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mm 




. 



n 



THE 



OR 

TRACTS ON MCHERY: 

TO WHICH IS ADDED 

THE SECOND PART 

OF THE 

BOWMAN'S GLORY. 



By T.HoBERTS, 
a member of the toxophilite society. 



Thus thou peculiar Engine of our Land V 
(Weapon of Conqueft ! Mailer of the Field ! ) 
Renowned Bow ! (that mad 'ft this Crown command 
The JTow'rs of France, and all their Pow'rs to yield) 



Thou firft did'ft conquer us ; then rais'd our (kill 
To vanquilh others :— — < — *— — 

And now how com'ft thou to be out of date, 
Andall-negleAed leav'ft us, and art gone; 
And with thee th' ancient ftrength, the manly date • 

Of valour and of worth, that Grlory won ? 
Or elfe ftay'ft thou till new-priz'd Shot abate, 
(That never fliair effect what thou haft done) 
And only but attend'ft fome bleffed Reign, 
N When thou and virtue (hall be grac'd again ? 

Daniel. Rift, of the Civil Wan, B. S t 



LONDON: 

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, 

By C. Rewortb, Hudson's Courts Strand. , 

Sold by Mr. Egbrtok, at the Military Library, Charing Cro&; 

Alfo by Mr. Waring, at his Archery Ware-Room, Caroline Street, 
Bedford Square, 

1801. ' " 



. , : . .. 



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Great Britain 8c Ireland ; 



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• • • • • 



PRE FACE. 



r TPHE following tra&s originated in notes, colle&ed 
-*• by the author for his amufement and inftruc- 
tion in matters relative to archery ; and which (hav- 
ing been perufed by thofe, whole fuperior knowledge, 
and proficiency; in the art entitle their opinions to 
very high reipeft, and by them deemed of more, 
importance, than the author annexed to them) he v 
has been induced tp arrange and methodife; and , by. 
throwing them' into a c<mne6ted form, ha£ endea- 
voured to render them of public utility :.»much pri* 
fing archery himfelf, an$ defirous of j coutributi^ 
his mite towards the fupporta^d etot^ur^^pn^-of 
an art; which requires only to :fye nflra.j^ejptyy 
known, and rendered more familkr.'to'^conoi^.uni- 
verfally adopted and efteemqd.^ ^>fiij-tlfet^flCCf^T 
ragenxent to him in the undertaking, was t^xfccoj- 
leftion, that although the revival of archery^., at. < the 
clofe of the eighteenth century, had produp^d, ft***? 
fmall publications (l) Upon the f fubjefy;, ;y$t, that 



(i) Tie Anecdotes of Archery by the R<tv. G. Oldfidd. And ioopicr 
publication under the fame title, by^ R., Hargrove, Thefe works 
chiefly contain Ihort Extracts from Grofis Military Hijtory of Greta 
Britain^ and $ tow's Survey of Londonj ;with fome account of bugle 
horns ; and a lift of the prefent focieties of archers* 

a, thofe 



thofe publications profeffed to be only anecdotes, 
and qpnfequently (nOtwithftanding their merits and 
the artiufement they. 'may afford to the archer) fell 
very far fhort of any treatife upon the art, as well as 
of encouraging it, by clearing the path which led to 
the pratiice of it. Mr, Mofeley, indeed, by far the 
moft confpicuous of modern writers upon archery 
(whofe performance is marked with much refearch 
and juft obfervation) has evidently taken a very 
extfetidid view of archery, ancient and modern, 
throughout the world; and has not tied himfelf dotfn 
tbartl account of the particulars or pra&iceof it in 
tfdis ^oiriitiy, beyond what was confiftentf with his 
gfyqwipfon. Upon thefubjeft of pra&ical archery 
ik^ttglaiwJ, we have but one writer (Roger Afch&m) 
^olivedih the reigns of Henry VIII. and : Elizabeth* 
aM who, 1 as he himfelf informs us, wrote the jirfi 
$r*i^ 

j Wd i ye!fia^w*ftte told : (See the Prtface ** 
fydfelify^ip^iii poilefi treatifes upon the art; as 
p^ft^^:b^ #1 tl\«ij x written in very early times* The 
fiffip^^o,^ has given a few hints 

u^oti^ias^tibjear": arid Vegetius' (in his work Be Re 
^iMpp Sightly noticed tile praftice 6f this art. 
Wfiy ^iifacve not any writer upon archery, prior to 
^Miad^/as <by him thtts accounted 1 for. " Aiid, that 
u no man hitherto hath written anye booke of fhot- 
^iag^tftc-'ftuttfe rs not to be layed in the thyng, 
a which was worthie to be written upon* but of 
" men,, which were: negligent in doynge it ; and this 
" was the .gaufe thereof, as I fuppofe. Menne that 
-""- ' . / " ufed 



[v I 

a ufed fhooting mofte, and knewe it heft, werfe not 

«< learned: ihen that were learned, ufed little Aoot- 

'* *« 

w iti£, and were ignorant in the nature of the thynge; 

" and fo fewe men hath bene, that hitherto were able 

u to wry te upon it" . 

Although in this kingdom 

■ ' ■ ■' ' '■' There arfc : 

' "' Whomftill the meed of the" green 'archer charm's.* 
jfrmftrong* < Art if preferring Health: & iiL 

yet, are there many, who have fcarcely heard of 
fuch an exercife as that of the bow: and Others, who 
ittay occafionally have feen that inftruirient in the 
hands 1 of an archer ; and 1 yet are total ftrangers to 
its peculiar* and valuable qualities. And, theVfc ate 
not afew, who fh6w that refpe6i and veneration fbir 
the bow, anil that propensity to tike ft up, ' vtoiicft, 
'Afcham obfervfes, is To natural tb ifidWnglijh nation. 
Yet, as he tells u&," <c becaufe they knowe ribt wliiche 
"' waye' to houlde to come to fhbotiri^e, have 
" cleaiie turned themfelvefe from f!l6otinge, l,, To 
encourage fuch pterfons to engage in" the pra&ice of 
ail art; which* 'pVbimfes tb reward thfeif labours, with 
health, pleafnre, fatisfaftion and appliuft; and to 
affift their attempts to becotae proficients in it; is the 
author's chief airrt. 

Afcham had more .extended vieWs in writing 1 liiA 
treatife, adapted to the times in which he lived : 
namely, the fervice of his' Prince, wh'6 ftrove to' eii- 
courage the art for military purpofes, and of his 
Countrymen, by reminding them of the honour and 
valtfe of it in the field; and att eanreft defire'to 

a 2 check; 



\, 



. [ * ] ' 

check, as far asjttftxeafoning and honeft pejrfuafiom 
would go, the baneful influence of, among other 
vices of the times, that of gambling (which, we may 
colleft, from his manner of exprefling himfelf, was 
carried to a inoft lamentable height) ; and to fubfti- 
tute an honourable, healthful and manly amufement. 
This treatife of Afcham's, although, in fome parti- 
culars, it appears to us defective as a Treatife upon 
the Art of Archery ; yet is it found to be extremely 
ttfeful t6 thofe who wifh to become fcientifically 
acquainted with the art. Upon the late revival of 
archery, it was reprinted, from an. edition of his 
whoje works by Bennet in 176 J, with two or three 
trying notes, that confefs the inability of the £nno- 
tator to explain this part of his author's work. Af- 
cham was a man of great learning >and (as his Bio- 
graphy informs) was not only the chief ornament of . 
a celebrated college in the univerfity, but vifited 
., foreign countries, frequented courts, and, lived in 
familiarity with ftatefmen and princes; not only in- 
ftru&ed fcholars, in literature, but formed Elizabeth 
to empire. He had too the honour and good fortune 
to be tutor to Lady Jane Gray. See Bennefs Pre- 
face to AfchanCs works, and the Biographia. It was 
the faihion of the time3, in which he lived, to write 
in the Greek or Latin language; but he wtote his 
Toxophilus (2) (for'fo he fubfcrij>es his Treatife on 
Archery) in the Engliih tongue, for which he gives 

(2) The Toxophilus has undergone two editions/ fubfequent to 
its firft publication in 1 544, and previous to the edition of Af- 
-chatn'i works by Bennet! viz. in 15 7 1 , 1 589. N It wag reprinted ajt 
Wrcxkam % 1788. the 



, { vii ] 

the following reafon. " If any man would blame 
" me, eyther for tajunge fuch a matter in hande; 
" or els for writing it in the Englifhe tongue, this 
" anfwere I may make to him ; that whan the hefte 
" of the realme thinke it honeft for them to ufe, I, 
" one of the meaneft forte," ought not to fupppfe it 
" vile for me to write : and though to have written 
" it in another tongue, had bene both profitable for 
" my ftudy, and alfo more honeft for my name : yet I- 
" can thinke my labour well bellowed, yf with a little 
" hindraunce of my profyt and name, maye cohie 
" any fourtheraujice to the pleafure or commt)ditie of 
" the gentlemen and yeomen of Englande, for whole 
" fake I tooke this matter in hand." Another ob- 
ject with him was (as he gives us to underftand) to 
bring into repute and purify the JEnglifh language. 
And his performance was, no doubt, at the time, 
' an ornament to it: but, at this day, his phrafe- 
ology ftands in need of much explanation, to make 
it intelligible. This treatife alfo wears *a very for- 
bidding afpeft on another account ; being written 
in queftion and anfwer, and in the Socratic ftyle of 
difputation* (replete with arguments and fimilies'of 
confiderable length, often digreffing largely from the 

* x fubjeft matter, and not unfrequently involving that, 
as it were, in a cloud of excentric and often appa- - 
rently trifling reafoning) it has been found by much 
too tedious and 'dry a publication for thofe, who 
either are not admirers of antique literature ; 6r who 

\ wifh to have the thread of the fubjeft they are in pur- 
fuit of unbroken ; or who have not fufficient leifure 

a .3 to 



[ viii ] 

to ppfue it through the uninterefting mazes of fquaint 

' differtat^on. 

Th«fe cfrcumfiances induced the author of the 
following .publication to confid[er, in what manner he 

' could render this part of his work moft acceptable to 
the generality of readers, and more conformable .to 
his plan. To haverepublifhed the JoxopMlus with 
explanatory notes (many of which' mult neceflarily 
have been very prolix) would, he conceived, tend 
much to djftr,a6t the attention of the reader. And* 
as archery had undergone fpme alteration, fince the 
time when Afcham wrote, he apprehended, that the 
readieft way to make his defign intelligible, eafy and 
acqeptable, was to throw the text and comment to- 
gether, leaving little to follow by way of note. And, 
to prevent the idea, that he had arrogated to himfelf 
what was th$ produ&ibn of Afcham, he has not 
failed to mark every fentence, which he has extra6ted 
from the Toxophilus, with inverted commas ; a rrfe- 
thod he Ym adopted with refpe& to hi3 quotations 
from other authors : to which he has alfo, in general 
if not always, obferved to annex their names. 

. i In attempting to methodife the Toxophilus, he 
found he had engaged in an undertaking of fome 
difficulty. This Treatife on Archery may, withjuf- 
tice, may be compared to a differed puzzle, confifting 
of many very differently formed parts ; which, when 
jjghtly connefted/ form pne complete and regular 
$gure: or, to a nujmber of alphabetical letters thrown 
* promifcuou/ly together, but which, when properly 
arranged, difcover a regular and finifhed compofi- 

tion; 



t « -3. , ; 

tion ; and which are left for the reader to exercife his 
wit, in the putting them together. JHowever, he 
has ftudied to make the bufinefs eafy to his readers, , 
by colle&ing and arranging the variety of little hints 
upon the art, which are to be found greatly cJUpetfed 
in the Toxtphilus, and often inveloped in the fubtil* 
ties of logical difcuffion ; and to methodife and re- 
duce them into fome kind of regijlarity and fyftein. 
For which purpofe, he has varied from the plan of that 
work, which only divided the treatife into t^o parts; 
»nd he has, throughout, made ufe of chapter and 
J%8ion, and arranged the fubjeft matter accordingly. » 
This method will be, found to anfwer, tolerably wel^ 
the purpofe of an Index ; for. the heads of every chapter 
and fe&ion being fomewhat full and explanatory, will 
become an eafy guide to any particular part of the 
Comment upon the Toxophilus. And, as this plan is 
adopted throughout the following tra&s, the reader 
will thereby have a pretty accurate viey of the whole 
work. Betides, the author found it neceflary, not 
pnly to change the old orthography for the modern, 
but alfo to explain, and, fometimes, translate whole 
fentences; which, though fuited to the quaintnefc of 
the time in which Afcham wrote, are not well adapted, 
to the prefent. Beyond thefe neceflary liberties, ,he 
has made but little alteration in vthe grammatical 
paf t of the cojnpofition ; occafionally, only, infert- 
ing between crotchets, a word t>r two by way of ex* 
planation: And, to fatisfy curiqfityi ajid raife ifmile; 
he has quoted fome few of the more remarkable 
paffages in their original form and drefs. 
r ; a 4 The 



The author muft here, indeed, obferve, he had beerf 
: given to imderftand, that a/Treatife upon-Archery had 
be«n written fmce the Toxophilus, by Gervafe Mark- 
ham, (publiflied in the year 1634). To this work, 
therefore, he was eager to Tefer ; conceiving that it 
would either fuperfedie the neceffity of his intended 
collections fromNthe Toxophilus; or, at leaft, fave 
him much labour in the undertaking. Withfome 
pains he got accefs to the book (which, at this 
time, is a very fcarce Trad) ; v but he found himfelf 
greatly difappointed and deceived, and felt not a 
little indignation againft the author and his per- 
formance, when he difcovered, that it was a mere 
extract from Afcham, without any kind of comment 
or explanation : yet, with matchlefs effrontery, dif* 
playing a manifeft endeavour to conceal the name of 
the original compofer, and to transfer the language 
and merits of the Toxophilus of the learned Afcham 
to Mr. Geroafe Markham. 

To render this part of his publication more com- 
plete, the author has adjled to the Toxophilus feveral 
chapters; confiding of matters either totally un- 
noticed, or but very flightly touched upon by Af- 
cham. And he has fubjoined an account of the dif- 
ferent kinds of fhooting, and given the various rules 
applicable to each, which he prefumed would not be 
unacceptable ; particularly to young archers and\hofe 
who may wiih to form themfelves into focieties, and 
to regulate them according to the cuitomary atfd.ef* 
tabliftied rules. * 

After giving this reafon, for having entered fo much 

into 



into the minutice of practical archery ; he has only 
to obferve, that he has endeavoured to avoid thcerror 
of becoming obfcure oy too much brevity ; and pof- 
fibly may have run into the oppofite extreme. Upon 
the whdle his obje6l has been to execute his perform- 
ance with fidelity and corre&nefs, and he has been 
particularly, careful, not to omit any part or word in the 
Toxophilus, which could tend ,to elitcidate his fubje6h 
In perilling the Art of Archery, the reader will fre-i 
quently ftumble upon terms of art. Afcham tells us, 
" he muft ufe archers words." To make thefe terms 
familiar and intelligible, the author has added a Glof- 
fary or Explanation. 

With refpe6i to his Comment upon foroe parts of 
the Toxophilus, piarticularly on thoje points which 
are now termed Afcham s Jive Points of Archery, ht 
. feels great diffidence, and entertains much doubt of 
a fuccefsful endeavour: and, therefore, cannot but 
-make avowal and apology for the imbecility of his 
pen ; which 'indeed, muft frequently manifeft itfelf 
in that and various other parts of the following 
Tra&s. To have left them in the unexplained ftate 
in vhich Afcham has given them, would not be fatif- 
-fying the nature of a Comment : and. as the want of 
an enlarged Comment has long been complained of, 
the author determined to do his beft towards fur- 
motfrting the difficulty of the tafk. , 

All arts, we know, are more properly the fiibjefts 
of imitation, than of defcription : at leaft, fo far as re- 
lates to the minutice of them, to manual operation, and, 
in particular to corporeal attitudes: to exprefs which, 

both 



• [ xii ] 

iKtfJb the pen and the pencil are, even in the hands 
g£ the firft matters, often found to be very inade- 
.qptfe; and fail to become fatisfa$ory. In the ope- 
^rations alluded to, there is fubjoined to great dexte- 
rity a peculiar method and Jtyk of action, that 
often cannot be taught but by example. To thefe 
caufes muft, in a great meafure, be attributed the 
lofs of fame former arts. It was the difficulty 
of conveying a clear and fatisfajftory explanatioa, 
which feems to have deterred Afcham (whofe le^ra*- 
ing and knowledge of $rchery might well teve 
qualified him for the taCk) from giying us a greater 
infight into' this part of the art: for, we find him 
frequently obferving, that fuch nicety of a&ion was 
^nore " plea/ant to behold than eajy to he taught— not 
" fo difficult to be followed in praQice, as to be de~ 
u Jctibed." And, fpeaking ofjhooting well, he ob- 
ierves, " I can teach you to fhoote faire, even as Sor 
' a crates taughte a m&n ones to know God; for, 
" when he afked him what was God, Nay, fayth he, 
" I can tell you better what God is ndt : as God b 
" not ill, God is unfpeak.able, unfearchable, and fr 
u forth ; even likewife I can fay of faire ihootihge." 
Following this rule, he has given us a fort of negar 
tree or rever/ed infiru6tion : pointing out the faults, 
a*nd leaving us to extra& from them the exoellengia& 
and perfe&ion, of an archer ; and, clofing his ofeferr 
vations, by a reference to the archer, and an admo- 
nition to ftudy from life. In thefe days, the pra&ice 
of archery differs, in fome refpe6ts, from the archery 
of former ages : and, from the partial attention now 
' paid 



■'-.[■ xiii 3 

paid to it, the principles uf the art do not feem'to be 
thoroughly underftood, or perf$6tty ascertained and 
fettled; and consequently, we foriietimes find, that , 
opinions upon the fubje6t claih, and by turns out- 
weigh each other. Indeed, it muft be obferved, that 
many experiments in archery yet remain untried. 
Every man is too apt to flatter himfelf, and to 
think that method the.beft, by which he beft fuo 
ceeds. But fuch an opinion is founded in fhort-fight- 
ednefs and narrow judgment. And, we are too 
much ii^clined to difplay our own weaknefe, by con-* 
demning or fetting at naught what is not fuited to 
our confined comprehenlion ; and often fuppofe, that 
in this age every thing is better done than it was in 
the laft: and beyond that, we think we difcern great 
error and ignorance. Although this remark does not , 
want foundation, yet, the hackneyed phrafe, "that 
" every age improves upoft the laft," may fometimes be 
mifapplied. To bring thefe obfervations to our fub- 
je<8; (archery). We are very unwilling to admit, and 
are often tempted to deny the excellence an,d feats 
of archery noticed in former times ; becaufe we neither 
faw any fuch inftances of it ourfelves ; nor have we^ 
after many attempts, attained to fuch excellence. With- - 
out digrefling further into argument upon the occafion, 
one remark occurs ; namely, that the knowledge of 
a few years fliould be cautioufly fet up againft the 
experience of ages. And we fliould be fomewhat in- 
clined to allow, that we may not yet have recovered 
all the knowledge, principles and methods, under 
which archery was purfued by our anceftors. The 

author 



author of the following Tra6ts has dwelt longer upon 
thefe obfervations, than, perhaps, was neceffary ; 
left,* by apparently leaning to the praftice of modem 
archery, and fetting forth the examples of a few good 
archers of this day, he fhould be charged with having 
modernifed this ancient art too much. But, certainly, 

" archery, and the caufe of its pra&ice, have greatly 
changed fince Afcham wrote. We flioot fhorter dif- 
tan^es-^ufe weaker bows, and ftudy more precision, 
than our anceftors did. And, although the author is 
aware, that there are, in thefe days, men of great 
genius and ingenuity, who, being iatisfied that archery 
is aij art very difficult in nice performance, have not 
merely taken it up, but alfo have made it a critical 
Jiudy andfecere labour ; and who have, in their prac- 
tice, fbmewhat fwerved from the opinions of thofe, 
who derived their knowledge in the art, from the 
remnant of the old Englifh archers: yet, he is ready 
to confefs, his inclination leads him to think, that 
cofrld our forefathers rife again and become our in- 
flra&ors, it may, at leaft, admit of a doubt, whether* 
in teaching archery, even under its prefent reftramts, 
,they would not fupport the old pra&ice, by wdl 

" founded reaf&ns and convincing experiment. 

