❧ Rejoice England, be glad and merry,  
TROTH overcommmeth thine enemies all,  
The Scot, the Frencheman, the Pope, and heresy,  
OVERCOMMED by Troth, have had a fall;  
Stick to the Troth, and evermore thou shall  
Through Christ, King Henry, the Book and the Bow  
All manner of enemies, quite overthrow.   

Gualterus Haddonus Cantabrigien.  
Mittere qui celeres summa velit arte sagittas,  
Ars erit ex isto summa profecta libro.  
Quicquid habent arcus rigidi, neruique rotundi,  
Sumere fi libet, hoc sumere font licet.  
Aschamus est author, magnum quem fecit Apollo  
Arte sua, magnum Pallas & arte sua.  
Docta manus dedit hunc, dedit hunc mens doct a libellum:  
Quae ui det Ars Vsus visa, parata facit.  
Optimus haec author quia tradidit optima scripta,  
Conuenit bec vobis optima uelle sequi.   

To the most gracious, and our most dread Sovereign lord, King Henry the viii by the grace of God, king of England, France and Ireland. Defender of the faith, and of the church of England & also of Ireland in earth supreme head, next under Christ, be all health victory, and felicity.  
WHAT time as, most gracious Prince, your highness this last year past, took that your most honourable and victorious journey into France, accompanied with such a port of the Nobility and yeomanry of England, as neither hath been like known by experience, nor yet red of in History: accompanied also with the daily prayers, good hearts, and wills of all and every one your grace's subjects, left behind you here at home in England: the same time, I being at my book in Cambrige, sorry that my little ability could stretch out no better, to help forward so noble an enterprise, yet with my good will, prayer, and heart, nothing behind him that was foremost of all, conceived a wonderful desire, by the prayer, wishing, talking, & communication that was in every man's mouth, for your Grace's most victorious return, to offer up sumthinge, at your home coming to your Highness, which should both be a token of mi love and duty toward your Majesty, & also a sign of my good mind and zeal toward mi country.  
This occasion given to me at that time, caused me to take in hand again, this little purpose of shooting, begun of me before, yet not ended than, for other studies more meet for that trade of living, which God and mi friends had set me unto. But when your Grace's most joyful & happy victory prevented mi daily and speedy diligency to perform this matter, I was compelled to wait an other time to prepare & offer up this little book unto your Majesty. And when it hath pleased your highness of your infinite goodness, & also your most honourable Counsel to know and peruse over the contents, & some part of this book, and so to allow it, that other men might read it, through the furtherance and setting forth of the right worshipful and mi Singular good Master sir William Pagette Knight, most worthy Secretary to your highness, & most open & ready succour to all poor honest learned men's suits, I most humbly beseech your Grace to take in good worth this little treatise purposed, begun, and ended of me only for this intent, that Labour, Honest pastime & Virtue, might recover again that place and right, that Idleness, Unthrifty gamning and Vice hath put them fro.  
And although to have written this book either in latin or Greek (which thing I would be very glad yet to do, if I might surely know your Grace's pleasure there in) had been more easier & fit for mi trade in study, yet nevertheless, I supposing it no point of honesty, that mi commodity should stop & hinder any part either of the pleasure or profit of many, have written this English matter in the English tongue, for English men: where in this I trust that your Grace (if it shall please your Highness to read it) shall perceive it to be a thing Honest for me to write, pleasant for some to read, and profitable for many to follow, conte ning a pastime, honest for the mind, wholesome for the body, fit for every man, vile for no man, using the day & opemplace for Honesty to rule it, not lurking in corners for misorder to abuse it. Therefore I trust it shall apere, to be both a sure token of my zeal to set forward shooting, and some sign of my mind, towards honesty and learning.  
Thus I will trouble your crace no longer, but with my daily prayer, I will beseech God to preserve your Grace, in all health and felicity: to the fear and overthrow of all your enemies: to the pleasure, joyfulness and succour of all your subjects: to the utter destruction of papistry and heresy: to the continual setting forth of God's word and his glory.  
Your Grace's most bounden Scholar, Roger Ascham.   

❧ TO ALL GENTLE MEN AND YEOMEN OF ENGLAND.  
BIas the wise man came to Croesus the rich king, on a time, when he was making new ships, purposing to have subdued by water the out isles lying betwixt Grece and Asia minor: What news now in Grece, saith the king to Bias? None other news, but these, sayeth Bias: that the isles of Grece have prepared a wonderful company of horsemen, to overrun Lydia withal. There is nothing under heaven, saith the king, that I would so soon wish, as that they durst be so bold, to meet us on the land with horse. And think you sayeth Bias, that there is any thing which they would sooner wish, then that you should be so fond, to meet them on the water with ships? And so Croesus' hearing not the true news, but perceiving the wise man's mind and counsel, both gave then over making of his ships, and left also behind him a wonderful example for all common wealths to follow: that is evermore to regard and set most by that thing whereunto nature hath made them most apt, and use hath made them most fit.  
By this matter I mean the shooting in the long bow, for English men: which thing with all my heart I do wish, and if I were of authority, I would counsel all the gentlemen and yeomen of England, not to change it with any other thing, how good soever it seem to be: but that still, according to the old wont of England, youth should use it for the most honest pastime in peace, that men might handle it as a most sure weapon in war. Other strong weapons which both experience doth prove to be good, and the wisdom of the kings Majesty & his counsel provydes to be had, are not ordained to take away shooting: but that both, not compared together, whether should be better than the other, but so joined together that the one should be always an aid and help for the other, might so strengthen the Realm on all sides, that no kind of enemy in any kind of weapon, might pass and go beyond us.  
For this purpose I, partly provoked by the counsel of some gentlemen, partly moved by the love which I have always borne toward shooting, have written this little treatise, wherein if I have not satisfied any man, I 〈…〉 he will the rather be content with my doing, because I am (I suppose) the first, which hath said any thing in this matter (and few beginnings be perfect, saith wise men) And also because if I have said a miss, I am content that any man amend it, or if I have said to little, any man that will to add what him pleaseth to it.  
My mind is, in profiting and pleasing every man, to hurt or displease no man, intending none other purpose, but that youth might be stirred to labour, honest pastime, and virtue, and as much as lay in me, plucked from idleness, unthrifty games, and vice: which thing I have laboured only in this book, she wing how fit shooting is for all kinds of men, how honest a pastime for the mind, how wholesome an excercise for the body, not vile for great men to use, not costly for poor men to sustain, not lurking in holes and corners for ill men at their pleasure, to misuse it, but abiding in the open sight & face of the world, for good men if it fault by their wisdom to correct it.  
And here I would desire all gentlemen and yeomen, to use this pastime in such a mean, that the outrageousness of great gaming, should not hurt the honesty of shooting, which of his own nature is always joined with honesty: yet for men's faults oftentimes blamed unworthily, as all good things have been, and evermore shall be.  
If any man would blame me, either for taking such a matter in hand, or else for writing it in the english tongue, this answer I may make him, that when the best of the realm think it honest for them to use, I one of the meanest sort, ought not to suppose it vile for me to write: And though to have written it in an other tongue, had been both more profitable for my study, and also more honest for my name, yet I can think my labour well bestowed, if with a little hindrance of my profit and name, may come any fourtheraunce, to the pleasure or commodity, of the gentlemen and yeomen of England, for whose sake I took this matter in hand. And as for the Latin or greek tongue, every thing is so excellently done in them, that none can do better: In the English tongue contrary, every thing in a manner so meanly, both for the matter and handling, that no man can do worse. For therein the least learned for the most part, have been always most ready to write. And they which had least hope in latin, have been most bold in english: when surely every man that is most ready to talk, is not most able to write. He that will write well in any tongue, must follow this council of Aristotle, to speak as the common people do, to think as wise men do: and so should every man understand him, and the judgement of wise men allow him. Many English writers have not done so, but using strange words as latin, french and Italian, do make all things dark and hard. Ones I communed with a man which reasoned the english tongue to be enriched and increased thereby, saying: Who will not praise that feast, where a man shall drink at a dinner, both wine, ale and beer? Truly quoth I, they be all good, every one taken by himself alone, but if you put malvoisie and sack, read wine and white, ale and beer, and all in one pot, you shall make a drink, neither easy to be known, nor yet wholesome for the body. Cicero in following I focrates, Plato and Demosthenes, increased the latin tongue after an other sort. This way, because divers men that writ, do not know, they can neither follow it, because of their ignorancy, nor yet will praise it, for very arrogancy, two. faults, seldom the one out of the others company.  
English writers by diversity of time, have taken diverse matters in hand. In our father's time nothing was red, but books of feigned chivalry, wherein a man by reading, should be led to none other end, but only to manslaughter and bawdry. If any man suppose they were good enough to pass the time with all, he is deceived. For surely vain words do work no small thing in vain, ignorant, and young minds, specially if they be given any thing thereunto of their own nature. These books (as I have heard say) were made the most part in abbeys, and Monasteries, a very lickely and fit fruit of such an idle and blind kind of living.  
In our time now, when every man is given to know much rather than to live well, very many do write, but after such a fashion, as very many do shoot. Some shooters take in hand stronger bows, than they be able to maintain.  
This thing maketh them summtyme, to outshoote the mark, summtyme to shoot far wide, and perchance hurt sum that look on. Other that never learned to shoot, nor yet knoweth good shaft nor bow, will be as busy as the best, but such one commonly plucketh do●ne a side, and crafty archers which be against him, will be both glad of him, and also ever ready to lay and bet with him: it were better for such one to sit down than shoot. Other there be, which have very good bow and shafts, and good knowledge in shooting, but they have been brought up in such evil favoured shooting, that they can neither shore fair, nor yet near. If any man will apply these things together, shall not see the one far differ from the other.  
And I also amongs all other, in writing this little treatise, have followed sum young shooters, which both will begin to shoot, for a little money, and also will use to shoot once or twice about the mark for nought, afore they begin a good. And therefore did I take this little matter in hand, to assay myself, and hereafter by the grace of God, if the judgement of wise men, that look on, think that I can do any good, I may perchance cast my shaft among other, for better game.  
Yet in writing this book, some man will marvel perchance, why that I being an unperfect shoter, should take in hand to write of making a perfit archer: the same man peradventure will marvel, how a whettestone which is blunt, can make the edge of a knife sharp: I would the same man should consider also, that in going about any matter▪ there be four things to be considered, doing, saying, thinking and perfectness: first there is no man that doth so well, but he can say better, or else sum men, which be now stark nought, should be to good: Again no man can utter with his tongue, so well as he is able to imagine with his mind, & yet perfectness itself is far above all thinking. Than seeing that saying is one step nearer perfectenesse than doing, let every man leave marveling why my word shall rather express, than my deed shall perform perfect shooting.  
I trust no man will be offended with this little book except it be sum fletchers and bowiers, thinking hereby that many that love shooting shall be taught to refuse such noughty wares as they would utter. Honest fletchers and bowyers do not so, and they that be unhonest, ought rather to amend themselves for doing ill, than be angry with me ●o: saying well. ● fletcher hath even as good a quarrel to be angry with a● archer that refuseth an ill shaft, as a bladesmith hath to a fletcher that forsaketh to buy of him a noughty knife: For as an archer must be content that a fletcher know a good shaft in every point for the perfecter making of it, So an honest fletcher will also be content that a shooter know a good shaft in every point for the perfiter using of it: because the one knoweth like a fletcher how to make it, the other knoweth like an archer how to use it. And seeing the knowledge is one in them both, yet the end diverse, surely that fletcher is an enemy to archers and artillery, which can not be content that an archer know a shaft as well for his use in shooting, as he himself should know a shaft, for his advantage in selling. And the rather because shafts be not made so much to be sold, but chiefly to be used. And saying that use and occupying is the end why a shaft is made, the making as it were a mean for occupying, surely the knowledge in every point of a good shaft, is more to be required in a shooter than a fletcher.  
Yet as I said before no honest fletcher will be angry with me, seeing I do not teach how to make a shaft which belongeth only to a good fletcher, but to know and handle a shaft, which belongeth to an archer. And this little book I trust, shall please and profit both parts: For good bows and shafts shall be better known to the commodity of all shooters, and good shooting may perchance be the more occupied to the profit of all bowyers and fletchers. And thus I pray God that all fletchers getting their living truly, and all archers using shooting honestly, and all manner of men that favour artillery, may live continually in health and merriness, obeying their prince as they should, and loving God as they ought, to whom for all things be all honour and glory for ever. Amen ❧   

TOXOPHILUS, The school of shooting contained in two books.  
To all Gentlemen and yeomen of England, pleasant for their pastime to read, and profitable for their use to follow, both in war and peace.  

The contents of the first book.  
❧ Earnest business ought to be refreshed with honest pastime. Fol. 1.  
Shooting most honest pastime. 3.  
The invention of shooting. 5.  
Shooting fit for princes and great men. 5.  
Shooting, fit for Scholars and students. 8.  
Shooting fitter for students than any music or Instruments. 9  
Youth ought to learn to sing. 11.  
No manner of man doth or can use to much shooting. 14.  
Against unlawful gammes and namely cards and dise. 16.  
Shooting in war. 24.  
Obedience the best property of a Souldyar. 25.  
Reasons and authorities against shooting in war with the confutation of the same. 26.  
God is pleased with strong weapons and valiant feats of war. 28.  
The commodity of Shooting in war through the Histories Greek and Latin, & all nations christian and Herhen. 29.  
Use of shooting at home causeth strong shooting in war. 41.  
Use of shooting at home, except men be apt by nature, and cunning by teaching, doth little good at all. 43.  
Lack of learning to shoot causeth England lack many a good archer. 46.  
In learning any thing, a man must covet to be best, or else he shall never attain to be mean. 47    

A Table connteyning the second book.  
Hitting the mark, by 

shooting areyght.  
Keeping a length.   Both come partly. 

By knowing things belonging to shooting. 

Proper for every sear man's use. 

Braser  
Shotinglove  
String  
Bow  
Shafts    
General to all men. 

●ether  
Mark.      
By handling things belonging to shooting. 

without a man. 

Standing  
Nocking  
Drawing  
Holding  
Lowsinge.    
within a man. 

Bold courage.  
avoiding all affection.         

