vses ioyned vnto them as it hath. Q TOX. The vpperhande in warre, nexte the goodnesse of God (of whome al vidlorie commeth, as scripture sayth) standeth chefelye in thre thinges : in the wysedome of the
Prince, in the sleyghtes and pollicies of the
Mach. i. 3. j • L j L £ 11
capitaynes, and in the strength and cherefull
forwardnesse of the souldyers. A Prince in his herte must be full of mercy and peace, a vertue moost pleasaunt to Christ, moost agreable to mans nature, moost profy table for ryche and poore.
For tha the riche man enioyeth with great pleasure that which he hath : the poore may obtayne with his labour, that which he lacketh. And although there is nothing worse then war, wherof it taketh his name, through the which great men be in daunger, meane men without succoure, ryche men in feare, bycause they haue somwhat : poore men in care, bycause they haue nothing : And so euery man in thought and miserie : Yet it is a ciuill medicine, wherewith a prince maye from the bodye of his commune wealth, put of that daunger whiche maye faule: or elles recouer agayne, whatsoeuer it hath lost. And AdNico therfore as Isocrates doth saye, a prince must be a warriour in two thinges, in conninge and know-
The schole of shoting. 33
ledge of all sleyghtes and feates of warre, and in hauing al necessarye habilimentes belongyng to the same. Whiche matter to entreate at large, were ouerlonge at this tyme to declare, & ouermoche for my learning to perfourme.
After the wisdome of the prince, are valiaunt capitaynes moost necessary in warre, whose office and dutye is to knowe all sleightes and pollicies for all kyndes of warre, which they maye learne .ii. wayes, either in daylye folowing and haunting the warres or els bicause wisdome bought with strypes, is many tymes ouercostlye : they maye bestowe some tyme in Vegetius, which entreateth suche matters in Latin metelye well, or rather in Polyenus, and Leo the Emperour, which setteth out al pollicies and duties of capitaynes in the Greke tunge very excellentlye. But chefely I wolde wisshe and (if I were of authoritie) I wolde counsel al the yong gentlemen of this realme, neuer to lay out of theyr handes .ii. authors Xenophon in Greke, and Cesar in Latyn, where in they shulde folowe noble Scipio Africanus, as Tullie doeth saye: In whiche .ii. authours, besydes eloquence a thing moste necessary of all other, for a captayne, they shulde learne the hole course of warre, whiche those .ii. noble menne dyd not more wyselye wryte for other men to learne, than they dyd manfully excercise in the fyelde, for other men to folowe.
The strengthe of war lyeth in the souldier, whose chyefe prayse and vertue, ' is obedience towarde his
captayne, sayth Plato. And Xenophon being a nf ^ce'
\ / i • • i plat- kg- it-
gentyle authour, moste chnstianlye doeth saye, Xen ^
euen by these woordes, that that souldyer whiche firste serueth god, & than obeyeth hys captayne, maye boldelie with all courage, hope to ouerthrowe his enemy. Agayne, wlout obedience, neither valiant man, stout horse, nor goodly harnes doth any good at al. Which obedi- ence of ye souldier toward his captane, brought the hole empyre of ye worlde, into the Romanes hades, & whan it was brought, kepte it lenger, than euer it was kept in any comon welth before or after.
And this to be true, Scipio Africanus, the moste noble
captayne that euer was amonge the Romaynes,
', , , & , I. Plutarchus
shewed very playnly, what tyme as he went in to
Afryke, to destroye Cartage. For he restinge hys hooste by
34 Toxophilus. A.
the waye in Sicilie, a daye or twoo, and at a tyme standing with a great man of Sicilie, and looking on his souldiers howe they exercised them selues in kepyng of araye, and other feates, the gentleman of Sicilie asked Scipio, wherein laye hys chyefe hope to ouercome Cartage: He answered, in yonder feloes of myne, whom you se play: And why sayth the other, bycause sayeth Scipio, that if I comaunded them to runne in to the toppe of this high castel, and cast them selues doune backeward vpon these rockes, I am sure the[y] woulde do it.
Salust also doth write, yl there were mo Romanes put to
death of theyr captaynes for setting on theyr
enemyes before they had licence, than were for
running away out of the fyelde, before they had foughten.
These two examples do proue, that amonges the Romaynes,
the obedience of the souldyer was wonderfull great, and the
seueritie of the Captaynes, to se the same kepte wonderfull
strayte. For they wel perceyued that an hoste full of obedyence,
falleth as seldome into the handes of theyr enemies as that
bod ye fawleth into Jeoperdye, the whiche is ruled by reason.
Reason and Rulers beynge lyke in offyce, (for the one ruleth
the body of man, the other ruleth the bodye of the comon
wealthe) ought to be lyke of condicions, and oughte to be
obeyed in all maner of matters. Obedience is nourysshed by
feare and loue, Feare is kepte in by true Justice and equitie,
Loue is gotten by wisdome, ioyned wl liberalitie : For where
a souldyer seeth ryghteousenesse so rule, that a man can neyther
do wronge nor yet take wronge, and that his capitayne for his
wysedome, can mayntayne hym, & for his liberalitie will
mayntayne him, he must nedes both loue him & feare him,
of the whiche procedeth true & vnfayned obedience. After
this inwarde vertue, the nexte good poynt in a souldier, is to
haue and to handle his weapo wel, whereof the one must be at
the appoyntment of the captayne, the other lyeth in the courage
and exercise of the souldier : yet of al weapos the best is, as
In Here fit. Euripides doth say, wherw* with leest dauger of
our self we maye hurt our enemy e moost. And
that is (as I suppose) artillarie. Artillarie now a dayes is taken
for .ii. thinges : Gunnes & Bowes, which how moch they do in
war, both dayly experience doeth teache, and also Peter Nanius
a learned man of Louayn, in a certayne dialoge doth very well
T'he schole of shoting. 35
set out, wherin this is most notable, that when he hath shewed excedyng commodities of both, and some discomodities of gunnes, as infinite cost and charge, combersome carriage : and yf they be greate, the vncertayne leuelyng, the peryll of them that stand by them, the esyer auoydyng by them that stande far of: & yf they be lytle, the lesse both feare and ieoperdy is in them, besyde all contrary wether and wynde, whiche hyndereth them not a lytle : yet of all shotyng he can not reherse one discommoditie. PHI. That I meruayle greatly at, seing Nannius is so well learned, & so exercised in the authours of both the tuges : for I my selfe do remembre that shotying in war is but smally praysed, and that of diuers captaynes in dyuers authors. For first in Euripides (whom you so highly prayse) and very well, for Tullie thynketh euerye verse in him to be an authoritie, what I praye you, doth Lycus that ouer- came Thebes, say as concernyng shoting ? whose words as farre as I remembre, be these, or not muche vnlyke.
What prayse hath he at al, whiche neuer durst abide, The dint of a speares poynt thrust against bis side Nor neuer bouldlie buckeler bare yet in his lefte hande
Face to face his enemies bront stiffelie to wythstande, Eurip.m •n i i j i r 7 i • i Here, fur ent.
But a/way e trustetb to a bowe and to a jetbered sticke
Harnes euer most fit for him which to flie is quicke,
Bowe and shafte is Armoure metest for a cowarde
Which dare not ones abide the bronte of battel sharpe & horde.
But he a man of manhode most is by mine assent Which with harte and corage boulde, fullie hath him bent, His enemies looke in euery stoure floutelie to a bide, Face to face, and fote to fote, tide what maye be tide.
Agayne Teucer the best Archer amonges all the Grecians, in Sophocles is called of Menelaus, a boweman, &
a shooter as in villaynie and reproche, to be a ~£* *% i • /- •• A it T-» i e> Aia. nag.
thing of no price in warre. Moreouer randar
the best shooter in the worlde, whome Apollo hym selfe
taught to shoote, bothe he and his shotynge is
quyte contemned in Homer, in so much that
Homer (which vnder a made fable doth alwayes hyde hys
Judgement of thinges) doeth make Pandarus him selfe crye out
of shooting, and cast his bowe awaye, and take him to a speare,
C 2
3 6 T'oxophilus . A.
makynge a vowe that if euer he came home, he woulde breake his shaftes, & burne his bowe, lamentyng greatly, that he was so fonde to leaue at home his horse and charyot wyth other weapons, for the trust yt he had in his bowe. Homer signifieng therby, that men shoulde leue shoting out of warre, and take them to other wepons more fitte and able for the same, and I trowe Pandarus woordes be muche what after thys sorte.
/// chaunce ill lucke me hyther broughte III fortune me that daye befell, Whan first my bowe fro the pynne I roughte For Hettors sake, the Grekes to quell.
But yf that God so for me shap That home agayne I maye ones come, Let me neuer inioye that hap, Nor euer twyse looke on the sonne, If bowe and shaftes 1 do not burne Whyche nowe so euel doth serue my turne.
But to let passe al Poetes, what can be sorer said agaynst any thing, than the iudgement of Cyrus is agaynst shotynge,
whiche doth cause his Persians beyng the best Iwi 6* shooters to laye awaye theyr bowes and take them
to sweardes and buckelers, speares and dartes, and other lyke hande weapons. The which thing Xenophon so wyse a philosopher, so experte a captayne in warre hym selfe, woulde neuer haue written, and specially in that booke wherin he purposed to shewe, as Tullie sayeth in dede, not the true
historic, but the example of a perfite wise prince ^Fra *"* anc* cornon welthe, excepte that iudgement of
chaugyng Artillerie, in to other wepons, he had alwayes thought best to be folowed, in all warre. Whose
counsell the Parthians dyd folowe, whan they JJ/M/f«/ chased Antonie ouer the moutaines of Media,
whiche being the best shoters of the worlde, lefte theyr bowes, and toke them to speares and morispikes.
And these fewe examples I trowe, of the best shooters, do well proue that the best shotinge is not the best thinge as you call it in warre. TOX. As concernynge your first example, taken oute of Euripides, I maruayle you wyl bring it for ye
The schole of shoting. 37
disprayse of shotyng, seyng Euripides doth make those verses, not bicause he thinketh the true, but bicause he thinketh them fit for the person that spake them. For in dede his true Judge- ment of shoting, he doth expresse by & by after in the oratio of the noble captaine Amphytrio agaynste Lycus, wherein a man maye doubte, whether he hath more eloquentlye confuted Lycus sayenge, or more worthelye sette oute the prayse of shootynge. And as I am aduised, his woordes be muche hereafter as I shall saye.
Against the wittie gifte of shotinge in a bowe Fonde and leude woordes thou leudlie doest out throwe, Here fur Whiche, if thou wilte heare of me a woorde or twayne ^uicklie thou mayst learne howe fondlie thou doest blame,
Firste he that with his harneis him selfe doth wal about, That scarce is lefte one hole through which he may pepe out, Such bondmen to their harneis to fight are nothinge mete But sanest of al other are troden vnder fete. Tf he be strange, his felovves faynt, in whome he putteth his trust, So loded with his harneis must nedes lie in the dust, Nor yet fro death he can not starte, if ones his weapon breke, Howe stoute, howe strong, howe great, howe longe,
so euer be sue he a freke. But who so euer can handle a bowe
sturdie stiffe and strange Wherwith lyke hayle manie shaftes he shootes
into the thickest thronge : This profite he takes, that standing a far
his enemie he maye spill Whan he and his full safe shall stande
out of all daunger and ill. And this in War is wisedome moste, which
workes our enemies woo. Whan we shal be far from all feare
and ieoperdie of our foo.
Secondarily euen as I do not greatlye regarde what Menelaus doth say in Sophocles to Teucer, bycause he spake it bothe in anger, and also to hym that he hated, euen so doo I remembre very well in Homer, that when Hector and the Troians woulde
38 Toxophilus. A.
haue set fyre on the greke shippes, Teucer with his bowe made them recule backe agayne, when Menelaus tooke hym to his feete, and ranne awaye.
