A BRIEFE TREATISE, To prove the necessity and excellence of the USE OF ARCHERY. Abstracted out of ancient and Modern Writers. By R: S. Perused, and allowed by Authority. HEB DDIM HEB DDIEV AT LONDON, Printed by Richard johnes, at the Rose and Crown; next above S. Andrew's Church in Holborn. 1596. To the Nobility and GenTLEMEN OF ENGLAND: The Companies of Bowyers and Fletcher's wish increase of Honour, continual health and all happiness. MAy it please your good Lordships, & the worthy minded Gentlemen of England, in all humility to give us leave to remember you of the ancient honour, whereby many foreign Nations, but espe ciallie this Realm of England, hath benlong holden famous for victories achieved, under the conduct of their right prudent & valiant Princes & Captains, by the wonderful effect of Archery: & to deplore unto your honours and wisdoms, the discontinuance, yea (almost) the utter extirpation thereof, within this Realm: And withal, our own miserable estates, who with many other poor Artificers that have had their maintenance thereby, are (in great number) brought to utter ruin and decay. In the room whereof, is crept in the noisome use of unthrifty & unlawful Games: Wherefore, to stir up in your honours and worthiness, a due commiseration of these great mischiefs, we have caused this Abstract to be taken out of former Writers, and from right credible and true Reports: Not intending hereby to insinuate to ourselves any such favour or relief within this Commonwealth, for our private avail, as to innovate any supperfluous thing, or to drive the same to any charge at all, unless the quallytie of the Subject whereof we entreat, shall in your grave discrestions be adjudged to be worthy thereof, more for the honour & safeguard of her Royal Majesty, her knigdoms and dominions, then for our private regard. For if (in your judgements) the Examples and Reasons in this Brief contained, shall not be holden of weight and momentworthie the preferment of Archetie, then shall we be pleased rather to sink in our own miseries, then to become unprofitably burdenous to our Prince and Country. And therefore, do we (humbly) entreat, that we may be with savour, permitted to propose the same, to your Honours and Wisdoms: to th'end, that if they shall seem forcible, and worthy your considerations, it would then please you with a favourable zeal to further those proceed her Royal Majesty, hath and shall take for our relief herein, which is, that by your good endeavours, her majesties forward Subjects in the exercise of Archery, may be cherished, & obstinate people refusing to be reform (disposing themselves rather to practise unlawful Games) may be chastened & corrected according to the form of the laudable laws in that behalf made & provided: nor is it our meaning, to derogate from the reputation of the use or excellence of any other strong or approved weapons fit for the wars, be they of fire or others, such as your wisdoms & counsels have provided to be had & ordained: but that both (not compared together, whither should in all respects be better than the other, but so joined together, that the one should be an aid & help for the other) might so strengthen the Realm on all sides in their several natures, that not any Nation may become dangerous unto us▪ nor we disarm ourselves of that weapon where in God & Nature hath made us excel, and whereby we have ever been prevalent over all our enemies: For by the Supply to be made by Archrie amongst the greatest number of persons (which if any present need should require, could not be furnished with other warlike munition, both for want of ability, & also by reason it can not well be had for so many as there be able men to serve with the same) it will fall out, that no fit persons will be found naked or unprofitable be the accidents of War never so sudden: Of the want whereof, we have heard men of good judgement lately complain, in respect of the late petty incursion made by the Enemy upon the Sea-coast in the County of CORNWALL: Wherefore, it may please your Honours and Wisdoms to accept of our good intents (though we be of the meanest sort of her highness Subjects) who do not so much herein pretend our own preferments or advantages, as the advancement of the Honour of this Realm, which hath shoane bright in your noble Ancestors, by their manifold Conquests, famously achieved, especially, by virtue of this Weapon: And we shall (devotely) pray to God, that that Fame and Honour may redouble upon yourselves & yours, in this time of her majesties most happy reign, and so successively, for ever. Certain Collections out of ancient and Modern Writers, proving the necessity and excellence of the use of Archery: Divided into three parts, uz. I. That the use of Archery is a most ancient and noble Exercise: And that for Princes and great men, it is a most fair and honourable Practice. II. That it is most necessary for the Subjects to use the same both in peace and war. III. And for Battles and victories in the field (whereupon our Nation