Toxophilus the schole of shootinge contayned in tvvo 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 ...

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 requi∣red to make a man euer more hyt the marke?

TOX.

Twoo.

PHI.

Whiche twoo?

TOX.

Shotinge streyght and ke∣pynge of a lengthe.

PHIL.

Howe shoulde a manne shoote strayght, & howe shulde a man kepe a length?

TOX.

In knowynge and hauynge thinges, belon∣gynge to shootyng▪ and whan they be knowen and had, in well handlynge of them: whereof some be∣long to shotyng strayght, some to keping of a lēgth, some commonly to them bothe, as shall be tolde se∣uerally 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 ••erueth.

PHI.

Which be instru∣mētes?

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 cōmeth fayre shotynge, whiche neyther be∣long to wynde nor wether, nor yet to the marke, for in a rayne and at no marke, a man may shote a fayre shoote.

PHIL.

well sayde, what handlynge belon∣geth to the wether?

TOX.

Knowyng of his wynde, with him, 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.

Uery well done. And what is onely within a man hym selfe?

TOX.

Good heede gyuynge, and a∣uoydynge all affections: whiche thynges oftenty∣mes do marre and make all. And these thynges spo¦ken of me generally and brefely, yf they be wel kno∣wen, 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 thē, 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 mat¦ters the fyrst sleppe or stayre 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 r••turne agayne vn¦to our matter, and those thynges whyche you haue packed vp, in so shorte a roume, we wyll lowse thē forthe, and take euery pyece as it were in our hande and looke more narowlye vpon it.

TOX.

I am con¦tent, but we wyll rydde them as fast as we can, by∣cause the sunne goeth so faste downe, and yet some∣what 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 the Braser.

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 o∣ther is, that the strynge glydynge sharpelye & quick∣lye of the bracer, maye make the sharper shoote. For if the strynge shoulde lyght vpon the bare fleue, 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. thin∣ges, y^• it haue no nayles in it, that it haue no bucles, that it be fast on with laces wythout agglettes.

For the nayles wyll shere in sunder, a mānes string, before he be ware, and so put his bowe in ieoperdy: Buckles and agglettes at vnwares, shall race hys bowe, a thinge bothe euyll to the syghte, & perilous for freatynge. And thus a Bracer, is onelye had for this purpose, that the strynge maye haue redye pas∣sage.

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 a∣ble 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 lon∣gest, 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, & that muste haue thickest of all, where on a man lowseth moste, and for sure lowsyng, the formoste fynger is moste apte, bycause it holdeth best, & for y^• purpose nature hath as a man woulde saye, yocked it w^t 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 mānes gloue. If that wylle not serue, but yet youre fynger 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 go∣eth not freelye of, and therefore the fingers muste be cut sho••••, and trimmed with some ointment, that the string maye glyd wel awaye. Some with holdynge in the nocke of theyr shafte to 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 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 hād for chafyng, bycause they houlde so harde. But that commeth commonlye, when a bowe is not rounde, but somwhat 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 regar∣ded. But here in you muste be contente to put youre trust in honest stringers. And surely stringers ought more diligently to be looked vpon by the officers thā ••ther bower or fletcher, bycause they maye deceyue a

simple man the more easelyer. An ill stringe brekethe many a good bowe, nor no other thynge halfe so ma∣ny. 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 smal leasure & lesse roume to bend his bow, therfore god send vs g••od stringers both for war and peace. Now what a stringe ought to be made on, whether of good hempe as they do nowe a dayes, or of flaxe or of sylke, I leue that to the iugemente of stringers, of whome we muste bye them on. Eustathius apon this verse of homere

Twāg •• the bow, & twāg q the string, out quicklie the shaft f••ue

doeth tel, that in oulde tyme they made theyr bowe strynges of bullox thermes, whiche they twyned to gither 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 stryn∣ges 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 contra∣rye, not so sure, therfore to be taken hede of, lesse with longe tarienge on, it breake youre bowe, more fit to shoote farre, than apte to pricke nere, therfore when you knowe the nature of bothe bigge and 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 hādlyng 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 ben∣dynge must nedes be in the smal of the string, which beynge sore twined muste nedes knap in sunder to y^• distruction of manye good bowes. Moreouer you must looke that youre bowe be well nocked for fere the sharpnesse of the horne 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 yl saued halpeny y^• 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, whē 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 bro∣ken.

TOX.

Bowes be broken twise as many wayes besyde these. But a gayne in stringynge your bowe, you must loke for much 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 y^• 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 bra••er, 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 your bowe haue good byg bend, a shaftemente and .ii. fyngers at the least, for these which I haue spoken of.

PHI.

The braser, g••oue, and strynge, be done, nowe you muste come to the bowe, the chefe instrument of all.

TOX.

Dyuers countryes and tymes haue vsed al∣wayes dyuers bowes, and of dyuers fashions.

Horne bowes are vsed in some places nowe, & were vsed also in Homerus dayes, for Pandarus bowe, the best shocter among al the Troianes, was made of two Goete hornes 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. Irō 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 mānes 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, which seemed to be very stronge, but we haue none experi∣ence of them. The lengthe of them was .iiii. 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, a man may make a fyshers bote. These bowes, sayeth Arrianus in Alexanders lyfe, gaue so great a stroke, that no harneys or buck∣ler though it were neuer so strong, could wythstand it. The length of suche a bowe, was euen wyth the length of hym, that vsed it. The Lycians vsed bo∣wes made of a tree, called in Latyn Cornus, (as con∣cernyng the name of it in English, I can souer proue that other men call it false, than I can tell the right name of it my selfe) this wood is as harde as horne and very fit for shaftes, as shall be toulde after.

Ouid sheweth that Syringa the Nymphe, and one of the maydens of Diana, had a bowe of this wood wherby the poete meaneth, that it was verye excel∣lent 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, wher∣of perfite shootynge woulde haue a bowe made.

Thys woode as it is nowe generall and common a∣monges Englyshe men, so hath it continewed from longe tyme and had in mooste price for bowes, amō∣ges the Romaynes, as doth apere in this halfe verse of Uyrgill.

Taxi torquentur in arcus. ••. Ewe fit for a bowe to be made on.

Nowe as I saye, a bowe of Ewe must be hadde for perfecte shootinge at the prickes, whiche marke, bycause it is certayne, & moste certaine rules may be gyuen of it, shall serue for our cōmunication, 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 oftentymes chaūceth. 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 shoo∣ter 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.

Therefore 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 steyght, not windyng, not marred with knot gauie, wyndeshake, wem, freat or pynche, by•• that bowe of my warrant. The beste colour of a bowe y^• I fynde, is whan the backe and the bellye in woor∣kynge, be muche what after one maner, for such of∣tentymes

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 y^• 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 gyue thē heetes conuenient, and tylle∣rynges plentye. For thereby they shoulde bothe get them selues a good name, (And a good name encre∣seth a mannes profyt muche) and also do greate cō∣modite to the hole Realme. If any men do offend in this poynte, I am afrayde they be those iourny mē whiche labour more spedily to make manye bowes for theyr owne monye sake, than they woorke dili∣gently to make good bowes, for the common welth sake, not layinge before theyr eyes, this wyse pro∣uerbe.

Sone ynough, if wel ynough.

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 afterwarde shal bye the horse, may chaūce to curse hym.

Suche hastinesse I am afrayde, maye also be found amonges some of thē, whych through out y^• Realme in diuerse places worke y^• kinges Artillarie for war, thinkynke 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 de∣fence 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 y^• bowe can be to good and chefe woode, nor yet to wel seasoned or truly made, wyth hetynges and tillerynges, nether that shafte to good wood or to thorowely wrought, with the best pini∣on 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 finde them selfe touched therin: which ought rather to be angrye wyth them selfe for doynge so, than to be miscontent wyth me for saynge so. And in no case they ought to be displeased wyth me, seinge this is spoken also after that sorte, not for the notynge of a∣nye person seuerallye, but for the amendynge of eue∣rye one generallye. But turne we agayne to knowe a good shootynge bowe for oure purpose.

Euerye bowe is made eyther of a boughe, of a plante or of the boole of the tree. The boughe cōmon lye is verye knotty, and full of pinnes, weak, of small pithe, and soue wyll folowe the stringe, and seldome werith to any fayre coloure, yet for chyldren & yonge beginners it maye serue well ynoughe. The plante

proueth many times wel, yf it be of a good and clene groweth, and for the pith of it is quicke ynoughe of cast, it wyl plye and bow far afore it breake, as al o∣ther yōge thinges do. The boole of y^• tree is clenest w^t out knot or pin, hauinge a faste and harde woode by reasonne of hys full groweth, stronge and myghtye of cast, and best for a bow, yf the staues be euen clo∣uen, and be afterwarde wroughte not ouerwharte the woode, but as the graine and streyght growyng of the woode leadethe a man, or elles by all reason it must sone breake, & that in many shiuers. This must be considered in the roughe woode, & when the bow staues be ouerwrought and facioned. For in dressing and pikynge it vp for a bow, it is to late to loke for it But yet in these poyntes as I sayd before you muste truste an honest bowyer, to put a good bow in youre hand, somewhat lookinge your selfe to those tokens whyche I shewed you. And you muste not sticke for a grote or .xii.d. more than a nother man would giue yf it be a good bowe. For a good bow twise paide for is better than an ill bowe once broken.

Thus a shooter muste begyn not at the makynge of hys bowe lyke a bower, but at the byinge of hys bow lyke an Archere. And when his bow is bought and brought home, afore he truste muche vpon it, let hym trye and trym it after thys sorte.

Take your bow in to the feeld, shote in hym, sinke hym wyth deade heauye shaftes, looke where he cō∣methe moost, prouyde for that place betymes, leste it pinche and so freate: whē you haue thus shot in him, and perceyued good shootynge woode in hym, you

must haue hym agayne to a good cunnynge, and tru∣stie woorkeman, whyche shall cut hym shorter, and pike hym and dresse hym fytter, make hym comme rounde compace euery where, and whippyng at the endes, but with discretion, lest he whyp in sunder or els freete, soner than he is ware of, he must also lay him streght, if he be caste or otherwise nede require, and if he be flatte made, gather hym rounde, and so shall he bothe shoote the faster, for farre shootynge, and also the surer for nere pryckynge.

PHI.

What yf I come into a shoppe, and spye oute a bow, which shal both than please me very wel whan I by him, and be also very fit and meete for me whan I shote in hym: so that he be both weake ynoughe for easye shootynge, and also quycke and spedye ynoughe for farre castynge, than I woulde thynke I shall nede no more businesse wyth him, but be contente wyth hym, and vse hym well ynoughe, and so by that me∣anes, auoyde bothe great trouble, and also some cost whiche yo cunnynge archers very often put your selues vnto, bey••ge verye Englyshe men, neuer cea∣synge piddelynge about your bowe & shaftes whan they be well, but eyther with shorting and pikynge your bowes, or els with newe fetheryng, peecynge and headinge your shaftes, can neuer haue done vn∣tyll they be starke nought.

TOX.

Wel Philologe, su∣relye if I haue any iudgement at all in shootyng, it is no very great good token in a bowe, whereof no∣thyng whan it is newe and fresshe, nede be cutte a∣waye, euen as Cicero sayeth of a yonge mānes wit and style, which you knowe better that I. For eue∣ry

newe thynge muste alwayes haue more than it neadeth, or elles it wyll not waxe better and better, but euer decaye, and be worse and worse. Newe ale if it runne not ouer the barrell whan it is newe tun∣ned, wil sone lease his pith, and his head afore he be longe drawen on.

And lyke wyse as that col••e whyche at the fyrste ta∣kynge vp, nedeth lytle breakyng and handlyng, but is fitte and gentle ynoughe for the saddle, seeldome or neuer proueth well, euen so that bowe whyche at the fyrste byinge, wythout any more proofe & trim∣mynge, is fit and easie to shoote in, shall neyther be profitable to laste longe, nor yet pleasaunt to shoote well. And therfore as a younge horse full of corage, wyth handlynge and breakinge, is brought vnto a sute pace and goynge, so shall a newe bowe fresshe and quicke of caste, by sinking & cuttyng, be brought to a stedfast shootyng. And an easie and gentle bow whan it is newe, is not muche vnlyke a ••ofte spiri∣ted boye when he is younge. But yet as of an vnru∣lie boye with right handlyng, proueth oftenest of al a well ordered man: so of an vnfit and staffysh bow with good trimming, muste nedes folowe alwayes a stedfast shotynge bowe.

And suche a perfite bowe, whiche neuer wyll de∣ceyue a man, excepte a man deceyue it, muste be had for that perfecte ende, whyche you looke for in shoo∣tinge.

PHI.

Well Toxophile, I see wel you be cun∣ninger in this gere than I: but put case that I haue thre or fower suche good bowes, pyked and dressed, as you nowe speke of, yet I do remembre y^• manye

learned men do saye, that it is easier to gette a good thynge, than to saue and keepe a good thyng, wher∣fore if you can teache me as concernyng that poynte, you haue satisfyed me plentifullye, as concernynge a bowe.

