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 â—eopardye 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 excellent 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 alwayes 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 yâ— marke but onely shooting streight TOX. No trewlye And fyrste I wyll tel you what shyftes Archers haue founde to shoote streyght thaÌ„ what is the best waye to shoote streyght As the wether 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 yâ— marke wor thye to be marked of an Archer Yf the prickes stand of a streyght playne grouÌ„d they be yâ— best to shote at Yf yâ— marke staÌ„d on a hyl syde or yâ— grouÌ„d be vnequal with 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 payâ—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 maÌ„ 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 inueÌ„ted some waies to espie a tree or a hill beyonde the marke or elles to haue suÌ„me notable thing betwixt yâ— markes ones I sawe a good archer whiche did caste of his gere layd his quiuer with it euen in the midway betwixt yâ— prickes SuÌ„me thought he dyd so for sauegarde of his gere I suppose he did it to shoote streyght wtall Other men vse to espie suÌ„me marke almoost a bow wide of yâ— pricke and than go about to kepe him selfe on yâ— 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 drawyng loke at the marke vntill they come almost to yâ— head than they looke at theyr shafte but at yâ— very lowse with a seconde sight they fynde theyr marke agayne 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 with vse yâ— a man shal neuer misse therin Men doubt yet iÌ„ lokig at yâ— 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 with comly shotynge The diuersite of mens standyng and drawing causeth diuerse meÌ„ loke at theyr marke diuerse wayes yet they al lede a maÌ„s 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 yâ— marke the hande should go streyght Surely yf he consydered 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 haÌ„de the foote other members dare do nothynge wtout the eye as doth appere on the night and darke corners The eye is the very tonge wherw t wyt reasoÌ„ 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 euident 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 chyldreÌ„ do to yâ— mother the foote the hand al wayteth vpoÌ„ the eye Yf the eye byd yâ— haÌ„d 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 eueÌ„ as it were rede in his eye where he purposeth to smyte next for the eye is nothyng 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 Archer 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 bycause it wyll hobble a litle brested shafte for hym yâ— shoteth aboue yâ— hande bicause it myl starte a payre of windynge prickes and many other thinges mo which you shal marke your selfe as ye knowe theÌ„ 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 thereafter in hys youthe And as for kepynge a lengthe I am sure the rules whiche I gaue you wil neuer disceyue 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 aright 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 better 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 Philologe as I knowe wel not perfytly yet as I suppose truelye you must take in good worthe wherin if diuers thinges do not all togyther please you thanke youre selfe whiche woulde haue me rather faulte in meâ—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 Stoiâ—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 shotyng 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 coÌ„munication and also what daye we will appoynt at your request for the other matter to mete here agayne Deo gratias ⧠LONDINI ☞ In aedibus Edouardi VVhytchurch Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum 1545.
howe moche suche games stande with theyr worshyppe howe great soeuer they be What great men do be it good or yll meane men communelye loue to followe as many learned men in many places do saye and daylye experience doth playnelye shewe in costlye apparell and other lyke matters Therfore seing that Lordes be lanternes to leade the lyfe of meane men by their example eyther to goodnesse or badnesse to whether soeuer they liste and seinge also they haue libertie to lyste what they wiil I pray God they haue will to list that which is good and as for their playing I wyll make an ende with this saying of Chaucer Lordes might finde them other maner of playe Honest ynough to driue the daye awaye But to be shorte the best medicine for all sortes of men both high and lowe yonge and oulde to put awaye suche vnlawfull games is by the contrarye lykewyse as all physicions do alowe in physike So let youthe in steade of suche vnlefull games whiche stande by ydlenesse by solitarinesse and corners by night and darkenesse by fortune chaunce by crafte and subtiltie vse suche pastimes as stand by labour vpon the daye light in open syght of men hauynge suche an ende as is come to by coÌ„ning rather then by crafte and so shulde vertue encrease and vice decaye For contrarye pastimes must nedes worke contrary mindes in men as all other contrary thinges doo And thus we se Philologe that shoting is not onely the moost holesome exercise for the bodye the moost honest pastime for the mynde and that for all sortes of men But also it is a moost redy medicine to purge the hole realme of suche pestilent gamning wher with many tymes it is sore troubled and ill at ease PHI. The more honestie you haue proued by shoting Toxophile and the more you haue perswaded me to loue it so moche truly the soryer haue you made me with this last sentence of yours wherby you plainly proue that a man maye not greatly vse it For if shoting be a medicine as you saye that