bygger and stronger Archers then they be. This cōmoditie shoulde folowe also yf the youth of Englande were taught to shote, that euen as plowing of a good grounde for wheate, doth not onely make it mete for the seede, but also riueth and plucketh vp by the rootes, all thistles, brambles and weedes, which growe of theyr owne accorde, to the destruction of bothe corne and grounde: Euen so shulde the teaching of youth to shote, not only make them shote well, but also plucke awaye by the rootes all other desyre to noughtye pastymes, as disynge, cardyng, and boouling, which without any teaching are vsed euery where, to the great harme of all youth of this realme. And lykewise as burnyng of thistles and diligent weding them oute of the corne, doth not halfe so moche ryd them, as whe ye ground is falloed and tilled for good grayne, as I haue hearde many a good husbandman say: euen so, neither hote punishment, nor yet diligent searching out of suche vnthriftinesse by the officers, shal so throwly wede these vngracious games out of the realme, as occupying and bringyng vp youth in shotynge, and other honest pastyme. Thirdly, as a grounde which is apt for corne and also wel tilled for corne: yet if a man let it lye stil and do not occupye it .iii. or .iiii. yeare: but then wyll sow it, if it be wheate (sayth Columella) it wil turne into rye: so if a man be neuer so apte to shote, nor neuer so wel taught in his youth to shote, yet if he giue it ouer, and not vse to shote, truly when he shalbe eyther copelled in war tyme for his countrye sake, or els prouoked at home for his pleasure sake, to faule to his bowe: he shal become of a fayre archer, a stark squyrter and dribber. Therefore in shotynge, as in all other thinges, there can neyther be many in number, nor excellent in dede: excepte these .iii. thynges, Aptnesse, Knowledge, and Vse goo togyther.

PHIL. Very well sayde Toxophile, and I promyse you, I agree to this iudgement of yours altogyther and therefore I can not a lytle maruayle, why Englysshe men brynge nomore helpe to shotynge, then nature it selfe gyueth them. For you se that euen children be put to theyr owne shiftes in shotyng, hauing nothynge taughte them: but that they maye chose, and chaunce to shoote ill, rather then well, vnaptlye soner then fitlye, vntowardlye, more easely then wel fauouredlye, whiche thynge causeth manye neuer begynne to shoote: and moo to leaue it

of when they haue begone, and moost of all to shote both worse & weaker, then they might shote, if they were taught. But peraduenture some men wyll saye, that wyth vse of shootynge a man shall learne to shoote, true it is he shall learne, but what shal he learne? marye to shoote noughtly. For all Vse, in all thynges, yf it be not stayed with Cunnyng, wyll verie easely brynge a man to do yt thynge, what so euer he goeth aboute with muche illfauorednes and deformitie.

Which thinge how much harme it doth in learning both Crassus excellencie dothe proue in Tullie, and I De Orat. I. my selfe haue experiens in my lytle shootyng. And therfore Toxophile, you must nedes graunt me that ether Englishe men do il, in not ioynyng Knowlege of shooting to Vse, or els there is no knowlege or cuninge, which can be gathered of shooting. TOX. Learnyng to shoote is lytle regarded in England, for this consideration, bycause men be so apte by nature they haue a greate redy forwardnesse and wil to vse it, al though no man teache them, al thoughe no man byd them, & so of theyr owne corage they rune hedlynge on it, and shoote they ill, shote they well, greate hede they take not. And in verie dede Aptnesse wt Vse may do sumwhat without Knowlege, but not the tenthe parte, if so be they were ioyned with knowlege.

Whyche thre thynges be seperate as you se, not of theyr owne kynde, but through the negligence of me whyche coupleth them not to gyther. And where ye doubte whether there can be gadered any knowlege or arte in shootyng or no, surely I thynke that a ma being wel exercised in it and sumwhat honestly learned with all, myght soone with diligent obseruynge and markynge the hole nature of shootynge, find out as it were an Arte of it, as Artes in other matters haue bene founde oute afore, seynge that shootyng städeth by those thinges, which maye both be thorowlye perceued, and perfitly knowen, and suche that neuer failes, but be euer certayne, belongynge to one moost perfect ende, as shootyng streight, and keping of a lenght bring a man to hit the marke, ye chefe end in shootyng: which two thynges a man may attaine vnto, by diligent vsynge, and well handlynge those instrumentes, which belong vnto them. Therfore I can not see, but there lieth hyd in the nature of Shootynge, an Arte, whiche by notynge, and obseruynge of

Vegetius.

him, that is exercised in it, yf he be any thyng learned at al, maye be taught, to the greate forderaunce of Artillarie through out al this Realme. And trewlye I meruell gretelye, that Englysshe men woulde neuer yet, seke for the Arte of shootynge, seinge they be so apte vnto it, so praysed of there frendes, so feared of there ennemyes for it. Vegetius woulde haue maysters appointed, whyche shoulde teache youthe to shoote faire. Leo the Emperour of Rome, sheweth the same custome, to haue bene alwayes amongest ye olde Romaynes: whych custome of teachyng youth to shoote (saythe he) after it was omitted, and litle hede taken of, brought the hole Empire of Rome, to grete Ruine. Schola Persica, that is the Scole of the Persians, appoynted to brynge vp youthe, whiles they were

Leo. 6. 5.

Strabo. II.

Cor. Ta. 2.

Plato

De leg. 7.