TOX.

Trulye it was the nexte thyng that I woulde haue come vnto, for so the matter laye.

Whan you haue broughte youre bowe to suche a poynte, as I spake of, than you must haue an herdē or wullen cloth waxed. wherw^t euery day you must rubbe and chafe your bowe, tyll it shyne and glytter withall. Whyche thynge shall cause it bothe to be cleane, well fauoured, goodlye of coloure, and shall also bryng as it were a cruste, ouer it, that is to say, shall make it euery where on the outsyde, so slyppe∣ry and harde, that neyther any weete or wether can enter to hurte it, nor yet any freat or pynche, be able to byte vpon it: but that you shal do it great wrong before you breake it. This must be done oftentimes but specially when you come from shootynge.

Beware also whan you shoote, of youre shaft he∣des, dagger, knyues or agglettes, lest they race your bowe, a thing as I sayde before, bothe vnsemely to looke on, and also daūgerous for freates. Take hede also of mistie and dankyshe dayes, which shal hurte a bowe, more than any rayne. For then you muste eyther alway rub it, or els leaue shootynge.

Your bowecase (this I dyd not promise to speake of, bycause it is without the nature of shootynge, or els I shoulde truble me wyth other thinges infinite more: yet seing it is a saue garde for the bowe, som∣thynge I wyll saye of it) youre bowecase I saye, yf

you ryde for the, muste neyther be to wyde for youre bowes, for so shall one clap vpon an other, and hurt them, nor yet so strayte that scarse they can be thrust in, for that woulde laye them on syde & wynde them A bowecase of ledder, is not the best, for that is oft∣tymes moyste which hurteth the bowes very much. Therfore I haue sene good shooters which would haue for euerye bowe, a sere case made of wollen clothe, and than you maye putte .iii. or .iiii. of them so cased, in to a ledder case if you wyll. This wollen case shall bothe kepe them in sunder, and also wylle kepe a bowe in his full strengthe, that it neuer gyue for any wether. At home these wood cases be verye good for bowes to stande in. But take hede y^t youre bowe stande not to nere a stone wall, for that wyll make hym moyste and weke, nor yet to nere any fier for that wyll make him shorte and brittle. And thus muche as concernyng the sauyng and keping of our bowe: nowe you shall heare what thynges ye must auoyde, for feare of breakyng your bowe.

A shooter chaunseth to breake his bowe common ly .iiii. wayes, by the strynge, by the shafte, by dra∣wyng to far, & by freates: By the stryng as I sayde afore, whan the strynge is eyther to shorte, to long, not surely put on, wyth one wap, or put croked on, or shorne in sundre wyth an euell nocke, or suffered to tarye ouer longe on. Whan the stryng fayles the bowe muste nedes breake, and specially in the myd∣des: because bothe the endes haue nothyng to stop them: but whippes so far backe, that the belly must nedes violentlye rise vp, the whyche you shall well

perreyue in bendyng of a bowe backward. Therfore a bowe that foloweth the strynge is least hurt with breakyng of stringes By the shafte a bowe is brokē ether when it is to short, and so you set it in your bow or when the nocke breakes for lytlenesse, or when the strynge slyppes wythoute the nocke for wydenesse, than you poule it to your care and lettes it go, which must nedes breake the shafte at the leaste, and putte strunge and bow & al in ieopardy, bycause the strēgth of the bowe hath nothynge in it to stop the violence of it.

Thys kynde of breakynge is mooste perilouse for the standers by, for in such a case you shall se some tyme the ende of a bow flye a hoole score from a mā, and that moost commonly, as I haue marked oft the vpper ende of the bowe. The bow is drawne to far .ii. wayes. Eyther when you take a longer shafte thē your owne, or els when you shyfte your hand to low or to hye for shootynge far. Thys waye pouleth the backe in sunder, and then the bowe fleethe in manye peces.

So when you se a bowe broken, hauynge the bellye risen vp both wayes or toue, the stringe brake it. When it is broken in twoo peces in a maner euen of and specyallye in the vpper ende, the shafte nocke brake it.

When the backe is pouled a sunder in manye pee∣ces to farre drawynge, brake it.

These tokens eyther alwayes be trewe or els verye seldome mysse.

The fourthe thyng that breketh a bowe is fretes, whych make a bowe redye and apte to breake by any of the .iii. wayes afore sayde. Freetes be in a shaft as well as in a bowe, and they be muche lyke a Canker, crepynge and encreasynge in those places in a bowe, whyche be weaker then other. And for thys purpose must your bowe be well trymmed and piked of a cō∣ning man that it may come rounde in trew compasse euery where. For freetes you must beware, yf youre ••ow haue a knot in the backe, lest the places whyche be nexte it, be not alowed strong ynoughe to bere w^t the knotte, or elles the stronge knotte shall freate the weake places nexte it. Freates be fyrst litle pinchese, the whych whē you perceaue, pike the places a bout the pinches, to make them somewhat weker, and as well commynge as where it pinched, and so the pin∣ches shall dye, and neuer encrease farther in to great freates.

Freates begynne many tymes in a pin, for there the good woode is corrupted, that it muste nedes be weke, and bycause it is weake, therfore it freates.

Good bowyers therfore do rayse euery py•• & alowe it moore woode for feare of freatynge.

Agayne bowes moost commonlye freate vnder the hande, not so muche as some men suppose for the moistnesse of the hande, as for the heete of the hand: the nature of heate sayeth Aristotle is to lowse, and not to knyt fast, and the more lowser the more wea∣ker, the weaker, the redier to freate.

bowe is not well made, whych hath not wood plen∣tye in the hand. For yf the endes of the bowe be staf∣fysshe, or a mans hande any thynge hoote the bellye must nedes sone frete. Remedie for fretes to any pur¦pose I neuer hard tell of any, but onelye to make the freated place a stronge or stronger then any other.

To fill vp the freate with lytle sheuers of a quill and glewe (as some saye wyll do wel) by reason must be starke nought.

For, put case the freete dyd cease then, yet the cause whiche made it freate a fore (and that is weakenesse of the place) bicause it is not taken away must nedes make it freate agayne. As for cuttyng out of freates wythe all maner of pecynge of bowes I wyll cleane exclude from perfite shootynge. For peced bowes be muche lyke owlde housen, whyche be more charge∣able to repayre, than commodiouse to dwell in. A∣gayne to swadle a bowe much about wyth bandes, verye seldome dothe anye good, excepte it be to kepe downe a spel in the backe, otherwyse bandes ether nede not when the bow is any thinge worthe, or els boote not whē it is marde & past best. And although I knowe meane and poore shooters, wyll vse peced and banded bowes sometyme bycause they are not able to get better when they woulde, yet I am sure yf they consyder it well, they shall fynde it, bothe lesse charge and more pleasure to ware at any tyme a cou∣ple of shyllynges of a new bowe than to bestowe .x.d of peacynge an olde bowe. For better is coste vpon somewhat worth, than spence vpon nothing worth. And thys I speke also bycause you woulde haue me

referre all to perfitnesse in shootynge.

Moreouer there is 〈…〉〈…〉 other thynge, whyche wyl sone cause a bowe be broken by one of the .iii. wayes whych be first spoken of, and that is shotyng in win¦ter, when there is any froste. Froste is wheresoeuer is any waterish humour, as is in al woodes, eyther more or lesse, and you knowe that al thynges frosen and Isie, wyl rather breke than bende. Yet if a man must nedes shoote at any suche tyme, lette hym take hys bowe, and brynge it to the fyer, and there by li∣tle and litle, rubbe and chafe it with a waxed clothe, whiche shall bring it to that poynt, y^• he maye shote safelye ynough in it. This rubbyng with waxe, as I sayde before, is a great succour, agaynst all wete and moystnesse.

In the fyeldes also, in goyng betwyxt the pricks eyther wyth your hande, or elles wyth a clothe you muste keepe your bowe in suche a temper. And thus muche as concernynge youre bowe, howe fyrste to knowe what wood is best for a bowe, than to chose a bowe, after to trim a bowe, agayne to keepe it in goodnesse, laste of al, howe to saue it from al harm and euylnesse.

And although many men can saye more of a bow yet I trust these thynges be true, and almoste suffi∣cient for the knowlege of a perfecte bowe.

PHI.

Su∣relye I beleue so, and yet I coulde haue hearde you talke longer on it: althogh I can not se, what maye be sayd more of it. Therfore excepte you wyll pause a whyle, you may go forwarde to a shafte.

TOX.

What shaftes were made of, in oulde tyme

authours do not so manifestlye shewe, as of bowes. Herodotus doth tel, that in the flood of Nilus, ther was a beast, called a water horse, of whose skinne after it was dried, the Egyptians made shaftes. and dartes on. The tree called Cornus was so com∣mon to make shaftes of, that in good authours of y^• latyn tongue, Cornus is taken for a shafte, as in Se∣neca, and that place of Uirgill,

Volat Itala Cornus.

Yet of all thynges that euer I warked of olde au∣thours, either greke or latin, for shaftes to be made of, there is nothing so cōmon as reedes. Herodotus in describynge the mightie hoost of Xerxes doth tell that thre great contries vsed shaftes made of a rede, the Aeth••opians, the Lycians (whose shaftes lac∣ked fethers, where at I maruayle moste of all) and the men of Inde. The shaftes in Inde were verye longe, a yarde and an halfe, as Arrianus doth saye, or at the least a yarde. as Q. Curtius doth saye, and therfore they gaue y^• greater strype, but yet bycause they were so long, they were the more vnhansome, and lesse profitable to the men of Inde, as Curtius doeth tell.

In Crete and Italie, they vsed to haue their shaf∣tes of rede also. The best reede for shaftes grewe in Inde, and in Rhenus a flood of Italy.

But bycause suche shaftes be neyther easie for En∣glishe men to get, and yf they were gotten scarse pro¦fitable for them to vse, I wyll lette them passe, and speake of those shaftes whyche Englysh men at this daye moste cōmonly do approue and allowe.

A shaft hath three principall partes, the stele, the ••ethers, and the head: whereof euerye one muste be seuerallye spoken of.

¶•• Steles be made of dyuerse woodes. as.

• Brasell.
• Turkie wood.
• Fusticke.
• Sugercheste.
• Hardbeame.
• Byrche.
• Asshe.
• Doke.
• Seruis tree.
• Hulder.
• Blackthorne
• Beche.
• Elder.
• Aspe.
• Salow.

These wooddes as they be most commonly vsed, so they be mooste fit to be vsed: yet some one fytter then an other for diuers mennes shotinge, as shalbe toulde afterwarde. And in this pointe as in a bowe you muste truste an honest fletcher. Neuerthelesse al thoughe I can not teache you to make a bowe or a shafte, whiche belongeth to a bowyer and a fletcher to cōme to theyr lyuyng, yet wyll I shewe you some tokens to knowe a bowe & a shafte, whiche pertay∣neth to an Archer to come to good shootynge.

A stele muste be well seasoned for Castinge, and it must be made as the grayne lieth & as it groweth or els it wyl neuer flye clene, as clothe cut ouertwhart and agaynste the wulle, can neuer hoose a manne cleane. A knottye stele maye be suffered in a bygge ••haste, but for a lytle shafte it is nothynge fit, bothe bycause it wyll neuer flye far, and besydes that it is euer in danger of breakynge, it flieth not far bycause the strengthe of the shoote is hindred and stopped at the knotte, euen as a stone cast in to a plaine euen stil water, wyll make the water moue a greate space, yet yf there be any whirlynge plat in the water, the mo∣uynge ceasethe when it commethe at the whyrlynge plat, whyche is not muche vnlyke a knotte in a shafte yf it be cōsidered wel. So euery thyng as it is plaine and streight of hys owne nature so is it fittest for far mouynge. Therfore a stele whyche is harde to stāde in a bowe, without knotte, and streighte (I meane not artificiallye streyghte as the fletcher dothe make it, but naturally streyght as it groweth in the wood) is best to make a shaft of, eyther to go cleane, fly far or stand surely in any wedder. Now howe big, how small, how heuye, how lyght, how longe, how short, a shafte shoulde be particularlye for euerye man (se∣ynge we must taulke of the generall nature of shoo∣tyng) can not be toulde no more than you Rhethori∣cians can appoynt any one kynde of wordes, of sen∣tences, of fygures fyt for euery matter, but euen as the man and the matter requyreth so the fyttest to be vsed. Therfore as concernynge those contraryes in a shafte, euery man muste auoyde them and draw to

the meane of them, whyche meane is best in al thyn∣ges. Yet yf a man happen to offende in any of the ex∣tremes it is better to offend in want and scantnesse, than in to muche and outragiouse excedynge. As it is better to haue a shafte a lytle to shorte than ouer longe, somewhat to lyght, than ouer lumpysshe, a ly∣tle to small, than a greate deale to big, whiche thyng is not onely trewlye sayde in shootynge, but in all o∣ther thynges that euer man goeth aboute, as in ea∣tynge, taulkynge, and all other thynges lyke, whych matter was onse excellentlye disputed vpon, in the Scooles, you knowe when.

