laboure watche and huÌ„gre they layed downe their bowes and toke speres in their handes and so ranne vpon them but the Romaynes perceyuinge them without their bowes rose vp manfully and slewe them euery mother son saue a fewe that saued them selues with runnyng awaye And herein our archers of Englande far passe the Parthians which for suche a purpose wheÌ„ they shall come to hande strokes hath euer redy eyther at his backe hangyng or els in his next felowes hande a leadeÌ„ maule or suche lyke weapon to beate dâ—wne his enemyes withall PHI. Well Toxophiâ—â— â—â—inge that those examples whiche I had thought to haue ben cleane agaynst shoting you haue thus turned to the hygh prayse of shotinge and all this prayse that you haue now sayd on it is rather come in by me thaÌ„ sought for of you let me heare I praye you nowe those examples whiche you haue marked of shotyng your selfe whereby you are and thinke to persuade other yâ— shoting is so good in warre TOX. ExaÌ„ples surely I haue marked very many froÌ„ the begynning of tyme had in memorie of wrytyng throughout all coÌ„mune wealthes Empires of the worlde wherof the mooste parte I wyll passe ouer lest I shoulde be tediouse yet some I wyll touche bycause they be notable both for me to tell and you to heare And bycause the storye of the Iewes is for the tyme moost auncient for the truthe mooste credible it shal be moost fitte to begynne with them And although I knowe that God is the onely gyuer of victorie and not the weapons for all strength and victorie sayth Iudas Machabeus coÌ„meth from heauen Maâ—h 1. 3. Yet surely strong weapons be the instrumentes wherwith god doth ouercome yâ— parte which he wil haue ouerthrowen For God is well pleased wyth wyse and wittie feates of warre As in metinge of enemies for truse takyng to haue priuilye in a bushment harnest men layd for feare of treason as Iudas Machabeus dyd wyth Nicanor Demetrius capitayne Maâ—h 2. 14. And to haue engines of warre to beat downe cities with all and to haue scoutwatche amoÌ„ges our enemyes to knowe their counsayles as the noble captaine Ionathas brother to Iudas Machabeus did in the countrie of Amathie against the mighty hoste of Demetrius Maâ—h 1. 12. And besyde al this god is pleased to haue goodly tombes for them which do noble feates in warre and to haue their ymages made and also their cote Armours to be set aboue theyr tombes to their perpetual laude and memorie Maâ—h 1. 13. as the valiaunt capitayne Symon dyd cause to be made for his brethren Iudas Machabeus and Ionathas wheÌ„ they were slayne of the GeÌ„tiles And thus of what authoritie feates of warre and strong weapons be shortly and playnelye we maye learne But amonges the Iewes as I began to tell I am sure there was nothing so occupyed or dydde so moche good as bowes dyd â–ª insomoche that when the Iewes had any great vpperhande ouer the Gentiles the fyrste thinge alwayes that the captayne dyd was to exhort the people to gyue all the thankes to God for the victorye not to theyr bowes wherwith they had slayne their enemyes as it is playne that the noble Iosue Iosuâ— 13 â–ª dyd after so many kynges thrust downe by hym God when he promyseth helpe to the Iewes he vseth no kynde of speakyng so moche as this that he wyll bende his bowe Deutâ—râ— 3â— and die his shaftes in the Gentiles blood whereby it is manifest that eyther God wyll make the Iewes shoote stronge shotes to ouerthrowe their enemies or at leeste that shotinge is a woÌ„derful mightie thing in warre whervnto yâ— hygh power of God is lykened Psal. 7.63 75. Dauid in the Psalmes calleth bowes the vessels of death a bytter thinge in an other place a myghty power and other wayes mo which I wyll let passe bycause euerye man readeth them daylye But yet one place of scripture I must nedes remembre which is more notable for yâ— prayse of shoting then any yâ— euer I red in any other storie and that is when Saul was slayne of yâ— Philistians being mightie bowmen Reguâ— 1. 31. and Ionathas his sonne with him that was so good a shoter as yâ— scripture sayth that he neuer shot shafte in vayne and yâ— the kyngdome after Saules deathe came vnto Dauid the first statute Regum 2. 