TOXOPHILUS, A,  
The first book of the school of shooting.  Philologus. Toxophilus. PHILOLOGUS. 
You study to sore Toxophile.  TOX. 
I will not hurt myself overmuch I warrant you.  PHI. 
Take heed you do not, for we Physicians say, that it is neither good for the eyes in so clear a Sun, nor yet wholesome for the body, ●o soon after meat, to look upon a man's book.  TOX. 
In eating and studying I will never follow any Physic, for if I did, I am sure I should have small pleasure in the one, and less courage in the other. But what news drove you hither I pray you?  PHI. 
Small news truly, but that as I came on walking, I fortuned to come with three or four that went to shoot at the pricks: And when I saw not you amongs them, but at the last espied you looking on your book here so sadly, I thought to come and hold you with some communication, lest your book should run away with you. For me thought by your wavering pace & earnest looking, your book led you, not you it.  TOX. 
In deed as it chanced, my mind went faster than my feet, for I happened here to read in Phedro Platonis, a place that entretes wonderfully of the nature of souls, 
In Phedro.  which place (whether it were for the passing eloquence of Plato, and the Greek tongue, or for the high and godly description of the matter, kept my mind so occupied, that it had no leisure to look to my feet. For I was reading how some souls being well feathered, flew always about heaven and heavenly matters, other some having their feathers mowted away, and droupinge, sank down into earthly things.  PHI. 
I remember the place very well, and it is wonderfully said of Plato, & now I see it was no marvel though your feet failed you, seeing your mind flew so fast.  TOX. 
I am glad now that you letted me, for my head aches with looking on it, and because you tell me so, I am very sorry that I was not with those good feloes you spoke upon, for it is a very fair day for a man to shoot in.  PHI. 
And me think you were a great deal better occupied & in better company, for it is a very fair day for a man to go to his book in.  TOX. 
All days and wethers will serve for that purpose, and surely this occasion was ill lost.  PHI. 
Yea but clear wether maketh clear minds, and it is best as I suppose, to spend the best time upon the best things: And me thought you shot very well, and at that mark, at which every good scholar should most busily shoot at. And I suppose it be a great deal more pleasure also, to see a soul fly in Plato, than a shaft fly at the pricks. I grant you, shooting is not the worst thing in the world, yet if we shoot, and time shoot, we are not like to be great winners at the length. And you know also we scholars have more earnest & weighty matters in hand, nor we be not borne to pastime & play, as you know well enough who saith.  TOX. 
Yet the same man in the same place philolog, 
M. Cic. 1 〈…〉.  by your leave, doth admit wholesome, honest and mannerly pastimes to be as necessary to be mingled with sad matters of the mind, as eating & sleeping is for the health of the body, and yet we be borne for neither of both. And Aristotle himself saith, 
Arist. de moribus. 10. 6.  that although it were a fond & a childish thing to be to earnest in pastime & play, yet doth he affirm by the authority of the old Poet Epicharmus, that a man may use play for earnest matter sake. And in an other place, 
Arist. Pol, 8. 3.  y● as rest is for labour, & medicines for health, so is pastime at times for sad & weighty study.  PHI. 
How moche in this matter is to be given to the authority either of Aristotle or Tul lie, I can not tell, seeing sad men may well enough speak merrily for a merry matter, this I am sure, which thing this fair wheat (god save it) maketh me remember, that those husbandmen which rise erliest, and come latest home, and are content to have their dinner and other drinckinges, brought into the field to them, for fear of losing of time, have fatter barns in harvest, than they which will either sleep at none time of the day, or else make merry with their neighbours at the ale. And so a scholar that purposeth to be a good husband, and desireth to reap and enjoy much fruit, of learning, must till and sow thereafter. Our best seed time, which be scholars, as it is very tymelye, and when we be young: so it endureth not overlong, and therefore it may not be let slip one hour, our ground is very hard, and full of weeds, our horse wherewith we be drawn very wild as Plato saith. 
In Phedro.  And infinite other more lets which will make a thrifty scholar take heed how he spendeth his time in sport and play.  TOX. 
That Aristotle and Tully spoke earnestly, and as they thought, the earnest matter which they entreat upon, doth plainly prove. And as for your husbandry, it was more probably told with apt words proper to the thing, then thoroughly proved with reasons belonging to our matter. For contrariwise I herd myself a good husband at his book ones say, that to omit study sometime of the day, and sometime of the year, made asmuch for the increase of learning, as to let the land lie sometime falloe, maketh for the better increase of corn. This we see, if the land be ploughed every year, the corn cometh thin up: the ear is short, the grain is small, and when it is brought into the barn and threshed, giveth very evil fault. So those which never leave poring on their books, have oftentimes as thin invention, as other poor men have, and as small wit and weight in it as in other men's. And thus your husbandry me think, is more like the life of a covetous s●●dge that oft very evil preves, than the labour of a good husband that knoweth well what he doth. And surely the best wits to learning must needs have moche recreation and ceasing from their book, or else they mar themselves, when base and dompys●he wits can never be hurt with continual study, as ye see in luting, that a triple mi●●kin string must always be let down, but at such time as when a man must needs play: when the base and dull string needeth never to be moved out of his place. The same reason I find true in two bows that I have, whereof the one is quick of cast, trick, and trim both for pleasure and profit: the other is a lug slow of cast, following the string, more sure for to last, then pleasant for to use. Now sir it chanced this other night, one in my chamber would needs bend them to prove their strength, but I can not tell how, they were both left bent till the next day at after dinner: and when I came to them, purposing to have gone on shooting, I found my good bow clean cast on the one side, and as weak as water, that surely (if I were a rich man) I had rather have spent a crown: and as for my lug, it was not one why● the worse: but shot by and by as well and as far as ever it did. And even so I am sure that good wits, except they be let down like a triple string, and unbent like a good casting bow, they will never last and be able to continued in study. And I know where I speak this philolog, for I would not say thus moche afore young men, for they will take soon occasion to study little enough. But I say it therefore because I know, as little study getteth little learning or none at all, so the most study getteth not the most learning of all. For a man's wit sore occupied in earnest study, must be as well recreated with some honest pastime, as the body sore laboured, must be refreshed with sleep and quietness, or else it can not endure very long, as the noble poet sayeth. What th●g want● quiet & meri rest endures but a small while▪ 
ovid.   
And I promise you shooting by my judgement, is the most honest pastime of all, & such one I am sure, of all other, that hindereth learning little or nothing at all, whatsoever you & some other say, which are a great deal sorer against it always than you need to be.  PHI. 
Hindereth learning little or nothing at all? that were a marvel to me truly, and I am sure seeing you say so, you have some reason wherewith you can defend shooting withal, and as for will (for the love that you bear toward shooting) I think there shall lack none in you. Therefore seeing we have so good leisure both, and no body by to trouble us: and you so willing & able to defend it, and I so ready and glad to hear what may be said of it I suppose we can not pass the time better over, neither you for the honesty of your shooting, nor I for mine own mindsake, than to see what can be said with it, or against it, and specially in these days, when so many doth use it, and every man in a manner doth common of it.  TOX. 
To speak of shooting philolog, truly I would I were so able, either as I myself am willing or yet as the matter deserveth, but seeing with wishing we can not have one now worthy, which so worthy a thing can worthily praise, and although I had rather have any other to do it than myself, yet myself rather then no other. I will not fail to say in it what I can wherein if I say little, lay that of my little ability, not of the matter itself which deserveth no little thing to be said of it.  PHI. 
If it deserve no little thing to be said of it Toxophile, I marvel how ●t chanceth than, that no man hitherto, hath written any thing of it: wherein you must grant me, that either the matter is nought, unworthy, and barren to be written upon, or else some men are to blame, which both love it and use it, and yet could never find in their heart, to say one good word of it, seeing that very trifling matters hath not lacked great learned men to set them out, as gnats and nuts, & many other more like things, wherefore either you may honestly lay very great fault upon men because they never yet praised it, or else I may justly take away no little thing from shooting, because it never yet deserved it.  TOX. 
truly herein philolog, you take not so much from it, as you give to it. For great and commodious things are never greatly praised, not because they be not worthy, but because their excellency needeth no man his praise, having all their commendation of themself not borrowed of other men his lips, which rather praise themself, in speaking much of a little thing than that matter which they entreat upon. Great & good things be not praised. For who ever praised Hercules (sayeth the Greek proverb) And that no man hitherto hath written any book of shooting the fault is not to be laid in the thing which was worthy to be written upon, but of men which were negligent in doing it, and this was the cause thereof as I suppose. Men●e that used shooting most and knew it best, were not learned: men that were learned, used little shooting, and were ignorant in the nature of the thing, and so few men hath been that hithetto were able to write upon it. Yet how long shooting hath continued, what common wealths hath most used it, how honest a thing it is for all men, what kind of living so ever they follow what pleasure and profit cometh of it, both in peace and war, all manner of tongues & writers, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, hath so plentifully spoken of it, as of few other things like. So what shooting is how many kinds there is of it, what goodness is joined with it, is told: only how it is to be learned and brought to a perfectness amongs men, is not told.  PHI. 
Than Toxophile, if it be so as you do say, let us go forward and examine how plentifully this is done that you speak, and first of the invention of it, than what honesty & profit is in the use of it, both for war & peace, more than in other pastimes, last of all how it ought to be learned amongs men for the increase of it, which thing if you do, not only I now for your communication but many other more, when they shall know of it, for your labour, & shooting itself also (if it could speak) for your kindness, will can you very moche thank  TOXOPH. 
What good things men speak of shooting & what good things shooting brings to men as my wit & knowledge will serve me, gladly shall I say my mind. But how the thing is to be learned I will surely leave to some other which both for greater experience in it, & also for their learning, can set it out better than I  PHI. 
Well as for that I know both what you can do in shooting by experience, & that you can also speak well enough of shooting, for your learning, but go on with the first part. And I do not doubt, but what my desire, what your love toward it, the honesty of shooting, the profit that may come thereby to many other, shall get the second part out of you at the last.  TOXOPH. 
Of the first finders out of shooting, di●ers men diversly do write. 
Clandianus in histri.  Claudiane the poet saith that nature gave example of shooting first, by the Porpentine, which doth shoot his pricks, and will hit any thing that fights with it: whereby men learned afterward to imitate the same in finding out both bow and shafts. 
Plin. 7. 56.  Pliny referreth it to Schythes the son of jupiter. Better and more noble writers bring shooting from a more noble inventor: as Plato, 
In sympo.  Calimachus, 
In him.  and Galene from Apollo. 
Apol●.  Yet long afore those days do we read in the bible of shooting expressly. 
Gen. 21.  And also if we shall believe Nicholas de Lyra, 
Nic. de lyra.  Lamech killed Cain with a shaft. So this great continuance of shooting doth not a little praise shooting: nor that neither doth not a little set it out, that it is referred to thinvention of Apollo, 
Galen in ephor. ad bon●● art●●.  for the which point shooting is highly praised of Galene: where he saith, the mean crafts befirst found out by men or beasts, as weaving by a spider, and such other: but high and commendable sciences by gods, as shooting and music by Apollo. And thus shooting for the necessity of it used in Adam's days, for the nobleness of it referred to Apollo, hath not been only commended in all tongues and writers, but also had in great price, both in the best common wealths in war time for the defence of their & laws for it, 
scrod. I clio.  as the Persians which under Cyrus conquered in a manner all the world, had a law that their children should learn three things, only from v. year old unto twenty to ride an horse well, to shoot well, 
●●o de stra●●g. 20.  to speak truth always & never lie. The Romans (as Leo th'emperor in his book of sleights of war telleth) had a law that every man should use shooting in peace time, while he was xl year old and that every house should have a bow, and xl shafts ready for all needs, the omitting of which law (saith Leo) amongs the youth, hath been the only occasion why the Romans lost a great deal of their empire. But more of this I will speak when I come to the profit of shooting in war. If I should rehearse the statutes made of noble princes of England in parliaments for the setting forward of shooting, through this realm, and specially that act made for shooting the third year of the reign of our most dread sovereign lord king Henry the viii I could be very long. But these few examples specially of so great men & noble common wealths, shall stand in stead of many.  PHI. 
That such princes and such common wealths have much regarded shooting, you have well declared. But why shooting aught so of itself to be regarded, you have scarcely yet proved.  TOX. 
Examples I grant out of histories do show a thing to be so, not prove a thing why it should be so Yet this I suppose, that neither great men's qualities being commendable be without great authority, for other men honestly to follow them: nor yet those great learned men that wrote such things, lack good season justly at all times for any other to approve them. Prince's being children ought to be brought up in shooting: both because it is an exercise most wholesome, and also a pastime most honest: wherein labour prepareth the body to hardness, the mind to courageousness, suffering neither the one to be marred with tenderness, nor yet the other to be hurt with idleness: as we read how Sardanapalus and such other were, because they were not brought up with outward honest painful pastimes to be men: but cockerde up with inward noughty idle wantonness to be women. For how fit labour is for all youth, jupiter or else Minos amongs them of Grece, 
Ci●. 2. ●u●. Qu.  and Lycurgus amongs the Lacedæmonians, do show by their laws, which never ordained any thing for the bringing up of youth that was not joined with labour. And the labour which is in shooting of all other is best, both because it increaseth strength, and preserveth health most, being not vehement, but moderate, not overlaying any one part with werysomnesse, but softly exercising every part with equalness, as the arms and breasts with drawing, the other parties with going, being not so painful for the labour as pleasant for the pastime, which exercise by the judgement of the best physicians, is most allowable. 
Gal. 2. de san. tu●●d.  By shooting also is the mind honestly exercised where a man always desireth to be best (which is a word of honesty) and that by the same way, that virtue itself doth, coveting to come nighest a most perfit end or mean standing betwixt ii extremes, eschewing short, or gone, or eithersyde wide, 
Ari●● .1. de morib.  for the which causes Aristotle himself saith that shooting and virtue be very like. Moreover that shooting of all other is the most honest pastime, and hath least occasion to noughtiness joined with it ii things very plainly do prove, which be as a man would say, the tutors and overseers to shooting: day light and open place where every man doth come, the maintainers and keepers of shooting, from all unhonest doing. If shooting fault at any time, it hides it not, it lurks not in corners and huddermother: but openly accuseth & bewrayeth itself, which is the next way to amendment, as wise men do say. And these things I suppose be signs, not of noughtiness, for any man to disallow it: but rather very plain tokens of honesty, for every man to praise it.  
The use of shooting also in great men's children shall greatly increase the love and use of shooting in all the residue of youth. For mean men's minds love to be like great men, as Plato and Isocrates do say. 
Iso. in ni●.  And that every body should learn to shoot when they be young, defence of the common wealth, doth require when they be old, which thing can not be done mightily when they be men, except they learn it perfectly when they be boys. And therefore shooting of all pastimes is most fit to be used in childhood: because it is an imitation of most earnest things to be done in manhood.  
Wherefore, shooting is fit for great men's children, both because it strengtheneth the body with wholesome labour, and pleaseth the mind with honest pastime and also encourageth all other youth earnestly to follow the same. And these reasons (as I suppose) stirred up both great men to bring up their children in shooting, and also noble common wealths so straightly to command shooting. Therefore seeing Princes moved by honest occasions, hath in all common wealths used shooting, I suppose there is none other degree of men, neither low nor high, learned nor lewd, young nor old  PHIL. 
You shall need wade no further in this matter Toxophile, but if you can prove me that scholars and men given to learning may honestly use shooting, I will soon grant you that all other sorts of men may not only lelullie, but aught of duty to use it. But I think you can not prove but that all these examples of shooting brought from so long a time, used of so noble princes, confirmed by so wise men's laws and judgements, are set afore temporal men, only to follow them: whereby they may the better and stronglyer defend the common wealth withal. And nothing belongeth to scholars and learned men, which have an other part of the common wealth, quiet and peaceable put to their cure and charge, whose end as it is diverse from the other, so there is no one way that leadeth to them both.  TOXO. 
I grant philolog, that scholars and lay men have diverse offices and charges in the common wealth, which requires diverse bringing up in their youth, if they shall do them as they ought to do in their age. Yet as temporal men of necessity are compelled to take somewhat of learning to do their office the better withal: So scholars may the boldlier borrow somewhat of lay men's pastimes, to maintain their health in study withal. And surely of all other things shooting is necessary for both sorts to learn. Which thing, when it hath been evermore used in England how much good it hath done, both old men and Chronicles do tell: and also our enemies can bear us record. For if it be true (as I have heard say) when the king of England hath been in France, the priests at home because they were archers, have been able to overthrow all Scotland. Again there is an other thing which above all other doth move me, not only to love shooting, to praise shooting, to exhort all other to shooting, but also to use shooting myself: and that is our king his most royal purpose and will, which in all his statutes generally doth command men, and with his own mouth most gently doth exhortemen, and by his great gifts and rewards, greatly doth encourage men, and with his most princely example very oft doth provoke all other men to the same. But here you will come in with temporal man and scholar: I tell you plainly, scholar or unscholer, yea if I were twenty scholars, I would think it were my duty, both with exhorting men to shoot, and also with shooting myself to help to set forward that thing which the king his wisdom, and his counsel, so greatly laboureth to go forward: which thing surely they do, because they know it to be in war, the defence and wall of our country, in peace, an exercise most wholesome for the body, a pastime most honest for the mind, and as I am able to prove myself, of all other most fit and agreeable with learning and learned men.  PHI. 
If you can prove this thing so plainly, as you speak it earnestly, them will I, not only think as you do, but become a shooter and do as you do. But yet beware I say, lest you for the great love you bear toward shooting, blindly judge of shooting. For love & all other to earnest affections be not for nought painted blind. Take heed (I say) lest you prefer shooting afore other pastimes, as one Balbinus through blind affection, preferred his lover before all other women, although she were deformed with a polypus in her nose. And although shooting may be meet sometime for some scholars, and so forth: yet the fittest always is to be preferred. Therefore if you will needs grant scholars pastime and recre ation of their minds, let them use (as many of them doth) music, and playing on instruments, things most seemly for all scholars, and most regarded always of Apollo & the Muses.  TOX. 
Even as I can not deny, but some music is fit for learning so I trust you can not choose but grant, that shooting is fit also, as Calimachus doth signify in this verse. Both merry songs and good shooting delighteth Appoll●. 
Cal. him. ●   
Butas concerning whether of them is most fit for learning, and scholars to use, you may say what you will for your pleasure, this I am sure that Plato and Aristotle both, in their books entreating of the common wealth, where they show how youth should be brought up in. ii●i. things, in reading, in writing, in excercise of body, and singing, do make mention of Music & all kinds of it, wherein they both agree, that Music used amongs the Lydians is very ill for young men, which be students for virtue and learning, for a certain nice, soft, and smooth sweetness of it, which would rather entice than to naughtiness, than stir them to honesty.  
another kind of Music invented by the Dorians, they both wonderfully praise, allowing it to be very fit for the study of virtue & learning, because of a manly, rough and stout sound in it, which should encourage young stomachs, to attempt manly matters. Now whether these ballads & rounds, these galiardes, pavanes and dances, so nicely fingered, so sweetly tuned, be lyker the Music of the Lydians or the Dorians, you that be learned judge. And what so ever ye judge, this I am sure, that lutes, haps, all manner of pipes, barbitons, sambukes, with other instruments every one, which standeth by fine and quick fingering be condemned of Aristotle, 
Aristot. pol. ●. 6.  as not to be brought in & used among them, which study for learning and virtue.  
Pallas when she had invented a pipe, cast it away, not so much sayeth Aristotle, because it deformed her face, but much rather because such an Instrument belonged nothing to learning. How such Instruments agree with learning, the goodly agreement betwixt Apollo god of learning, & Marsyas the satire, defender of piping, doth well declare, where Marsyas had his skin quite pulled over his head for his labour.  
Much music marreth men's manners, saith Galen, although some man will say that it doth not so, but rather recreateth and maketh quick a man's mind, yet me think by reason it doth as honey doth to a man's stomach, which at the first receiveth it well, but afterward it maketh it unfit, to abide any good strong flourishing meat, frels any wholesome sharp● and quick drink. And even so in a manner these Instruments make a man's wit so soft and smooth so tender and quaisie, that they be less able to brook, strong and tough study. Wits be not sharpened, but rather dulled, and made blunt, with such sweet softness, even as good edges be blonter, which men whet upon soft chalk stones.  
And these things to be true, not only Plato Aristotle & Galen, prove by authority of reason, 
Herodotus in Clio.  but also Herodotus and other writers, show by plain and evident example, as that of Cyrus, which after he had overcome the Lydians, and taken their king Croesus' prisoner, yet after by the mean of one Pactyas a very heady man amongs the Lydians, they rebelled against Cyrus again, then Cyrus had by an by, brought them to utter destruction, if Croesus being in good favour with Cyrus had not hertelie desired him, not to revenge Pactyas fault, in shedding their blood. But if he would follow his counsel, he might bring to pass, that they should never more rebel against him, And that was this, to make them wear long kyrtils, to the foot like woomen, and that every one of them should have a harp or a lute, and learn to play and sing which thing if you do saith Croesus (as he did in deed) you shall see them quickly of men, made women. And thus lutinge and singing take away a manly stomach, which should enter & pierce deep and hard study.  
Even such an other story doth Nymphodorus an old greek Historiographer write, 
Nymphod.  of one Sesostris king of Egypte, which story because it is somewhat long, and very like in all points to the other and also you do well enough remember it, saying you read it so late in Sophoclis commentaries, 
Comment. in Antig.  I will now pass over. Therefore either Aristotle and Plato know notwhat was good and evil for learning and virtue, and the example of wise histories be vainly set afore us or else the minstrelsy of lutes, pipes, haps, and all other that standeth by such nice, fine, minikin fingering (such as the most part of scholars whom I know use, if they use any) is far more fit for the womannishn●sse of it to dwell in the court among ladies, than for any great thing in it, which should help good and sad study, to abide in the university amongs scholars. But perhaps you know some great goodness of such music and such instruments, where unto Plato & Aristotle his brain could never attain, and therefore I will say no more against it.  PHI. 
well Toxophile is it not enough for you to rail upon Music, except you mock me to? but to say the truth I never thought myself these kinds of music fit for learning, but that which I said was rather to prove you, than to defend the matter. But yet as I would have this sort of music decay among scholars, even so do I wish from the bottom of my heart, that the laudable custom of England to teach children their plainesong and priksong, were not so decayed throughout all the realm as it is. Which thing how profitable it was for all sorts of men, those knew not so well than which had it most, as they do now which lack it most. And therefore it is true that Teucer sayeth in Sophocles. 
Seldom at all good things be known how good to be  
Before a man such things do miss out of his hands. 
Sophocle● in A●ac●.    
That milk is no fit nor more natural for the bringing up of children than music is, both Galen proveth by authority, and daily use teacheth by experience. For even the little babes lacking the use of reason, are scarce so well stilled in sucking their mothers pap, as in hearing their mother sing.  
Again how fit youth is made, by learning to sing, for grammar and other sciences, both we daily do see, and Plutarch learnedly doth prove, and Plato wisely did allow, which received no scholar in to his school, that had not learned his song before.  
The godly use of praising God, by singing in the church, needeth not my praise, seeing it is so praised through all the scripture, therefore now I will speak nothing of it, rather than I should speak to little of it.  
Beside all these commodities, truly ii degrees of men, which have the highest offices under the king in all this realm, shall greatly lack the use of singing, preachers and lawyers, because they shall not without this, be able to rule their breasts, for every purpose. For where is no distinction in telling glad things and fearful things, gentleness & cruelness, softness and vehement●es, and such like matters, there can be no great persuasion.  
For the hearers, as Tully sayeth, be much affectioned, as he is that speaketh. At his words be they drawn, if he stand still in one fashion, their minds stand still with him: If he thunder, they quake: If he chide, they fear: If he complain, they sorry with him: and finally, where a matter is spoken, with an apt voice, for every affection, the hearers for the most part, are moved as the speaker would. But when a man is alway in one tune, like an Humble be, or else now up in the top of the church, now down that no man knoweth where to have him: or piping like a reed, or roaring like a bull, as some lawyers do, which think they do best, when they cry loudest, these shall never greatly move, as I have known many well learned, have done, because their voice was not stayed afore, with learning to sing. For all voices, great and small, base & shrill, week or soft, may be helped and brought to a good point, by learning to sing.  
Whether this be true or not, they that stand most in need, can tell best, whereof some I have known, which, because they learned not to sing, when they were boys, were fain to take pain in it, when they were men. If any man should hear me Toxophile, that would think I did but fond, to suppose that a voice were so necessary to be looked upon, I would ask him if he thought not nature a fool, for making such goodly instruments in a man, for well uttering his words, or else if the ii noble orators Demosthenes & Cicero were not fools, whereof the one did not only learn to sing of a man: But also was not ashamed to learn how he should utter his sounds aptly of a dog, the other setteth out no point of thetorike, so full●e in all his books, as how a man should order his voice for all kind of matters.  
Therefore seeing men by speaking, differ and be better than beasts, by speaking well, better than other men, and that singing is an help toward the same as daily experience doth teach, example of wisemen doth allow, authority of learned men doth approve wherewith the foundation of youth in all good common wealths always hath been tempered: surely if I were one of the parliament house, I would not fail, to put up a bill for the amendment of this thing, but because I am like to be none this year, I will speak no more of it, at this time.  TOX. 
It were pity truly philolog, that the thing should be neglected, but I trust it is not as you say.  PHI. 
The thing is to true, for of them that come daily to the university, where one hath learned to sing, vi. hath not. But now to our shooting Toxophile again, wherein I suppose you can not say so much for shooting to be ●itte for learning, as you have spoken against Music for the same.  
Therefore as concerning Music, I can be content to grant you your mind: But as for shooting, surely I suppose that you can not persuade me, by no means, that a man can be earnest in it, and earnest at his book to: but rather I think that a man with a bow on his back, and shafts under his girdle, is more fit to wait upon Robin Hood, than upon Apollo or the Muses.  TOX. 
Over earnest shooting surely I will not over earnestly defend, for I ever thought shooting should be a waiter upon learning not a masters over learning. Yet this I marvel not a little at, that ye think a man with a bow on his back is more like Robin Hood servant, than Apollose, seeing that Apollo himself in Alcestis of Euripides, which tragedy you read openly not long ago, in a manner glorieth saying this verse. It is my wont always my bow with me to bear  
Therefore a learned man ought not to much to be ashamed to bear that some time, 
〈…〉  which Apollo god of learning himself was not ashamed always to bear. And because ye would have a man wait upon the Muses, and not at all meddle with shooting I marvel that you do not remember how that the ix. muse's their self as soon as they were borne, were put to norse to a lady called Euphemis which had a son named E●otus with whom the nine Muses for his excellent shooting, kept ever more company wall, & used daily to shoot together in the mount Pernasus: and at last it chanced this Erotus to die, whose death the Muses lamented greatly, and fell all upon their knees afore jupiter their father, and at their request, E●otus for shooting with the Muses in earth was made a sign, and called Sagittarius in heaven. Therefore you see, that if Apollo and the Muses either were examples in deed, or only feigned of wise men to be examples of learning, honest shooting may well enough be companion with honest study.  PHI. 
Well Toxophile, if you have no stronger defence of shooting then Poetes, I fear if your companions which love shooting, heard you, they would think you made it but a trifling and fabling matter, rather than any other man that loveth not shooting could be persuaded by this reason to love it.  TOXO. 
Even as I am not so fond but I know that these be fables, so I am sure you be not so ignorant, but you know what such noble wits as the Poetes had, meant by such matters: which oftentimes under the covering of a fable, do hide & wrap in goodly precepts of philosophy, with the true judgement of things. Which to be true specially in Homer and Euripides, Plato, Aristotle and Galene plainly do show: when through all their works (in a manner) they determine all controversies, by these ii Poetes and such like authorities. Therefore if in this matter I seem to fable, and nothing prove, I am content you judge so on me: seeing the same judgement shall condemn with me Plato, Aristotle, and Galene, whom in that error I am well content to follow. If these old examples prove no thing for shooting, what say you to this▪ that the best learned and sagest men in this Realm, which be now alive, both love shooting and use shooting, as the best learned bishops that be: amongs whom philolog▪ you yourself know four or .v. which as in all good learning, virtue and sageness they give other men example what thing they should do, even so by their shooting, they plainly show what honest pastime, other men given to learning, may honestly use. That earnest study must be recreated with honest pastime sufficiently I have proved afore, both by reason and authority of the best learned men that ever wrote. Then seeing pastimes be leeful, the most fittest for learning, is to be sought for. A pastime, saith Aristotle, 
〈…〉  must be like a medicine. Medicines staude by contraries, therefore the nature of studying considered, the fittest pastyine shall soon appear. In study every part of the body is idle, which thing causeth gross and cold humours, to gather together & ●ere scholars very moche, the mind is altogether bend and set on work. A pastime than must be had where every part of the body must be laboured to separate and lessen such humours withal: the mind must be unbent, to gather & fetch again his quickness withal. Thus pastimes for the mind only, be nothing fit for students, because the body which is most hurt by study, should take no profit at all thereat. This knew Erasmus very well, when he was here in Cambrige: which when he had been sore at his book (as Garret our bookebynder hath very oft told me) for lack of better exercise, would take his horse, and ride about the market hill, and come again. If a scholar should use bowls or tennies, the labour is to vehement and vuequall, which is condemned of Galene: the example very ill for other men, when by so many acts they be made unlawful.  
Running, leaping, and coyting be to vile for scholars, and so not fit by Aristotle his judgement: walking alone into the field, 
Aristot. pol. 7. 17.  hath no token of courage in it, a pastime like a simple man which is neither flesh nor fish. Therefore if a man would have a pastime wholesome and equal for every part of the body, pleasant and full of courage for the mind, not vile and unhonest to give ill example to lay men, not kept in gardens and corners, not lurking on the night and in holes, but evermore in the face of men, either to rebuke it when it doth ill, or else to testify on it when it doth well: let him seek chiefly of all other for shooting.  PHILOL. 
Such comm●ne pastimes as men commonly do use, I will not greatly allow to be fit for scholars: seeing they may use such exercises very well (I suppose) as Galene himself doth allow.  TOXOPH. 

Gal. de 〈…〉  Those exercises I remember very well, for I read them within these two days, of the which, some be these: to run up and down an hill, to climb up a long paul, or a tope, and there hang a while, to hold a man by his arms and wave with his heels, moche like the pastime that boys use in the church when their master is away, to swinge and totter in a belrope: to make a fist, and stretch out both his arms, and so stand like a rood. To go on a man his tiptoes, stretching out th'one of his arms forward, the other backward, which if he bleared out his tongue also, might be thought to dannce A●ticke very properly.  
To tumble over and over, to top over tail: To set back to back, and see who can heave an other his heel's highest, wi●h other moche like: which exercises surely must needs be natural, because they be so childisshe, and they may be also wholesome for the body: but surely as for pleasure to the mind or honesty in the doing of them, they be as like shooting as York is foul Sutton. Therefore to look on all pastimes and exercises wholesome for the body, pleasant for the mind, comely for every man to do, honest for all other to look on, profitable to be set by of every man, worthy to be rebuked of no man, fit for all ages people and places, only shooting shall appear, wherein all these commodities may be found.  PHIL. 
To grant Toxophile, that students may at times convenient use shooting as most wholesome and honest pastime: yet to do as some do, to shoot hourly daily, wekelye, and in a manner the hole year, neither I can praise, nor any wise man will allow, nor you yourself can honestly defend.  TOXOPH. 
Surely philolog, I am very glad to see you come to that point that most lieth in your stomach, and grieveth you and other so moche. But I trust after I have said my mind in this matter, you shall confess your sel●fe that you do rebuke this thing more than ye need, rather than you shall find that any man may spend by any possibilittie, more time in shooting then he ought. For first and formoost the hole time is divided into ii parts, the day and the night: whereof the night may be both occupied in many honest businesses, and also spent in moche unthriftiness, but in no wise it can be applied to shooting. And here you see that half our time, granted to all other things in a manner both good and ill, is at one swap quite taken away from shooting. Now let us go forward, and see how moche of half this time of ours is spent in shooting. The hole year is divided into four parts, Spring time, Summer, faule of the leaf, and winter whereof the whole winter, for the roughness of it, is clean taken away from shooting: except it be one day amongs twenty or one year amongs xl In Summer, for the fervent heat, a man may say likewise: except it be sometime against night. Now then spring time and fall of the leaf be those which we abuse in shooting. But if we consider how mutable & changeable the wether is in those seasons, and how that Aristotle himself saith, that most part of rain falleth in these two times: we shall well perceive, that where a man would shoot one day, he shall be fain to leave of four Now when time itself granteth us but a little space to shoot in, let us see if shooting be not hindered amongs all kinds of men as much otherways. First, young children use not, young men for fear of them whom they be under toomuch dare not: sage men for other greater businesses, will not: aged men for lack of strength, can not: Rich men for covetousness sake, care not: poor men for cost and charge, may not: masters for their household keeping, heed not: servants kept in by their masters very oft, shall not: crafts men for getting of their living, very moche leisure have not: and many there be that oft begins, but for unaptness proves not: and most of all, which when they be shooters give it over and list not, so that generally men every where for one or other consideration moche shooting use not. Therefore these two things, straightness of time, and every man his trade of living, are the causes that so few men shoots: as you may see in this great town, where as there be a thousand good men's bodies, yet scarce ten that useth any great shooting. And those whom you see shoot the most, with how many things are the drawn, or rather driven, from shooting. For first, as it is many a year or they begin to be great shooters, even so the great heat of shooting is gone within a year or two: as you know diverse philolog yourself, which were sometime the best shooters, and now they be the best students.  
If a man faule sick, farewell shooting, may fortune as long as he liveth. If he have a wrentche, or have taken cold in his arm, he may hang up his bow (I warrant you) for one season. A little blain, a small cut, yea a silly poor worm in his finger, may keep him from shooting well enough. Breaking and ill luck in bows I will pass over, with an hundred more sear things, which chanceth every day to them that shoot most, whereof the least of them may compel a man to leave shooting. And these things be so true and evident, that it is impossible either for me craftily to fain them, or else for you justly to deny them. Than seeing how many hundred things are required altogether to give a man leave to shoot, and any one of them denied, a man can not shoot: and seeing every one of them may chance, and doth chance every day, I marvel any wise man will think it possible, that any great time can be spent in shooting at all.  PHI. 
I● this be true that you say Toxophile, and in very deed I can deny nothing of it, I marvel greatly how it chanceth, that those, which use shooting be so much marked of men, and oft-times blamed for it, and that in a manner as much as those which play at cards and dise. 
Cards and dice.  And I shall tell you what I heard spoken of the same matter. A man no shooter, (not long ago) would defend playing at cards & dise, if it were honestly used, to be as honest a pastime as your shooting: For he laid for him, that a man might play for a little at cards and dice, and also a man might shoot away all that ever he had. He said a pair of cards cost not passed ii d. and that they needed not so much reparation as bow and shafts, they would never hurt a man his hand, nor never wear his gear. A man should never slay a man with shooting▪ wide at the cards. In wet and dry, hot and could, they would never forsake a man, he showed what great variety there is in them for every man's capacity: if one game were hard, he might easily learn an other: if a man have a good game, there is great pleasure in it: if he have an ill game, the pain is short, for he may soon give it over, and hope for a better: with many other more reasons.  
But at the last he concluded, that betwixt playing and shooting, well used or ill used, there was no difference: but that there was less cost and trouble, and a great deal more pleasure in playing, then in shooting.  TOX. 
I can not deny, but shooting (as all other good things) may be abused. And good things ungoodlye used, are not good, sayeth an honourable bishop in an ernester matter than this is: yet we must beware that we lay not men's faults upon the thing which is not worthy, for so nothing should be good. And as for shooting, it is blamed and marked of men for that thing (as I said before) which should be rather a token of honesty to praise it, than any sign of noughtiness to disallow it, and that is because it is in every man his sight, it seeketh no corners, it hideth it not: if there be never so little fault in it, every man seeth it, it accuseth itself. For one hour spent in shooting is more seen and further talked of, than .xx nights spent in dicing, even as a little white stone is seen amongs iii hundred black. Of those that blame shooting and shooters, I will say no more at this time but this, that beside that they stop and hinder shooting, which the kings grace would have forward, they be not much unlike in this point to Wyl● Summer the king his fool, which smiteth him that standeth always before his face, be he never so worshipful a man, and never greatly looks for him which lurks behind an other man his back, that hurt him in deed.  
But to him that compared gamning with shooting somewhat will I answer, and because he went afore me in a comparison: and comparisons saith learned men, make plain matters: I will surely follow him in the same. 
In 〈…〉.  Honest things (sayeth Plato) be known from unhonest things, by this difference, unhonesty hath ever present pleasure in it, having neither good pretence going before, nor yet any profit following after: which saying describeth general lie, both the nature of shooting & gamning which is good, and which is evil, very well.  
Gamninge hath joined with it, a vain present pleasure, but there followeth, loss of name, loss of goods, and winning of an hundred gouty, dropsy diseases, as every man can tell. shooting is a painful pastime, whereof followeth health of body quickness of wit, ability to defend our country, as our enemies can bear record.  
Loath I am to compare these things together, & yet I do it not because there is any comparison at all betwixt them, but thereby a man shall see how good the one is, how evil the other. For I think there is scarce so much contrariousnes, betwixt hot and cold, virtue & vice, as is betwixt these ii things: For what so ever is in the one, the clean contrary is in the other, as shall plainly appear, if we consider, both their beginnings, their encreasynges, their fruits, and their ends, which I will soon rid over.  
¶ The first bringer in to the world of shooting, 
Pla. 〈…〉.  was Apollo, which for his wisdom, & great commodities, brought amongs men by him, was esteemed worthy, to be counted as a God in heaven.  
Dising surely is a bastard borne, because it is said to have ii fathers, and yet both nought: The one was an ungracious God, called Theuth, 
Plato In Phedro.  which for his naughtiness, came never in other god's companies, and therefore Homer doth despise onse to nam● him, in all his works. The other father was a Lydian borne, which people for such gamnes, 
●●rodot. in 〈…〉  and other vuthriftines, as boowling and haunting of taverns, have been ever had in most vile reputation, in all stories and writers.  
The Fosterer up of shooting is Labour, the companion of virtue, the maintainer of honesty, the increaser of health and wealthiness, which admitteth nothing in a manner in to his company, that standeth not, with virtue and honesty, and therefore sayeth the old poet Epicharmus very prettily in Xenophon, 
●en. de dict. ● 〈…〉. So●.  that God selleth virtue, & all other good things to men for labour. The Nurse of dise and cards, is werisom Idleness, enemy of virtue, the drowner of yo●the, that tarrieth in it, and as Chauser doth say very well in the Parson's tale, the gree●e path way to hell, having this thing appropriate unto it, that where as other vices have some cloak of honesty, only idleness can neither do well, nor yet think well. Again, shooting hath two Tutors to look upon it, out of whose company, shooting never stirreth, the one called day light, that other Open place, which ii keep shooting from evil company, and suffers it not to have to much swinge, but evermore keeps it under awe, that it dare do nothing in the open face of the world, but that which is good and honest. Likewise, dysinge and carding, have ii Tutors, the one named Solitariousenes, which lurketh in holes and corners, the other called Night an ungracious cover of naughtiness, which two things be very In●●pers & receivers of all naughtiness and naughty things, and thereto they be in a manner, ordained by Nature. For on the night time & in corners, Spirits and thieves, rats and mice, toodes and oules, nyghtecrowes and poulcattes, foxes and foumerdes, with all other vermin, and noisome beasts, use most stirring, when in the day light, and in open places which be ordained of God for honest things▪ they dare not once come, which thing Euripides noted very well, saying. I● things the night, good things the day doth haunt & use. 
〈…〉   
Companions of shooting, be providens, good heed giving, true meatinge, honest comparison, which things agree with virtue very well. Ca●dinge and dysinge, have a sort of good fellows also, going commonly in their company, as blind Fortune, stumbling chance, spittle luck, false dealing crafty conveyance, brainless brawling, false forswearing, which good feloes will soon take a man by the ste●e, and cause him take his Inn, some with beggery, some with gout & dropsy, some with theft and robbery, & seldom they will leave a man before he come either to hanging or else some other extreme misery. To make an end, how shooting by all men's laws hath been allowed, carding and dicing by all men's judgements condemned, I need not show the matter is so plain.  
Therefore, when the Lydians shall invent better things than Apollo, when sloth and idleness shall increase virtue more than labour, when the night and lurking corners, giveth less occasion to unthriftiness, than light day and openness, than shall shooting and such gamninge, be in sum comparison like. Yet even as I do not show all the goodness, which is in shooting, when I prove it standeth by the same things that virtue itself standeth by, as brought in by God, or Godlyelyke men, fostered by labour, committed to the safeguard of light and openness, accompanied with provision and diligens, loved and allowed by every good man's sentence, Even likewise do I not open half the naughtiness which is in carding & dicing, when I show how they are borne of a desperate mother, nourished in idleness, increased by licence of night and corners, accompanied with Fortune, chance, deceit, & craftiness: condemned and banished, by all laws & judgements.  
For if I would enter, to describe the monstruousenes of it, I should rather wander in it, it is so broad, than have any ready passage to the end of the matter: whose horribleness is so large, that it passed the eloquence of our english Homer, to compass it: yet because I ever thought his sayings to have as much authority, as either Sophocles or Euripides in Greek, therefore gladly do I remember these verses of his.  