And to offend, in these contraryes cōmeth much yf men take not hede, throughe the kynd of wood, wher of the shaft is made: For somme wood belōges to y^• excedyng part, some to y^• scāt part, some to y^• meane, as Brasell, Turkiewood, Fusticke, Sugar cheste, & such lyke, make deade, heuy lūpish, hobblyng shaftes Againe Hulder, blacke thorne, Serues tree, Beche, Elder, Aspe, and Salowe, eyther for theyr wekenes or lyghtenesse, make holow, starting, studding, gad∣dynge shaftes. But Birche, Hardbeme, some Doke, and some Asshe, beynge bothe stronge ynoughe to stande in a bowe, and also lyght ynoughe to flye far, are best for a meane, whiche is to be soughte oute in euery thinge. And althoughe I knowe that some mē shoote so stronge, that the deade woodes be lyghte ynoughe for them, and other some so weeke, that the lowse woodes be lykewyse for them bigge ynoughe yet generally for the moost parte of men, the meane is the best. And so to conclude that, is alwayes beste

for a man, whiche is metest for him. Thus no wood of his owne nature, is eyther to lyght or to heuy, but as the shooter is him selfe whyche dothe vse it. For that shafte whiche one yeare for a man is to lyghte & scuddinge, for the same selfe man the next yeare may chaunce be to heuy and hobblynge. Therfore can not I expresse, excepte generally, what is best wood for a shaft, but let euery mā when he knoweth his owne strength and the nature of euery wood, prouyde and fyt himselfe thereafter. Yet as concerning sheaffe Ar∣couse for war (as I suppose) it were better to make them of good Asshe, and not of Aspe, as they be now a dayes. For of all other woodes that euer I proued Asshe being big is swiftest and agayne heuy to giue a greate stripe with all, whyche Aspe shall not doo.

What heuynes doth in a stripe euery man by experi∣ence can tell, therfore Asshe being both swyfter and heuier is more fit for sheafe Arroes thē Aspe, & thus muche for the best wood for shaftes.

Agayne lykewyse as no one wood can be greatlye meet for all kynde of shaftes, no more can one facion of the stele be fit for euery shooter. For those that be lytle brested and big toward the hede called by theyr lykenesse taperfashiō, reshe growne, and of some me∣rye fellowes bobtayles, be fit for them whiche shote vnder hande bycause they shoote wyth a softe lowse, and stresses not a shaft muche in the breste where the weyghte of the bowe lyethe as you maye perceyue by the werynge of euery shafte.

Agayne the bygge brested shafte is fytte for hym, which shoteth right afore him, or els the brest being

weke shoulde neuer wythstande that strong piththy kynde of shootynge, thus the vnderhande must haue a small breste, to go cleane awaye oute of the bowe, the forehande muste haue a bigge breste to bere the great myghte of the bowe. The shafte must be made rounde nothynge flat wyth oute gal or wemme, for thys purpose. For bycause roundnesse (whether you take example in heauen or in earthe) is fittest shappe and forme both for fast mouing and also for sone per cynge of any thynge. And therfore Aristotle saythe that nature hath made the raine to be round, bycause it shoulde the easelyer enter throughe the ayre.

The nocke of the shafte is dyuersly made, for some be greate and full, some hansome & lytle, some wyde some narow, some depe, some shalowe, some round, some longe, some wyth one nocke, some wyth a dou∣ble nocke, wherof euery one hathe hys propertye.

The greate and full nocke, maye be well felte, and many wayes they saue a shafte from brekynge. The hansome and lytle nocke wyll go clene awaye frome the hand, the wyde nocke is noughte, both for brea∣kyng of the shafte and also for soden slyppynge oute of the strynge when the narrowe nocke doth auoyde bothe those harmes. The depe and longe nocke is good in warre for sure kepyng in of the strynge. The shalow, and rownde nocke is best for our purpose in prickyng for cleane delyueraunce of a shoote. And double nockyng is vsed for double suerty of the shaft And thus far as concernynge a hoole stele.

Peecynge of a shafte with brasell and holie, or o∣ther heauy woodes, is to make y^• ende compasse he∣auy with the fethers in fliyng, for the stedfaster sho∣tyng. For if the ende were plumpe heauy wyth lead and the wood nexte it lyghte, the head ende woulde euer be downwardes, and neuer flye strayght.

Two poyntes in peecing be ynough, lest the moyst∣nes of the earthe enter to moche into the peecinge, & so leuse the glue. Therfore many poyntes be more plesaunt to the eye, than profitable for the vse.

Sūme vse to peece theyr shaftes in the nocke wyth brasel, or holye, to counterwey, with the head, and I haue seue sūme for the same purpose, bore an hole a lytle bineth the nocke, and put leade in it. But yet none of these wayes be anye thing needful at al, for y^• nature of a fether in flying, if a man marke it wel, is able to bear vp a wonderful weyght: and I thike suche peecing came vp first, thus: whan a good Ar∣cher hath broken a good shafte, in the fethers, & for the fantasie he hath had to it, he is lothe to leese it, & therfore doeth he peece it. And than by and by other eyther bycause it is gaye, or elles because they wyll haue a shafte lyke a good archer, cutteth theyre hole shaftes, and peeceth them agayne: A thynge by my iudgement, more costlye than nedefull.

And thus haue you heard what wood, what fas∣shion, what nockynge, what peecynge a stele muste haue: Nowe foloweth the fetherynge.

PHI.

I woulde neuer haue thought you could haue sayd halfe so muche of a stele, and I thynke as con∣cernyng the litle fether and the playne head, there is

but lytle to saye.

TOX.

Lytle, yes trulye: for there is no one thing, in al shoting, somoche to be lokedon as the fether. For fyrste a question maye be asked, whe∣ther any other thing besyde a fether, be fit for a shaft or no if a fether onelye be fit, whether a goose fether onely, or no? yf a goose fether be best, then whether there be any difference, as concernynge the fether of an oulde goose, and a younge goose: a gander, or a goose: a fennye goose, or an vplandish goose. Againe which is best fether in any goose, the ryght wing or the left wing, the pinion fether, or any other fether: a whyte, blacke, or greye fether? Thirdly, in settyng on of your fether, whether it be pared or drawen w^t a thicke rybbe, or a thinne rybbe (the rybbe is y^• hard quill whiche deuydeth the fether) a long fether bet∣ter or a shorte, set on nere the nocke, or farre from the nocke, set on streight, or somwhat bowyng & whe∣ther one or two fethers runne on the bowe. Fourth∣ly in couling or sheryng, whether high or lowe, whe¦ther somewhat swyne backed (I muste vse shoters wordes) or sadle backed, whether rounde, or square shorne. And whether a shaft at any tyme ought to be plucked, and how to be plucked.

PHI.

Surely Tor∣ophile, I thynke manye fletchers (although daylye they haue these thinges in vse) if they were asked so∣deynly, what they coulde saye of a fether, they could not saye so moch. But I praye you let me heare you more at large, expresse those thynges in a fether, the whiche you packed vp in so narrowe a rowme. And fyrst whether any other thyng may be vsed for a fe∣ther or not.

TOX.

That was y^• fyrst poynte in dede,

and bycause there foloweth many after, I wyll hye apace ouer them, as one that had manye a myle to ride. Shaftes to haue had alwayes fethers Plinius in Latin, and Iulius Pollux in Greke, do playnlye shewe, yet onely the Lycians I reade in Herodotus to haue vsed shaftes without fedders. Onelye a fed∣der is fit for a shafte for .ii. causes, fyrste bycause it is leathe weake to giue place to the bowe, than bycause it is of that nature, that it wyll starte vp after y^• bow So, Plate, wood or horne can not serue, bycause the wil not gyue place. Againe, Cloth, Paper or Parch∣ment can not serue, bycause they wyll not ryse after the bowe, therfore a fedder is onely mete, bycause it onelye wyl do bothe. Nowe to looke on the fedders of all maner of birdes, you shal se some so lowe weke and shorte, some so course, stoore and harde, and the rib so brickle, thin and narrow, that it can nether be drawen, pared, nor yet well set on, that except it be a swan for a dead shafte (as I knowe some good Ar∣chers haue vsed) or a ducke for a flyghte whiche la∣stes but one shoote, there is no fether but onelye of a goose that hath all commodities in it. And trewelye at a short but, which some mā doth vse, y^• Pecock fe∣ther doth seldome kepe vp y^• shaft eyther ryght or le∣uel, it is so roughe and heuy, so that many mē which haue taken them vp for gayenesse, hathe layde them downe agayne for profyte, thus for our purpose, the Goose is best fether, for the best shoter.

PHI.

No that is not so, for the best shoter that euer was vsed other fethers.

TOX.

Ye are you so cunninge in shootynge I praye you who was that.

PHI.

Hercules whyche

had hys shaftes fethered with Egles fethers as He∣fiodus dothe saye.

TOX.

Well as for Hercules, se∣ynge nether water nor lande, heauen nor hell, coulde scarse contente hym to abyde in, it was no meruell thoughe a sely poore gouse fether could not plese him to shoote wythal, and agayne as for Egles they flye so hye and builde so far of, y^• they be very hard to cōe by. Yet welfare the gentle gouse which bringeth to a man euen to hys doore so manye excedynge commo∣dities. For the gouse is mās cōforte in war & in peace slepynge and wakynge. What prayse so euer is gy∣uen to shootynge the gouse maye chalenge the beste parte in it. Howe well dothe she make a man fare at his table. Howe easelye dothe she make a man lye in hys bed? How fit euen as her fethers be onelye for shootynge, so be her quylles fytte onely for wrytyng

PHILO.

In deade Toxophyle that is the beste prayse you gaue to a gouse yet, and surelye I would haue sayde you had bene to blame yf you had ouer∣skypte it.

TOX.

The Romaynes I trowe Philo∣loge not so muche bycause a gouse wyth tryinge sa∣ued theyr Capitoliū and head toure wyth their gol∣den Iupiter as Propertius doth say very pretely in thys verse.

Anseris & tutum uoce fuisse Iouem. Id est. Theues on a night had stolen Iupiter, had a gouse not a 〈…〉〈…〉.

Dyd make a golden gouse and set hir in the top of y^• Capitoliū, & appoynted also the Censores to alow out of y^• cōmon butche yearly stipedes for y^• finding

of certayne Geese, y^• Romaynes did not I saye giue al thys honor to a gouse for y^• good dede onely, but for other infinit mo which cōme daylye to a man by Geese, and surely yf I should declame in y^• prayse of any maner of be••st lyuyng, I would chose a gouse, But the goose hath made vs flee to farre from oure matter. Now sir ye haue hearde howe a fether must be had, and that a goose fether onely. It foloweth of a yong gose and an oulde, and the residue bēlonging to a fether: which thing I wyll shortlye course ouer: wherof, when you knowe the properties, you maye fitte your shaftes accordyng to your shotyng, which rule you must obserue in all other thynges too, by∣cause no one fashion or quantitie can be fitte for eue∣ry man, nomore then a shooe or a cote can be. The oulde goose fether is styffe and stronge, good for a wynde, and fyttest for a deed shaft: the yonge goose fether is weake and fyne, best for a swyfte shaft, and it must be couled at the first shering, somewhat hye, for with shoting, it wyll sattle and faule very moche. The same thing (although not so moche) is to be cō∣sydered in a goose and a gander. A fenny goose, euen as her flesh is blacker, stoorer, vnholsomer, so is her fether for the same cause courser stoorer & rougher, & therfore I haue heard very good fletchers saye, that the seconde fether in some place is better then the pi∣mon in other some. Betwixt the winges is lytle dif∣ferēce but that you must haue diuerse shaftes of one flight, fethered with diuerse winges, for diuerse win¦des: for if the wynde and the fether go both one way the shaft wyl be caryed to moche. The pinion fether

as it hath the firste place in the winge, so it hath the fyrst place in good fetheringe. You maye knowe it a∣fore it be pared, by a bought whiche is in it, and a∣gayne when it is colde, by the thinnesse aboue, and the thicknesse at the grounde, and also by the stifnes and finesse which wyll cary a shaft better, faster and further, euen as a fine sayle cloth doth a shyppe.