.xx. yeres olde in shooting, is as notably knowne in Histories as the Impire of ye Persians: whych schole, as doth apere in Cornelius Tacitus, as sone as they gaue ouer and fell to other idle pastimes, brought bothe them and ye Parthians vnder ye subiection of the Romaines. would haue common maisters and stipendes, for to teache youthe to shoote, & for the same purpose he would haue a brode feylde nere euery Citie, made common for men to vse shotyng in, whyche sayeng the more reasonably it is spoken of Plato, the more vnresonable is theyr dede whiche woulde ditche vp those feeldes priuatly for ther owne profyt, whyche lyeth open generallye for the commō vse: men by suche goodes be made rycher not honester sayeth Tullie. Yf men can be perswaded to haue shootynge De Offi. 2. taughte, this authorite whyche foloweth will perswade them, or els none, and that is as I haue ones sayde before, of Kynge Dauyd, whose fyrste acte and ordinaunce was after he was kynge that all Iudea should learne to shoote. Yf shotyng could speake, she would accuse England of vnkyndnesse and slouthfulnesse, of vnkyndnesse toward her bycause she beyng left to a lytle blynd vse, lackes her best maintener which is cunnynge: of slouthfulnesse towarde theyr owne selfe, bycause they are content wyth that whych aptnesse and vse doth graunt them in shootynge, and wyl seke for no knowlege as other noble cōmon welthes haue done: and the iustlier shootynge myght make thys complaynt, seynge that of fence and weapons

there is made an Arte, a thyng in no wyse to be compared to shootynge.

For of fence all mooste in euerye towne, there is not onely Masters to teache it, wyth his Prouostes Vsshers Scholers and other names of arte & Schole, but there hath not fayled also, whyche hathe diligently and well fauouredly written it and is set out in Printe that euery man maye rede it.

What discommoditie doeth comme by the lacke of knowlege, in shootynge, it were ouer longe to rehearce. For manye that haue bene apte, and loued shootynge, bycause they knewe not whyche way to houlde to comme to shootynge, haue cleane tourned them selues from shootynge.

And I maye telle you Philologe, the lacke of teachynge to shoote in Englande, causeth very manye men, to playe with the kynges Actes, as a man dyd ones eyther with the Mayre of London or Yorke I can not tel whether, whiche dyd commaund by proclamation, euerye man in the Citie, to hange a lanterne wyth a candell, afore his dore: whiche thynge the man dyd, but he dyd not lyght it: And so many bye bowes bicause of the acte, but yet they shote not: not of euyll wyll, but bycause they knowe not howe to shoote. But to conclude of this matter, in shoting as in all other thynges, ApteAptnesse. nesse is the fyrste, and chyefe thynge, whiche if it be awaye, neyther Cunnynge or Vse, doeth anye good at all, as the Scottes and Fraunce men, wyth knowledge and Vse of shootynge, shall become good Archers, whan a cũnynge shypwright shall make a stronge shyppe, of a Salowe tree or whan a husbandman shall becom ryche, wyth sowyng wheat on Newmarket heath. Cunnynge muste be had, Cunnynge. bothe to set out, & amende Nature, and also to ouersee, and correcte vse: which vse yf it be not led, & gouerned wyth cunnyng, shall sooner go amisse, than strayght.

Vse maketh perfitnesse, in doinge that thynge, whervnto nature maketh a man apte, and knowlege maketh a man cunninge before. So yt it is not so doubtful, which of them three hath moost stroke in shoting as it is playne & euident, that all thre must be had, in excellent shootynge. PHI. For this communicació Toxophile I am very glad, and yt for myn owne sake bicause I trust now, to become a shoter, And in dede I thought a fore, English më most apte for shoting, and

I sawe them dayelye vse shotyng, but yet I neuer founde none, that woulde talke of anye knowlege whereby a man might come to shotynge. Therfore I trust that you, by the vse you haue had in shoting, haue so thorowly marked and noted the nature of it, that you can teache me as it were by a trade or waye how to come to it. TOX. I graunte, I haue vsed shootinge meetly well, that I might haue marked it wel ynoughe, yf I had bene diligent. But my much shootynge, hath caused me studie litle, so that thereby I lacke learnynge, whych shulde set out the Arte or waye in any thynge. And you knowe that I was neuer so well sene, in the Posteriorums of Aristotle as to inuent and searche out general Demonstrations for the setting forth of any newe Science. Yet by my trothe yf you wyll, I wyll goe with you into the fealdes at any tyme and tel you as much as I can, or els you maye stande some tyme at the prickes and looke on the which shoote best and so learne. PHI. Howe lytle you haue looked of Aristotle, and how muche learnynge, you haue lost by shotynge I can not tell, but this I woulde saye and yf I loued you neuer so ill, that you haue bene occupyed in sumwhat els besyde shotynge. But to our purpose, as I wyll not requyre a trade in shotinge to be taught me after the sutteltye of Aristotle, euen so do I not agre with you in this poynt, that you wold haue me learne to shoote with lokyng on them which shoote best, for so I knowe I should neuer come to shote meanelye. For in shotyng as in all other thynges which be gotten by teachynge, there must be shewed a waye & a path which shal leade a man to ye best and cheiffest point whiche is in shootynge, whiche you do marke youre selfe well ynough, and vttered it also in youre communication, when you sayde there laye hyd in ye nature of shootyng a certayne waye whych wel perceyued and thorowlye knowen, woulde bring a ma wythout any wanderyng to ye beste ende in shotyng whych you called hitting of the pricke. Therfore I would refer all my shootinge to that ende which is best, and so shuld I come the soner to some meane. whiche is best hath no faulte, nor can not be amended. So shew me beste shootynge, not the beste shoter, which yf he be neuer so good, yet hath he many a faulte easelye of any man to be espyed. And therfore meruell not yf I requyre to folowe that example whych is without faulte, rather than that which

That