The antiquities of Canterbury. Or a survey of that ancient citie, with the suburbs, and cathedrall Containing principally matters of antiquity in them all. Collected chiefly from old manuscripts, lieger-bookes, and other like records, for the most part, never as yet printed. With an appendix here annexed: wherein (for better satisfaction to the learned) the manuscripts, and records of chiefest consequence, are faithfully exhibited. All (for the honour of that ancient metropolis, and his good affection to antiquities) sought out and published by the industry, and goodwill of William Somner.

An Apologie for Archery, by M^r Iohn Bingham, in * 1.1 his Notes upon Aelians Tactiks, pag. 24. &c.

ARrowes] Archers have alwayes beene of speciall esteeme for the field, and preferred before the other kindes of light∣armed. Many nations have beene commended for their skill in shooting. Amongst the Grecians the Cretans were (of ancient time) sole Archers, a 1.2 as Pausanias witnesseth. Yet was not their service equall with the service of the Persians. For Xeno∣phon confesseth, that the Persian Bowe over-reached the Cretan a great way: and that the Rhodians with their sling out-threw the Cretan Bow. Of the Carduchans a people, through whose Countrey the Grecians passed at their returne out of Persia b 1.3 Xe∣nophon writeth thus: They carried no other armes, then Bowes and Slings. They were excellent Archers; and had Bowes well nigh three Cubits long; Arrowes more, then two Cubits. When they shot, they drew the string, applying their hand somewhat toward the neither end of the Bow, setting their left foote forward. With their Ar∣rowes they pierced both Targets, and Curates. The Gre∣cians putting thongs to the middest of their Arrowes sent them backat the enemy in steed of Darts. The same in effect is reported by c 1.4 Diodorus Siculus. Of the Parthian horsemen, Appian saith: When Crassus commanded the light-armed to disband, and goe to the charge, they went not farre, but meeting with many Arrowes, and being sore galled with them, they retired streight, and hid themselves amongst the armed, and gave beginning of disorder, and feare, re∣presenting to the sight of the rest, the force, and violence of the shot, that rent all armes, they fell upon, and made way aswell thorough bodies, that had the best, as the worst furniture defensive: giving mighty and violent strokes from stiffe and great Bowes, and forcing out the Arrow boysterously with the compasse, and bent of the Bow. d 1.5 Plutatch hath the very words, that are in Appian. The Indians

also were good Archers, albeit not much praised by Q. Curtius, e 1.6 He saith: their Arrowes were two Cubits long, which they deliver out of their Bowes, with more labour, then effect: for as much as the Arrow whose whole efficacy is in lightnesse, becometh altogether unwieldy by reason of the weight. And yet he telleth, that Alexander, at the assault of the principall City of the Mallians, was stroake thorough his Curace into the side beneath the Pappes with an Indian Arrow: with whom f 1.7 Plutarch and Diod. Siculus accord. g 1.8 Arrian addeth the wound was so deepe, that his breath was seene to issue out together with his bloud. The Gothes and other people of the North, that invaded the Romane Empire, had their chiefe victories against the Romanes by the helpe of Bowes, and Arrowes. h 1.9 Vegetius (before alleadged) speaketh it plainely: So our Souldiers, saith he, unarmed both bodies and heads, encountring with the Gothes, were oftentimes wholly defeated, and slaine, with the multitude of their Arrowes. I may not pretermit the praise of our Nation in this skill. Our owne stories testifie, that the great battailes, we gained against the French, were gained by the joynt-shooting of our Archers principally. And that the English have heretofore excelled in Archery and shooting, is cleare by the testimony even of Strangers. i 1.10 Cicuta (whom I named before) commending the use of Bowes, as necessary for the service of the field (and that long after Guns were invented) preferreth the English before all other, and setteth him downe, as a patterne for other to follow. And k 1.11 Patritius, disputing of the violence of Arrowes, doubteth not to affirme, that an English Arrow with a little waxe put upon the point of the head, will passe through any ordinary Co••slet or Curace. Howsoever the credit of Bowes is lost, at this present, with many great Soul∣diers, yet have they of ancient time been highly prised. l 1.12 Vege∣tius saith; how great advantage good Archers bring in fight, both Cato in his Bookes of military discipline doth shew evidently, and Claudius, by augmenting the number of Archers, and teaching of them the use of their Bowes, overcame the enemy, whom before he was not able to

