TOXOPHILUS.

INTRODUCTION.

|Efpite his promife, fee page 20, Afcham
wrote no Englifh work on a great fubject.
Writing late in life, his Scholemaster^ he
thus defends his choice in the fubjecls
of his books:
" But, of all kinde of paftimes, fitte for a lentleman,
I will, godwilling, in fitter place, more at large, de-
clare fullie, in my booke of the Cockpitte : which I do
write, to fatiffie fom, I trull, with fom reafon, that be
more curious, in marking other mens doinges, than
carefull in mendyng their owne faultes. And fom alfo
will nedes bufie them felues in merueling, and adding
thereunto vnfrendlie taulke, why I, a man of good
yeares, and of no ill place, I thanke God and my
Prince, do make choife to fpend foch tyme in writyng
of trifles, as the fchole of footing, the Cockpitte, and
this booke of the firfl Principles of Grammer, rather,
than to take fome weightie matter in hand, either of
Religion, or Ciuill difcipline.

Wife men I know, will well allow of my choife
herein: and as for fuch, who haue not witte of them
felues, but muft learne of others, to iudge right of
mens doynges, let them read that wife Poet Horace
in his Arte Poetica, who willeth wifemen to beware, of
hie and loftie Titles. For, great fhippes, require coft-
lie tackling, and alfo afterward dangerous gouernment:
Small boates, be neither verie chargeable in makyng,
nor verie oft in great ieoperdie: and yet they cary
many tymes, as good and coftlie ware, as greater
veffels do. A meane Argument, may eafelie beare,
the light burden of a fmall faute, and haue alwaife
at hand, a ready excufe for ill handling: And, fome
•praife it is, if it fo chaunce, to be better in deede,
than a man dare venture to feeme. A hye title, doth
charge a man, with the heauie burden, of to great a
promife, and therfore fayth Horace verie wittelie, that,