Hasardry is Very mother of leasings,  
And of deceit, and cursed sweringes,  
Blasphem●e of Chest, manslaughter, and waste also,  
Of cattle of time, of other things more.   
¶ Mother of leasings) truly it may well be called so, if a man consider how many ways, and how many things, he loseth thereby, for first he loseth his goods, he loseth his time, he loseth quickness of wit, and all good lust to other things, he loseth honest company, he loseth his good name and estimation, and at last, if he leave it not, loseth God, & heaven and all: and in stead of these things winneth at length, either hanging or hell.  
¶ And of deceit) I trow if I should not lie, there is not half so much craft used in no one thing in the world, as in this cursed thing. What false dise use they? as dise stopped with quicksilver and hears, dise of a vantage, flats, gourds to chop and change when they list, to let the true dise fall under the table, & so take up the false, and if they be true dise, what shift will they make to set y● one of them with sliding, with cogging, with foisting, with coytinge as they call it. How will they use these shifts, when they get a plain man that can no skill of them? How will they go about, if they perceive an honest man have money, which list not play, to provoke him to play? They will seek his company, they will let him pay nought, yea and as I heard a man ones say that he did, they will send for him to some house, & spend perchance, a crown on him, and at last will one begin to say: what my masters, what shall we do? shall every man play his xii d. whiles an apple cost in the fire, and than we will drink & depart: Nay will an other ●aye, as false as he, you can not leave when you begin, and therefore I will not play: but yet if you will gauge, that every man as he hath lost his xii d. shall sit down, I am content, for surely I would wine no man's money here, but even as much as would pay for my supper. Than speaketh the third, to the honest man that thought not to play, what wyll● you play your xii pence if he excuse him, tush man will the other say, stick not in honest company for xii. d. I will bear your half, and here is my money  
Now all this is to make him to begin, for they know if he be once in, and be a loser, that he will not stick at his xii d. but hopeth ever to get it again, whiles perhaps, he lose all. Than every one of them setteth his shifts abroach, some with false dise, some with setting of dice, some with having outelandishe silver coins guylded, to put away at a time for good gold. Than if there come a thing in controversy, must you be judged by the table, and than farewell the honest man his part, for he is borne down on every side.  
Now sir, beside all these things they have certain terms, as a man would say, appropriate to to their playing: whereby they will draw a man's money, but pay none, which they call bars, that surely he that knoweth them not, may soon be debarred of all that ever he hath, afore he learn them. If a plain man lose, as he shall do ever, or else it is a wonder, than the game is so devilish, that he can never leave: For vain hope (which hope saith Euripides, destroyeth many a man and City) driveth him on so far, 
In supp●●.  that he can never return back, until he be so light, that he need fear no thieves by the way. Now if a simple man happen onse in his life, to win of such players, than will they either entreat him to keep them company whiles he hath lost all again, or else they will use the most devilish fashion of all, For one of the players that standeth next him, shall have a pair of false dise, and cast them out upon the board, the honest man shall take them & cast them, as he did the other, the third shall espy them to be false dise, and shall cry out, har●e, with all the oaths under God, that he hath falsely won their money, and than there is nothing but hold thy throat from my dagger, than every man layeth hand on the simple man, and taketh all their money from him, and his own also, thinking himself well, that he scapeth with his life.  
Cursed swearing, blasphemy of Christ) These half verses Chaucer in an other place, more at large doth well set out, and very lively express, saying.  

Ay by god's precious heart and his nails  
And by the blood of Christ, that is in Hales,  
Seven is my chance, and thine is sink and treye,  
Ay gods arms, if thou falsely play,  
This dagger shall through thine heart go  
This fruit cometh of the reched bones two●  
Fors●eringe, Ire, falseness and Homicide. etc.,   
Though these verses be very earnestly 〈…〉 yet they do not half so grisly set out the hor●blenes of blasphemy, which such gamne●s use, as it is in deed, and as I have heard myself. For no man can write a thing so earnestly, as when it is spoken with ●esture, as learned men you know do say.  
How will you think that such furiousenes with wood countenances, and brenning eyes, with staring and bragging, with heart ready to leap out of the ●elly for dwelling, can be expressed the tenth part, to the uttermost. Two men I herd myself, whose sayings be far more grisly, than Chaucer's verses One, when he had lost his money, swore me God, from top to toe with, one breath, that he had lost all his money for lack of swearing: The other, losing his money, and heaping oaths upon oaths, one in a nother's neck, most horrible & not spekeable, was rebuked of an honest man which stood, by for so do doing, he by and by staring him in the face, and clapping his fist with all his money he had, upon the board, swore me by the flesh of God, that if swearing would help him but one ace, he would not leave one piece of god unsworn, neither within nor without. The remembrance of this blasphemy philolog, doth make me quake at the heart, & therefore I will speak no more of it.  
And so to conclude with such gamning, I think there is no ungraciousenes in all this world, that carrieth a man so far from god, as this fault doth. And if there were any so desperate a person, that would begin his hell here in earth, I trow he should not find hell more like hell itself, than the life of those men is which daily haunt and use such ungracious games.  PHIL. 
You handle this gear in deed: And I suppose if ye had been a apprentice at such games, you could not have said more of them than you have done, and by like you have had somewhat to do with them.  TOX. 
In deed, you may honestly gather that I hate them greatly, in that I speak against them: not that I have used them greatly, in that I speak of them. For things be known diverse ways, as Socrates (you know) doth prove in Alcibiades. And if every man should be that, that he speaketh or writeth upon, then should Homer have been the best captain, most coward, hardy, hasty, wise and wood, sage and simple: And Terence an ouldeman & a young, an honest man and a bawd: with such like. Surely every man ought to pray to God daily, to keep them from such unthriftiness, and specially all the youth of England: for what youth doth begin, a man will follow commonly, even to his dying day: which thing Adrastus in Euripides prettily doth express, 
Euripides in suppl●.  saying.  

What thing a man in tender age hath most in ure  
That same to death always to keep he shall be sure  
Therefore in age who greatly longs good fruit to mow  
In youth he must himself apply good seed to sow.   
For the foundation of youth well set (as Plato doth say) the whole body of the common wealth shall flourish thereafter. If the young tree grow● crooked, when it is old, a man shall rather break it than straight it. And I think there is no one thing y● croaks youth more than such unleeful games. Nor let no man say, if they be honestly used they do no harm. For how can that pastime which neither exerciseth the body with any honest labour, nor yet the mind with any honest thinking, have any honesty joined with it. Nor let noman assure himself that he can use it honestly: for if he stand therein, he may fortune have a fall, the thing is more slippery than he knoweth of. A man may (I grant) sit on a brante hill side, but if he give never so little forward, he can not stop though he would never so fain, but he must needs run heedling, he knoweth not how far. What honest pretences, vain pleasure layeth daily (as it were enticements or baits, to pull men forward withal) Homer doth well show, by the sirens, and Circe's. And amongs all in that ship there was but one Ulysses, and yet he had done to as the other did, if a goddess had not taught him: And so likewise I think, they be easy to numbered, which pass by playing honestly, except the grace of God save and keep them. Therefore they that will not go to far in playing, let them follow this counsel of the Poet.  
❧ Stop the beginnings.  PHILOLO. 
Well, or you go any further, I pray you tell me this one thing: Do ye speak against mean men's playing only, or against great men's playing to, or put you any difference betwixt them?  TOXOPHI. 
If I should excuse myself herein, and say that I spoke of the one, and not of the other, I fear least I should as fondly excuse myself, as a certain preacher did, whom I heard upon a time speak against many abuses, (as he said) and at last he spoke against candles, and then he fearing, lest some men would have been angry and offended with him, nay sayeth he, you must take me as I mean: I speak not against great candles, but against little candles, for they be not all one (ꝙ he) I promise you: And so every man laughed him to scorn.  
In deed as for great men, and great men's matters, I life not greatly to meddle. Yet this I would wish that all great men in England had read over diligently the Pardoners tale in Chaucer, and there they should perceive and see, how moche such games stand with their worship, how great soever they be. What great men do, be it good or ill, mean men communelye love to follow, as many learned men in many places do say, and daily experience doth plainly show, in costly apparel and other like matters.  
Therefore, seeing that Lords be lanterns to lead the life of mean men, by their example, either to goodness or badness, to whether soever they list: and seeing also they have liberty to list what they wiil, I pray God they have will to list that which is good, and as for their playing, I will make an end with this saying of Chaucer.  

lords might find them other manner of play  
Honest enough to drive the day away.   
But to be short, the best medicine for all sorts of men both high and low, young and old, to put away such unlawful games is by the contrary, likewise as all physicians do allow in physic. So let youth in stead of such unleeful games, which stand by idleness, by solitariness, and corners, by night and darkness, by fortune & chance, by craft and subtlety, use such pastimes as stand by labour: upon the day light, in open sight of men, having such an end as is come to by cunning, rather than by craft: and so should virtue increase, and vice decay. For contrary pastimes, must needs work contrary minds in men, as all other contrary things do.  
And thus we see philolog, that shooting is not only the most wholesome exercise for the body, the most honest pastime for the mind, and that for all sorts of men: But also it is a most ready medicine, to purge the hole realm of such pestilent gamning, where with many times: it is sore troubled and ill at ease.  PHI. 
The more honesty you have proved by shooting Toxophile, and the more you have persuaded me to love it, so much truly the sorrier have you made me with this last sentence of yours, whereby you plainly prove that a man may not greatly use it. For if shooting be a medicine (as you say that it is) it may not be used very oft, lest a man should hurt himself withal, as medicines much occupied do. For Aristotle himself sayeth, that medicines be no meat to live withal: and thus shooting by the same reason, may not●●● much occupied.  TOX. 
You play your old wonts philolog, in dallying with other men's wits, not so much to prove your own matter, as to prove what other men can say. But where you think that I take away moche use of shooting, in lykening it to a medicine: because men use not medicines every day, for so should their bodies be hurt: I rather prove daily use of shooting thereby. For although Atistotle sayeth that some medicines be no meat to live withal, 
Hip●o. d● med. purge.  which is true: yet Hypocrates saith that our daily meats be medicines, to withstand evil withal, which is as true. For he maketh two kinds of medicines, one our meat that we use daily, which purgeth softly and slowly, and in this similitude may shooting be called a medicine, wherewith daily a man may purge and take a way all unleeful desires to other unleeful pastimes, as I proved before. The other is a quick purging medicine, and seldomer to be occupied, except the matter be greater, and I could describe the nature of a quick medicine, which should within a while purge and pluck out all the unthrifty games in the Realm, through which the common wealth oftentimes is sick. For not only good quick wits to learning be thereby brought out of frame, and quite marred: but also manly wits, either to attempt matters of high courage in war time, or else to achieve matters of weight and wisdom in peace time, be made thereby very quaisie and faint. For look throughout all histories written in Greek, Latin, or other language, and you shall never find that realm prosper in the which s●che idle pastimes are used. As concerning the medicine, although some would be miscontent, if they heard me meddle any thing with it: Yet betwixt you and me here alone, I may the boldlier say my fantasy, and the rather because I will only wish for it, which standeth with honesty, not determine of it which belongeth to authority. The medicine is this, that would to God and the king, all these unthrifty idle pastimes, which be very bugs, that the Psalm meaneth on, walking on the night and in corners, were made felony, 
Psalm. 〈…〉.  and some of that punishment ordained for them, which is appointed for the forgers and falsifyers of the kings coin. Which punishment is not by me now invented, 
〈…〉  but long ago, by the most noble orator Demosthenes: which marveleth greatly that death is appointed for falsifyers and forgers of the coin, and not as great punishment ordained for them, which by their means forges and falsifyes the common wealth. And I suppose that there is no one thing that changeth sooner the golden and silver wits of men into copperye & brassye ways then dicing and such unleeful pastimes.  
And this quick medicine I believe would so throwlye purge them, that the daily medicines, as shooting and other pastimes joined with honest labour should easilier withstand them.  PHIL. 
The excellent commodities of shooting in peace time, Toxophile, you have very well and sufficiently declared.  
Whereby you have so persuaded me, that God wyl●ng hereafter I will both love it the better, and also so use it the ofter. For as much as I can gather of all this communication of ours, the tongue, the nose, the hands and the feet be no fitter members, or instruments for the body of a man, then is shooting for the hole body of the realm. God hath made the parts of men which be best and most necessary, to serve, not for one purpose only, but for many: as the tongue for speaking and tasting, the nose forsmelling, and also for avoiding of all excrements, which fall out of the heed, the hands for receiving of good things, and for putting of all harmful things, from the body. So shooting is an exercise of health, a pastime of honest pleasure, and such one also that stoppeth or avoideth all noisome games gathered and increased by ill rule, as naughty humours be, which hurt and corrupt sore that part of the realm, wherein they do remain.  
But now if you can show but half so much profit in war of shooting, as you have proved pleasure in peace, then will I surely judge that there be few things that have so manifold commodities, and uses joined unto them as it hath.  TOX. 
The upperhand in war, next the goodness of God (of whom all victory cometh, 
Mach. 1. ●.  as scripture saith) standeth chiefly in three things: in the wisdom of the Prince, in the sleights and policies of the captains, and in the strength and cheerful forwardness of the soldiers. A Prince in his heart must be full of mercy and peace, a virtue most pleasant to Christ, most agreeable to man's nature, most profitable for rich and poor.  
For than the rich man enjoyeth with great pleasure that which he hath: the poor may obtain with his labour, that which he lacketh. And although there is nothing worse than war, whereof it taketh his name, through the which great men be in danger, mean men without succour, rich men in fear, because they have somewhat: poor men in care, because they have nothing: And so every man in thought and misery: Yet it is a civil medicine, wherewith a prince may from the body of his common wealth, put of that danger which may fall: or else recover again, 
●d Ni●o.  whatsoever it hath lost. And therefore as Isocrates doth say, a prince must be a warrior in two things, in cunning and knowledge of all sleights and feats of war, and in having all necessary habilimentes belonging to the same. Which matter to entreat at large, were overlong at this time to declare, & overmuch for my learning to perform.  
After the wisdom of the prince, are valiant captains most necessary in war, whose office and duty is to know all sleights and policies for all kinds of war, which they may learn ii ways, either in daily following and haunting the wars or else because wisdom bought with stripes, is many times overcostlye: they may bestow sometime in Uegetius, which entreateth such matters in Latin meetly well, or rather in Poly●nus, and Leo the Emperor, which setteth out all policies and duties of captains in the Greek tongue very excellently.  
But chiefly I would wish (and if I were of authority) I would counsel all the young gentlemen of this realm, never to lay out of their hands ii authors Xenophon in Greek, and Caesar in Latyn, where in they should follow noble Scipio Africanus, 
D●. S●●.  as Tully doth say: In which ii authors, besides eloquence a thing most necessary of all other, for a captain, they should learn the hole course of war, which those ii noble men did not more wisely write for other men to learn, than they did manfully excercise in the field, for other men to follow.  
The strength of war lieth in the soldier, whose ●hyefe praise and virtue, is obedience 
Obedience.  toward his captain, saith Plato. 
Plat. leg. 1●  And Xenophon being a gentle author, 
Xen. Ages.  most christianly doth say, even by these words, that that soldier which first serveth god, & than obeyeth his captain, may boldly with all courage, hope to overthrow his enemy Again, without obedience, neither valiant man, stout horse, 
Xe●. ●ipp●●  nor goodly harness doth any good at al. which obedience of the soldier toward his captane, brought the hole empire of the world, into the Romans hands, & when it was brought, kept it longer, than ever it was kept in any common wealth before or after.  
And this to be true, 
Plu●arch●●  Scipio Africanus, the most noble captain that ever was among the Romans, showed very plainly, what time as he went in to Afryke, to destroy Cartage. For he resting his host by the way in Sicily, a day or two, and at a time standing with a great man of Sicily, and looking on his soldiers how they exercised themselves in keeping of array, and other feats, the gentleman of Sicily asked Scipio, wherein lay his chief hope to overcome Cartage: He an sweared, in yonder feloes of mine, whom you see play: And why saith the other, because sayeth Scipio, that if I commanded them to run in to the top of this high castle, and cast themselves down backward upon these rocks, I am sure the would do it.  
Sallust also doth write, 
Sal. ●. Cat.  that there were more Romans put to death of their captains for setting on their enemies before they had licence, than were for running away out of the field, before they had fought. These two examples do prove, that amongs the Romans, the obedience of the soldier was wonderful great, and the severity of the Captains, to see the same kept wonderful straight. For they well perceived that an host full of obedience, falleth as seldom into the hands of their enemies as that body fawleth into jeopardy, the which is ruled by reason. Reason and Rulers being like in office, (for the one ruleth the body of man, the other ruleth the body of the common wealth) ought to be like of conditions, and ought to be obeyed in all manner of matters. Obedience is nourished by fear and love, Fear is kept in by true justice and equity, Love is gotten by wisdom, joined with liberality: For where a soldier seeth righteousness so rule, that a man can neither do wrong nor yet take wrong, and that his captain for his wisdom, can maintain him, & for his liberality will maintain him, he must needs both love him & fear him, of the which proceedeth true & unfeigned obedience. After this inward virtue, the next good point in a soldier, is to have and to handle his weapon well, whereof the one must be at the appointment of the captain, the other lieth in the courage and exercise of the soldier: yet of all weapons the best is, 
In Her●. 〈…〉.  as Euripides doth say, wherewith with least danger of ourself we may hurt our enemy most. And that is (as I suppose) artillery. Artillery now a days is taken for ii things: Guns & Bows, which how much they do in war, both daily experience doth teach, and also Peter Namnius a learned man of Lovayn, in a certain dialogue doth very well set out, wherein this is most notable, that when he hath showed exceeding commodities of both, and some discommodities of guns, as infinite cost and charge, cumbersome carriage: and if they be great, the uncertain levelling, the peril of them that stand by them, the esyer avoiding by them that stand far of: & if they be little, the less both fear and jeopardy is in them, beside all contrary wether and wind, which hindereth them not a little: yet of all shooting he can not rehearse one discommodity.  PHI. 
That I marvel greatly at, seeing Nannius is so well learned, & so exercised in the authors of both the tongues: for I myself do remember, that shooting in war is but smally praised, and that of divers captains in divers authors. For first in Euripides (whom you so highly praise) and very well, for Tully thinketh every verse in him to be an authority, what I pray you, doth Lycus that overcame Thebes, say as concerning shooting? whose words as far as I remember, ●e these, or not much unlike.  

What praise hath he at all, which never durst abide,  
The dint of a spears point thrust against his side  
Nor never bouldlie buckler bore yet in his left hand  
Face to face his enemies bront stiffly to withstand, 
Eurip. in ●er●. furent.   
But alway trusteth to a bow and to a feathered stick  
harness ever most fit for him which to fly is quick,  
Bow and shaft is Armour meetest for a coward  
●hich dare not once abide the brunt of battle sharp & hard.  
But he a man of manhood most is by mine assent  
Which with heart and courage bold, fully hath him bend,  
His enemies look in every stour stoutly to a bide,  
Face to face, and foot to foot, tied what may be tied.   
Again Teucer the best Archer amongs all the Grecians, 
Sop● in 〈…〉  in Sophocles is called of Menelaus, a boweman, & a shooter as in villaynie & reproach, to be a thing of no price in war. Moreover Pandarus the best shooter in the world, whom Apollo himself taught to shoot, both he and his shooting is quite contemned in Homer, 
Iliad ●  in so much that Homer (which under a made fable doth always hide his judgement of things) doth make Pandarus himself cry out of shooting, and cast his bow away, and take him to a spear, making a vow that if ever he came home, he would break his shafts, & burn his bow, lamenting greatly, that he was so fond to leave at home his horse and chariot with other weapons, for the trust that he had in his bow. Homer signifying thereby, that men should leave shooting out of war, and take them to other weapons more fit and able for the same, and I trow Pandarus words be much what after this sort.  

Ill chance ill luck me hither brought  
Ill fortune me that day befell,  
When first my bow fro the pin I roughte  
For Hector's sake, the Greeks to quell.  
But if that God so for me shap  
That home again I may once come,  
Let me never enjoy that hap,  
Nor ever twice look on the son,  
If bow and shafts I do not burn  
which now so evil doth serve my turn.   
But to let pass all Poetes, 
Xen. ●yri I●st. 6.  what can be sorer said against any thing, than the judgement of Cyrus is against shooting, which doth cause his Persians being the best shooters to lay away their bows and take them to swords and bucklers, spears and darts, and other like hand weapons. The which thing Xenophon so wise a philosopher, so expert a captain in war himself, would never have written, and specially in that book wherein he purposed to show, 
Epist. 1 a● Q Fra  as Tully sayeth in deed, not the true history, but the example of a perfit wise prince and common wealth, except that judgement of changing Artillery, in to other weapons, he had always thought best to be followed, in all war. Whose counsel the Parthians did follow, 
Plutarch M. 〈…〉.  when they chased Antony over the mountains of Media, which being the best shooters of the world, left their bows, and took them to spears and morispikes.  
And these ●ewe examples I trow, of the best shooters, do well prove that the best shooting is not the best thing as you call it in war.  TOX. 
As concerning your first example, taken out of Euripides, I marvel you will bring it for the dispraise of shooting, seeing Euripides doth make those verses, not because he thinketh them true, but because he thinketh them fit for the person that spoke them. For in deed his true judgement of shooting, he doth express by & by after in the oration of the noble captain Amphytrio against Lycus, wherein a man may doubt, whether he hath more eloquently confuted Lycus' saying, or more worthily set out the praise of shooting. And as I am advised, his words be much hereafter as I shall say.  

