Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

62 <£0ruj)f)fttt£, 3*

that God wyllyng hereafter I wyll both loue it the better,
and alfo vfe it the often For as moche as I can gatner
of all this communication of ours, the tunge, the nofe,
the handes and the feete be no fytter membres, or
inflrumentes for the body of a man, then is fhotinge
for the hole bodye of the realme. God hath made
the partes of men which be befl and moofl necceffarye,
to ferue, not for one purpofe onelye, but for manye:
as the tunge for fpeaking and tailing, the nofe for
fmelling, and alfo for auoyding of all excrementes,
which faule oute of the heed, the handes for receyuynge
of good thinges, and for puttyng of all harmefull
thinges, from the bodye. So fhotinge is an exercyfe of
healthe, a paftyme of honefl pleafure, and fuche one
alfo that floppeth or auoydeth all noyfome games
gathered and encreafed by ill rule, as noughtye humours
be, whiche hurte and corrupte fore that parte of the
realme, wherin they do remayne.

But now if you can fhewe but halfe fo moche pro-
fyte in warre of fhotynge, as you haue proued pleafure
in peace, then wyll I furelye iudge that there be fewe
thinges that haue fo manifold e commodities, and vfes
ioyned vnto them as it hath.

2Coi. The vpperhande in warre} nexte the gj

goodneffe of God (of whome al vic~fcorie
commeth, as fcripture fayth) flandeth Mach r-3-'
chefely in thre thinges : in the wyfedome of the Prince,
in the fleyghtes and polhcies of the capitaynes, and in
the flrength and cherefuil forwardnefle of the fouldyers.
A Prince in his herte muil be full of mercy and peace,
a vertue moofl pleafaunt to Chrifl, moofl agreable to
mans nature, moofl profytable for ryche and poore.

For than the riche man enioyeth with great pleafure
that which he hath : the poore may obtayne with his
labour, that which he lacketh. And although there
is nothing worfe then war, wherof it taketh his
name, through the which great men be in daunger,
meane men without fuccoure, ryche men in feare,
bycaufe they haue fomwhat: poore men in care,