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well commynge as where it pinched, and fo the pinches
ihall dye, and neuer encreafe farther in to great freates.

Freates begynne many tymes in a pin, for there the
good woode is corrupted, that it mufle nedes be weke,
and bycaufe it is weake, therfore it freates.

Good bowyers therfore do rayfe euery pyn and
alowe it moore woode for feare of freatynge.

Agayne bowes mooft commonlye freate vnder the
hande, not fo muche as fome men fuppofe for the
moiftneffe of the hande, as for the heete of the hand :
the nature of heate fayeth ArifLotle is to lowfe, and not
to knyt faft, and the more lowfer the more weaker, the
weaker, the redier to freate.

A bowe is not well made, whych hath not wood
plentye in the hande. For yf the endes of the bowe
be ftaffyfhe, or a mans hande any thynge hoote the
bellye muft nedes fone frete. Remedie for fretes to
any purpofe I neuer hard tell of any, but onelye to
make the freated place as ftronge or flronger then any
other. To fill vp the freate with lytle meuers of a quill
and glewe (as fome fay wyll do wel) by reafon mufL be
ftarke nought.

For, put cafe the freete dyd ceafe then, yet the caufe
which made it freate a fore (and that is weakeneffe of
the place) bicaufe it is not taken away muft nedes
make it freate agayne. As for cuttyng out of freates
wythe all maner of pecynge of bowes I wyll cleane ex-
clude from perfite fhootynge. For peced bowes be
muche lyke owlde houfen, whyche be more chargeable
to repayre, than commodioufe to dwell in. Agayne
to fwadle a bowe much about wyth bandes, verye
feldome dothe anye good, excepte it be to kepe downe
a fpel in the backe, otherwyfe bandes eyther nede not
when the bow is any thinge worthe, or els boote not
when it is marde and paft beft. And although I
knowe meane and poore {hooters, wyll vfe peced and
banded bowes fometyme bycaufe they are not able to
get better when they woulde, yet I am fure yf they
confyder it well, they mail fynde it, bothe leffe charge