The coulour of the fether is leste to be regarded, yet som what to be looked on: lest for a good whyte you haue sometyme an yll greye. Yet surelye it stan∣deth with good reasō to haue the cocke fether black or greye, as it were to gyue a man warning to nocke ryght. The cocke fether is called that which stādeth aboue in right nocking, which if you do not obserue the other fethers must nedes run on the bowe, and so marre your shote. And thus farre of the goodnesse and choyse of your fether: now foloweth the setting on. Wherin you must looke that your fethers be not drawen for hastinesse, but pared euen and streyghte with diligence. The fletcher draweth a fether when he hath but one swappe at it with his knyfe, and then playneth it a lytle, with rubbynge it ouer his knyfe. He pareth it when he taketh leysure and hede to make euery parte of the ryb apt to stand streight, and euen on vpon the stele. This thing if a mā take not heede on, he maye chaunce haue cause to saye so of his fletcher, as in dressinge of meate is cōmunelye spoken of Cookes: and that is, that God sendeth vs good fethers, but the deuyll noughtie Fletchers. Yf any fletchers heard me saye thus, they wolde not be angrye with me, except they were yll fletchers: and

yet by reason, those fletchers too, ought rather to a∣mend them selues for doing yll, then be angry with me for saying truth. The ribbe in a styffe fether may be thinner, for so it wyll stande cleaner on: but in a weake fether you must leaue a thicker ribbe, or els yf the ryb which is the foundacion and grounde, wher in nature hath set euerye clefte of the fether, be taken to nere the fether, it muste nedes folowe, that the fe∣ther shall faule, & droupe downe, euen as any herbe doeth whyche hath his roote to nere taken on with a spade. The lengthe and shortnesse of the fether, serueth for diuers shaftes, as a long fether for a long heauy, or byg shafte, the shorte fether for the contra¦ry. Agayne the shorte maye stande farther, the longe nerer the nocke. Youre fether muste stande almooste streyght on, but yet after that sorte, y^t it maye turne rounde in flyinge. And here I consider the wonder∣full nature of shootynge, whiche standeth all togy∣ther by that fashion, which is moste apte for quicke mouynge, and that is by roundenesse. For firste the bowe must be gathered rounde, in drawyng it must come rounde compasse, the strynge muste be rounde the stele rounde, the beste nocke rounde, the feather shorne somwhat rounde, the shafte in slyenge, muste turne rounde, and if it flye far, it flyeth a round com∣pace. For eyther aboue or benethe a rounde cōpace, hyndereth the flyinge. Moreouer bothe the fletcher in makynge your shafte, and you in nockynge your shafte, muste take heede that two fethers equallye runne on the bowe. For yf one fether runne alone on the bowe, it shal quickely be worne, and shall not be

able to matche with the other fethers, and agayne at the lowse, yf the shafte be lyght, it wyl starte, if it be heuye, it wil hoble. And thus as concernyng set∣tyng on of your fether. Nowe of coulynge.

To she••e a shafte hyghe or lowe, muste be as the shafte is, heauy or lyght, great or lytle, long or short The swyne backed fashion, maketh the shaft deader, for it gathereth more ayer than the saddle backed, & therfore the saddle backe is surer for daunger of we∣ther, & fitter for smothe fliing. Agayn to shere a shaft rounde, as they were wount somtime to do, or after the triangle fashion, whyche is muche vsed nowe a dayes, bothe be good. For roundnesse is apte for fli∣ynge of his owne nature, and all maner of triangle fashion, (the sharpe poynte goyng before) is also na∣turally apte for quicke entrynge, and therfore sayth Cicero, that cranes taught by nature, obserue in fly∣inge a triangle fashion alwayes, bycause it is so apt to perce and go thorowe the ayer wythall. Laste of all pluckynge of fethers is noughte, for there is no suerty in it, therfore let euery archer haue such shaf∣tes, that he maye bothe knowe them and trust them at euery chaunge of wether. Yet if they must nedes be plucked, plucke them as litle as can be, for so shal they be the lesse vnconstante. And thus I haue knit vp in as shorte a roume as I coulde, the best fethers fetheringe and coulinge of a shafte.

PHI.

I thynke surelye you haue so taken vp the matter wyth you, y^• you haue lefte nothynge behinde you. Nowe you haue brought a shafte to the head, whiche if it were on, we had done as concernyng all instrumentes be∣longyng

to shootynge.

TOX.

Necessitie, the inuentour of all goodnesse (as all authours in a maner, doo saye) amonges all other thinges inuented a shaft heed, firste to saue the ende from breakyng, then it made it sharpe to stycke better, after it made it of strōg matter, to last better: Last of all experience and wysedome of men, hathe brought it to suche a perfitnesse, that there is no one thing so profitable, belongyng to artillarie, either to stryke a mannes enemye sorer in warre, or to shoote nerer the marke at home, then is a fitte heed for both purposes. For if a shaft lacke a heed, it is worth no∣thynge for neither vse. Therfore seinge heedes be so necessary, they must of necessitie, be wel looked vpon Heedes for warre, of longe tyme haue ben made, not onely of diuers matters, but also of diuers fashions The Troians had heedes of yron, as this verse spo∣ken of Pandarus, sheweth:

Vp to the pappe his string did he pull, his shaft to the harde yron

The Grecians had heedes of brasse, as Ulysses shaftes were heeded, when he slewe Antinous, and the other wowers of Penolepe.

Quite through a dore, flewe a shafte with a brasse heed.

It is playne in Homer, where Menelaus was wounded of Pandarus shafte, y^e the hedes were not glewed on, but tyed on with a string, as the cōmen∣tartes in Greke playnelye tell. And therfore shoters

at that tyme to cary their shaftes withoute heedes, vntill they occupyed them, and than set on an heade as it apereth in Homer the. xxi. booke Odyssei, where Penelope brought Ulixes bowe downe amonges the gentlemen, whiche came on wowing to her, that he whiche was able to bende it and drawe it, might inioye her, and after her folowed a mayde sayth Ho¦mer, carienge a bagge full of heades, bothe of iron and brasse.

The men of Scythia, vsed heades of brasse. The men of Inde vsed heades of yron The Ethiopians vsed heades of a harde sharpe stone, as bothe Hero∣dotus and Pollux do tel. The Germanes as Corne∣lius Tacitus doeth saye, had theyr shaftes headed with bone, and many countryes bothe of olde tyme and nowe, vse heades of horne, but of all other yrō and style muste nedes be the fittest for heades.

Iulius Pollux calleth otherwyse than we doe, where the fethers be the head, and that whyche we call the head, he calleth the poynte.

Fashion of heades is diuers and that of olde tyme: two maner of arrowe heades sayeth Pollux, was vsed in olde tyme. The one he calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, descry∣bynge it thus, hauyng two poyntes or barbes, loo∣kyng backewarde to the stele and the fethers, which surely we call in Englishe a brode arrowe head or a swalowe tayle. The other he calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, hauing ii. poyntes stretchyng forwarde, and this Englysh men do call a forkehead: bothe these two kyndes of heades, were vsed in Homers dayes, for Teucer v∣sed forked heades, sayinge thus to Agamemnon.

Eighte good shaftes haue I shot sithe I came, eche one wyth •• forke heade.

Pandarus heades and Ulysses heades were broode arrow heades, as a man maye learne in Ho∣mer that woulde be curiouse in knowyng that mat∣ter. Hercules vsed forked heades, but yet they had thre pointes or forkes, when other mennes had but twoo. The Parthyans at that great battell where they slewe ritche Crassus and his sonne vsed brode Arrowe heades, whyche stacke so sore that the Ro∣maynes could not poule them out agayne. Commo∣d••s the Emperoure vsed forked heades, whose fa∣cion Herodiane doeth lyuely and naturally describe, sa••inge that they were lyke the shap of a new mone wherewyth he would smite of the heade of a birde and neuer misse, other facion of heades haue not I red on. Our Englyshe heades be better in war than eyther forked heades, or brode arrowe heades. For firste the ende beynge lyghter they flee a great deele the faster, and by the same reason gyueth a far sorer stripe. Yea & I suppose if y^• same lytle barbes which they haue, were clene put away, they shuld be far be¦ter. For thys euery mā doth graunt, y^• a shaft as lōg as it flyeth, turnes, and whā it leueth turnyng it le∣ueth goyng any farther. And euery thynge that en∣ters by a turnynge and boring facion, the more flat∣ter it is, the worse it enters, as a knife thoughe it be sharpe yet bycause of the edges, wil not bore so wel as a bodkin, for euery rounde thynge enters beste & therefore nature, sayeth Aristotle, made the rayne droppes rounde for quicke percynge the ayre,

Thus, eyther shaftes turne not in flyeng, or els our flatte arrowe heades stoppe the shafte in entrynge.

PHI.

But yet Toxophile to holde your communica¦tion a lytle I suppose the ••lat heade is better, bothe bycause it maketh a greter hoole, and also bycause it stickes faster in.

TOX.

These two reasons as they be bothe trewe, so they be both nought. For fyrst the lesse hoole, yf it be depe, is the worse to heale agayne: whē a man shoteth at hys enemy, he desyreth rather y^t it should enter far, than stick fast. For what reme∣dye is it I praye you for hym whych is smitten w^t a depe wounde to poull out the shaft quickely, except it be to haste his death spedely? thus heades whyche make alytle hole & depe, be vetter in war, than those which make a great hole and sticke fast in.

Iulius Pollux maketh mencion of certayne kindes of heades for war which bear fyre in them, and scrip¦ture also speaketh somwhat of the same. Herodotus doth tell a wonderfull pollicy to be done by Xerxses what tyme he beseged the great Toure in Athenes: He made his Archers binde there shafte heades a∣boute wyth towe, and than set it on fyre and shoote thē, whych thyng done by many Archers set all the places on fyre, whych were of matter to burne: and besydes that dased the men wythin, so y^• they knewe not whyther to turne them. But to make an ende of all heades for warre I woulde wyshe that the head makers of Englande shoulde make their sheafe ar∣rowe heades more harder poynted then they be:

for I my selfe haue sene of late suche heades set vpō sheafe Arrowes, as y^• officers yf they had sene them woulde not haue bene content wyth all.

Now as concernyng heades for pryckyng, which is oure purpose, there be dyuerse kyndes, some be blonte heades, some sharpe, some bothe blonte and sharpe. The blont heades men vse bycause they per∣ceaue them to be good, to kepe a lengthe wyth all, they kepe a good lengthe, bycause a man poulethe them no ferder at one tyme than at another. For in felynge the plompe ende alwayes equallye he maye lowse them. Yet in a winde, and agaynste the wynd the wether hath so much power on the brode end, y^• no man can kepe no sure lengthe, wyth such a heade. Therfore a blont hede in a caulme or downe a wind is very good, otherwyse none worse.

Sharpe heades at the ende wythout anye shoul∣ders (I call that the shoulder in a heade whyche a mans finger shall feele afore it come to the poynte) wyll perche quycklye throughe a wynde, but yet it hath .ii. discommodities, the one that it wyll kepe no lengthe, it kepeth no lengthe, bycause no manne can poule it certaynly as far one tyme as at an other: it is not drawen certaynlye so far one tyme as at an o∣ther, bycause it lackethe shouldrynge wherwyth as wyth a sure token a man myghte be warned when to lowse, and also bycause menne are afrayde of the sharpe poynt for settyng it in y^• bow. The seconde in cōmoditie is when it is lyghted on y^• ground, y^• smal poynte shall at euerye tyme be in ieopardye of hur∣rynge, whyche thynge of all other wyll sones make

the shafte lese the lengthe. Now when blonte hea∣des be good to kepe a lengthe wythall, yet noughte for a wynde, sharpe heades good to perche the we∣ther wyth al, yet nought for a length, certayne heade makers dwellyng in London perceyuynge the com¦moditie of both kynde of heades ioyned wyth a dis∣commoditie, inuented newe files and other instru∣mentes where wyth he broughte heades for pryc∣kynge to such a perfitnesse, that all the commodities of the twoo other heades should be put in one heade wyth out anye discommoditie at all. They made a certayne kynde of heades whyche men call hie rig∣ged, creased, or shouldred heades, or syluer spone heades, for a certayne lykenesse that suche heades haue wyth the knob ende of some syluer spones.

These heades be good both to kepe a length withal and also to perche a wynde wythal, to kepe a length wythall bycause a man maye certaynly poule it to the shouldrynge euery shoote & no farther, to perche a wynde wythall bycause the pointe from the shoul¦der forwarde, breketh the wether as al other sharpe thynges doo. So the blonte shoulder seruethe for a sure lengthe kepynge, the poynte also is euerfit, for a roughe and greate wether percyng. And thus much as shortlye as I could, as concernyng heades both for war & peace

PHI.

But is there no cūning as con cerning setting on of y^• head?

TOX.

Wel remēbred But that poynt belongeth to fletchers, yet you may desyre hym to set youre heade, full on, and close on. Ful on is whan the wood is bet hard vp to the ende or stoppynge of the heade, close on, is when there is

lefte wood on euerye syde the shafte, ynoughe to fyll the head withall, or when it is neyther to little nor yet to greate. If there be any faulte in anye of these poyntes, y^• head whan it lyghteth on any hard stone or grounde wil be in ieoperdy, eyther of breakynge, or els otherwyse hurtynge. Stoppynge of heades eyther wyth leade, or any thynge els, shall not nede now, bycause euery siluer spone, or showldred head is stopped of it selfe. Shorte heades be better than longe: For firste the longe head is worse for the ma∣ker to fyle strayght compace euery waye: agayne it is worse for the fletcher to set strayght on: thyrdlye it is alwayes in more ieoperdie of breakinge, whan it is on. And nowe I trowe Philologe, we haue done as concernynge all Instrumentes belongyng to shootynge, whiche euery sere archer ought, to pro¦uyde for hym selfe. And there remayneth .ii thynges behinde, whiche be generall or cōmon to euery man the Wether & the Barke, but bicause they be so knit wyth shootynge strayght, or kepynge of a lengthe, I wyll deferre them to that place, and now we will come (God wyllyng) to handle oure instrumentes, the thing that euery man desireth to do wel.