Against the witty gift of shooting in a bow  
Fond and lewd words thou lewdly dost out throw, 
〈…〉   
Which, if thou wilt hear of me a word or twain  
Quickly thou mayst learn how fondly thou dost blame,  
first he that with his harness himself doth wall about,  
That scarce is left one hole through which he may ●epe 〈…〉  
Such bondmen to their harness to fight are nothing meet  
But soonest of all other are trodden under feet.  
If he be strong, his fellows faint, in whom he putteth his trust,  
Soloded with his harness must needs lie in the dust,  
Nor yet from death he can not start, if once his weapon break,  
How stout, how strong, how great, how long,  
so ever be such a ●reke.  
But who so ever can handle a bow  
sturdy stiff and strong  
Wherewith like hail many shafts he shoots  
into the thickest throng:  
This profit he takes, that standing a far  
his enemy he may spill  
When he and his full safe shall stand  
out of all danger and ill.  
And this in war is wisdom most, which  
works our enemies woe.  
When we shall be far from all fear  
and jeopardy of our foo.   
Secondarily even as I do not greatly regard what Menelaus doth say in Sophocles to Teucer, because he spoke it both in anger, and also to him that he hated, even so do I remember very well in Homer, that when Hector and the Troyans' would have set fire on the greek ships, 
Iliad. ●.  Teucer with his bow made them recoil back again, when Menelaus took him to his feet, and ran away.  
thirdly as concerning Pandarus, Homer doth not dispraise the noble gift of shooting, but thereby every man is taught, that whatsoever, and how good soever a weapon a man doth use in war, 
Ho●. Ili. 5.  if he be himself a covetous wretch, a fool without counsel, a peacebreaker as Pandarus was, at last he shall through the punishment of God fall into his enemies hands, as Pandarus did, whom Diomedes through the help of Minerva miserably slew.  
And because you make mention of Homer, & Troy matters, what can be more praise for any thing, I pray you, than that is for shooting, that Troy could never be destroyed without the help of Hercules shafts, which thing doth signify, that although all the world were gathered in an army together, yet without shooting they can never come to their purpose, as Ulysses in Sophocles very plainly doth say unto Pyrrhus, as concerning Hercules shafts to be carried unto Troy. Nor you without them, nor without you they do aught. 
●oph. phil.   
fourthly where as Cyrus did change part of his bowemen, 
〈…〉  whereof he had plenty, into other men of war, whereof he lacked, I will not greatly dispute whether Cyrus did well in that point in those days or no, because it is not plain in Xenophon how strong shooters the Persians were, what bows they had, what shafts and heads they occupied, what kind of war their enemies used.  
But truly as for the Parthians, it is plain, in plutarch, 
〈…〉  that in changing their bows in to spears, they brought theirself into utter destruction. For when they had chased the Romans many a mile, through reason of their bows, at the last the Romans ashamed of their fleeing, and remembering their owide nobleness and courage, imagined this way, that they would kneel down on their knees, and so cover all their body with their shields and targets, that the Parthians shafts might slide over them, & do them no harm, which thing when the Partians perceived, thinking that the Romans were forweryed with labour, watch, and hunger: they laid down their bows, and took spears in their hands, and so ran upon them: but the Romans perceiving them without their bows, rose up manfully, and slew them every mother son, save a few that saved themselves with running away. And herein our archers of England far pass the Parthians, which for such a purpose, when they shall come to hand strokes, hath ever ready, either at his back hanging, or else in his next fellows hand a leaden maul, or such like weapon, to beat d●wne his enemies withal.  PHI. 
Well Toxophi●● ●●inge that those examples which I had thought to have been clean against shooting, you have thus turned to the high praise of shooting: and all this praise that you have now said on it, is rather come in by me than sought for of you: let me hear I pray you now, those examples which you have marked of shooting yourself: whereby you are, and think to persuade other, the shooting is so good in war.  TOX. 
Examples surely I have marked very many: from the beginning of time had in memory of writing, throughout all common wealths, & Empires of the world: whereof the most part I will pass over, lest I should be tedious: yet some I will touch, because they be notable, both for me to tell and you to hear.  
And because the story of the jews is for the time most ancient, for the truth most credible, it shallbe most fit to begin with them. And although I know that God is the only giver of victory, and not the weapons, for all strength and victory (saith judas Machabeus) cometh from heaven: 
Ma●h 1. 3.  Yet surely strong weapons be the instruments wherewith god doth overcome the part, which he will have overthrown. For God is well pleased with wise and witty feats of war: As in meeting of enemies, for truce taking, to have privily in a ambushment harnessed men laid for fear of treason, as judas Machabeus did with Nicanor Demetrius captain: 
Ma●h. 2. 14.  And to have engines of war to beat down cities with all: and to have scoutwatche amongs our enemies to know their counsels, as the noble captain jonathas brother to judas Machabeus did in the country of Amathie against the mighty host of Demetrius. 
Ma●h. 1. 12.  And beside all this, god is pleased to have goodly tombs for them which do noble feats in war, and to have their images made, and also their cote Armours to be set above their tombs, to their perpetual laud and memory: 
Ma●h. 1. 13.  as the valiant captain Simon, did cause to be made for his brethren judas Machabeus and jonathas, when they were slain of the Gentiles. And thus of what authority feats of war, and strong weapons be, shortly and plainly we may learn: But amongs the jews as I began to tell, I am sure there was nothing so occupied, or did so much good as bows did▪ insomuch that when the jews had any great upperhand over the Gentiles, the first thing always that the captain did, was to exhort the people to give all the thanks to God for the victory, & not to their bows, wherewith they had slain their enemies: as it is plain that the noble joshua 
Iosu●. 13.  did after so many kings thrust down by him.  
God, when he promiseth help to the jews, he useth no kind of speaking so moche as this, that he will bend his bow, 
Deut●r●. 3●.  and die his shafts in the Gentiles blood: whereby it is manifest, that either God will make the jews shoot strong shoots to overthrow their enemies: or at leeste that shooting is a wondered mighty thing in war, whereunto the high power of God is likened. 
Psal. 7.63. 75.  David in the Psalms calleth bows the vessels of death, a bitter thing, & in an other place a mighty power, and other ways more, which I will let pass, because every man readeth them daily: But yet one place of scripture I must needs remember, which is more notable for the praise of shooting, than any that ever I red in any other story, and that is, when Saul was slain of the Philistians being mighty bowmen, 
Regu●. 1. 31.  and jonathas his son with him, that was so good a shooter, as the scripture saith, that he never shot shaft in vain, and that the kingdom after Saules death came unto David: the first statute & 
Regum. 2. 1.  law thatever 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 the time for the setting out of shooting as it is written (sayeth Scripture) in libro lustorum, which book we have not now: And thus we see plainly what great use of shooting, and what provision even from the beginning of the world for shooting, was among the jews.  
The Ethiopians which inhabit the furthest part South in the world, were wonderful bowmen: insomuch that when Cambyses king of Persie being in Egypt, 
〈…〉  sent certain ambassadors into Ethiope to the king there, with many great gifts: the king of Ethiop perceiving them to be espies, took them up sharply, and blamed Cambyses greatly for such unjust enterprises: but after that he had princely entertained them, he sent for a bow, and bent it and drew it, and then unbent it again, and said unto the ambassadors, you shall commend me to Cambyses, and give him this bow fro me, and bid him when any Persian can shoot in this bow, let him set upon the Ethiopians: In the mean while let him give thanks unto God, which doth not put in the Ethiopians mind to conquer any other man's land. This bow, when it came among the Persians, never one man in such an infinite host (as Herodotus doth say) could stir the string, save only Smerdis the brother of Cambyses, which stirred it two fingers, and no further: for the which act Cambyses had such envy at him, that he afterward slew him: as doth appear in the story.  
Sesostris the most mighty king that ever was in Egypt, overcame a great part of the world, and that by archers: he subdued the Arabians, the jews, the Assyrians: he went farther into Scythia then any man else: he overcame Thracia, even to the borders of Germany. And in token how he overcame all men he set up in many places great images to his own likeness, having in the one hand a bow, in the other a sharp heeded shaft: that men might know, 
〈…〉.  what weapon his host used, in conquering so many people.  
Cyrus, counted as a god amongs the gentiles, for his nobleness and felicity in war: 
Herod 〈…〉.  yet at the last when he set upon the Massage●anes (which people never went without their bow nor their quiver, neither in war nor peace) he and all his were slain, and that by shooting, as appeareth in the story.  
Polycrates the prince of Samos (a very little isle) was lord over all the Greek sees, and withstood the power of the Persians, 
Herod. 〈…〉  only by the help of a thousand archers.  
The people of Scythia, of all other men loved, and used most shooting, the hole richesse and household stuff of a man in Scythia, was a yoke of oxen, a plough, his nag and his dog, his bow and his quiver: which quiver was covered with the skin of a man, which he took or slew first in battle. The Scythians to be invincible by reason of their shooting, the great voyages of so many noble conquerors spent in that country in vain, doth well prove: But specially that of Darius the mighty king of Persie, which when he had tarried there a great space, and done no good, but had forweryed his host with travail and hunger: 
〈…〉  At last the men of Scythia sent an ambassador with four gifts: a bird, a frog, a mouse, and .v. shafts. Darius marveling at the strangeness of the gifts, asked the messenger what they signified: the messenger answered, that he had no further commandment, but only to deliver his gifts, and return again with all speed: but I am sure (sayeth he) you Persians for your great wisdom, can soon bolt out what they mean. When the messenger was gone, every man began to say his verdict. Darius' judgement was this, that the Scythians gave over into the Persians hands, their lives, their hole power, both by land and see, signifying by the mouse the earth, by the frog the water, in which they both live, by the bird their lives which live in the air, by the shaft their hole power and Empire, that was maintained always by shooting. Gobryas a noble and wise captain amongs the Persians, was of a clean contrary mind, saying, nay not so, but the Sythians mean thus by their gifts, that except we get us wings, and fly into the air like birds, or run into the holes of the earth like mice, or else lie lurking in fens & marisses like frogs, we shall never return home again, before we be utterly undone with their shafts: which sentence sank so sore into their hearts, that Darius' with all speed possible, broke up his camp, and got himself homeward. Yet how moche the Persians themselves set by shooting, whereby they increased their empire so moche, doth appear by iii manifest reasons: 
〈…〉  first that they brought up their youth in the school of shooting, unto twenty year of age, as diverse noble Greek authors do say.  
Again, because the noble king Darius thought himself to be praised by nothing so much, as to be counted a good shooter, as doth appear by his sepulchre, wherein he caused to be written this sentence: 
Darius the king lieth buried here  
That in shooting and riding had never peer. 
Sirab. 15.    
thirdly the coin of the Persians, both gold & silver had the Arms of Pers●e upon it, 
Plutarch. in Ages●●a.  as is customably used in other realms, and that was bow and arrows: by the which feat they declared, how much they set by them.  
The Grecians also, 
〈…〉  but specially the noble Athenienses, had all their strength lying in Artillery: and for the purpose the city of Athens had a M. men which were only archers, in daily wages, to watch and keep the city from all jeopardy & sudden danger: which archers also should carry to prison & ward any misdoer at the commandment of the high officers, as plainly doth appear in Plato. 
Plato in 〈…〉.  And surely the bowmen of Athens did wondered feats in many battles, but specially when Demosthenes the valiant captain slew and took prisoners all the Lacedæmonians beside the city of Pylos, where Nestor sometime was lord: the shafts went so thick that day (saith Thucydides) 
Thucydid. ●  that no man could see their enemies. A Lacedaemonian taken prisoner, was asked of one at Athens, whether they were stout fellows that were slain or no, of the Lacedæmonians: he answered nothing else but this: make moche of those shafts of yours, for they know neither stout nor unstoute: meaning thereby, that no man (though he were never so stout) came in their walk, that escaped without death.  
Herodotus describing the mighty host of Xerxes especially doth mark out, 
Herod. in Polym.  what bows and shafts they used, signifying that therein lay their chief strength And at the same time Attossa, mother of Xerxes, wife to Darius, and daughter of Cyrus, 
〈…〉  doth inquire (as Aeschylus showeth in a Tragedy) of a certain messenger that came from Xerxes' host, what strong and fearful bows the Grecians used: whereby it is plain, that Artillery 〈…〉 thing, wherein both Europe and Asia● those days trusted most upon.  
The best part of Alexander's host were archers as plainly doth appear by Arianus, and other that wrote his life: and those so strong archers, that they only, 
〈…〉  sundry times overcame their enemies, afore any other needed to fight: as was seen in the battle which Nearchus one of Alexander's captains had beside the river of Thomeron. And therefore as concerning all these kingdoms and common wealths, I may conclude with this sentence of Pliny, 
〈…〉  whose words be, as I suppose thus: If any man would remember the Ethiopians, Egyptians, Arabians, the men of Ind, of Scythia, so many people in the east of the Sarmatianes', and all the kingdoms of the Parthians, he shall well perceive half the part of the world, to live in subjection, overcome by the might and power of shooting.  
In the common wealth of Rome, which exceeded all other in virtue, nobleness, and dominion little mention is made of shooting, not because it was little used amongs them, but rather because it was both so necessary and common, that it was thought a thing not necessary or required of any man to be spoken upon, as if a man should describe a great feast, he would not once name bread, although it be most common and necessary of all: but surely if a feast being never so great, lacked bread, or had fewsty and naughty bread, all the other dainties should be unsavoury, and little regarded, and than would men talk of the commodity of bread, when they lack it, that would not one's name it afore, when they had it: And even so did the Romans as concerning shooting. Seldom is shooting named, and yet it did the most good in war, as did appear, very plainly in that battle, which Scipio Aphricanus had with the Numantines in Spain, whom he could never overcome, before he set bowemen amongs his horse men, by whose might they were clean vanquished.  
Again, 
Cor. 〈…〉  Tiberius fighting with Armenius and Inguiomerus princes of Germany, had one wing of archers on horseback, an other of archers on foot, by whose might the Germans were slain down right, and so scattered and beat out of the field, that the chase lasted. ●. miles, the Germans claim up in to trees for fear, but the Romans did fetch them down with their shafts as they had been birds, in which battle the Romans lost few or none, as doth appear in the history.  
But as I began to say, the Romans did not so much praise the goodness of shooting, when they had it, as they did lament the lack of it, when they wanted it, as Leo the .v. the noble Emperor doth plainly testify in sundry places in those books which he wrote in Greek, of the sleights and pol●ies of war.  PHIL. 
Surely of that book I have not heard before, and how came you to the sight of it.  TOX. 
The book is rare truly, but this last year when master Cheke translated the said book out of greek in to Latin, to the kings majesty, he of his gentleness, would have me very oft in his chamber, and for the familiarity that I had with him, more than many other, would suffer me to read of it, when I would, the which thing to do, surely I was very desirous and glad, because of the excellent handling of all things, that ever he taketh in hand. And verily philolog, as oft as I remember the departing of that man from the university, (which thing I do not seldom) so oft do I well perceive our most help and furtherance to learning, to have gone away with him. For by the great commodity that we took in hearing him read privately in his chamber, all Homer, Sophocles, and Euripides, Herodotus, Thurydides, Xenophon, Isocrates and Plato, we feel the great discommodity in not hearing of him, Aristotle & Demosthenes, which two. authors with all diligence last of all he thought to have red unto us. And when I consider how many men he succoured with his help, & his aid to abide here for learning, and how all men were provoked and stirred up, by his council and daily example, how they should come to learning, surely I perceive that sentence of Plato to be true, which sayeth that there is nothing better in any common wealth, than that there should be always one or other, excellent passing man, whose life and virtue, should pluck forward the will, diligence, labour and hope of all other, that following his footsteps, they might come to the same end, whereunto labour, learning & virtue, had conveyed him before. The great hindrance of learning, in lacking this man greatly I should lament, if this discommodity of ours, were not joined with the commodity & wealth, of the hole realm, for which purpose, our noble king full of wisdom hath called up this excellent man full of learning, to teach noble prince Edward, an office full of hope, comfort & solace to all true hearts of England: For whom all England daily doth pray, that he passing his Tutor in learning & knowledge, following his father in wisdom & felicity, according to that example which is set afore his eyes, may so set out and maintain god's word to the abolishment of all papistry, the confusion of all heresy, that thereby he feared of his enemies, loved of all his subjects, may bring to his own glory, immortal fame & memory, to this realm, wealth, honour & felicity, to true and unfeigned religion perpetual peace, concord and unity.  
But to return to shooting again, what Leo sayeth of shooting amongs the Romans, his words, be so much for the praise of shooting, and the book also so rare to be gotten, 
Leo. 6. 5.  that I learned the places by heart, which be as I suppose, even thus. first in his sixth book, as concerning what harness is best: Let all the youth of Rome be compelled to use shooting, either more or less, & always to bear their bow & their quiver about with them, until they be xl years old.  
For sithence shooting was necglected and decayed among the Romans, many a battle and field hath been lost. 
Lco. 11. 50.  Again in the .11. book and .50. chapter, (I call that by books and chapters, which the greek book divideth by chapters and paragraphs) 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 of, only of shooting, hath brought in quyne and decay, the hole Empire of Rome. afterward he commandeth again, his captain by these words: 
〈…〉. 11  Arm your host as I have appointed you, but specially with bow and arrows plenty. For shooting is a thing of much might and power in war, and chiefly against the saracenes and Turks, which people hath all their hope of victory in their bow and shafts: Besides all this, in an other 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 straitly command you to make proclamation to all men under our dominion, which be either in war or peace, to all cities, borrows and towns, and finally to all manner of men, 
〈…〉  that every sear person have bow and shafts of his own, & every house beside this, to have a standing bearing bow, and xl. shafts for all needs, and that they excercise themselves in holtes, hills, and dales, plains and woods, for all manner of chances in war.  
How much shooting was used among the old Romans and what means noble captains and Emperors made, to have it increase among them, and what hurt came by the decay of it, these words, of Leo the emperor, which in a manner I have rehearsed word for word, plainly doth declare. And yet shooting, although they set never so much by it, was never so good than, as it is now in England, which thing to be true, is very probable, in that Leo doth say, that he would have his soldiers take of their arrow heads, 
Leo. 7. 18.  and one shoot at an other, for their excercise, which play if english archers used, I think they should find small play and less pleasure in it at all.  
The great upperhand maintained always in war by artillery, doth appear very plainly by this reason also, that when the spaniards, franchmen, and germans, greeks, macedonians and egyptians, each country using one singular weapon, for which they were greatly feared in war, as the spaniard Lancea, the Francheman Gesa, the Germane Framea, the Grecian Machera, the Macedonian Sarissa, yet could they not escape, but be subjects to the empire of Rome, when the Parthians having all their hope in artillery, gave no place to them, but overcame the Romans, ofter than the Romans them, and kept battle with them, many an hundred year, 
Plutarch. ● M. ●rass. 〈…〉 Sparta.  and s●ue the rich Crassus and his son with many a stout Roman more, with their bows. They drove Marcus Antonius over the hills of Media & Armenia, to his great shame and reproach. They s●ue julianus Apostata, and Autoninus Caracalla, they held in perpetual prison, the most noble emperor Ualerian in despite of all the Romans and many other princes, which wrote for his deliverance, as Bel solis called king of kings, Ualerius king of Cadusia, Arthabesdes king of Armenia, and many other princes more, whom the Parthians by reason of their artillery, regarded never one whit, and thus with the Romans, I may conclude, that the borders of their empire were not at the sun rising and sun setting, as tully sayeth: but so far they went, as artillery would give them leave. For I think all the ground that they had, either northewarde, farther than the borders of Scythia, or Eastewarde, farther than the borders of Parthia, a man might have bought with a small deal of money, of which thing surely sho thing was the cause.  
From the same country of Scythia the Gothians Hunues, 
〈…〉 Dia●.  and Wandalians came with the same we pons of artillery, as Paulus Diaconus doth say, & so bereft Rome of her empire with fire, spoil, & waste, so that in such a learned city was left scarce one man behind, that had learning or leisure to leave in writing to them which should come after how so noble an Empire, in so short a while, by a rabble of banished bondmen, without all order and policy, save only their natural and daily excercise in artillarye, was brought to such thraldom and ruin.  
After them the ●urkes having an other name, but yet the same people, 
P. Mela. ●.  borne in Scythia, brought by only in artillery, by the same weapon have subdued and bereft from the Christian men all Asia and afric (to speak upon,) and the most noble countries of Europe, to the great diminishing of Christ his religion, to the great reproach of cowardice of all christianity, a manifest token of gods high wrath & displeasure over the sin of the world, but specially amongs Christian men, which be on sleep made drunk with the fruits of the flesh, as infidelity, disobedience to God's word, and heresy, grudge, evil will, strife, contention, and privy envy, covetousness, oppression, unmercifulness, with innumerable sorts of unspeakable daily bawdry: which things surely, if God hold not his holy hand over us, and pluck us from them, will bring us to a more Turkishnesse and more beastly blind barbarousness: as calling ill things good, and good things ill, contemning of knowledge & learning, setting at nought, and having for a fable, God and his high providence, will bring us (I say) to a more ungracious Turkishnesse (if more Turkishnesse can be then this) than if the Turks had sworn, to bring all Turkey against us. For these fruits surely must needs spring of such seed, and such effect needs follow of such a cause: if reason, truth, and God, be not altered, but as they are wont to be. For surely no turkish power can overthrow us, if Turkysshe life do not cast us down before.  
If god were with us, it buted ●ot the turk to be against us, but our unfaithful sinful living, which is the Turks mother, and hath brought him up hitherto, must needs turn god from us, because sin and he hath no fellowship together. If we banished ill living out of christendom, I am sure the Turk should not only, not overcome us, but scarce have an hole to run in to, in his own country.  
But Christendom now I may tell you philolog is much like a man that hath an itch on him, and lieth drunk also in his bed, and though a thief come to the door, and heaveth at it, to come in, and slay him, yet he lieth in his bed, having more pleasure to lie in a slumber and scratch himself where it ytcheth even to the hard bone, than he hath readiness to rise up lustily, & drive him away that would rob him and slay him. But I trust Christ will so lighten and lift up Christian men's eyes, that they shall not sleep to death, nor that the turk Christ's open enemy, shall ever boast that he hath quite overthrown us. But as I began to tell you, shooting is the chief thing, wherewith God suffereth the turk to punish our noughty living with all: 
〈…〉.  The youth there is brought up in shooting, his privy guard for his own person, is bowmen, the might of their shooting is well known of the spaniards, which at the town called Newecastell in Illirica, were quite slain up, of the turks arrows: when the spaniards had no use of their guns, by reason of the rain. I●d now last of all, the emperor his majesty himself, at the City of Argier in Aphricke had 〈…〉 host sore handled with the Turks arrows, when his gonnes were quite dispatched and stood him in no service, because of the rain that fell, where as in such a chaune of rain, if he had had bowmen, surely there shoot might peradventure have been a little hindered, but quite dispatched and marred, it could never have been.  
But as for the Turks I am weary to talk of them partly because I hate them, and partly because I am now affectioned even as it were a man that had been long wandering in strange countries & would fain be at home to see how well his own friends prosper and lead their life, and surely me think I am very merry at my heart to remember how I shall find at home in England amongs English men, partly by histories, of them that have gone afore us, again by experience of them which we know, & live with us as great noble feats of war done by Artillarye, as ever was done at any time in any other common wealth. And here I must needs remember a certain Frenchman called Textor, that writeth a book which he nameth Officina, 
Te●to●.  wherein he weaveth up many brokenended matters and sets out much rifraff, pelfery, trumpery, baggage & beggary were clamparde up of one that would seem to be fit for a shop in deed than to write any book. And amongs all other ill packed up matters, he thrusts up in a heap together all the good shooters that ever hath been in the world as he saith himself, and yet I trow philolog that of all the examples which I now by chance have rehearsed out of the best Authors both in greek and latin, Textor 〈…〉 but ii of them, which ii surely if they were to reckon again, I would not once name them, partly because they were noughty persons, and shooting so much the worse, because they loved it, as Domitian and Commodus the emperors: partly because Textor hath them in his book, on whom I looked on bychaunce in the booke-bynders shop, thinking of no such matter. And one thing I will say to you philolog, that if I were disposed to do it, and you had leisure to hear it, I could soon do as Textor doth, and reckon up such a rabble of shooters that be named here and there in poets, as would hold us talking whiles tomorrow: but my purpose was not to make mention of those which were feigned of Poetes for their pleasure, but of such as were proved in histories for a truth: but why I bring in Textor was this: At last when he hath reckoned all shooters that he can, 
〈…〉  he sayeth thus, Petrus Crinitus writeth, that the Scots which dwell beyond England be very excellent shooters, and the best bowmen in war. This sentence whether Crinitus wrote it more lewdly of ignorance, or Textor confirmeth it more pivyshlye of envy, may be called in question and doubt: but this surely do I know very well that Textor hath both red in Gagu●us the French history, and also hath heard his father or grandfather talk (except perchance he was borne and bred in a Cloister) after that sort of the shooting of english men, that Textor needed not to have gone so pivishlye beyond England for shooting, but might very soon, even in the first town of kent, have found such plenty of shooting, as is not in all the realm of Scotland again. The Scots surely be good men of war in their own feat as can be: but as for shooting, they neither can use it for any profit, nor yet will challenge it for any praise, although master Textor of his gentleness would give it them. Textor needed not to have filled up his book with such lies, if he had read the story of Scotland, 
〈…〉. M●. ●  which joannes Mayor doth write: wherein he might have learned, that when james Stewart first king of that name, at the Parliament holden at Saint johnnes town or Perthie, commanded under pain of a great forfyte, that every Scotte should learn to shoot: yet neither the love of their country, the fear of their enemies, the avoiding of punishment, nor the receiving of any profit that might come by it, could make them to be good Archers: which be unapt and unfit thereunto by God's providence and nature.  
Therefore the Scots themselves prove Textor a liar, both with authority and also daily experience, and by a certain Proverb that they have amongs them in their communication, whereby they give the whole praise of shooting honestly to Englysihe men, saying thus: that every Englysihe Archer beareth under his girdle xxiiii Scots.  
But to let Textor and the Scots go: yet one thing would I wish for the Scots, and that is this, that seeing one God, one faith, one compass of the see, one land and country, one tongue in speaking, one manner and trade in living, like courage and stomach in war, like quickness of wit to learning, hath made England and Scotland both one, they would suffer them no longer to be two: but clean gyveover the Pope, which seeketh none other thing (as many a noble and wise Scottish man doth know) but to feed up dissension & parties betwixt them & us, procuring that thing to be two, which God, nature, and reason, would have one.  
How profitable such an atonement were for Scotland, 
john 〈…〉  both johannes Mayor, and Ector Boetius which wrote the Scots Chronicles do tell, & also all the gentlemen of Scotland with the poor commonalty, do well know: So that there is nothing that stoppeth this matter, save only a few freers, and such like, which, with the dregs of our English Papi strie lurking now amongs them, study nothing else but to brew battle and strife betwixt both the people: Whereby only they hope to maintain their Papistical kingdom, to the destruction of the noble blood of Scotland, that then they may with authority do that, which neither noble man nor poor man in Scotland yet doth know. And as for Scottish men and English men be not enemies by nature, but by custom: not by our good will, but by their own folly: which should take more honour in being coupled England, than we should take profit in being joined to Scotland.  
Wales being headye, and rebelling many years against us, lay wild, untilled, unhabited, without law, justice, civility and order: and then was amongs them more stealing than true dealing, more surety for them that studied to be nought, than quietness for them that laboured to be good: when now thanked be God, and noble England, there is no country better inhabited, more civil, more diligent in honest crafts, to get both true and plentiful living withal. And this felicity (my mind giveth me) within these few days shall chance also to Scotland, by the godly wisdom of our most noble Prince king henry the viii by whom God hath wrought more wonderful things then ever by any prince before: as banishing the bishop of Rome and heresy, bringing to light god his word and verity, establishing such justice and equity, through every part of this his realm, as never was seen afore.  