To thofe who have feen Mr. Anderfon fhoot, it 
will immediately occur, that thefe* obfervations ad- 
vert particularly to his Jlyle of fhooting; which 
has been by fome. (and very fuccefsfully) fol- 
lowed of late. To thofe who have not, further ex- 
planation may be neceffary. In the laft of the fol- 
lowing Tra&s, which contains the Pratiice ofArckefy, 

the 



the reader will find it noticed, thf t, of late years, Am 
lingers only had been, by many, tried in drawing the 
firing; and that feveral archers held their bows in an 
oblique dire&ion or fom&vhat flattened. Thefe two 
points particularly mark the fliooting of Mr. An- 
deribn ; who obtained his knowledge of atrchery 
in Flanders: but it fhould be obferved, that th£ 
Flemings feldom flioot any diflance beyond one hun- 
dred yartfy. Mr. Anderfoij took up the bow at a very 
early age, *and from that period has made it a con* 
ftant exercife: and he is faid to have found no 
rival in his practice of archery, either in England, 
Scotland, or Flanders. But, when it is faid, he has 
found no rival 9 it muft alfo be added, as far as Fie-, 
jnifli archery (that is, in point of dijiance) extends. 
For, his fliooting has heen confined to the target and 
butt. Mr, Ahderfon flioots with a bow rather weak, 
yet fitted to his ftrength and the Length he flioots: 
he has an excellent eye, and poffeffes an eafy, fteady 
_ and jharp loofe. Upon the whole, he is allowed to be 
an incomparable archer. 

In one part of tta following Tra&s (Part II.) it 
will appear, that the author has noticed archery, not 
only as a moft gentlemanly recreation, and an ex- 
ercife capable of affording the amufement of an 
hour; but as pofleffing in itfelf fome valuable inci- 
dents/ particularly in its tendency to promote and 
reftore healthy and to increafe and invigorate the muf- ' 
cular powers of the body. Some may fuggeft, he has , 
furely preffed the point too far; and that his own par- 
tiality has carried him beyond the bounds of reafon, 

when 



wlien fee ventures to prefcribe archery* as a reihedy 
agaSHR bldugt. However, he has not written without 
fcitmgf His authorities, (fome of them indeed ftati- 
tptktiM rind fan&ioned by parliamentary declaration)! 
On- this fiibjeft Mr. Saizmann. (the author of thfe 
(xpntoqftic Exercifes for Youth) in fpeaking of the 
.valufc of archery, as an exercife for young perlbns, 
fupportsfcfe opinions by a fenfible remark, which will 
apjiiy very forcibly to this part of the author's Trafts*: 
11 I ititift cdrifcfe,'" fays he, " that every fport, which 
** occupies a lad, exercifes his faculties, and fortifies 
M his* health; by' employing him iw the open air, 
** appeats to : nie of importance. If thi force' of an 
** Ulyffesbe defirable, let us not defpife tHemearii,.by 
41 which he acquired and ex^rcifed it" On tiiany 
accounts archery appears to be an exercife of much 
value. Perhaps there is no amufement whatever, 
which more awaicfens and enlivens the a6tive powers, 
and creates fcf little fattety. 

Part of the author's defigh was an inveftigatioii of 
ancient archery, with a view to ascertain the truth of > 
thfe feats recorded of the 4 bow in former .times, 
when in the hands of individuals; arid to diferitaiigle 
them, as much as poffible, from fiction and romance : 
for this purpdfe, he has coUe&ed, arranged," and 
commented upon all fuch feats of archery as / hif- 
i;ory or tradition has handed down tli us; and affayed 
the pra&icability of them by fuch rules, as feemeft 
beft adapted to attain the end propofed. Judging, 
that ^favourable reftflt to this inquiry, would. quiet 
the many floating opinions and frequent defultory 

% * obfervatioii,s 



<fl&tfyationfr Ujttm the fubjea ; and **>uld alfo afford 
fatisfaftion to the lovers of archery. Iitgfe *wrib 
of this invdligation) many feQs rdativeto rtS&tary 
aVchery caught his eye; particularly fuch as are to 
be found in Sir Johii Smith's Difcoutfe ifa&itopbn*: 
which were the fubje& of a very able publication 
at the otitfe of the fixteenth eeatury^ and \V-hich are 
not to to-met with* fo fVilly dtft&iled^ in any hiftorical 
writer upon the aflfehfc of this kingdom, Hencjje, he 
was led into a new -field of differtation- on 1&e powett 
of the bow, nettetitly indeed, trod over before him by 
*veiyingettioiiswriteir(Mn Mafon)^ who (althbugfc 
not pofleffing'the evidence that had fallen in the way 
of the author df thefe TraQs^ and which 5 Was highly 
hnptirtftttt foliate .fubje6fc, in as much as- it giteatly 
extended the known powers of the bdw, and Tap* 
ported its military character by more recerit ex* 
ample* of itfc effe€b; long after the introdu&ion of 
jfireJattntt;foa,tyti by the pen of a mairof gfeat military 
ikill*nd experience, who himfelf bore teftn^ony to 
part of his narrations) offers, a$ far as good reafoning 
and-able dedu&ion and comment cah extend, a Vfery 
forcible appeal in behalf of the bow, as^a 1 Weaptfnof 
war -; calculated tb contend even With the weapons of 
ihtprefmt age. In the courfe of this purfuit, the 
author was" led to perufe and confider the arguments 
of thofe, who had written in pppofition ttrSir John 
Smithy and 1 to eolle&, from a Variety of authors^ 
whatever \he could find applicable to his fubjeflrL 
This part of his work alone has proved -a taflc of la- 
bour and refearcfa, for Havifag once entered upon it, 
^ he 



he wiihed to leave it complete. Ift accompliflring his, 
defign* he has, perhaps,.beeafomewhat too liberal of 
his notes, and at times too prolix in their details. 
However, in point of matter, this p^rt of his attempt, 
has anfwered far better than that, which purpofes an 
inveftigation into the feats of ancient archery; in 
purfuit of which, he was carried far into the mazes 
of antiquity; for, when he had extricated himfetf, he 
had the mortification to find, that, among the many 
volumes' in print and manufcript, from whence he 
mpft hoped for information, very little to his purpofe 
could be gleaned. Yet, he feels fome fatisfa&ion in, 
the confidence, that the fearch has been 4 made ; and, 
that he ihall obtain credit for labours, which can 
never be made apparent. This inquiry has, how- 
ever, enabled him to introduce, in a part of the follow-? 
ing Tra6ls (Part IV. Ch. vi. Sec. iii. ) an account of 
the length of the old Englijh arrow : the different 
opinions refpe&ing which have long been a fubjeft 
of inconcjufive argument; and, he has endeavoured* 
by a collodion of ancient authorities in print and 
manufcript, to eftabliih a well founded-conclufion 
upon this head. 

The author had it in contemplation, to have in- 
troduced in the following Tracts, as accurate a fketch 
of the hiftory of our great hero of archery (Robin 
Hood), as the public and private libraries, to which 
he had acceis, would afford. He had, indeed, 
entered upoir the execution of this defign j when, 
meeting >vith the new edition of the Garland, he 
defifted from further fearcbes: believing, that, any 

attempt, 



' [ xix ] 

attempt to add to the colle6tion3 of the author of 
that publication upon the fubjeft,* would prove as 
fruitlefs, as any attempt to arrange and connect 
his own - Collections, fo as to render^them in any 
degree as acceptable as thofe in the new Gar- 
land. Indeed, to the author of that publication, 
both the Archer a<nd the Antiquarian are much in- 
debted ; no !efs ; for the beft and moil authentic ac- 
count of that great archer ever publiflied ; than for 
the 'valuable additions of ancient poetry relative ta 
his exploits, which that author has, made to the Gar~ 
land itfelf: However, one Extraft, upon this head, 
from GraftoriV Chrbrticle, will be found in the courfe 
of the following work, r 

. Although thefe Tra&s are dedicated to the Archer, 
and the Engliftv Long-bow is the fubjeft they profefs 
to treat upon ; yet it is a fubje6t fo intifhately con- 
nected with the affairs of this kingdom, that it can* 
not but partially include the Ilijlory and Antiqui- 
ties of Great Britain : and therefore may poffibly at- 
tract the attention of thofe who are fond of perufing 
iiiveftigations of that nature. The Eriglifh long-bow 
has, of late years, become a topic not only of private 
converfation, but alfo of public difcuffion. In the 
year 1783, the Honourable Daines Barrington pre* 
fented to the Society of Antiquarians (of which he was 
a member) a paper upon the fubjed ; which was read 
before them, and is printed in the Archceologia. It con- 
tains indeed, a very imperfect hiftory of the Englifh 
Long-bow; and, although not charaQerifed by any ex- 
tent of refearch, is erroneous.in many particulars. Mr, 

b Barrington's 



Bafrington's Miftakes will be noticed, as. they occur, 
in the following Trafts : which will be found to pur- 
fue the fubjed to a very remote period of time. 

Befides the lover of hiftory and •antiquities, a con- 
siderable part of the following work, as it involves 
military affairs, may perhaps draw the attention of 
military men : who, if they are not entirely of Sir 
John Smiths opinion, with refpeft to the expediency 
of refuming the bow as a weapon of war to the extent 
lie recommends, yet may deem his arguments (fi*p- 
ported as they are by numerous authorities of great 
refpe&ability and weight) Sufficiently important to 
merit, at leaft, fome confederation, if not experiment- 
It is, probably, owing to this want of experiment 
alone, that the Englifh long-bow has been of late 
years, fo much unnoticed as a weapon of war. So 
Simple an inftrument carries in its appearance but 
little to attraft attention : nor will any defcription of 
its powers be fully credited: till fupported by the 
a6hial exercife and difplay of them. This obferva- 
tion is founded on daily experience. Many, wha 
have looked upon the bow as a toy, have been 
brought to confefs, that, upon various occafions, it 
muft prove equivalent in its effe&s, as a weapon of 
war, to modem Jire-arms. 

, Whatever may be the future fate of the EngliSft 
long-bow; yet the memory of Englishmen muft, at 
times, beftow a grateful thought upon it: when they 
recollect, that by the aid of tliis weapon, they not - 
only became an independent and free people ; but 
alfo by that aid rofe fuperior in the fcale of European 

powers, 






[ xxi ] 

powers, attcl laid a fecure foundation for their prefent 
commerce, trade and greatnefa To ufe the words 
of Camden, — -" I will fay no mpre, but as one fayth ; 
u when Englishmen ufed Hercules weapons^ the bow 
" and the black bill, they fought vi&orioufly, with 
. " Hercules fucceffe" — (Remaines). 

The author apprehended, that he could not fatisfy 
his readers better, than by adding, to his Tra<5te on 
archery, a copy of fo much of Wood's Bowman's , 
Glory as was at all interefting. Particularly as this 
little publication is now very fcarce, feldom to be 
procured in a perfeft ftate (wanting in general the 
pojifcript); and, being much fought after by archers, 
iells at very confiderable price.. 

The Bowman's Glory- confiftg of two diftin6t Parts 
or Tra&s, introduced by a fliort addrefs to King 
Charles IL a dedication, and a few lines in praife of 
archery : The firft contains 

1. A Patent of King Henry VI IL (in the 2Qth year 
of his reign) appointing and incorporating the 
Matter of the Ordnance and others Overfeers of 
the Fraternity or Guild of Saint George, and 
the Science of Artillery for long-bows, crofs-bows 
and hand^gum, with power to eftablifli the perpe- 
tual Fraternity of St. George, and with other ufual 
corporate powers; and licence to ihoot at all 
manner of Marks and Butts, and at the game of 
Popinjay, and at all fowls (except in the King's 
forefts, chafes and parks without fpecial War- 
rant) : and to wear embroidery, filks:, fatins and. 
furs, not above the furs of martens. This patent 
b2 alfo 



[. x*ii ] , 

■.: alfo contains an indemnity to any of the frater-r 
nity, who, after having pronounced the word 
: faji, fhall happen to hurt or kill anyone paffing m 

between the ihooter and his mark : fo as the fame 
/ / was a ufual and a known mstrk, in an open place, 
accuftomed to be fhot at. 
%';'A patent of King James (in the third year of his 
reign) which, after noticing, that the archers 
marks near London, had of late been removed 
and obftrufted, appoints the Lord Mayor of 
London, the great officers of ftate and others, to 
be commiffioners, for furveying ,the grounds 
(near London, and within two miles) accuftomed 
to have *had marks for archers; and to reinftate* 
the marks as they wfere in the time of King Henry 
, VIII. 
3. A patent of King Charles (in the eighth year of 
his reign) for the fame purpofe as that of King 
James. 
The Second Part of the Bowman's Glory appears 
to be written by W. M. or W. H. and contains an 
accOunt-of the public meetings ox Appearances of ar- 
chers from the year 1583. The whole of which will 
be found reprinted at the end of the following 
Trafts. 

Having thus v detailed the defign of the following 
work, and briefly ftated the plan of it ; the author 
ventures to lay N it before thofe for whom it is 
intended: and trufts that they will overlook his 
errors and accept his labours in the fervicfe of ar- 
chery. There are many who would have performed 

the 



the tafk in a far fuperior manner ; but the circum- 
ftance, that (in the period of twenty years, during 
which time archery has produced many very excel- 
lent archers, well qualified in every refpeft to take up 
the fubje<5t) no one has ftepped forward to afford that 
material afliftance and fupport to the art (by making 
public its benefits and rules of practice) long earneftly 
defired ; and, that former refearches upon the fubjeft 
extend but a little way, will he trufts fan6iion the 
prefent publication : which, although a widow's mite, 
is yet an offering at the fhrine of archery, that may 
perhaps be entitled to call upon greater genius, and 
more perfevering and fuccefsful labour and refearch, 
for a better. 

N The author is well fatisfied, that his additions to 
thefe colleftions on archery are fcarcely worthy of 
notice. It is upon thofe Collections alone, that lie 
prefumes to think his Publication may become ac- 
ceptable. That muft certainly be deemed worthy 
attention, which is eagerly fought after, and for the 
obtaining of which coft is not fpared. It is therefore a 
pleafing circumftance to him, that, fetting his time 
and labour out of the calculation, he is enabled to 
lay before the admirers of archery (at barely the 
Printer's Charge) the following Collections upon the 
fubje£i, from printed works, with difficulty to be 
procured at any price ; and from manufcripts which 
are only to befeen, and that in but one or two places 
in this kingdom. 

It only remains for the author to acknowledge the 
friendly affiftance he has received in the courfe of his 
undertaking. 

b 3 To 



[ xxiv ] 

To tjie pencil of an artift (Mr. R. K. Porter) whofe 
excellent productions have long been the fubje6fc of 
great admiration and public applaufe, he is indebted 
for the frontifpiece of his work ; and which the rea- 
der will find referred to in the Comment upon the 
Toxophilus (Part IV. Chap. viii. Sec. iv.) 

. To Mr. Haworth he is indebted for the loan of the 
Records of the Finfbury Archers: and to Mr. Waring, 
for his communications and affiftance in matters rela- 
tive to the mechanical operations in archery. 

.As thefe Tra&s are defigned to fupport the caufe of 
archery, the following extraft from Carew may not 
be mifplaced at the clofe of this introdu&ory Pre- 
face. 

" Amongft the bodily Paftimes, fliooting carrieth 
¥ the pre-eminence ; to which in mine yonger yeeres 
*' I caried fuch afFe&ion, as I induced Archery, per- 
" ftvacjing others to the like liking, by this enfuing 
PROSOPOPEIA: 
" My deare Friends, I come to complaine upon you, 
- <c but to yourfelves : to blame you, but for your good :" 
'* to expoftulate with you, but in the way of reconci- 
* l liation. Alas, what my defert can juftify your 
" abandoning my fellowihip, and hanging me thus 
" up, to be fmokerftarved over your Chimnies? I 
" am no Stranger unto you : but by birth, your 
" Countrywoman; by dwelling, your neighbour ; by * 
* c education, your familiar: neither rs my Company 
* c fhameful; for I haunt the light and open fields *: 
" nor my Converfation dangerous; nay, it fliields 
" you from dangers, and thofe not the leaft, but of 

• " greatell 



* € Cpnfequence, the dangers of Warre. And as in 
" fight I give you Prote&ion, fo in Peace I fupplie 
*' your Paftime ; and both in Wane and Peace, to 
-** your lymmes I yeelde aftive Plyantneffie, and to' 
4i your bodies healthful Exercife : yea, I provide you 
" food when you are hungrie, and helpe digeftion 
" when you are full. Whence then proceedeth this 
" unkinde and unufual ftrangenefle? Am I heavy for 
" burthen ? Forfooth, a fewe light ftickes of wood. 
" Am 1 combrous for Carriage ? I couch a part of 
u tnyfelf clofe under your girdle, and the other part 
" ferveth for a walking-ftaff in your hand. Am I 
" unhandfome in your fight ? Every Piece of mee is 
M comely, and the whole keepeth an harmonical pro- 
" portion. Laftly, am I coftly to bee provided ? Or 
" hard to be maintayned ? No, Cheapnefs is my Pur- 
" veyour, Eafineffe my Preferver : Neither doe I 
" make you blow away your Charges with my breath, 
" or taynt your Nofe with my fcent, nor defile your 
" face and fingers with my Colour, like that hell- 
" borne Murderer, whome you accept before me. I 
" appeale. then to your valiant Princes, Edwards, 
" and Henries, to the Battayles of Crefey, Poyters y 
" Jgincourt, and Floddon ; to the Regions of Scot- 
" land, Fraunce* Spaine, Italy, Cyprus, yea and 
«' Jury; to be Umpires of this Controverfie: all which 
" (I doubt not) will with their evidence playnely * 
" prove, that when mine adverfe party w»s yet fcarce- 
" ly borne, or lay in her fwathling Clouts, through 
" mee onely your Aunceftours defended their Coun- 
<4 try, vanquiihed their enemies, fuccoured their 
i b 4 " friends, 



[ xxvi ] 

" friends, enlarged their- Dominions, advaunced their 
" Religion, and made their names feareful to the 
" prefent age, and their fame everlafting to thdfe 
" that enfue. Wherefore, . my dear friends, feeing 
" I have fo fubftantially evicted the right of my 
" caufe, conforme your wils to reafon, conformeyour 
" reafon by praftice, and convert your pradice to 
" the good of yourfelves and your Country. If 
" I be praife-worthy, efteeme mee : if neceffary, 
" admit mee : if profitable, employ mee : fo fhali 
" you revoke my death ^to life, and fhew yourfelves 
" no degenerate iffue of fuch honourable Erogeni- 
" tours. And thus much for Archery, whofe tale, 
u if it be difordered, you muft beare withall; for fliee 
« is a woman, and her minde is paffionate." 