it is it maye not be vsed very oft lest a man shuld hurt him selfe withall as medicines moche occupyed doo For Aristotle him selfe sayeth that medicines be no meate to lyue withall and thus shoting by the same reason maye notâ—â—â— moche occupyed TOX. You playe your oulde wontes Philologe in dalying with other mens wittes not so moche to proue youre owne matter as to proue what other meÌ„ can say But where you thinke that I take awaye moche vse of shoting in lykening it to a medicine bycause men vse not medicines euery daye for so shoulde their bodyes be hurt I rather proue daylye vse of shoting therby For although Atistotle sayeth that some medicines be no meate to lyue withall Hipâ—o dâ— med purg whiche is true yet Hippocrates sayth that our daylye meates be medicines to withstande euyll withall whiche is as true For he maketh two kyndes of medicines one our meate that we vse dailye whiche purgeth softlye and slowlye and in this similitude maye shoting be called a medicine wherwith dayly a man maye purge and take a way al vnlefull desyres to other vnlefull pastymes as I proued before The other is a quicke purging medicine and seldomer to be occupyed excepte the matter be greater and I coulde describe the nature of a quicke medicine which shoulde within a whyle purge and plucke oute all the vnthriftie games in the Realme through which the commune wealth oftentymes is sycke For not onely good quicke wittes to learnyng be thereby brought out of frame and quite marred but also manlye wittes either to attempt matters of high courage in warre tyme or els to atcheue matters of weyght and wisdome in peace tyme be made therby very quaisie and faynt For loke throughoute all histories written in Greke Latyne or other language and you shal neuer finde that realme prosper in the whiche sâ—che ydle pastymes are vsed As concerning the medicyne although some wolde be miscontent if they hearde me meddle anye thynge with it Yet betwixte you and me here alone I maye the boldlyer saye my fantasie and the rather bycause I wyll onelye wysh for it whiche standeth with honestie not determyne of it which belongeth to authoritie The medicine is this that wolde to God and the kynge all these vnthriftie ydle pastymes whiche be very bugges that the Psalme meaneth on walking on the nyght and in corners were made felonye Psalm 〈…〉 and some of that punyshment ordeyned for them which is appoynted for the forgers and falsifyers of the kynges coyne Which punishment is not by me now inuented 〈…〉 but longe agoo by the mooste noble oratour Demosthenes which meruayleth greatly that deathe is appoynted for falsifyers and forgers of the coyne and not as greate punyshmente ordeyned for them whiche by theyr meanes forges and falsifyes the commune wealthe And I suppose that there is no one thyng that chaungeth sooner the golden and syluer wyttes of men into copperye brassye wayes then dising and suche vnlefull pastymes And this quicke medicine I beleue wolde so throwlye pourge them that the daylye medicines as shoting and other pastymes ioyned with honest labour shoulde easelyer withstande them PHIL. The excellent commodityes of shotynge in peace tyme Toxophile you haue very wel and sufficiently declared Wherby you haue so persuaded me that God wylâ—ng hereafter I wyll both loue it the better and also so vse it the ofter For as moche as I can gather of all this communication of ours the tunge the nose the handes and the feete be no fytter membres or instrumentes for the body of a man then is shotinge for the hole bodye of the realme God hath made the partes of men which be best and moost necessarye to serue not for one purpose onelye but for manye as the tungue for speaking and tasting the nose forsmelling and also for auoyding of all excremeÌ„tes which faule oute of the heed the handes for receyuynge of good thinges and for puttyng of all harmefull thinges from the bodye So shotinge is an exercyse of healthe a pastyme of honest pleasure and suche one also that stoppeth or auoydeth all noysome games gathered and encreased by ill rule as noughtye humours be whiche hurte and corrupte sore that parte of the realme wherin they do remayne But now if you can shewe but halfe so moche profyte in warre of shotynge as you haue proued pleasure in peace then wyll I surelye iudge that there be fewe thinges that haue so manifolde commodities and vses ioyned vnto them as it hath TOX. The vpperhande in warre nexte the goodnesse of God of whome al victorie commeth Mach. 1. â— as scripture sayth standeth chefelye in thre thinges in the wysedome of the Prince in the sleyghtes and pollicies of the capitaynes and in the strength and cherefull forwardnesse of the souldyers A Prince in his herte must be full of mercy and peace a vertue moost pleasaunt to Christ moost
the bronte of battel sharpe harde But he a man of manhode most is by mine assent VVhich with harte and corage boulde fullie hath him bent His enemies looke in euery stoure stoutelie to a bide Face to face and fote to fote tide what maye be tide Agayne Teucer the best Archer amonges all the Grecians Sopâ— in 〈…〉 in Sophocles is called of Menelaus a boweman a shooter as in villaynie reproche to be a thing of no price in warre Moreouer Pandarê° the best shooter in the worlde whome Apollo hym selfe taught to shoote bothe he and his shotynge is quyte contemned in Homer Iliad â— in so much that Homer which vnder a made fable doth alwayes hyde hys iudgement of thinges doeth make Pandarus him selfe crye out of shooting and cast his bowe awaye and take him to a speare makynge a vowe that if euer he came home he woulde breake his shaftes burne his bowe lamentyng greatly that he was so fonde to leaue at home his horse and charyot wyth other weapons for