To such a Prince of such a wisdom, God hath reserved this most noble atonement: whereby neither we shallbe any more troubled, nor the S●ottes with their best countries any more destroyed, nor the see, which God ordaineth profitable for both, shall from either be any more stopped: to the great quietness, wealth & felicity of all the people dwelling in this isle, to the high renown & praise of our most noble king, to the fear of all manner of nations that own ill will to either country, to the high pleasure of God, which as he is one, and hateth all division, so is he best of all pleased, to see things which be wide and amiss, brought to peace and atonement. But Textor (I beshrew him) hath almost brought us from our communication of shooting. Now sir by my judgement, the Artillery of England far exceedeth all other realms: but yet one thing I doubt & long have surely in that point doubted, when, or by whom, shooting was first brought in to England, & for the same purpose as I was once in company with sir Thomas Eliot knight, which surely for his learning in all kind of knowledge bringeth much worship to all the nobility of England, I was so bold to ask him, if he at any time, had marked any thing, as concerning the bringing in of shooting in to England: he answered me gently again, that he had a work in hand which he nameth, De rebus memora bilibus Anglie, which I trust we shall see in print shortly, and for the accomplyshment of that book, he had read & perused over many old monuments of England, and in seeking for that purpose, he marked this of shooting in an exceeding old chronicle, the which had no name, that what time as the Saxons came first into this realm in king Uortigers days, when they had been here a while and at last began to fall out with the Britons, they troubled and subdued the Britons with nothing so much, as with their bow and shafts, which weapon being strange & not seen here before, was wonderful terrible unto them, and this beginning I can think very well to be true. But nowas concerning many examples for the praise of English archers in war, surely I will not belong in a matter that no man doubteth in, & those few that I will name, shall either be proved by the histories of our enemies, or else done by men that now live.  
King Edward the third at the battle of Cressie against Philip the French king as ●aguinus the french Historiographer plainly doth tell, slew that day all the nobility of France only with his archers.  
Such like battle also fought the noble black prince Edward beside Poeters, where john the french king with his son & in a manner all the peers of France were taken beside xxx M. which that day were ●layue, & very few english men, by reason of their bows.  
King Henry the fift a prince peerless and most vyctoriouse conqueror of all that ever died yet in this part of the world, at the battle of Dagin court with vii M. fighting men, and yet many of them sick, being such Archers as the chronicle sayeth that most part of them drew a yard, slew all the Chivalry of France to the number of. XL. M. and more, and lost not passed xxvi english men.  
The bloody Civil war of England betwixt the house of York and Lancaster, where shafts flew of both sides to the destruction of many a yeoman of England, whom foreign battle could never have subdued both I will pass over for the pyttyefulnesse of it, and yet may we grossly praise GOD in the remembrance of it, saying he of his providence hath so knit together those ii noble houses, with so noble and pleasunte a flower.  
The excellent prince Thomas Hawarde now Duke of Northfolk, for whose good prosperity with all his noble family all English hearts daily doth pray with bowmen of England slew king jamie with many a noble Scot even brant against Flodom hill, in which battle the stout archers of Cheshire & Lanchasshire for one day bestowed to the death for their price & country sake, hath gotten immortal name and praise for ever.  
The fear only of English Archers hath done more wonderful things than ever I red in any history greek or latin, and most wonderful of all now of late beside Carlisle betwixt Eske and leaven at Sandy sikes, where the hole nobility of Scotland for fere of the Archers of England (next the stroke of God) as both English men and Scotyshe men that were present hath told me were drowened and taken prisoners.  
Nor that noble act also, which although it be almost lost by time, cometh not behind in worthiness which my singular good friend and Master Sir William ●algraue and Sir George Somerset did with a few Archers to the number as it is said of xvi at the Turn pike beside Hams where they turned with so few Archers, so many frenchmen to flight, and turned so many out of their jacks, which turn turned all france to shame & reproach and those ii noble Knights to perpetual praise & fame.  
And thus you see philolog, in all countries Asia, afric and Europe, in Ind, Aethiop, Egypt & jury, Parthia, Persia, Grece, and Italy, Schythia, Turkey, and England, from the beginning of the world even to this day, that shooting hath had the chief stroke in war.  PHI. 
These examples surely apt for the praise of shooting, 
I  not feigned by poets, but proved by true histories, distinct by time and order, hath delighted me exceeding much, but yet me think that all this praise belongeth to strong shooting and drawing of mighty bows not to pricking and near shooting, for which cause you and many other both love & use shooting.  TOX. 
Ever more philolog you will have some overtwhart reason to draw forth more communication with all, but nevertheless you shall perceive if you will, that use of pricking, and desire of near shooting at home, are the only causes of strong shooting in war, and why? for you see, that the strongest men, do not draw always the strongest shoot, which thing proveth that drawing strong, lieth not so much in the strength of man, as in the use of shooting. And experience teacheth the same in other things, for you shall see a weak smith, which will with a lip and turning of his arm, take up a bar of iron, that another man thrice as strong, can not stir. And a strong man not used to shoot, hath his arms breast and shoulders, and other parts wherewith he should draw strongly, one hindering and stopping an other, even as a dozen strong horses not used to the cart, lets & troubles one another. And so the more strong man not used to shoot, shoots most unhansumlye, but yet if a strong man with use of shooting could apply all the parts of his body together to their most strength, than should he both draw stronger than other, and also shoot better than other. But now a strong man not used to shoot, at a gird, can have up & pluck in sunder many a good bow, as wild horses at a brunt doth race & pluck in pieces many a strong cart. And thus strong men, without use, can do nothing in shooting to any purpose, neither in war nor peace, but if they happen to shoot, yet they have done within a shoot or two when a weak man that is used to shoot, shall serve for all times and purposes, and shall shoot ten shafts, against the others four & draw them up to the point, every time, and shoot them to the most advantage, drawing and withdrawing his shaft when he list, marky ●ge at one man, yet let driving at an other man: which things in a set battle, although a man, shall not always use, yet in bickering, and at overthwart meatinges, when few archers be together, they do most good of all.  
Again he that is not used to shoot, shall evermore with untowardness of holding his bow, & nocking his shaft, not looking to his string betime, put his bow always in jeopardy of breaking, & than he were better to be at home, moreover he shall shoot very few shafts, and those full unhandsome lie, some not half drawn, some to high and some to low, nor he can not drive a shoot at a time, nor stop a shoot at a need, but out must it, and very oft to evil proof.  PHI. 
And that is best I trow in war, to let it go, and not to stop it.  TOX. 
No not so, but sometime to hold a shaft at the head, which if they be but few archers, doth more good with the fear of it, than it should do if it were shot, with the stroke of it.  PHI. 
That is a wonder to me, that the fear of a displeasure, should do more harm than the displeasure itself.  TOX. 
Yes, ye know that a man which feareth to be banished, out of his country, can neither be merry, eat, drink nor sleep for fear, yet when he is banished in deed, he sleepeth and eateth, as well as any other. And many men doubting and fearing whether they should die or no, even for very fear of death, preventeth themself with a more bitter death than the other death should have been in dead. And thus fear is ever worse than the thing feared, 
●irl. p●d. 3.  as is pratelye proved, by the communication of Cyrus and Tigranes, the kings sun of Armenia, in Xenophou.  PHI. 
I grant Toxophile, that use of shooting maketh a man draw strong, to shoot at most advantage, to keep his gear, which is no small thing in war, but yet me think, that the customable shooting at home, specially at butts and pricks, make nothing at all for strong shooting which doch most good in war. Therefore I suppose if men should use to go into the feyldes, and learn to shoot mighty strong shoots, and never care for any mark at all, they should do much better.  TOX. 
The truth is, that fashion much used, would do much good, but this is to be feared, lest that way could not provoke men to use much shooting, because there should be little pleasure in it. And that in shooting is best, that provoketh a man to use shooting moste: For much use maketh men shoot, both strong & well, which two things in shooting, every man doth desire. And the chief maintainer of use, in any thing, is comparison, and honest contention. For when a man striveth to be better than an other, he will gladly use that thing, though it be never so painful wherein he would excel, which thing Aristotle very pratelye doth note, saying.  
Where is comparison, 
●rist. theto. 〈…〉 Th●od.  there is victory: where is victory, there is pleasure: And where is pleasure, no man careth what labour or pain he taketh, because of the praise, and pleasure, that he shall have, in doing better than other men.  
Again, 
〈…〉.  you know Hesiodus writeth to his brother Perses, that all crafts men, by contending one honestly with an other, do increase their cunning with their substance. And therefore in London, and other great Cities, men of one craft, most commonly, dwell together, because in honest striving together, who shall do best, every one may wax both cunninger and richer, so likewise in shooting, to make matches to assemble archers together, to contend who shall shoot best, and win the game, increaseth the use of shooting wonderfully amongs men.  PHI. 
Of Use you speak very much Toxophile but I am sure in all other matters, Use can do nothing, without two other things be joined with it, one is a natural Aptness to a thing, the other is a true way or Knowledge, how to do the thing, to which two. if Use be joined, as third fellow, of them three, proceedeth perfectness and excellency: If a man lack the first two, Aptness and Cunning, Use can do little good, at all. For he that would be an orator and is nothing naturally fit for it, that is to say lacketh a good wit and memory, lacketh a good voice, countenance and body, and other such like, ye if he had all these things, and knew not what, how, where, when nor to whom he should speak, surely the use of speaking, would bring out none other fruit but plain folly and babbling, so the Use is the last and the least necessary, of all three, yet no thing can be done excellently without them all three. And therefore Toxophile I myself because I never knew, whether I was apt for shooting or no, nor never knew way, how I should learn to shoot I have not used to shoot: and so I think five hundred more in England do beside me. And surely if I knew that I were apt, and that you would teach me how to shoot, I would become an archer, and the rather, because of the good communication, the which I have had with you this day, of shooting.  TOX. 
Aptness, Knowledge, and Use, even as you say, make all things perfect. Aptness is the first and chiefest thing, without which the other two do no good at all. Knowledge doth increase all manner of Aptness, both less and more. Use saith Cicero, is far above all teaching. And thus they all three must be had, to do any thing very well, and if any one be away, what so ever is done, is done very meanly. Aptness is the gift of nature, Knowledge, is gotten by the help of other: Use lieth in our own diligence & labour. So that Aptness & use be ours and with in us, through nature & labour: Knowledge not ours, but coming by other: and therefore most diligently, of all men to be sought for. How these three things stand with the artillery of England, a word or two I will say.  
All English men generally, be apt for shooting, and how? Like as that ground is plentiful and fruitful, which without any tilling, bringeth out corn, as for example, if a man should go to the mill or market with corn, and happen to spill some in the way, yet it would take root and grow, because the soil is so good: so England may be thought very fruitful and apt to bring out shooters, where children even from the cradle, love it: and young men without any teaching so diligently use it. Again, likewise as a good ground, well tilled, and well husbanded, bringeth out great plenty of big ●ared corn, and good to the fall: so if the youth of England being apt of itself to shoot, were taught and learned how to shoot, the Archers of England should not be only a great deal ranker, and more than they be: but also a good deal bigger and stronger Archers than they be. This commodity should follow also y● the youth of England were taught to shoot, that even as ploughing of a good ground for wheat, doth not only make it meet for the seed, but also riveth and plucketh up by the roots, all thistles, brambles and weeds, which grow of their own accord, to the destruction of both corn and ground: Even so should the teaching of youth to shoot, not only make them shoot well, but also pluck away by the roots all other desire to naughty pastimes, as dising▪ carding, and boouling, which without any teaching are used every where, to the great harm of all youth of this realm. And likewise as burning of thistles and diligent wedding them out of the corn, doth not half somocheryd them, as when the ground is falloed and tilled for good grain, as I have heard many a good husbandman say: even so, neither hot punishment, nor yet diligent searching out of such unthriftiness by the officers, shall so thoroughly weed these ungracious games out of the realm, as occupying and bringing up youth in shooting, and other honest pastime. Thirdly, as a ground which is apt for corn and also well tilled for corn: yet if a man let it lie still and do not occupy it iii or four year: but then will sow it, if it be wheat (saith Columella) it will turn into rye: so if a man be never so apt to shoot, nor never so well taught in his youth to shoot, yet if he give it over, and not use to shoot, truly when he shallbe either compelled in war time for his country sake, or else provoked at home for his pleasure sake, to fall to his bow: he shallbe come of a fair archer, a stark squyrter and dribber. Therefore in shooting, as in all other things, there can neither be many in number, nor excellent in deed: except these iii things, Aptness, Knowledge, and Use go together.  PHIL. 
Very well said Toxophile, and I promise you, I agree to this judgement of yours altogether and therefore I can not a little marvel, why english men bring no more help to shooting, than nature itself giveth them. For you see that even children be put to their own shifts in shooting, having nothing taught them: but that they may choose, and chance to shoot ill, rather than well, unaptly sooner than fitly, unto wardlye, more easily than well favouredly, which thing causeth many never begin to shoot: and more to leave it of when they have begun, and most of all to shoot both worse & weaker, than they might shoot, if they were taught.  
But peradventure some men will say, that with use of shooting a man shall learn to shoot, true it is he shall learn, but what shall he learn? mary to shoot naughtily. For all Use, in all things, if it be not stayed with Cunning, will very easily bring a man to do the thing, what so ever he goeth about with much ill favorednes and deformity.  
Which thing how much harm it doth in learning both Crassus' excellency doth prove in Tully, and I myself have experiens in my little shooting. 
〈…〉.  And therefore Toxophile, you must needs grant me that either English men do ill, in not joining Knowledge of shooting to Use, or else there is no knowledge or cunning, which can be gathered of shooting.  TOX. 
Learning to shoot is little regarded in England, for this consideration, because men be so apt by nature they have a great ready forwardness and will to use it, all though no man teach them, all though no man bid them, & so of their own courage they run headlong on it, and shoot they ill, shoot they well, great heed they take not. And in very deed Aptness with Use may do somewhat without Knowledge, but not the tenth part, if so be they were joined with knowledge.  
Which three things be separate as you see, not of their own kind, but through the negligence of men which coupleth them not together. And where ye doubt whether there can be gathered any knowledge or art in shooting or no, surely I think that a man being well exercised in it and somewhat honestly learned with all, might soon with diligent observing and marking the hole nature of shooting, find out ●s it were an Art of it, as Arts in other matters have been found out afore, saying that shooting standeth by those things, which may both be thoroughly perceived, and perfectly known, and such that never fails, but be ever certain, belonging to one most perfect end, as shooting straight, and keeping of a length bring a man to hit the mark, the chief end in shooting: which two things a man may attain unto, by diligent using, and well handling those instruments, which belong unto them. Therefore I can not see, but there lieth hid in the nature of Shooty●ge, an Art, which by noting, and observing of him, that is exercised in it, if he be any thing learned at all, may be taught, to the great forderaunce of Artillery through out all this Realm. And true lie I marvel greatly, that english men would never yet, s●ke for the Art of shooting, seeing they be so apt unto it, so praised of there friends, so feared of there enemies for it. 
Ueg●●●●s.  Uegetius would have masters appointed, which should teach youth to shoot fair. Leo the Emperor of Rome, showeth the same custom, 
Leo. 6. 5.  to have been always amongst the old Romans: which custom of teaching youth to shoot (saith he) after it was omitted, and little heed taken of, 
Strabo. 11.  brought the hole Empire of Rome, to great Ruin. Schola Persica, that is the Scole of the Persians, appointed to bring up youth, whiles they were twenty year old in shooting, is as notably known in Histories as the empire of the Persians': which school, 
●or. Ta. ●  as doth apere in Cornelius Tacitus, as soon as they gave over and fell to other idle pastimes, brought both them and the Parthians under the subjection of the Romans. 
●●l●g. 7.  Plato would have common masters and stipends, for to teach youth to shoot, & for the same purpose he would have abroad feylde near every City, made common for men to use shooting in, which saying the more reasonably it is spoken of Plato, the more unreasonable is their deed which would ditch up those fields privately for their own profit, which lieth open generally for the common use: men by such goods be made ryther not honester saith Tully. If men can be persuaded to have shooting taught, 
〈…〉  this authority which followeth will persuade them, or else none, and that is as I have once said before, of King david, whose first act and ordinance was after he was king that all judea should learn to shoot. If shooting could speak, she would accuse England of unkindness and slothfulness, of unkindness toward her because she being left to a little blind use, lacks her best maintainer which is cunning: of shouthfulnesse toward their own self, because they are content with that which aptness and use doth grant them in shooting, and will seek for no knowledge as other noble common wealths have done: and the justlier shooting might make this complaint, saying that of fence and weapons there is made an Art, a thing in no wise to be compared to shooting.  
For of fence all most in every town, there is not only Masters to teach it, with his provosts Usshers Scholars and othernames of art & School, but there hath not failed also, which hath diligently and well favouredly written it and is s●t ou● in Priute that every man may read it.  
What discommodity doth come by the lack of knowledge, in shooting, it were over long to 〈…〉 hearse. For many that have been apt, and loue● shooting, because they knew not which way to hold to come to shooting, have clean turned themselves from shooting.  
And I may tell you philolog, the lack of teaching to shoot in England, causeth very many men, to play with the kings Acts, as a man did once either with the Mayor of London or york I can not tell whether, which did command by proclamation, every man in the City, to hang a lantern with a candle, afore his door: which thing the man did, but he did not light it: And so many buy bows because of the act, but yet they shoot not: not of evil will, but because they know not how to shoot. But to conclude of this matter, in shooting as in all other things, 
Aptness  aptness is the first, and chief thing, which if it be away, neither Cunning or Use, doth any good at all, as the Scots and France men, with knowledge and Use of shooting, shall become good Archers, when a cunning shypwright shall make a strong ship, of a sallow tree: or when a husbandman shall become rich, with sowing wheat on New markscunning, et heath. Cunning must be had, 
Cunning.  both to set out, & amend● Nature, and also to oversee, and correct use: which use if it be not led, & governed with cunning, shall ●oo●er go amiss, than straight.  
〈…〉 maketh perfitness, in doing that thing, 〈…〉 unto nature maketh a man apt, and knowledge maketh a man cunning before. So that it is not so doubtful, which of them three hath most stroke in shooting as it is plain & evident, that all three must be had, in excellent shooting.  PHI. 
For this communication Toxophile I am very glad, and that for mine ownsake because I trust now, to become a shooter, And in deed I thought afore, English men most apt for shooting, and I saw them daily use shooting, but yet I never found none, that would talk of any knowledge whereby a man might come to shooting. Therefore I trust that you, by the use you have had in shooting, have so thoroughly marked and noted the nature of it, that you can teach me as it were by a trade or way how to come to it.  TOX. 
I grant, I have used shooting meetly well, that I might have marked it well enough, if I had been diligent. But my much shooting, hath caused me study little, so that thereby I lack learning, which should set out the Art or way in any thing. And you know that I was never so well seen, in the Posteriorums of Aristotle as to invent and search out general Demonstrations for the setting forth of any new Science. Yet by my troth if you will, I will go with you into the fealdes at any time and tell you as much as I can, or else you may stand some time at the pricks and look on them which shoot best and so learn  PHI. 
How little you have looked of Aristotle, and how much learning, you have lost by shooting I can not tell, but this I would say and if I loved you never so 〈…〉, that you have been occupied in somewhat else beside shooting. But to our purpose, as I will not require a trade in shooting to be taught me after the subtlety of Aristotle, even so do I not agree with you in this point, that you would have me learn to shoot with looking on them which shoot best, for so I know I should never come to shoot meanly. For in shooting as in all other things which be gotten by ●eachynge, there must be showed a way & a path which shall lead a man to the best and cheiffest point which is in shooting, which you do mark yourself well enough, and uttered it also in your communication, when you said there lay hid in the nature of shooting a certain way which well perceived and thoroughly known, would bring a man without any wandering to the best end in shooting which you called hitting of the prick. Therefore I would refer all my shooting to that end which is best, and so should I come the sooner to some mean.  
That which is best hath no fault, nor can not be amended. So show me best shooting, not the best shooter, which if he be never so good, yet hath he many a fault easily of any man to be espied. And therefore marvel not if I require to follow that example which is without fault, rather than that which hath so many faults. And this way every wise man doth follow in teaching any manner of thing. As Aristotle when he teacheth a man to be good he sets not before him Socrates' life which was the best man, but chief goodness itself according to which he would have a man direct his life.  TOX. 
This way which you require of me philolog, is to hard for me, and to high for a shooter to talk on, & taken as I suppose out of the mids of Philosophy▪ to search out the perfit end of any thing, the which perfit end to find out, saith Tully, is the hardest thing in the world, 
〈…〉 B●u  the only occasion and cause, why so many sects of Philosophers hath been always in learning. And although as Cicero saith a man may imagine and dream in his mind of ● perfit end in any thing, yet there is no experience nor use of it, nor was never seen yet amongs men, as always to heal the sick, ever more to lead ● ship without danger, at all times to hit the prick: shall no Physician, no ship master, no shooter ever do. And Aristotle saith that in all deeds there are two points to be marked, 
〈…〉. pol. 8. 6  possibility & excelencie, but chiefly a wise man must follow & lay hand on possibility for fear he lease both. Therefore seeing that which is most perfect and best in shooting as always to it the prick, was never seen nor hard tell on yet amongs men, but only imagined and thought upon in a man his mind, me think this is the wisest counsel & best for us to follow rather that which a man may come to, than the which is unpossible to be attained to, lest justly that saying of the wise maid Ismens' in Sophocleses may be verified on us. A fool he is that takes in hand he can not end. 
〈…〉   PHI. 
Well if the perfit end of other matters, had been as perfectly known, as the perfit end of shooting is, there had never been so many sects of Philosophers as there be, for in shooting both man & boy is in one opinion, that always to hit the prick is most perfect end that can be imagined, so that we shall not need greatly contend in this matter. But now sir, whereas you think that a man in learning to shoot or any thing else, should rather wisely follow possibility, than vainly seek for perfit excellency, surely I will prove that every wise man, y● wisely would learn any thing, shall chief go about y● whereunto he knoweth well he shall never come. And you yourself I suppose shall confess the same to be the best way in teaching, if you will answer me to those things which I will ask of you.  TOX. 
And that I will gladly, both because I think it is unpossible for you to prove it, & also because I desire to here what you can say in it.  PHI. 
The study of a good Physician Toxophile, I trow be to know all diseases & all medicines fit for them.  TOX. 
It is so in deed.  PHI. 
Because I suppose he would gladly at all times heal all diseases of all men.  TOX. 
Ye truly.  PHI. 
A good purpose surely, but was there ever physician yet among so many which hath laboured in this study, that at all times could heal all diseases?  TOX. 
No truly: nor I think never shallbe.  PHI. 
Than Physicians by like, study for y●, which none of them cometh unto. But in learning of fence I pray you what is the which men most labour for?  TOX. 
That they may it another. I trow & never take blow theirself.  PHI. 
You say troth, & I am sure every one of them would feign do so when so ever he playethe. But was there ever any of them so cunning yet, which at one time or other hath not be touched?  TOX. 
The best of them all is glad sometime to escape with a blow.  PHIL. 
Than in fence also, men are taught to go about that thing, which the best of them all knoweth he shall never attain unto. Moreover you that be shooters, I pray you, what mean you, when ye take so great head, to keep your standing, to shoot compass, to look on your mark so diligently, to cast up grass diverse times and other things more, you know better than I. What would you do than I pray you?  TOX. 
Hit the mark if we could.  PHIL. 
And doth every man go about to hit the mark at every shoot?  TOX. 
By my troth I trow so, and as for myself I am sure I do.  PHIL. 
But all men do not it it at all times.  TOX. 
No truely for that were a wonder.  PHIL. 
Can any man it it at all times?  TOX. 
No man verily.  PHIL. 
Than by likely to hit the prick always, is unpossible. For that is called unpossible which is in no man his power to do.  TOX. 
Impossible in deed.  PHIL. 
But to shoot wide and far of the mark is a thing possible.  TOX. 
No man will deny that.  PHIL. 
But yet to hit the mark always were an excellent thing.  TOX. 
Excellent surely.  PHIL. 
than I am sure those be wiser men, which covet to shoot wide than those which covet to hit the prick.  TOX. 
Why so I pray you.  PHIL. 
Because to shot● wide is a thing possible, and therefore as you say yourself, of every wise man to be followed. And as for hitting the prick, because it is unpossible, it were a vain thing to go about it: but in good sadness Toxophise thus you see that a man might go throghe all crafts and sciences, and prove that any man in his science coveteth that which he shall never get.  TOX. 
By my troth (as you say) I can not deny, but they do so: but why and wherefore they should do so, I can not learn.  PHILO. 
I will tell you, every craft and science standeth in two things: in Knowing of his craft, & Working of his craft: For per fyte knowledge bringeth a man to perfit working This know Painters, karuers, Tailors, shoemakers, and all other crafts men, to be true. Now, in every craft, there 〈…〉 a perfit excellency, which may be better known in a man's mind, than followed in a man's deed. This perfectness, because it is generally laid as a broad wide example afore all men, no one particular man is able to compass it: and as it is general to all men, so it is perpetual for all time which proveth it a thing for man unpossible: although not for the capacity of our thinking which is heavenly, yet surely for the ability of our working which is worldly.  
God giveth not full perfectness to one man (saith Tully) lest if one man had all in any one science, 
D●. Inu●●. 8  there should be nothing left for an other. Yet God suffereth us to have the perfit knowledge of it, that such a knowledge diligently followed, might bring forth according as a man doth labour, perfit working And who is he, that in learning to write, would forsake an excellent example, and follow a worse?  
Therefore seeing perfectness itself is an example for us, let every man study how he may come nigh it, which is a point of wisdom, not reason with God why he may not attain unto it, which is vain ●uriosite.  TOX. 
Surely this is gaily said philolog, but yet this one thing I am a frayed of, lest this perfitness which you speak on will discourage men to take any thing in hand, because afore they begin, they know, they shall never come to an end. And thus despair shall dispatch, even at the first entering in, many a good man his purpose and intent. And I think both you yourself, & all other men to, would count it mere folly for a man to tell him whom he teacheth, that he shall never obtain that, which he would feignest learn. And therefore this same high and perfit way of teaching let us leave it to higher matters, and as for shooting it shall be content with a meaner way well enough.  PHI. 
Where as you say that this high perfitness will discourage men, because they know, they shall never attain unto it, I am sure clean contrary there is nothing in the world shall encourage men more than it. And why? For where a man saith, that though another man be never so excellent, yet it is possible for himself to be better, what pain or labour will that man refuse to take? if the game be onse won, no man will set forth his foot to run. And thus perfitness being so high a thing that men may look at it, not come to it, and being so plentiful and indifferent to every body that the plentifulness of it may provoke all men to labour, because it hath enough for all men, the indifferency of it shall encourage every one to take more pain than his fellow, because every man is rewarded according to his nigh coming, and yet which is most marvel of all, the more men take of it, the more they leave behind for other, as Socrates did in wisdom, and Cicero in eloquens, whereby other hath not lacked, but hath fared a great deal the better. And thus perfitness itself because it is never obtained, even therefore only doth it cause so many men to be so well seen & perlite in many matters, as they be. But where as you think that it were fondness to teach a man to shoot, in looking at the most perfitness in it, but rather would have a man go some other way to work, I trust no wise man will discomend that way, except he think himself wiser than tully, 
De Orat. 3.  which doth plainly say, that if he teached any manner of craft as he did Rhetoric he would labour to bring a man to the knowledge of the most perfitness of it, which knowledge should ever more lead and guide a man to do that thing well which he went abonte. Which way in all manner of learning to be best, Plato doth also declare in Euthydemus, of whom Tully learned it as he did many other things more. And thus you see Toxophile by what reasons and by whose authority I do require of you this way in teaching me to shoot, which way I pray you without any more delay show me as farforth as you have noted and marked.  TOX. 
You call me to a thing philolog which I am loath to do. And yet if I do it not being but a small matter as you think, you will lack petition in me, if I take it in hand and not bring it to pass as you would have it, you might think great want of wisdom in me.  
But advise you, seeing ye will needs have it so, the blame shall be yours, as well as mine: yours for putting upon me so instantly, mine in receiving so fond a greater burden than I am able to bear. Therefore I, more willing to fulfil your mind, than hoping to accomplish that which you look for, shall speak of it, not as a master of shooting, but as one not altogether ignorant in shooting. And one thing I am glad of, the sun drawing down so fast into the west, shall compel me to draw a pace to the end of our matter, so that his darkness shall something cloak mine ignorance. And because you know the ordering of a matter better than I: Ask me generally of it, and I shall particularly answer to it.  PHI. 
Very gladly Toxophile: for so by order, those things which I would know, you shall tell the better: and those things which you shall tell, I shall remember the better.   