Survey of Cornwall 




CONTENTS. 



Page 

Lift of Authors quoted - - xxxvi 

Lift of Prints relative to Archery - - xlii , 



PART I. 

An Examination into the Hifory, Character,' drti 
Military Carter of the Englijh Long Bow, from 

, the Period of its Introduction . into Britain to 
that of its ExtinBion as a Weapon of War: 
collected from the beji Authorities: with the Opi- 
nions of well-informed Men, and fomeObfervations, 
upon the Propriety of its Abolition in the Fields 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER- I. 

Sec. i. ANTIQUITY of the Bow-- Superiority of the Bow \ 
■^*" as a Weapon of War, previous to the Know- 
ledge of Gunpowder— Principles and Materials of Bows in 
General — Englifti Nation renowned for Archery— Revolu- 
tions in the Art of War— Periods of all Aits i 

SEta. 2. Introduction of the Bow into Britain — Partiality of 
our Anceftors for it founded upon iblid Reafons — Their Re- 
luctance to abandon the Ufe of it - ' - 7 

Sec. 3. Memory of the Bow ftill cherifhed in England — Ad- 
vantage gained to our Enemies by the Relinquifhment of 
it as a Weapon of War— Prefent State of the Bow in Eng- 
land — Probability of the partial Revival of Military Archery 
in England — Neglect of it difapproved - 20 

CHAP. II. 

'Extracts prom Sir John Smith's Discourse on. Weapons. 

Sec. t. Reafons for the Change in Military Weapons— De- 
feds of the Mufket— Impeiledions of the Bow— Quicker 
Difcharge of the Latter — Quick Firing condemned— Su- 
periority of Archers in the Field- Reafons— EfFe&s of Ar- 
rows upon the Horfe— Obje&ions againft the Bow. an- 
swered - - - - 27 

Sec. 2. 



[ xxviii ] 

PAOI. 

Sbc: 2. Effects of .Arrows more certain than thpfe of Bul- 
lets — Arrows terrify the Eye— Sir John Smith's Challenge 
to the Muiket— Difference between the Range of an Arrow 
arid a Bullet— Effects of both— Effect of Archery proved 

. by Examples — Battles of Ceessy, Poictiers, Navaretta, 
Agincourt, and Herrings— Opinion that Archer^ can- 
not ftand the Charge of Horfe anfwered by Examples to 
the contrary - - - 39, 

S*c. 3 . Particular Effects of Arrows againft Fire-arms, proved 
by Examples— Ket's Rebellion— Rebellion in the Weft — 
Battle at Newhavbn — Superiority of Englim Bows and 
Archery, compared with the Bows and Archery of other 
JNations - - - • * - 54 

CHAPTER III. 

Sec. 1 . Authorises in Support, of Sir John Smith's Observa- 
tions— Difufe of the Bow, as a Weapon of War, in Eng- 
land • - - - 63 

'Sbc. 2. Comparifon between ^the Bow and improved Fire- 
arms — Former Difadvantage of the Bow— Advantage of 
the Bullet over the Arrow — Peculiar Advantage of the 
Latter — Queftion, whether the Mufket or the Bow can 
. Difcharge the fafteft ? confidered— General Obfervations - 65 

Sfeft. 3. Obfervations on the Poffibilky of increafing the Pow- 
ers and Effects of the Bow— Caufes of the Improvement " 
in Fire-arms — Value and Importance of lately imported 
Bow-woods— Improvement in the Conflxuction jof the 
Bow ■- " - -72 



PART II. 

■ 

An Account of the Revival of Archery, m an Amttfe- 
went, in England: in which the Value of it as an 
Exercife capable not only of affording much Plea- 
Jure nind §atisJa£tion, but alfo (f re/ioring Health, 
and adding Vigour to the Nerves and Strength to 
the Body, is confidered. 

CHAPTER I. 

Sec. 1. Archery always an Amufement in England — Till of 
late confined chiefly to the North— Revival of Archery in 

. the South — Caufe*- Value of the Art as a,n Exercife — Au- 
thorities — Archery particularly recommended to youn,g Per- 

, fons— Not denied to old Age— Effect of Archery in re- 
lieving the Mind - - - "If 

Sec. 2. 



[ xxix ] 

Sec. 2. Archery ufed as an Exercife by the Firft Perfonages 
in all Nations— Fafhionable in England in the Times of 
Henry VIII. and his Sncceffors, till the Revolution — Caufes 
of its former Decline— Modern Archery, patronized by the 
Prince of Wales and the Nobility-r-In the Hands of the 
Fair Sex— Defence of it in their Hands — Value of Archery 
in promoting liberal and friendly Society — Peculiarity of its 
Tendency in this Refpe6t — Unreftrained Pleafures of the 
. Amufement - - • - 85 



PART III. 

An Inquiry and Inxeftigation into fuch extraordi- 
nary Feats ^ as are/aid to have been achieved with the 
Englifh Long-bow > in former Times ; and particu- 
larly by that great Hero of Archery y Robin 
Hood : with an Account of that famous Outlaw, 
from the moft authentic Record : and a Comparison 
of thofe Feats of Archery p , with fuch as are well 
attefted in modern Times, 

CHAPTER I. 

Sec. 1. Preliminary Obfervations — Truth of the Exigence 
and Hiilory of Hob hi Hood ^ - - t 9J 

Sec. 2. Teftimonies refpe&ing Robin Hood's Feats of dis- 
tant Archery— Obfervations— Shots from Turkifh Bows — 
Shot from a Bow drawn with both Hands— Diftant Shots ' 

by modern Archers — Obfervations on Robin Hood's Ar-' 
chery - - - - - 96 

Sec. 3. Obfervations on the probable Extend of Robin Hood's 
Shots, drawn from the Power of the Row fuppofed to 
have been ufed by him —Conclulion - - 104 

Sec. 4. Robin Hood's Feats of Skill — Obfervations— Feats 

v of Skill recorded of other Archers t- Feats of Skill in Archery - 
in modern Times - - - 108 



PART IV. 

The Art and Practice of Archery, including a Com- 
ment upon the Toxophilus of Ascham. 

CHAPTER I. 

Op the Instruments of Archery. 117 

CHAP- 



CHAPTER II. 

Of the Bracer. 

Ufe, of the Bracer —Form and Materials of the ancient Bracer 
—Modern Bracers - - ~ - nS 

CHAPTER III. 

Of the Shooting-Glove. 

Ufe of the Shooting-gjove— Ancient Shooting- glove— Modern 
Shooting-gloves —Materials — Fingers ufed in drawing the 
String — Handle of the Bow formerly waxed — Now cover- 
ed with Velvet, Shag, or Worried Lace -^ - lai 

CHAPTER IV. 

• Of the String. 

Importance of good Strings— Whether the String mould be 
made of Hemp or Silk — Strings how made — Different 
Effects of thick and thin Strings— Of whipping Strings, 
and preventing them fromfoon wearing out - - 125 

CHAPTER V. 

Of the Bow. 

Sec. t. Woods proper for Bows — Value of Yew as a Bow- 
wood —Superior Value of Foreign Yew — New Conftruction 
of the Bow — Origin of the Invention — Newly imported 
Bow-woods— Metal Bows - -. - 129 

Sec. 2. Choice of the Bow. 

Rules— Defects to be avoided — Parts of Trees ufed in Bow- 
making — Obfervations s - - ' - - ♦ 137 

Sec. 3. Of Proving the Bow. 

How a good Bow may be known and proved — How it is to 



be altered — Reafons and Obfervations 

Sec. 4. Of the Handle.- / 

Pofition of the Handle — Difference in Opinion on this 



Head — Obfervations 



Sec. j. Of the Horns. 

Houndnefs to be obferved in forming the Nock of the 
Horns-rMethod of placing the Nocks of the Horns 
formerly ufed in Scotland — Ornaments for the Upper 
Horn k - - - - 



140 



- 142 



- H3 
Sec. 6. 



[ xxxli ] 

'. PAGE. 

Sec 6. Length of the Bow. 

Mr. Barrington's Obfervations refpe&ing . the Standard 
Length of the Bow confidered— His Errors^ on this 
Head pointed out — Statute of 5 Ed. IV. cited — Remarks on 
that- Statute — Obfervations on the proper Length of the 
Bow - - - " - 144 



CHAPTER VI. 

Of Arrows. 

Sec. t. Different Parts of a Shaft— Woods proper for Steles 
— Rules to be obferved • in making Steles — Woods proper 
for War Arrows — Woods ufed for Steles in modern Ar- 



\ 



chery— Their different Qualities - - 147 

Sec 2. Of weighing and fairing Arrows. 

Arrows weighed and paired in former Times — Now. , 

. weighed by Troy Weight— Advantages of this Method— 
Scale of Weights for Arrows ufed in different Kinds of 
Shooting — Confequence of Shooting with Arrows of unequal 1 ' 
Weights - - - - - 154 

Sec. 3." Length of the Arrow. 

Length of the Arrow not noticed by Afcham— Opinion 
refpec~ting the Length of the Arrow compared with 
that .of the Bow — Length of Flenrith Arrows —Reafons — 
Length of Arrows ufed in diftant Shooting - - 1 54. 

Sec. 4. Forms of Arrows. 

Different Forms of Steles fuited to different Shooters — 
" — Reafons and Obfervations — Principles of Arts drawn 
from Obfervations upon the Wifdom of Providence, in 
the Formation of Animals. - - - 158 

Sec. 5. ,Of piecing Shafts. 

Reafons-^Origin— Utility - - , - - ° - \Co 

Sec. 6. , Of the Nock. 

Nocks of Arrows differently made — Advantages of 
different Nocks confidered— Obfervations on the Double 
Nock - - - - , .,6i 

Sec. 7. 



[ xxxii ] 

PAGK« 

Sec. 7V Of the Feather. * 

Importance of . the Feather— Obfervations on die Fea- 
tiiers of different Birds— Their different Properties in Ar- 
* chery— Value' and Ufe of the Goofe-Feather in former 
Days — Merits of the Turkey-Feather— Observations on the 
Feathers of the Goofe — Difference of Feathers in the fame 
Wing — Reafons for paying Attention to the Colour of the 
Feather — Feathers the moft efteemed when dropped - 163 

Sec. 8. . Op setting on the Feather. 

Feathers mould be drawn with Care— Cautions and Reafons 
— Obfervations and Rules for uiing long and mort Feathers 
— Opinion refpe£ting the Inclination or Incurvation obferv- 
ed in letting on the Feather — How far adopted by other 
Nations— Circularity the Phimum Moalle in Archery - 168 

&bc. 9.* . Of trimming the Feather/ 

Rules to be obfervedin trimming the Feather— Plucking of 
Feathers — Flight- Arrows, how feathered - - 170 

Sec. 10. Of the Head. 

Origin and Ufe of the Head— Different Kinds of Heads for 
pricking — Obfervations on the Ufe and Effect of each — 
Materials of Heads — Comparifoi* between the Different 
Effects of lharp and blunt Heads, fupported by Ex- 
periment - - - - -17* 

Sec. ir. Of setting on the Head. 

Rules for fetting on the Head — Reafons why the mort Head 
is better than the long Head - - - 175 

CHAPTER VII. 

Of the Belt, Tassel and Grease-Pot. 

Their different Ufes - - - - - 1 7*6 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Of Shooting in General. 
Sec 1. General Obfervations— Faults obferved in Archers— . 
Af chain's five Points of Archery - ' - 177 

Sec a. Of Stringing the Bow. 

Cautions— Different 'Effects of the high and low Bend— Rule 
for afcertaining the proper Bend— Of Stringing a Bow that 
is caff— Pofition of the String to be attended to - 182 

Sec 3. 



[ xxxiii } 



*AG*. 



Sec. 3. Of Bracing and Unbracing the Bow. 

Ancient and modem Methods - * 18^ 

Sec. 4* Of Standing. 

Rules to be obferved in afcertaining the proper Pofition and 
Attitude of an Archer— Authorities— Remarks and Inftruc- 
tions— Reference to the Frontifpiece— Characteriftics of 
Archery — The Archer's Attitude a Subject of Admiration 186 

Sec. 5. Of Nocking. 

Nocking the eafieft Part of Archery— Cautions — Method of 
. preventing irregular Nocking— Of handling the Bow - 19 1 

Sec. 6. . , Of Drawing. 

Drawing the beft Part of Shooting— Rules and Remarks - 19 j 

Sec. 7. Of Holding. 

How Holding is to be performed— Petition in which the Bow 
ihouldbeheld ■ - - 



Sec. 8. Of Loosing. 

Rules to be obferved in Looting 

Sec. 9. Of Shooting at Marks. 

FirftLeflbns . - 

Sec. 10. 



- m 



19$ 



~ 198 



Of Elevation. 

Obfentetions on Elevation— Higheft Point of Elevation— Dif- 
ferent Methods made Ufe of by Archers to obtain due Eleva- 
tion—Remarks «... 



- 199 



Sec.. 1 1. Of the Wind and the Weather. 

Neceffity for an Archer to underftand and ftudy the Nature 
of the Wind* and to become well acquainted with the 
Flight of his Arrows — Difference of the Seafons— Effect of 
the Weather upon the Bow and the Archer— Effects of the 
Wind in Archery— Courfe and Nature of the Winds'— Cau- 
tions to be obferved in Shooting near the Sea Coafts and 

. Rivers affected by a Tide - 

Sec. 12. Of the Footing. 

Footing or Standing in the Wind, the beft Means of coim- 
-tera&ing its Effects ^- - - . 



20ft 



203 



Sec. 13. 
Obfervations 



Of taking Aim. 



ac 9 



Sec. 14. Of keeping a Length. 

Cautions and Remarks 



- 210 
Sec. 15* 



1 [ xxxiv J * , 

*AG*. 

Sec. 15. Op Shooting Straight. 

Obfervations— Different lileans to Ihoot ftraight, tifed by- 
different Archers — Different Ways of looking at the Mark ~ 
^-Nature and Powers of the Eye— Caufes of not mooting 
ftraight — Remedy — Neceflity of keeping tlie Eye always 
fixed on the Mark *• , - * ' - -an, 

CHAPTER IX. 

General Observations and Cautions* 
Sec. t . Means ,of attaining to Excellence in Shooting— An 
Art in Archery to be found out and commanded - 21$ 

Sec. 2. Of ufing Strong Bows— General Rules for chuiing the 
Power of Bows - - - -217 

Sec. 3. Affections of the Mind - *• 220 

Sec. v 4» Of breaking Bows. 

Means by which Bows are broken — By the String— By the Shaft 
— By drawing too far — Remedy and Tokens of thefe Caufes 
— Bjr Frets -Obfervations en the Remedy for Frets— By 
Shooting in Winter - - - - 221 

Sec. 5* ~ Of preserving Bows. 

Of polifhing Bows — Bow Cafes— Of oiling Bows ,- 226, 

Sec. 6. Of Unbending and Changing Bows during \ , 

Shooting • • - ., - - - , ^ . 22^ 

Sec. 7. Ascham's Conclusion " . - - 228 

CHAPTER X. 

Of the several Kinds of Shooting, and tiIe Rules to 
be observed therein. 

Sec. i* Roving - - - - 230 

Sec. 2. Hoyle Shooting - - - * 236 

Sec. 3. Flight-Shooting » - - 237 

Sec. 4. Butt Shooting - * • - . 238 

Sec. 5. Prick Shooting -♦ - * * 241 

Sec. 6. Clout Shooting ' - - - 245 

Sec. 7. Shooting for Prizes - - * 246 

S ecv 8. Of the Popinjay and Goofe - - - 248- 

Sec. 9. Of Pluck Buffet - ' - - - 249 

Sec. 10. Of Fifh Shooting - - - -lb. 

. A Remem* 



1 , [ xxxv ] 

A Remembrance of the Shows and Shootings, or 
Appearances of Archers, in the Sixteenth and Seven- 
teenth Centuries. * - 

PAGE. 

Addrefs - * - - - 35$ 

The Shooting of the Duke of Shoreditch, (Anno 1583) - 2$j 

The Show at St. Martin's in the 'Fields in fctting up the 
Queen's Stake - * - - - - 177 

A Relation of the feveral Appearances of Archers fince the 
Reftoration - - - - 279 

Poftfcript - 

A Gloflary, or Explanation of the Terms made ufe of in Ar- 
chery - * - - 285 
Additions - - - » 297 
Errors * » - * . ago 



LIST 



L 1ST 

OF THE 

PRINCIPAL WORKS 

* QUOTED or REFERRED TO. 



10 prevent fhe frequent Repetition df the numerous Author-hie* 
quoted and referred to in thefe Tracts, with their Titles and 
Editions* and to facilitate the Reader's Reference to the Ori- 
ginals; the following Lift of Printed and Manufcript Works h 
laid before him. 

xVfFAIRS from Public Records, MSS.. Bill Cott. 

AUyn [Charles). The Battailes of Crefcey and Poi&iers. Lnidm+ 

1633, nmo. * 

Anglica, Hibernica, Normannica, Canlbrica, a Vcteribus Scripts. 

Ex quibus Giraldus Cambrenfis, &c. FrancofurtL Jmto> M. D. 

