Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

47

while, to holde a man by his armes and waue with his
heeles, moche lyke the paftyme that boyes vfe in the
churche when their matter is awaye, to fwinge and tot-
ter in a belrope : to make a fifle, and flretche out bothe
his armes, and fo ftande lyke a roode. To go on a
man his tiptoes, flretching out th[e] one of his armes for-
warde, the other backewarde, which if he blered out
his tunge alfo, myght be thought to daunce Anticke
verye properlye. To tumble ouer and ouer, to toppe
ouer tayle: To fet backe to backe, and fe who can heaue
an other his heles higheft, with other moche like: whiche
exercifes furelye mufte nedes be naturall, bycaufe they
be fo childifme, and they may be alfo holefome for
the body: but furely as for pleafure to the minde or
honeftie in the doinge of them, they be as lyke mot-
inge as Yorke is foule Sutton. Therfore to loke on al
paftymes and exercifes holfome for the bodye, plea-
faunt for the mynde, comlye for euery man to do,
honeft for all other to loke on, profitable to be fette
by of euerye man, worthie to be rebuked of no man, fit
for al ages perfons and places, onely Ihoting Ihal ap-
peare, wherin all thefe commodities maye be founde.

SJjtL To graunt Toxophile, that ftudentes may at
tymes conuenient vfe fhoting as mooft holfome and
honeft paftyme : yet to do as fome do, to mote hourly
day lie, wekelye, and in a maner the hole yere, neithei
I can prayfe, nor any wyfe man wyl alowe, nor you
your felfe can honefllye defende.

BtaopSf. Surely Philologe, I am very glad to fe
you come to that poynte that mooft lieth in your
ftomake, and greueth you and other fo moche. But I
trufte after I haue fayd my mynde in this matter, you
Ihal confefTe your felfe that you do rebuke this thing
more than ye nede, rather then you Ihal fynde that
any man may fpende by anye poffibilitie, more tyme
in Ihotinge then he ought. For firft and formooft the
hole tyme is deuyded into. ii. partes, the daye and
the night: whereof the night maye be both occupyed
in many honeft bufinelfes, and alfofpentin moche vn-