TOXOPHILUS. B.  
¶ THE second BOOK OF the school of shooting.  PHILOL. 
What is the chief point in shooting, that every man laboureth to come to?  TOX. 
To it the mark.  PHI. 
How many things are required to make a man ever more it the mark?  TOX. 
Two.  PHI. 
Which two?  TOX. 
shooting straight and keeping of a length.  PHIL. 
How should a man shoot straight, & how should a man keep a length?  TOX. 
In knowing and having things, belonging to shooting▪ and when they be known and had, in well handling of them: whereof some belong to shooting straight, some to keeping of a length, some commonly to them both, as shall be told severally of them, in place convenient.  PHI. 
Things belonging to shooting, which be they?  TOX. 
All things be outward, and some be instruments for every sear archer to bring with him, proper for his own use: other things be general to every man, as the place and time serveth.  PHI. 
Which be instruments?  TOX. 
Bracer, shotyngglove, string, bow & shaft.  PHI. 
Which be general to all men?  TOX. 
The wether and the mark, yet the mark is ever under the rule of the wether.  PHI. 
wherein standeth well handling of things?  TOX. 
All together within a man himself, some handling is proper to instruments, some to the wether, some to the mark, some is within a man himself.  PHI. 
what handling is proper to the Instruments.  TOX. 
Standing, nocking, drawing, holding, lousing, whereby cometh fair shooting, which neither belong to wind nor wether, nor yet to the mark, for in a rain and at no mark, a man may shoot a fair shoot.  PHIL. 
well said, what handling belongeth to the wether?  TOX. 
Knowing of his wind, with him, against him, side wind, full side wind, side wind quarter with him, side wind quarter against him, and so forth.  PHI. 
well than go to, what handling belongeth to the mark?  TOX. 
To mark his standing, to shoot compass, to draw evermore like, to louse evermore like, to consider the nature of the prick, in hills & dales, in straight planes and winding places, & also to espy his mark  PHI. 
Very well done. And what is only within a man himself?  TOX. 
Good heed giving, and avoiding all affections: which things oftentimes do mar and make all. And these things spoken of me generally and briefly, if they be well known, had, and handled, shall bring a man to such shooting, as few or none ever yet came unto, but surely if he miss in any one of them, he can never it the mark, and in the more he doth miss, the farther he shooteth from his mark. But as in all other matters the first sleep or stair to be good, is to know a man's fault, and than to amend it, and he that will not know his fault, shall never amend it.  PHI. 
You speak now Toxophile, even as I would have you to speak: But let us return again unto our matter, and those things which you have packed up, in so short a room, we will louse them forth, and take every piece as it were in our hand and look more narrowly upon it.  TOX. 
I am content, but we will rid them as fast as we can, because the sun goeth so fast down, and yet somewhat must needs be said of every one of them.  PHI. 
well said, and I trow we began with those things which be instruments, whereof the first, as I suppose, was the Braser. 
Brac●r.   TOX. 
Little is to be said of the braser. A bracer serveth for two causes, one to save his arm from the stripe of the string, and his doublet from wearing, and the other is, that the string gliding sharply & quickly of the bracer, may make the sharper shoot. For if the string should light upon the bare fleve, the strength of the shoot should stop and die there. But it is best by my judgement, to give the bow so much bend, that the string need never touch a man's arm, and so should a man need no bracer as I know many good Archers, which occupy none. In a bracer a man must take heed of iii things, that it have no nails in it, that it have no bucles, that it be fast on with laces without agglettes.  
For the nails will shear in sunder, a man's string, before he be ware, and so put his bow in jeopardy: Buckles and agglettes at unwares, shall raze his bow, a thing both evil to the sight, & perilous for freating. And thus a Bracer, is only had for this purpose, that the string may have ready passage.  PHI. 
In my Bracer I am cunning enough, but what say you of the shooting glove.  TOX. 
A shooting Glove is chiefly, for to save a man's fingers from hurting, that he may be able to bear the sharp string to the uttermost of his strength. And when a man shooteth, the might of his shoot lieth on the formooste finger, and on the Ringman, for the middle finger which is the longest, like a lubber starteth back, and beareth no weight of the string in a manner at all, therefore the two other fingers, must have thicker leather, & that must have thickest of all, where on a man looseth most, and for sure lousing, the foremost finger is most apt, because it holdeth best, & for the purpose nature hath as a man would say, yocked it with the thoumbe. Leather, if it be next a man's skin, will sweat, wax hard and chafe, therefore scarlet for the softness of it and thickness with all, is good to sew within a man's glove. If that will not serve, but yet your finger hurteth, you must take a searing cloth made of fine virgin wax, and Deres suet, & put next your finger, and so on with your glove. If yet you feel your finger pinched, leave shooting both because than you shall shoot nought, & again by little & little, hurting your finger, ye shall make it long and long to or you shoot again. A new glove plucks many shoots because the string goeth not freely of, and therefore the fingers must be cut sho●●, and trimmed with some ointment, that the string may glyd well away. Some with holding in the neck of their shaft to hard, rub the skin of there fingers. For this there be ii remedies, one to have a goose quyll splitted and sewed against the nocking, betwixt the lining and the ledder, which shall help the shoot much to, the other way is to have some roll of ledder sewed betwixt his fingers at the setting on of the fingers, which shall keep his fingers so in sunder, that they shall not hold the nock so fast as they did. The shooting glove hath a purse which shall serve to put fine linen cloth and wax in, two necessary things for a shooter, some men use gloves or other such like thing on their bow hand for chafing, because they hold so hard. But that cometh commonly, when a bow is not round, but somewhat square, fine wax shall do very well in such a case to lay where a man holdeth his bow: and thus much as concerning your glove. And these things although they be trifles, yet because you be but a young shooter, I would not leave them out.  PHI. 
And so you shall do me most pleasure: The string I trow be the next.  TOX. 