match. Scipio Africanus (the yonger) being to give battaile to the Numantines, that before had forced a Roman army to passe under the yoake, thought he could not otherwise have the better, unlesse he mingled chosen Archers in e∣very Century. And m 1.13 Leo the Emperour in his Constitutions military hath this Constitution amongst other: You shall com∣mand all the Roman youth, till they come to forty yeares of age, whether they have meane skill in shooting, or not, to carry Bowes and Quivers of Arrowes. For since the Art of shooting hath been neglected, many, and great losses have befalne the Romanes. And in another place: n 1.14 you shall enjoyne the Commanders under you, in winter to take a view, and to signifie to the Turmarches (Coronells) how many horse, and what kinde of armes the Souldiers, under their Commands, stand in need of, that necessary provisi∣on be made, and the Souldiers be furnished in time conve∣nient. But specially you are to have care of Archers; and that they, who remaine at home, and have vacation from warre, hold Bowes and Arrowes in their houses. For care∣lesnesse herein hath brought great damage to the Romane State. So Leo. This of old time was the opinion of the Romanes concerning Archers. How we are falne out with them in our dayes (the skill of the Bow, being a quality so commendable, and so proper to our Nation) I know not, unlesse fire-weapons perhaps have put them out of countenance. And surely it may not be de∣nyed, that the force of fire-weapons of our time doth farre exceed the height of all old inventions for annoying the enemy. And, when I have given them the first place, I will not doubt to give the second to Bowes and Arrowes: being so farre from casting them of, that I would rather follow the wisdome of the Grecians; who albeit they esteemed Arrowes the best flying weapons, yet thought it not amisse to hold in use slinges, and darts. Every weapon hath it property; and that which is fit for one service, is not so fit for another. The fire-weapons have their advantages; They have also their disadvantages. Their advantage is, they pierce all defence of armour, and lighting upon a place of the body, the wound whereof endangereth life, they bring with

them certaine death. Their disadvantages are, they are not al∣wayes certaine, sometimes for want of charging, sometimes through overcharging, sometimes the Bullet rowling out, some∣times for want of good powder, or of dryed powder, sometimes because of an ill dryed match, not fit to coale, or not well cocked. Besides they are somewhat long in charging, while the Muske∣tier takes downe his Musket, uncockes the match, blowes, proynes, shuts, casts of the pan, castes about the musket, o∣pens his charges, chargeth, drawes out his skouring sticke, rammes in the powder, drawes out againe, and puts up his skouring sticke, layes the musket on the rest, blowes of the match, cockes, and tryes it, gardes the pan, and so makes ready. All which actions must necessarily be observed, if you will not faile of the true use of a Musket. In raine, snow, fogs, or when the enemy hath gained the winde, they have small use. Adde that but one ranke (that is the first) can give fire upon the enemy at once. For the rest behinde, discharging, shall either wound their owne Companions before, or else shoote at randon, and so nothing endanger the enemy, the force of a musket being onely availeable at point blancke. Contrariwise the disadvantage of Arrowes is in the weaknesse of the stroke, which is not able to enter a Curace, that the foote or horse now use. Yet can no wea∣ther be found, wherein you may not have good use of Bowes: raine, snow, winde, haile, fogs, hinder little (especially the string of the Bow being not to wet) nay rather profit. Because in them you can hardly discerne, muchlesse avoyde, the fall of the Arrow. As for quicknesse in delivery, the Bow farre excelleth the Musket. A good single Archer is able to give five shot in ex∣change for one of the Musketier; and that with such certainty, that you shall not heare of an Archer that misseth the delivery of his Arrow, where the Musketier, often faileth by reason of the accidents and impediments before by me rehearsed. Ioyne that a whole squadron of Archers, being embattailed, may shoote at once together: which onely the first ranke of Musketiers may doe. And make the case there were a hundred Musketiers, and a hundred Bow-men each digested into ten files, each file contai∣ning ten men, the Bow-men shall be able to shoote at once a hun∣dred