Thirdlye as concerning Pandarus, Homer doth not disprayse the noble gyfte of shotynge, but therby euery man is taught, that whatsoeuer, and how good soeuer a weapon a man doth vse in war, yf he be hym selfe a couetouse wretche, Horn. IK. 5. a fafe ^^0^ Counsell, a peacebreaker as Pan- darus was, at last he shall throughe the punishment of God fall into his enemyes handes, as Pandarus dydde, whome Diomedes throughe the helpe of Minerua miserablye slue.
And bycause you make mencion of Homer, & Troye matters, what can be more prayse for anye thynge, I praye you, than that is for shootyng, that Troye coulde neuer be destroyed without the helpe of Hercules shaftes, whiche thinge doeth signifie, that although al the worlde were gathered in an army togyther, yet without shotinge they can neuer come to theyr purpose, as Vlysses in Sophocles very plainlye doth saye vnto Pyrrhus, as concernyng Hercules shaftes to be caried vnto Troye.
Soph. phil. Nor you without them^ nor without you they do ought.
Fourthlye where as Cyrus dyd chaunge parte of his bowe-
men, wherof he had plentie, into other me of
^nsiif^tT warre, wherof he lacked, I will not greatlye
dispute whether Cyrus did well in that poynt in
those dayes or no, bycause it is not playne in Xenophon howe
strong shooters the Persians were, what bowes they had, what
shaftes and heades they occupyed, what kynde of warre theyr
enemies vsed.
But trulye as for the Parthians, it is playne, in Plutarche,
that in chaungyng theyr bowes in to speares, they
Anton ' brought theyr selfe into vtter destruction. For
when they had chased the Romaynes many a
myle, through reason of theyr bowes, at the last the Romaynes
ashamed of their fleing, and remembrynge theyr owlde noble-
nesse and courage, ymagined thys waye, that they woulde
kneele downe on theyr knees, and so couer all theyr body wyth
theyr shyldes and targattes, that the Parthians shaftes might
slyde ouer them, & do them no harme, whiche thing when the
The schole of shoting. 39
Partias perceyued, thinking that ye Romaynes were forweryed with laboure, watche, and hugre : they layed downe their bowes, and toke speres in their handes, and so ranne vpon them : but the Romaynes perceyuinge them without their bowes, rose vp manfully, and slewe them euery mother son, saue a fewe that saued them selues with runnyng awaye. And herein our archers of Englande far passe the Parthians, which for suche a purpose, whe they shall come to hande strokes, hath euer redy, eyther at his backe hangyng, or els in his next felowes hande a leade maule, or suche lyke weapon, to beate downe his enemy es .withall. PHI. Well Toxophile, seinge that those examples whiche I had thought to haue ben cleane agaynst shoting, you haue thus turned to the hygh prayse of shotinge : and all this prayse that you haue now sayd on it, is rather come in by me tha sought for of you : let me heare I praye you nowe, those examples whiche you haue marked of shotyng your selfe : whereby you are, and thinke to persuade other, yl shoting is so good in warre. TOX. Exaples surely I haue marked very many : fro the begynning of tyme had in memorie of wrytyng, throughout all comune wealthes, & Empires of the worlde : wherof the mooste part I wyll passe ouer, lest I shoulde be tediouse : yet some I wyll touche, bycause they be notable, bothe for me to tell and you to heare.
And bycause the storye of the lewes is for the tyme moost auncient, for the truthe mooste credible, it shalbe moost fitte to begynne with them. And although I knowe that God is the onely gyuer of vi&orie, and not the weapons, for all strength and vidtorie (sayth ludas Machabeus) cometh from „
heauen: Yet surely strong weapons be the instru- mentes wherwith god doth ouercome yl parte, which he wil haue ouerthrowen. For God is well pleased wyth wyse and wittie feates of warre : As in metinge of enemies, for truse takyng, to haue priuilye in a bushment harnest men layd for feare of treason, as ludas Machabeus dyd wyth ^M^ Nicanor Demetrius capitayne : And to haue engines of warre to beat downe cities with all : and to haue scoutwatche amoges our enemyes to knowe their counsayles,
as the noble captaine lonathas brother to ludas ., ,
,, i- i • i r * i • • Mach. i. 12.
Machabeus did in the countne or Amatnie against
the mighty hoste of Demetrius. And besyde al this, god
40 T'oxophilus . A.
is pleased to haue goodly tombes for them which do noble
feates in warre, and to haue their ymages made, and also their
cote Armours to be set aboue theyr tombes, to
ac^ i- 13- their perpetual laude and memorie: as the valiaunt
capitayne Symon, dyd cause to be made for his brethren ludas
Machabeus and lonathas, whe they were slayne of the Getiles.
And thus of what authoritie feates of warre, and strong
weapons be, shortly and playnelye we maye learne : But
amonges the lewes as I began to tell, I am sure there was
nothing so occupyed, or dydde so moche good as bowes dyd :
insomoche that when the lewes had any great vpperhande ouer
the Gentiles, the fyrste thinge alwayes that the captayne dyd,
was to exhort the people to gyue all the thankes to God for
the vi&orye, & not to theyr bowes, wherwith they
had slayne their enemyes : as it is playne that
the noble losue dyd after so many kynges thrust downe by hym.
God, when he promyseth helpe to the lewes, he vseth no
kynde of speakyng so moche as this, that he wyll bende his
bowe, and die his shaftes in the Gentiles blood :
whereby it is manifest, that eyther God wyll
make the lewes shoote stronge shotes to ouerthrowe their
enemies : or at leeste that shotinge is a woderful mightie thing
in warre, whervnto y6 hygh power of God is lykened. Dauid
in the Psalmes calleth bowes the vessels of death,
Psal. 7. 63. a bytter thinge, & in an other place a myghty
power, and other wayes mo, which I wyll let
passe, bycause euerye man readeth them day lye : But yet one
place of scripture I must nedes remembre, which is more
notable for y6 prayse of shoting, then any yl euer I red in any
other storie, and that is, when Saul was slayne of
y6 Philistians being mightie bowmen, and lonathas
his sonne with him, that was so good a shoter, as ye scripture
sayth, that he neuer Shot shafte in vayne, and yl the kyngdome
after Saules deathe came vnto Dauid : the first statute & lawe
that euer Dauid made after he was king, was this,
that al ye children of Israel shulde learne to shote,
according to a lawe made many a daye before y* tyme for the
setting out of shoting as it is written (sayeth Scripture) in libra
lustorum^ whiche booke we haue not nowe : And thus we se
plainelye what greate vse of shoting, and what prouision euen
The schole of shotlng. 41
from the begynnynge of the worlde for shotyng, was amonge the lewes.
The Ethiopians which inhabite the furthest part South in the worlde, were wonderfull bowmen : in somoche that when Cambyses king of Persie being in Egipt, sent certayne ambassadours into Ethiope to the kynge Thalia '" there, with many great gyftes : the king of Ethiop perceyuinge them to be espyes, toke them vp sharpely, and blamed Cambyses greatly for such vniust enterprises : but after that he had princely entertayned them, he sent for a bowe, and bente it and drewe it, and then vnbent it agayne, and sayde vnto the ambassadours, you shall comende me to Cam- byses, and gyue him this bowe fro me, and byd him when any Persian can shote in this bowe, let him set vpon the Ethiopians : In the meane whyle let hym gyue thankes vnto God, whiche doth not put in the Ethiopias mynde to coquere any other mans lande. This bowe, when it came amonge the Persians, neuer one man in suche an infinite host (as Herodotus doth saye) could styrre the stryng, saue onely Smerdis the brother of Cambyses, whiche styrred it two fingers, and no further : for the which a& Cambyses had suche enuy at him, that he afterward slewe him : as doth appeare in the storye.
Sesostris the moost mightie king that euer was in Egipt, ouer- came a great parte of the worlde, and that by archers : he subdued the Arabians, the lues, the Assyrians: he wet farther into Scythia then any man els : he ouercame Thracia, euen to the borders of Germanic. And in token how he ouercame al men he set vp in many places great ymages to his owne lykenesse, hauynge in the one hande a bowe, in the other a sharpe heeded Herod, in shafte : that men myght knowe, what weapon Euterpe. his hooste vsed, in conqueryng so manye people. Diod. Sic. i
Cyrus, counted as a god amonges the Gentyles, for his noblenesse and felicitie in warre : yet at the last when he set vpon the Massagetanes (which people neuer went without their bowe nor their quiuer, nether in warre nor peace) he and all his were slayne, and that by shotyng, as appeareth in the storye.
Polycrates the prince of Samos (a very little yle) was lorde ouer all the Greke sees, and withstode the power of the Persians, onely by the helpe of a thousande archers. "erod- ' <**
42 Toxophilus. A.
The people of Scythia, of all other men loued, and vsed moost shotyng, the hole rychesse and househoulde stuffe of a man in Scythia, was a yocke of oxen, a plough, his nagge and his dogge, his bowe and his quiuer : which quiuer was couered with the skynne of a man, which he toke or slewe fyrste in battayle. The Scythians to be inuincible by reason of their shotyng, the greate voyages of so manye noble conquerours spent in that countrie in vayne, doeth well proue : But specially that of Darius the myghtie kyng of Persie, which when he had taryed there a great space, and done no good, but had forweryed his hoste with trauayle and hunger : At last the men of Scythia sent an ambassadour with .iiii.
gyftes: a byrde> a fr°sge> a mouse> and -v-
shaftes. Darius meruaylyng at the straungenesse of the gyftes, asked the messenger what they signifyed : the messenger answered, that he had no further comaundement, but onely to delyuer his gyftes, and retourne agayne with all spede : but I am sure (sayeth he) you Persians for your great wysdome, can soone boult out what they meane. When the messenger was gone, euery man began to say his verdite. Darius Judgement was this, that ye Scythians gaue ouer into the Persians handes, their lyues, theyr hole power, both by lande and see, signify inge by the mouse the earthe, by the frogge the water, in which they both liue, by ye birde their lyues which lyue in the ayer, by the shaft their hole power and Empire, that was maynteyned alwayes by shotinge. Gobryas a noble and wyse captayne amonges the Persians, was of a cleane cotrary minde, saying, nay not so, but the Sythias meane thus by their gyftes, that except we get vs wynges, and flye into the ayer lyke birdes, or run into ye holes of the earth lyke myse, or els lye lurkyng in fennes & marisses lyke frogges, we shall neuer returne home agayne, before we be vtterly vndone with their shaftes : which sentence sanke so sore into their hertes, yl Darius with all spede possible, brake vp his campe, and gat hym Herod, fclio. selfe homewarde. Yet howe moche the Persians Xenoph. in them selues set by shotinge, wherby they en- cyrop. creased their empire so moche, doth appeare by
strab. ii. ajj. manifest reasons: firste that they brought vppe theyr youth in the schole of shoting, vnto .xx. yere of age, as dyuerse noble Greke authours do saye.
The schole of shoting. 43
Agayne, bycause the noble kyng Darius thought hym selfe to be praysed by nothyng so moch, as to be counted a good shoter, as doth appeare by his sepulchre, wherin he caused to be written this sentence :
Darius the King lieth buried here Strab. 15.
That in shoting and riding had neuer pere.
Thirdlye the coyne of the Persians, both golde & siluer had the Armes of Persie vpon it, as is customably vsed in other realmes, and that was bow and arowes : Plutarch, in by the which feate they declared, how moch they Agestla. set by them.
The Grecians also, but specially the noble Athenienses, had
all their strength lyinge in Artillarie : and for
L • • /- A u L t_- L. Suidas.
yl purpose the citie or Athes had a M. men which
were onely archers, in dayly wages, to watche and kepe the citie fro al ieoperdie & sodein dauger : which archers also shuld cary to priso & warde any misdoer at ye comaundemet of the hygh officers, as playnlye doth appeare in Plato. And surely the bowmen of Athens did woderful feates in many battels, but specially when Demosthenes the valiaut captayne slue and toke prisoners all the Lacedemonians besyde ye citie of Pylos, where Nestor somtyme was lord : the shaftes went so thicke that daye (sayth Thucydides) that no man could se theyr enemies. A Lacedemonian taken prisoner, was asked of one at Athens, whether they were stoute fellowes that were slayne or no, of the Lacedemonians : he answered nothing els but this : make moche of those shaftes of youres, for they knowe neyther stoute nor vnstoute : meanynge therby, that no man (though he were neuer so stout) came in their walke, that escaped without death.