1. lawe thateuer Dauid made after he was king was this that al yâ— children of Israel shulde learne to shote according to a lawe made many a daye before yâ— tyme for the setting out of shoting as it is written sayeth Scripture in libro lustorum whiche booke we haue not nowe And thus we se plainelye what greate vse of shoting and what prouision euen from the begynnynge of the worlde for shotyng was amonge the Iewes The Ethiopians which inhabite the furthest part South in the worlde were wonderfull bowmen insomoche that when Cambyses king of Persie being in Egipt 〈…〉 sent certayne ambassadours into Ethiope to the kynge there with many great gyftes the king of Ethiop perceyuinge them to be espyes toke them vp sharpely and blamed Cambyses greatly for such vniust enterprises but after that he had princely entertayned them he sent for a bowe and bente it and drewe it and then vnbent it agayne and sayde vnto the ambassadours you shall coÌ„mende me to Cambyses and gyue him this bowe fro me and byd him when any Persian can shote in this bowe let him set vpon the Ethiopians In the meane whyle let hym gyue thankes vnto God whiche doth not put in the EthiopiaÌ„s mynde to coÌ„quere any other mans lande This bowe when it came amonge the Persians neuer one man in suche an infinite host as Herodotus doth saye could styrre the stryng saue onely Smerdis the brother of Cambyses whiche styrred it two fingers and no further for the which act Cambyses had suche enuy at him that he afterward slewe him as doth appeare in the storye Sesostris the moost mightie king that euer was in Egipt ouercame a great parte of the worlde and that by archers he subdued the Arabians the Iues the Assyrians he weÌ„t farther into Scythia then any man els he ouercame Thracia euen to the borders of Germanie And in token how he ouercame al men he set vp in many places great ymages to his owne lykenesse hauynge in the one hande a bowe in the other a sharpe heeded shafte that men myght knowe 〈…〉 what weapon his hooste vsed in conqueryng so manye people Cyrus counted as a god amonges the Gentyles for his noblenesse and felicitie in warre Herod 〈…〉 yet at the last when he set vpon the Massageâ—anes which people neuer went without their bowe nor their quiuer nether in warre nor peace he and all his were slayne and that by shotyng as appeareth in the storye Polycrates the prince of Samos a very litle yle was lorde ouer all the Greke sees and withstode the power
⧠Reioyse Englande be gladde and merie TROTHE ouercoÌ„mmeth thyne enemyes all The Scot the Frencheman the Pope and heresie OVERCOMMED by Trothe haue had a fall Sticke to the Trothe and euermore thou shall Through Christ King Henry the Boke and the Bowe All maner of enemies quite ouerthrowe Gualterus Haddonus Cantabrigien Mittere qui celeres summa uelit arte sagittas Ars erit ex isto summa profecta libro Quicquid habent arcus rigidi neruique rotundi Sumere fi libet hoc sumere fonte licet Aschamus est author magnuÌ„ queÌ„ fecit Apollo Arte sua magnum Pallas arte sua Docta manê° dedit huÌ„c dedit huÌ„c meÌ„s doct a libelluÌ„ Quae ui det Ars Vsus uisa parata facit Optimus haec author quia tradidit optima scripta Conuenit bec uobis optima uelle sequi To the moste graciouse and our most drad Soueraigne lord Kyng Henrie the .viii. by the grace of God kyng of Englande Fraunce and Irelande Defender of the faythe and of the churche of Englande also of Irelande in earth supreme head next vnder Christ be al health victorie and felicitie WHAT tyme as moste gracious Prince your highnes this last year past tooke that your moost honorable and victorious iourney into Fraunce accompanied vvith such a porte of the Nobilitie and yeomanrie of Englande as neyther hath bene lyke knovven by experience nor yet red of in Historie accompanied also vvith the daylie prayers good hartes and vvilles of all and euery one your graces subiectes lefte behinde you here at home in Englande the same tyme I beinge at my booke in Cambrige sorie that my litle habilitie could stretche out no better to helpe forvvard so noble an enterprice yet vvith my good vvylle prayer and harte nothinge behynde hym that vvas formoste of all conceyued a vvonderful desire bi the praier vvishing talking communicatioÌ„ that vvas in euery maÌ„s mouth for your Graces moost victoriouse retourne to offer vp sumthinge at your home cumming to your Highnesse vvhich shuld both be a token of mi loue and deutie tovvard your Maiestie also a signe of my good minde and zeale tovvarde mi countrie This occasion geuen to me at that time caused me to take in hand againe this litle purpose of shoting begon of me before yet not ended thaÌ„ for other studies more mete for that trade of liuinge vvhiche God and mi frendes had set me vnto But vvhen your Graces moste ioifull happie victorie preueÌ„ted mi dailie and spedie diligencie to performe this matter I vvas compelled to vvaite