C. II. fol. 
ArcbaBologia, or Mifcellaneous Traits relating to Antiquity, pub* 

liilied by the Society of Antiquarians of London. London^ 

1770, 4to. 
Afeherie.— A Brief Treatife to prove the Neceffity and Excellence 

of, (by R. S.) Land. 1596, 4to. 
ArHQtt (Hug *).— Hiftory of Edinburgh. Edinb. 1779, 4to» 
Art of War, MSS. BibL Had. 
AJcham (Roger).— Toxophilus* or the Schole of Partitions. Lend* 

1544, 4to. 
Ayme for the Finfbury Archers, or an Alphabetical Table of the 

Names of * every Mark within the fame Fields, with the true* 

Diftanco* 



[ xxxvii 3 

' Diftanoe* by the .Map, and Dimenfuration with the Line, puV* 

lifted by J. S. and E. B. Lond. 1594, i6mo. Republiihed bf 

R. F. 2604, and again by James Partridge, 1628. 
Barclay (Job.). — Euphormionis Satyrici Icon Animorum, itfjj 

i2tn6. 
Barnes (Jojbua) Hiftory of Edward III. *id the Black Prince. 

Camb. 1688, fol. 
Harrington (Hon. Daines). — Obfervations on Archery. See Archae- 

ologia, or Mifcellaneous Tra&s relating to Antiquity, publifhed 

by the Society of Antiquarians of London, (vol. 7). Lond. 1740, 

* 4to. ' . 

Barwici (Humphrey).— *A breefe fiifcourfe, concerning the Force 

and Effect of all Manual Weapons of Fire, and the Difability of 

the Long-Bow, or Archery. Loud. 4to. 
Bellay (Guil. de).—De la Difcipline Militaire. Lyon. 1627, lamo.. 
Bo/well (James).— Tour to the Hebrides. Loud. 1785, 8vo. 
Camden (/^///*/»).~Remaines concerning Britaine. Loud. 1614, 

4to. 
Cautemir (Demetrius).— Hiftory of the Growth and Decay of the 

Othraan Empire, Englifhed by N. Tindal. Lend. ,1734., fol. 
Carew (Richard) .—Survey of Cornwall. Loud. 1602, 4-to. 
Charlton. — Hiftory of Whitby Abbey. 4to. 
Chardin (Le Chevalier). — Voyages en Perfe et autres Lieux de 

rOrient, 3 torn. 4mft. J711, 4to. 
Gluveri (Phil).— German^ Antique Lugd. Bat. apud Elzev. 

16 16, fol. 
Comines (Phil, de).— Memoires, 3 torn. Brujf. 1706, 8vo* 
Collections about levying of Men for the Service of War, taken 

-out of the Records, MSS. Bib. Cott. 
Country Contentments, (by G. M). Lond. 161 j and 1649, 4*o. 
Daniel (Samuel).— Colleaion of the Hiftory of England. Lond. 

1650, fol. 

Daniel (P ere).— Hiftoire de France, 7 torn, fecond edit. Amft. 
1720, 4to. 

; —Hiftoire de la.Milice Francoife, % torn. Amft. 

X724, 4to,s 

b » ( De/aguliert 



[ xxxviii ] • 

Defaguliers \ji ;T.)«— Syftem of Experimental Philofophy, proved 

by Mechanics. Lond.iyj^, 4to. 
Duearell (Andrew Cohee) — Anglo-Norman Antiquities. Londori r 

1767, fol. 
Edmonds (Clement).— Commentaries of C. Julius Ceefar, tranflated 

Into Englifh, with Observations, Comments and' Notes* Land. 

169$, fol. 
Edward VI.— MS. Diary in his own Hand. Bibl. CW/. 
Fire-Shafts. — A new Invention of Shooting Fire^Shafta in Long- 
Bows (by a true Patriot). Lond. 162$, 4*0. • 
Fitxftephen (Will.) — Defcription of London, with a Commentary. 

Land. 1772, 4to. - " ■ : • ' 

Forte/cue (Sir John)*— Difference between abfolute and limited 

Monarchy. Lond. 17 14, 8vo. ' ' 

Froijart (.JM.)— Chroniques de France et d'Angleterre, 4 vol. 
. Par. 1 518, 4to. See the old Englifh Tranflation. 
Fuller {Thomas).— The Hiftory of the Worthies of England. Lond. 

1662, fol. 
Garland. See Robin Hood. 
Gibbon (Edw.)—Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman 

Empire, 6 vol. 3d edit Lond. 1778, 4to. 
Goodwin {Thwas).-* j-Hiftory of the Reign of King Henry V. Land. 

1704, fol. 
Grafton (Richard). — Chronicle of Briteyn. Lond. 1568, fol. 
Greaves (John). — Defcription of the Pyramids in Egypt. Lond. 

1646, 8vo. 
Hanmer (Meredith). — Hiftory and Chronicle of Ireland. Duhl. 

1633, fol. 

Hargrove (E.)— Anecdotes of Archery* 7^,1792, 121110. 
Hayward (Sir John)*-— The Lives of the three Norman kings of 

England. Lond. 1613, 4to. 
Life and Raign of King Edward VI. Lond. 

1630, 4tq. 
Herbert ( Edward). — Baron de Cherbury. Life and Reign of King 
. Henry VIII. Lond. 1672, fol; 
fierbert (Thomas). —Defcription of the Perfian Wovxrchy* lond. 

1634, foL 

Herbert 



[ xxxix "]' ' 

Jffer&ert (7WAf).— Travels into Africa and Afia. Lond, 1677, fol, 

Hollinjhcd {Raphael).— Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ire* 
land, 2 vols/ printed by John Harrifon. Lond* 4X0, 

JoytUs (PauUts).~ Defcriptio Britanniac, Scoriae, Hiberai*, ct 

i Orchadum. . Fen. 1548, 4to. 

Knovtlej {Richard) . — 'General Hiftory of the Turks. Lond. 1638, foh 

Latimer (Hugh).r~ Sermons. Lond. 1635, 4 t0, N 

Iceland (Joh.) — Be Rebus Britannicis Colle&anea, Edit. Thomas 
Hearne, 6 torn. Qxon. 17 15, 8vo. 

Lewis (Imp.)*— Ta&ica five de Re Militari. Lugd. Bat. 16 12, 4to. 

Lyttdton {Geo. Lord). — The Hiftory of the Life of King Henry If. 
and of the Age in which he lived, 4 vol. Land. 1767, 4to. 

Markham (Gervafe).— 'Art of Areherie. Lond. 1634, i2mo. 

■ Country Contentments. Lond. 1615, 1649, 

4to. 

Mafcou (Joh. Jacob). — The Hiftory of the ancient Germans, and 

,. other Northern Nations, tranflated by Thomas Lediard, % vol* 

Lond. 1738, 4 to. 
4 Ma/an (Richard 0/waId).—CoBfi derations on the Ufe of the Long- 
Bow and Pike. Lond. 1798, 8vo. 

Montluc (Blaife de). — Commentaires, 2 torn. Board, 1592, 8vo. 
. Montfaucon (Bern. de.). — Monumens de la Monarchic Francoife, 
5 torn. Par. 1729, fol. v ^ 

Mofeley (Walter Michael) .—"May on Archery. VTorcefl. 1792, 8vo. 

Mulcofier (jR/V^wy/).— Pofitions concerning the training up of Chil- 
dren. Lond, 1581, 4to. 
' Muratori (Lud. Ant.) — Antiquitates Italian medii jEvi. 6 torn. Me* 
diol. 1738, fol. 

Neade (Will.)— rDpuble- armed Man. Lond. 1625, 4*0. 

Norfolk Militia.— -Plan of Difcipline for the Ufe of the. Lond. 
1760, 4to. ; ^ ■ * 

Oldfield (H. G.) — Anecdotes of Archery. Lond. 1791, i2tno. 

Fatrixi (Franc.) — Paralleli Militari. Rom. 1594* fol. 

Peck (Francis). — Defiderata Curiofa. Lond. 1779,* 4to. 

■ " . " * .". ■ ■■ The Antiquarian Annals of Stanford, Lond. 



17*7, fol. 



Percy 



Percy ( Themes) .-^Reliques of ancient Engliih Poetry, 3 vol. LonaK 

1765, 8vo. 
Pmkerton (y<>&i).— Hiftory of the Scots from the Acceffion of the 
. Houfe of Stuart to that of Mary, % vols. Lond. 1797, 4to^ 
Plinii (Caii &?»*<#) »-~Hiftoriae Naturalis, 3 torn. Par, 17*3, fdl. 
Roherifon (William) — Hiftory of America, s vol. Lond. ^to* 
Rtbins.— New Principles of Gunnery. IW. 1 742. 
£*£/» HomI.—A Collection of all the ancient Poems, &c. now extant 

with hiftorical Anecdotes of his Life, % vol. Land. 1 795, 8vo. 
Rollin.— Ancient Hiftory (Engliih), 16 vols. Lend. 1754. 
!?S/} (Joto). — Hiftoria^ Rcgum Angliae. Edit. Tho. Hearne. Oxon. 

1 7 16, 8vo. 
Salzmattn (C. G.) — Gymnaftics for Youth, (tranflated from theGcr* 

man). Lond. 1800, 8vo. - ^ 

Sandys (George).-- Relation of a Journey to the Mediterranean and * 

Other parts. Lend* 1670, fol. 
Seville (Henry).— Rerum Anglicarum * Scriptores, pod Bedara. 

Lond. 1596, fol. 
Schefer (Johan.) — Lapponica. Franc. 1673, 4toI Angl. Oxon. 1674, 

fol. 
Scot (Reginald). —Dtfcoltry of Witchcraft. Lond. 1665, fol. 
Shotterell (Robert) and! — Archerie Revived, or the. Bowman's Ex. 
Durfey (Thomas). 5 cellence ; an Heroic Poem. Lond. 1676, 8vo. 
Smith (Sir John).— -Certain Difcourfes on Weapons* Comparifon 

of Weapons. Lond. 1590, 4to. 
« *— Anfwer to Mr. Barwick, MS. Bitl. Had. No* 

Speed (John). — Hiftory of Great Brkaine. Lond. 1650, fol. 
Spelman (Sir John).— Life of Alfred the Great,_by Thomas Hearne* 

Oxon. 1709, 8vo. 
Stem (John). — Survey of London, 1598, 4to.— Enlarged by John 

Strype, 2 vol. Lond. 1730. fol. 
■ Annales, or a General Chronicle of England. Lond. 

163 r, fol. V 

Strutt (Jofcph).— Horda AngeUcynnan, or a compleat View of the 

Manners, &c. of the Inhabitants of England, from the Arrival 

of the Saxons, till the Reign of Henry YlH. 3 vol. Lond. 

1775, 4to. 

Stuart 
\ 



Stutrt (fames). --AnXiquitiea of Athens, 3 vol. ,Z**& 1762, fol. 

Survey of Englifh Forts, &c. MSS. £#/. /far/. 

Tavemiere (f ean Baptijle).-— Voyages eta Turquie, en Perfe, & aus 

Indes, 3 torn. Par. 1676-9, 4 to. 
The Bookc of certain Triumphes upon the Marriage of Richard 

Doke of York (Son to King Edward IV.) with Ann Mowbray, 

Daughter to the Duke of Norfolk, MSS. Bit. Marl. 
Turner (Samttel)i — Account of an Embafly to the Court 6f the 

Tefhoo Lama, in Tibet : and Narrative of a Journey through 

Bootan. Lond. 1800, 4to. ( s 

Fegeiius (Flavius).—Dt Re Militari, cum Commentariis, aut Notis 

Franc. Modii, Sec. &c. Raphel. 1607, 4*0. 
Walker (Jofeph C.)— An Hiftorical Effay on the Drefs of the AncU 

ent and Modern Iriih; to which is fubjoined a Memoir on the 

Armour and Weapons of the Iriih. Dubl. 1788, 4to. 
Warrington ( William) .— Hiftory of Wales, 2 vol. Lond. 1 79 1 , 8vo. 
Williams (Sir Roger).— A Briefe Difcourfe of Warre. Leudr 

l $9°> 4to. 
Weod (Ant.)— Athens Oxonienfes. Lond. 1721, fol. 



Mr. Barrington, at the End of his Obfervations on Archery, 
notices a MS. Treatife on Archery, by a Sadler of Manchefter ; 
faid to be in thepofleffion of Sir Afliton Lever. This Treatife, • 
upon Inquiry, cannot now be found ; but by thofe who have fleen 
It r is faid to be of no Value ; containing only ibme few Extracts 
from Afcham, with fome very trifling Obfervations, accompanied 
•with Drawings of the Forms of common arrows. 
V.*B. The following Book is not quoted or referred to; but may 

be faid to relate to Archery. 
Poems on the Archers of the Royal Company of Archers, by-feye« 

ral Handi. Edink 1726, "8vo. 



IT may not be unacceptable to the Admirers of Archery, to bq 

informed, that the following Prints have lately been published on 

A* Subjea. 

An 



/ I xlii ] 

An Ancient Archer in Mail.— ^Defigned by Stodart and engraved 
by Heath. 

- This Figure is the Frontifpiece to Mr. Mofeley's Eflay on Ar- 
chery. It is very neatly engraved, but an incorrect Example of 
the Archer's Pofition* Attitude and A6Hon. For he is reprefented 
drawing his Arrow at a Mark: and if a diflant one is defigned, his 
Bow-hand is too low : -if a near one, his drawing-kand very much 
fa; and the Elbow of his drawing-arm is too much raifed. He is 
drawn with the heel of his right foot elevated, in the aft of Shoot- 
ing, a very great Error of the t)efigner. In other refpedb, thd 
Action of the Archer is faultily defcribed. , % 

The above Criticifm upon this Figure appears the more necef- 
fary to be noticed, as it has lately been 1 reduced by Harper, and 
prefixed to the Wrexham Edition of Afcham ; which may fall into 
the Hands of rhofe, who may be induced to rely upon this attitude 
as an Example to be followed. 

* An Engraving of a Portrait of Sir William Wood, in his drefs as 
Mar(hal of the Finfbury Archers, from an original Pi&ure in th© 
|>offeffion of the Toxophilite Society. Drawn by S. Harding, En* 
graved by J. Clamp. Publifhed May 2t, 1793. 

Archtry. — A Print representing the Shooting at Blackheath. De- 
figned by Jofeph Slater. Engraved by J. Heath. Publifhed 
March ^3, 1 789, 

Meeting of the Society of Royal Briti/b Bowmen in Gwerjyttt Park, Den* 
high/hire* in Aqua-tinta. The Figures drawn by R. Smirke, R. A. 
-The Landfcape by J. Ernes. The Aqua-tinta by, G. Apoftool. 
, Publifhed April 1, 1794. 

Female Archers. — Three Figures defigned by Adam Buck* En- 
graved by Wright and Ziegler. Publitmed 1799. 



The Frontifpiece to Markham's Art of Archery, is the Figure 
of King Charles I. defigned as an Archer ; but very indifferently 
executed. . f 

Bromley (in his Catalogue of Engraved Britijb Portraits) notices 
a whole Length of Afcham reading to the Queen, prefixed to his 
Epi.ftles, by Elftob % 8vo. but it feems doubtful whether this is # a 
real Portrait. ^ 



PART I. 



an Examination into the history, charac- 
ter AND MILITARY CAREER OF THE ENGLISH 
LONG-BOW, FROM .THE PERIOD OF ITS INTRO- 

4 DUCTION INTO BRITAIN TO THAT OF ITS EX- 
TINCTION, AS A WEAPON OF WAR: COLLECTED 
FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES: WITH THE OPI- 
NIONS OF WELL INFORMED MEN, AND SOME 
OBSERVATIONS, UPON THE PROPRIETY OF IT& 
ABOLITION IN THE FIELD, 



t i r 



TRACTS, 



CHAPTER I. 



SECTION I. 



Antiquity of the Bow— Superiority of the Bow as 
a Weapon of War, previous to the Knowledge of 
X}unpoxeder — Principles and Materials of Bows in 
general — EngUJh Nation renowned for Archery — 
Revolutions in the Art of War — Periods of all 
Arts. 

OF all the inventions of men, Scarcely any one can 
challenge higher antiquity, (i) or more univer- 
sal and long continued ufe, than the bow-> a weapon 

which 



(i) Of the origin and firft invention of the bow, we have 
neither hiftory nor tradition. Mr. Mofeley (who has carried his 
obfervations upon the fubjecl; to a very diftant age) leaves un- 
folved the queftion, by what accident the firing was firft applied 
to the wood, and the arrow to the firing. He notices (with Af- 
cham) the opinions of the ancients : forae of Whom afcribed the 
invention to Apollo, others to Perfes the fon of Perfeus,- and 
Scythes, the fon of Jupiter ; and after obferving* *' that the 
** founder of every nation has the merit of the dScovery of the 
4 * bow afcribed to him by the inhabitants ;" he concludes, " that 
" it is in vain to make conjectures on the fubjeft ; the early pe- 
" riods of the world being hidden in fuch denfe obfcurity, that 
** we cannot form any plaufible hypothecs, to ferve as an expla- 
" nation." Mofeley, p. 43. However we find mention of the bow 
.in the mod ancient and moft authentic hiftory of the firft ages of 
the world, and for the firft time, in the days of Ifaac, (about the 
year 1 760 before Chrift.) Genefis, c. xxvii* v. 3. Afcham obferves, 

B that 



Dihich has been common to almoft all (2) people, aftd a 

chief inftrument of viftory and conqueft from the re- 

moteft period of time. Previous to the difcovery of 

gunpowder, the bow was, unqueftionably, the rnofl: 

efficacious (3) weapon of war; it united and concentrated 

the diftinft powers of the only two weapons of diftant 

offence* that had been difcovered and made ufe of* 

. namely the dart, javelin, or lance ; and the fling. To 

the certainty of the former, it added the velocity of the 

/'latter. For it mull be apparent to every one who con*- 

\ fiders the conftruftion and effeft of this weapon (the 

' bbw) that the arrow is but the lance, reduced in quantity 

^ of matter, and increafed in quantity of motion \ by the 

power of an inftrument, capable of communicating a 

veldcity far greater than that given by the aim, and of 



that Nicholas de Lyra carries the antiquity of the how, as far' 
back as the days of Adam, fuppofing, that it was the weapon 
Vith which Lattiech flew Cain. Toxophilus. 

(a) Dr. Robertfon, (in his Hiftory of America,) informs us, 
u that there were fome tribes on that continent, who were fo def- 
" titute of art atu) ingenuity, that they hSd not attained to the 
* c difcovery of this flmple invention." Vol. I. B. iv. p. 375, (4*0. 
edit. 1 777.) Our late difcoveries have traced it to the mdft remote 
parts of the globe. Cook's Vcyagcs. 