PHI.

If you can teache me so well to handle these instrumē∣tes as you haue described them, I suppose I shalbe an archer good ynough.

TOX.

To learne any thing (as you knowe better than I Philologe) & special∣lye to do a thing w^t a mannes handes, must be done if a man woulde be excellent, in his youthe. Yonge trees in gardens, which lacke al senses, and beastes w^tout reson, when they be yong, may with handling

and teaching, be brought to wonderfull thynges.

And this is not onely true in natural thinges, but in artificiall thinges to, as the potter most connyngly doth cast his pottes whan his claye is softe & work∣able, and waxe taketh printe whan it is warme, & leathie weke, not whan claye and waxe be hard and oulde: and euen so, euerye man in his youthe, bothe with witte and body is moste apte and pliable to re∣ceyue any cunnyng that shulde be taught hym.

This cōmunication of teaching youthe, maketh me to remembre the right worshipfull and my singuler good mayster, Sir Humfrey Wingfelde, to who•• nexte God, I ought to refer for his manifolde bene∣fites bestowed on me, the poore talent of learnyng, which god hath lent me: & For his sake do I owe my seruice to all other of the name & noble house of the Wyngfeldes, bothe in woord and dede. Thys wor∣shypfull man hath euer loued and vsed, to haue ma∣ny children brought vp in learnynge in his house a∣monges whome I my selfe was one. For whom at terme tymes he woulde bryng downe from Londō both bowe and shaftes. And when they shuld playe he woulde go with them him selfe in to the fyelde, & se them shoote, and he that shot fayrest, shulde haue the best bowe and shaftes, and he that shot ilfauou∣redlye, shulde be mocked of his felowes, till he shot better.

Woulde to god all Englande had vsed or wolde vse to lay the foundacion of youth, after the example of this worshipful man in bringyng vp chyldren in the

Booke and the Bowe: by whiche two thynges, the hole common welth both in peace and warre is che∣felye ruled and defended wythall.

But to our purpose, he that muste come to this high perfectnes in shootyng whiche we speake of, muste nedes begin to learne it in hys youthe, the omitting of whiche thinge in Englande, bothe maketh fewer shooters, and also euery man that is a shoter, shote warse than he myght, if he were taught.

PHI.

Euen as I knowe that this is true, whiche you saye, euen so Toxophile, haue you quyte discouraged me, and drawen my minde cleane from shootynge, seinge by this reason, no man y^• hath not vsed it in his youthe can be excellent in it. And I suppose the same reson woulde discourage many other mo, yf they hearde you talke after this sorte.

TOX.

This thyng Phi∣lologe, shall discourage no man that is wyse. For I wyll proue y^t wisdome maye worke the same thinge in a man, that nature doth in a chylde.

A chylde by thre thinges, is brought to excellen∣cie. By Aptnesse, Desire, and Feare: Aptnesse ma∣keth hym pliable lyke waxe to be formed and fashio∣ned, euen as a man woulde haue hym. Desyre to be as good or better, than his felowes: and Feare of them whome he is vnder, wyl cause hym take great labour and payne with diligent hede, in learnynge any thinge, wherof procedeth at the laste excellency and perfectnesse.

A man maye by wisdome in learnyng any thing, and specially to shoote, haue thre lyke commodities also, wherby he maye, as it were become younge a∣gayne,

and so attayne to excellencie. For as a childe is apte by naturall youth, so a man by vsyng at the first weake bowes, far vnderneth his strength, shal be as pliable and readye to be taught fayre shotyng as any chylde: and daylye vse of the same, shal both kepe hym in fayer shotyng, and also at y^• last bryng hym to stronge shootynge.

And in stede of the feruente desyre, which prouoketh a chylde to be better than hys felowe, lette a man be as muche stirred vp with shamefastnes to be worse than all other. And the same place that feare hathe in a chylde, to compell him to take peyne, the same hath loue of shotyng in a man, to cause hym forsake no labour, withoute whiche no man nor chylde can be excellent. And thus whatsoeuer a chylde may be taught by Aptnesse, Desire, & Feare, the same thing in shootynge, maye a man be taughte by weake bo∣wes, Shamefastnesse and Loue.

And hereby you maye se that that is true whiche Cicero sayeth, that a man by vse, may be broughte to a newe nature. And this I dare be bould to saye, that any man whiche will wisely begynne, and con∣stantlye perseuer in this trade of learnyng to shote, shall attayne to perfectnesse therin.

PHI.

This com¦munication Toxophile, doeth please me verye well, and nowe I perceyue that moste generally & chefly youthe muste be taughte to shoote, and secondarilye no man is debarred therfrom excepte it be more tho∣rough his owne negligence for bicause he wyll not learne, than any disabilitie, bicause he can not lerne.

Therfore seyng I wyll be glad to folowe your coū∣sell in chosynge my bowe and other instrumentes, and also am ashamed that I can shote no better thā I can, moreouer hauynge suche a loue toward sho∣tynge by your good reasons to day, that I wyl for∣sake no labour in the exercise of the same, I beseche you imagyn that we had bothe bowe and shaftes here, and teache me how I should handle them, and one thynge I desyre you, make me as fayre an Ar∣cher as you can.

For thys I am sure in learnynge all other mat∣ters, nothynge is broughte to the moost profytable vse, which is not handled after the moost cumlye fa∣siō. As masters of fēce haue no stroke fit ether to hit an other or els to defende hym selfe, whyche is not ioyned wyth a wonderfull cumlinesse. A Cooke cā not chop hys herbes neither quickelye nor hansom∣lye excepte he kepe suche a mesure wyth hys chop∣pynge kniues as woulde delyte a manne bothe to se hym and heare hym.

Euerye hand craft man that workes best for hys owne profyte, workes most semelye to other mens sight. Agayne in buyldynge a house, in makynge a shyppe, euery parte the more hansomely, they be ioy¦ned for profyt and laste, the more cumlye they be fa∣shioned to euery mans syght and eye. Nature it selfe taught men to ioyne alwayes welfauourednesse w^t profytablenesse. As in man, that ioynt or pece which is by anye chaunce depriued of hys cumlynesse the same is also debarred of hys vse and profytable∣nesse.

As he that is gogle eyde and lokes a squinte hath both hys countenaunce clene marred, and hys sight sore blemmyshed, and so in all other members lyke. Moreouer what tyme of the yeare bryngeth mooste profyte wyth it for mans vse, the same also couereth and dekketh bothe earthe and trees wyth moost cū∣lynesse for mans pleasure. And that tyme whych ta∣kethe awaye the pleasure of the grounde, carieth w^t hym also the profyt of the grounde, as euery man by experience knoweth in harde and roughe winters. Some thynges there be whych haue no other ende, but onely cumlynesse, as payntyng, and Daunsing. And vertue it selfe is nothynge eles but cumlynesse, as al Philosophers do agree in opinion, therfore se∣ynge that whych is best do••e in anye matters, is al∣wayes moost cumlye done as both Plato and Cice∣ro in manye places do proue, and daylye experience dothe teache in other thynges, I pr••ye you as I sayde before teatche me to shoote as f••yre, and wel∣fauouredly as you can imagen.

TOX.

Trewlye Philologe as you proue verye well in other matters, the best shootynge, is alway∣es the moost cumlye shootynge but thys you know as well as I that Crassus shewethe in Cicero that as cumlinesse is the chefe poynt, & most to be sought for in all thynges, so cumlynesse onlye, can neuer be taught by any Arte or craft. But may be perceyued well whē it is done, not described wel how it should be done.

Yet neuerthelesse to comme to it there be ma∣nye waye whych wayes men haue assayde in other

matters, as yf a man would folowe in learnynge to shoote faire, the noble paynter Zeuxes in payntyng Helena, whyche to make his Image bewtifull dyd chose out .v. of the fayrest maydes in al the countrie aboute, and in beholdynge them conceyued & drewe out suche an Image that it far exceded al other, by∣cause the comelinesse of them al was broughte in to one moost perfyte comelinesse: So lykewyse in sho∣tynge yf a man, woulde set before hys eyes .v. or .vi. of the fayreste Archers that euer he saw shoote, and of one learue to stande, of a nother to drawe, of an other tolowse, and so take of euery man, what eue∣ry man coulde do best, I dare saye he shoulde come to suche a comlynesse as neuer man came to yet. As for an example, if the moost comely poynte in shoo∣tynge that Hewe Prophete the Kynges seruaunte hath and as my frendes Thomas and Raufe Can∣trell doth vse w^t the moost semelye facyons that .iii. or iiii. excellent Archers haue beside, were al ioyned in one, I am sure all men woulde wonder at y^• excel∣lencie of it. And this is one waye to learne to shoote fayre.

PHI.

This is very wel truly, but I praye you teache me somewhat of shootyng fayre youre selfe.

TOX.

I can teache you to shoote fayre, euen as So trates taught a man ones to knowe God, for when he axed hym what was God: naye sayeth he I can tell you better what God is not, as God is not yll, God is vnspeakeable, vnsearcheable and so forth: Euen lykewyse can I saye of fayre shootyng, it hath not this discommodite with it nor that discommo∣ditie, and at last a man maye so shifte all the discom∣modities

from shootynge that there shall be left no thynge behynde but fayre shootynge. And to do this the better you must remember howe that I toulde you when I descrybed generally the hole nature of shootyng that fayre shotyng came of these thynges, of standynge, nockynge, drawynge, hewldynge and lowsynge, the whych I wyll go ouer as shortly as I can, describynge the discommodities that men cō∣monlye vse in all partes of theyr bodies, that you yf you faulte in any such maye knowe it & so go about to am end it. Faultes in Archers do excede the num∣ber of Archers, whyche come wyth vse of shootynge wythoute teachynge. Use and custome separated from knowlege and learnynge, doth not onely hurt shootynge, but the moost weyghtye thynges in the worlde beside: And therfore I maruayle moche at those people whyche be the mayneteners of vses w^t oute knowledge hauynge no other worde in theyr mouthe but thys vse, vse, custome, custome. Suche men more wylful than wyse, beside other discommo ties, take all place and occasion from al amendmēt. And thys I speake generally of vse and custome.

Whych thynge yf a learned man had it in hande y^• woulde applye it to any one matter, he myght han∣dle it wonderfullye. But as for shootyng, vse is the onely cause of all fautes in it and therfore chylderne more easly and soner maye be taught to shote excel∣lentlye then men, bycause chylderne may be taught to shoote well at the fyrste, men haue more payne to vnlearne theyr yll vses, than they haue laboure af∣terwarde to come to good shootynge.

All the discommodities whiche ill custome hath graffed in archers, can neyther be quycklye poulled out, nor yet sone reckened of me, they be so manye.

Some shooteth, his head forwarde as though he woulde byte the marke: an other stareth wyth hys eyes, as though they shulde flye out: An other win keth with one eye, and loketh with the other: Some make a face with writhing theyr mouthe and coun∣tenaunce so, as though they were doyng you wotte what: An other blereth out his tonge: An other by∣teth his lyppes: An other holdeth his necke a wrye. In drawyng some fet suche a compasse, as thoughe they woulde tourne about, and blysse all the feelde: Other heaue theyr hand nowe vp now downe, that a man can not decerne wherat they wolde shote, an other waggeth the vpper ende of his bow one way, the neyther ende an other waye. An other wil stand poyntinge his shafte at the marke a good whyle and by and by he wyli gyue hym a whip, and awaye or a man wite. An other maketh suche a wrestling with his gere, as thoughe he were able to shoote no more as longe as he lyned. An other draweth foftly to y^• middes, and by and by it is gon, you can not knowe howe.

An other draweth his shafte lowe at the breaste, as thoughe he woulde shoote at a rouynge marke, and by and by he lifteth his arme vp pricke heyghte. An other maketh a wrynchinge with hys backe, as though a manne pynched hym behynde.

An other coureth downe, and layeth out his buttoc∣kes, as though he shoulde shoote at crowes.

An other setteth forwarde hys lefte legge, and dra∣weth backe wyth head and showlders, as thou ghe he pouled at a rope, orels were afrayed of y^• marke. An other draweth his shafte well, vntyll wythin .ii. fyngers of the head, and than he stayeth a lyttle, to looke at hys marke, and that done, pouleth it vp to the head, and lowseth: whych waye although sume excellent shooters do vse, yet surely it is a faulte, and good mennes faultes are not to be folowed.

Summe men drawe to farre, summe to shorte, sūme to slwolye, summe to quickely, summe holde ouer longe, summe lette go ouer sone.