void of strong Towns doth specially repose itself) Archery to be of far greater effect than any other weapon that ever was invented: And that in respect thereof onclie, this Realm of England hath been ever feared and honoured of all Nations. The first Part. PLATO, Calimachus and Galene, very noble writers bring the invention of shooting from Apollo: for the which cause, Shooting is highly praised of Galen in his book of Exhortation to good Arts, where he saith, that mean crafts be first sonnde out by men or beasts, as weaving by a Spider, etc. But high and commendable Sciences by Gods, as Shooting and Music by Apollo. And if we shall believe Nicholas de Lyra, Lamech killed Cain with a Shast. Cyaxares the king of the Medes, and great grandfather to Cyrus, kept a sort of Scythians with him only for this purpose, to teach his son Astyages to shoot. Cyrus' being a child, was brought up in shooting, which Xenephon would never have made mention of, except it had been fit for Princes to have used, seeing that Xenephon wrote Cyrus' life (as Tully saith) not to show what Cyrus did, but what all manner of Princes both in pastimes & earnest matters ought to do. Darius' the first king of Persia of that name, showed plainly, how fit it is for a king to love and use Shooting, who commanded this sentence to be written on his tomb for a princely memory and praise. Darius' the King lieth buried here, That in Shooting and riding had no peer. Herodian his opinion of Commodus the Emperor, was: that he had no Princely thing in him, but strength of body, and good Shooting. Themistius the noble Philosopher, in an Oration made to Theodosius the Emperor, commendeth him for three things that he used of a Child: Shooting: Riding of a horse well, and feats of Arms. It is most manifest in the histories of our Nation, that the kings and Princes of this Realm have been excellent Archers: And this age can witness with what love and affection the right noble kings of famous memory, king Henry the eight, and Edward the sixth, did use and exercise the same in their own persons. By Shooting is the mind honourably exercised, where a man always desireth to be best (which is a word of honour) and that by the same way that virtue itself doth, coveting to come nighest a most perfect end, or mean standing between two extremes, eschewing short or gone, or on either side, wide. For which causes Aristotle himself saith: that Shooting and Virtue be very like. And that of all other, it is Aristotle de Morib. the most honest pastime, and least occasion to naughtiness, two things do very plainly prove: vz Daylight and Open place. If Shooting fault at any time, it hides not itself, but openly accuseth and bewrayeth itself: which is the next way to amendment, as wise men do say. THE SECOND PART. NOt only kings and Emperors have been brought up in shooting, but also the best common Wealths that ever were have made goodly acts & laws for it: as the Persians (who under Cyrus' conquered very many nations) had a law, that their children should learn three things only, from five years old to twenty: To ride a horse well, to shoot well, & to speak truth always and never lie. The Romans (as Leo the Emperor in his book of the sleights of war telleth) had a law that every man should use Shooting in time of peace, while he were forty years old: And that every house should have a Bow and forty Shafts ready for all needs: The omitting of which Law (saith Leo) among the youth, hath been the only occasion, why the Romans' lost a great deal of their Empire. The first Statute and Law that ever David made after he was King, was this: that all the children of Israel should learn to shoot (according to a Law made many a day before that time, for the setting out of Shooting) as it is written (saith Scripture) in libro justorum, which book we have not now Reg, 2, 1 extant. Plato would have common Masters and stipends De Leg 7 for to teach youth to shoot: And for the same purpose he would have broad fields near every City made common for men to use shooting in. Leo the Emperor in his sixth book: Let all the youth of Rome be compelled to use shooting, either more or less: And always to bear their bow and their quiver about them, until they be forty years old: For since Shooting was neglected and decayed among the Romans, many a Battle and field hath been lost. Again, in the xi. Book and 50. Chap. Let your Soldiers have their weapons well appointed and trimmed, but above all other things regard most shooting: And therefore, let men when there is no war use Shooting at home: For the leaving off only of Shooting hath brought ruin & decay to the whole Ruin & decay to the whole Empire by leaving off of Shooting. Empire of Rome. After wards he commandeth again his Captains by these words: Arm your host as I have appointed you, but especially with Bow and Arrows plenty: For shooting is a thing of much might & power in war, and chief against the Saracens & Turks, which people have all their hope of victory in their Bow and Shafts. Besides