(3) Mr. Harrington obferves, u that the Ehglifh were fo well 
"trained to the ufe of the bow* that their armies had (it fhould 
*• feem) the fame advantage over their enemies, as Che exclufive 
*• ufe of fire arm* would give us at prefent." It was not only 
Owing to the excellence, but alfo to the number of the archers, 
that the Englifh obtained fo. many victories; for we find, that 
the ftrerigth and main body of their armies, frequently confifted of 
archers, while their enemies in early time, in general compofed 
their armies chiefly of men at arms, on whom they placed the 
greateft dependence. Upon which circurnftance Philip de Comines 
makes the following obfervation. «* Mon advis eft que la fouve- 
** raine chofe du monde pour les battailes, font des archiers .< tnak 
** qu'ils foient & milliers (carenfetit nombre ne vdlent t'm") Me* 
moires % tdm. i. p. a 5. 

continuing 



V 

[ 3 i * 

continuing it to an infinitely greater diftance, than the 
latter can by any means be made to attain (4). 

Lamentable is the truth, that owing to the corrupt - 
ftate and violent paffions ©f mankind, war always has 
been, and ftill is, the chief art cultivated among even 
the moft civilized people. (5) Among the ftill barbarous - 
nations indeed, it is almoft the only one cultivated at 
all. We therefore cannot wonder, that an iriftrument, 
which in its effe&s was found to be not only materially 
tifcful, in the conftant war which man wages againft 
the beafts of the field, but alfo to poflefs very cxtenfive 
powers in the frequent cpntefts between man and man 5 
(Jiould afterwards be turned to the deftrudion of the 
human race. Its firft ufe procured, for it univcrfal 
reception and confidence; its latter deftination affigned 
it, until long after the introdudtion of gunpowder, the 
chief place among the implements of war. 

The principles upon which bows were conftru&ed, 
(although different nations made ufe of different mate- 
rials,) have been very fimilar in all countries. The 
only materials hitherto employed, have been born and 
«cw^(6) the former are peculiar to moft of the Eaftern^ 

(4) Ttid* ancients (both Greeks .and Romans) appear to have 
made ufe of a thong in proje&ing tbeir darts or javelins. The 
natives of fame of the South Sea Iflands, ufe a grooved piece of 
wood with a ftop at the end, called a throwing Jlkk ; with the help 
of which, they are faid to cafta fpear ffty yards -with unerring 
certainty; In the Hland of Tanna the natives throw their darts 
>(py means of a .cord,) feventy and eighty yards* Cook's Phages. 

($). The great hiftorian and philosopher Gibbon, makes the fol- 
lowing obfervation upon the difcovery of gunpowder. " 1&' fays 
4ie, <( we contrail the rapid progrefs of this mifchievous dif- 
• €< covery, with the flow and laborious advances of reafon, fciencc, 
** and the arts of peace; a philofopher, according to his temper, 
** will laugh or weep at the follies of mankind." Vol. vi. p. 377. 

(6) As to bows of rnetal, fee peft (part ^.ch. $.fec. i.) Croft bows 
although originally made of W, and afterwards of horn, have, for 
many ages, heen made of fieeL A very full account of the crofs- 
bow may be found in MurjUor i dntiq. ItaL torn. ft. Diffcrt. ft6» and 
Daniel- H\ft.de la Milice Francoife^ torn, i. 

B 2 n 



[ 4 1 

as the latter are to moft of the European and other 
Nations. The Chinefe-Tartary bow confifts (except 
in* the center and at the extremes) entirely of horn. 
• The Perfian and Turkifti bows have generally a fpecies 
of elaftic wood incorporated (as it were) with the 
horn, along both curves of the bow. Mr. Mofeley has 
defcribed the fhape and materials of the bows ufed in 
all parte of the world. But he is fomewhat incorredt in 
his defer iption of the Perfian bow; obferving that the 
horn is united to the wood by means of catgut. For 
the horn ufed in the conftruftion not only of the Perfian 
bows, but alfo of fuch Turkijh bows as are not made 
with the natural horn, undergoes a preparation before 
it is ufed in bow-making; being completely fufed or 
liquefied, and in that ftate is (by means of its own tenacity 
or a glue) incorporated with the wood. Thefe bows* 
after they are made, are often (in different places) bound 
tight with cane or the finews of the Buffalo, in order to 
increafe their ftrength and prevent their giving way (7), 

Of 



(7) In fome countries, the bow has made far greater advances 
to perfection, than in others. But where we find it rude and 
fimple in fhape, and qlumfy in operation ; we fomednies fee it 
aflame a moil terrific and abhorred appearance;, befflfting the. 
conductor of certain and inevitable death, by the flighted wound 
from the arrow it projects, when dipt in' the juice of fome poifonous 
vegetable. Mr. Mofeley has given an account of numerous Expe- 
riments made upon animals, with the poifon ufed for infecting 
arrows ; which in general proved immediately fatal, and he quotes 
from Tavernier's Travels, a very remarkable occurrence in proof *>f 
the rnftantaneftus effect of the poifon ufed by the inhabitants of 
Makaflar ; in which an arrow having been dipped, it was blown 
through a tube with fuch dexterity, as to ftrike the great toe of 
a condemned perfon, (the criminal having defined to be wounded 
fin that part of his body,) and although two European furgeons oti. 
the fpot, immediately exerted their ikill, and amputated the part 
far behno the wound, with quick difpatch ; the man died in*their 
hands. Mo/eky, p. 156. Mr. Paterfon (in his Travels in Africa, in 
the years 1777-8-9,) tells us, " that he fell in with an European 
" woman, who had' been wounded with a poifoned arrow. Great 

.","** pain* 



Of all nations, who adopted the ufe of the bow, no 
one was ever found, to be fo fully competent to the 
exercife and command of its greeted powers, as the 
Englijh, who with this weapon, acquired the moft- 
memorable renown, and gained fuch victories, as 
aftonifhed Europe. 

In the following pages, we (hall find, (upon the re- 
port of Sir John Smith,) in what high eftimation 
the Englifh archers were held by other nations; and 
the praifes bellowed (even, by our enemies) upon their 
achievements with the long bow; a little while before 
it gave place to a newly-invented weapon. In very 
^arly times, the (kill and valour of the Englifh archers, 
parried their fame into foreign countries. Pere Daniel, 
Ipeaking of the archers of Henry V. calls them cc milice 
redoubtable, &? qui 'nlavoit point d'egale, en Jon efpice, 
dans les autres nations.* Hift/de France, torn. 3. p. 873. 
and Philip de Comines ftiles them " lafleur des drchiers 
du monde." Memoirs', tern. i. ch. 3, p. 21. The Duke 
of Guelderland in a letter to King Richard II. makes ufe 
ofahis Sutfy remarkable expreffion ; " the tried yalpur of 
your people, and the Jharpnefs of their arrow*, have fo 
far advanced the fame of your magnanimous nation 
above any of the weft, tjiat terror and dread cannot but 
feiSe your adverfaries." Lord Lyttelton, vol. iv, p. 28. 
notes to'/econd book. 

But the defire of novelty, the capacity of the human 
genius, and the rapid progrefs of philofophy and the 
arts, have brought about fuch frequent and abfolute 
changes in all human affairs; that the manners, cuftoms 

" pains had been taken to cure her, but in vain ; for at different 
" periods of the year, an inflammation came on, which waf 
<s facceeded by a partial mortification. She told him,, that the 
** wound was eafily healed up ; but in two months afterwards, 
** there was a certainty of its breaking out again, and this had 
" been the cafe for many years.",, Puterfon's Travels* 
•- * B3 and 



[ (5 ] ' 

and arts of former times, are often fcarcely to be traced, 
in the inquiries and refearches of the moll a&ive and 
diligent antiquarian. As mud be expe&ed in fuch a 
revolution; thofc arts mod conducive to the welfare of 
Hates, have met with the firft and greateft alterations. 
And we find that no one has, in all refpe&s, under- 
gone a greater change, both in principle and pra&ice, 
than the art "of war. Hence, inventions, which in 
times paft were deemed moft excellent, and even mafter- 
pieces of art* after having once made way for others, 
calculated (or at lead fuppofed to be better adapted) to 
attain the fame end, and promifing more powers and' 
perfections, have funk into negle&, and been long con- 
signed to oblivion. Yet have we not always profited 
by the exchange. On the contrary, in this age we fre- 
quently deplore the lofs of arts, which flourished feme 
centuries ago; and which we find are not now to be 
revived; arts which we too late acknowledge to Rave 
had no rival. There have, in all ages, been men, who 
were decided opponents to every new invention: but 
this obftinate and wilful blindnefs to merit, genius 
and ufeful difcoverjr, has ferved only to encreafe their 
energy and progrefs. Old and new fyftems and dis- 
coveries can rarely be united; it generally happens, 
that in the ftruggle, one is triumphant, and the other 
looked upon with contempt or indifference, and at laft 
Obr ever forgot. One of our firft philofophers and 
^ poets, has divided the life of man into feven ages. In 
imitation of his example, we may diftinguifti the ex- 
jftence of every art, by Jive evident periods; namely, 
its birth y progrefs, perfection, decline and fall. Periods, 
which hiftorians affume, in their correct details of the 
revolutions of Empires; and in the fequel of this 
treatife, we flxall be able to trace, and afcertain thefe 
diftinft times in the hiftory of the Englifh long-bow. 

SECTION 



I 7.1 



SECTION II. 



IntroduBion of the Bow into Britain — Partiality of 
our Ancejiors for it— founded upon folid req/bns — • 
their reluStance to abandon the ufeqfit ' - 

IT feems fcarcely poflible to afcertain, (with any 
degree of precifion) the exaft period of time when 
the bow was firft introduced into Britain (8). Mr. 
Mofeley thinks it probable, that the bow was introduced 
into Britain, (as a military weapon) by the Romans, 
(Mofeley, p. aio.) Carfar certainly had archers, when 
he firft landed in England. Comment. But the Roman 
archers were chiefly auxiliaries, and their mod expert 
bowmen Cretans, who, Mr. Sandys {Relation of a jour- 

(8) The author of thefe tlra&s has been not a little folicitoua* 
and not wanting in the labour of a diligent refearch, to difcovetf 
and trace the ufe of the wooden bow, among European nations ip 
early times ; with a view to find out, if it bad made any figure 
in hiftory* previous to the battle of Haftings. But in this attempt 
the moft authentic ancient hiftorians (whofe works have furvivejl 
the wreck of time,) afford but trifling affiftance; the Roman his- 
torians relate but little of thofe nations not fubjugated to the 
power of Rome ; and we have neither any very anciept nor accu- 
rate hiftory of their barbarian invaders, Cluver (the author of 
the Antiquities of Germany) tells us, ** that the only people of Ger- 
1 many who ufed % the bow, were the Rnlanders and the Goths, 
" who bordered on the left and mouth of the Viftula ; but what 
<• was the form and kind of bow ufed by them, is (he obferves) 
** to be inveftigated : and that Marcellinus fays, that the bows of 
. 4< ajl nations were formed of bent fpears or poles, (flexis haftilibus) 
" except thofe of the Scythians or PaVthians, who, in ancient 
" times, ufed the fame form of bow, as they had then.' 4 This 

S 4 - tyr- 



=» 



r s i . 

ney to the Mediterranean and other parts anno 1610.) 
\ obferves, " ufed the Scythian bow> but much better than 
" the Scythians." The ufe of this bow was continued 
among the Romans, long after the divffion of the 
Empire: and Mr. Gibbon, (vol. iv. p. 130.) informs 
us, Cf that in the fixth centtiry, they placed their great 
" reliance upon it in the African war. 7 "^As the Scythian 
bow was made of horn, v the art of fabricating it was 
probably then, (as it has been for centuries paft,) con- 
fined to the nations that ufed it; and it is not to be 
fuppofed, that the Englifli could eafily have obtained 
from their conquerors, the arms, or the fecret of form- 
ing the weapons, by which they had been fubdued. 
Arid a$ the ufe of the horn bow is not to be traced in the 
annals or traditionary hiftories of this kingdom, we 
may conclude, that the Englifli were unacquainted with 
it. In a preceding note (note 8.) an endeavour has 
been made, to trace the ufe and progrefs of the wooden 



Mr. Gibbon (vol. ii. p. 270) calls the long Tartar bow. Cluver ob- 
ferves, " that as to other bows, Marcelhnus only means, that they 
ic were very long (pralongi,) as were thofe ufed in England, and 
'* among other nations, which equalled the height of a man." It 
is probable, that fame of the Gothic tribes who invaded the Roman 
empire, ufed the wooden bow. That they ufed the bow is certain; and 
hiftoriaos inform us, jhat in their firft encounter with the army of 
theEmperorDecius(«»«oi)oOT/«/a5i,)his fon was flain with mar- 
row, in the beginning of the action. Macou (who quotes IVJauricius) 
in his Hifiory of the ancient Germans, fpeaking of the Sclavonians, 
fays, " utuntur quoque arcubus ligneis"* The northern Goths, 
who came originally from Scandinavia, were the forefathers of the 
Normans ; the latter, 3Vfr. Gibbon obferves, " had long been con- 
* * cealed by a veil of impenetrable darknefs, and fuddenly burft forth 
." in the fpirit of naval and military enterprife." The . Normans 
(after carrying their arms into Germany, Italy and France,) in the 
eleventh century, achieved the conqueft of England ; principally, 
as our hiftorians relate^by means of the long wooden iozu, which 
probably was known to mod of the inhabitants of Scandinavia, 
(in the northern parts of which it is at this day ufed in the fports 
of the field) : but we do not read of any material difplay of its 
powers, till the battle of Haflings. 

bow 



s 



[ 9- ] 

bow in Europe, to the time of the invafion of England by 
the Normans. The Danes, who as Speed obferves, 
<c were a branch from the fame root/' could not be igno- 
rant of this weapon; theufe of which probably extended 
to their neighbours the Saxons; although Strutt in his 
Horda Angel cynnan notices, that among the firft Saxons 
who came into Britain, there is no mention of the bow, 
and that the axe was their principal weapon. Hiftorians 
have given very confufed and contradictory accounts of 
the introdu&ion of the bow into Britain. John Rols 
(the Antiquarian) although hp informs us that the 
Britons ufcd bows on the arrival of the Saxons; yet in 
Ipeaking of the battle of Haftings, hi tells us, " that the 
" Normans had the viftory, efpecially by means of their 
* c long (9) bows and arrows;" and adds, " that William 

" encouraged 

. (9) It has been fuppofed, that at the memorable battle of 
Haftings, Duke William had crofs bows, as well as long bows, 
in his army. And fome hiftorians^ and ' poets in their details of 
-Chis .battle, have armed William himfelf with a crofs-oow, con- 
formably with the report, that he was fo ftrong a man, as to have 
been able to bend this kind of bow, when on horfeback. 

The troops William commanded, being (as we are told) col- 
lected from various parts, were no doubt differently armed ; and 
probably the Genoefe bow, or Crofs bow, (which we find was 
afterward* fo confpicuous at the battle of Crefly,) was brought 
over by William with foldiers from Italy. In DucarelPs Angk* 
Norman Antiquities^ will be found an engraving (taken by Smart 
Lethieullier, Efq.and publifhed by Bernard de Montfaucon, ia 
his. work Jn titled £es +Monuptcns de la Monarchic Francoife) of a 
piece of tapeftry found in the cathedral of Bayeux in Normandy f 
which he tells us was " by tradition called Duke William's toilet, 
" and faid to be the work of Matilda his queen, and the ladies of 
46 her court, after he obtained the crown of England./' This tapeftry 
.xeprefents the entire hiftory of the Norman invafion, and the battle 
of Haftings. It is divided into feveral compartments, in all of 
which, the conqueror is figured in a coat of mail, with an iron club 
or mace in his hand, and generally monnted on his charger. We 
fee in this work many archers, but they all have long bows. Some 
credit will attach to the accuracy of this hifloric reprefentation, 
as it was not only fabricated immediately Rafter the event, but 
under the eye of William, and therefore left liable to error. And 

furely 



to 



/ 



[ K> ] 

** encouraged his troops, by alluring them that die 
u Englijh had not any archers in their army." He is fok 
lowed by Speed, £chard, Lord Lyttelton, Sir John 
r Hay ward, and others, fome of whom afiert, that at the 
battle of Haftings, the Englifh were ajionijhed at being 
ftruck with arrows, before the battle joined, and by 
enemies, 4/ a great diftance. While other hiftorians (as 
Mr. Mofeley obferves,) do not notice this furprife. 
Stow fays the Englifli at this battle " jhot darts/* 
jfxnals.—Qur great antiquarian Camden tells us, that 
the bow was firft c< Jhemed to the Engltfh by the Danes, 
i€ and was brought in by the Normans** (Remains.) 
Afcham fays, that Sir Thomas Eliot informed him, 
" he had read in an exceeding old chronicle, that the 
" firft Saxons brought with them the bow, in the time 
fc of Vortigern, with which principally they fubdued 
u the Britons." In fupport of what Sir Thomas 
Eliot notices, we may refer to an authority (probably 
the very authority alluded to by him,) which is Henry 
of Huntingdon; who informs us, that in the twenty 
iecondyear of the reign of Kenrick and Ceaulin (Saxon 
Monarchs) a great battle was fought between the Saxons 
and Englifh* in which ^the Englifli difpofed their 
archers (viris JagittariisJ and light-armed troops after 
the manner of the Romans: this battle happened about 
the year, 560. (Scrip, poji Bedam. .p. 180. b.J In the 
ninth ceatury (according to Afferius) we find the bow 

forely it better accords with our ideas of military operations, and 
the known practice of the great military leaders in former ages, 
- that William (who bad a very arduous and a dive part to per- 
, form, and who, by all hiftorians, is laid To have conducted that 
battle with great fkijl, vigour, and bravery, frequently exhorting 
and leading on his troops, and fo indeed he appears in the 
Baycux tapeftry) mould -have prefered a fimple weapon of defence, 
to a very cumberfome weapon of offence ; the ufe of which latter 
required conftant attention, and wa,s y in its nature, fit only ibr a 
fwfolAieu 