Summe sette theyr shafte on the grounde, and fet∣cheth him vpwarde. An other poynteth vp to warde the skye, and so bryngeth hym downewardes.

Ones I sawe a manne whyche vsed a brasar on his cheke, or elles he had scratched all the skynne of the one syde, of his face, with his drawynge hand. An other I sawe, whiche at euerye shoote, after the loose, lyfted vp his ryght legge so far, that he was euer in ieoperdye of faulyng.

Summe stampe forwarde, and summe leape back∣warde. All these faultes be eyther in the drawynge, or at the loose: w^t many other mo whiche you may easelye perceyue, and so go about to auoyde them.

Nowe afterwarde whan the shafte is gone, men haue manye faultes, whyche euell Custome hath broughte them to, and specially in cryinge after the shafte, & speakynge woordes scarce honest for suche an honest pastyme.

Suche woordes be verye tokens of an ill mynde, and manifeste ••gnes of a man that is subiecte to in∣mesurable affections. Good mennes eares do abhor them, and an houest man therfore wyl auoyde them. And besydes those whiche muste nedes haue theyr tongue thus walkynge, other men vse other fautes as some will take theyr bowe and writhe & wrinche it, to poule in his shafte, when it flyeth wyde, as yf he draue a carte. Some wyl gyue two or .iii. strydes forwarde, daunsing and hoppynge after his shafte, as long as it flyeth, as though he were a mad man. Some which feare to be to farre gone, runne backe∣warde as it were to poule his shafte backe. Another tunneth forwarde, whan he feareth to be short, hea∣uynge after his armes, as though he woulde helpe his shafte to flye. An other writhes or runneth a syde, to poule in his shafte strayght. One lifteth vp his heele, and so holdeth his foote still, as longe as his shafte flyeth. An other casteth his arme backe∣warde after the lowse. And an other swynges hys bowe aboute hym, as it were a man with a staffe to make roume in a game place. And manye other faultes there be, which nowe come not to my remē∣braunce. Thus as you haue hearde, many archers wyth marrynge theyr face and countenaunce, wyth other partes, of theyr bodye, as it were menne that shoulde daunce antiques, be farre from the comelye porte in shootynge, whiche he that woulde be excel∣lent muste looke for.

Of these faultes I haue verie many my selfe, but I talke not of my shootynge, but of the generall na∣ture

of shootynge. Nowe ymagin an Archer that is cleane wythout al these faultes & I am sure euerye man would be delyted to se hym shoote.

And althoughe suche a perfyte cumlynesse can not be expressed wyth any precepte of teachyng, as Cicero and other learned menne do saye, yet I wyll speake (according to my lytle knowlege) that thing in it, whych yf you folowe, althoughe you shall not be wythout fault, yet your fault shal neyther quick∣ly be perceued, nor yet greatly rebuked of them that stande by. Standyng, nockyng, drawyng, holdyng, lowsyng, done as they shoulde be done, make fayre shootynge.

The fyrste poynte is when a man shoulde shote, to take suche footyng and standyng as shal be both cumlye to the eye and profytable to hys vse, settyng hys countenaunce and al the other partes of his bo∣dye after suche a behauiour and porte, that bothe al hys strengthe may be employed to hys owne moost auaūtage, and hys shoot made and handled to other mens pleasure and delyte. A man must not go to ha∣stely to it, for that is rashnesse, nor yet make to much to do about it, for y^• is curiosit••e, y^• one fote must not stande to far fro the other, leste he stoupe to muche whyche is vnsemelye, nor yet to nere to gether, leste he stande to streyght vp, for so a man shall neyther vse hys strengthe well, nor yet stande stedfastlye.

The meane betwyxt bothe must be kept, a thing more pleasaunte to behoulde when it is done, than rasie to be taught howe it shoulde be done.

To nocke well is the easiest poynte of all, and

there in is no cunninge, but onelye dylygente hede gyuyng, to set hys shaft neyther to hye nor to lowe, but euen streyght ouertwharte hys bowe, Uncon∣staute nockynge maketh a man leese hys lengthe.

And besydes that, yf the shafte hande be hye and the bowe hand lowe, or contrarie, bothe the bowe is in ieopardye of brekynge, and the shafte, yf it be lytle, wyll start: yf it be great it wyll hobble. Nocke the cocke fether vpward alwayes as I toulde you whē I described the fether. And be sure alwayes y^• your stringe slip not out of the nocke, for than al is in ••eo∣pardye of breakynge.

Drawynge well is the best parte of shootyng. Men in oulde tyme vsed other maner of drawynge than we do. They vsed to drawe low at the brest, to the ryght pap and no farther, and this to be trew is playne in Homer, where he descrybeth Pandarus shootynge.

Vp to the pap his stringe dyd he pul, his shafte to the hard heed.

The noble women of Scythia vsed the same fa∣shyon of shootyng low at the brest, and bicause their lefte pap hindred theyr shootynge at the lowse they cut it of when they were yonge, and therfore be they called in lackynge theyr pap Amazones. Nowe a dayes contrarye wyse we drawe to the ryghte eare and not to the pap. Whether the olde way in draw∣ynge low to the pap, or the new way to draw a loft to the eare be better, an excellente wryter in Greke called Procopius doth saye hys mynde, shewyng y^•

the oulde fashion in drawing to y^• pap was nought, of no pithe, and therfore saith Procopius: is Artylla ••ye dispraysed in Homer whych calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1. Weake and able to do no good. Drawyng to the eare he prayseth greatly, whereby men shoote both stronger and longer: drawynge therfore to the eare is better than to drawe at the breste. And one thyng commeth into my remembraunce nowe Philologe when I speake of drawyng, that I neuer red of o∣ther kynde of shootyng, than drawing wyth a mās hand ether to the breste or eare: This thyng haue I sought for in Homer Herodotus and Plutarch, and therfore I meruayle how crosbowes came fyrst vp, of the which I am sure a man shall finde lytle men∣tion made on in any good Authour. Leo the Em∣peroure woulde haue hys souldyers drawe quyck∣lye in warre, for that maketh a shaft flie a pace. In shootynge at the pryckes, hasty and quicke drawing is neyther sure nor yet cumlye. Therfore to drawe easely and vniformely, that is for to saye not wag∣gyng your hand, now vpwarde, now downe warde, but alwayes after one fashion vntil you come to the rig or shouldring of y^• head, is best both for profit & semelinesse. Holdynge must not be longe, for it bothe putteth a bowe in ieopardy, & also marreth a mans shoote, it must be so lytle y^• it maye be perceyued bet∣ter in a mans mynde when it is done, than seene w^t a mans eyes when it is in doyng.

Lowsynge muste be muche lyke. So quycke and hard y^• it ••e wyth oute all girdes, so softe and gentle

that the shafte flye not as it were sente out of a bow case. The meane betwixt bothe, whyche is perfyts lowsynge is not so hard to be folowed inshootynge as it is to be descrybed in teachyng. For cleane low∣synge you must take hede of hyttynge any thynge a boute you. And for the same purpose Leo the Em∣perour would haue al Archers in war to haue both theyr heades pouled, and there berdes shauen leste the heare of theyr heades shuld stop the syght of the eye, the heere of theyr berdes hinder the course of the strynge.

And these preceptes I am sure Philologe yf you folowe in standyng, nockyng, drawynge, holdynge, and lowsynge, shal bryng you at the last to excellent fayre shootynge.

PHI.

All these thynges Toxohi∣le althoughe I bothe nowe perceyue them thorow∣lye, and also wyll remember them diligently: yet to morowe or some other day whē you haue leasure we wyll go to the pryckes, and put them by lytle and ly∣tle in experience. For teachynge not folowed, doeth euen as muche good as bookes neuer looked vpon. But nowe seing you haue taught me to shote fayre, I praye you tel me somwhat, how I should shoote nere leste that prouerbe myght be sayd iustlye of me sometyme. He shootes lyke a gentle man fayre & far of.

TOX.

He that can shoote fayre, lacketh nothyng but shootyng streyght and kepyng of a length wher of commeth hyttynge of the marke, the ende both of shootyng and also of thys our communication. The handlyng of y^• wether & the mark bicause they belōg to shootyng streyghte, and kepynge of a lengthe, I

wyll ioyne them togyther, shewinge what thinges belonge to kepynge of a lengthe, and what to shoo∣tynge streyght.

The greatest enemy of shootyng is the wynde and the wether, wherby true kepyng a lengthe is chefe∣ly hindered. If this thing were not, men by teaching might be brought to wonderful neare shootynge. It is no maruayle if the litle poore shafte being sent alone, so high in to the ayer, into a great rage of we∣ther, one wynde tossinge it that waye, an other thys waye, it is no maruayle I saye, thoughe it leese the lengthe, and misse that place, where the shooter had thought to haue founde it. Greter matters than sho tynge are vnder the rule and wyll of the wether, as saylynge on the sea. And lykewise as in sayling, the ••he chefe poynt of a good master, is to knowe the to∣kens of chaunge of wether, the course of the wyn∣des, that therby he maye the better come to the Ha∣uen: euen so the best propertie of a good shooter, is to knowe the nature of the wyndes, with hym and agaynste hym, that thereby he maye the nerer shote at hys marke. Wyse maysters whan they canne not winne the beste hauen, they are gladde of the nexte: Good shooters also, y^• can not whan they would hit the marke, wil labour to come as nigh as they can. All thinges in this worlde be vnperfite and vncon∣stant, therfore let euery man acknowlege hys owne weakenesse, in all matters great and smal, weyght∣••ye and merye, and glorifie him, in whome only p••••∣fyte perfitnesse is. But nowe sir, he that wyll at all aduentures vse the seas knowinge no more what is

to be done in a tempest than in a caulme, shall soone becumme a marchaunt of Eele skinnes: so that sho∣ter whiche putteth no difference, but shooteth in all lyke, in rough wether and fayre, shall alwayes put his wynninges in his eyes.

Ly••le botes and thinne boordes, can not endure the rage of a tempest. Weake bowes, & lyght shaf∣tes can not stande in a rough wynde. And lyke wyse as a blynde man which shoulde go to a place where he had neuer ben afore, that hath but one strayghte waye to it, and of eyther syde hooles and pyttes to faule into, nowe falleth in to this hole and than into that hole, and neuer cōmeth to his iourney ende, but wandereth alwaies here and there, farther and far∣ther of: So that archer which ignorauntly shoteth considering neyther fayer nor foule, standynge nor nockynge, fether nor head, drawynge nor lowsyng, nor yet any compace, shall alwayes shote shorte and gone, wyde and farre of, and neuer cumme nere, ex∣cepte perchaunce he stumble sumtyme on the marke For ignoraunce is nothynge elles but mere blynde∣nesse.

A mayster of a shippe first learneth to knowe the cum myng of a tempest, the nature of it, and howe to behaue hym selfe in it, eyther with chaungynge his course, or poullynge downe his hye toppes and brode sayles, beyng glad to eschue as muche of the wether as he can: Euen so a good archer wyl fyrste wyth diligent vse and markynge the wether, learne to knowe the nature of the wynde, and with wyse∣dome, wyll measure in hys mynde, howe muche it

wyll alter his shoote, eyther in lengthe kepynge, or els in streyght shotynge, and so with chaunging his standynge, or takynge an other shafte, the whiche he knoweth perfytlye to be fitter for his pourpose, ey∣ther bycause it is lower fethered, orels bycause it is of a better wyng, wyll so handle w^t discretion hys shoote, that he shall seeme rather to haue the wether vnder hys rule, by good hede gyuynge, than the we∣ther to rule hys shafte by any sodayne chaungyng.

Therefore in shootynge there is as muche diffe∣rence betwixt an archer that is a good wether man, and an other that knoweth and marketh nothynge, as is betwixte a blynde man, and he that can se.

Thus, as concernynge the wether, a perfyte ar∣cher muste firste learne to knowe the sure flyghte of his shaftes, that he may be boulde alwayes, to trust them, than muste he learne by daylye experience all maner of kyndes of wether, the tokens of it, whan it wyll cumme, the nature of it whan it is cūme, the diuersitie and alteryng of it, whan it chaungeth, the decrease & diminishing of it, whā it ceaseth. Thirdly these thinges knowen, and euery shoote diligentlye marked, than must a man cōpare alwayes, the we∣ther and his footyng togyther, and with discretion measure them so, that what so euer the roughe we∣ther shall take awaye from hys shoote the same shal luste footynge restore agayne to hys shoote.

Thys thynge well knowen, and discretelye han∣deled in shootynge, bryngeth more profite and com∣mendation and prayse to an Archer, than any other thynge besydes.

He that woulde knowe perfectly the winde and we∣ther, muste put differences betwixte tymes. For di∣uersitie of tyme causeth diuersitie of wether, as in the whole yeare, Sprynge tyme, Somer, Faule of the leafe, and Winter: Lykewyse in one day Mor∣nynge, Noonetyme, After noone, and Euentyde, bothe alter the wether, and chaunge a mā••es bowe wyth the strength of man also. And to knowe that this is so, is ynough for a shoter & artillerie, and not to serche the cause, why it shoulde be so: whiche be∣longeth to a learned man and Philosophie.

