Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

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goodly tombes for them which do noble feates in warre,
and to haue their ymages made, and alfo their cote
Armours to be fet aboue theyr tombes, to
their perpetual laude and memorie : as the a ' z'I3'
valiaunt capitayne Symon, dyd caufe to be made for
his brethren ludas Machabeus and lonathas, when
they were flayne of the Gentiles. And thus of what
authoritie feates of warre, and ftrong weapons be,
mortly and playnelye we maye learne: But amonges
the lewes as I began to tell, I am fure there was
nothing fo occupyed, or dydde fo moche good as bowes
dyd: infomoche that when the lewes had any great
vpperhande ouer the Gentiles, the fyrfte thinge alwayes
that the captayne dyd, was to exhort the people to
gyue all the thankes to God for the viclorye, and not to
theyr bowes, wherwith they had flayne their
enemyes: as it is playne that the noble ue"33'

lofue dyd after fo many kynges thrufl downe by hym.
God, when he promyfeth helpe to the Jewes, he vfeth
no kynde of fpeakyng fo moche as this, that he wyll
bende his bowe, and die his fliaftes in the
Gentiles blood: whereby it is manifeft, that °'33

eyther God wyll make the lewes fhoote ftronge motes
to ouerthrowe their enemies : or at leefte that fhotinge
is a wonderful mightie thing in warre, whervnto ye
hygh power of God is lykened. Dauid in the Pfalmes
calleth bowes the veffels of death, a bytter psai 7.63.
thinge, and in an other place a myghty w-
power, and other wayes mo, which I wyll let paffe,
by caufe euerye man readeth them daylye: But yet
one place of fcripture I muft nedes remembre,
which is more notable for ye prayfe of moting, then
any yat euer I red in any other ftorie, and that is,
when Saul was flayne of ye Philiftians
being mightie bowmen, and lonathas his es^1^-
fonne with him, that was fo good a fhoter, as ye
fcripture fayth, that he neuer {hot ftiafte in vayne,
and yat the kyngdome after Saules deathe came vnto
Dauid: the mil ftatute and lawe that euer Dauid