Herodotus descrybing the mighty hoost of Xerxes especially doth marke out, what bowes and shaftes they vsed, signifying y1 therin lay their chefe stregth. And at the same tyme Attossa, mother of Xerxes, wyfe to Darius, and doughter of Cyrus, doeth enquire _ , _ _ (as Aeschylus sheweth in a Tragedie) of a cer- tayne messenger that came from Xerxes hoste, what stronge and fearfull bowes the Grecians vsed : wherby it is playne, that
44 T'oxophilus. A.
Artillarie was the thing, wherin both Europe and Asia at those dayes trusted moost vppon.
The best parte of Alexanders hoste were archers as playnelye doth appeare by Arianus, and other yl wrote his life : and those so stronge archers, that they onely, sundrye tymes ouercame
their enemies, afore any other neded to fyght : as
was sene in the battayl which Nearchus one of Alexanders capitaynes had besyde the ryuer of Thomeron. And therfore as concerning all these kyngdomes and comune wealthes, I maye coclude with this sentence of Plinie, whose
wordes be, as I suppose thus : If any man woulde PCai> If l6 remebre the Ethiopians, Egyptians, Arabians,
the men of Inde, of Scythia, so many people in ye east of the Sarmatianes, and all the kyngdomes of the Parthians, he shall well perceyue halfe the parte of the worlde, to lyue in subie&ion, ouercome by the myght and power of shotinge.
In the commune wealth of Rome, which exceded all other in vertue, noblenesse, and dominion litle metion is made of shoting, not bycause it was litle vsed amonges them, but rather bycause it was bothe so necessarye and comune, that it was thought a thing not necessarye or requyred of anye man to be spoken vpon, as if a man shoulde describe a greate feaste, he woulde not ones name bread, although it be mooste common and necessarye of all : but surely yf a feaste beynge neuer so great, lacked bread, or had fewsty and noughty bread, all the other daynties shulde be vnsauery, and litle regarded, and than woulde men talke of the commodity of bread, whan they lacke it, that would not ones name it afore, whan they had it : And euen so dyd the Romaynes as concernynge shootyng. Seldome is shootinge named, and yet it dyd the moste good in warre, as didde appere, verye playnlye in that battell, whiche Scipio Aphrican9 had with the Numantines in Spayne, whome he coulde neuer ouercome, before he sette bowemen amonges his horse men, by whose myght they were clean van- quished.
Agayne, Tiberius fyghtynge with Armenius and Ing-
uiomerus princis of Germanic, had one wing of Cor. Tac. 2 u i_ i c L c
archers on horseback, an other or archers on foot,
by whose might the Germanes were slayne downe ryghte, and
T'he schole of shoting. 45
so scattered and beate oute of the feelde, that the chase lasted .x. myles, the Germanes clame vp in to trees for feare, but the Romanes dyd fetche them downe with theyr shaftes as they had be birdes, in whyche battell the Romaynes lost fewe or none, as dothe appeare in the historic.
But as I began to saye, the Romaynes dyd not so muche prayse the goodnesse of shootinge, whan they had it, as they dyd lament the lacke of it, whan they wanted it, as Leo the .v. the noble Emperour doth playnly testifie in sundrie places in those bokes whiche he wrote in Greke, of the sleyghtes and pollicies of warre. PHIL. Surelie of that booke I haue not heard before, and howe came you to the syghte of it. TOX. The booke is rare trulie, but this laste yeare when master Cheke translated the sayd booke out of greke in to Latin, to ye kinges maiestie, he of his gentlenesse, wolde haue me very ofte in hys chaber, and for the familiaritie that I had wyth hym, more than manye other, woulde suffer me to reade of it, whan I woulde, the whiche thinge to do, surelye I was very desirous and glad, because of the excellent handelynge of all thynges, that euer he taketh in hande. And verily Phllologe^ as ofte as I remembre the departynge of that man from the vniuersitie, (whiche thinge I do not seldome) so ofte do 1 well perceyue our moste helpe and furtheraunce to learnynge, to haue gon awaye with him. For by ye great comoditie yl we toke in hearyng hym reade priuatly in his chambre, all Homer, Sophocles, and Euripides, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Isocrates and Plato, we feele the great discommoditie in not hearynge of hym, Aristotle & Demosthenes, whiche ii. authours with all diligence last of all he thought to haue redde vnto us. And when I consider howe manye men he succoured with his helpe, & hys ayde to abyde here for learninge, and howe all men were prouoked and styrred vp, by his councell and daylye example, howe they shulde come to learning, surely I perceyue that sentence of Plato to be true, which sayeth that there is nothyng better in any common wealthe, than that there shoulde be alwayes one or other, excellent passyng man, whose lyfe and vertue, shoulde plucke forwarde the will, diligence, laboure and hope of all other, that folowyng his footesteppes, they myght comme to the same ende, wherevnto labour, lerning & vertue, had coueied him before. The great hinderance of learning, in
46 Toxophilus. A.
lackinge thys man greatly I shulde lament, if this discomoditie of cures, were not ioyned with the comoditie & welth, of y6 hole realme, for which purpose, our noble king full of wysedome hath called vp this excellent man full of learnynge, to teache noble prince Edwarde, an office ful of hope, comforte & solace to al true hertes of England : For whome al England dayly doth praye, yl he passing his Tutour in learnyng & know- ledge, folowynge his father in wisedome & felicitie, accordyng to yl example which is set afore his eyes, may so set out and mayntayne goddes worde to the abolishment of al papistry, the confusion of al heresie, that therby he feared of his en- nemies, loued of al his subiedtes, maye bring to his own glory, immortal fame & memorie, to this realme, welthe, honour & felicitie, to true and vnfayned religion perpetuall peace, concorde and vnitie.
But to retourne to shootynge agayne, what Leo sayeth of shootynge amonges the Romaynes, hys woordes, be so muche for the prayse of shootynge, and the booke also so rare to be gotten,
that 1 learned the places by harte, whyche be as I Leo. 6. 5. T? ' • i • •
suppose, euen thus, ryrste in his sixte booke,
as concerning what harneys is best : Lette all the youth of Rome be compelled to vse shootyng, eyther more or lesse, & alwayes to bear theyr bowe & theyr quiuer aboute with them, untyll they be .xl. yeares oulde.
For sithens shootynge was necgle&ed and decayed among the Romaynes, many a battayle and fyelde hath been loste.
Agayne in the n. booke and . co. chapiter, (I call Leo. ii. 50. , b ', ji- i i_ i
that by bookes and chapiters, whyche the greke
booke deuideth by chapiters and paragraphes) Let your soul- dyers haue theyr weapons wel appoynted and trimmed, but aboue all other thynges regarde moste shootinge, and therfore lette men when there is no warre, vse shootynge at home : For the leauynge of, onely of shotynge, hath broughte in ruyne and decaye, the hole Empire of Rome. Afterwarde he commaund- eth agayne, hys capitayne by these wordes : Arme your hoste
as I haue appoynted you, but specially with bowe Leo. 1 8. ii. i i • T> i • i •
and arrowes plentie. ror shootynge is a thinge
of muche myghte and power in warre, and chyefely agaynst the Sarracenes and Turkes, whiche people hath all their hope of vi&orie in theyr bowe and shaftes : Besydes all this, in an other
The schole of shoting. 47
place, he wryteth thus to his Captayne : Artillerie is easie to be prepared, and in time of great nede, a thing moste profitable, therfore we straytlye commaunde you to make proclamation to al men vnder our dominion, which be eyther in war or peace, to all cities, borowes and townes, and fynally to all maner of men, that euerye scare persone haue eo' 20> 79' bowe and shaftes of his owne, & euerye house besyde this, to haue a standing bearyng bowe, and xl. shaftes for all nedes, and that they exercise them selues in holtes, hilles, and dales, playnes and wodes, for all maner of chaunces in warre.
Howe muche shooting was vsed among the olde Romanes and what meanes noble captaynes and Emperou[r]s made, to haue it encrease amonge them, and what hurte came by the decaye of it, these wordes, of Leo the emperour, which in a maner I haue rehersed woorde for woorde, playnly doth declare. And yet shotynge, although they set neuer so muche by it, was neuer so good than, as it is nowe in Englande, whiche thing to be true, is very probable, in that Leo doth saye, that he woulde haue his souldiers take of theyr arrowe heads, and one shote at an other, for theyr "' '' *
exercise, whiche playe yf Englyshe archers vsed, I thinke they shoulde fynde smal play and lesse pleasure in it at all.
The great vpperhande maynteyned alwayes in warre by artillery, doeth appeare verye playnlye by this reason also, that whan the spanyardes, franchmen, and germanes, grekes, macedonians, and egyptians, eche contry vsing one singuler weapon, for whyche they were greatelye feared in warre, as the Spanyarde Lancea, the Francheman Gesa, the German Framed^ the Grecian Machera^ the Macedonian Sarissa, yet coulde they not escape, but be subie&es to the Empire of Rome, whan the Parthians hauyng all theyr hope in artillerie, gaue no place to the, but ouercame the Romanes, ofter than the Romaynes them, and kepte battel with them, many an hundred yeare, and slue the ryche Crassus and hys son wyth piutarch t many a stoute Romayne more, with their bowes. M. Crass. &> They draue Marcus Antonius ouer the hylles of J M. Anto. Media & Armenia, to his great shame and reproch. Ael- Spart. They slue lulianus Apostata, and Antoninus Caracalla, they helde in perpetual pryson, ye most noble emperour Valerian in despite of all the Romaynes and many other princes, whiche
48 Toxophilus. A.
wrote for his delyueraunce, as Bel soils called kynge of kynges, Valerius kynge of Cadusia, Arthabesdes kyng of Armenia, and many other princes more, whom y« Parthians by reason of theyr artillerie, regarded neuer one whitte, and thus with the Romaynes, I maye conclude, that the borders of theyr empyre were not at the sunne rysinge and sunne settynge, as Tullye sayeth : but so farre they went, as artillarie woulde gyue them leaue. For I thinke all the grounde that they had, eyther northewarde, farther than the borders of Scythia, or Easte- warde, farther than the borders of Parthia, a man myght haue boughte wl a small deale of money, of whiche thynge surely shotyng was the cause.
From the same contrie of Scythia the Gothians Hunnes,
and Wandalians came wyth the same wepons of
artillarie, as Paulus Diaconus doth saye, & so
berafte Rome of her empyre wyth fyre, spoyle, & waste, so yl
in suche a learned citie was lefte scarce one man behynde, that
had learnynge or leysoure to leue in writinge to them whiche
shoulde come after howe so noble an Empyre, in so shorte a
whyle, by a rable of banyshed bondemen, wythoute all order
and pollicie, saue onelye theyr naturalle and daylye excercise in
artillarye, was broughte to suche thraldome and ruine.
After them the Turkes hauing an other name, but yet the same people, borne in Scythia, brought vp onely in artillarie, by the same weapon haue subdued and beraft from the Christen men all Asia and Aphrike (to speake vpon,) and the moost noble countries of Europe, to the greate diminishing of Christe his religion, to the great reproche of cowardyse of al christianitie, a manifest token of gods high wrath & displeasure ouer the synne of the worlde, but speciallye amonges Christen men, which be on slepe made drunke with the frutes of the flesh, as infidelitie, disobedience to Goddes worde, and heresie, grudge, euelwyll, stryfe, con- tention, and priuie enuye, coueytousnesse, oppression, vn- mercifulnesse, with innumerable sortes of vnspeakeable daylye bawdrye : which thinges surely, yf God holde not his holy hande ouer vs, and plucke vs from them, wyl bryng vs to a more Turkishnesse and more beastlye blynde barbarousnesse : as callyng ill thinges good, and good thynges ill, contemnyng of knowledge & learnynge, settynge at nought, and hauyng for
'The schole of shoting. 49
a fable, God and his high prouidence, wyll bring vs (I say) to a more vngracious Turkishnesse (if more Turkishnesse can be then this) tha if the Turkes had sworne, to bring al Turkye agaynst vs. For these frutes surelye must neades sprynge of suche seede, and suche effect nedes folowe of suche a cause : if reason, truthe, and God, be not altered, but as they are wont to be. For surely no Turkyshe power can ouerthrowe vs, if Turkysshe lyfe do not cast vs downe before.