M 



o 



' [ 11 ] " 

in the hands of our renowned Alfred, who feema to liave 
beftowed much attention upon it, and no doubt had 
frequently proved its value, as a weapon well calculated 
to enfure both the fports of the field, and the difmay of 
his enemies. The greater probability (and which may 
ferve to reconcile the different accounts of hiftorians) is> 
-that at the time of the battle of Haftings the long bow^ 
had not become a general military weapon in this nation. 
And even fuppofing that Harold had his archers; yet 
% the effect of numerous and well difciplined bands of 
archers, giving regular and fucceffive difchargcs of 
arrows, (and perhaps from better made bows than what 
Harold's army poffefied,) might well have created 
aftonifhment and difmay among his troops. However 
the battle of Haftings muft have fully convinced the S 
Englifh, of, the value and fuperiority of the long-bow, 
as a weapon of war; and no doubt, from that period, it 
became with them, and was deemed by their Norman 
conquerors, an object of the firft attention ; for Sir v 
John Hay ward obferves, " that* the Englifh being 
u trained to the ufe of it, became the beft Jbooters _ in the 
" world" Mr. Barrington tells us* u that there is not 
€€ any account, when (hooting with the long-bow among 
"'the Englifh firft began ; arid that the ufe of archery, as 
€€ exprefsly applied to the crofs or long-bow, is not men* 
tx Honed by our chroniclers, till the death of Richard 1*-^ 
cc who was killed with a crofs-bow ; and that.after th», 
u (which happened in 1199) there appears not upon 
" record, any notices of archery, for nearly one hundred 
f< and fifty years ; when an order was iffued by Edward 
<c III. in the 1 5th year of his reign, for providing bows 
€f for the war againft France/' Mr. Barrington indeed 
does not vouch for accuracy or inveftigation upon this 
fubje<ft, but obferves, " that he has not happened to ; 
" fiumble upon any paffage which contradicts his aflcr- 

" con." , 



1 



■■•[>*■ I .■ - 

cc tfon." An attentive, perufal of our <chronideri 
and firft hiftorical writers, will afford us corifiderable 
light in this eaquiry. We read of archers in the civil 
contefifbetween Stephen and Matilda; bat in the reign 
of Henry II. the bow appears to have been well known* 
and in "great ufe as a weapon of war in England. Lord 
kytteltori (vol. ii. *b. 2. p. 157 J fpeaking of the army 
of Henry' the Second, obferves, that about this timet 
* <c the infantry '.for the moft part, cbnfifted of archers, 
<c and ilingers/- and we find -Henry II. frequently 
triumphing, by the power of archery. • Even before the 
year 1 1 99* archers are noticed in the armies of both 
, Englifli and Scotch. The' fame writer tells us, " that 
" at the battle of Cuton Moor in Yorkfhire, (22d 
cc Auguft, u 38) between Henry II. and David King 
€C - of Scotland," both armies had their archers, <f arid 
*f that thofe of Henry terribly galled the Galwegians* 
" and .Obliged them to quit their poft, after they had 
" 'compelled his men at arms to give way." In this 
relgii, ;we find the Welch celebrated as very expert 
archers. Giraldus their chronicler (who was Henry's 
cotemporary) has noticed fomc of their remarkable 
feats erf" archery; and Henry himfelf, during his expedi- 
tion into Wales, affords a fufficient proof of the fa£t; 
having twice nearly loft his life by the blow of an arrow 
jBot from a Welch bow. (L,Qrd Lyttelton, vol. ii. p. 57: 
Warrington's Hifi. of Wales, voLu b % 6. p. ^4.) Mr. 
Barrington feems to have forgot, that the moji celebrated 
archer this country ever boafted, "played his, pranks" 
1 (Dr. Fuller's phrafe) in the Reigns of Henry IF: 
Richard 1. and Henry III. (See notes to the new Gar- 
land.) And even half a ctniury before the order iffued 
in the reign of Edward "III. (noticed by Mr. Bar- 
rington,) was fought in the reign of 'Edward I. anno 
1 298, ihe great battle of Falkirk, in which 1 2,000, or 

a* 



«s Tome fay 56,000 Scotejk were left dead upon ihfc field, 
.while the Englifh had not, an hundred (lain, Each army 
Bad its archers; but- our hiftorians obferve, that about 
this [time the Englifti archers began to. excel thdfe of all J 
.other nations. (Goldfmilh's> Hifiory of ' England.) It 
mayalfo be noticed, that Richard I. performed great , 
exploits with his archers, in the Holy-Land j 1 par- 
ticularly, as Sir John Smith obferves, u by over- 
<€ throwing (principally by the wonderful effeft of his 
•" archers,) the brave Saladin and his whole army/* 
(Difcourfe on weapons.) Mr. Gibbon alfo takes occafion 
yo notice, the Angular dread with which the Englifh 
archers filled their enemies in the Crufades, and informs 
us, u that at ope time, Richard with feventeen knights 
* € and three hundred archers, fuftained the charge of the 
€C whole Turkifb and Saracen arrhy." (chap. 59.J Mr* 
Harrington tells us, that Richard himfelf ufed the crofs* 
bow^ in this expedition, and he quotes Vinefauf as his 
author, for the truth of the remark. However this may 
be,, no doubt is entertained, that his Englifh archers 
ufed any other than the Englifh long-bow ( 1 o). Giraldus 
informs us, cf that three thoufand Welch, the mod 
" expert in archery, and- the -ufe of the.pike, engaged 
f e to go into the Holy-Land at the inftajice of the 



(10) Whoever is defirous to fatisfy himfelf better upon thik 
head, may poffibly find fome thing to his purpofe, by confulting 
William Archbifliop of Tyre, RadulfJms Cadomenfis. Galfridi a Vint- 
fauf Itinerarium Regis Anglorum Richardi et aliorum /» Terr am Hie 
rpfolymorum, in fix books, published in the ad vol. of Gale's Scrip- 
tores Hifl. Anglice % (p. 347, 429). rRoger Haveden and Matt. Paris 
afford likewife fome materials. Speed records a feajtof Archery 
in the Holy Land, performed chiefly by means ,of an arrow, but 
from what fort of bow it was fhot, is not noticed. " Certainly. 
" (fays he) Hugo de Neville one of Richard's fpecial familiar*, 
" is recorded to have flai'n a lion in the Holy Land, driving fii^ft' 
K an arrow into his bread, and then running him through with 
" his fword." Hijl. of Great Britain. 

• • . " Archbifliop 



[ i« 3 

* Archbifhop of Canterbury, anno Ii88." (Warring* 
Hits Hiftory of Wales* vol. up. 1 75 J It is true, that 

; our chroniclers do hot always mention the long-bow 
by name, and we read, that in the reigns of King John 
and Henry III. ^ the crofs-bow was ufed in England. 
See a description of the battles of Chefterfield and Lincofo> 
in the reign of King Henry III. (Arcb<eologia y vol. ii. 

• P* Z769 <md vol. v\\\.p. 195. ) But it is probable, that 
the ufe.of thp latter was chiefly confined to the foreign 
troops then in England. And we may obferve, that our 
hiftorians feldom ufc the term anber, when they mean a 
crofs-bow-man. 

Thai: our anceftors paid to the long-bow (11) the 

' higheft veneration, and that their affe&ion, or (as jthe 
introducers of fire-arms # termed it) their prejudice for 
the continuance of it, was founded upon the .moft folid 
grounds, no one acquainted with the Englifti hiftory 
can for a moment doubt : — It had long been die fefety 
of the realm (12), and had led the Engltfh to the greateft* 
and moft extraordinary vi dories, that hiftory had to re- 



- (ii) The bow ufed by the inhabitants of this ifland, has 
always been'diftinguiihed by the title of the Englijk long-bow. 
Mr. Barrington fays, it was thus called, to diftinguifh it from the 
croft-bow. Paulus Jovius calls it the great Englifh bow. It might 
acquire the title of the long-bow, in contra-diftin&ion to the bows 
tifed by moft of the Eaftern Nations, which were fhort, being com- 
pofed chiefly of horn. (See Marccll'tnus *s Obfervations ante, note S.) 
Although the Englifh do not claim the merit of its firft inven-' 
tion, yet the wonders it has performed in the hands of oar 
anceftors, (who we find at a -very early period adopted and foftered 
this their darling weapon,) very naturally ana\fignificantly annexed 
their name to it. 

(12) Sir John Fortefcue fays, again and again, that the 
4 * myghte of the realme of Englande ftaridyth mode upon 
M archers." Treatife of abfolute and limited Monarchy. This obferva- 
tlon is acknowledged by feveral ads of parliament, particularly 
the flatutea of 33 H. 8. c. 9. and 13 Eliz. c. 14. quoted port 

cordi 



cord$ fecuring their peace at home, and planting id 
the minds of their enemies a rooting terror, that did not 
terminate with them even in the grave j but furvived, 
and was handed down to focceffive generations. It was - 
the weapon, of all others mod fuited to their g*mus t 
prowefsan&Jh'engtbi(i2) with which they had been ac- 

cuftomed 

. (13) Sir John Smith obferves, that the bow was the Angular J 
gift of God to the Englifli nation.- And Afcham writes, that 
neither the- French, nor even the Scots, could ever .rival the S 
Englifh nation in archery. Patritius, an Italian, (who wrote <jm 
military affairs, in the reign of James I. fays, " that lhooting ia 
4 * the Jong bow was a flrill almoft appropriated to our nation* 
" and that neither the Italians, Spaniards, French, or Dutch had 
" been accounted archers for five hundred years." With refpcA 
to the ufe of the bow. in France, Sir John Smith gives us the 
follow; ng Angular account. 4i TJie French king and fome other 
ift princes, did in times pad, eftabliih laws and orders for the ufe 
44 of the long bow, and our manner of (hooting ; that they might 
44 be able to encounter us with our own weapon : and to the ior 
44 tent that they mould become good archers, granted unto all 
'' who became perfed in that weapon, great privileges and re- 
4 < wards; fo that the Englifh loug bow was pra&iied in the 
" greateft part of France many years. Yet in the end, the French 
** king, and the captains of many nations did manifestly fee, that 
" neither the French, nor any other nations, with any exercife, 
*' could attain to moot fo ftrong, and with that dexterity and 
44 excellence that the Engltfh nation did; whereby they, feeing 
41 that our manner and ufe of mooting in our fort of long bow* 
** Was a very peculiar gift of God, given unto our nation ; they 
" Jeft the pra&ife and ufe of that weapon, (faving only to moot k 
• 4 atlhort butt for, fport) and returned again to the ufe of the croft 
44 bow; and of later years to the harquebufs." Bat I, MS S. Sir 
John Smith probably alludes to an eftablifhment of four thoufand 
archers attempted in France, about the year 1444* every partth 
being obliged to furniih one. Note to Barrington's Obfervations m 
Archery. See Parquieres Refer ches de la Franc t -, p. 133, and Hifitm 
4c la Milice Francoife par U P. G, Daniel, torn. i. //v. 4. 

Mr.' Barrington (fpeaking of archery in England and Scotland) 
obferves, " that as there was no material difference, between the 
44 activity and bodily ftrength of the two people, it might be fup- 
44 pofed, that the Englifh and Scots wielded the bow with no 
44 unequal vigour and dexterity; but from undoubted » hiftorical 
41 monuments, it appears, that the former had the fuperiorky." 
And Afcham further tells us, " that notwithstanding James I. 
il of Scotland procured an ad of parliament to be pafied, obliging 

. M every 



[ 16 1 

cuftorned to form an acquaintance, very early in Jife J 
am} it may, with truth, be faid to have been the 

toy % 

fC every Scot (under an heavy penalty,) to learn to fhoot; yet 
" neither , the love of their country, the fear of their enemies, the 
, •' avoiding of punijhment, nor the receiving of any profit, could make 
** them" good archers, who by nature were not apt for archery ; and 
•* that they themfelves bore teftimony to the remark, by making ufe 
*' of a proverb, whereby' they candidly gave the whole praife of 
** (hooting to the English : faying, that every EngliJIf, archer bearcth 
** under his girdle twenty-four Scits" Toxophilus. Notwithstanding 
thefe opinions, we muft be permitted to obferve, that the difin- 
clinaticn for archery mewn by the Scetch (a people brave, hardy, 
diligent, and poflefled of much mufcular power) was more owing 
to their partiality for other weapons, than to any natural dif ability. 
Every nation is naturally partial to the weapon it has been long 
acquainted with, and to the ufe of which its people have been 
trained from infancy. The Englifh themfelves afford an inftance 
in point, in the great attachment they (hewed to the bow. The 
Scotch too had their favourite weapon, (the broad fword and 
target,) with which even in modern times, they hare performed 
very noble fervice in the field. And we may remark, that' as far 
'as modern archery extends, it affords a proof of the'obfervation : 
iince from the time of the inftitution of archery in Scotland, it 
has in that country met with very great fupport; and at this day* 
Scotland can boaft of many lkilfull bowmen. But Afcham ap- 
pears to have been not only fomewhat harfi, but alfo fomewhat 
incorreft, in this rernark concerning the Scotch nation. It is* true, 
that James I. of Scotland, was particularly anxious to eftablifts 
the ufe of the bow in that nation ; and to that end, ena&ed laws, 
prohibiting the games of foot ball and Golf, and enforcing the prac- 
tice of archery. But it feems that after the death of that monarch, 
the national habits prevailed, and among an hundred attendants of a 
'Baron, hardly fix archeu could be found, the remainder refuming 
their fpears. James 11/ alfo made a fimilar attempt, to fupport 
the ufe of the bow in the Lowlands of Scotland, which proved 
ineffectual. However, that weapon met with greater encourage- 
ment in the Highlands. In defcribing the army of James III. in 
1488, Lindfay enumerates no lefs than ten thoufand Highlanders 
with bows,' under the Earls of Huntley and Athlone. The author 
of the prefent State of Scotland, (1682) mentions, (p. 6) bows arid 
arrows as the chief weapons of the Highlanders, even of that period. 
Pjnherton's Hifi. of the Scots \ vol. i. p. 163, 425. 
v j As to the Welch, they were always famous for flrength and dex- 
terity in drawing the bow. The men of the province of Guent, or 
Monmouth, (which was formerly a part of that kingdom) were ac- 
counted thebeft archers, not beiug inferior in thcuieof thelongbow 

• to 



C 17 ] 

toy^iq) of their infancy, the pride of their manhood, and 
the boaft of their old age. Nor was this all, it bore in 
their minds an ineftimable value, on another account; • 
for ( while-it freed them from the fear of a foreign foe, it 
fcnfured their liberties, from the rapacity of an homebred 
tyrant. The uniyerfality of its practice had a mod happy 
effect in this kingdom; fince, when it readily furnifh- : 
ed the realm with defenders, and the King with an 
army to chaftife a continental foe; at the fame time, it 
operated moft powerfully in favour of liberty, by 
enabling every one (whenever jhe Monarch exceeded 
his juft prerogative, and broke through the ties of his 
folcmn compact with his people, to tyrannife over 
them ;) tQ mee; him in the field, fupported even by a 
regular army, with equal weapons and equal JkilL(i 5) 

Add 

to the Normans themfelves, Ld. Lyttef. vol. 2* b. 2, p. 157. Among 
the old Welch game laws, we find one, which prohibited any perfon 
from (hooting at a beaft when at reft, that was appropriated for the 
chace ; on pain of forfeiting his bow and arrows to the lord of the 
manor ; though he might moot at and kill any fucb, if he could, 
when the dogs were in full cry; out he was not allowed tdfhoot 
among the dogs. Warrington s Hift. of Wales , vol. i, p. 183. The 
Irifh do not feem to have been much acquainted with the ufe of 
the bow, till the reign of Edward IV. who enforced the practice 
of it in that nation (among the Englifli refidents, and their Irifh 
fervants) by feveral adfcs of parliament. The hardinefs and na- * 
tural flrength of body pofleffed by that people, mull have given 
them great advantage in the ufe of this weapon. 

(14) The author of the invention of fire-fhafts for long-bows- 
(publilHed r'628) obferves, that " as Rackets a re among the French, 
" fo bows are the natural paftime of the Engliih." The propensity 
to archery in youth, is feen in every village in England; moft 
boys betrjg fpnd of making an inftrument, lbmewhat in the fhape 
of a bow; though in general, the imitation is very indifferently 
executed. Mr. Saltzman, (in his Gymnajlic Exercifes for youths) 
makes a fimilar remark. v 

(15) So long as the Englifli continued the ufe of the bow in 
war, and all ranks of men pra&ifed archery, no. lefs as an amufe- 
ment, than as an introduction to its firfl great object; fo long 
were they completely an>armtd nation; and as .fuch, invincible; 

C , for 



[18 ] , 

Add to this, that arqhery had attractions and charms of 
a different nature. The excrcife of it afforded an amufe- 
rnent, which was followed by the molt eminent men in 
the nation ; And not only tended much to preferve the 
. blefling of health, and prolong life, but braced the 
nerve?, and brought with it a confiderable acceffion of 
ftrength to the body (i 6). Could then this- attach- 
ment to the bow be looked upon as unnatural, or be 
deemed ill founded, or ill judged; or was it not to be 

- expefted, when a total change of weapons was pro- 
pofed ? Our anceftors by' experience knew the ufe of 
the bow, they had long witnefled its effetts in their 
hands, and had every reafon to be fatisfied with them. 
They very reafonably feared to hazard the lofs of this 
weapon, in exchange for one of very modern intro- 
duction; which that experience had taught them was 
inferior tp the bow; the Englifh arrow having 'fre- 
quently rendered this new weapon ufelefs, and beaten it 

. out of the. hands of the enemy. If they were guilty of 
error, in their comparative eftimate of the value iand 
effefts of the two weapons; it may be urged - (and not 
untruly) that it was not till long after the introduction, 
and many gradual fteps of improvement in the con- 
ftruftion and ufe of fire arms, that the patrons of them 

, for hiftory fatisfa&orily proves to as, that an hoftile army, how- ■ 
ever well disciplined, muft ever invade a whole people naturally 
brave and trained to the ufe of the moft effectual weapons of war, 
without the fmalleft chance of conqueft, and with an almoft 
abfolute certainty of .being fpeedily annihilated. The. Jfnglifli, 
armed with the Img-bow, could have little to dread from d fianding 
army (though entirely devoted to the intereft pf the prince) the 
dread of modern patriots. The general kn6wledge of the ufe of 
. the bow among all ranks, made^rebellion doubly formidable ; and 
. to that may be principally afcribed.the bloody conflicts during 
"the civil wars. ' ' 

(16) How far archery merits attention on this account, is fully 
noticed in a fubfequent ttert of thefe tra6ts. (Part 2. Chap. 1. 
fie. 1.) 

after 



. 't ,1* J 

(after repeated experiments) wefe enabled to form fiich 

a judgement of their effeft, as to venture them in com- 

x petition with the bow. The invention of gunpowder 

and the effeft of it, when confined in a tube, was moft 

lingular and furprifing. This hitherto unthoughc of 

terreftrial thunder and lightning, might well appal a 

nation of the braved Nvarriors. But notwithftanding 

their aptitude to aftohifli the whole creation, men as 

well as brutes ; yet the writers of the times (Sir John 

Hayward, Sir John Smith and others,) obferve, that 

when the former became accuftomed to the " noyfe and 

<c cracke" they made, and found that their terrors 

were more imaginary than real, they began to undervalue 

them: and probably, meafuring their computed ultimate 

effedt, by that of the bow, (which did not feem to 

pr&mife or to be capable of affording any great 

improvement, or acceflion of power;) they were littlfc 

inclined to believe in profpedt, the (till greater powers 

which fire arms by degrees began to unfold. And it was 

not till they had approached nearly to their prefent degree 

of perfection, and became a chief objeft of attention in 

war on the continent of Europe ; and until the ufe of 

them wa&^ enjoined and enforced in this kingdom; that 

otir bowmen could be brought to abandon, what they 

had beentaught to look upon for^fo many ages, as the 

very pillar of the ftate. 