an other time to prepare offer vp this litle boke vnto your Maiestie And vvhan it hath pleased youre Highenesse of your infinit goodnesse also your most honorable Counsel to knovv and pervse ouer the contentes some parte of this boke and so to alovv it that other meÌ„ might rede it throughe the furderaunce and setting forthe of the right vvorshipfull and mi Singuler good Master sir Vvilliam Pagette Knight moost vvorthie Secretarie to your highnes most open redie succoure to al poore honest learned meÌ„s sutes I moost humblie beseche your Grace to take in good vvorthe this litle treatise purposed begoÌ„ and ended of me onelie for this intent that Labour Honest pastime Vertu might recouer againe that place and right that Idlenesse Vnthriftie gamning and Vice hath put them fro And althoughe to haue vvritten this boke either in latin or Greke vvhich thing I vvold be verie glad yet to do if I might surelie knovv your Graces pleasure there in had bene more easier fit for mi trade in study yet neuerthelesse I supposinge it no point of honestie that mi commodite should stop hinder ani parte either of the pleasure or profite of manie haue vvritten this Englishe matter in the Englishe tongue for Englishe men vvhere in this I trust that your Grace if it shall please your Highnesse to rede it shal perceaue it to be a thinge Honeste for me to vvrite pleasaunt for some to rede and profitable for manie to folow conte ning a pastime honest for the minde holsome for the body fit for eueri man vile for no man vsing the day opeÌ„place for Honestie to rule it not lurking in corners for misorder to abuse it Therfore I trust it shal apere to be bothe a sure token of my zeele to set forvvarde shootinge and some signe of my minde tovvardes honestie and learninge Thus I vvil trouble your crace no longer but vvith my daylie praier I vvil beseche God to preserue your Grace in al health and felicitie to the feare and ouerthrovve of all your ennemies to the pleasure ioyfulnesse and succour of al your subiectes to the vtter destruction of papistrie and heresie to the continuall setting forth of Goddes vvorde and his glorye Your Graces most bounden Scholer Roger Ascham ⧠TO ALL GENTLE MEN AND YOMEN OF ENGLANDE BIas the wyse man came to Cresus the ryche kyng on a tyme when he was makynge newe shyppes purposyng to haue subdued by water the out yles lying betwixt Grece and Asia minor What newes now in Grece saith the king to Bias None other newes but these sayeth Bias that the yles of Grece haue prepared a wonderful companye of horsemen to ouerrun Lydia withall There is nothyng vnder heauen sayth the kynge that I woulde so soone wisshe as that they durst be so bolde to mete vs on the lande with horse And thinke you sayeth Bias that there is anye thyng which they wolde sooner wysshe then that you shulde be so fonde to mete them on the water with shyppes And so Cresus hearyng not the true newes but perceyuyng the wise mannes mynde and counsell both gaue then ouer makyng of his shyppes and left also behynde him a wonderful example for all commune wealthes to folowe that is euermore to regarde and set most by that thing whervnto nature hath made them moost apt and vse hath made them moost fitte By this matter I meane the shotyng in the long bowe for English men which thyng with all my hert I do wysh and if I were of authoritie I wolde counsel all the gentlemen and yomen of Englande not to chaunge it with any other thyng how good soeuer it seme to be but that styll accordyng to the oulde wont of England youth shulde vse it for the moost honest pastyme in peace that men myght handle it as a mooste sure weapon in warre Other stronge weapons whiche bothe experience doth proue to be good and the wysdom of the kinges Maiestie his counsel prouydes to be had are not ordeyned to take away shotyng but that both not compared togither whether shuld be better then the other but so ioyned togither that the one shoulde be alwayes an ayde and helpe for the other myght so strengthen the Realme on all sydes that no kynde of enemy in any kynde of weapon myght passe and go beyonde vs. For this purpose I partelye prouoked by the