In consydering the tyme of the yeare, a wyse Ar∣cher wyll folowe a good Shipman. In Winter & rough wether, smal bootes and lytle pinkes forsake the seas: And at one tyme of the yeare, no Gallies come abrode: So lykewyse weake Archers, vsyng small and holowe shaftes, with bowes of litle pith, muste be content to gyue place for a tyme.

And this I do not saye, eyther to discōmende or dis∣courage any weake shooter: For lykewyse, as there is no shippe better than Gallies be, in a softe and a caulme sea, so no man shooteth cumlier or nerer hys marke, than some weake archers doo, in a fayre and cleare daye.

Thus euery archer must knowe, not onely what bowe and shafte is fittest for him to shoote withall, but also what tyme & season is best for hym to shote in. And surely, in al other matters to, amonge al de∣grees of men, there is no man which doth any thing eyther more discretely for his commendation, or yet more profitable for his aduauntage, than he which

wyll knowe perfitly for what matter and for what tyme he is moost apte and fit. Yf men woulde go a∣boute matters whych they should do and be fit for, not suche thynges whyche wylfullye they desyre & yet be vnfit for, verely greater matters in the cōmon welthe than shootyng shoulde be in better case than they be. This ignorauncie in men whyche know not for what tyme, and to what thynge they be fit, cau∣seth some wyshe to be riche, for whome it were bet∣ter a greate deale to be poore: other to be medlynge in euery mans matter, for whome it were more ho∣nestie to be quiete and styll. Some to desire to be in the Courte, whiche be borne and be fitter rather for the carte. Somme to be maysters and rule other, whiche neuer yet began to rule them selfe: some al∣wayes to iangle and taulke, whych rather shoulde heare and kepe silēce. Some to teache, which rather should learne. Some to be prestes, whiche were fy••∣ter to be clerkes. And thys peruerse iudgement of y^• worlde, when men mesure them selfe a misse, brin∣geth muche mysorder and greate vnsemelynesse to the hole body of the common wealth, as yf a manne should were his hoose vpon his heade, or a woman go wyth a sworde and a buckeler euery man would take it as a greate vncumlynesse although it be but a tryfle in respecte of the other.

Thys peruerse iudgement of men hindreth no thynge so much as learuynge, bycause commonlye those whych be vnfittest for learnyng, be cheyfly set to learnynge.

As yf a man nowe a dayes haue two sonnes, the

one impotent, weke, s••ckly, lispynge, stuttynge, and stamerynge, or hauynge any misshape in his bodye: what doth the father of suche one commonlye saye? This boye is fit for nothynge els, but to set to ler∣nyng and make a prest of, as who would say, y^• out∣castes of the worlde, hauyng neyther countenaūce tounge nor wit (for of a peruerse bodye cūmeth com¦monly a peruerse mynde) be good ynough to make those men of, whiche shall be appoynted to preache Goddes holye woorde, and minister hys blessed sa∣cramentes, besydes other moost weyghtye matters in the common welthe put ofte tymes, and worthe∣lye to learned mennes discretion and charge: whan rather suche an offyce so hygh in dignitie, so godlye in administration, shulde be committed to no man, whiche shulde not haue a countenaunce full of cum∣lynesse to allure good menne, a bodye ful of manlye authoritie to feare ill men, a witte apte for al lear∣nynge with tongue and voyce, able to perswade all men. And although fewe suche men as these can be founde in a common wealthe, yet surely a godly dis posed man, will bothe in his mynde thyncke fit, and with al his studie labour to get such men as I speke of, or rather better, if better can be gotten for suche an hie administration, whiche is most properlye ap∣poynted to goddes owne matters and businesses.

This peruerse iugement of fathers as concernynge the fitnesse and vnfitnesse of theyr chyldren causeth the cōmon wealthe haue many vnfit ministers: And seyng that ministers be, as a man woulde say, instru¦mentes wherw^t the cōmon wealthe doeth worke all

her matters w^tall, I maruayle bowe it chaūteth y^• a pore shomaker hath so much wit, y^• he will prepare no instrument for his science neither knyfe nor aule, nor nothing els whiche is not very fitte for him: the cōmon wealthe can be content to take at a fonde fa∣thers hande, the rifraffe of the worlde, to make those instrumentes of, wherw^tal she shoulde worke y^• hiest matters vnder heauen. And surely an aule of lead is not so vnprofitable in a shomakers shop, as an vnfit minister, made of grosse metal, is vnsemely in y^• cō∣mō welth. Fathers in olde time among y^• noble Per¦sians might not do w^t theyr childrē as they thought good, but as the iudgement of the cōmon wealth al¦wayes thought best. This fault of fathers bringeth many a blot w^t it, to the great deformitie of the com¦mon wealthe: & here surely I can prayse gentlewo∣men which haue alwayes at hande theyr glasses, to se if any thinge be amisse, & so will amende it, yet the cōmon wealth hauing y^• glasse of knowlege in euery mans hand, doth se such vncumlines in it: & yet win keth at it. This faulte & many suche lyke, myght be sone wyped awaye, yf fathers woulde bestow their children on y^• thing alwayes, whervnto nature hath ordeined them moste apte & fit. For if youth be graf∣ted streyght, & not awrye, the hole cōmon welth wil florish therafter. Whan this is done, than muste e∣uery man beginne to be more ready to amende hym selfe, than to checke an other, measuryng their mat∣ters with that wise prouerbe of Apollo, Knowe thy selfe: that is tosaye, learne to knowe what thou arte able, fitte, and apte vnto, and folowe that.

This thinge shulde be bothe cuml••e to the cōmon wealthe, and moost profitable for euery one, as doth appere very well in all wise mennes deades, & speci∣ally to turne to our communication agayne in shoo∣tynge, where wise archers haue alwayes theyr in∣strumentes fit for theyr strength, & wayte euermore suche tyme and wether, as is most agreable to their gere. Therfore if the wether be to sore, and vnfit for your shootynge, leaue of for that daye, and wayte a better season. For he is a foole y^• wyl not go, whome necessitie driueth.

PHI.

This cōmunication of yours pleased me so well Corophile, that surelye I was not hastie to calle you, to descrybe forthe the wether but with all my harte woulde haue suffered you yet to haue stande longer in this matter. For these thin∣ges touched of you by chaunse, and by the waye, be farre aboue the matter it selfe, by whose occasion y^• other were broughte in.

TOX.

Weyghtye matters they be in dede, and fit bothe in an other place to be spoken: & of an other man than I am, to be handled. And bycause meane men must meddle wyth meane matters, I wyl go for warde in descrybyng the we∣ther, as concernynge shooting: and as I toulde you before, In the hole yere, Spring tyme, Somer, Fal of the leafe, and Winter: and in one day, Morning, Noone tyme, After noone, and Euentyde, altereth the course of the wether, the pith of the bowe, the strength of the man. And in euery one of these times the wether altereth, as sumtyme wyndie, sumtyme caulme, sumtyme cloudie, sumtyme clere, sumtyme ••ote, sumtyme coulde, the wynde sumtyme mo••stye

and thicke, sumtyme drye and smothe. A litle winde in a moystie day, stoppeth a shafte more than a good whiskynge wynde in a clere daye. Yea, and I haue sene whan there hath bene no winde at all, the ayer so mistie and thicke, that both the markes haue ben wonderfull great. And ones, whan the Plage was in Cambrige, the downe winde twelue score marke for the space of .iii. weekes, was .xiii. score, and an halfe, and into the wynde, beynge not very great, a great deale aboue .xiiii. score.

The winde is sumtyme playne vp and downe, whiche is commonly moste certayne, and requireth least knowlege, wherin a meane shoter with meane geare, if he can shoote home, maye make best shifte. A syde wynde tryeth an archer and good gere verye muche. Sumtyme it bloweth a lofte, sumtyme hard by the grounde: Sumtyme it bloweth by blastes, & sumtyme it continueth al in one: Sumtyme ful side wynde, sumtyme quarter with hym and more, and lykewyse agaynst hym, as a man with castynge vp lyght grasse, orels if he take good hede, shall sensibly learne by experience. To se the wynde, with a man his eyes, it is vnpossible, the nature of it is so fyne, and subtile, yet this experience of the wynde had I ones my selfe, and that was in the great snowe that fell .iiii. yeares agoo: I rode in the hye waye betwirt Topcliffe vpon Swale, and Borowe bridge, the waye beyng sumwhat trodden afore, by waye fay, rynge men. The feeldes on bothe sides were playne and laye almost yearde depe with snowe, the nyght afore had ben a litle froste, so y^• the snowe was hard

& crusted aboue. That morning the sun shone brigh•• and clere, the winde was whistelinge a lofte, and sharpe accordynge to the tyme of the yeare. The snowe in the hye waye laye lowse and troden wyth horse feete: so as the wynde blewe, it toke the lowse snow with it, and made it so slide vpon the snowe in the felde whyche was harde and crusted by reason of the frost ouer nyght, that therby I myght se ve∣rye wel, the hole nature of the wynde as it blewe y^• daye. And I had a great delyte & pleasure to marke it, whyche maketh me now far better to remember it. Sometyme the wynd would be not past .ii. year∣des brode, and so it would carie the snowe as far as I coulde se. An other tyme the snow woulde blowe ouer halfe the felde at ones. Sometyme the snowe woulde tomble softly, by and by it would flye won∣derfull fast. And thys I perceyued also that y^• wind goeth by streames & not hole togither. For I should se one streame wyth in a Score on me, thā the space of .ii. score no snow would stirre, but after so muche quātitie of grounde, an other streame of snow at the same very tyme should be caryed lykewyse, but not equally. For the one would stande styll when the o∣ther flew a pace, and so contynewe somtyme swift∣lyer sometime slowlyer, sometimebroder, sometime narrower, as far as I coulde se. Nor it flewe not streight, but sometyme it crooked thys waye some∣tyme that waye, and somtyme it ran round aboute in a compase. And somtyme the snowe wold be lyft clene from the ground vp in to the ayre, and by & by it would be al clapt to the grounde as though there

had bene no winde at all, streightway it woulde rise and flye agayne.

And that whych was the moost meruayle of al, at one tyme .ii. driftes of snowe flewe, the one out of the West into y^• East, the other out of the North in to y^• East: And I saw .ii. windes by reasō of y^• snow the one crosse ouer the other, as it had bene two hye wayes. And agayne I shoulde here the wynd blow in the ayre, when nothing was stirred at the groūd. And when all was still where I rode, not verye far frō me the snow should be lifted wonderfully. This experiēce made me more meruaile at y^• nature of the wynde, than it made me conning in y^• knowlege of y^• wynd: but yet therby I learned perfitly that it is no meruayle at al thoughe men in a wynde lease theyr length in shooting, seyng so many wayes the wynde is so variable in blowynge.

But seynge that a Mayster of a shyp, be he neue•• so cunnynge, by the vncertayntye of the wynde, lee∣seth many tymes both lyfe and goodes, surelye it is no wonder, though a ryght good Archer, by the self same wynde so variable in hys owne nature, so vn∣sensyble to oure nature, leese manye a shoote and game.

The more vncertaine and disceyuable the wynd is, the more hede must a wyse Archer gyue to know the gyles of it.

He y^• doth mistrust is seldome begiled. For although therby he shall not attayne to that which is best, yet by these meanes he shall at leaste auoyde y^• whyche is worst Besyde al these kindes of windes you must

••ake hede yf you se anye cloude apere and gather by lytle and litle agaynst you, or els yf a showre of raine belyke to come vpon you: for than both the dryuing of the wether and the thyckynge of the ayre increa∣seth the marke, when after y^• showre al thynges are contrary clere and caulme, & the marke for the most parte new to begyn agayne. You must take hede al∣so yf euer you shote where one of the markes or both stondes a lytle short of a hye wall, for there you may be easlye begyled. Yf you take grasse and caste it vp to se howe the wynde standes, manye tymes you shal suppose to shoote downe the wynde, when you shote cleane agaynste the wynde. And a good reasō why. For the wynd whych commeth in dede against you, redoundeth bake agayne at the wal, and whyr∣leth backe to the prycke and a lytle farther and than turneth agayne, euen as a vehement water doeth a∣gaynste a rocke or an hye braye whyche example of water as it is more sensible to a mās eyes, so it is ne¦uer a whyt the trewer than this of the wynde. So that the grasse caste vp shall flee that waye whyche in dede is the longer marke and disceyue quycklye a shooter that is not ware of it.

This experience had I ones my selfe at Nor∣wytch in the chapel felde wythin the waulles. And thys waye I vsed in shootynge at those markes.