all this, in another place he writeth thus to his Captain. Artillery is easy to be prepared, and in time of great need a thing most profitable. Therefore we straightly command you to make Proclamation to all men under our dominions, either in war or peace, to all Cities, Burrougheses and Towns, and finally to all manner of men: that every several pearson have bow and shafts of his own: And every house besides this, to have a standing bearing Bow and forty shafts for all needs: And that they exercise themselves in holtes, hills and dales, plains and woods, for all manner of chances in war. And yet Shooting (although they set never so much by it) was never so good (then) as it is now in England: which thing to be true, is very pro●●table, in that Leo doth say: That he would have his Soldiers take off their Arrowe-heads, and one shoot at another for their exercise: Which play if the English Archers used, I think they would find small sport, and less pleasure in it. But the exercise thereof otherwise, bringeth a notable advantage to them that do practise the same: For experience doth teach us, that the strongest men do not always make the strongest shoot, which thing proveth that drawing strong lieth not so much in the strength of man, as in the use of Shooting. To conclude this second part, if a man should peruse all pastimes and exercises profitable to be set by of every man, worthy to be rebuked of no man, fit for all ages, persons and places, and a medicine to purge the whole land of all pestilent gaming, only Shooting shall appear, wherein all these commodities shall be found, being strengthened by putting in execution such laudable acts & statutes as have been on that behalf made and provided by the Parliaments of this Realm. THE THIRD PART. EVripides (every of whose verses Tully thinketh to be an Authority) doth say, That of all weapons the best is, where with least danger of ourself, we may hurt our enemy most: And that is (as may be supposed) Artillery: which now adays is taken for two things, Guns and Bows. Peter Nannius a learned man of Louvain, in a Dialogue showeth exceeding commodities of both: And some discommodities of Guns: as infinite cost and charge, cumbersome carriage if they be great, the uncertain leveling, the peril of them that stand by, etc. Besides all this, contrary wind and weather, which hindereth them not a little, and sometime maketh them unprofitable: yet of shooting he cannot rehearse one discommodity. But because some sort of men at Arms would bring our Magistrates and the better sort of our people and nation to mislike this ancient weapon, as unprofitable for the wars of our days: & would attribute alexcellence to the Musket and Caliver: See Sir john Smyth, Knight, in his book treating of Archery from fol. 20, to fol. 28. where you may find he utterly consuteth them, proving three especial points against them, uz. 1 Archers to be most ready in the field. 2 Archers to fail least in shooting. 3 And that they do anney the Enemies most, be they horsemen or footmen. And then after many unreplyable reasons, offereth that he will never refuse with 8000. good Archers to adventure his life against 20000. of the best shot in Christendom. Where fol. 23. 27. 28. he proveth long Bows to be most excellent for battles and great encounters, both against horsemen and footmen, for that it is a ready weapon both in fair and foul weather which shot is not: & that the arrows in flying both in their descent & fall, kill & wound from the face to the foot, into many ranks of the adverse battle or squadron, Which the shot doth not, but in their point blank (staying at the first, second, or third rank of the Enemy) nor then, but seldom by reason of many imperfections, which he setteth down there. Where it is further to be noted, that very many ranks of Archers may (with covenience) altogether, one behind another, shoot into the Enemy's battle, which the guns cannot do by reason of their point blank, whereby they must needs endanger their fellows before them: So that in fol. 29. he concludeth, (as well he may) that there is no doubt, but Archers with their vollees of Arrows, will wound, kill, and hurt above an hundred men and horses, for every one so to be done by the shot. In fol. 18. 19 He (having showed many imperfections belonging to the Shot) averreth, that for those causes in many great encounters very hot, and continued many hours with Shot, with new Supplies on both sides, within three, four or five scores and nearer, there hath not been slain and hurt on both sides with Bullets thirty men. And therefore in fol. 28. he saith: that it cometh to pass, that when men and horse have been in three or four skirmishes and do see that they receive no hurt, neither by fire, or smoke, nor noise: nor that in many thousands of men there are not twenty men slain, nor hurt, they grow after to be tar less in doubt thereof. Howbeit the vollees of Arrows flying together in the air as thick as hail do not only terrify and amaze, in most terrible sort, the