the world yet if we shote and time shote we ar not like to be great winners at the length And you know also we scholers haue more ernest weightie matters in hand nor we be not borne to pastime pley as you know wel ynough who sayth TOX. Yet the same man in the same place Philologe M. Cic. 1 〈…〉 by your leue doth admitte holsome honest and manerlie pastimes to be as necessarie to be miÌ„gled with sad matters of the minde as eating sleping is for the health of the body and yet we be borne for neither of bothe And Aristotle him selfe sayth Arist. de moribus 10. 6. yâ— although it were a fonde a chyldish thing to be to ernest in pastime play yet doth he affirme by the authoritie of the oulde Poet Epicharmus that a man may vse play for ernest matter sake And in an other place Arist. Pol 8. 3. yâ— as rest is for labour medicines for helth so is pastime at tymes for sad weightie studie PHI. How moche in this matter is to be giuen to yâ— auctoritie either of Aristotle or Tul lie I caÌ„ not tel seing sad meÌ„ may wel ynough speke merily for a merie matter this I am sure whiche thing this faire wheat god saue it maketh me remeÌ„bre yâ— those husbaÌ„dmen which rise erliest and come latest home and are content to haue their diner and other drinckinges broughte into the fielde to them for feare of losing of time haue fatter barnes in har uest than they whiche will either slepe at none time of the daye or els make merie with their neighbours at the ale And so a scholer that purposeth to be a good husband and desireth to repe and enioy much fruite of learninge muste tylle and sowe thereafter Our beste seede tyme whiche be scholers as it is verie tymelye and whan we be yonge so it endureth not ouerlonge and therfore it maye not be let slippe one houre oure grounde is verye harde and full of wedes our horse wherw t we be drawen very wylde as Plato sayth In Phedro And infinite other mo lettes whiche wil make a thriftie scholer take hede how he speÌ„deth his tyme in sporte and pleye TOX. That Aristotle and Tullie spake ernestlie and as they thought the ernest matter which they entreate vpon doth plainlye proue And as for your husbandrie it was more probablie tolde with apt wordes propre to the thing then throughly proued with reasons belongynge to our matter For contrariwise I herd my selfe a good husbande at his boke ones saye that to omit studie somtime of the daye and sometime of the yere made asmoche for the encrease of learning as to let the laÌ„d lye sometime falloe maketh for the better encrease of corne This we se yf the lande be plowed euerye yere the corne commeth thinne vp the eare is short the grayne is small and when it is brought into the barne and threshed gyueth very euill faul So those which neuer leaue poring on their bokes haue ofteÌ„times as thinne inuention as other poore meÌ„ haue and as smal wit and weight in it as in other mens And thus youre husbandrie me thinke is more like the life of a couetouse sâ—â—dge that oft very euill preues then the labour of a good husbaÌ„d that knoweth wel what he doth And surelie the best wittes to lerning must nedes haue moche recreation and ceasing from their boke or els they marre them selues wheÌ„ base and dompysâ—he wittes can neuer be hurte with continuall studie as ye se in luting that a treble miâ—â—kin string must alwayes be let down but at suche time as when a man must nedes playe when the base and dull stryng nedeth neuer to be moued out of his place The same reason I finde true in two bowes that I haue wherof the one is quicke of cast tricke and trime both for pleasure and profyte the other is a lugge slowe of cast folowing the string more sure for to last then pleasaunt for to vse Now sir it chauÌ„ced this other night one in my chaÌ„bre wolde nedes bende them to proue their strength but I can not tel how they were both left bente tyll the nexte daye at after dyner and when I came to them purposing to haue gone on shoting I found my good bowe clene cast on the one side and as weake as water that surelie if I were a riche man I had rather haue spent a crowne and as for my lugge it was not one whyâ— the worse but shotte by and by as wel and as farre as euer it dyd And euen so I am sure that good wittes except they be let downe like a treble string and vnbent like a good casting bowe they wil neuer last and be able to coÌ„tinue in studie And I know where I speake this Philologe for I wolde not saye thus moche afore yong men for they wil take soone occasion to studie litle ynough But I saye it therfore bicause I knowe as litle studie getteth litle learninge or none at all so the moost studie getteth not yâ— moost learning of all For a mans witte sore occupied in ernest studie must be as wel recreated with some honest pastime as the body sore laboured must be refreshed with slepe and quietnesse or els it can not endure very longe as the noble poete sayeth VVhat thâ—g waÌ„tâ— quiet meri