Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

142 <£0):0ji!)flfog. 38*

more thorough his owne negligence for bicaufe he wyll
not learne, than any difabilitie, bicaufe he can not lerne.

Therfore seyng I wyll be glad to folowe your counfell
in chofynge my bowe and other inflrumentes, and alfo
am afhamed that I can ftiote no better than I can,
moreouer hauynge fuche a loue toward fhotynge by
your good reafons to day, that I wyll forfake no
labour in the exercife of the fame, I befeche you
imagyn that we had bothe bowe and fhaftes here, and
teache me howe I mould handle them, and one thynge
I defyre you, make me as fayre an Archer as you can.
. For thys I am fure in learnynge all other matters,
nothynge is broughte to the moofl profitable vfe, which
is not handled after the moofl cumlye falhion. As
mailers of fence haue no ftroke fit ether to hit an
other or elfe to defende hym felfe, whyche is not
ioyned wyth a wonderfull cumlineffe. A Cooke can
not chop hys herbes neither quickelye nor hanfomlye
excepte he kepe fuche a mefure with hys choppynge
kniues as woulde delyte a manne both to fe hym and
heare hym.

Euerye hand craft man that workes beft for hys
owne profyte, workes moll femelye to other mens
fight. Agayne in buyldynge a houfe, in makynge a
fhyppe, euery parte the more hanfomely, they be
ioyned for profyt and lafle, the more cumlye they be
fafhioned to euery mans fyght and eye. Nature it
felfe taught men to ioyne alwayes welfauouredneffe
with profytableneffe. As in man, that ioynt or pece
which is by anye chaunce depriued of hys cumly-
neffe the fame is alfo debarred of hys vfe and profy-
tableneffe.

As he that is gogle eyde and lokes a fquinte hath
both hys countenaunce clene marred, and hys fight
fore blemmyfhed, and fo in all other members lyke.
Moreouer what tyme of the yeare bryngeth moofle
profyte wyth it for mans vfe, the fame alfo couereth
and dekketh bothe earthe and trees wyth moofl cumly-
neffe for mans pleafure. And that tyme whych takethe