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a thinge can worthilie praife, and although I had
rather haue anie other to do it than my felfe, yet my
felfe rather then no other. I wil not fail to faye in it
what I can wherin if I faye litle, laye that of my litle
habilitie, not of the matter it felfe which deferueth no
lyttle thinge to be fayde of it.

•pljf. If it deferue no little thinge to be fayde of it
Toxophile, I maruell howe it chaunceth than, that no
man hitherto, hath written any thinge of it: wherin
you mull graunte me, that eyther the matter is noughte,
vnworthye, and barren to be written vppon, or els fome
men are to blame, whiche both loue it and vfe it, and
yet could neuer finde in theyr heart, to faye one good
woorde of it, feinge that very triflinge matters hath not
lacked great learned men to fette them out, as gnattes
and nuttes, and many other mo like thinges, wrier-
fore eyther you may honefllie laye verie great faut
vpon men bycaufe they neuer yet prayfed it, or els
I may iuftlie take awaye no litle thinge from mooting,
bycaufe it neuer yet deferued it.

Eox* Trulye herein Philologe, you take not fo muche
from it, as you giue to it. For great and commodious
thynges are neuer greatlie prayfed, not bycaufe they
be not worthie, but bicaufe their excellencie nedeth
no man hys prayfe, hauinge all theyr commendation of
them felfe not borowed of other men his lippes, which
rather prayfe them felfe, in fpekynge much of a litle
thynge than that matter whiche they entreat vpon.
Great and good thinges be not prayfed. For who
euer prayfed Hercules (fayeth the Greke prouerbe).
And that no man hitherto hath written any booke of
Ihoting the fault is not to be layed in the thyng
whiche was worthie to be written vpon, but of men
which were negligent in doyng it, and this was the
caufe therof as I fuppofe. Menne that vfed fhootyng
mofte and knewe it bell, were not learned: men that
were lerned, vfed litle mooting, and were ignorant in
the nature of the thynge, and fo fewe menne hath bene
that hitherto were able to wryte vpon it. Yet howe