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bothe wyll begyn to Ihoote, for a lytle moneye, and
alfo wyll vfe to mote ones or twife about the marke for
nought, afore they beginne a good. And therfore did I
take this little matter in hande, to affaye my felfe, and
hereafter by the grace of God, if the Judgement of wyfe
men, that looke on, thinke that I can do any good, I
maye perchaunce cafte my fliafte amonge other, for
better game.

Yet in writing this booke, fome man wyll maruayle
perchaunce, why that I beyng an vnperfyte fhoter,
ihoulde take in hande to write of makyng a perfyte
archer: the fame man peraduenture wyll maruayle, howe
a whetteflone whiche is blunte, can make the edge of a
knife iharpe : I woulde ye fame man fhulde confider
alfo, that in goyng about anye matter, there be. iiii.
thinges to be confidered, doyng, faying, thinking and
perfectneffe : Firfte there is no man that doth fo wel,
but he can faye better, or elles fumme men, whiche be
now ftarke nought, fliuld be to good, Agayne no man
can vtter wyth his tong, fo wel as he is able to imagin
with his minde, and yet perfeclneffe it felfe is farre
aboue all thinking. Than feeing that faying is one
fteppe nerer perfedleneffe than doyng, let euery man
leue marueylyng why my woorde mail rather expreffe,
than my dede mall perfourme perfe6le mootinge.

I truile no man will be offended with this litle booke
excepte it be fumme fletchers and bowiers, thinking
hereby that manye that loue fhootynge fhall be taughte
to refufe fuche noughtie wares as they woulde vtter.
Honeft fletchers and bowyers do not fo, and they that
be vnhoneft, oughte rather to amende them felues for
doinge ill, than be angrie with me for fayinge wel. A
fletcher hath euen as good a quarell to be angry with
an archer that refufeth an ill Ihaft, as a bladefmith
hath to a fletcher yat forfaketh to bye of him a noughtie
knyfe. For as an archer muft be content that a
fletcher know a good fliafte in euery poynte for the per-
fecler makynge of it, So an honefle fletcher will alfo1
be content that a fhooter knowe a good fliafte in euery