String●.  The next in deed. A thing though it be little, yet not a little to be regarded. But here in you must be content to put your trust in honest stringers. And surely stringers ought more diligently to be looked upon by the officers thā●ther bower or fletcher, because they may deceive a simple man the more easilier. An ill string brekethe many a good bow, nor no other thing half so many. In war if a string break the man is lost and is no man, for his weapon is gone, and although he have two strings put one at once, yet he shall have small leisure & less room to bend his bow, therefore god send us g●od stringers both for war and peace. Now what a string ought to be made on, whether of good hemp as they do now a days, or of flax or of silk, I leave that to the judgement of stringers, of whom we must buy them on. Eustathius 
〈…〉.  upon this verse of homere Twang ● the bow, & twang q the string, 
〈…〉 4.  out quickly the shaft f●ue doth tell, that in old time they made their bow strings of bullox thermes, which they twyned together as they do ropes, & therefore they made a great twang. Bow strings also hath been made of the hear of an horse tail called for the matter of them Hippias as doth appear in many good authors of the Greek tongue. 
〈…〉.  Great strings, and little strings be for diverse purposes: the great string is more surer for the bow, more stable to prick withal, but slower for the cast, the little string is clean contrary, not so sure, therefore to be taken heed of, less with long tarienge on, it break your bow, more fit to shoot far, than apt to prick near, therefore when you know the nature of both big and little, you must fit your bow, according to the occasion of your shooting. In stringinge of your bow (though this place belong rather to the handling than to the thing itself, yet because the thing, and the handling of the thing, be so joined together, I must need some time couple the one with the other,) you must mark the fit length of your bow. For if the string be to short, the bending will give, and at the last slip and so put the bow in jeopardy. If it be long, the bending must needs be in the small of the string, which being sore twined must needs knap in sunder to the destruction of many good bows. Moreover you must look that your bow be well nocked for fere the sharpness of the horn shear asunder the string And that chanceth oft when in bending, the string hath but one wap to strength it with all. You must mark also to set your string streygte on, or else the one end shall wriethe contrary to the other, and so break your bow. When the string beginneth never so little to were, trust it not, but a way with it for it is an ill saved halfpenny the costs a man a crown Thus you see how many jeopardies hangeth over the silly poor bow, by reason only of the string. As when the string is short, when it is long, when either of the nockes be nought, when it hath but one wap, and when it taryethe over long on.  PHI. 
I see well it is no marvel, though so many bows be broken.  TOX. 
Bows be broken twice as many ways beside these. But a gain in stringing your bow, you must look for much bend or little bend for they be clean contrary.  
The little bend hath but one commodity, which is in shooting faster and farther shoot, and the cause thereof is, because the string hath so far a passage, or it part with the shaft. The great bend hath many commodities: for it maketh easier shooting the bow being half drawn afore. It needeth no bra●er, for the string stoppeth before it come at the arm. It will not so soon it a man's sleeve or other gear, by the same reason: It hurteth not the shaft fedder, as the low bend doth. It suffereth a man better to espy his mark. Therefore let your bow have good big bend, a shaftement and ii fingers at the least, for these which I have spoken of.  PHI. 
The braser, g●oue, and string, be done, now you must come to the bow, the chief instrument of all.  TOX. 

Bow.  divers countries and times have used always divers bows, and of divers fashions.  
Horn bows are used in some places now, & were used also in Homerus days, for Pandarus bow, the best shocter among all the Trojans, 
〈…〉 4  was made of two Goete horns joined together, the length whereof saith Homer, was xvi handbredes, not far differing from the length of our bows.  
Scripture maketh mention of brass bows. 
Psalm. 17.  Iron bows, and style bows, have been of long time, and also now are used among the Turks, but yet they must needs be unprofitable. For if brass, iron or style, have their own strength and pith in them, they be far above man's strength: if they be made meet for man's strength, their pith is nothing worth to shoot any shoot with all.  
The Ethiopians had bows of palm tree, 
Hero. ●n 〈…〉  which seemed to be very strong, but we have none experience of them. The length of them was four cubits The men of Ind had their bows made of a reed, which was of a great strength. And no marvel though bow and shafts were made thereof, for the reeds be so great in Ind, 
In 〈…〉  as Herodotus saith, that of every joint of a reed, a man may make a fisher's boat. These bows, 
Arrianus. 8.  sayeth Arrianus in Alexander's life, gave so great a stroke, that no harness or buckler though it were never so strong, could withstand it. The length of such a bow, was even with the length of him, 
In Po●●●  that used it. The Lycians used bows made of a tree, called in Latyn Cornus, (as concerning the name of it in English, I can sooner prove that other men call it false, than I can tell the right name of it myself) this wood is as hard as horn and very fit for shafts, as shall be told after.  
Ovid showeth that Syringa the Nymph, 
Metamo●. 1.  and one of the maidens of Diana, had a bow of this wood whereby the poet meaneth, that it was very excellent to make bows of  
As for brasell, Elm, Wych, and ash, experience doth prove them to be but mean for bows, and so to conclude Ewe of all other things, is that, whereof perfit shooting would have a bow made.  
This wood as it is now general and common amongs english men, so hath it continued from long time and had in most price for bows, amongs the Romans, as doth apere in this half verse of Uyrgill.  

Taxi torquentur in arcus. 
Uirgslius. G●org. 2.  ●.  
Ewe fit for a bow to be made on.   
Now as I say, a bow of Ewe must be had for perfect shooting at the pricks, which mark, because it is certain, & most certain rules may be given of it, shall serve for our communication, at this time. A good bow is known, much what as good counsel is known, by the end and proof of it, & yet both a bow and good counsel, may be made both better and worse, by well or ill handling of them: as oftentimes chanceth. And as a man both must and will take counsel, of a wise and honest man, though he see not the end of it, so must a shooter of necessity, trust an honest and good bowyer for a bow, afore he know the proof of it. And as a wise man will take plenty of counsel afore hand what soever need, so a shooter should have always three or four bows, in store, what so ever chance.  PHI. 
But if I trust bowyers always, sometime I am like to be deceived.  TOX. 
Therefore shall I tell you some tokens in a bow, that you shall be the seeldomer deceived. If you come into a shop, and find a bow that is small, long, heavy and strong, lying steyght, not winding, not marred with knot gavie, wyndeshake, wem, fret or pinch, by● that bow of my warrant. The best colour of a bow that I find, is when the back and the belly in working, be much what after one manner, for such oftentimes in wearing, do prove like virgin wax or gold, having a fine long grain, even from the one end of the bow, to the other: the short grain although such prove well sometime, are for the most part, very brittle. Of the making of the bow, I will not greatly meddle, lest I should seem to enter into an other man's occupation, which I can no skill of. Yet I would desire all bowyers to season their staves well, to work them and sink them well, to give them heetes convenient, and tyllerynges plenty. For thereby they should both get themselves a good name, (And a good name increaseth a man's profit much) and also do great commodity to the hole Realm. If any men do offend in this point, I am afraid they be those journey men which labour more speedily to make many bows for their own money sake, than they work diligently to make good bows, for the common wealth sake, not laying before their eyes, this wise proverb.  
soon enough, if well enough.  
wherewith ever honest handy crafts man should measure, as it were with a rule, his work withal. He that is a journey man, and rideth upon an other man's horse, if he ride an honest pace, no man will disallow him: But if he make Post haste, both he that oweth the horse, and he peradventure also that afterward shall buy the horse, may chance to curse him.  
Such hastiness I am afraid, may also be found amongs some of them, which through out the Realm in diverse places work the kings Artillery for war, thinkynke if they get a bow or a sheaf of arrows to some fashion, they be good enough for bearing gear. And thus that weapon which is the chief defence of the Realm, very oft doth little service to him that should use it, because it is so negligently wrought of him that should make it, when truely I suppose that neither the bow can be to good and chief wood, nor yet to well seasoned or truly made, with hetynges and tillerynges, neither that shaft to good wood or to thoroughly wrought, with the best pinion fedders that can be gotten, wherewith a man shall serve his prince, defend his country, and save himself from his enemy. And I trust no man will be angry with me for speaking thus, but those which find themself touched therein: which ought rather to be angry with themself for doing so, than to be miscontent with me for saying so. And in no case they ought to be displeased with me, seeing this is spoken also after that sort, not for the noting of any person severally, but for the amending of every one generally. But turn we again to know a good shooting bow for our purpose.  
Every bow is made either of a bough, of a plant or of the bowl of the tree. The bough common lie is very knotty, and full of pings, weak, of small pith, and soon will follow the string, and seldom werith to any fair colour, yet for children & young beginners it may serve well enough. The plant proveth many times well, if it be of a good and clean groweth, and for the pith of it is quick enough of cast, it will ply and bow far afore it break, as all other young things do. The bowl of the tree is cleanest with out knot or pin, having a fast and hard wood by reason of his full groweth, strong and mighty of cast, and best for a bow, if the staves be even cloven, and be afterward wrought not overthwart the wood, but as the grain and straight growing of the wood leadeth a man, or else by all reason it must soon break, & that in many shivers. This must be considered in the rough wood, & when the bow staves be overwrought and fashioned. For in dressing and piking it up for a bow, it is to late to look for it But yet in these points as I said before you must trust an honest bowyer, to put a good bow in your hand, somewhat looking yourself to those tokens which I showed you. And you must not stick for a groat or. xii.d. more than another man would give if it be a good bow. For a good bow twice paid for is better than an ill bow once broken.  
Thus a shooter must begin not at the making of his bow like a bower, but at the buying of his bow like an Archere. And when his bow is bought and brought home, afore he trust much upon it, let him try and trim it after this sort.  
Take your bow in to the field, shoot in him, sink him with dead heavy shafts, look where he cometh most, provide for that place betimes, lest it pinch and so fret: when you have thus shot in him, and perceived good shooting wood in him, you must have him again to a good cunning, and trusty workman, which shall cut him shorter, and pike him and dress him fitter, make him come round compass every where, and whipping at the ends, but with discretion, lest he whip in sunder or else freete, sooner than he is ware of, he must also lay him straightly, if he be cast or otherwise need require, and if he be flat made, gather him round, and so shall he both shoot the faster, for far shooting, and also the surer for near pricking.  PHI. 
What if I come into a shop, and spy out a bow, which shall both than please me very well when I by him, and be also very fit and meet for me when I shoot in him: so that he be both weak enough for easy shooting, and also quick and speedy enough for far casting, than I would think I shall need no more business with him, but be content with him, and use him well enough, and so by that means, avoid both great trouble, and also some cost which you cunning archers very often put yourselves unto, being very english men, never ceasing piddeling about your bow & shafts when they be well, but either with shorting and piking your bows, or else with new fethering, piecing and heading your shafts, can never have done until they be stark nought.  TOX. 
Well philolog, surely if I have any judgement at all in shooting, it is no very great good token in a bow, whereof nothing when it is new and fresh, need be cut away, even as Cicero sayeth of a young man's wit and style, which you know better that I. For every new thing must always have more than it needeth, or else it will not wax better and better, but ever decay, and be worse and worse. New ale if it run not over the barrel when it is new tunned, will soon lease his pith, and his head afore he be long drawn on.  
And like wise as that col●e which at the first taking up, needeth little breaking and handling, but is fit and gentle enough for the saddle, seldom or never proveth well, even so that bow which at the first buying, without any more proof & trimming, is fit and easy to shoot in, shall neither be profitable to last long, nor yet pleasant to shoot well. And therefore as a young horse full of courage, with handling and breaking, is brought unto a suit pace and going, so shall a new bow fresh and quick of cast, by sinking & cutting, be brought to a steadfast shooting. And an easy and gentle bow when it is new, is not much unlike a ●ofte spirited boy when he is young. But yet as of an unruly boy with right handling, proveth oftenest of all a well ordered man: so of an unfit and staffysh bow with good trimming, must needs follow always a steadfast shooting bow.  
And such a perfit bow, which never will deceive a man, except a man deceive it, must be had for that perfect end, which you look for in shooting.  PHI. 
Well Toxophile, I see well you be cunninger in this gear than I: but put case that I have three or four such good bows, picked and dressed, as you now speak of, yet I do remember the many learned men do say, that it is easier to get a good thing, than to save and keep a good thing, wherefore if you can teach me as concerning that point, you have satisfied me plentifully, as concerning a bow.  TOX. 
truly it was the next thing that I would have come unto, for so the matter lay.  
When you have brought your bow to such a point, as I spoke of, than you must have an herden or woollen cloth waxed. wherewith every day you must rub and chafe your bow, till it shine and glytter withal. Which thing shall cause it both to be clean, well favoured, goodly of colour, and shall also bring as it were a crust, over it, that is to say, shall make it every where on the outside, so slippery and hard, that neither any weet or wether can enter to hurt it, nor yet any fret or pinch, be able to bite upon it: but that you shall do it great wrong before you break it. This must be done oftentimes but specially when you come from shooting.  
Beware also when you shoot, of your shaft hedes, dagger, knives or agglettes, lest they raze your bow, a thing as I said before, both unseemly to look on, and also dangerous for freates. Take heed also of misty and dankyshe days, which shall hurt a bow, more than any rain. For than you must either always rub it, or else leave shooting.  
Your bowecase (this I did not promise to speak of, 
〈…〉  because it is without the nature of shooting, or else I should truble me with other things infinite more: yet seeing it is a save guard for the bow, something I will say of it) your bowecase I say, if you ride for thee, must neither be to wide for your bows, for so shall one clap upon an other, and hurt them, nor yet so straight that scarce they can be thrust in, for that would lay them on side & wind them A bowecase of ledder, is not the best, for that is oft-times moist which hurteth the bows very much. Therefore I have seen good shooters which would have for every bow, a sear case made of woollen cloth, and than you may put iii or four of them so cased, in to a ledder case if you will. This woollen case shall both keep them in sunder, and also will keep a bow in his full strength, that it never give for any wether. At home these wood cases be very good for bows to stand in. But take heed that your bow stand not to near a stone wall, for that will make him moist and week, nor yet to near any fire for that will make him short and brittle. And thus much as concerning the saving and keeping of our bow: now you shall hear what things ye must avoid, for fear of breaking your bow.  
A shooter chanceth to break his bow common lie four ways, by the string, by the shaft, by drawing to far, & by freates: By the string as I said afore, when the string is either to short, to long, not surely put on, with one wap, or put crooked on, or shorn insunder with an evil neck, or suffered to tarry over long on. When the string fails the bow must needs break, and specially in the mids: because both the ends have nothing to stop them: but whips so far back, that the belly must needs violently rise up, the which you shall well perreyve in bending of a bow backward. Therefore a bow that followeth the string is least hurt with breaking of strings By the shaft a bow is broken either when it is to short, and so you set it in your bow or when the neck breaks for lytlenesse, or when the string slips without the neck for wideness, than you paul it to your care and lets it go, which must needs break the shaft at the least, and put strung and bow & all in jeopardy, because the strength of the bow hath nothing in it to stop the violence of it.  
This kind of breaking is most perilous for the standers by, for in such a case you shall see some time the end of a bow fly a hole score from a man, and that most commonly, as I have marked oft the upper end of the bow. The bow is drawn to far ii ways. Either when you take a longer shaft than your own, or else when you shift your hand to low or to high for shooting far. This way pouleth the back in sunder, and then the bow fleethe in many pieces.  
So when you see a bow broken, having the belly risen up both ways or tove, the string broke it. When it is broken in two pieces in a manner even of and specially in the upper end, the shaft neck broke it.  
When the back is pouled asunder in many pieces to far drawing, broke it.  
These tokens either always be true or else very seldom miss.  
The fourth thing that breaketh a bow is fretes, 
Freates.  which make a bow ready and apt to break by any of the iii ways afore said. Freetes be in a shaft as well as in a bow, and they be much like a Canker, creeping and increasing in those places in a bow, which be weaker than other. And for this purpose must your bow be well trimmed and piked of a cunning man that it may come round in true compass every where. For freetes you must beware, if your ●ow have a knot in the back, lest the places which be next it, be not allowed strong enough to bear with the knot, or else the strong knot shall fret the weak places next it. Freates be first little pinches, the which when you perceive, pike the places a bout the pinches, to make them somewhat weker, and as well coming as where it pinched, and so the pinches shall die, and never increase farther in to great freates.  
Freates begin many times in a pin, for there the good wood is corrupted, that it must needs be week, and because it is weak, therefore it freates.  
Good bowyers therefore do raise every py● & allow it more wood for fear of freating.  
Again bows most commonly fret under the hand, not so much as some men suppose for the moistness of the hand, as for the heat of the hand: the nature of heat sayeth Aristotle is to louse, and not to knit fast, and the more lowser the more weaker, the weaker, the readier to fret.  
bow is not well made, which hath not wood plenty in the hand. For if the ends of the bow be staffysshe, or a man's hand any thing hoot the belly must needs soon frete. Remedy for fretes to any purpose I never hard tell of any, but only to make the freated place a strong or stronger than any other.  
To fill up the fret with little shivers of a quill and glue (as some say will do well) by reason must be stark nought.  
For, put case the freete did cease then, yet the cause which made it fret afore (and that is weakness of the place) because it is not taken away must needs make it fret again. As for cutting out of freates with all manner of pecing of bows I will clean exclude from perfit shooting. For peced bows be much like old housen, which be more chargeable to repair, than commodious to dwell in. Again to swadle a bow much about with bands, very seldom doth any good, except it be to keep down a spell in the back, otherwise bands either need not when the bow is any thing worth, or else boot not when it is marred & passed best. And although I know mean and poor shooters, will use peced and banded bows sometime because they are not able to get better when they would, yet I am sure if they consider it well, they shall find it, both less charge and more pleasure to ware at any time a couple of shillings of a new bow than to bestow. x.d of peacing an old bow. For better is cost upon somewhat worth, than expense upon nothing worth. And this I speak also because you would have me refer all to perfitness in shooting.  
Moreover there is 〈…〉 other thing, which will soon cause a bow be broken by one of the iii ways which be first spoken of, and that is shooting in winter, when there is any frost. Frost is wheresoever is any waterish humour, as is in all woods, either more or less, and you know that all things frozen and Icy, will rather break than bend. Yet if a man must needs shoot at any such time, let him take his bow, and bring it to the fire, and there by little and little, rub and chafe it with a waxed cloth, which shall bring it to that point, that he may shoot safely enough in it. This rubbing with wax, as I said before, is a great succour, against all weet and moistness.  
In the fields also, in going betwixt the pricks either with your hand, or else with a cloth you must keep your bow in such a temper. And thus much as concerning your bow, how first to know what wood is best for a bow, than to choose a bow, after to trim a bow, again to keep it in goodness, last of all, how to save it from all harm and evilness.  
And although many men can say more of a bow yet I trust these things be true, and almost sufficient for the knowledge of a perfect bow.  PHI. 
Surely I believe so, and yet I could have heard you talk longer on it: although I can not see, what may be said more of it. Therefore except you will pause a while, you may go forward to a shaft.  TOX. 
What shafts were made of, in old time authors do not so manifestly show, as of bows. Herodotus doth tell, 
Hero. eutep.  that in the flood of Nilus, there was a beast, called a water horse, of whose skin after it was dried, the Egyptians made shafts. and darts on. The tree called Cornus was so common to make shafts of, 
〈…〉  that in good authors of the latin tongue, Cornus is taken for a shaft, as in Seneca, and that place of Virgil, Volat Itala Cornus. 
〈…〉   
Yet of all things that ever I warked of old authors, either greek or latin, for shafts to be made of, 
〈…〉  there is nothing so common as reeds. Herodotus in describing the mighty host of Xerxes doth tell that three great countries used shafts made of a reed, the Aeth●opians, the Lycians (whose shafts lacked feathers, where at I marvel most of all) and the men of Ind. 
〈…〉  The shafts in Ind were very long, 
O. Lurt. ●.  a yard and an half, as Arrianus doth say, or at the least a yard. as Q. Curtius doth say, and therefore they gave the greater stripe, but yet because they were so long, they were the more unhandsome, and less profitable to the men of Ind, as Curtius doth tell.  
In Crete and Italy, they used to have their shafts of reed also. The best reed for shafts grew in Ind, 
Pli 16. 3 6.  and in Rhenus a flood of Italy.  
But because such shafts be neither easy for English men to get, and if they were gotten scarce profitable for them to use, I will let them pass, and speak of those shafts which English men at this day most commonly do approve and allow.  
A shaft hath three principal parts, the steel, the ●ethers, and the head: whereof every one must be severally spoken of.  
¶ ● Steles be made of diverse woods. as. 

Brasell.  
Turkey wood.  
Fusticke.  
Sugercheste.  
Hardbeame.  
Byrche.  
ash.  
Doke.  
servis tree.  
Hulder.  
Blackthorne  
Beche.  
Elder.  
Asp.  
sallow.    
These woods as they be most commonly used, so they be most fit to be used: yet some one fitter than an other for divers men's shooting, as shallbe told afterward. And in this point as in a bow you must trust an honest fletcher. Nevertheless all though I can not teach you to make a bow or a shaft, which belongeth to a bowyer and a fletcher to come to their living, yet will I show you some tokens to know a bow & a shaft, which pertaineth to an Archer to come to good shooting.  
A steel must be well seasoned for casting, and it must be made as the grain lieth & as it groweth or else it will never fly clean, as cloth cut overthwart and against the wulle, can never hose a man clean. A knotty steel may be suffered in a big ●haste, but for a little shaft it is nothing fit, both because it will never fly far, and besides that it is ever in danger of breaking, it flieth not far because the strength of the shoot is hindered and stopped at the knot, even as a stone cast in to a plain even still water, will make the water move a great space, yet if there be any whirling plat in the water, the moving ceasethe when it cometh at the whirling plat, which is not much unlike a knot in a shaft if it be considered well. So every thing as it is plain and straight of his own nature so is it fittest for far moving. Therefore a steel which is hard to stand in a bow, without knot, and straight (I mean not artificially straight as the fletcher doth make it, but naturally straight as it groweth in the wood) is best to make a shaft of, either to go clean, fly far or stand surely in any wedder. Now how big, how small, how heavy, how light, how long, how short, a shaft should be particularly for every man (saying we must talk of the general nature of shooting) can not be told no more than you Rhethoricians can appoint any one kind of words, of sentences, of figures fit for every matter, but even as the man and the matter requireth so the fittest to be used. Therefore as concerning those contraries in a shaft, every man must avoid them and draw to the mean of them, which mean is best in all things. Yet if a man happen to offend in any of the extremes it is better to offend in want and scantness, than in to much and outrageous exceeding. As it is better to have a shaft a little to short than over long, somewhat to light, than over lumpysshe, a little to small, than a great deal to big, which thing is not only truely said in shooting, but in all other things that ever man goeth about, as in eating, taulking, and all other things like, which matter was onse excellently disputed upon, in the Schools, you know when.  
And to offend, in these contraries cometh much if men take not heed, through the kind of wood, where of the shaft is made: For some wood belongs to the exceeding part, some to the scant part, some to the mean, as Brasell, Turkiewood, Fusticke, Sugar chest, & such like, make dead, heavy lumpish, hobbling shafts Again Hulder, black thorn, Serves tree, Beche, Elder, Asp, and sallow, either for their weakness or lightness, make hollow, starting, studding, gadding shafts. But birch, Hardbeme, some Doke, and some ash, being both strong enough to stand in a bow, and also light enough to fly far, are best for a mean, which is to be sought out in every thing. And although I know that some men shoot so strong, that the dead woods be light enough for them, and other some so week, that the louse woods be likewise for them big enough yet generally for the most part of men, the mean is the best. And so to conclude that, is always best for a man, which is meetest for him. Thus no wood of his own nature, is either to light or to heavy, but as the shooter is himself which doth use it. For that shaft which one year for a man is to light & scuddinge, for the same self man the next year may chance be to heavy and hobbling. Therefore can not I express, except generally, what is best wood for a shaft, but let every man when he knoweth his own strength and the nature of every wood, provide and fit himself thereafter. Yet as concerning sheaf Arcouse for war (as I suppose) it were better to make them of good ash, and not of Asp, as they be now a days. For of all other woods that ever I proved ash being big is swiftest and again heavy to give a great stripe with all, which Asp shall not do.  
What heaviness doth in a stripe every man by experience can tell, therefore ash being both swyfter and heavier is more fit for sheaf Arroes than Asp, & thus much for the best wood for shafts.  
Again likewise as no one wood can be greatly meet for all kind of shafts, no more can one fashion of the steel be fit for every shooter. For those that be little breasted and big toward the heed called by their likeness taperfashion, reshe grown, and of some merry fellows bobtayles, be fit for them which shoot under hand because they shoot with a soft louse, and stresses not a shaft much in the breast where the weight of the bow lieth as you may perceive by the wearing of every shaft.  
Again the big breasted shaft is fit for him, which shooteth right afore him, or else the breast being week should never withstand that strong pithy kind of shooting, thus the underhand must have a small breast, to go clean away out of the bow, the forehand must have a big breast to bear the great might of the bow. The shaft must be made round nothing flat with out gall or wemme, for this purpose. For because roundness (whether you take example in heaven or in earth) is fittest shape and form both for fast moving and also for soon per cing of any thing. And therefore Aristotle saith that nature hath made the rain to be round, because it should the easilier enter through the air.  
The neck of the shaft is diversly made, for some be great and full, some handsome & little, some wide some narrow, some deep, some shallow, some round, some long, some with one neck, some with a double neck, whereof every one hath his property.  
The great and full neck, may be well felt, and many ways they save a shaft from breaking. The handsome and little neck will go clean away from the hand, the wide neck is nought, both for breaking of the shaft and also for sudden slypping out of the string when the narrow neck doth avoid both those harms. The deep and long neck is good in war for sure keeping in of the string. The shallow, and round neck is best for our purpose in pricking for clean deliverance of a shoot. And double nocking is used for double surety of the shaft And thus far as concerning a hole steel.  
Piecing of a shaft with brasell and holy, or other heavy woods, is to make the end compass heavy with the feathers in flying, for the stedfaster shooting. For if the end were plump heavy with lead and the wood next it light, the head end would ever be downwards, and never fly straight.  
Two points in piecing be enough, lest the moistness of the earth enter to much into the peecinge, & so leuse the glue. Therefore many points be more pleasant to the eye, than profitable for the use.  
some use to piece their shafts in the neck with brasel, or holy, to counterwey, with the head, and I have seve sum for the same purpose, bore an hole a little bineth the neck, and put lead in it. But yet none of these ways be any thing needful at all, for the nature of a feather in flying, if a man mark it well, is able to bear up a wonderful weight: and I thick such piecing came up first, thus: when a good Archer hath broken a good shaft, in the feathers, & for the fantasy he hath had to it, he is loath to lose it, & therefore doth he piece it. And than by and by other either because it is gay, or else because they will have a shaft like a good archer, cutteth their hold shafts, and peeceth them again: A thing by my judgement, more costly than needful.  
And thus have you heard what wood, what fashion, what nocking, what piecing a steel must have: Now followeth the fethering.  PHI. 
I would never have thought you could have said half so much of a steel, and I think as concerning the little feather and the plain head, there is but little to say.  TOX. 
little, yes truly: for there is no one thing, in all shooting, so much to be lokedon as the feather. For first a question may be asked, whether any other thing beside a feather, be fit for a shaft or no if a feather only be fit, whether a goose feather only, or no? if a goose feather be best, then whether there be any difference, as concerning the feather of an old goose, and a young goose: a gander, or a goose: a fenny goose, or an uplandish goose. Again which is best feather in any goose, the right wing or the left wing, the pinion feather, or any other feather: a white, black, or grey feather? Thirdly, in setting on of your feather, whether it be pared or drawn with a thick rib, or a thin rib (the rib is the hard quill which divideth the feather) a long feather better or a short, set on near the neck, or far from the neck, set on straight, or somewhat bowing & whether one or two feathers run on the bow. Fourthly in couling or shering, whether high or low, whether somewhat swine backed (I must use shooters words) or saddle backed, whether round, or square shorn. And whether a shaft at any time ought to be plucked, and how to be plucked.  PHI. 
Surely Torophile, I think many fletchers (although daily they have these things in use) if they were asked suddenly, what they could say of a feather, they could not say so much. But I pray you let me hear you more at large, express those things in a feather, the which you packed up in so narrow a room. And first whether any other thing may be used for a feather or not.  TOX. 
That was the first point in deed, and because there followeth many after, I will high apace over them, as one that had many a mile to ride. 
Pl. 16. 36.  Shafts to have had always feathers Plinius in Latin, 
I Pol. 1. 10.  and julius Pollux in Greek, do plainly show, 
〈…〉 Polym.  yet only the Lycians I read in Herodotus to have used shafts without fedders. Only a fedder is fit for a shaft for ii causes, first because it is leath weak to give place to the bow, than because it is of that nature, that it will start up after the bow So, Plate, wood or horn can not serve, because the will not give place. Again, Cloth, Paper or Parchment can not serve, because they will not rise after the bow, therefore a fedder is only meet, because it only will do both. Now to look on the fedders of all manner of birds, you shall see some so low week and short, some so course, store and hard, and the rib so brickle, thin and narrow, that it can neither be drawn, pared, nor yet well set on, that except it be a swan for a dead shaft (as I know some good Archers have used) or a duck for a flight which lasts but one shoot, there is no feather but only of a goose that hath all commodities in it. And truely at a short but, which some man doth use, the Peacock feather doth seldom keep up the shaft either right or level, it is so rough and heavy, so that many men which have taken them up for gayenesse, hath laid them down again for profit, thus for our purpose, the Goose is best feather, for the best shooter.  PHI. 
No that is not so, for the best shooter that ever was used other feathers.  TOX. 
Ye are you so cunning in shooting I pray you who was that.  PHI. 
Hercules which had his shafts feathered with eagles feathers as Hefiodus doth say. 
Heslod. in Scuto. Her.   TOX. 
Well as for Hercules, saying neither water nor land, heaven nor hell, could scarce content him to abide in, it was no marvel though a silly poor goose feather could not please him to shoot withal, and again as for Eagles they fly so high and build so far of, that they be very hard to come by. 
3 Goose.  Yet welfare the gentle goose which bringeth to a man even to his door so many exceeding commodities. For the goose is man's comfort in war & in peace sleeping and waking. What praise so ever is given to shooting the goose may challenge the best part in it. How well doth she make a man far at his table. How easily doth she make a man lie in his bed? How fit even as her feathers be only for shooting, so be her quills fit only for writing  PHILO. 
In dead Toxophyle that is the best praise you gave to a goose yet, and surely I would have said you had been to blame if you had overskypte it.  TOX. 
The Romans I trow philolog not so much because a goose with trying saved their Capitolium and head tour with their golden jupiter as Propertius doth say very prettily in this verse.  