When I was in the myd way betwixt the markes whyche was an open place, there I toke a fether or a lytle lyght grasse and so as well as I coulde, lear∣ned how the wynd stoode, that done I wente to the ••rycke as faste as I coulde, and according as I had

foūde y^• wynde when I was in the mid waye, so I was fayne than to be content to make the best of my shoote that I coulde. Euen suche an other experiēce had I in a maner at Yorke, at the pri••kes, lying be∣twixte the castell and Ouse syde. And although you smile Philologe, to heare me tell myne owne fonde∣nes: yet seing you wil nedes haue me teach you som∣what in shotyng, I must nedes somtyme tel you of myne owne experience, & the better I may do so, by∣cause Hippocrates in teachynge phylike, vseth verye muche the same waye. Take heede also when you shoote nere the sea cost, although you be .ii. or .iii. mi∣les from the sea, for there diligent markinge shall es∣pie in the moste clere daye wonderfull chaunginge. The same is to be cōsidered lykewyse by a riuer side speciallie if it ebbe & flowe, where he y^• taketh dili∣gent hede of y^• tide & wether, shal lightly take a way al y^• he shooteth for. And thus of y^• nature of windes & wether according to my marking you haue hearde Philologe: & hereafter you shal marke farre mo your selfe, if you take hede. And the wether thus marked as I tolde you afore, you muste take hede, of youre stāding, y^• therby you may win as much as you shal loose by the wether.

PHI.

I se well it is no maruell though a man misse many tymes in shootyng, seing y^• wether is so vnconstant in blowing, but yet there is one thing whiche many archers vse, y^• shall cause a man haue lesse nede to marke the wether, & that is Ame gyuing.

TOX.

Of gyuyng Ame, I can not tel wel, what I shuld say. For in a straunge place it ta∣keth away al occasion of foule game, which is y^• on∣ly

prayse of it, yet by my iudgemēt, it hidreth y^• kno∣wlege of shotyng, & maketh men more negligente: y^• which is a disprayse. Though Ame be giuē, yet take hede, for at an other mās shote you can not wel take Ame, nor at your owne neither, bycause the wether wil alter, euen in a minute, & at the one marke & not at the other, & trouble your shafte in the ayer, when you shal perceyue no wynde at the ground, as I my selfe haue sene shaftes tumble a lofte, in a very fayer daye. There may be a fault also, in drawing or low∣synge, and many thynges mo, whiche all togyther, are required to kepe a iust length. But to go forward the nexte poynte after the markyng of your wether, is the takyng of your standyng. And in a side winde you must stand sumwhat crosse in to the wynde, for so shall you shoote the surer. Whan you haue taken good footing, than must you looke at your shafte, y^• no earthe, nor weete be lefte vpon it, for so should is leese the lengthe. You must loke at the head also, lest it haue had any strype, at the laste shoote. A stripe v∣pon a stone, many tymes will bothe marre the head, croke the shafte, and hurte the fether, wherof the lest of them all, wyll cause a man lease his lengthe. For suche thinges which chaunce euery shoote, many ar∣chers vse to haue sūme place made in theyr cote, fitte for a litle fyle, a stone, a Hunfyshskin, and a cloth to dresse the shaft fit agayne at all nedes. Thys must a man looke to euer when he taketh vp his shaft. And the heade maye be made to smothe, which wil cause it flye to far: when youre shafte is fit, than must you take your bow euen in the middes or elles you shall

both lease your lengthe, and put youre bowe in ••eo∣pardye of breakynge. Nockynge iuste is next, which is muche of the same nature. Than drawe equallye, lowse equallye, wyth houldynge your hande euer of one heighte to kepe trew compasse. To looke at your shafte hede at the lowse, is the greatest helpe to kepe a lengthe that can be, whych thyng yet hindreth ex∣cellent shotyng, bicause a man can not shote streight perfitlye excepte he looke at his marke, yf I should shoote at a line and not at the marke, I woulde al∣wayes loke at my shaft ende, but of thys thyng some what afterwarde. Nowe if you marke the wether diligentlye, kepe your standynge iustely, houlde and nocke trewlye, drawe and lowse equallye, and kepe youre compace certaynelye, you shall neuer misse of your lengthe.

PHI.

Then there is nothyng behinde to make me hit y^• marke but onely shooting streight.

TOX.

No trewlye. And fyrste I wyll tel you what shyftes Archers haue founde to shoote streyght, thā what is the best waye to shoote streyght. As the we∣ther belongeth specially to kepe a lengthe (yet a side winde belongeth also to shote streight) euen so the nature of the pricke is to shote streight. The lengthe or shortnesse of the marke is alwayes vnder the rule of the wether, yet sumwhat there is in y^• marke, wor thye to be marked of an Archer. Yf the prickes stand of a streyght playne groūd they be y^• best to shote at. Yf y^• marke stād on a hyl syde or y^• groūd be vnequal w^t pittes & turninge wayes betwyxte the markes, a mans eye shall thynke that to be streight whyche is croked: The experience of this thing is sene in pay••∣tynge, the cause of it is knowen by learnynge.

And it is ynoughe for an archer to marke it and take hede of it. The cheife cause why men can not shoote streight, is bicause they loke at theyr shaft: and this fault commeth bycause a mā is not taught to shote when he is yong. Yf he learne to shoote by himselfe he is a frayde to pull the shafte throughe the bowe, and therfore looketh alwayes at hys shafte: yll vse confirmeth thys faulte as it doth many mo.

And men continewe the longer in thys faulte bycause it is so good to kepe a lengthe wyth al, and yet to shote streight, they haue inuēted some waies. to espie a tree or a hill beyonde the marke, or elles to haue sūme notable thing betwixt y^• markes: & ones I sawe a good archer whiche did caste of his gere, & layd his quiuer w^t it, euen in the midway betwixt y^• prickes. Sūme thought he dyd so, for sauegarde of his gere: I suppose he did it, to shoote streyght w^tall. Other men vse to espie sūme marke almoost a bow wide of y^• pricke, and than go about to kepe him selfe on y^• hande that the prycke is on, which thing howe muche good it doth, a man wil not beleue, that doth not proue it. Other & those very good archers in dra∣wyng, loke at the marke vntill they come almost to y^• head, than they looke at theyr shafte, but at y^• very lowse, w^t a seconde sight they fynde theyr marke a∣gayne. This way & al other afore of me rehersed are but shiftes & not to be folowed in shotyng streyght. For hauyng a mans eye alwaye on his marke, is the only waye to shote streght, yea & I suppose so redye & easy a way yf it be learned in youth & confirmed w^t vse, y^• a man shal neuer misse therin. Men doubt yet ī

lokig at y^• mark what way is best whether betwixt the bowe & the stringe, aboue or beneth hys hand, & many wayes moo: yet it maketh no great matter which way a man looke at his marke yf it be ioyned w^t comly shotynge. The diuersite of mens standyng and drawing causeth diuerse mē loke at theyr marke diuerse wayes: yet they al lede a mās hand to shoote streight yf nothyng els stoppe. So that cumlynesse is the only iudge of best lokyng at the marke. Some men wonder why in casting a mans eye at y^• marke, the hande should go streyght. Surely yf he consyde∣red the nature of a mans eye, he wolde not wonder at it: For this I am cerrayne of, that no seruaunt to hys mayster, no chylde to hys father is so obedient, as euery ioynte and pece of the body is to do what soeuer the eye biddes. The eye is the guide, the ruler & the succourer of al the other partes. The hāde, the foote & other members dare do nothynge w^tout the eye, as doth appere on the night and darke corners. The eye is the very tonge wherw^t wyt & reasō doth speke to euery parte of the body, & the wyt doth not so sone signifye a thynge by the eye, as euery part is redye to folow, or rather preuent the byddyng of the eye. Thys is playne in many thinges, but most eui∣dent in fence and feyghtynge, as I haue heard men saye. There euery part standynge in feare to haue a blowe, runnes to the eye for helpe, as yonge chyldrē do to y^• mother: the foote, the hand, & al wayteth vpō the eye. Yf the eye byd y^• hād either beare of, or sinite, or the foote ether go forward, or backeward, it doth so: And that whyche is moost wonder of all the one

man lookynge stedfastly at the other mans eye and not at his hand, wyl, euē as it were, rede in his eye where he purposeth to smyte next, for the eye is no∣thyng els but a certayne wyndowe for wit to shote oute hir hede at.

Thys wonderfull worke of god in makynge all the members so obedient to the eye, is a pleasaunte thynge to remember and loke vpon: therfore an Ar∣cher maye be sure in learnyng to looke at hys marke when he is yong, alwayes to shoote streyghte. The thynges that hynder a man whyche looketh at hys marke, to shoote streyght, be these: A syde wynde, a bowe either to stronge, or els to weake, an ill arme, whan a fether runneth on the bowe to much, a byg brested shafte, for hym that shoteth vnder hande, by∣cause it wyll hobble: a litle brested shafte for hym y^• shoteth aboue y^• hande, bicause it myl starte: a payre of windynge prickes, and many other thinges mo, which you shal marke your selfe, & as ye knowe thē, so learne to amend them. If a man woulde leaue to looke at his shafte, and learne to loke at his marke, he maye vse this waye, whiche a good shooter tolde me ones that he did. Let him take his bowe on the nyght, and shoote at .ii. lightes, and there he shall be compelled to looke alwayes at his marke, & neuer at his shafte: This thing ones or twyse vsed wyl cause hym forsake lokynge at hys shafte. Yet let hym take hede of settynge his shaft in the bowe.

Thus Philologe to shoote streyght is the leaste maysterie of all, yf a manne order hym selfe thereaf∣ter, in hys youthe. And as for kepynge a lengthe, I

am sure the rules whiche I gaue you, wil neuer dis∣ceyue you, so that there shal lacke nothynge, eyther of hittinge the marke alwayes, or elles verye nere shotynge, excepte the faulte be onely in youre owne selfe, whiche maye come .ii. wayes, eyther in hauing a faynt harte or courage, or elles in sufferynge your selfe ouer muche to be led with affection: yf a mans mynde fayle hym, the bodye whiche is ruled by the mynde, can neuer doe his duetie, yf lacke of courage were not, men myght do mo mastries than they do, as doeth appere in leapynge and vaultinge.

All affections and specially anger, hurteth bothe mynde and bodye. The mynde is blynde therby: and yf the mynde be blynde, it can not rule the bodye a∣right. The body both blood and bone, as they say, is brought out of his ryght course by anger: Wherby a man lacketh his right strengthe, and therfore can not shoote wel. Yf these thynges be auoyded (wher of I wyll speake no more, both bycause they belong not properly to shoting, & also you can teache me bet¦ter, in them, than I you) & al the preceptes which I haue gyuen you, diligently marked, no doubt ye shal shoote as well as euer man dyd yet, by the grace of God. Thys communication handled of me Philo∣loge, as I knowe wel not perfytly, yet as I suppose truelye you must take in good worthe, wherin if di∣uers thinges do not all togyther please you, thanke youre selfe, whiche woulde haue me rather faulte in me••e follye, to take that thynge in hande whyche I was not able for to perfourme, than by any honeste

shame fastnes with say your request & minde, which I knowe well I haue not satisfied. But yet I wyl thinke this labour of mine the better bestowed, if to morow or some other daye when you haue leysour, you wyl spende as much tyme with me here in this same place, in entreatinge the question De origine anime, and the ioynyng of it with the bodye, that I maye knowe howe far Plato, Aristotle, & the Stoi∣••cians haue waded in it.

PHI.

How you haue handeled this matter Toxoph. I may not well tel you my selfe nowe, but for your gentlenesse and good wyll towarde learnyng & sho∣tyng, I wyll be content to shewe you any pleasure whensoeuer you wyll: and nowe the sunne is doune therfore if it plese you, we wil go home and drynke in my chambre, and there I wyll tell you playnelye what I thinke of this cōmunication and also, what daye we will appoynt at your request for the other matter, to mete here agayne.

Deo gratias.

Notes

• Brac••r▪
• String••.
• 〈…〉〈…〉.
• 〈…〉〈…〉 4.
• 〈…〉〈…〉.
• Bowe.
• 〈…〉〈…〉 4
• Psalm. 17.
• Hero. ••n 〈…〉〈…〉
• In 〈…〉〈…〉
• Arrianus. 8.
• In Po••••••
• Metamo••. 1.
• Uirgslius. G••org. 2.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Freates.
• Hero. eutep.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• O. Lurt. ••.
• Pli 16. 3 6.
• Pl. 16. 36.
• I Pol. 1. 10.
• 〈…〉〈…〉 Polym.
• Heslod. in Scuto. Her.
• 3 Gouse.
• Propertius
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• De nat. 〈…〉〈…〉.
• Illado ••. 4.
• Odysse. 21.
• Iliados. 4.
• Odysse. 21.
• Hero 〈…〉〈…〉 Polym
• I. Pol. ••: 1••.
• Illa••. ••.
• ••intarchus in Cr••••o.
• D••••odia. 1.
• Posl••••. 7. Psal. 7.
• He••o Uran
• Standy••ge.
• Nochyn••••
• D••awynge.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Crosbowes.
• Holding.
• Lowsynge.
• wynde ••nd wether.
• Nippo. 〈…〉〈…〉 morb. vulg.