If god were wyth vs, it buted not the turke to be agaynst vs, but our vnfaythful sinfull lyuyng, which is the Turkes moder, and hath brought hym vp hitherto, muste nedes turne
fod from vs, because syn and he hath no felowshyp togither. f we banished ill liuyng out of christendome, I am sure the Turke shulde not onelye, not ouercome vs, but scarce haue an hole to runne in to, in his own countrye.
But Christendome nowe I may tell you Philologe is muche lyke a man that hath an ytche on him, and lyeth droke also in his bed, and though a thefe come to the dore, and heaueth at it, to come in, and sleye hym, yet he lyeth in his bed, hauinge more pleasure to lye in a slumber and scratche him selfe wher it ytcheth euen to the harde bone, than he hath redynes to ryse up lustelye, & dryue him awaye that woulde robbe hym and sleye hym. But I truste Christe wyl so lyghten and lyfte vp Christen mennes eyes, that they shall not slepe to death, nor that the turke Christes open enemy, shall euer boste that he hath quyte ouerthrowen vs. But as I began to tell you, shootynge is the chefe thinge, wherewith God suffereth the turke to punysh our noughtie liuinge wyth all : The youthe there is brought vp in shotyng, his priuie garde for his own person, is bowmen, the might of theyr shootynge is wel knowen of the Spanyardes, whiche at the towne called Newecastell in Illirica, were quyte slayne vp, of the turkes arrowes : whan the Spanyardes had no vse of theyr gunnes, by reason of the rayne. And nowe last of all, the emperour his maiestie him selfe, at the Citie of Argier in Aphricke had his hooste sore handeled wyth the Turkes arrowes, when his gonnes were quite dispatched and stode him in no seruice, bycause of the raine that fell, where as in suche a chaunce of raine, yf he had had bowmen, surelye there shoote myghte peraduenture haue bene a litle
^o Toxophilus. A.
hindred, but quite dispatched and marde, it coulde neuer haue bene.
But as for the Turkes I am werie to talke of them partlye
because I hate them, and partlye bycause I am now affe&ioned
euen as it were a man that had bene longe wanderyng in
strauge contries & would fayne be at home to se howe well his
owne frendes prosper and leade theyr lyfe, and surely me
thincke I am verie merye at my harte to remember how I shal
finde at home in Englande amonges Englysh men, partlye
by hystories, of them that haue gone afore vs, agayne by
experience of the whych we knowe, & lyue with vs as
greate noble feates of warre doone by Artillarye, as euer was
done at any tyme in any other common welthe. And here I
must nedes remeber a certaine Frechman called
Textor, that writeth a boke whiche he nameth
Officina, wherin he weueth vp many brokenended matters
and settes out much rifrafte, pelfery, trumpery, baggage &
beggerie ware clamparde vp of one that would seme to be fitter
for a shop in dede than to write any boke. And amonges all
other yll packed vp matters, he thrustes vp in a hepe togyther
all the good shoters that euer hathe bene in the worlde as he
saythe hymselfe, and yet I trow Philologe that of all the
examples whiche I now by chauce haue rehersed out of the
best Authors both in greke and latin, Textor hath but .ii. of
them, which .ii. surely yf they were to reke agayne, I wold not
ones name the, partly bycause they were noughtie persons, and
shoting somoche the worse, bycause they loued it, as Domitian
and Commodus the emperours : partelye bycause Textor hath
them in his boke, on whom I loked on bychaunce in the
bookebynders shope, thynkynge of no suche matter. And one
thing I wyl say to you Philologe, that if I were disposed to do
it, and you hadde leysure to heare it, I coulde soone do as
Textor doth, and reken vp suche a rable of shoters that be
named here and there in poetes, as wolde holde vs talkyng
whyles tomorowe : but my purpose was not to make mention
of those which were feyned of Poetes for theyr pleasure, but of
suche as were proued in histories for a truthe : but why I
bringe in Textor was this : At laste when he hath rekened all
shoters that he can, he sayeth thus, Petrus
Crinitus wryteth, that the Scottes whiche dwell
The schole of shoting. 5 1
beyonde Englande be verye excellent shoters, and the best bowmen in warre. This sentence whether Crinitus wrote it more leudly of ignoraunce, or Textor confirmeth it more piuyshlye of enuye, may be called in question and doubte : but this surelye do I knowe very well that Textor hath both red in Gaguinus the Frenche hystorie, and also hath hearde his father or graundfather taulke (except perchauce he was borne and bred in a Cloyster) after that sort of the shotynge of Englisshe men, that Textor neded not to haue gone so piuishlye beyonde Englande for shoting, but myght very soone, cue in the first towne of Kent, haue founde suche plentie of shotinge, as is not in al the realme of Scotland agayne. The Scottes surely be good men of warre in theyr owne feate as can be : but as for shotinge, they neyther can vse it for any profyte, nor yet wil chalege it for any prayse, although master Textor of his getlenesse wold gyue it them. Textor neaded not to haue fylled vppe his booke with suche lyes, if he hadde read the storye of Scotlande, whiche loannes Maior doeth wryte : wherein he myghte haue learned, that oa when lames Stewart fyrst kyng of that name, at the Parliamet holden at Saynt lohnnes towne or Perthie, commaunded vnder payne of a greate forfyte, that euerye Scotte shoulde learne to shote : yet neyther the loue of theyr coutrie, the feare of their enemies, the auoydying of punishment, nor the receyuinge of anye profyte that myght come by it, coulde make them to be good Archers : whiche be vnapte and vnfytte therunto by Gods prouidence and nature.
Therfore the Scottes them selues proue Textor a Iyer, bothe with authoritie and also daily experience, and by a certayne Prouerbe that they haue amonges them in theyr comunication, wherby they gyue the whole prayse of shotynge honestlye to Englysshe men, saying thus : that euery Englysshe Archer beareth vnder hys gyrdle .xxiiii. Scottes.
But to lette Textor and the Scottes go : yet one thynge woulde I wysshe for the Scottes, and that is this, that seinge one God, one faythe, one com passe of the see, one lande and countrie, one tungue in speakynge, one maner and trade in lyuynge, lyke courage and stomake in war, lyke quicknesse of witte to learning, hath made Englande and Scotlande bothe one, they wolde suffre them no longer to be two : but cleane
D 2
5 2 T'oxophilus. A.
gyue ouer the Pope, which seketh none other thinge (as many a noble and wyse Scottish man doth knowe) but to fede vp dissention & parties betwixt them & vs, procuryng that thynge to be two, which God, nature, and reason, wold haue one.
Howe profytable suche an attonement were for Scotlande, / hn Ma ^oth I°nannes Maior, and Ector Boetius which ior. 6. hist. wrote the Scottes Chronicles do tell, & also all Scot. the gentlemen of Scotlande with the poore
comunaltie, do wel knowe : So that there is nothing that stoppeth this matter, saue onelye a fewe freers, and suche lyke, whiche with the dregges of our Englysh Papistrie lurkyng now amonges them, study nothing els but to brewe battell and stryfe betwixte both the people : Wherby onely they hope to maynetayne theyr Papisticall kyngdome, to the destruction of the noble blood of Scotlande, that then they maye with authoritie do that, whiche neither noble man nor poore man in Scotlande yet doeth knowe. And as for Scottishe men and Englishe men be not enemyes by nature, but by custome : not by our good wyll, but by theyr owne follye : whiche shoulde take more honour in being coupled to Englande, then we shulde take profite in being ioyned to Scotlande.
Wales being headye, and rebelling many yeares agaynst vs, laye wylde, vntylled, vnhabited, without lawe, Justice, ciuilitie and ordre : and then was amoges them more stealing tha true dealing, more suretie for them that studyed to be noughte, then quyetnesse for them that laboured to be good : when nowe thanked be God, and noble Englande, there is no countrie better inhabited, more ciuile, more diligent in honest craftes, to get bothe true and plentifull lyuynge withall. And this felicitie (my mynde gyueth me) within these few dayes shal chauce also to Scotlande, by the godly wysedome of oure mooste noble Prince kynge Henrye the .viii. by whome God hath wrought more wonderfull thynges then euer by any prince before : as banishing the byshop of Rome and herisie, bringyng to light god his worde and veritie, establishing suche Justice and equitie, through euery parte of this his realme, as neuer was sene afore.
To suche a Prince of suche a wysdome, God hath reserued this mooste noble attonement : wherby neither we shalbe any more troubled, nor the Scottes with their best
The schole of shoting, 53
countries any more destroyed, nor ye see, whiche God or- deyneth profitable for both, shall from eyther be any more stopped : to the great quietnesse, wealth & felicitie of all the people dwellynge in this lie, to the high renoume & prayse of our moost noble kyng, to the feare of all maner of nacions that owe ill wyll to either countrie, to the hygh pleasure of God, which as he is one, and hateth al diuision, so is he best of all pleased, to se thinges which be wyde and amysse, brought to peace and attonement. But Textor (I beshrowe him) hath almooste broughte vs from our comunicatio of shoting. Now sir by my Judgement, the Artillarie of England farre excedeth all other realmes : but yet one thing I doubt & longe haue surely in that point doubted, whe, or by whom, shotyng was first brought in to Englande, & for the same purpose as I was ones in companye wyth syr Thomas Eliot knight, which surelie for his lerning in all kynde of knowlege bringeth much worshyp to all the nobilite of Englande, I was so bould to aske hym, yf he at any tyme, had marked any thing, as cocernynge the bryngynge in of shootynge in to Englande : he aunswered me gentlye agayne, that he had a worcke in hand which he nameth, De rebus memorabilibus Angli^ which I trust we shal se in print shortlye, and for the accomplyshmente of that boke, he had read & perused ouer many olde monumetes of Englande, and in seking for that purpose, he marked this of shootynge in an excedyng olde cronicle, the which had no name, that what tyme as the Saxons came first into this realme in kyng Vortigers dayes, whe they had bene here a whyle and at last began to faull out with the Brittons, they troubled and subdewed the Brittons wyth nothynge so much, as with theyr bowe and shaftes, whiche wepon beynge straunge & not sene here before, was wonderfull terrible vnto them, and this beginninge I can thynke verie well to be true. But now as concerning many exaples for the prayse of English archers in warre, surely I wil not be long in a matter yl no ma doubteth in, & those few y* I wil name, shal either be proued by ye histories of our enemies, or els done by men that now Hue.
Kynge Edward the thirde at the battel of Cressie ageinst Philip ye Freche king as Gaguinus the frech Historiographer plainlye doeth tell, slewe that daye all the nobilite of Fraunce onlye wyth hys archers.
54 Toxophilus. A.
Such lyke battel also fought ye noble black prince Edward beside Poeters, where lohn ye french king wl hys sonne & in a maner al ye peres of Frauce were taken beside .xxx. M. which that daye were slayne, & verie few Englyshe men, by reason of theyr bowes.
Kynge Henrie the fifte a prince pereles and moste vy&ori- ouse conqueroure of all that euer dyed yet in this parte of the world, at the battel of Dagin court with .vii. M. fyghtynge men, and yet many of them sycke, beynge suche Archers as the Cronycle sayeth that mooste parte of them drewe a yarde, slewe all the Cheualrie of Fraunce to the nomber of .XL. M. and moo, and lost not paste .xxvi. Englysshe men.
The bloudye Ciuil warre of England betwixt the house of Yorke and Lancaster, where shaftes slewe of both sydes to the destruction of mannye a yoman of Englande, whome foreine battell coulde neuer haue subdewed bothe I wyll passe ouer for the pyttyefulnesse of it, and yet maye we hyghelye prayse GOD in the remembraunce of it, seynge he of hys prouydence hath so knytte to gether those .ii. noble houses, with so noble and pleasunte a flowre.
