gtfyatt of gfyautins. 149

yng to the eare he prayfeth greatly, whereby men
fhoote bothe flronger and longer: drawynge therfore
to the eare is better than to drawe at the brefte.
And one thyng commeth into my remembraunce nowe
Philologe when I fpeake of drawyng, that I neuer
red of other kynde of fhootyng, than drawing wyth a
mans hand ether to the brefte or eare: This thyng
haue I fought for in Homer Herodotus and Plutarch,
and therfore I meruayle how crofbowes came fyrft vp,
of the which I am fure a man fhall finde
lytle mention made on in any good Authour. ros °wes§
Leo the Emperoure woulde haue hys fouldyers
drawe quycklye in warre, for that maketh a maft flie
a pace. In fhootynge at the pryckes, hafly and quicke
drawing is neyther fure nor yet cumlye. Therfore to
drawe eafely and vniformely, that is for to faye not
waggyng your hand, now vpwarde, now downewarde, but
alwayes after one falhion vntil you come to the rig or
fhouldring of ye head, is beft both for profit and femeli-
neffe, Holdynge mufl not be longe, for it db

bothe putteth a bowe in ieopardy, and alfo ° mg'

marreth a mans fhoote, it mufl be fo lytle yat it maybe
perceyued better in a mans mynde when it is done, than
feene with a mans eyes when it is in doyng.

Lowfynge mufle be muche lyke. So 1™*°**-
quycke and hard yat it be wyth oute all girdes, fo
fofte and gentle that the fhafte flye not as it were
fente out of a bow cafe. The meane betwixte bothe,
whyche is perfyte lowfynge is not fo hard to be
folowed in fhootynge as it is to be defcrybed in
teachyng. For cleane lowfynge you mufl take hede of
hyttynge any thynge aboute you. And for
the fame purpofe Leo the Emperour would
haue al Archers in war to haue both theyr heades
pouled, and there berdes fhauen lefle the heare of theyr
heades fhuld flop the fyght of the eye, the heere of
theyr berdes hinder the courfe of the ftrynge.

And thefe preceptes I am fure Philologe yf you folowe
in flandyng,nockyng, drawynge,holdynge, and lowfynge,
flial bryng you at the lafl to excellent fayre fhootynge,