Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

68

And as I am aduifed, his woordes be muche hereafter
as I ftiall faye.

Again/I the ivittie gifte ofJJwtmge in a bows Eurip. in.

Fonde and lend woordes thou lendhe doeft out throwe, Here, fiir
Whiche, zfthou wilte heare of me a woorde or twayne
Quickhe thou mayft Itarne ho-we fondhe thou doejl blame,

Fzrfte he that with his harneis him felfe doth wal about,
Thatfcane is lefts one hole through uhich he may pepe out,
Stick bondmen to their harneis to fight are nothinge mete
Butfoneft of al other are troden vnderfete,
Yfhe beflronge, his felouves faynt, zn ivhome he putteth his trztfl^
So loded with his harneis muft nedes he zn the dzift,
Nor yet from death he cannot ftarte, if ones his weapon brfke^
Howeftoztte, hcnue fti ong, howe great, howe longe,

fo euer be fuche a freke,

But wkofo ezier can handle a bowe ftztrdie Jliffe andjironge
Wheiiwth lykehaylemanzejtiaftes heJJiootesznto thethickejlthronge:
This profits he takes, thatjiandlng a far his enemze he mayefplll
Whan he and hzs full fafe JJzallftande oztt of all daunger and zll.
And tMs in War zs imfedome mojie, which workes oztreizemies woo.
Whan wejhal be far from allfeare and ieoperdze ofoztrfoo*

Secondarily euen as I do not greatlye regarde what
Menelaus doth fay in Sophocles to Teucer, bycaufe
he fpake it bothe in anger, and alfo to hym that he
hated, euen fo doo I remembre very well in Homer,
that when He61 or and the Troians would e haue fet
fyre on the greke fhippes, Teucer with his bowe made
them recule backe agayne, when Menelaus uiaci. &

tooke hym to his feete, and ranne awaye.

Thirdlye as concerning Pandarus, Homer doth not
difprayfe the noble gyfte of fhotynge, but therby euery
man is taught, that whatfoeuer, and how good foeuer a
weapon a man doth vfe in war, yf he be hym
felfe a couetoufe wretche, a foole wythoute Hom> I1L *'
counfell, a peacebreaker as Pandarus was, at laft he
fliall throughe the punifhment of God fall into his
enemyes handes, as Pandarus dydde, whome Diomedes
throughe the helpe of Minerua miferablye flue.

And bycaufe you make mencion of Homer, and