The excellent prince Thomas Hawarde nowe Duke of Northfolk, for whose good prosperite wl al his noble familie al English hertes dayly doth pray wl bowme of England slew kyng lamie wl many a noble Scot cue brat agest Flodo hil, in which battel ye stoute archers of Cheshire & Lanchasshire for one day bestowed to ye death for their price & coutry sake, hath gotten immortall name and prayse for euer.
The feare onely of Englysh Archers hathe done more wonderfull thinges than euer I redde in anye historye greke or latin, and moost wonderfull of all now of late beside Carlile betwixt Eske and Leuen at Sandy sikes, where the hoole nobilite of Scotlande for fere of the Archers of Englonde (next the stroke of God) as both Englysh men and Scotyshe men that were present hath toulde me were drowened and taken prisoners.
Nor that noble adte also, whyche althoughe it be almost lost by tyme, commeth not behynd in worthinesse, whyche my synguler good frende and Master Sir William Walgraue and Sir George Somerset dyd with a few Archers to ye number as it is sayd of .xvi. at the Turne pike besyde Hames where they
T'he schole of shoting. 5 5
turned with so fewe Archers, so many Frenchemen to flight, and turned so many oute of theyr lackes, whych turne turned all fraunce to shame & reproche and those .ii. noble Knightes to perpetuall prayse & fame.
And thus you se Philologe, in al contries Asia, Aphrike and Europe, in Inde, Aethiop, Aegypt & lurie, Parthia, Persia, Grece, and Italic, Schythia, Turky, and Englande, from the begynninge of the world euen to thys daye, that shotynge hath had the cheife stroke in warre. PHI. These examples surelye I apte for the prayse of shotynge, not feyned by poetes, but proued by trewe histories, distindl by tyme and order, hath delyted me excedyng muche, but yet me thynke that all thys prayse belongeth to stronge shootynge and drawynge of myghtye bowes not to prickyng and nere shotinge, for which cause you and many other bothe loue & vse shootyng. TOX. Euer more Philologe you wyl haue some ouertwhart reson to drawe forthe more communication wlall, but neuerthe- lesse you shall perceaue if you wyl, that vse of prickyng, and desyre of nere shootynge at home, are the onelye causes of stronge shootyng in warre, and why ? for you se, that the strongest men, do not drawe alwayes the strongest shoote, whiche thyng prouethe that drawinge stronge, liethe not so muche in the strength of man, as in the vse of shotyng. And experience teacheth the same in other thynges, for you shal se a weake smithe, whiche wyl wyth a lipe and turnyng of his arme, take vp a barre of yron, y* another man thrise as stronge, can not stirre. And a strong man not vsed to shote, hath his armes breste and shoulders, and other partes wherwith he shuld drawe stronglye, one hindering and stoppinge an other, euen as a dosen stronge horses not vsed to the carte, lettes & troubles one another. And so the more stronge man not vsed to shote, shootes moost vnhasumlye, but yet if a strong man with vse of shooting coulde applye all the partes of hys bodye togyther to theyr moost strengthe, than should he both drawe stronger than other, and also shoote better than other. But nowe a stronge man not vsed to shoote, at a girde, can heue vp & plucke in suder many a good bowe, as wild horses at a brunte doth race & pluck in peces many a stronge carte. And thus strong me, without vse, can do nothynge in shoting to any purpose, neither in warre nor peace, but if they happen to shoote, yet they haue
56 Toxophilus. A.
done within a shoote or two when a weake man that is vsed to shoote, shal serue for all tymes and purposes, and shall shoote .x. shaftes, agaynst the others .iiii. & drawe them vp to the poynte, euerye tyme, and shoote them to the mooste aduauntage, drawyng and withdrawing his shafte when he list, markynge at one man, yet let driuyng at an other man : whiche thynges in a set battayle, although a man, shal not alwayes vse, yet in bickerynges, and at ouerthwarte meatinges, when fewe archers be togyther, they do moste good of all.
Agayne he that is not vsed to shoote, shall euermore with vntowardnesse of houldynge his bowe, & nockynge his shafte, not lookyng to his stryng betyme, put his bowe alwayes in ieoperdy of breakynge, & than he were better to be at home, moreouer he shal shoote very fewe shaftes, and those full vnhandsumlye, some not halfe drawen, some to hygh and some to lowe, nor he can not driue a shoote at a tyme, nor stoppe a shoote at a neede, but oute muste it, and verye ofte to euel profe. PHI. And that is best I trow in war, to let it go, and not to stoppe it. TOX. No not so, but somtyme to houlde a shafte at the heade, whyche if they be but few archers, doth more good with the feare of it, than it shoulde do if it were shot, with the stroke of it. PHI. That is a wonder to me, yl the feare of a displeasure, shoulde do more harme than the displeasure it selfe. TOX. Yes, ye knowe that a man whiche fereth to be banyshed, out of hys cuntrye, can neyther be mery, eate, drynke nor sleape for feare, yet when he is banished in dede, he slepeth and eateth, as well as any other. And many menne doubtyng and fearyng whether they shoulde dye or no, euen for verye feare of deathe, preuenteth them selfe with a more bytter deathe then the other death shoulde haue bene in deade. And thus feare is euer worse than the thynge feared, Ciri ted as 's P^^'y6 proued, by the communication
of Cyrus and Tigranes, the kynges sunne of Armenie, in Xenophon.
PHI. I grante Toxophile, that vse of shotyng maketh a man drawe strong, to shoote at most aduauntage, to kepe his gere, whiche is no small thinge in war, but yet me thinke, that the customable shoting at home, speciallye at buttes and prickes, make nothynge at all for stronge shooting which doth moste good in war. Therfore I suppose yf men shulde vse to goo
The schole of shoring.
57
into the feyldes, and learne to shote myghty stronge shootes, and neuer care for any marke at al, they shulde do muche better. TOX. The trouthe is, that fashion muche vsed, woulde do muche good, but this is to be feared, least that waye coulde not prouoke men to vse muche shotyng, bycause ther shulde be lytle pleasure in it. And that in shoting is beste, yl prouoketh a man to vse shotinge moste : For muche vse maketh men shoote, bothe strong & well, whiche two thinges in shootinge, euery man doeth desyre. And the chyefe mayn- tayner of vse, in any thyng, is comparyson, and honeste contention. For whan a manne stryueth to be better than an other, he wyll gladly vse that thing, though it be neuer so paynful wherein he woulde excell, whiche thynge Aristotle verye pratelye doth note, sayenge.
Where is comparison, there is vidlorie : where is viclorie, there is pleasure : And where is pleasure, no man careth what labour or payne he taketh, bycause of the prayse, and pleasure, that he shal haue, in doynge better than other men.
Agayne, you knowe Hesiodus wryteth to hys brother Perses, yl al craftes men, by contending one honestly wl an other, do encrease theyr cunyng wl theyr substance. And therfore in London, and other great Cities, men of one crafte, moste commonly, dwelle togyther, bycause in honest stryuyng togyther, who shall do best, euery one maye waxe bothe cunninger and rycher, so lykewyse in shootynge, to make matches to assemble archers togyther, to contende who shall shoote best, and winne the game, encreaseth ye vse of shotynge wonderfully amonges men.
PHI. Of Vse you speake very much Toxophile but I am sure in al other matters, Vse can do nothing, wythoute two other thinges be ioyned wyth it, one is a natural Aptnesse to a thinge, the other is a true waye or Knowledge, howe to do the thing, to which ii. yf Vse be ioyned, as thirde felowe, of them thre, procedeth perfe&nesse and excellencie : If a manne lacke the first two, Aptnesse and Cunnyng, Vse can do lytle good, at all. For he yl woulde be an oratour and is nothinge naturallye fitte for it, that is to saye lacketh a good wytte and memorie, lacketh a good voyce, countenaunce and body, and other suche like, ye[t] yf he had all these thinges, and knewe
Aristo. rheto, ad Theod.
Hesio. i ope. et die.
58 Toxophilus. A.
not what, howe, where, when nor to whome he shulde speake, surelye the vse of spekynge, woulde brynge out none other frute but playne follye and bablyng, so yl Vse is the laste and the least neccessarye, of all thre, yet no thing can be done excellently without them al thre. And therfore Toxophile I my selfe bicause I neuer knewe, whether I was apte for shooting or no, nor neuer knewe waye, howe I shulde learne to shoote I haue not vsed to shoote : and so I thinke fiue hundred more in Englande do besyde me. And surely yf I knewe that I were apte, and yl you woulde teach me howe to shoote, I woulde become an archer, and the rather, bycause of the good communication, the whiche I haue had with you this daye, of shotyng. TOX. Aptnesse, Knowlege, and Vse, euen as you saye, make all thinges perfefte. Aptnesse is the fyrst and chyefest thinge, without whiche the other two do no good at all. Knowledge doeth encrease al maner of Aptnesse, bothe lesse and more. Vse sayth Cicero, is farre aboue all teachinge. And thus they all three muste be had, to do any thinge very well, and yf anye one be awaye, what so euer is done, is done verye meanly. Aptnesse is ye gyfte of nature, Knowlege, is gotten by y6 helpe of other : Vse lyeth in our owne diligence & labour. So that Aptnesse & vse be ours and wlin vs, through nature & labour : Knowledge not ours, but comynge by other : and therfore moost dilligently, of all men to be sought for. Howe these three thinges stande with the artillery of Englande, a woorde or twoo I will saye.
All Englishe men generally, be apte for shotyng, and howe ? Lyke as that grounde is plentifull and frutefull, whiche withoute anye tyllynge, bryngeth out corne, as for example, yf a man shoulde go to the myll or market with corne, and happen to spy] some in the waye, yet it wolde take roote and growe, bycause ye soyle is so good : so Englad may be thought very frutefull and apt to brynge oute shoters, where children euen from the cradell, loue it : and yong men without any teachyng so diligentlye vse it. Agayne, lykewyse as a good grounde, well tylled, and well husbanded, bringeth out great plentie of byg eared corne, and good to the faule : so if the youthe of Englande being apte of it selfe to shote, were taught and learned how to shote, the Archers of England shuld not be only a great deale raker, and mo then they be : but also a good deale
*The schole of s ho ting. 59
bygger and stronger Archers then they be. This comoditie shoulde folowe also yf the youth of Englande were taught to shote, that euen as plowing of a good grounde for wheate, doth not onely make it mete for the seede, but also riueth and plucketh vp by the rootes, all thistles, brambles and weedes, which growe of theyr owne accorde, to the destruction of bothe corne and grounde: Euen so shulde the teaching of youth to shote, not only make them shote well, but also plucke awaye by the rootes all other desyre to noughtye pastymes, as disynge, cardyng, and boouling, which without any teaching are vsed euery where, to the great harme of all youth of this realme. And lykewise as burnyng of thistles and diligent weding them oute of the corne, doth not halfe so moche ryd them, as whe ye ground is falloed and tilled for good grayne, as I haue hearde many a good husbandman say: euen so, neither hote punishment, nor yet diligent searching out of suche vnthriftinesse by the officers, shal so throwly wede these vngracious games out of the realme, as occupying and bringyng vp youth in shotynge, and other honest pastyme. Thirdly, as a grounde which is apt for corne and also wel tilled for corne : yet if a man let it lye stil and do not occupye it .iii. or .iiii. yeare: but then wyll sow it, if it be wheate (sayth Columella) it wil turne into rye : so if a man be neuer so apte to shote, nor neuer so wel taught in his youth to shote, yet if he giue it ouer, and not vse to shote, truly when he shalbe eyther copelled in war tyme for his countrye sake, or els prouoked at home for his pleasure sake, to faule to his bowe : he shal become of a fayre archer, a stark squyrter and dribber. Therefore in shotynge, as in all other thinges, there can neyther be many in number, nor excellent in dede : excepte these .iii. thynges, Aptnesse, Knowledge, and Vse goo togyther.