Anseris & tutum voce fuisse iovem. Id est. 
Propertius   
thieves on a night had stolen jupiter, had a goose not a 〈…〉.   
Did make a golden goose and set her in the top of the Capitolium, 
〈…〉  & appointed also the Censores to allow out of the common butche yearly stipedes for the finding of certain Geese, the Romans did not I say give all this honour to a goose for the good deed only, but for other infinite more which come daily to a man by Geese, and surely if I should declaim in the praise of any manner of be●st living, I would choose a goose, But the goose hath made us flee to far from our matter. Now sir ye have heard how a feather must be had, and that a goose feather only. It followeth of a young goose and an old, and the residue benlonging to a feather: which thing I will shortly coarse over: whereof, when you know the properties, you may fit your shafts according to your shooting, which rule you must observe in all other things too, because no one fashion or quantity can be fit for every man, no more then a shoe or a cote can be. The old goose feather is stiff and strong, good for a wind, and fittest for a deed shaft: the young goose feather is weak and fine, best for a swift shaft, and it must be couled at the first shering, somewhat high, for with shooting, it will sattle and fall very moche. The same thing (although not so much) is to be considered in a goose and a gander. A fenny goose, even as her flesh is blacker, stoorer, unholsomer, so is her feather for the same cause courser stoorer & rougher, & therefore I have heard very good fletchers say, that the second feather in some place is better than the pimon in other some. Betwixt the wings is little difference but that you must have diverse shafts of one flight, feathered with diverse wings, for diverse winds: for if the wind and the feather go both one way the shaft will be carried to much. The pinion feather as it hath the first place in the wing, so it hath the first place in good fetheringe. You may know it afore it be pared, by a bought which is in it, and again when it is cold, by the thinness above, and the thickness at the ground, and also by the stiffness and finesse which will carry a shaft better, faster and further, even as a fine sail cloth doth a ship.  
The colour of the feather is lest to be regarded, yet some what to be looked on: lest for a good white you have sometime an ill grey. Yet surely it standeth with good reason to have the cock feather black or grey, as it were to give a man warning to neck right. The cock feather is called that which standeth above in right nocking, which if you do not observe the other feathers must needs run on the bow, and so mar your shoot. And thus far of the goodness and choice of your feather: now followeth the setting on. Wherein you must look that your feathers be not drawn for hastiness, but pared even and straight with diligence. The fletcher draweth a feather when he hath but one swap at it with his knife, and then plaineth it a little, with rubbing it over his knife. He pareth it when he taketh leisure and heed to make every part of the ryb apt to stand straight, and even on upon the steel. This thing if a man take not heed on, he may chance have cause to say so of his fletcher, as in dressing of meat is commonly spoken of Cooks: and that is, that God sendeth us good feathers, but the devil noughty fletcher's. If any fletchers heard me say thus, they would not be angry with me, except they were ill fletchers: and yet by reason, those fletchers too, ought rather to amend themselves for doing ill, then be angry with me for saying truth. The rib in a stiff feather may be thinner, for so it will stand cleaner on: but in a weak feather you must leave a thicker rib, or else if the rib which is the foundation and ground, where in nature hath set every cleft of the feather, be taken to near the feather, it must needs follow, that the feather shall fall, & droop down, even as any herb doth which hath his root to near taken on with a spade. The length and shortness of the feather, serveth for divers shafts, as a long feather for a long heavy, or big shaft, the short feather for the contrary. Again the short may stand farther, the long nearer the neck. Your feather must stand almost straight on, but yet after that sort, that it may turn round in flying. And here I consider the wonderful nature of shooting, which standeth all together by that fashion, which is most apt for quick moving, and that is by roundness. For first the bow must be gathered round, in drawing it must come round compass, the string must be round the steel round, the best neck round, the feather shorn somewhat round, the shaft in slyenge, must turn round, and if it fly far, it flieth a round compass. For either above or beneath a round compace, hindereth the flying. Moreover both the fletcher in making your shaft, and you in nocking your shaft, must take heed that two feathers equally run on the bow. For if one feather run alone on the bow, it shall quickly be worn, and shall not be able to match with the other feathers, and again at the louse, if the shaft be light, it will start, if it be heavy, it will honorable. And thus as concerning setting on of your feather. Now of couling.  
To she●e a shaft high or low, must be as the shaft is, heavy or light, great or little, long or short The swine backed fashion, maketh the shaft deader, for it gathereth more air than the saddle backed, & therefore the saddle back is surer for danger of wether, & fit for smooth fliing. Again to shear a shaft round, as they were wont sometime to do, or after the triangle fashion, which is much used now a days, both be good. For roundness is apt for flying of his own nature, and all manner of triangle fashion, (the sharp point going before) is also naturally apt for quick entering, 
De nat. 〈…〉.  and therefore saith Cicero, that crane's taught by nature, observe in flying a triangle fashion always, because it is so apt to pierce and go thorough the air withal. last of all plucking of feathers is nought, for there is no surety in it, therefore let every archer have such shafts, that he may both know them and trust them at every change of wether. Yet if they must needs be plucked, pluck them as little as can be, for so shall they be the less unconstant. And thus I have knit up in as short a room as I could, the best feathers fetheringe and coulinge of a shaft.  PHI. 
I think surely you have so taken up the matter with you, that you have left nothing behind you. Now you have brought a shaft to the head, which if it were on, we had done as concerning all instruments belonging to shooting.  TOX. 
Necessity, the inventor of all goodness (as all authors in a manner, do say) amongs all other things invented a shaft heed, first to save the end from breaking, than it made it sharp to stick better, after it made it of strong matter, to last better: Last of all experience and wisdom of men, hath brought it to such a perfitness, that there is no one thing so profitable, belonging to artillery, either to strike a man's enemy sorer in war, or to shoot nearer the mark at home, then is a fit heed for both purposes. For if a shaft lack a heed, it is worth nothing for neither use. Therefore seeing heeds be so necessary, they must of necessity, be well looked upon Heeds for war, of long time have been made, not only of divers matters, but also of divers fashions The Troyans' had heeds of iron, as this verse spoken of Pandarus, showeth:  
Up to the pap his string did he pull, 
Illado ●. 4.  his shaft to the hard iron  
The Grecians had heeds of brass, as Ulysses shafts were heeded, when he slew Antinous, and the other wowers of Penolepe.  
Quite through a door, 
Odysse. 21.  flew a shaft with a brass heed.  
It is plain in Homer, where Menelaus was wounded of Pandarus shaft, the the heads were not glued on, 
Iliados. 4.  but tied on with a string, as the commentartes in Greek plainly tell. And therefore shooters at that time to carry their shafts without heeds, until they occupied them, and than set on an head as it appeareth in Homer the. xxi. book Odyssei, where Penelope brought Ulixes bow down amongs the gentlemen, which came on wowing to her, that he which was able to bend it and draw it, might enjoy her, and after her followed a maid saith Homer, 
Odysse. 21.  carienge a bag full of heads, both of iron and brass.  
The men of Scythia, used heads of brass. The men of Ind used heads of iron The Ethiopians used heads of a hard sharp stone, 
Hero 〈…〉 Polym  as both Herodotus and Pollux do tell. The Germans as Cornelius Tacitus doth say, had their shafts headed with bone, and many countries both of old time and now, use heads of horn, but of all other iron and style must needs be the fittest for heads.  
julius Pollux calleth otherwise than we do, where the feathers be the head, 
I. Pol. ●: 1●.  and that which we call the head, he calleth the point.  
Fashion of heads is divers and that of old time: two manner of arrow heads sayeth Pollux, was used in old time. The one he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, describing it thus, having two points or barbs, looking backward to the steel and the feathers, which surely we call in English a broad arrow head or a swallow tail. The other he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, having two. points stretching forward, and this English men do call a forkehead: both these two kinds of heads, were used in Homer's days, for Teucer used forked heads, saying thus to Agamemnon.  
eight good shafts have I shot sith I came, 
Illa●. ●.  each one with ● fork head.  
Pandarus heads and Ulysses heads were brood arrow heads, as a man may learn in Homer that would be curious in knowing that matter. Hercules used forked heads, but yet they had three points or forks, when other men's had but two. 
●intarchus in Cr●●o.  The Parthians at that great battle where they slew rich Crassus and his son used broad Arrow heads, which stack so sore that the Romans could not paul them out again. Commod●s the Emperor used forked heads, 
D●●odia. 1.  whose fashion Herodiane doth lively and naturally describe, saving that they were like the shap of a new moan wherewith he would smite of the head of a bird and never miss, other fashion of heads have not I red on. Our english heads be better in war than either forked heads, or broad arrow heads. For first the end being lighter they flee a great deal the faster, and by the same reason giveth a far sorer stripe. Yea & I suppose if the same little barbs which they have, were clean put away, they should be far better. For this every man doth grant, that a shaft as long as it flieth, turns, and when it leaveth turning it leaveth going any farther. And every thing that enters by a turning and boring fashion, the more flatter it is, the worse it enters, as a knife though it be sharp yet because of the edges, will not bore so well as a bodkin, for every round thing enters best & therefore nature, sayeth Aristotle, made the rain drops round for quick piercing the air,  
Thus, either shafts turn not in flying, or else our flat arrow heads stop the shaft in entering.  PHI. 
But yet Toxophile to hold your communication a little I suppose the ●lat head is better, both because it maketh a greater hole, and also because it sticks faster in.  TOX. 
These two reasons as they be both true, so they be both nought. For first the less hole, if it be deep, is the worse to heal again: when a man shooteth at his enemy, he desireth rather that it should enter far, than stick fast. For what remedy is it I pray you for him which is smitten with a deep wound to pole out the shaft quickly, except it be to haste his death speedily? thus heads which make a little hole & deep, be vetter in war, than those which make a great hole and stick fast in.  
julius Pollux maketh mention of certain kinds of heads for war which bear fire in them, 
Posl●●. 7. Psal. 7.  and scripture also speaketh somewhat of the same. 
He●o Uran  Herodotus doth tell a wonderful policy to be done by xerxes what time he besieged the great tour in Athenes: He made his Archers bind there shaft heads about with tow, and than set it on fire and shoot them, which thing done by many Archers set all the places on fire, which were of matter to burn: and besides that dazed the men within, so that they knew not whither to turn them. But to make an end of all heads for war I would wish that the head makers of England should make their sheaf arrow heads more harder pointed than they be: for I myself have seen of late such heads set upon sheaf Arrows, as the officers if they had seen them would not have been content with all.  
Now as concerning heads for pricking, which is our purpose, there be diverse kinds, some be blonte heads, some sharp, some both blonte and sharp. The blunt heads men use because they perceive them to be good, to keep a length with all, they keep a good length, because a man poulethe them no ferder at one time than at another. For in feeling the plompe end always equally he may louse them. Yet in a wind, and against the wind the wether hath so much power on the broad end, that no man can keep no sure length, with such a head. Therefore a blunt heed in a calm or down a wind is very good, otherwise none worse.  
Sharp heads at the end without any shoulders (I call that the shoulder in a head which a man's finger shall feel afore it come to the point) will perch quickly through a wind, but yet it hath ii discommodities, the one that it will keep no length, it keepeth no length, because no man can paul it certainly as far one time as at an other: it is not drawn certainly so far one time as at an other, because it lacketh shouldering wherewith as with a sure token a man might be warned when to louse, and also because men are afraid of the sharp point for setting it in the bow. The second in commodity is when it is lighted on the ground, the small point shall at every time be in jeopardy of hurrying, which thing of all other will sons make the shaft lose the length. Now when blonte heads be good to keep a length withal, yet nought for a wind, sharp heads good to perch the wether with all, yet nought for a length, certain head makers dwelling in London perceiving the commodity of both kind of heads joined with a discommodity, invented new files and other instruments where with he brought heads for pricking to such a perfitness, that all the commodities of the two other heads should be put in one head with out any discommodity at all. They made a certain kind of heads which men call high rigged, creased, or shouldered heads, or silver spoon heads, for a certain likeness that such heads have with the knob end of some silver spoons.  
These heads be good both to keep a length withal and also to perch a wind withal, to keep a length withal because a man may certainly paul it to the shouldering every shoot & no farther, to perch a wind withal because the point from the shoulder forward, breaketh the wether as all other sharp things do. So the blonte shoulder serveth for a sure length keeping, the point also is everfit, for a rough and great wether piercing. And thus much as shortly as I could, as concerning heads both for war & peace  PHI. 
But is there no cunning as con cerning setting on of the head?  TOX. 
Well remembered But that point belongeth to fletchers, yet you may desire him to set your head, full on, and close on. Full on is when the wood is bet hard up to the end or stopping of the head, close on, is when there is left wood on every side the shaft, enough to fill the head withal, or when it is neither too little nor yet to great. If there be any fault in any of these points, the head when it lighteth on any hard stone or ground will be in jeopardy, either of breaking, or else otherwise hurting. Stopping of heads either with lead, or any thing else, shall not need now, because every silver spoon, or showldred head is stopped of itself. Short heads be better than long: For first the long head is worse for the maker to file straight compass every way: again it is worse for the fletcher to set straight on: thirdly it is always in more jeopardy of breaking, when it is on. And now I trow philolog, we have done as concerning all Instruments belonging to shooting, which every sear archer ought, to provide for himself. And there remaineth ii things behind, which be general or common to every man the Weather & the Bark, but because they be so knit with shooting straight, or keeping of a length, I will defer them to that place, and now we will come (God willing) to handle our instruments, the thing that every man desireth to do well.  PHI. 
If you can teach me so well to handle these instruments as you have described them, I suppose I shallbe an archer good enough.  TOX. 
To learn any thing (as you know better than I philolog) & specially to do a thing with a man's hands, must be done if a man would be excellent, in his youth. Young trees in gardens, which lack all senses, and beasts without reason, when they be young, may with handling and teaching, be brought to wonderful things.  
And this is not only true in natural things, but in artificial things to, as the potter most cunningly doth cast his pots when his clay is soft & workable, and wax taketh print when it is warm, & leathie week, not when clay and wax be hard and old: and even so, every man in his youth, both with wit and body is most apt and pliable to receive any cunning that should be taught him.  
This communication of teaching youth, maketh me to remember the right worshipful and my singular good master, Sir Humphrey Wingfelde, to who● next God, I ought to refer for his manifold benefits bestowed on me, the poor talon of learning, which god hath lent me: & For his sake do I own my service to all other of the name & noble house of the Wyngfeldes, both in word and deed. This worshipful man hath ever loved and used, to have many children brought up in learning in his house amongs whom I myself was one. For whom at term times he would bring down from London both bow and shafts. And when they should play he would go with them himself in to the field, & see them shoot, and he that shot fairest, should have the best bow and shafts, and he that shot ilfavouredlye, should be mocked of his fellows, till he shot better.  
Would to god all England had used or would use to lay the foundation of youth, after the example of this worshipful man in bringing up children in the Book and the Bow: by which two things, the hole common wealth both in peace and war is chiefly ruled and defended withal.  
But to our purpose, he that must come to this high perfectness in shooting which we speak of, must needs begin to learn it in his youth, the omitting of which thing in England, both maketh fewer shooters, and also every man that is a shooter, shoot wars than he might, if he were taught.  PHI. 
Even as I know that this is true, which you say, even so Toxophile, have you quite discouraged me, and drawn my mind clean from shooting, seeing by this reason, no man that hath not used it in his youth can be excellent in it. And I suppose the same reason would discourage many other more, if they heard you talk after this sort.  TOX. 
This thing philolog, shall discourage no man that is wise. For I will prove that wisdom may work the same thing in a man, that nature doth in a child.  
A child by three things, is brought to excellency. By Aptness, Desire, and Fear: Aptness maketh him pliable like wax to be form and fashioned, even as a man would have him. Desire to be as good or better, than his fellows: and Fear of them whom he is under, will cause him take great labour and pain with diligent heed, in learning any thing, whereof proceedeth at the last excellency and perfectness.  
A man may by wisdom in learning any thing, and specially to shoot, have three like commodities also, whereby he may, as it were become young again, and so attain to excellency. For as a child is apt by natural youth, so a man by using at the first weak bows, far underneath his strength, shall be as pliable and ready to be taught fair shooting as any child: and daily use of the same, shall both keep him in fair shooting, and also at the last bring him to strong shooting.  
And in stead of the fervent desire, which provoketh a child to be better than his fellow, let a man be as much stirred up with shamefastness to be worse than all other. And the same place that fear hath in a child, to compel him to take pain, the same hath love of shooting in a man, to cause him forsake no labour, without which no man nor child can be excellent. And thus whatsoever a child may be taught by Aptness, Desire, & Fear, the same thing in shooting, may a man be taught by weak bows, Shamefastness and love.  
And hereby you may see that that is true which Cicero sayeth, that a man by use, may be brought to a new nature. And this I dare be bold to say, that any man which will wisely begin, and constantly persever in this trade of learning to shoot, shall attain to perfectness therein.  PHI. 
This communication Toxophile, doth please me very well, and now I perceive that most generally & chiefly youth must be taught to shoot, and secondarily no man is debarred therefrom except it be more through his own negligence for because he will not learn, than any disability, because he can not learn.  
Therefore seeing I will be glad to follow your counsel in choosing my bow and other instruments, and also am ashamed that I can shoot no better than I can, moreover having such a love toward shooting by your good reasons to day, that I will forsake no labour in the exercise of the same, I beseech you imagine that we had both bow and shafts here, and teach me how I should handle them, and one thing I desire you, make me as fair an Archer as you can.  
For this I am sure in learning all other matters, nothing is brought to the most profitable use, which is not handled after the most comely fashion. As masters of fence have no stroke fit either to it an other or else to defend himself, which is not joined with a wonderful comeliness. A Cook can not chop his herbs neither quickly nor handsomely except he keep such a measure with his chopping knives as would delight a man both to see him and hear him.  
Every hand craft man that works best for his own profit, works most seemly to other men's sight. Again in building a house, in making a ship, every part the more handsomely, they be joined for profit and last, the more comely they be fashioned to every man's sight and eye. Nature itself taught men to join always welfavourednesse with profytablenesse. As in man, that joint or piece which is by any chance deprived of his comeliness the same is also debarred of his use and profytablenesse.  
As he that is goggle eyed and looks a squint hath both his countenance clean marred, and his sight sore blemmyshed, and so in all other members like. Moreover what time of the year bringeth most profit with it for man's use, the same also covereth and dekketh both earth and trees with most cunlynesse for man's pleasure. And that time which taketh away the pleasure of the ground, carrieth with him also the profit of the ground, as every man by experience knoweth in hard and rough winters. Some things there be which have no other end, but only comeliness, as painting, and Dancing. And virtue itself is nothing eyes but comeliness, as all Philosophers do agree in opinion, therefore saying that which is best do●e in any matters, is always most comely done as both Plato and Cicero in many places do prove, and daily experience doth teach in other things, I proye you as I said before teatche me to shoot as f●yre, and well-fevouredly as you can imagen.  TOX. 
truely philolog as you prove very well in other matters, the best shooting, is always the most comely shooting but this you know as well as I that Crassus showeth in Cicero that as comeliness is the chief point, & most to be sought for in all things, so comeliness only, can never be taught by any Art or craft. But may be perceived well when it is done, not described well how it should be done.  
Yet nevertheless to come to it there be many way which ways men have assayed in other matters, as if a man would follow in learning to shoot fair, the noble painter Zeuxes in painting Helena, which to make his Image beautiful did chose out .v. of the fairest maids in all the country about, and in beholding them conceived & drew out such an Image that it far exceeded all other, because the comeliness of them all was brought in to one most perfit comeliness: So likewise in shooting if a man, would set before his eyes .v. or vi of the fayreste Archers that ever he saw shoot, and of one learue to stand, of another to draw, of an other tolowse, and so take of every man, what every man could do best, I dare say he should come to such a comeliness as never man came to yet. As for an example, if the most comely point in shooting that Hew Prophet the Kings servant hath and as my friends Thomas and Ralph Cantrell doth use with the most seemly fations that iii or iiii. excellent Archers have beside, were all joined in one, I am sure all men would wonder at the excellency of it. And this is one way to learn to shoot fair.  PHI. 
This is very well truly, but I pray you teach me somewhat of shooting fair yourself.  TOX. 
I can teach you to shoot fair, even as So trates taught a man once to know God, for when he axed him what was God: nay sayeth he I can tell you better what God is not, as God is not ill, God is unspeakable, unsearchable and so forth: Even likewise can I say of fair shooting, it hath not this discommodite with it nor that discommodity, and at last a man may so shift all the discommodities from shooting that there shall be left no thing behind but fair shooting. And to do this the better you must remember how that I told you when I describe generally the hole nature of shooting that fair shooting came of these things, of standing, nocking, drawing, hewlding and lousing, the which I will go over as shortly as I can, describing the discommodities that men commonly use in all parts of their bodies, that you if you fault in any such may know it & so go about to am end it. Faults in Archers do exceed the number of Archers, which come with use of shooting without teaching. Use and custom separated from knowledge and learning, doth not only hurt shooting, but the most weighty things in the world beside: And therefore I marvel moche at those people which be the mayneteners of uses with out knowledge having no other word in their mouth but this use, use, custom, custom. Such men more wilful than wise, beside other discommo ties, take all place and occasion from all amendment. And this I speak generally of use and custom.  
Which thing if a learned man had it in hand that would apply it to any one matter, he might handle it wonderfully. But as for shooting, use is the only cause of all faults in it and therefore children more easily and sooner may be taught to shoot excellently then men, because children may be taught to shoot well at the first, men have more pain to unlearn their ill uses, than they have labour afterward to come to good shooting.  
All the discommodities which ill custom hath graffed in archers, can neither be quickly poulled out, nor yet soon reckoned of me, they be so many.  
Some shooteth, his head forward as though he would bite the mark: an other stareth with his eyes, as though they should fly out: An other winketh with one eye, and looketh with the other: Some make a face with writhing their mouth and countenance so, as though they were doing you wot what: An other blereth out his tongue: An other biteth his lips: An other holdeth his neck a wry. In drawing some fet such a compass, as though they would turn about, and bliss all the field: Other heave their hand now up now down, that a man can not decern whereat they would shoot, an other waggeth the upper end of his bow one way, the neither end an other way. An other will stand pointing his shaft at the mark a good while and by and by he wyli give him a whip, and away or a man wit. An other maketh such a wrestling with his gear, as though he were able to shoot no more as long as he lined. An other draweth foftly to the mids, and by and by it is gone, you can not know how.  
An other draweth his shaft low at the breast, as though he would shoot at a roving mark, and by and by he lifteth his arm up prick height. An other maketh a wrynchinge with his back, as though a man pinched him behind.  
An other coureth down, and layeth out his buttocks, as though he should shoot at crows.  
An other setteth forward his left leg, and draweth back with head and shoulders, as thou ghe he pouled at a rope, or else were afraid of the mark. An other draweth his shaft well, until within ii fingers of the head, and than he stayeth a little, to look at his mark, and that done, pouleth it up to the head, and looseth: which way although sum excellent shooters do use, yet surely it is a fault, and good men's faults are not to be followed.  
sum men draw to far, sum to short, sum to slwolye, sum to quickly, sum hold over long, sum let go over soon.  
sum set their shaft on the ground, and fetcheth him upward. An other pointeth up to ward the sky, and so bringeth him downwards.  
Ones I saw a man which used a brasar on his cheek, or else he had scratched all the skin of the one side, of his face, with his drawing hand. An other I saw, which at every shoot, after the lose, lifted up his right leg so far, that he was ever in jeopardy of fauling.  
sum stamp forward, and sum leap backward. All these faults be either in the drawing, or at the lose: with many other more which you may easily perceive, and so go about to avoid them.  
Now afterward when the shaft is gone, men have many faults, which evil Custom hath brought them to, and specially in crying after the shaft, & speaking words scarce honest for such an honest pastime.  
Such words be very tokens of an ill mind, and manifest agnes of a man that is subject to immeasurable affections. Good men's ears do abhor them, and an hovest man therefore will avoid them. And besides those which must needs have their tongue thus walking, other men use other faults as some will take their bow and writhe & wrinche it, to poll in his shaft, when it flieth wide, as if he drove a cart. Some will give two or iii strydes' forward, dancing and hopping after his shaft, as long as it flieth, as though he were a mad man. Some which fear to be to far gone, run backward as it were to paul his shaft back. Another tunneth forward, when he feareth to be short, heaving after his arms, as though he would help his shaft to fly. another writhes or runneth a side, to paul in his shaft straight. One lifteth up his heel, and so holdeth his foot still, as long as his shaft flieth. An other casteth his arm backward after the louse. And an other swynges his bow about him, as it were a man with a staff to make room in a game place. And many other faults there be, which now come not to my remembrance. Thus as you have heard, many archers with marring their face and countenance, with other parts, of their body, as it were men that should dance antiques, be far from the comely port in shooting, which he that would be excellent must look for.  
Of these faults I have very many myself, but I talk not of my shooting, but of the general nature of shooting. Now imagine an Archer that is clean without all these faults & I am sure every man would be delighted to see him shoot.  
And although such a perfit comeliness can not be expressed with any precept of teaching, as Cicero and other learned men do say, yet I will speak (according to my little knowledge) that thing in it, which if you follow, although you shall not be without fault, yet your fault shall neither quickly be perceived, nor yet greatly rebuked of them that stand by. Standing, nocking, drawing, holding, lousing, done as they should be done, make fair shooting.  
The first point is when a man should shoot, 
Standing.  to take such footing and standing as shall be both comely to the eye and profitable to his use, setting his countenance and all the other parts of his body after such a behaviour and port, that both all his strength may be employed to his own most advantage, and his shoot made and handled to other men's pleasure and delight. A man must not go to hastily to it, for that is rashness, nor yet make to much to do about it, for that is curiosit●e, the one foot must not stand to far fro the other, lest he stoop to much which is unseemly, nor yet to near together, lest he stand to straight up, for so a man shall neither use his strength well, nor yet stand steadfastly.  
The mean betwixt both must be kept, a thing more pleasant to behold when it is done, than rasie to be taught how it should be done.  
To neck well is the easiest point of all, 
Nochyn●●  and there in is no cunning, but only diligent heed giving, to set his shaft neither to high nor to low, but even straight overthwart his bow, Unconstaute nocking maketh a man lose his length.  
And besides that, if the shaft hand be high and the bow hand low, or contrary, both the bow is in jeopardy of breaking, and the shaft, if it be little, will start: if it be great it will hobble. Nocke the cock feather upward always as I told you when I described the feather. And be sure always that your string slip not out of the neck, for than all is in ●eopardye of breaking.  
Drawing 
Drawing.  well is the best part of shooting. Men in old time used other manner of drawing than we do. They used to draw low at the breast, to the right pap and no farther, and this to be true is plain in Homer, where he describeth Pandarus shooting. 
〈…〉   
Up to the pap his string did he pull, his shaft to the hard heed.  
The noble women of Scythia used the same fashion of shooting low at the breast, and because their left pap hindered their shooting at the louse they cut it of when they were young, and therefore be they called in lacking their pap amazons. Now a days contrary wise we draw to the right ear and not to the pap. Whether the old way in drawing low to the pap, 
〈…〉  or the new way to draw a fit to the ear be better, an excellent writer in Greek called Procopius doth say his mind, showing that the old fashion in drawing to the pap was nought, of no pith, and therefore saith Procopius: is Artylla ●ye dispraised in Homer which calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Weak and able to do no good. Drawing to the ear he praiseth greatly, whereby men shoot both stronger and longer: drawing therefore to the ear is better than to draw at the breast. And one thing cometh into my remembrance now philolog when I speak of drawing, that I never red of other kind of shooting, than drawing with a man's hand either to the breast or ear: This thing have I sought for in Homer Herodotus and Plutarch, and therefore I marvel how crossbows 
Crossbows.  came first up, of the which I am sure a man shall find little mention made on in any good Author. Leo the Emperor would have his soldiers draw quickly in war, for that maketh a shaft fly a pace. In shooting at the pricks, hasty and quick drawing is neither sure nor yet comely. Therefore to draw easily and uniformly, that is for to say not wagging your hand, now upward, now down ward, but always after one fashion until you come to the rig or shouldering of the head, is best both for profit & seemliness. Holding 
Holding.  must not be long, for it both putteth a bow in jeopardy, & also marreth a man's shoot, it must be so little that it may be perceived better in a man's mind when it is done, than seen with a man's eyes when it is in doing.  
Lousing 
Lousing.  must be much like. So quick and hard that it ●e with out all girds, so soft and gentle that the shaft fly not as it were sent out of a bow case. The mean betwixt both, which is perfyts lousing is not so hard to be followed inshooting as it is to be describe in teaching. For clean lousing you must take heed of hytting any thing a bout you. And for the same purpose Leo the Emperor would have all Archers in war to have both their heads pouled, and there beards shaven lest the hear of their heads should stop the sight of the eye, the here of their beards hinder the course of the string.  
And these precepts I am sure philolog if you follow in standing, nocking, drawing, holding, and lousing, shall bring you at the last to excellent fair shooting.  PHI. 
All these things Toxohile although I both now perceive them thoroughly, and also will remember them diligently: yet to morrow or some other day when you have leisure we will go to the pricks, and put them by little and little in experience. For teaching not followed, doth even as much good as books never looked upon. But now seeing you have taught me to shoot fair, I pray you tell me somewhat, how I should shoot near lest that proverb might be said justly of me sometime. He shoots like a gentle man fair & far of.  TOX. 
He that can shoot fair, lacketh nothing but shooting straight and keeping of a length where of cometh hytting of the mark, the end both of shooting and also of this our communication. The handling of that wether & the mark because they belong to shooting straight, and keeping of a length, I will join them together, shewing what things belong to keeping of a length, and what to shooting straight.  
The greatest enemy of shooting is the wind and the wether, 
wind ●nd wether.  whereby true keeping a length is chiefly hindered. If this thing were not, men by teaching might be brought to wonderful near shooting. It is no marvel if the little poor shaft being sent alone, so high in to the air, into a great rage of wether, one wind tossing it that way, an other this way, it is no marvel I say, though it lose the length, and miss that place, where the shooter had thought to have found it. Greater matters than sho ting are under the rule and will of the wether, as sailing on the sea. And likewise as in sailing, the ●he chief point of a good master, is to know the tokens of change of wether, the course of the winds, that thereby he may the better come to the Haven: even so the best property of a good shooter, is to know the nature of the winds, with him and against him, that thereby he may the nearer shoot at his mark. wise masters when they can not win the best haven, they are glad of the next: Good shooters also, that can not when they would hit the mark, will labour to come as nigh as they can. All things in this world be unperfit and unconstant, therefore let every man acknowledge his own weakness, in all matters great and small, weyght●ye and merry, and glorify him, in whom only profit perfitness is. But now sir, he that will at all adventures use the seas knowing no more what is to be done in a tempest than in a calm, shall soon becumme a merchant of Eel skins: so that shooter which putteth no difference, but shooteth in all like, in rough wether and fair, shall always put his wynninges in his eyes.  
Ly●le boats and thin boards, can not endure the rage of a tempest. Weak bows, & light shafts can not stand in a rough wind. And like wise as a blind man which should go to a place where he had never been afore, that hath but one straight way to it, and of either side hooles and pits to fall into, now falleth in to this hole and than into that hole, and never cometh to his journey end, but wandereth always here and there, farther and farther of: So that archer which ignorantly shooteth considering neither fair nor foul, standing nor nocking, feather nor head, drawing nor lousing, nor yet any compass, shall always shoot short and gone, wide and far of, and never cumme near, except perchance he stumble sometime on the mark For ignorance is nothing else but mere blindness.  
A master of a ship first learneth to know the cum ming of a tempest, the nature of it, and how to behave himself in it, either with changing his course, or poulling down his high tops and broad sails, being glad to eschew as much of the wether as he can: Even so a good archer will first with diligent use and marking the wether, learn to know the nature of the wind, and with wisdom, will measure in his mind, how much it will alter his shoot, either in length keeping, or else in straight shooting, and so with changing his standing, or taking an other shaft, the which he knoweth perfectly to be fit for his purpose, either because it is lower feathered, or else because it is of a better wing, will so handle with discretion his shoot, that he shall seem rather to have the wether under his rule, by good heed giving, than the wether to rule his shaft by any sudden changing.  
Therefore in shooting there is as much difference betwixt an archer that is a good wether man, and an other that knoweth and marketh nothing, as is betwixt a blind man, and he that can se.  
Thus, as concerning the wether, a perfit archer must first learn to know the sure flight of his shafts, that he may be bold always, to trust them, than must he learn by daily experience all manner of kinds of wether, the tokens of it, when it will cumme, the nature of it when it is cumme, the diversity and altering of it, when it changeth, the decrease & diminishing of it, when it ceaseth. Thirdly these things known, and every shoot diligently marked, than must a man compare always, the wether and his footing together, and with discretion measure them so, that what so ever the rough wether shall take away from his shoot the same shall lust footing restore again to his shoot.  
This thing well known, and discretely handled in shooting, bringeth more profit and commendation and praise to an Archer, than any other thing besides.  
He that would know perfectly the wind and wether, must put differences betwixt times. For diversity of time causeth diversity of wether, as in the whole year, Spring time, Summer, fall of the leaf, and Winter: Likewise in one day Morning, Noonetyme, After noon, and Euentyde, both altar the wether, and change a mā●es bow with the strength of man also. And to know that this is so, is enough for a shooter & artillery, and not to search the cause, why it should be so: which belongeth to a learned man and Philosophy.  
In considering the time of the year, a wise Archer will follow a good Shipman. In Winter & rough wether, small boots and little pinks forsake the seas: And at one time of the year, no Galleys come abroad: So likewise weak Archers, using small and hollow shafts, with bows of little pith, must be content to give place for a time.  
And this I do not say, either to discommend or discourage any weak shooter: For likewise, as there is no ship better than Galleys be, in a soft and a calm sea, so no man shooteth cumlier or nearer his mark, than some weak archers do, in a fair and clear day.  
Thus every archer must know, not only what bow and shaft is fittest for him to shoot withal, but also what time & season is best for him to shoot in. And surely, in all other matters to, among all degrees of men, there is no man which doth any thing either more discreetly for his commendation, or yet more profitable for his advantage, than he which will know perfectly for what matter and for what time he is most apt and fit. If men would go about matters which they should do and be fit for, not such things which wilfully they desire & yet be unfit for, verily greater matters in the common wealth than shooting should be in better case than they be. This ignorancy in men which know not for what time, and to what thing they be fit, causeth some wish to be rich, for whom it were better a great deal to be poor: other to be meddling in every man's matter, for whom it were more honesty to be quiet and still. Some to desire to be in the Court, which be borne and be fit rather for the cart. Somme to be masters and rule other, which never yet began to rule themself: some always to jangle and talk, which rather should hear and keep silence. Some to teach, which rather should learn. Some to be priests, which were fy●ter to be clerks. And this perverse judgement of the world, when men measure themself a miss, bringeth much misorder and great unsemelynesse to the hole body of the common wealth, as if a man should were his hose upon his head, or a woman go with a sword and a buckler every man would take it as a great uncumlynesse although it be but a trifle in respect of the other.  
This perverse judgement of men hindereth no thing so much as learuing, because commonly those which be unfittest for learning, be chiefly set to learning.  
As if a man now a days have two sons, the one impotent, week, sickly, lisping, stutting, and stamering, or having any misshape in his body: what doth the father of such one commonly say? This boy is fit for nothing else, but to set to learning and make a priest of, as who would say, the outcasts of the world, having neither countenance tongue nor wit (for of a perverse body cometh commonly a perverse mind) be good enough to make those men of, which shall be appointed to preach Gods holy word, and minister his blessed sacraments, besides other most weighty matters in the common wealth put oft times, and worthily to learned men's discretion and charge: when rather such an office so high in dignity, so godly in administration, should be committed to no man, which should not have a countenance full of comeliness to allure good men, a body full of manly authority to fear ill men, a wit apt for all learning with tongue and voice, able to persuade all men. And although few such men as these can be found in a common wealth, yet surely a godly does posed man, will both in his mind think fit, and with all his study labour to get such men as I speak of, or rather better, if better can be gotten for such an high administration, which is most properly appointed to gods own matters and businesses.  
This perverse judgement of fathers as concerning the fitness and unfitness of their children causeth the common wealth have many unfit ministers: And seeing that ministers be, as a man would say, instruments wherewith the common wealth doth work all her matters withal, I marvel bow it chaunteth that a poor shoemaker hath so much wit, that he will prepare no instrument for his science neither knife nor awl, nor nothing else which is not very fit for him: the common wealth can be content to take at a fond father's hand, the rifraff of the world, to make those instruments of, wherewithal she should work the highest matters under heaven. And surely an awl of lead is not so unprofitable in a shoemakers shop, as an unfit minister, made of gross metal, is unseemly in the common wealth. Fathers in old time among the noble Persians might not do with their children as they thought good, but as the judgement of the common wealth always thought best. This fault of fathers bringeth many a blot with it, to the great deformity of the common wealth: & here surely I can praise gentlewomen which have always at hand their glasses, to see if any thing be amiss, & so will amend it, yet the common wealth having the glass of knowledge in every man's hand, doth see such uncumlines in it: & yet winketh at it. This fault & many such like, might be soon wiped away, if fathers would bestow their children on the thing always, whereunto nature hath ordained them most apt & fit. For if youth be grafted straight, & not awry, the hole common wealth will flourish thereafter. When this is done, than must every man begin to be more ready to amend himself, than to check an other, measuring their matters with that wise proverb of Apollo, Know thyself: that is tosaye, learn to know what thou art able, fit, and apt unto, and follow that.  
This thing should be both cuml●e to the common wealth, and most profitable for every one, as doth appear very well in all wise men's deeds, & specially to turn to our communication again in shooting, where wise archers have always their instruments fit for their strength, & wait evermore such time and wether, as is most agreeable to their gear. Therefore if the wether be to sore, and unfit for your shooting, leave of for that day, and wait a better season. For he is a fool that will not go, whom necessity driveth.  PHI. 
This communication of yours pleased me so well Corophile, that surely I was not hasty to call you, to describe forth the wether but with all my heart would have suffered you yet to have stand longer in this matter. For these things touched of you by chance, and by the way, be far above the matter itself, by whose occasion that other were brought in.  TOX. 
weighty matters they be in deed, and fit both in an other place to be spoken: & of an other man than I am, to be handled. And because mean men must meddle with mean matters, I will go for ward in describing the wether, as concerning shooting: and as I told you before, In the hole year, Spring time, Summer, fall of the leaf, and Winter: and in one day, Morning, Noon time, After noon, and Euentyde, altereth the course of the wether, the pith of the bow, the strength of the man. And in every one of these times the wether altereth, as sometime windy, sometime calm, sometime cloudy, sometime clear, sometime ●ote, sometime could, the wind sometime mo●stye and thick, sometime dry and smooth. A little wind in a moystie day, stoppeth a shaft more than a good whisking wind in a clear day. Yea, and I have seen when there hath been no wind at all, the air so misty and thick, that both the marks have been wonderful great. And one's, when the Plague was in Cambrige, the down wind twelve score mark for the space of iii weeks, was xiii score, and an half, and into the wind, being not very great, a great deal above xiiii score.  
The wind is sometime plain up and down, which is commonly most certain, and requireth least knowledge, wherein a mean shooter with mean gear, if he can shoot home, may make best shift. A side wind trieth an archer and good gear very much. sometime it bloweth a loft, sometime hard by the ground: sometime it bloweth by blasts, & sometime it continueth all in one: sometime full side wind, sometime quarter with him and more, and likewise against him, as a man with casting up light grass, or else if he take good heed, shall sensibly learn by experience. To see the wind, with a man his eyes, it is unpossible, the nature of it is so fine, and subtle, yet this experience of the wind had I once myself, and that was in the great snow that fell four years ago: I road in the high way betwirt Topcliffe upon Small, and borrow bridge, the way being somewhat trodden afore, by way faith, ring men. The fields on both sides were plain and lay almost yard deep with snow, the night afore had been a little frost, so that the snow was hard & crusted above. That morning the sun shone brigh● and clear, the wind was whistelinge a loft, and sharp according to the time of the year. The snow in the high way lay louse and trodden with horse feet: so as the wind blewe, it took the louse snow with it, and made it so slide upon the snow in the field which was hard and crusted by reason of the frost over night, that thereby I might see very well, the hole nature of the wind as it blewe the day. And I had a great delight & pleasure to mark it, which maketh me now far better to remember it. Sometime the wind would be not past ii yards broad, and so it would carry the snow as far as I could se. another time the snow would blow over half the field at ones. Sometime the snow would tumble softly, by and by it would fly wonderful fast. And this I perceived also that the wind goeth by streams & not hole together. For I should see one stream with in a Score on me, than the space of ii score no snow would stir, but after so much quantity of ground, an other stream of snow at the same very time should be carried likewise, but not equally. For the one would stand still when the other flew a pace, and so continue sometime swiftlyer sometime slowlyer, sometimebroder, sometime narrower, as far as I could se. Nor it flew not straight, but sometime it crooked this way sometime that way, and sometime it ran round about in a compass. And sometime the snow would be life clean from the ground up in to the air, and by & by it would be all clapped to the ground as though there had been no wind at all, straightway it would rise and fly again.  
And that which was the most marvel of all, at one time ii drifts of snow flew, the one out of the West into the East, the other out of the North in to the East: And I saw ii winds by reason of the snow the one cross over the other, as it had been two high ways. And again I should here the wind blow in the air, when nothing was stirred at the ground. And when all was still where I road, not very far from me the snow should be lifted wonderfully. This experience made me more marvel at the nature of the wind, than it made me cunning in the knowledge of the wind: but yet thereby I learned perfectly that it is no marvel at all though men in a wind lease their length in shooting, seeing so many ways the wind is so variable in blowing.  
But saying that a Master of a ship, be he neue● so cunning, by the uncertainty of the wind, loseth many times both life and goods, surely it is no wonder, though a right good Archer, by the self same wind so variable in his own nature, so unsensible to our nature, lose many a shoot and game.  
The more uncertain and deceivable the wind is, the more heed must a wise Archer give to know the guiles of it.  
He that doth mistrust is seldom beguiled. For although thereby he shall not attain to that which is best, yet by these means he shall at least avoid the which is worst Beside all these kinds of winds you must ●ake heed if you see any cloud apere and gather by little and little against you, or else if a shower of rain belike to come upon you: for than both the driving of the wether and the thycking of the air increaseth the mark, when after the shower all things are contrary clear and calm, & the mark for the most part new to begin again. You must take heed also if ever you shoot where one of the marks or both stondes a little short of a high wall, for there you may be easily beguiled. If you take grass and cast it up to see how the wind stands, many times you shall suppose to shoot down the wind, when you shoot clean against the wind. And a good reason why. For the wind which cometh in deed against you, redoundeth bake again at the wall, and whyrleth back to the prick and a little farther and than turneth again, even as a vehement water doth against a rock or an high bray which example of water as it is more sensible to a man's eyes, so it is never a whit the truer than this of the wind. So that the grass cast up shall flee that way which in deed is the longer mark and deceive quickly a shooter that is not ware of it.  
This experience had I once myself at Norwytch in the chapel field within the waulles. And this way I used in shooting at those marks.  
When I was in the mid way betwixt the marks which was an open place, there I took a feather or a little light grass and so as well as I could, learned how the wind stood, that done I went to the trick as fast as I could, and according as I had found the wind when I was in the mid way, so I was fain than to be content to make the best of my shoot that I could. Even such an other experience had I in a manner at York, at the pricks, lying betwixt the castle and Ouse side. And although you smile philolog, to hear me tell mine own fondness: yet seeing you will needs have me teach you somewhat in shooting, I must needs sometime tell you of mine own experience, & the better I may do so, because Hypocrates in teaching phylike, 
Nippo. 〈…〉 morb. vulg.  useth very much the same way. Take heed also when you shoot near the sea cost, although you be ii or iii miles from the sea, for there diligent marking shall espy in the most clear day wonderful changing. The same is to be considered likewise by a river side specially if it ebb & flow, where he that taketh diligent heed of the tied & wether, shall lightly take a way all that he shooteth for. And thus of the nature of winds & wether according to my marking you have heard philolog: & hereafter you shall mark far more yourself, if you take heed. And the wether thus marked as I told you afore, you must take heed, of your standing, that thereby you may win as much as you shall lose by the wether.  PHI. 
I see well it is no marvel though a man miss many times in shooting, seeing that wether is so unconstant in blowing, but yet there is one thing which many archers use, that shall cause a man have less need to mark the wether, & that is Am giving.  TOX. 
Of giving Am, I can not tell well, what I should say. For in a strange place it taketh away all occasion of foul game, which is that only praise of it, yet by my judgement, it hidreth the knowledge of shooting, & maketh men more negligent: the which is a dispraise. Though Am be given, yet take heed, for at an other man's shoot you can not well take Am, nor at your own neither, because the wether will alter, even in a minute, & at the one mark & not at the other, & trouble your shaft in the air, when you shall perceive no wind at the ground, as I myself have seen shafts tumble a loft, in a very fair day. There may be a fault also, in drawing or lousing, and many things more, which all together, are required to keep a just length. But to go forward the next point after the marking of your wether, is the taking of your standing. And in a side wind you must stand somewhat cross in to the wind, for so shall you shoot the surer. When you have taken good footing, than must you look at your shaft, that no earth, nor weete be left upon it, for so should is lose the length. You must look at the head also, lest it have had any stripe, at the last shoot. A stripe upon a stone, many times will both mar the head, croak the shaft, and hurt the feather, whereof the lest of them all, will cause a man lease his length. For such things which chance every shoot, many archers use to have sum place made in their cote, fit for a little file, a stone, a Hunfyshskin, and a cloth to dress the shaft fit again at all needs. This must a man look to ever when he taketh up his shaft. And the head may be made to smooth, which will cause it fly to far: when your shaft is fit, than must you take your bow even in the mids or else you shall both lease your length, and put your bow in ●eopardye of breaking. Nocking just is next, which is much of the same nature. Than draw equally, louse equally, with holding your hand ever of one height to keep true compass. To look at your shaft heed at the louse, is the greatest help to keep a length that can be, which thing yet hindereth excellent shooting, because a man can not shoot straight perfectly except he look at his mark, if I should shoot at a line and not at the mark, I would always look at my shaft end, but of this thing some what afterward. Now if you mark the wether diligently, keep your standing justly, hold and nock truely, draw and louse equally, and keep your compass certainly, you shall never miss of your length.  PHI. 
Then there is nothing behind to make me it the mark but only shooting straight.  TOX. 
No truely. And first I will tell you what shifts Archers have found to shoot straight, than what is the best way to shoot straight. As the wether belongeth specially to keep a length (yet a side wind belongeth also to shoot straight) even so the nature of the prick is to shoot straight. The length or shortness of the mark is always under the rule of the wether, yet somewhat there is in the mark, worthy to be marked of an Archer. If the pricks stand of a straight plain ground they be the best to shoot at. If the mark stand on a hill side or the ground be unequal with pits & turning ways betwixt the marks, a man's eye shall think that to be straight which is crooked: The experience of this thing is seen in painting, the cause of it is known by learning.  
And it is enough for an archer to mark it and take heed of it. The chief cause why men can not shoot straight, is because they look at their shaft: and this fault cometh because a man is not taught to shoot when he is young. If he learn to shoot by himself he is afraid to pull the shaft through the bow, and therefore looketh always at his shaft: ill use confirmeth this fault as it doth many more.  
And men continue the longer in this fault because it is so good to keep a length with all, and yet to shoot straight, they have invented some ways. to espy a tree or a hill beyond the mark, or else to have sum notable thing betwixt the marks: & once I saw a good archer which did cast of his gear, & laid his quiver with it, even in the midway betwixt the pricks. some thought he did so, for safeguard of his gear: I suppose he did it, to shoot straight withal. Other men use to espy sum mark almost a bow wide of the prick, and than go about to keep himself on the hand that the prick is on, which thing how much good it doth, a man will not believe, that doth not prove it. Other & those very good archers in drawing, look at the mark until they come almost to the head, than they look at their shaft, but at the very louse, with a second sight they find their mark again. This way & all other afore of me rehearsed are but shifts & not to be followed in shooting straight. For having a man's eye alway on his mark, is the only way to shoot straightly, yea & I suppose so ready & easy a way if it be learned in youth & confirmed with use, that a man shall never miss therein. Men doubt yet in lokig at the mark what way is best whether betwixt the bow & the string, above or beneath his hand, & many ways more: yet it maketh no great matter which way a man look at his mark if it be joined with comely shooting. The diversity of men's standing and drawing causeth diverse men look at their mark diverse ways: yet they all lead a man's hand to shoot straight if nothing else stop. So that comeliness is the only judge of best looking at the mark. Some men wonder why in casting a man's eye at the mark, the hand should go straight. Surely if he considered the nature of a man's eye, he would not wonder at it: For this I am cerrayne of, that no servant to his master, no child to his father is so obedient, as every joint and piece of the body is to do what soever the eye bids. The eye is the guide, the ruler & the succourer of all the other parts. The hand, the foot & other members dare do nothing without the eye, as doth appear on the night and dark corners. The eye is the very tongue wherewith wit & reason doth speak to every part of the body, & the wit doth not so soon signify a thing by the eye, as every part is ready to follow, or rather prevent the bidding of the eye. This is plain in many things, but most evident in fence and feyghting, as I have heard men say. There every part standing in fear to have a blow, runs to the eye for help, as young children do to the mother: the foot, the hand, & all waiteth upon the eye. If the eye bid the hand either bear of, or sinite, or the foot either go forward, or backward, it doth so: And that which is most wonder of all the one man looking steadfastly at the other man's eye and not at his hand, will, even as it were, read in his eye where he purposeth to smite next, for the eye is nothing else but a certain window for wit to shoot out her heed at.  
This wonderful work of god in making all the members so obedient to the eye, is a pleasant thing to remember and look upon: therefore an Archer may be sure in learning to look at his mark when he is young, always to shoot straight. The things that hinder a man which looketh at his mark, to shoot straight, be these: A side wind, a bow either to strong, or else to weak, an ill arm, when a feather runneth on the bow to much, a big breasted shaft, for him that shooteth under hand, because it will hobble: a little breasted shaft for him that shooteth above the hand, because it mill start: a pair of winding pricks, and many other things more, which you shall mark yourself, & as ye know them, so learn to amend them. If a man would leave to look at his shaft, and learn to look at his mark, he may use this way, which a good shooter told me once that he did. Let him take his bow on the night, and shoot at ii lights, and there he shall be compelled to look always at his mark, & never at his shaft: This thing once or twice used will cause him forsake looking at his shaft. Yet let him take heed of setting his shaft in the bow.  
Thus philolog to shoot straight is the least mastery of all, if a man order himself thereafter, in his youth. And as for keeping a length, I am sure the rules which I gave you, will never deceive you, so that there shall lack nothing, either of hitting the mark always, or else very near shooting, except the fault be only in your own self, which may come ii ways, either in having a faint heart or courage, or else in suffering yourself over much to be led with affection: if a man's mind fail him, the body which is ruled by the mind, can never do his duty, if lack of courage were not, men might do more masteries than they do, as doth appear in leaping and vaulting.  
All affections and specially anger, hurteth both mind and body. The mind is blind thereby: and if the mind be blind, it can not rule the body aright. The body both blood and bone, as they say, is brought out of his right course by anger: Whereby a man lacketh his right strength, and therefore can not shoot well. If these things be avoided (where of I will speak no more, both because they belong not properly to shooting, & also you can teach me better, in them, than I you) & all the precepts which I have given you, diligently marked, no doubt ye shall shoot as well as ever man did yet, by the grace of God. This communication handled of me philolog, as I know well not perfitly, yet as I suppose truly you must take in good worth, wherein if divers things do not all together please you, thank yourself, which would have me rather fault in me●e folly, to take that thing in hand which I was not able for to perform, than by any honest shame fastness with say your request & mind, which I know well I have not satisfied. But yet I will think this labour of mine the better bestowed, if to morrow or some other day when you have leisure, you will spend as much time with me here in this same place, in entreating the question De origine anime, and the joining of it with the body, that I may know how far Plato, Aristotle, & the Stoi●cians have waded in it.  PHI. 
How you have handled this matter Toxoph. I may not well tell you myself now, but for your gentleness and good will toward learning & shooting, I will be content to show you any pleasure whensoever you will: and now the sun is down therefore if it please you, we will go home and drink in my chamber, and there I will tell you plainly what I think of this communication and also, what day we will appoint at your request for the other matter, to meet here again.  
Deo gratias.   

❧ LONDINI. ☞  
In aedibus Edovardi Whytchurch.  
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. 1545.