To the moste graciouse, and our most drad Soueraigne lord, Kyng Henrie the .viii, by the grace of God, kyng of Englande, Fraunce and Irelande, Defen

der of the faythe, and of the churche

of Englande & also of Irelande
in earth supreme head, next vn
der Christ, be al health
victorie, and fe-
licitie.

WE

HAT tyme as, moste gracious Prince, your highnes this last year past, tooke that your moost honorable and victorious iourney into Fraunce, accompanied vvith such a porte of the Nobilitie and yeomanrie of Englande, as neyther hath bene lyke knovven by experience, nor yet red of in Historie: accompanied also vvith the daylie prayers, good hartes, and vvilles of all and euery one your graces subiectes, lefte behinde you here at home in Englande: the same tyme, I beinge at my booke in Cambrige, sorie that my litle habilitie could stretche out no better, to helpe forvvard so noble an enterprice, yet with my good vvylle, prayer, and harte, nothinge behynde hym that vvas formoste of all, conceyued a vvonderful desire, bi the praier, vvishing, talking, & communicatio that vvas in euery mās mouth, for your Graces moost victoriouse retourne, to offer vp sumthinge, at your home cumming to your Highnesse, vvhich shuld both be a token of mi loue and deutie tovvard your

X

Maiestie, & also a signe of my good minde and zeale tovvarde mi countrie.

This occasion geuen to me at that time, caused me to take in hand againe, this litle purpose of shoting, begon of me before, yet not ended thā, for other studies more mete for that trade of liuinge, vvhiche God and mi frendes had set me vnto. But vvhen your Graces moste ioifull & happie victorie preuēted mi dailie and spedie diligencie to performe this matter, I vvas compelled to vvaite an other time to prepare & offer vp this litle boke vnto your Maiestie. And vvhan it hath pleased youre Highenesse of your infinit goodnesse, & also your most honorable Counsel to knovv and pervse ouer the contentes, & some parte of this boke, and so to alovv it, that other mẽ might rede it, through the furderaunce and setting forthe of the right worshipfull and mi Singuler good Master sir Vvilliam Pagette Knight, moost vvorthie Secretarie to your highnes, & most open & redie succoure to al poore honest learned mēs sutes, I moost humblie beseche your Grace to take in good vvorthe this litle treatise purposed, begō, and ended of me onelie for this intent, that Labour, Honest pastime & Vertu, might recouer againe that place and right, that Idlenesse, Vnthriftie gamning and Vice hath put them fro.

And althoughe to haue vvritten this boke either in latin or Greke (vvhich thing I vvold be verie glad yet to do, if I might surelie knovv your Graces pleasure there in) had bene more easier & fit for mi trade in study, yet neuerthelesse, I supposinge it no point of honestie, that mi commodite should stop & hinder ani parte either of the pleasure or profite of manie, haue vvritten this Englishe matter in the Englishe tongue, for Englishe men: vvhere in this I trust that your Grace (if it shall please your Highnesse to rede it) shal perceaue it to be a thinge Honeste for me to vvrite, pleasaunt for some to rede, and profitable for manie to folovv, contening a pastime, honest for the minde, holsome for the body, fit for eueri man, vile for no man, vsing the day & opě place for Honestie to rule it, not lurking in corners for misorder to abuse it. Therfore I trust it shal apere, to be bothe a sure token of my zeele to set forvvarde shootinge, and some signe of my minde, tovvardes honestie and learninge.

Thus I vvil trouble your Grace no longer, but vvith my daylie praier, I vvil beseche God to preserue your Grace, in al health and felicitie: to the feare and ouerthrovve of all your ennemies to the pleasure, ioyfulnesse and

Blay the, when he was anak ynge newe shyppes, purposyng to

Ias the wyse man came to Cresus the ryche kyng, on a

And

haue subdued by water the out yles lying betwixt Grece and
Asia minor: What newes now in Grece, saith the king to
Bias? None other newes, but these, sayeth Bias: that the
yles of Grece haue prepared a wonderful companye of horsemen,
to ouerrun Lydia withall. There is nothyng vnder heauen,
sayth the kynge, that I woulde so soone wisshe, as that they
durst be so bolde, to mete vs on the lande with horse.
thinke you sayeth Bias, that there is anye thyng which they
wolde sooner wysshe, then that you shulde be so fonde, to mete
them on the water with shyppes? And so Cresus hearyng not
the true newes, but perceyuyng the wise mannes mynde and
counsell, both gaue then ouer makyng of his shyppes, and left
also behynde him a wonderful example for all commune wealthes
to folowe that is euermore to regarde and set most by that
thing whervnto nature hath made them moost apt, and vse hath
made them moost fitte.

:

By this matter I meane the shotyng in the long bowe, for English men which thyng with all my hert I do wysh, and if I were of authoritie, I wolde counsel all the gentlemen and yomen of Englande, not to chaunge it with any other thyng, how good soeuer it seme to be: but that styll, accordyng to the oulde wont of England, youth shulde vse it for the moost honest pastyme in peace, that men myght handle it as a mooste sure weapon in warre. Other stronge weapons whiche bothe

experience doth proue to be good, and the wysdom of the kinges Maiestie & his counsel prouydes to be had, are not ordeyned to take away shotyng: but yt both, not compared togither, whether shuld be better then the other, but so ioyned togither that the one shoulde be alwayes an ayde and helpe for the other, myght so strengthen the Realme on all sydes, that no kynde of enemy in any kynde of weapon, myght passe and go beyonde vs.

For this purpose I, partelye prouoked by the counsell of some gentlemen, partly moued by the loue whiche I haue alwayes borne towarde shotyng, haue wrytten this lytle treatise, wherin if I haue not satisfyed any man, I trust he wyll the rather be content wt my doyng, bycause I am (I suppose) the firste, whiche hath sayde any thynge in this matter (and fewe begynnynges be perfect, sayth wyse men) And also bycause yf I haue sayed a misse, I am content that any man amende it, or yf I haue sayd to lytle, any man that wyl to adde what hym pleaseth to it.

My minde is, in profitynge and pleasynge euery man, to hurte or displease no man, intendyng none other purpose, but that youthe myght be styrred to labour, honest pastyme, and vertue, and as much as laye in me, plucked from ydlenes, vnthriftie games, and vice: whyche thing I haue laboured onlye in this booke, shewynge howe fit shootyng is for all kyndes of men, howe honest a pastyme for the mynde, howe holsome an excercise for the bodye, not vile for great men to vse, not costlye for poore men to susteyne, not lurking in holes and corners for ill men at theyr pleasure, to misvse it, but abiding in the open sight & face of the worlde, for good men if it fault by theyr wisdome to correct it.

And here I woulde desire all gentlemen and yomen, to vse this pastime in suche a mean, that the outragiousnes of great gamyng, shuld not hurte the honestie of shotyng, which of his owne nature is alwayes ioyned with honestie: yet for mennes faultes oftentymes blamed vnworthely, as all good thynges haue ben, and euermore shall be.

If any man woulde blame me, eyther for takynge such a matter in hande, or els for writing it in the Englyshe tongue, this answere I maye make hym, that whan the beste of the