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Full text of "Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545"

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126                          fifoyfljpljtfatf, 33,

fo weeke, that the lowfe woodes be lykewyfe for them
bigge ynoughe yet generally for the mo oft parte of
men, the meane is the beft. And fo to conclude
that, is alwayes befte for a man, which e is meteft for
him. Thus no wood of his owne nature, is eyther to
lyght or to heuy, but as the fhooter is him felfe whyche
dothe vfe it. For that ihafte whiche one yeare for a
man is to lyghte and fcuddinge, for the fame felfe
man the next yeare may chaunce be to heuy and
hobblynge. Therfore can not I expreffe, excepte
generally, what is beft wood for a fliaft, but let euery
man when he knoweth his owne ftrength and the
nature of euery wood, prouyde and fyt himfelfe there-
after. Yet as concerning fheaffe Arroufe for war (as
I fuppofe) it were better to make them of good Affhe,
and not of Afpe, as they be now a dayes. For of all
other woodes that euer I proued Affhe being big is
fwifteft and agayne heuy to giue a greate ftripe with
all, whyche Afpe fhall not doo. What heuynes doth
in a flripe euery man by experience can tell, therfore
Affhe being both fwyfter and heuier is more fit for
flieafe Arroes then Afpe, and thus muche for the beft
wood for fhaftes.

Agayne lykewyfe as no one wood can be greatlye
meet for all kynde of Ihaftes, no more can one facion
of the ftele be fit for euery ihooter. For thofe that
be lytle brefted and big toward the hede called by
theyr lykeneffe taperfafhion, reflie growne, and of fome
merrye fellowes bobtayles, be fit for them whiche
fliote vnder hande bycaufe they flioote wyth a fofte
Jowfe, and ftreffes not a fliaft muche in the brefle
where the weyghte of the bowe lyethe as you maye
perceyue by the werynge of euery fliafte.

Agayne the bygge brefted Ihafte is fytte for hym,
which fhoteth right afore him, or els the breft being
weke fhoulde neuer wythftande that ftrong piththy
kynde of Ihootynge, thus the vnderhande muft haue a
fmall brefte, to go cleane awaye oute of the bowe, the
forehande mufte haue a bigge brefte to bere the