PHIL. Very well sayde Toxophile, and I promyse you, I agree to this iudgement of yours altogyther and therefore I can not a lytle maruayle, why Englysshe men brynge nomore helpe to shotynge, then nature it selfe gyueth them. For you se that euen children be put to theyr owne shiftes in shotyng, hauing nothynge taughte them : but that they maye chose, and chaunce to shoote ill, rather then well, vnaptlye soner then fitlye, vnto- wardlye, more easely then wel fauouredlye, whiche thynge causeth manye neuer begynne to shoote : and moo to leaue it
60 T'oxophllus. A.
of when they haue begone, and moost of all to shote both worse & weaker, then they might shote, if they were taught. But peraduenture some men wyll saye, that wyth vse of shootynge a man shall learne to shoote, true it is he shall learne, but what shal he learne ? marye to shoote noughtly. For all Vse, in all thynges, yf it be not stayed with Cunnyng, wyll verie easely brynge a man to do yl thynge, what so euer he goeth aboute with muche illfauorednes and deformitie.
Which thinge how much harme it doth in learning both Crassus excellencie dothe proue in Tullie, and I my selfe haue experiens in my lytle shootyng. And therfore Toxophile, you must nedes graunt me that ether Englishe men do il, in not ioynyng Knowlege of shooting to Vse, or els there is no knowlege or cuninge, which can be gathered of shooting. TOX. Learnyng to shoote is lytle regarded in England, for this consideration, bycause men be so apte by nature they haue a greate redy forwardnesse and wil to vse it, al though no man teache them, al thoughe no man byd them, & so of theyr owne corage they rune hedlynge on it, and shoote they ill, shote they well, greate hede they take not. And in verie dede Aptnesse wl Vse may do sumwhat without Know- lege, but not the tenthe parte, if so be they were ioyned with knowlege.
Whyche thre thynges be seperate as you se, not of theyr owne kynde, but through the negligence of me whyche coupleth them not to gyther. And where ye doubte whether there can be gadered any knowlege or arte in shootyng or no, surely I thynke that a ma being wel exercised in it and sumwhat honestly learned with all, myght soone with diligent obseruynge and markynge the hole nature of shootynge, find out as it were an Arte of it, as Artes in other matters haue bene founde oute afore, seynge that shootyng stadeth by those thinges, which maye both be thorowlye perceued, and perfitly knowen, and suche that neuer failes, but be euer certayne, belongynge to one moost perfect ende, as shootyng streight, and keping of a lenght bring a man to hit the marke, ye chefe end in shootyng: which two thynges a man may attaine vnto, by diligent vsynge, and well handlynge those instrumentes, which belong vnto them. Therfore 1 can not see, but there lieth hyd in the nature of Shootynge, an Arte, whiche by notynge, and obseruynge of
'The schole of shoring. 61
him, that is exercised in it, yf he be any thyng learned at al,
maye be taught, to the greate forderaunce of Artillarie through
out al this Realme. And trewlye I meruell gretelye, that
Englysshe men woulde neuer yet, seke for the Arte of shootynge,
seinge they be so apte vnto it, so praysed of there frendes, so
feared of there ennemyes for it. Vegetius woulde „
haue maysters appointed, whyche shoulde teache
youthe to shoote faire. Leo the Emperour of Rome, sheweth
the same custome, to haue bene alwayes amongest , ,
ye olde Romaynes : whych custome of teachyng
youth to shoote (saythe he) after it was omitted, and litle hede
taken of, brought the hole Empire of Rome, to grete Ruine.
Schola Persica, that is the Scole of the Persians,
appoynted to brynge vp youthe, whiles they were
.xx. yeres olde in shooting, is as notably knowne in Histories
as the Impire of ye Persians : whych schole, as doth apere in
Cornelius Tacitus, as sone as they gaue ouer and
fell to other idle pastimes, brought bothe them
and ye Parthians vnder ye subie&ion of the Romaines. Plato
would haue common maisters and stipendes, for
to teache youthe to shoote, & for the same purpose
he would haue a brode feylde nere euery Citie, made common
for men to vse shotyng in, whyche sayeng the more reasonably
it is spoken of Plato, the more vnresonable is theyr dede
whiche woulde ditche vp those feeldes priuatly for ther owne
profyt, whyche lyeth open generallye for the commo vse : men
by suche goodes be made rycher not honester sayeth Tullie.
Yf men can be perswaded to haue shootynge
taughte, this au<5thorite whyche foloweth will
perswade them, or els none, and that is as I haue ones sayde
before, of Kynge Dauyd, whose fyrste acle and ordinaunce was
after he was kynge that all ludea should learne to shoote. Yf
shotyng could speake, she would accuse England of vnkyndnesse
and slouthfulnesse, of vnkyndnesse toward her bycause she
beyng left to a lytle blynd vse, lackes her best maintener which
is cunnynge : of slouthfulnesse towarde theyr owne selfe, bycause
they are content wyth that whych aptnesse and vse doth graunt
them in shootynge, and wyl seke for no knowlege as other
noble comon welthes haue done : and the iustlier shootynge
myght make thys complaynt, seynge that of fence and weapons
62 'Toxophilus. A.
there is made an Arte, a thyng in no wyse to be compared to shootynge.
For of fence all mooste in euerye towne, there is not onely Masters to teache it, wyth his Prouostes Vsshers Scholers and other names of arte & Schole, but there hath not fayled also, whyche hathe diligently and well fauouredly written it and is set out in Printe that euery man maye rede it.
What discommoditie doeth comme by the lacke of know- lege, in shootynge, it were ouer longe to rehearce. For manye that haue bene apte, and loued shootynge, bycause they knewe not whyche way to houlde to comme to shootynge, haue cleane tourned them selues from shootynge.
And I maye telle you Philologe, the lacke of teachynge to
shoote in Englande, causeth very manye men, to playe with
the kynges Aftes, as a man dyd ones eyther with the Mayre of
London or Yorke I can not tel whether, whiche dyd commaund
by proclamation, euerye man in the Citie, to hange a lanterne
wyth a candell, afore his dore : whiche thynge the man dyd,
but he dyd not lyght it : And so many bye bowes bicause of
the afte, but yet they shote not : not of euyll wyll, but bycause
they knowe not howe to shoote. But to conclude of this
matter, in shoting as in all other thynges, Apte-
nesse is the fyrste, and chyefe thynge, whiche if it
be awaye, neyther Cunnynge or Vse, doeth anye good at all,
as the Scottes and Fraunce men, wyth knowledge and Vse
of shootynge, shall become good Archers, whan a cunynge
shypwright shall make a stronge shyppe, of a Salowe tree : or
whan a husbandman shall becom ryche, wyth sowyng wheat
on Newmarket heath. Cunnynge muste be had,
bothe to set out, & amende Nature, and also to
ouersee, and corre&e vse : which vse yf it be not led, & gouerned
wyth cunnyng, shall sooner go amisse, than strayght.
Vse maketh perfitnesse, in doinge that thynge, whervnto nature maketh a man apte, and knowlege maketh a man cunninge before. So y* it is not so doubtful, which of them three hath moost stroke in shoting as it is playne & euident, that all thre must be had, in excellent shootynge. PHI. For this communicacio Toxophile I am very glad, and y4 for myn owne sake bicause I trust now, to become a shoter, And in dede I thought a fore, English me most apte for shoting, and
The schole of shoting. 63
I sawe them dayelye vse shotyng, but yet I neuer founde none, that woulde talke of anye knowlege whereby a man might come to shotynge. Therfore I trust that you, by the vse you haue had in shoting, haue so thorowly marked and noted the nature of it, that you can teache me as it were by a trade or waye how to come to it. TOX. I graunte, I haue vsed shootinge meetly well, that I might haue marked it wel ynoughe, yf I had bene diligent. But my much shootynge, hath caused me studie litle, so that thereby I lacke learnynge, whych shulde set out the Arte or waye in any thynge. And you knowe that I was neuer so well sene, in the Posteriorums of Aristotle as to inuent and searche out general Demonstra- tions for the setting forth of any newe Science. Yet by my trothe yf you wyll, I wyll goe with you into the fealdes at any tyme and tel you as much as I can, or els you maye stande some tyme at the prickes and looke on the which shoote best and so learne. PHI. Howe lytle you haue looked of Aristotle, and how muche learnynge, you haue lost by shotynge I can not tell, but this I woulde saye and yf I loued you neuer so ill, that you haue bene occupyed in sumwhat els besyde shotynge. But to our purpose, as I wyll not requyre a trade in shotinge to be taught me after the sutteltye of Aristotle, euen so do I not agre with you in this poynt, that you wold haue me learne to shoote with lokyng on them which shoote best, for so I knowe I should neuer come to shote meanelye. For in shotyng as in all other thynges which be gotten by teachynge, there must be shewed a waye & a path which shal leade a man to ye best and cheiffest point whiche is in shootynge, whiche you do marke youre selfe well ynough, and vttered it also in youre communication, when you sayde there laye hyd in ye nature of shootyng a certayne waye whych wel perceyued and thorowlye knowen, woulde bring a ma wythout any wanderyng to ye beste ende in shotyng whych you called hitting of the pricke. Therfore I would refer all my shootinge to that ende which is best, and so shuld I come the soner to some meane. That whiche is best hath no faulte, nor can not be amended. So shew me beste shootynge, not the beste shoter, which yf he be neuer so good, yet hath he many a faulte easelye of any man to be espyed. And therfore meruell not yf I requyre to folowe that example whych is without faulte, rather than that which
64 Toxophilus. A.
hath so manye faultes. And thys waye euery wyse man doth folow in teachynge any maner of thynge. As Aristotle when he teacheth a man to be good he settes not before hym Socrates lyfe whyche was ye best man, but chiefe goodnesse it selfe accordynge to whych he would haue a man dire&e his lyfe. TOX. This waye which you requyre of me Philologe^ is to hard for me, and to hye for a shooter to taulke on, & take as I suppose out of the middes of Philosophic, to serche out the perfite ende of any thyng, y6 which perfite ende to fynde out,
sayth Tullie, is the hardest thynge in the worlde, Ora. ad Bru. , J , j u
the onely occasyon and cause, why so many sectes
of Philosophers hathe bene alwayse in learnynge. And althoughe as Cicero saith a man maye ymagine and dreame in his mynde of a perfite ende in any thynge, yet there is no experience nor vse of it, nor was neuer sene yet amonges men, as alwayes to heale the sycke, euer more to leade a shyppe without daunger, at al times to hit the prick : shall no Physicion, no shypmaster, no shoter euer do. And Aristotle saith that in all deades there are two pointes to be marked, possibilitie & excelecie, but chefely a wise ma must folow & laye hand on possibilitie for feare he lease bothe. Therfore seyng that which is moost perfect and best in shoot- yng as alwayes to hit ye pricke, was neuer sene nor hard tel on yet amoges men, but onelye ymagined and thought vpon in a man his mynde, me thinck this is the wisest cousel & best for vs to folow rather that which a man maye come to, than yl whyche is vnpossible to be attained to, leste iustely that sayeng of ye wyse mayde Ismene in Sophocles maye be verifyed on vs.
Soph. Anti. A foole be is that takes in hande he can not ende.