Arrowes (all their Arrowes) for ten Bullets given by the Musketiers, namely those ten of the first ranke discharging alone. It must not be pretermitted, that the Bow and Quiver both for marching, and all service, are lighter and of lesse labour to use, then a Musket, which is no small advantage in armes and fight. To conclude, the Bow-men may be placed behinde the armed foote, and yet in shooting over the Phalange annoy the ene∣my before joyning, and o 1.15 all the time of fight, even whilst they are at pushe of Pike; where the Musketier, there placed, must either idlely looke on, or else playing with his Musket, most of all endanger his owne friends. Neither is the force of Arrowes so weake, as is imagined, no not in the arming of our dayes. For the Pike albeit he have his head and body covered, yet are his legs, and feete, his armes, and hands open to wounds: any of which parts being wounded brings a disability of service. To say nothing of his face, and eyes, before which the showers of Ar∣rowes falling like a tempest without intermission, must needs breed a remedilesse terror, and make him thinke rather of saving himselfe, then offending his enemy. The Musketier being also unarmed is as subject to the shot of Arrowes, as the Archer is to the shot of the Musket; and the Arrow touching any vitall part, as much taketh away life, as doth the Musket. Lastly a horse-man for his owne person (I must confesse) is safe enough from the danger of Arrowes by reason of his armour; but his horse, being a faire and large marke, and having neither barbe, nor pectorall, nor ought else to hide his head or breast, how can hee escape wounds? Witnesse our fields in France, where our Ar∣chers alwayes beate the French horse, being barbed, and better armed, then our horse are, at this day. And for the bloudy effect of Bowes the story of Plutarch is worth the rehearsing. He, in the life of Crassus hath thus: p 1.16 The Parthians opposing the Cataphracts against the Romane horse, the other Persians galloping here and there dispersedly, and troubling the face of the field, broke up from the bottome, Hils of Sand, that raised infinite dust, whereby the Romanes lost their sight and voyce: and thronging together, and thrusting one another were wounded, and dyed not a simple, of

quicke death, but tormented with convulsions and pangs of griefe, wallowing up, and downe, in the sand to breake the Arrowes in their wounds, or else endevouring to pluck out the hooked heads, which had pierced veines and si∣newes, renting a fresh themselves, and adding torment to torment: so that many dyed in this manner, and the rest became unprofitable. And when Publius Crassus desired them once more to charge the Cataphracts, they shewed their hands nailed to their Targets, and their feete faste∣ned to the ground, whereby they were unable either to flye, or fight. These wonders did the Parthian Bowes, which notwithstanding were not to be compared to our ancient English Bowes, either for strength, or farre shooting. And that we may not seeme to rely upon antiquity alone. q 1.17 The battaile of Curzo∣lare (commonly called the battaile of Lepanto) fought in our dayes betwixt the Turkes, and Christians by Sea may serve for an experience of the service of Bowes and Arrowes. In which there dyed of the Christians by the Arrowes of the Turkes above five thousand, albeit they were in Galleyes and Ships, and had their blinds pretended to save from sight, and marke of the Turkes, where as the Artillery of all sorts of the Christians consumed not so many Turkes: notwithstanding the Christians had the victo∣ry. Now then for us to leave the Bow, being a weapon of so great efficacy, so ready, so familiar, and as it were so domesticall to our Nation, to which we were wont to be accustomed from our Cradle, because other Nations take themselves to the Musket, hath not so much as any shew of reason. Other Nations may well forbeare that, they never had. Neither Italian, nor Spaniard, nor French, nor Dutch, have these five hundred yeares, beene accounted Ar∣chers. It was a skill almost appropriated to our Nation. By it, we gained the battailes of Cressy, of Poitiers, of Agincourt, in France: of Navarre, in Spaine: By it, we made our selves famous over Christendome. And to give it over upon a conceit onely (for no experience can say that our Bow was ever beaten out of the field by the Musket) will prove an imitation of Aesops dog, who carrying a piece of flesh in his mouth over a River, and se∣ing the shaddow in the water, snatched at the shaddow, and left

the flesh. I speake not this to abase the service of Muskets, which all men must acknowledge to be great; I onely shew, there may be good use of Bowes, if our Archers were such, as they were wont: which is not to be despaired, and will easily come with exercise.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Scriptura xxxiiij^a.
• a 1.2

  Pausan. in Attecis 40.
• b 1.3

  Xenoph. de exp••d Cyri. lib. 4. 322. C.
• c 1.4

  Diod. Sicul. lib. 14. 411.
• d 1.5

  Plutarch. in Crasso. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• e 1.6

  Curtius lib. 8 353.
• f 1.7

  Plutarch in Alexan. Diod. Sicul. li••. ••7. 614.
• g 1.8

  Arr lib. 6. 129. E.
• h 1.9

  Veget lib. 1. cap. 20.
• i 1.10

  Aurel. Cicuta de 〈◊〉〈◊〉. mil. lib. 2. 206.
• k 1.11

  Patrit. Parall. parte secunda lib. 3. pag 37.
• l 1.12

  Veget. lib. 1. cap. 15.
• m 1.13

  Leo cap. 6. §. 5.
• n 1.14

  Leo cap. 11. §. 49.
• o 1.15

  Plut. in Sylla.
• p 1.16

  Plutarch in Crasso.
• q 1.17

  Patric. paral. ••il. pa l. 2. 39.