ears, eyes, and hearts both of horses and men, with the noise and sight of their coming: But they also in their descents, do not leave in a whole squadron of horsemen or footmen (although they be in motion) so much as one man or horse unstricken and wounded with divers Arrows, if the number of Archers be answerable to the number of the squadron. Downward-pointing arrow Besides all which, it is to be noted, that horses in the field being wounded, or but lightly hurt with Arrows, they through the great pain, that upon every motion they do feel in their flesh, veins, and sinews, by the shaking of the Arrows with their barbed heads hanging in them, do presently fall a jerking and leaping, as if they were mad, in such sort, as be it squadron, or in troup, they do quite disorder one another, and never leave until they have thrown and cast their masters. Whereas contrariwise, Horses that are in vital parts hurt with Bullets, or the bones of their legs, shoulders or backs be broken, they do presently fall down: Or otherwise, although they be stricken clean through, or that the Bullets do still remain in them, they after the first shrink, at the entering of the Bullet, do pass their carrier as though they had very little or no hurt. In which Treatise fol. 26. 27. he complaineth of all sorts of Magistrates, for that they do not see those notable Laws made by former kings for the advancement of Archery to be put in execution, whereunto people of this realm (of a singular gift of God) by a natural inclination, come to be perfect and excellent: Whereby we are suffered to discontinue a weapon ever terrible to the enemies, and whereof they never had skill: and upon any sudden shall be enforced to sight with them at their own weapons wherein (by necessity) they are continually trained up, we being therein unpractised. The same knight, in the poem of his book proveth that the Egyptians did first conquer a great part of Asia, Europe, and Africa by their Army, which did consist most of Archery: But they falling into security and drunkenness, and neglect of that weapon, were conquered by Alexander the great, the greatest part of whose Army did consist of Archery. In like sort, and with the like weapon were the Grecians conquered with the Arabians. After the same Discipline of Archery they revived. And after (upon neglect thereof) again conquered and quite overthrown by Mahomet with his Turks and janissaries that consisted most of Bowmen. King David and josiah performed great effects, therewith: By this weapon God gave many victories to the jews: and by the same for their transgression Psa. 7. 63. 75 they received divers overthrows of the Gentiles. Besides that, king David doth call Bows a mighty power, and in his Psalms the vessels of death. God when he promiseth help to the jews, he useth no kind of speaking so much as this: That he Deut. 32. will bend his Bow, and die his Shafts in Gentiles blood: Whereby it is manifest, that Shooting is a wooderfull thing in war, whereunto the high power of God is likened. When Demosthenes the valiant Captain slew and took Prisoners, all the Lacedæmonians besides of the City of Pilos, the Shafts went so thick that day (saith Thucydides) that no man could see their enemies. I Lacedaemonian taken Prisoner, was asked of one of Athens, whether they were stout Fellows that were slain or no of the Lacedæmonians: Thucid. 4. He answered nothing else but this: Make much of those Shafts of yours, for they know neither stout nor unstout. etc. The Goths. Vandals, Alans, and other Northern Nations, invaded and conquered Rome and Greece and besieged Constantinople, spoiled Hungary, Austria, Illiria; and Dalmatia, wasted all Italy, sacked France and Spain, invaded Africa, etc. And it is most evident they achieved all these victories, more with the effect of Bows, then with all the rest of their weapons. With the like weapon did the Arrabians invade Constantinople, Mesopotamia, Surria, Armenia & Persia, jerusalem, Egypt, Barbary, etc. They discontinuing this weapon, were by the same chief conquered by the Turks. The like did the Tartars against Parthia, Media, Armenia, Mesopotamia and Surria, with innumerable numbers of Archers on horseback. So did Tamburlaine the Tartar Emperor, overthrow Bajazeth the Turkish Emperor, by reason his Army did far exceed the Turks in the number of Archers. Which most excellent effects of Archery, was the cause that Amurath the second Emperor of the Turks, did within few years after institute for the guard of his person, a number of janissaries on foot (being Christians renayed) taught from their youth to exercise the Bow: And so of the arqebus: So that when the Turk sendeth any his Baslaes to besiege any towns, they all use to take with them both their bows and Harquebusses: their Harquebusses to use in trenches against places fortified: & their bows for services of the field: But the Turk for guard of his person, and for all battles and great encounters in the field, doth ever prefer the Bows before the Harquebusses, fol. 