PHI. Well yf the perfite ende of other matters, had bene as perfitlye knowne, as the perfite ende of shotynge is, there had neuer bene so manye secies of Philosophers as there be, for in shoting both man & boye is in one opinion, that alwayes to hit the pryck is mooste perfe&e end that can be imagyned, so that we shal not nede gretly contend in this matter. But now sir, whereas you thynke y* a man in learning to shoote or any thyng els, shuld rather wyselye folow possibilitie, tha vainly seke for perfite excellencie, surelye I wyl proue yl euery wyse man, yl wisely wold learne any thyng, shal chiefly go aboute y1
The schole of s ho ting. 65
whervnto he knoweth wel he shal neuer come. And you youre selfe I suppose shal confesse ye same to be ye best way in teachyng, yf you wyl answere me to those thinges whych I wyl aske of you. TOX. And yl I wyl gladlye, both bycause I thynke it is vnpossible for you to proue it, & also bycause I desire to here what you ca saye in it. PHI. The studie of a good Physicio Toxophile, I trow be to know al diseases & al medicines fit for them. TOX. It is so in dede. PHI. Bicause I suppose he would gladly at al tymes heale al diseases of al men. TOX. Ye truely. PHI. A good purpose surely, but was ther euer physicio yet among so many whyche hath laboured in thys study, that at al times coulde heale all diseases? TOX. No trewly ; nor I thyncke neuer shalbe. PHI. Than Physicions by lyke, studie for yl, whiche none of them cometh vnto. But in learning of fence I pray you what is y1 which men moost labor for ? TOX. That they may hit a nother I trow & neuer take blow theyr selfe. PHI. You say trothe, & I am sure euery one of the would faine do so whe so euer he playethe. But was there euer any of the so conning yet, which at one tyme or other hath not be[n] touched ? TOX. The best of them all is glad somtyme to escape with a blowe. PHIL. Tha in fence also, men are taught to go aboute that thing, whiche the best of them all knowethe he shall neuer attayne vnto. Moreouer you that be shoters, I pray you, what meane you, whan ye take so greate heade, to kepe youre stand- ynge, to shoote compasse, to looke on your marke so diligently, to cast vp grasse diuerse tymes and other thinges more, you know better tha I. What would you do tha I pray you ? TOX. Hit ye marke yf we could. PHIL. And doth euery ma go about to hit the marke at euery shoote ? TOX. By my trothe I trow so, and as for my selfe I am sure I do. PHIL. But al men do not hit it at al tymes. TOX. No trewlye for that were a wonder. PHIL. Can any man hit it at all tymes? TOX. No man verilie. PHIL. Than by likely to hit the pricke alwayes, is vnpossible. For that is called vnpossible whych is in no man his power to do. TOX. Vnpossible in dede. PHIL. But to shoote wyde and far of the marke is a thynge possyble. TOX. No man wyll denie that. PHIL. But yet to hit the marke alwayse were an excellent thyng. TOX. Excellent surelie. PHIL, tha I am
66 T'oxophilus. A.
sure those be wiser men, which couete to shoote wyde than those whiche couete to hit the prycke. TOX. Why so 1 pray you. PHIL. Because to shote wyde is a thynge possyble, and therfore as you saye youre selfe, of euery wyse ma to be folowed. And as for hittinge ye prick, bycause it is vnpossible, it were a vaine thynge to go aboute it : but in good sadnesse Toxophile thus you se that a man might go throghe all craftes and sciences, and proue that anye man in his science coueteth that which he shal neuer gette. TOX. By my trouth (as you saye) I can not denye, but they do so : but why and wherfore they shulde do so, I can not learne. PHILO. I wyll tell you, euerye crafte and science standeth in two thynges : in Knowing of his crafte, & Working of his crafte : For perfyte knowlege bringeth a man to perfyte workyng This knowe Paynters, karuers, Taylours, shomakers, and all oth'er craftes men, to be true. Nowe, in euery crafte, there is a perfite excellencie, which may be better knowen in a mannes mynde, then folowed in a mannes dede : This perfytenesse, bycause it is generally layed as a brode wyde example afore al me, no one particuler man is able to compasse it : and as it is generall to al men, so it is perpetuall for al time whiche proueth it a thynge for man vnpossible : although not for the capacitie of our thinkyng whiche is heauenly, yet surelye for the habilitie of our workyng whyche is worldlye.
God gyueth not full perfytenesse to one man (sayth Tullie) lest if one man had all in any one science, ther shoulde be nothyng lefte for an other. Yet God suffereth vs to haue the perfyt knowledge of it, that such a knowledge dilligently folowed, might bring forth accordyng as a man doth labour, perfyte woorkyng. And who is he, that in learnynge to wryte, woulde forsake an excellent example, and folowe a worse ? Therfore seing perfytenesse it selfe is an example for vs, let euerye man studye howe he maye come nye it, which is a poynt of wysdome, not reason with God why he may not attaine vnto it, which is vayne curosite. TOX. Surely this is gaily said Philologe, but yet this one thinge I am afraide of, lest this perfitnesse which you speke on wil discourage men to take any thynge in hande, bycause afore they begin, they know, they shal neuer come to an ende. And thus dispayre shall dispatche, euen at the fyrste entrynge in, many a good
T'/ie schole of shoting. 67
man his purpose and intente. And I thinke both you your selfe, & al other men to, woulde counte it mere folie for a man to tell hym whome he teacheth, that he shal neuer optaine that, whyche he would fainest learne. And therfore this same hyghe and perfite waye of teachyng let vs leue it to hygher matters, and as for shootynge it shalbe content with a meaner waye well ynoughe. PHI. Where as you saye y* this hye perfitnesse will discorage me, bycause they knowe, they shall neuer attayne vnto it, I am sure cleane contrarie there is nothynge in the world shall incourage men more than it. And whye ? For where a man seith, that though a nother man be neuer so excellente, yet it is possible for hym selfe to be better, what payne or labour wyl that man refuse to take? yf the game be onse wonne, no ma wyl set forth hys foote to ronne. And thus perfitnesse beynge so hyghe a thynge that men maye looke at it, not come to it, and beynge so plentifull and indifferent to euerye bodye that the plentifulnesse of it maye prouoke all men to labor, bycause it hath ynoughe for all me, the indifferencye of it shall encourage euerye one to take more paine than hys fellowe, bycause euerye man is rewarded accordyng to his nye comyng, and yet whych is moste meruel of al, ye more men take of it, the more they leue behynd for other, as Socrates dyd in wysdome, and Cicero in eloquens, whereby other hath not lacked, but hathe fared a greate deele ye better. And thus perfitnesse it selfe bycause it is neuer obteyned, euen therfore only doth it cause so many men to be so well sene & perfite in many matters, as they be. But where as you thynke yl it were fondnesse to teache a man to shoote, in lokyng at the most perfitnesse in it, but rather woulde haue a manne go some other way to worke, I trust no wyse man wyl discomend that way, except he thincke himselfe wyser than Tullye, whiche doeth
playnlye save, that yf he teached any maner of
c ijj r>i_ ML ij i u De Orat. $.
crafte as he dyd Rhetonke he would labor to
bringe a man to the knowlege of the moost perfitnesse of it, whyche knowlege should euer more leade and gyde a manne to do that thynge well whiche he went aboute. Whych waye in al maner of learnyng to be best, Plato dothe also declare in Euthydemus, of whome Tullie learned it as he dyd many other thynges mo. And thus you se Toxophile by what reasons and by whose au thorite I do require of you this waye in teachynge
E 2
68 T'oxophilus. A.
me to shoote, which waye I praye you withoute any more delaye shew me as far forth as you haue noted and marked. TOX. You cal me to a thyng Philologe which I am lothe to do. And yet yf I do it not beinge but a smale matter as you thynke, you wyll lacke frendeshyp in me, yf I take it in hande and not bring it to passe as you woulde haue it, you myghte thyncke great wat of wysdome in me.
But aduyse you, seing ye wyll nedes haue it so, the blame shalbe yours, as well as myne : yours for puttynge vpon me so instauntlye, myne in receyuynge so fondly a greater burthen then I am able to beare. Therfore I, more wyllynge to fulfyll your mynde, than hopyng to accomplysh that which you loke for, shall speake of it, not as a master of shotynge, but as one not altogyther ignoraunt in shotynge. And one thynge I am glad of, the sunne drawinge downe so fast into the west, shall compell me to drawe a pace to the ende of our matter, so that his darkenesse shall somethyng cloke myne ignoraunce. And bycause you knowe the orderynge of a matter better then I : Aske me generallye of it, and I shall particularly answere to it. PHI. Very gladly Toxophile: for so by ordre, those thynges whiche I woulde knowe, you shal tell the bet- ter : and
those thynges
whiche you shall tell, I
shall remembre
the better.
TOXOPHI- LVS. B.
THE SECONDE BOOKE OF
the schole of shotyng.
PHILOL. What is the cheyfe poynte in shootynge, that euerye manne laboureth to come to ? TOX. To hyt the marke. PHI. Howe manye thynges are required to make a man euer more hyt the marke ? TOX. Twoo. PHI. Whiche twoo ? TOX. Shotinge streyght and kepynge of a lengthe. PHIL. Howe shoulde a manne shoote strayght, & howe shulde a man kepe a length ? TOX. In knowynge and hauynge thinges, belongynge to shootyng : and whan they be knowen and had, in well handlynge of them : whereof some belong to shotyng strayght, some to keping of a legth, some commonly to them bothe, as shall be tolde seuerally of them, in place conuenient. PHI. Thynges belongyng to shotyng, whyche be they ? TOX. All thinges be outwarde, and some be instrumentes for euery sere archer to brynge with him, proper for his owne vse : other thynges be generall to euery man, as the place and tyme serueth. PHI. which be instru- metes ? TOX. Bracer, shotynggloue, stryng, bowe & shafte. PHI. Whiche be general to all men ? TOX. The wether and the marke, yet the marke is euer vnder the rule of the wether. PHI. wherin standeth well handlynge of thynges ? TOX. All togyther wythin a man him selfe, some handlynge is proper to instrumentes, some to the wether, somme to the marke, some is within a man hym selfe. PHI. what handlyng is proper to the Instrumentes. TOX. Standynge, nockyng, drawyng, holdyng, lowsing, wherby cometh fayre shotynge, whiche neyther belong to wynde nor wether, nor yet to the marke, for in a rayne and at no marke, a man may shote a fayre shoote. PHI. well sayde, what handlynge belongeth to the
jo Toxophllus. B.
wether? TOX. Knowyng of his wynde, with hym, agaynst hym, syde wynd, ful syde wind, syde wynde quarter with him, syde wynde quarter agaynste hym, and so forthe. PHI. well than go to, what handlynge belongeth to the marke ? TOX. To marke his standyng, to shote compasse, to draw euermore lyke, to lowse euermore lyke, to consyder the nature of the pricke, in hylles & dales, in strayte planes and winding places, & also to espy his marke. PHI. Very well done. And what is onely within a man hym selfe ? TOX. Good heede gyuynge, and auoydynge all affe&ions : whiche thynges oftentymes do marre and make all. And these thynges spoken of me generally and brefely, yf they be wel knowen, had, and handled, shall brynge a man to suche shootynge, as fewe or none euer yet came vnto, but surely yf he misse in any one of the, he can neuer hyt the marke, and in the more he doth misse, the farther he shoteth from his marke. But as in all other matters the fyrst steppe or stay re to be good, is to know a mannes faulte, and than to amende it, and he that wyl not knowe his faulte, shall neuer amende it. PHI. You speake nowe Toxophile, euen as I wold haue you to speake : But lette vs returne agayne vnto our matter, and those thynges whyche you haue packed vp, in so shorte a roume, we wyll lowse the forthe, and take euery pyece as it were in our hande and looke more narowlye vpon it. TOX. I am content, but we wyll rydde them as fast as we can, bycause the sunne goeth so faste downe, and yet somewhat muste needes be sayde of euerye one of them. PHI. well sayde, and I trowe we beganne wyth those thynges whiche be instrumentes, whereof the fyrste, as I suppose, was Bracer ^ ^raser- TOX. Litle is to be sayd of the braser. A bracer serueth for two causes, one to saue his arme from the strype of the strynge, and his doublet from wearynge, and the other is, that the strynge glydynge sharpelye & quicklye of the bracer, maye make the sharper shoote. For if the strynge shoulde lyght vpon the bare sleue, the strengthe of the shoote shoulde stoppe and dye there. But it is best by my iudgemente, to gyue the bowe so muche bent, that the strynge neede neuer touche a mannes arme, and so shoulde a man nede no bracer as I knowe manye good Archers, whiche occupye none. In a bracer a man muste take hede of .iii. thinges, yl it haue no nayles in it, that it haue no bucles,
The schole of shoting. j I
that it be fast on with laces wythout agglettes. For the nayles wyll shere in sunder, a manes string, before he be ware, and so put his bowe in ieoperdy: Buckles and agglettes at vn wares, shall race hys bowe, a thinge bothe euyll to the syghte, & perilous for freatynge. And thus a Bracer, is onely had for this purpose, that the strynge maye haue redye passage. PHI. In my Bracer I am cunnyng ynough, but what saye you of the shootyng gloue.
