Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

0! gljofltutij. 95

x. Learnyng to fhoote is lytle regarded in Eng-
land, for this confideration, bycaufe men be fo apte
by nature they hane a greate redy forwaidneffe and
wil to vfe it, al though no man teache them, al thoughe
no man byd them, and fo of theyr owne corage they
runne hedlynge on it, and fhoote they ill, mote they
well, greate hede they take not. And in verie dede
Aptneffe with Vfe may do fumwhat without Know-
lege, but not the tenthe parte, if fo be they were
ioyned with knowlege.

Whyche thre thynges be feperate as you fe, not of
theyr owne kynde, but through the negligence of men
whyche coupleth them not to gyther. And where
ye doubte whether there can be gadered any
knowlege or arte in fhootyng or no, furely I thynke
that a man being wel exercifed in it and fumwhat
honeflly learned with all, myght foone with diligent
obferuynge and rnarkynge the hole nature of ftioot-
ynge, rind out as it were an Arte of it, as Aries in
other matters haue bene founde oute afore, feynge
that fhootyng ftandeth by thofe thinges, which maye
both be' thorowlye perceued, and perfitly knowen,
and fuche that neuer failes, but be euer certayne,
belongynge to one mooft perfect ende, as fhootyng
ftreight, and keping of a length bring a man to hit
the marke, ye chefe end in fhootyng: which two
thynges a man may attaine vnto, by diligent vfynge,
and well handlynge thofe inftrumentes, which belong
vnto them. Therfore I can not fee, but there lieth
hyd in the nature of Shootynge, an Arte, whiche by
notynge, and obferuynge of him, that is exercifed in
it, yf he be any thyng learned at al, maye be taught,
to the greate forderaunce of Artillarie through out al
this Realme. And trewlye I meruell gretelye, that
Englyffhe men woulde aeuer yet, feke for the Arte
of Ihootynge, feinge they be fo apte vnto it, fo prayfed
of there frendes, fo feared of there enne-
myes for it. Vegetius woulde haue may- Vegetms.
Hers appointed, whyche flioulde teache youthe to