G 2 , section 



t *o ] 



j SECTION III. 

Memory of the Bow Jiill cherijhed in England-^- 
.Advantage gained to our Enemies by the relinqui/k- 
fnent of.it, as a weapon of War — Prefect fate of 

v the Bow in England — Probability of the partial 

- revival of military Archery in England— NegleSt of 

- , it difapproved. , , 

ALTHOUGH the Englifh were at length com- 
pelled to relinquifh their, favorite .weapon; the 
^memory of it was ever dear to them. Nor has a long 
^intervening period of time, the fbcqeffion of many fub- 
jfequent generations, and the complete change which all 
human affairs have undergone, totally extinguilhed 
-that energy, which the bow once impreffed upon thg_ 
jxiinds of Englijhmen. The fpirit of military archery 
i&ipdeed greatly damped; but perhaps it is not entirely 
^xtinft, in this nation. Few I muft believe there are, 
who at this day can perufe (either in poetry pr profe,) 
the details of the famous battles of Creffy, Poiftiers.and 
Agincourt, without feeling fome touches of that refpedt 
and veneration for the bow, which our anceftors fo 
often acknowledged, and fo warmly cherifhed. . And 
whatever may be the value of the modern weapons of 
war, let him who 1-ea.ds the hiftory of modern times, 
look narrowly to find, if but once (fince the days when 
'archery flourifhed,) " with our twelve thoujand ox fifteen 
" thoujand we have defeated an army of fifty thoujand 
" or fixty thoujand." Or if our new weapons have ever 

« afforded 



[ ai 3 

afforded us faraldls to the vi&ories, obtained with the 
Img-bow (17). Aqd may not the advocate for the 
bow, fairly afk thofe who have recently ferved in France, 
if the old proverb, (which our archers fo often won) 
cc that one Englijbm/m would beat three Frenchmen; and 
« that, the Englifh would' never fly, nor ever yield" 
(Montkt's Commentaries) is ft ill current there; or if 
the French nation has not (ever fincc the difufe. of the 
long-bow by the Englifh,) exulted and exclaimed, (as 
Mr. Barwick tells us, they did upon its decline in his 
time:) ", Non, non Anglois, votre caufe eft bienfalle, 
" car Dieu nous a donnas moyen de vous encountrer 
" ipres un autre forte que en ce temps pafle. JVfo, no, 
cc Englifhmen y your cafe is become fowle, for God bath 
" given us means to encounter with you after another 
(t forte than in times pafle" There was indeed a time 
when, as Clement Edmonds obferves, " the Englifh 
" nation carried zfcourging hand in France/' Sed tem- 
pore mutantur. } 

Let not any onefuppofe, from what I have faid, in 



(tj) « What though with our 12,000 or 15,000 we have oft" 
a defeated their armies of 50,000 or 60,000; ftands it with rea* 
•* fon of war to expeft the like fuccefs ftill? efpecially fince the. 

, " ufe of arms is changed, and for the bow (proper for men of 
** our.ftrength,) the caliver begins to be generally received."^ Lord 
Herbert' * Life of Hen. %.p> 1%. 

It was remarked on the eve of the battle of Agincourt % (fo fatal 
to the French and To glorious to the Englifh ;) that the former 

. recollecting with fhame, that for the fpace of a whole century , 
they had in all their encounters with the Englifh, been beaten by 
them, and confiding in their extraordinary fuperiority of number; 
being near 160,000, while the Englifh army did not confift, even 
according to the accounts of. the French Hiftorians, of more than 
25,000; buoyed themfelves up with the hopes of a certain and 
** ample retaliation, and an eafy victory. " Of this they indeed, 
u niade themfelves fo fure ; that they had refolved to put every 
man to the fword, except the King and fome nobles, and even 
" played at dice for the prifoners they defigned to ta&e" Goodwin's 
Hift. of the reign of Hen. F. /». 82. 

C 3 fpeakirig 



[ 42 ] 

fpeaking of the great efteem, in which the bow hats for 
fo long a period been held; that I aim at difparaging 
the ufe and effeft of mufketry: far otherwise are mjr 
thoughts and intention. For while I am paying a juft 
tribute of remembrance and applaufe, to the falkn pillar, 
upon which the trophies and emblems of our national 
glory were once difplayed; I am fenfible, that our. 
Valour^ and our efforts in thefe times, merit the higheft 
encomiums, and that the weapons we now ufe, are com- 
mon to moil nations, and perhaps beft calculated for 
the modern fyftem of war. No, in common with other 
men> I have only to lament, that the new invented 
weapons of our enemies (hould compel us to yield the 
fuperiority, our own once purchafed and long main- 
tained for us., and to cope with them, upon their awn 
terms $ for fuch mod undoubtedly has been the effeft 
of thef change of weapons, ever fince it fully took place. 
Our enemies far out-number us, and the weapon we 
now both ufe, is evidently calculated to throw the advan- 
tage on the fide of numbers. And Mr. Barwick notices* 
that upon the introduftion of fire arms in France, it 
was a common obfervation in the mouth of every 
Frenchman, cc that the weakeft of them vfrere able to give 
" greater wounds, than the gfeateft and ftrongeft archer 
cc we fr#d," Thus, as an Englifh poet, of the feven- 
teenth century writes, 

«* We to the grey-goofe wing more conquefls owe r 
c< Than to the Monk's invention ; for then 
" Wecull'd out mighty armts to draw the bow, 
" Striplings oft ferve us now, then only men ; 
" For thefe hot engines equal mifchief can 
u Difcharged by a boy, or by a man (18)/* 

Jlleyne's Batt. of CreJJy* 

The 

(18) The well-informed and accurate obferver Dr. Johnfon makes 
the following remark, to our purpofe : " It is (fays he) thought 

" bjr 



£ 13 J 

The bow, indeed, now appears amongft us only as an 
inftrument of amufement y its ancient fize (and "pith," as 
Afcharn terms it) is changed ; and at this day, it is in 
moft hands, but a toy, compared with what it once was, 
and might yet be. That archery (I mean military ar- 
chery) will ever again rear its, head in this kingdoni, 
and again become, (to ufe the language of Sir John 
Forteftue) * c the myghte of the realme" is not now to 
be fuppofed : but that it may at fome future and not 
diftant time, become a favourite with the nation and 
iftilltary men, and an additional fupport to our arnls, is 
fome what problematical. There are not wanting in 
thefe'days, men of genius and great fkill in military 
affafrs, who. have experienced the ferious cffefts of even 
mimic bows (19) ; and who have been led to confider 
whether it would not be advifable, once more to 
admit the Englilh bowman to zjhare of military glory. 
The prefent perturbed (late of Europe, and the conti- 
nental expeditions which have of late taken place, and 
proved upon the whole fp difaftrous; thining the ranks 
of our bed foldiers : the neceflity of fending continual 
fupplies of men to our diftant iettlements, and at the 

44 by fenfible military men, that the Engliih do not enough avail 
44 themfelves of their fuperior firength of body againll the French : 
44 for that muft always have a great advantage in pufhing with 
44 bayonets. ' I have heard (continues the Doctor) an officer 
** fay, that if women could be made to Hand, they would do as 
41 well as men in a mere interchange of bullets from a diflance ; but 
** if a body of men fhould come up clofe to them, then to be 
4 * lure they y muft be overcome. Now (faid he) in the fame man* 
44 ner the weaker- bodied French mufi: be overcome by our ftrong 
44 foldiers." BofwelVs Tour to the Hebrides (O&ober, 1785; p. 279. 
This observation feem« to point out the great ufe of the long bow 
- combined with that of the pike. 

(19) Many En glim officers wno ferved in America during- the 
laft war, bear teftimony to the mifchief occafioned in the Englifh 
army, by a few natives armed with very forry bows. Thofe who 
have ferved in the Eafi Indies, have experienced fimilar efFe&s 
from boW$. - 

C 4 fame 



. ^ t 24 ] 

fame time, of preparing for threatened invafions ; feem 
to fugged the propriety of the ufe of archery, at leaft 
at borne. ,This combination of circumftances has given 
birth to a recent very fenfible and patriotic publica- 
tion (20), in which, the advantages to refult from a 
partial revival of military archery, are plainly pointed 
out, and convincingly proved. 

The ftruggle for pre-eminende between the bow 
and fire-arms, caufed no fmall difference t>f opinion 
among the military men of the times ; each wa3 par-, 
rial to the weapon he had been njoft accuftomed to 
ufe. And Alleyne, (whom I have before quoted, an 
advocate for the bow) tells us, '' 

" That the white faith of Hift'ry cannot (hew, 
C4 That e'er the mujket yet could beat the bow." 

Battle of Crejfy. 

Certain it is, that the bow did not fall into negledl 
without the diflatisfaftion of many, and the oppofition 
of fomeofthe beft foldiers and judges of military af- 
fairs of the age. Among others, was Sir John Smith, 
a gentleman who had feen much fervice, and who took 
great pains to fet forth the advantage of continuing the 
ufe of the long bow, in fuch a forcible appeal to all 
men, that Mr. Barwick, (his fellow foldier, who feems 



(20) Mafon on the Revival of the Long Bow and Pike. In the 
reign of Charles I. Neade published a book upon the fame fub- 
je£t, and obtained a commiiiion under the great feal for teaching 
the combined management of the pike and the bow. Markam 
in his Art of Archery propofed the fame. Lord Herbert tells us, 
that of the ten thoufand men fent againft France by Henry VIII. 
live thoufand of them were archers ; " who betides their bows 
" and arrows, carried halberts % which they pitched on the ground 
" till their arrows were fhot, and then took them up again to do 
" execution on the enemy. This (he obferves) was an excellent 
" part of military discipline, and yet not remarked by our Englifh 
" chroniclers." Life and Reign of Henry FIIL p. 20. At the 
battle of Agincourt, the archers wore by their fides, battle-axes % 
fwords and daggers. Goodwin's H'lflory of the Reign of Henry y % p. 67. 

to 



to have entertained a decided opinion ahd predili&uJa 
in Favour of fir e r arms oppofed to the bow, and no great 
partiality for Sir John Smith) ,in a tfeatife written by 
him, (inanfwer to Sir John Smith's obfervations'upqn 
the ufe* and effed: of the tjow; ,and in which he.moft 
impatiently inveighs againft Sir John Smith's opinions) 
declares, <c that he had held conference with divets 
" perfbns, of fundry callings, touching fome part of 
cc thofe difcdurfes; wherein he found fo many addi&ed 
cc to the opinion of Sir John Smith, touching the com- 
cf mending of the archery in 'England ; with fbmany 
f € . reafons and arguments by him alledged in that be-* 
" half; that many were thereby perfuaded, that the 
<c long bow is the only weapon of thp world for the 
f € obtaining of battails and vi£tories."(2i) 
. This declaration is furely no trifling proof cf the 
weight annexed by men of all " callings" to Sir John 
Smith's arguments, which he fupports by reafon, and 
grounds upon adtual experiment The difcourfe, upon 
.weapons of war, written by Sir John Smith, is now fo 
rarely tQ be met with, and is fo complete and fatisfa^bory 
an hiftory of the powers of the bow* that few mpdern 
archers (moft of whom are eager to hear any thing, t'hat 
can be faid in praifeof the bow) and perhaps few others, 



(2 1) Sir John Smith wrote a very elaborate reply, to Mr. Bar- 
wick, chiefly in explanation of his opinions concerning military 
tacYics, and to point out Mr. Barwick's nai (interpretations of his 
former Treatife. This work is not noticed in the account o\ his 
life, inferted by Wood in his Athene Oxonienfes, who mentions his 
Former works. According to that writer, Sir John Smith appears 
to have been a complete fcholar and foldier. Wood adds, " I 
" cannot yet find exactly wJien he died, only that he was living 
♦• and in great efteem among foldiers and learned men in 
" 1595." Mr. Barwick has the modejly to call himfelf (in the titte 
page to his book) "Gentleman, Soldier y Captain et encor plus wltre" 
But his publication dees not appear to give any fupport to fo 
curious and extenjive a character. 

will 



will be diflatisfied with an enlarged account of archery \ 
and a narration of the particular feats of. valour per- 
formed by their anceftors, (which have long lain by 
unperufed, and are not to be met with in the general 
annals or hiftory of their country) from the pen of a 
loldier, who had frequently witneffed the effefts of the 
longbow when oppofed to fire-arms j and which is 
brought down to the time- when archery ceafed to be 
ufed in our wars : efpecially as this colk&ion of realbns 
and fads will enable them to form a mote accurate 
conclufion of the advantages to accrue from the future 
reintrodu£ion and ufe of the long bow, than can be 
drawn from a difplay of its effe&s, in times, when (how- 
ever great were the vi&ories it obtained) fire-arms were 
either not invented, ill conftrufted, or inefficiently ufed. 
And although fpme very confiderable improvements 
have of late been made in fire-arms, (rather indeed 
by a different conflxu&ion of the lock, and by render- 
ing the piece more manageable than by any alteration in 
principle) fubfequent to the time when Sir John Smith 
wrote (22), yet even thofe advantages (great as they are) 
do not, m the opinion of many, render the bow fo infer 
rior in its effe&s to the modern firelock, as fome are apt 
to imagine. ' 

(22) It appears from Sir John Smith, that the firekch came 
into ufe before he wrote; fo that he had an opportunity of forming 
a- very good judgment of this improvement in the coriftruclion of 
fire-arms, when compared with the bow. He fpeaks of PctronelU 
and' Snap nances. The firft was probably the old wheel lock, (which 
fucceeded to the match) the other was the prefent firelock, which 
loft the name of fnap hance in confequence of the fubftitution 
of a new lock' (called an Englijh lock); by which it feems there 
was little or no difference between the fnap -hance and the prefent 
firelock. See Sir John Smith's Compart/on between Fire-Amis and 
Bows. And the Introduclion to t/it Plan of Difcipline compofed for the 
Norfolk Militia (1760) p. 7, note 3'. 

CHAP- 



I *7 T 



CHAPTER IL 

EXTRACTS FROM SIR JOHtf S^IJH's DISCOURSE 
' ' ON WEAPONS. 



SECTION I. 



Meajbnsfor the Change in Military Weapons — De- 
feBs of the Mujket — Imperfc&ions of the Bow- 
Quicker Difcharge of the latter — Quick firing con* 
demned — Superiority of Archers in the Field — 
Reafons — Effe&s of Arrows upon the Horfe — 0A- 
je&ions againjl the Bow anfwered. 

SIR John Smith prefaces his difcourfe by obferving, 
u that the change made in the military weapons 
cl in this kingdom, was owing to the youth, inexperi- 
cc ence, and vanity of fome men; who were unable to 
"offer any folid reafon, and in fa£t were averfe to 
" offer any argument at all, for a conduct oppofite to 
" the opinion of both Englifh and foreign commanders 
4< and foldiers. Yet their decided wifh and aim was, 
"to abolifh archery, • and extinguifli the exercife 
<c and ferviceable ufe of the long-bow 5 by which wea- 
" pon, our anceftors, with many miraculous vi&ories* 
€i had made our nation famous in Europe, Africa, and 
<# Afia ; and the neglect of which, had been fatal to 
€ * feveral Empires." 

He then proceeds to a comparifon, between the bow 

and 



; [28 j 

and the mufket. In treating of the defedts of fire-arms, 
he notices chiefly the following : 

<f i ft, The extreme nicety required in taking fight; 
" which, if the mufketeer fails in (to ufe Sir John 
" Smith's' words) but the length of a wheat com, in 
c< the height, his (hot is of no effed:, although the mark 
" fhot at ii very large." 

" 2d, The uncertain flight of the bullet (even at 
" point blank diftance,) owing to its being lefs than the 
cc bore of the piece." 

" 3&> That fire-arms grow hot and dangerous in 
" feven or eight hafty difcharges." 

i c 4th, That if the powder is not well corned and 
cc 'kept very dry, it fureth the piece; and carries the 
" bullet point, blank but a little way, and many times 
"goes not off' at all" 

cc 5th, That when the piece is hung down, die bul- 
c< let falls out 1 and that the piece is liable to rufi, 
" and to be overcharged $ and in the latter event, to . 
" burft." 

cc 6th, That the powder fometimes does not take 
" fire, the ram wets it, and the wind blows it out of 
cc the pan." 

u 7th, That a large body of mufketeers is infuffi- 
" pient to refill a much lefs body oihorfe, in an open 
« plain." 

, cc 8th, That after many hours in great encounters 
cc on both fides, and many thoyfand bjullets difcharged 
" (often within fhort diftances)j very few men zrcjlam 
w or hurt" (23) 

The 

(23) With refpeft to the two firfi' obfervations, it mull be ad- 
mitted, that the beft formed modern pieces are liable to very great 
uncertainty in the flight of the bullet; which arifes chiefly from 
-the difficulty of keeping the arm fteady in taking, aim (particularly 
when the bayonet is fixed on the piece, which adds a prepon- 
derating 



[ ^9 ] 

cc The imperYedtions of the long bow, (fays Sir John 
c< Smith,) do confift only, in the breaking of the bow, 
cc or bow-ftring ; for the which, in times paft when 
" there was great accompt made of archery, there 
<c was fpecial care had, that all livery (24) or war 
<c bows, being of the wood of yew, were longer thart 
<c now are ufed, and fo very well backed and notched, 
u that they feldom or never broke. Befides that, the 
c< archers did life to temper with fire a convenient 
cc quantity of wax, rofin, and fine tallpw together ; ia 
€< fuch fort, that rubbing their bows with very little 
u thereof, laid upon a woolen cloth, it did conferve 
€ * them in all perfection, againft all weather of heaf, froft, 



derating weight to the end of it) and fufficientljr firm to refift 
and counteract the jar of the piece. The uncertainty in the 
flight of the bullet (arifing from the circumftance of its being lefs 
than the bore of the piece) is corrected in a very confiderable 
degree, by the rtfle»bore. As to the third, although frequent firing 
certainly furs the piece and leffens its effect ; yet fo ftrong is the 
chamber of muikets made, in general, that they, are, I believe, 
feldom known to burft. The fourth and fifth obfervations are 
obviouily applicable to modern fire-arms, and afford reafons in 
proof of the laft affertion. The Jixth, indeed, refers particularly 
to the match lock, (the pan of which was open) yet it, in fome 
degree, alfo applies to modern fire-arms. The feventh needs no 
argument to fupport it. As to the Iafi affertion, fee note (46); 
v (a 4) Livery bows it fhould feem were made chiefly of theEngUJb 
woods: and Clement Edmonds (lib. vii. c. 15, p. 137) obferves, 
" that he could not commend them, being for the mod part 
" heavy Hugs, and of greater weight than ftrength, and of more/ 
" fhew than fervice." Our ftatutes on archery make mention of 
wych, hafcU €lm y ajh> auburne^ and other reafonable trees (accord- 
ing to their powers) as affording bow woods. See Stat, of 33 H. 8. 
c. 9.. and th,e Iri/h Stat, of 5 Ed. 4. c. 4. The ftatute of- the 
8 Elifc. c 10. defcribes three forts of bows, viz. outlandijk 'yew of 
, the £<y? fort (which that ftatute forbid* to be fold for more than 
6*. 8d) ; the fecond fort for m#re than 3s. 4d. and the coarfe * fort 
(called Lheray bows) for 2S.j at which laft price Englijh yew was 
thereby fixed. . 

and 



[30] . 

