Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

flioote faire. Leo the Emperour of Rome, ^ ^
fheweth the fame cuftome, to haue bene
alwayes amongefl ye olde Romaynes: whych cuflome
of teachyng youth to flioote (faythe he) after it was
omitted, and litle hede taken of, brought the hole
Empire of Rome, to grete Ruine. Schola, Perfcca^
that is the Scole of the Perfians, ap-
poynted to brynge vp youthe, whiles Strabo.ii.
they were. xx. yeres olde in mooting, is as
notably known e in Hiftories as the Impire of ye
Perfians: whych fchole, as doth apere in Cornelius
Tacitus, as fone as they gaue ouer and fell
to other idle paftimes, brought bothe them or" ac'2'
and ye Parthians vnder ye fubieftion of the Romaines.
Plato would haue common maifters and Dele
flipendes, for to teache youthe to flioote, e eg'7'

and for the fame purpofe he would haue a brode
feylde nere euery Citie, made common for men to vfe
fhotyng in, whyche fayeng the more reafonably it is
fpoken of Plato, the more vnreafonable is theyr dede
whiche woulde ditche vp thofe feeldes priuatly for
ther owne profyt, whyche lyeth open generally e for
the common vfe : men by fuche goodes be made
rycher not honefter fayeth Tullie. Yf men can be
perfwaded to haue Ihootynge taughte, this De ^
aucthoritie whyche foloweth will perfwade
them, or els none, and that is as I haue ones fayde
before, of Kynge Dauyd, whofe fyrfle acle and ordi-
naunce was after he was kynge that all ludea mould
learne to flioote. Yf fliotyng could fpeake, fhe would
accufe England of vnkyndnefle and flouthfulneffe, of
vnkyndneffe toward her bycaufe fhe beyng left to a
lytle blynd vfe, lackes her beil maintener which is
cunnynge : of flouthfulneffe towarde theyr owne felfe,
bycaufe they are content wyth that whych aptnefTe and
vfe doth graunt them in Ihootynge, and wyl feke for
no knowlege as other noble common welthes haue
done: and the iuillier Ihootynge myght make thys
romplaynt, feyngc that of fence and weapons there is