41▪ 42. So likewise do the Tartars, Persians, and Parthians under the Sophy: who although they have had the use of shot long before us in Europe, yet have they, and do still prefer their Archers, and Bows for Battles and Victories before their weapons of fire. fol. 42 It is very certain, that shooting is the chief thing wherewith God suffereth the Turk to punish our sins withal: The youth there is brought up in Ca●p de rebus Turc, Shooting: and it is well known to the Spaniards the might of their shooting, who in the town called Newcastle in Illerica, were all slain by the Turks Arrows, when the Spaniards had no use of their guns by reason of the rain. And since that, the emperors Majesty himself at the City of Argier in Africa, had his host sore handled with the Turks Arrows, when his guns stood him in no service at all by the like accident of rain. And therefore, as concerning all these kingdoms Plin, lib, 16 Chap. 36 and common wealths, I may conclude with Pliny, thus: If any man would remember the Ethiopians, Egyptians, Arabians, the men of Indie, of Scythia, so many people in the East of the Samaritans, and all the kingdom of the Parthians, etc. he shall perceive half the part of the world to live in subjection, overcome by the might and power of Shooting. Proofs from our Nation of former and modern times. THe said Sir john Smyth, knight, fol. 29. 30. 31. Tilburie Campe. proving that by the example of placing Bows in the Army at Tilburie. An. Dom. 1588. Captains of this age in general, not to be expert in that Discipline, he teacheth the order of our Ancestors therein, in this sort. uz. They placed them in the face of the men at Arms of France and other Nations (who were then better armed then now we use to be) and the effect was such, that flying in the air as thick as snow, with a terrible noise (much like a tempestuous wind) they did leave no disarmed place of horse, or man unstricken and unwounded, as may well appear by the battle of Cressey; that king Edward the third, and his son Prince Edw. won against Philip of France, where the French were six to one well armed: where were slain xi. Princes, a thousand and two hundred knights, and thirty thousand Soldiers: The wonderful effects and terror of the shot of Arrows was that day such, as neither men at arms nor other Horsemen of divers Nations, were able to enter and break the Archers, being without pikes stakes, banks, and trenches to guard them, but in the plain Fields: The Archers with their Vollees of Arrows did break the ranks both of Horsemen and footmen, wounding and killing both horse and man, the French kings horse being slain under him, and himself in peril. The like or greater overthrow was acted by the same Prince, against john king of France in the battle of Poicters, with six thousand Archers, and two thousand armed men against 60000. French. The same Prince fought the like battle in Spain overthrew a hundred thousand men in one battle by the wonderful effect of Archers. So was the battle of Herrings fought there in Henry the sixth his time, and won by Archery, In the same king's time (as the French Chronicles do report) the L. of Belay accompanied with two hundred French Lances going to Man's, met with an English Captain called Berrie, and with him 80. Archers, by whom the Lances were overthrown, and divers taken prisoners. The like encounter happened about that time, between Guyan de Coing, a French Captain with 120. Lances, and Sir William Old with twenty Archers, with like success. But for that it may be objected: That it may be granted, that Archery was a prevalent weapon in ancient times before the Musket and Calliver came to the perfection of their use: It is not amiss to produce later instances of these our ages. Services of great effect done by Archery of our Nation in these our times. NOtable service was done in the time of king Henry the 8. of famous memory (upon a convoy between Guiens and Teroun) by Archers. In the time of king Edward the sixth, 1548. Ket with his Norfolk Rebels, by one conflict and a fought field (being men unarmed) did great exploits against the Duke of Northumberland by Archers: So that the Duke lost his good opinion of Harquebuzies, and would ever after say publicly, the Bow to be the noblest weapon of the world: This Sir john Smyth setteth down from the certain report of the late Earl of Warwick, who was there present. In the same kings time the Western Rebels The right honourable the Lord of Hu●ldon, L, Chamber lain that now is, an eyewitness. drove the Spanish and Italian Harquebuzies from all their strengths with vollees of Arrows, which sir john Smyth also hath hard the L. Chamberlain that now is very notably report (who was there an eye witness) Captain Spinola an Italian, a very brave Soldier, and wounded with Arrows in these services, gave singular commendation of the Archery of England. The Battle of Floddon hill, where james king Scots was slain, is very famous: where the Archers of Cheshire and Lancashire got immortal name and praise for