Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

37

fhotynge, I fuppofe there is none other degree of men,
neither lowe nor hye, learned nor leude, yonge nor
oulde.

PIjtI. You fhal nede wade no further in ^

this matter To&ophile^ but if you can proue
me thatfcholers and men gyuen to learning maye honeft-
lie vfe ihoting, I wyll foone graunt you that all otherfortes
of men maye not onelye lefullie, but ought of dutie to vfe
it But I thinke you can not proue but that all thefe
examples of motinge brought from fo longe a tyme,
vfed of fo noble princes, confirmed by fo wyfe mennes
lawes and iudgementes, are fette afore temporall men,
onelye to followe them : whereby they may the better
and ftronglyer defende the commune wealth withall.
And nothing belongeth to fcholers and learned men,
which haue an other parte of the commune wealth,
quiete and peaceable put to their cure and charge,
whofe ende as it is diuerfe from the other, fo there is
no one waye that leadeth to them both.

5C0X0. I graunte Philologe, that fcholers and lay
men haue diuerfe offices and charges in the commune
wealth, whiche requires diuerfe bringing vp in their
youth, if they ftial do them as they ought to do in
their age. Yet as temporall men of neceffitie are
compelled to take fomewhat of learning to do their
office the better withal: So fcholers maye the boldlyer
borowe fomewhat of laye mennes paftimes, to mayn-
teyne their health in ftudie withall. And furelie of al
other thinges moting is necelfary for both fortes to
learne. Whiche thing, when it hath ben euermore
vfed in Englande how moche good it hath done, both
oulde men and Chronicles doo tell: and alfo our
enemies can beare vs recorde. For if it be true (as I
haue hearde faye) when the kynge of Englande hath
ben in Fraunce, the preefles at home bicaufe they were
archers, haue ben able to ouerthrowe all Scotlande.
Agayne ther is an other thing which aboue all other
doeth moue me, not onely to loue fhotinge, to prayfe
{noting, to exhorte all other to ihotinge, but alfo to