the trust that he had in his bowe Homer signifieng therby that men shoulde leue shoting out of warre and take them to other wepons more fitte and able for the same and I trowe Pandarus woordes be muche what after thys sorte Ill chaunce ill lucke me hyther broughte Ill fortune me that daye befell VVhan first my bowe fro the pynne I roughte For Hectors sake the Grekes to quell But yf that God so for me shap That home agayne I maye ones come Let me neuer inioye that hap Nor euer twyse looke on the sonne If bowe and shaftes I do not burne VVhyche nowe so euel doth serue my turne But to let passe al Poetes Xen. â—yri Iâ—st 6. what can be sorer said agaynst any thing than the iudgement of Cyrus is agaynst shotynge whiche doth cause his Persians beyng the best shooters to laye awaye theyr bowes and take them to sweardes and buckelers speares and dartes and other lyke hande weapons The which thing Xenophon so wyse a philosopher so experte a captayne in warre hym selfe woulde neuer haue written and specially in that booke wherin he purposed to shewe Epist. 1 aâ— Q Fra as Tullie sayeth in dede not the true historie but the example of a perfite wise prince and coÌ„mon welthe excepte that iudgement of chauÌ„gyng Artillerie in to other wepons he had alwayes thought best to be folowed in all warre Whose counsell the Parthians dyd folowe Plutarch M. 〈…〉 whan they chased Antonie ouer the mouÌ„taines of Media whiche being the best shoters of the worlde lefte theyr bowes and toke them to speares and morispikes And these â—ewe examples I trowe of the best shooters do well proue that the best shotinge is not the best thinge as you call it in warre TOX. As concernynge your first example taken oute of Euripides I maruayle you wyl bring it for yâ— disprayse of shotyng seyng Euripides doth make those verses not bicause he thinketh theÌ„ true but bicause he thinketh them fit for the person that spake them For in dede his true iudgement of shoting he doth expresse by by after in the oratioÌ„ of the noble captaine Amphytrio agaynste Lycus wherein a man maye doubte whether he hath more eloquentlye confuted Lycus sayenge or more worthelye sette oute the prayse of shootynge And as I am aduised his woordes be muche hereafter as I shall saye Against the wittie gifte of shotinge in a bowe Fonde and leude woordes thou leudlie doest out throwe 〈…〉 VVhiche if thou wilte heare of me a woorde or twayne Quicklie thou mayst learne howe fondlie thou doest blame Firste he that vvith his harneis him selfe doth vval about That scarce is lefte one hole through vvhich he may â—epe 〈…〉 Such bondmen to their harneis to fight are nothinge mete But sonest of al other are troden vnder fete Yf he be stronge his felovves faynt in whome he putteth his trust Soloded with his harneis must nedes lie in the dust Nor yet froÌ„ death he can not starte if ones his weapon breke Howe stoute howe strong howe great howe longe so euer be suche a â—reke But who so euer can handle a bowe sturdie stiffe and stronge VVherwith lyke hayle manie shaftes he shootes into the thickest thronge This profite he takes that standing a far his enemie he maye spill VVhan he and his full safe shall stande out of all daunger and ill And this in war is wisedome moste which workes our enemies woo VVhan we shal be far from all feare and ieoperdie of our foo Secondarily euen as I do not greatlye regarde what Menelaus doth say in Sophocles to Teucer bycause he spake it bothe in anger and also to hym that he hated euen so doo I remembre very well in Homer that when Hector and the Troians woulde haue set fyre on the greke shippes Iliad â— Teucer with his bowe made them recule backe agayne when Menelaus tooke hym to his feete and ranne awaye Thirdlye as concerning Pandarus Homer doth not disprayse the noble gyfte of shotynge but therby euery man is taught that whatsoeuer and how good soeuer a weapon a man doth vse in war Hoâ— Ili 5. yf he be hym selfe a couetouse wretche a foole wythoute counsell a peacebreaker as Pandarus was at last he shall throughe the punishment of God fall into his enemyes handes as Pandarus dydde whome Diomedes throughe the helpe of Minerua miserablye slue And bycause you make mencion of Homer Troye matters what can be more prayse for anye thynge I praye you than that is for shootyng that Troye coulde neuer be destroyed without the helpe of Hercules shaftes whiche thinge doeth signifie that although al the worlde were gathered in an army togyther yet without shotinge they can neuer come to theyr purpose as Ulysses in Sophocles very plainlye doth saye vnto Pyrrhus as concernyng Hercules shaftes to be caried vnto Troye Nor you without them nor without you they do ought â—oph phil Fourthlye where as Cyrus dyd chaunge parte of his bowemen 〈…〉 wherof he had plentie into other meÌ„ of warre wherof he lacked I will not greatlye dispute whether Cyrus did well in that poynt in those dayes or no bycause it is not playne in Xenophon howe strong shooters the Persians were what bowes they had what shaftes and heades they occupyed what kynde of warre theyr enemies vsed But trulye as for the Parthians it is playne in Plutarche 〈…〉 that in chaungyng theyr bowes in to speares they brought theyr selfe into vtter destruction For when they had chased the Romaynes many a myle through reason of theyr bowes at the last the Romaynes ashamed of their fleing and remembrynge theyr owide noblenesse and courage ymagined thys waye that they woulde kneele downe on theyr knees and so couer all theyr body wyth theyr shyldes and targattes that the Parthians shaftes might slyde ouer them do them no harme whiche thing when the PartiaÌ„s perceyued thinking that yâ— Romaynes were forweryed with
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