ever. The fear only of English Archers hath done stranger things than is read of else where: and that not long sithence, betwixt Eske and leaven at Sandie Sikes did appear, where the whole nobility of Scotland, for fear of the Archers of England, were drowned and taken Prisoners. There is an old proverb in Scotland, that every English Archer beareth under his girdle twenty four Scots. And if it be true, as it is said, when the king of England hath been in France, the Priests at home (because they were Archers) have been able to overthrow all Scotland. Bishop Latimer in his sixth Sermon made before Bishop Latimer his commendation of Archery. king Edward the sixth, desired the Lords, as they loved the honour and glory of God, and as they intended to remove his indignation, to provide for the practice of Shooting: which he called the gift of god, whereby we excelled all other Nations: and an Instrument whereby he hath given unto us many victories. The foresaid Lord Warwick did also report, that when he was Lieutenant general at Newhaven, he did send to the Admiral of France, then favoured by her Majesty, six hundred arquebusiers, who thankfully receiving them, yet said, he had rather have had two hundred Archers: And that he would with them perform greater service: This message was brought from the Admiral by Sir Francis Somerset, Sir Richard Throgmorton, and Sir William Pellam, knights. Wonderful service was sithence done by four score of our Archers, against Dutch & French Harhusiers in France, to the great admiration of the Reingrave: whereupon he did protest and acknowledge the Longbows of England to be the best weapons for the field that were used by any nation of Christendom: And said that the Queen of England had great cause so to esteem of them. Reported by the said Earl of Warwick. Sir james Croft declared many notable services he had seen done by Archers in England, France, Scotland and Ireland. About Bartholomew tide last, 1595. there came out of Scotland, one james Forgeson, Bowyer to the king of Scots, who credibly reported, that about two Scots become Archers. years past, certain rebels did rise there against the king, who sent against them five hundred horsemen well appointed: They meeting three hundred of the Rebels Bowmen, encountered each with other, where the Bowemen slew two hundred and four score of their horses, and killed, wounded, and sore Scots make provision of Archery hurt most part of the kings men. Whereupon the said Forgeson was sent hither from the king with Commission to buy up ten thousand Bows and Bowstaves: But because he could not speed here, he went over into the East countries for them: This report will be proved by credible persons of the city of London. It may therefore be well concluded with Sir john Smyth: That all conquering Nations have made chief choice of the Bows, as of the most excellent kind of weapon for victories and conquests. And yet (as he saith) it is evident by all histories and all such as have traveled many parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, that English Bows & Arrows do exceed and excel all others used by all foreign Nations, not only in substance and strength but also in length and bigness. Neither is it unknown, that the French Captains and Gentlemen of this age, attribute all the former victories of the English against themselves, and their Ancestors, more to the effect of Archers, then to any extraordinary valiancy of our nation. It therefore were great pity (or rather impiety) to suffer this noble ancient weapon (being so mighty a strength and honour to all nations that have and do use the same, and especially to our English people above all others, for the reasons and examples above rehearsed) to go to decay amongst us, while there is godly laws provided for the same, and while it may be used of any person, and the same person fully provided of Bow and arrows for exercise (according to the prescription of the law on that behalf) under twenty pence. The practice whereof (besides his own excellence) will greatly diminish the noisome and pestilent custom of unlawful games now crept in use in the room thereof, being far more chargeable than Archery is. But there is great hope that this honourable weapon now (by use of unlawful games) greatly decayed, will resume to itself within this realm, his ancient strength and virtue (and that in short time, the people of a natural inclination being given thereunto) seeing it hath pleased her royal Majesty, under her highness hand, to have given out warrant unto the right Honourable Sir john Puckering knight, Lord keeper of the great Seal of England, to grant out Commissions under the same Seal, to put in execution one laudable Statute, made in the time of her right Princely Father for exercise of Archery, and debarring of unlawful games: And seeing that the Lords of her highness privy Counsel have also by their Letters directted to his Lordsh. commended the same, as an Act fit to be performed for the honour and strength of the Realm. FINIS.