rest endures but a smal while â–ª Ouid. And I promise you shoting by my iudgement is the moost honest pastime of al suche one I am sure of all other that hindreth learning litle or nothing at all whatsoeuer you some other saye whiche are a gret dele sorer against it alwaies thaÌ„ you nede to be PHI. Hindereth learninge litle or nothinge at all that were a meruayle to me truelie and I am sure seing you saye so you haue some reason wherewith you can defende shooting wtall and as for wyl for the loue that you beare towarde shotinge I thinke there shall lacke none in you Therfore seinge we haue so good leysure bothe and no bodie by to trouble vs and you so willinge able to defende it and I so redy and glad to heare what may be sayde of it I suppose we canne not passe the tyme better ouer neyther you for the honestie of your shoting nor I for myne owne mindsake than to se what can be sayed with it or agaynste it and speciallie in these dayes whan so many doeth vse it and euerie man in a maner doeth common of it TOX. To speake of shootinge Philologe trulye I woulde I were so able either as I my selfe am willing or yet as the matter deserueth but seing with wisshing we can not haue one nowe worthie whiche so worthie a thinge can worthilie praise and although I had rather haue anie other to do it than my selfe yet my selfe rather then no other I wil not fail to saye in it what I can wherin if I saye litle laye that of my litle
auauÌ„tage and hys shoot made and handled to other mens pleasure and delyte A man must not go to hastely to it for that is rashnesse nor yet make to much to do about it for yâ— is curiositâ—e yâ— 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 Nochynâ—â— 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 Unconstaute 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 wheÌ„ I described the fether And be sure alwayes yâ— your stringe slip not out of the nocke for than al is in â—eopardye of breakynge Drawynge Dâ—awynge 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 fashyon 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 drawynge 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 yâ— the oulde fashion in drawing to yâ— pap was nought of no pithe and therfore saith Procopius is Artylla â—ye dispraysed in Homer whych calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 other kynde of shootyng than drawing wyth a maÌ„s hand ether to the breste or eare This thyng haue I sought for in Homer Herodotus and Plutarch and therfore I meruayle how crosbowes Crosbowes came fyrst vp of the which I am sure a man shall finde lytle mention made on in any good Authour Leo the Emperoure woulde haue hys souldyers drawe quycklye 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 waggyng your hand now vpwarde now downe warde but alwayes after one fashion vntil you come to the rig or shouldring of yâ— head is best both for profit semelinesse Holdynge Holding must not be longe for it bothe putteth a bowe in ieopardy also marreth a mans shoote it must be so lytle yâ— it maye be perceyued better in a mans mynde when it is done than seene with a mans eyes when it is in doyng Lowsynge Lowsynge muste be muche lyke So quycke and hard yâ— it â—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 lowsynge you must take hede of hyttynge any thynge a boute you And for the same purpose Leo the Emperour 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 Toxohile althoughe I bothe nowe perceyue them thorowlye and also wyll remember them diligently yet to morowe or some other day wheÌ„ you haue leasure we wyll go to the pryckes and put them by lytle and lytle 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 yâ— wether the mark bicause they beloÌ„g 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 shootynge streyght The greatest enemy of shootyng is the wynde and the wether wynde â—nd wether wherby true kepyng a lengthe is chefely 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 wether 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 â—he chefe poynt of a good master is to knowe the tokens of chaunge of wether the course of the wyndes that therby he maye the better come to the Hauen 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 yâ— 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 vnconstant therfore let euery man acknowlege hys owne weakenesse in all matters great and smal weyghtâ—ye and merye and glorifie him in whome only pâ—â—fyte perfitnesse is But nowe sir he that wyll at all aduentures vse the seas