TOX. A shootynge Gloue is chieflye, for to saue a mannes fyngers from hurtynge, that he maye be able to beare the sharpe stryng to the vttermost of his strengthe. And whan a man shooteth, the might of his shoote lyeth on the formooste fynger, and on the Ringman, for the myddle fynger whiche is the longest, lyke a lubber starteth backe, and beareth no weyght of the strynge in a maner at all, therfore the two other fyngers, muste haue thicker lether, and that muste haue thickest of all, where on a man lowseth moste, and for sure lowsyng, the formoste finger is moste apte, bycause it holdeth best, & for yl purpose nature hath as a man woulde saye, yocked it wl the thoumbe. Ledder, if it be nexte a mans skynne, wyl sweat, waxe hard and chafe, therefore scarlet for the softnes of it and thicknesse wyth all, is good to sewe wythin a manes gloue. If that wylle not serue, but yet youre finger hurteth, you muste take a searynge cloth made of fine virgin waxe, and Deres sewet, & put nexte your fynger, and so on wyth youre gloue. If yet you fele your fynger pinched, leaue shootyng both because than you shall shoote nought, & agayn by litle & lytle, hurtynge your finger, ye shall make it longe and longe to or you shoote agayne. A newe gloue pluckes many shootes bycause the stringe goeth not freelye of, and therefore the fingers muste be cut short, and trimmed with some ointment, that the string maye glyd wel awaye. Some with holdynge in the nocke of theyr shafte too harde, rub the skyn of there fingers. For this there be .ii. remedyes, one to haue a goose quyll splettyd and sewed againste the nockynge, betwixt the lining and the ledder, whyche shall helpe the shoote muche to, the other waye is to haue some roule of ledder sewed betwixt his fingers at the setting on of the fingers, which shall kepe his fingers so in sunder, that they shal not hold the nock so fast as they did. The shootyng gloue hath a purse whych shall serue
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to put fine linen cloth and wax in, twoo necessary thynges for a shooter, some men vse gloues or other suche lyke thyng on their bow had for chafyng, bycause they houlde so harde. But that commeth commonlye, when a bowe is not rounde, but somewhat square, fine waxe shall do verye well in such a case to laye where a man holdeth his bow : and thus muche as concernynge your gloue. And these thynges althoughe they be trifles, yet bycause you be but a yonge shoter, I woulde not leue them out. PHI. And so you shal do me moost pleasure : The string I trow be the next. TOX. The next in dede. A thing though it be lytle, yet not a litle to be regarded. But here in you muste be contente to put youre truste in honest stringers. And surely stringers ought more diligently to be looked vpon by the officers tha ether bower or fletcher, bycause they may deceyue a simple man the more easelyer. An ill stringe brekethe many a good bowe, nor no other thynge halfe so many. In warre if a string breke the man is loste and is no man, for his weapon is gone, and althoughe he haue two stringes put one at once, yet he shall haue small leasure & lesse roume to bend his bow, therfore god send vs good stringers both for war and peace. Now what a stringe ought to be made on, whether of good hempe as they do now a dayes, or of flaxe or of silke, I leue that to the
iugemente of stringers, of whome we muste bye Eustathius. t? u- u-
them on. Eustathius apon this verse or homere
Twag q the bow, & twag q the stringy out quicklle the shaft flue Iliad. 4.
doeth tel, that in oulde tyme they made theyr bowe strynges of bullox thermes, whiche they twyned togither as they do ropes, & therfore they made a great twange. Bowe strynges also hath bene made of the heare of an horse tayle called for the matter of them Hippias as dothe appeare in manye good authors of the . Greke tongue. Great stringes, and lytle strynges
be for diuerse purposes : the great string is more surer for the bowe, more stable to pricke wythal, but slower for the cast, the lytle stringe is cleane contrarye, not so sure, therfore to be taken hede of, leste with longe tarienge on, it breake your bowe, more fit to shoote farre, than apte to pricke nere, therfore when you knowe the nature of bothe bigge and
J OO
The schole of shoting. 73
lytle, you must fit your bow, according to the occasion of your shootinge. In stringinge of your bow (though this place belong rather to the hadlyng than to the thyng it selfe, yet bycause the thynge, and the handlynge of the thynge, be so ioyned together, I must nede some tyme couple the one wyth the other,) you must mark the fit length of youre bowe. For yf the stringe be to short, the bending wyll gyue, and at the last slyp and so put the bowe in ieopardye. Yf it be longe, the bendynge must nedes be in the smal of the string, which beynge sore twined muste nedes knap in sunder to ye distruction of manye good bowes. Moreouer you must looke that youre bowe be well nocked for fere the sharpnesse of the home shere a sunder the strynge And that chaunceth ofte when in bending, the string hath but one wap to strengthe it wyth all. You must marke also to set youre stringe streygte on, or elles the one ende shall wriethe contrary to the other, and so breke your bowe. When the stringe begynnethe neuer so lytle to were, trust it not, but a waye with it for it is an yll saued halpeny yl costes a man a crowne Thus you se howe many ieopardyes hangethe ouer the selye poore bowe, by reason onlye of the strynge. As when the stringe is shorte, when it is longe, whe eyther of the nockes be nought, when it hath but one wap, and when it taryethe ouer longe on. PHI. I se wel it is no meruell, though so many bowes be broken. TOX. Bowes be broken twise as many wayes besyde these. But a gayne in stringynge youre bowe, you must loke for muche bende or lytle bende for they be cleane contrarye.
The lytle bende hath but one commoditie, whyche is in shootyng faster and farther shoote, and ye cause therof is, bycause the strynge hath so far a passage, or it parte wyth the shafte. The greate bende hath many commodities : for it maketh easyer shootynge the bowe beyng halfe drawen afore. It needeth no bracer, for the strynge stoppeth before it come at the arme. It wyl not so sone hit a mannes sleue or other geare, by the same reason : It hurteth not the shaft fedder, as the lowe bende doeth. It suffereth a man better to espye his marke. Therfore lette youre bowe haue good byg bend, a shaftemente and .ii. fyngers at the least, for these which I haue spoken of. PHI. The braser, gloue, and strynge, be done, nowe you muste come to the
74 T'oxophilus. B.
bowe, the chefe instrument of all. TOX. Dyuers countryes and
tymes haue vsed alwayes dyuers bowes, and of dyuers fashions.
Home bowes are vsed in some places nowe, & were vsed also
in Homerus dayes, for Pandarus bowe, the best
shooter among al the Troianes, was made of two
Goete homes ioyned togyther, the lengthe wherof sayth Homer,
was .xvi handbredes, not far differing from the lengthe of our
bowes.
Scripture maketh mention of brasse bowes. Iron bowes,
and style bowes, haue bene of longe tyme, and
also nowe are vsed among the Turkes, but yet they
must nedes be vnprofitable. For yf brasse, yron or style, haue
theyr owne strength and pith in them, they be farre aboue
manes strength : yf they be made meete for mannes strengthe,
theyr pithe is nothyng worth to shoote any shoote wyth all.
The Ethiopians had bowes of palme tre, whiche seemed to
be very stronge, but we haue none experience of Hero, in *ol. , -ni_ i r i_ ••••
them. I he lengthe or them was .1111. cubites
The men of Inde had theyr bowes made of a rede, whiche was of a great strengthe. And no maruayle though bowe and shaftes were made therof, for the redes be so great in Inde, as
Herodotus sayth, that of euery ioynte of a rede, In Thalia. r , , ' ' ^, ,
a man may make a fyshers bote. 1 hese bowes,
sayeth Arrianus in Alexanders lyfe, gaue so great a stroke, that
, . . no harneys or buckler though it were neuer so Amanus. 8. J , , , . °r-^, , , c ,
strong, could wythstand it. 1 he length or suche
a bowe, was euen wyth the length of hym, that vsed it. The
Lycians vsed bowes made of a tree, called in In Polym. T J ~ r . .
Latyn Lornus, (as concernyng the name or it in
English, I can soner proue that other men call it false, than I can tell the right name of it my selfe) this wood is as harde as home and very fit for shaftes, as shall be toulde after.
Quid sheweth that Syringa the Nymphe, and one of the
maydens of Diana, had a bowe of this wood Metamor. i. , 3 , ,
wherby the poete meaneth, that it was verye
excellent to make bowes of
As for brasell, Elme, Wych, and Asshe, experience doth proue them to be but meane for bowes, and so to conclude Ewe of all other thynges, is that, wherof perfite shootyng woulde haue a bowe made.
T'/ie schole of shoring. 75
Thys woode as it is nowe general! and common amonges Englyshe men, so hath it continewed from longe tyme and had in moost price for bowes, amoges the Romaynes, as doth apere in this halfe verse of Vyrgill.
Taxi torquentur in arcus.
Virgilius.
i- r r Georg, i,
Lwe fit for a bowe to be made on.
Nowe as I saye, a bowe of Ewe must be hadde for perfedle shootinge at the prickes, whiche marke, bycause it is certayne, & moste certaihe rules may be gyuen of it, shall serue for our comunication, at this time. A good bowe is knowen, much what as good counsayle is knowen, by the ende and proofe of it, & yet bothe a bowe and good counsell, maye be made bothe better and worse, by well or yll handlynge of them : as often- tymes chauceth. And as a man both muste and wyll take counsell, of a wyse and honeste man, though he se not the ende of it, so must a shooter of necessitie, truste an honest and good bowyer for a bowe, afore he knowe the proofe of it. And as a wyse man wyll take plentye of counsel afore hand what soeuer need, so a shooter shulde haue alwayes .iii. or .iiii. bowes, in store, what so euer chaunce. PHI. But if I truste bowyers alwayes, sometyme I am lyke to be deceyued. TOX. There- fore shall I tell you some tokens in a bowe, that you shal be the seeldomer deceyued. If you come into a shoppe, and fynde a bowe that is small, long, heauy and strong, lyinge st[r]eyght, not windyng, not marred with knot gaule, wyndeshake, wem, freat or pynche, bye that bowe of my warrant. The beste colour of a bowe yl I fynde, is whan the backe and the bellye in woorkynge, be muche what after one maner, for such often- tymes in wearyng, do proue lyke virgin wax or golde, hauynge a fine longe grayne, euen from the one ende of the bowe, to the other : the short graine although suche proue well somtyme, are for ye most parte, very brittle. Of the makynge of the bowe, I wyll not greatly meddle, leste I shoulde seeme to enter into an other mannes occupation, whyche I can no skyll of. Yet I woulde desyre all bowyers to season theyr staues well, to woorke them and synke them well, to giue the heetes conuenient, and tyllerynges plentye. For thereby they shoulde bothe get them selues a good name, (And a good name encreseth a mannes
76 Toxophilus. B.
profyt muche) and also do greate comodite to the hole Realme. If any men do offend in this poynte, I am afrayde they be those iourny me whiche labour more spedily to make manye bowes for theyr owne monye sake, than they woorke dilligently to make good bowes, for the common welth sake, not layinge before theyr eyes, thys wyse prouerbe.
Sone ynough, ifwelynough.
Wherwyth euere honest handye craftes man shuld measure, as it were wyth a rule, his worke withal. He that is a iourney man, and rydeth vpon an other mannes horse, yf he ryde an honest pace, no manne wyll dysalowe hym : But yf he make Poste haste, bothe he that oweth the horse, and he peraduenture also that afterward e shal bye the horse, may chauce to curse hym.
Suche hastinesse I am afrayde, maye also be found amonges some of the, whych through out y6 Realme in diuerse places worke ye kinges Artillarie for war, thinkynge yf they get a bowe or a sheafe of arrowes to some fashion, they be good ynough for bearynge gere. And thus that weapon whiche is the chiefe defence of the Realme, verye ofte doth lytle seruyce to hym that shoulde vse it, bycause it is so negligentlye wrought of him that shuld make it, when trewlye I suppose that nether ye bowe can be to good and chefe woode, nor yet to well seasoned or truly made, wyth hetynges and tillerynges, nether that shafte to good wood or to thorowely wrought, with the best pinion fedders that can be gotten, wherwith a man shal serue his prince, defende his countrie, and saue hym selfe frome his enemye. And I trust no man wyll be angrye wyth me for spekynge thus, but those which nnde them selfe touched therin : which ought rather to be