33*

and more pleafure to ware at any tyme a couple of
fhyllynges of a new bowe than to beflowe. x. d. of
peacynge an olde bowe. For better is cofte vpon
foraewhat worth, than fpence vpon nothing worth.
And thys I fpeke alfo bycaufe you woulde haue me
referre all to perfitneffe in ihootynge.

Moreouer there is an other thynge, whyche wyl fone
caufe a bowe be broken by one of the. in. wayes
whych be firfl fpoken of, and that is fhotyng in winter,
when there is any frofte. Frofte is wherefoeuer is any
waterim humour, as is in al woodes, ey ther more or leffe,
and you knowe that al thynges frofen and Ifie, wyl
rather breke than bende, Yet if a man mull nedes
fhoote at any fuche tyme, lette hym take hys bowe,
and brynge it to the fyer, and there by litle and litle,
rubbe and chafe it with a waxed clothe, whiche fhall
bring it to that poynt, yat he maye fhote fafelye ynough
in it. This rubbyng with waxe, as I fayde before, is
a great fuccour, agaynfl all wete and moyftneffe.

In the fyeldes alfo, in goyng betwyxt the pricks
eyther wyth your hande, or elles wyth a clothe you
mufle keepe your bowe in fuche a temper. And thus
muche as concernynge youre bowe, howe fyrfle to
knowe what wood is beft for a bowe, than to chofe
a bowe, after to trim a bowe, agayne to keepe it in
goodneffe, lafle of al, howe to faue it from al harm
and euylneffe.

And although many men can faye more of a bow
yet I trufl thefe thynges be true, and almofle fufficient
for the knowlege of a perfedle bowe.

•pfjf. Surelye I beleue fo, and yet I coulde haue
hearde you talke longer on it: althogh I can not fe,
what maye be fayd more of it. Therfore excepte you
wyll paufe a whyle, you may go forwarde to a fhafte.

£E0X, What Ihaftes were made of, in oulde tyme
authours do not fo manifefllye me we, as
of bowes. Herodotus doth tel, that in the ero< eutep*
flood of Nilus, ther was a beall, called a water horfe,
pf whofe fkinne after it was dried? the Egyptians mad§