€t and wet: (25) and the firings being made of very 
"good hemp, with a kind of water-glue, ,to refift wet 
* c and moifture; x and being by the archers themfelves 
" well whipt with fine thread, they did very feldom 
u break :. but if any fuch firings did happen to break 
"in time of fervice, the fbldiers archers had always 
Ci in readinefs, a couple of firings more, ready whipt 

(aj> The long bow (when unftrung) was carried in a woollen! 
or waxed-cloth cafe, to preferve it from wet and morfture*. The 
bow firings of the^Daha at the battle of Magnefia (between Scipip 
and Antiochus) are reported to have been relaxed by a fog. Rollin 
vol. 8, p. 263. Pofiibly their firings were made of what Afcham 
calls Bullock* s Thermes (or thongs), of which, he fays, many bow 
firings of the ancients were made. It is a lingular fa£k, that our 
hiftorians (following Mezeray the French chronicler) have re- 
marked, that at the battle of Crefiy, the firings of the Genoefe 
crofs bows were fo much relaxed by the heavy ftiower of. rain 
which fell previous to that battle, as to have been of little fervice 
Some writers indeed do not notice this difadvantage on the part 
of the crofs bowmen, but only the fuperior eftecls of the Englifh 
long bow. Muratori has givfen us a more credible and fatisfa&ory 
account of this matter, attributing the deficiency of the Genoese 
bows, not to the effeft of the rain upon, their firings but to it* 
effect upon the ground; which was fofoft, that when they attempted 
to put one foot in the Jtirrap of the crofs bow, in <5rder to charge 
jit, .the other flipt from under them. As this circumftance feems 
worthy the attention of the accurate hiftorian, I ihall quote the 
paflage from Muratori, in his own words: " Mezerayus N in 
4t Hiftoria Gallica narrat, quum ex improvifo cecidifFet imber 
4C effufus, Genuenfes ad pugnam lentos proceffifie, quoad con ten - 
4C derent arcuum fuorum chordas a pluvia debilitates, feque prop* 
* c teria impotentes ad proelium ; eaque de caufs&, veluti proditores 
u a fubfequentibus iratis Gallis, fuifie trucidatos* Audi nunc 
u au&orem vitae Nicholai Laurentii, five Hifioriae Roman ae in 
44 hoc opere edendae, qui iis iplis diebus fcribebat : Era fiat a (in- 
u quit.ille) unpoco di piovarella. La terra era irifofa e molle. Quanno 
** volevano caricare la valefiria, mettevano pede nellafltxffa. Lo pede 
4C sfuiva. Non pottevano ficcare lo pede in terra. Hoc eft i pauh ante 
44 mvdicMS imber ceciderat. Humus exinfufa aqua mollis ac fabric a 
f * eral, . £>uum Genuenfes Balifias Sagittis onetaturi erant 9 pedem fia- 
". pki& ifyfoittebant. Pes> in quo- fabant, elabebdtur. Ncatiibant 
u pedem folo figere. Tom. 2, Differ tatiomt^ p. i£. 

1 < - ' " and 



[ 31 ] 

• * 

u and fitted tothtfr bows, to clap on in an inftant(a6). 
c 5 And this I have heard of divers yeomfen, who have 
" ferved ks fpldiers archers in t;he field." 

<f I fball now, (continues Sir John Smith) pro- 
cc ceed to the confideration and examining, of tbre* 
u molt important things; in the which, all effe&s of 
" mufketeers, harquebufleers and archers, and their 
€c weapons do confift: and that is, whether mufke* 
" teers or harquebufleers with their weapons of fire, 
fC or archers with their bows and fheaves of arrows, 
iC upon all occafions in the field, be.moft ready with 
€C all dexterity and celerity, to execute the effefts of 
<c their weapons; by difcharging, and giving vollies 
<c at their enemies. The Jecwid is, whether the 
<c archers .with their weapons, or the other foldiers 
cc wkh their weapons of fire, do fail leaft to (hoot* dif- 
€t charge and give their vollies. And the third is, 
c< whether by reafon and common experience, the bul- 
<c lets of weapons of fire in the field, or the arrows of 
cc archers do annoy the enemy moft, be they horfemen 
€€ or footmen. To the firfi,\I think, that there is no 
<c man of any experience in the aforenamed weapons, 
cc that will deny, but that archers are able to difchargc 
f< four or five arrows a piece, before the harquebufleers 
« c fhall be ready to difcharge one bullet (27). Having 
€€ their bows bent, the archers have no more to do* 



(26) Fr-pnp a paflage in Afcham, corroborated by an antique ring, 
found in the, field where was fought .the memorable battle of Ban- 
nockburti) fan erjgraying of which is giten by Mr. Mofeley) it fedms, 
that it was fgra&tiiBes the practice for an archer to have two firings 
(one of th^pa loofe) put on his bow together. Mofeley », p. 107. 

(27) It rauft be recollected, that Sir John Smith fpeaks of the 
ancient piece with a match lock ; but fee. a note oh this point jogl 
(ff0fe u <66j. t ^r John Smith alfo notices many other imperfe&ions* 
tp which that, kind of fire-arm was liable,- and which not being 
appHcablein the comparison of the bow with the firelock) -are here 
omitted. _'/.>- 

c < but 



... t 32 ] 

u but to draw their arrows out of their cafes ancf 
<c ' flieafs; to notch them in their bows, to draw them 
cc to. the heads, • and flioot; all which is performed in 
cc almoft in an inftant. To the fecpnd, I obferve, that 
c< neither hail, rain, or fnow, (which impede the ef- 
cc fefts of fire-arms,) can prevent or hinder the archers 
cc from fliooting* and working great effedls with their 
" arrows."(*8) - 

As to very great* celerity* in firing muflcets, Sir John 
Smith entirely condemns it 5 obferving, that in fuch 
cafe, the muflceteers take no fight, and only fpend pow- 
der and heat their pieces (29). " As to the third' 
c< and laft point, I think, (continues Sir John Smith) 
" ic is fuperfluous to reiterate and again fct down 
cc the different advantages and chief effe&s of harque- 
cc bufleers, muflceteers, and archers 1 becaufe I 'have 
c< already made it fo manifeft; as alfo that the reader 
" hereafter fhall fee, in many parts of this difepurfe, by 
ct divers reafons, and many notable examples and 
" experiences ; that archers in the field do far exceed 
cc and excel all muflceteers and harquebufleers; in tcr- 
u rifying, wounding, and killing both horfes and men, 

(28) Hail, rain, fnow, and. wind, will certainly take effect 
upon the arrow, and m/ome degree alter its range and force. With 
refpe& to the latter, Afcham (in his Toxophilus) obferves, " that 
•*• fome kinds of winds, (as a fide wind) try an archer and good 
*' gere very much ; and that once the down wynd twelve /core - 
** mark (for the fpacd of three weeks) was thirteen /core and an half; 
if and into the wind (being not* very great) a great deal above^ 
w fourteen/core :" meaning, thaT "the wind was fo ftrong and brifk, 
that the arrow flying /with the wind, greatly 6ver-fhot the tnark % 
However, he is fpeaking of light arrows; not war arrows, Which* 
were much heavier, and in their conftrufliori better calculated to 
contend with the wind. We read indeed, of a battle in the eaft, 
during an hurricane, which was fo violent, as to render it diffi- 
cult to fend an arrow from an Indian bow beyond a. few paces. 
Reign bf Bchauder Shaio, dfiat. Reg. CharaHeis^ p. if. "*;/ ^ ' T ' 

(29) This is another reafon infupport .of Sir J ahr/ Smith's" 
eighth obfervation. . ?.:: 

. ■* And 



c ? And therefore vrill only in this place, anfwer one 
c ' objeAion, which I have divers times heard alledged, 
cc in commendation of the effe&s of weapon's of fire, 
€ * and to the difabling of the effects of archers; and that 
€ * is, there are many that have reported, that -the 
" blows of the bullets of mufkets and harquebufles 
cc are no lefs than deajh, to fuch as they light 1 upon: 
' c whereas contrarywife, the blows of arrows do but 
<c only gall, or lightly wound:, which in troth, is 
€€ greatly miftaken, by all fuch as xlo hold that 
C€ opinion. For that by common experience it hath 
Cc been feeh, an all fkirmifhes and great encounters, 
u that for every one that: hath been flain dead in the 
cc fields by the Ihot of mufket or harquebufs, there 
€c have been four, that have not died by the hurts 
<c of fuch weapons of fire; although fome of them 
u have regained ever after maimed, and fome not. 
Cc Whereas by true experience, archers with their ar- 
<c rows, do not only greatly wound, but alfo fome- 
** rimes kill both horfes and men, in fuch fort as 
* c they never depart out of the field alive, as it (hall 
cc her.eafter appear by divers ancient, as alfo modern 
cc examples, Befides that I, and divers other gen- 
cc tlemen of our nation, yet living, that were in 
u France in king Edward the Sixth's time, and alfo di- 
cc vers times fince, have many times heard French cap- 
€< tains and gentlemen attribute all former vi&ories of 
(< the . Englifh againft themfelves, and their anceftors 
M the French, more to the tffedt of our archers, than 
€c to any extraordinary valliance of our nation ; and 
cc therewithal! further report and fay, that they did 
u think, that the Englifh archers did ufe to ppifon 
'Mhrir arrow-heads* becaufe, that of great numbers of 
€< the French nation, that many times had been 
" wounded or hurt with arrows j very few had efcaped 

D " " with 



t 3* ] 

*■ wich their lives ; by reason that their wounds 
cc did lb impofthume, that they Could not be cured. 
" Id which their conceits they did. greatly err* be- 
•t* caufe* in truth, thofe impofthumations proceeded of 
« nothing elfe jbut of the very ruft of the arrow-heads* 
" that remained rankling within their wounds; and 
" therefore by the common experience of our ancient 

* enemies, (th^t we have fo often vanquifhed)* not 
€€ only the great, but alfo the /mail (30) wounds of our 

* arrows, have been always found to be more dange- 
c< rous and hard to be cured, than the fire of any (hot 
cc unpointed." 

" Befidcs all which, it is to be noted, that horfes in 
cc the field being wounded/ or bntfligbtly hurt with «r- 
. « rows, they (through the great pain that upon every . 
u motion they do feel in their flefh, veins, and 0news, 
" by the (baking of the arrows with their barbed heads 
u hanging in them,) do prefently fall a yerking, fling*- 
<' rng and leaping as if they were mad : in fuch fort, as 
u be it in fquadron, or in troop, they do diforder one 

* another, and never leave until they have thrown (31) 

" and 

(30) Our arrow-heads ufed in war, were much fraaller than 
thofe afed by mod other nations. - And Afcham obferves, that 
the kfi hole an arrow makes in the body, the more 'difficult it is 
. toheaL The barb of the arrow-head may be made in fuch a 
form, as often (when funk into the flefh) to defy extraction, by 
the moft fkilful furgeon. The barbs ufed by fome of the African 
fcstioos are not ftraight -and parallel, as our ancient barbs were, 
>ut fbmewhat bent from the center, and turned different ways; 
on which account they are the more difficult to extract. 
- (31) Pyrrhus king of Epirus, in an engagement, had his horfc 
pierced with an arrow, which made the animal fo furious, that he 
ran with his matter into the very midft of kis enemies, and fell dead 
with him to the ground. (Rollin, vol. vii. p. 285.) At the battle 
of Agincourt, fays Speed, ** the horfes iides were altogether^ larded 
*' with arrows." 'Rift, of Great Brit. And Drayton moft forcibly 
defcribes the terrible efFe&s, which the Englifli barbed arrows had 
wp on the horfes in that battle: 

« Upon 



, - - , [ 35- ] ' 

u and caft their mafters. Whereas contrarywife, horlea 
<€ that are in their vital parts hurt with bullets, \ot that 
* c the bones of thqr legs, ftioulders, or backs be bro»- 
€< ken -, they do prefently fall down, or otherwife al-' 
" though they be ftricken clean through, or that the 
m u bullets do (till remain in them, they, after the firft- 
u (hrink at the entering of the bullet, do pafs their 
cc carritre, as though they had very little or no hurt. 
** And this of the hurting of horfes with bullets, both 
cc I myfelf, and all others do know* that have feen 
cc any a&ions performed in the field* And the other, 
<c of the great difordering of horfes, with the hurts of 
; c < our Englifh arrows -, I have read in divers hiftofiee, 
f and heard reported by divers gentlemen of our rta~ 
" tion, that have feen the fame." . 

" Among many other fancies, which fome of qui* 



" Upon the horfes as in chafe they fly, 
• ** Arrows fo tjiick in fuch abundance light, 
" That their broad buttocks men like butts might fee, 
" Whereat for paflitm bowmen {hooting be." 
And compares them to the fting of an hornet : 

" And in their flanks like cruel hornets hung.'* 

Batt* of dgincourt. 

Nor were they lefs terrible to men. t* Certainly," lays Mr. Barnes, 
(mentioning the fea engagement before SJuys), " we are told by - 
•' moft writers, that in this fight, the Engliln arrows fell fo thick 
** among the French, and did fo fting, torment, and fright them, 
" that many men, rather than endure them, leaped defperatel/ 
" into the fea." P. 185. And Froiffart (fpeaking of the battle of 
Crefly,) "" fays, whan the Genoways felt the arrowes perfyng through 
" heeds, arraes, and breftes ; many of them caft downe their crofs- 
<* bowes, and dyd cutte their ftrynges, "and retourned difcon- 
•* fitted." Chron. vol. i. cc. 128, 129, &c. Grafton Chron. p. 274. 
Afchara tells us, " the feare onlye of Englifhe archers- hath done 
*' more wonderfull thinges, than ever I redde in any hiftorye," 
** Greke or Latine, and moft wonderfull of alhnow of late, befyde 
" Carlifle, betwixt Efke and Leven, at Sandyfikes : where the 
*' whole nobilitye of Scotland, for fear of the archers of Euglande, 
" (next the ftroke of God) as both Englifhe and Scottifhe men 
" that were preient hath told me, were drowned and taken pri- 
14 (oners.** Toxepliifos. 

D 2 x " captains 



[ 36 l 

*' captains of the Low Countries do alledge againft 
" archers, (to the difgracingx and difabling of them and 
. u their weapons, in companion of their wfeapons , of 
V fire,) one is, that the arfchers bows being by them 
" ufed againft the enemy in the heat of fummer, will 
" grow fo weak, that .thereby they will lofe their force 
a and effe&s. Whereunto I anfwer; that this objec- 
" tion is a new fancy, and a very dream, contrary to 
* c all ancient and modern experience of Englifh 
" archers : whofc bows being made of that excellent 
" wood of yew, (32) do never (b decay irj ftrength, 
" neither by hot nor wet weather, nor yet by often 
cc (hooting in them} but that they will with arrows 
*** wound, and fometimes kill both men and horfes a 
" greater diftance off, than the (hot and bullets of har- 
i€ quebuffes and calivers, being employed and ufed in 
* s the open field, by (kilfuF conductors and leaders ; by * 
cc reafon of the wonderful failings and uncertainties of 
" thofc, and all other weapons of fire maniable."(33) 

Sir John Smith here notices two other objedtions 
againft the bow ; firfi, ,the impoflibility (in foreign • 
invafions,) of finding the weapons and furniture of 
archery where it is not ufed ; and Jecondly y that 
ficknefs will difable bowmen. ,To the firft he anfwers, 
by aflcing, if mujkits and their neqeffary appendages 
Tan be procured in an enemy's country, and obferves, 



($2) Bows made of lmn % are greatly afFe&ed by the weather, 
particularly wet or moifture; and often require to be fet : that 

*is, reftored to their original (hape and bending. 

(33) J ac ,°it 9 ue Tharquebuzier puifle tirer de plus loin, 
neatitioins Tarcher & l'arbaleftier tuera aujfi bien un homme nud de 

- 100 ou de 200 pas loin que le meilleur harquebuzier ; & telle foip 
que le harnois s'il n'eft des plus fors n'y pourra refifter. Au plus 
le remede feroit, que ceux cy tiraifent *le plus pres qu' ils pour- 
roint: & ft eela fe fait, Ton trouvera plus de gens bleffez & tuez 
par le traiS, que par ie double d'harquebuziers, , Difcipline militairt 
de MeJJire Guillaume du Bella? . - • ' , 

that 



[ 37 3 

that they arc much heavier of carriage than bow? and 
arrows; and that Edward III. and Henry V. hatf 
9,000, of io,ooo, archers in their armies, who did not 
want any article of archery. As to the/econd, he in- 
fills, that ficknefs will difable mujketeers as well as bowr 
men, and that the former muft be ftrong to ufe heavy 
pieces j whereas bows are much lighter (34). And he 
proceeds thus:. 

u Moreover they objeft againft archers, that men, 
" in this age are not fo mighty and ftrong of body, as» 
<€ they have been in former ages* and therefore, cannot 
" (hoot fo ftrong, and work fo good effe&s with their 
c * arrows, as their forefathers have done in times paft, 
cc But in England, and in all other nations, they may 



(34) Sir John Smith fays, a man may draw his bow, if he is 
found from the girdle upwards. However, it muft be admitted f 
that between the fire-arm and the bow, there is this difference ; 
that the latter depends for its efFeft upon a much greater degree 
of bodily flrength than the former. On this account, the battle 
of Agincourt wears the appearance of a miracle. One hiftorian 
(Goodwin) tells us, that the Englifh were almoft famifhed, having 
" (for fome days before this battle) had nothing but nuts and 
" water to fubfift upon." They were too attacked with, a raging 
dyfentery-. So that we are informed, " they were obliged to fight 
" naked from the waift downwards." Peck's Hift* Stanford, quotes 
ABa Regia % No. p. 134, 135. But it may be remarked, that 

. although the proper management of a ftrong bow requires much 
flrength of body, and particularly in the arms ; yet is the a&ion 
of ufing it, far lefs fatigueing than that of the mufket. In the 
exercife of the former, fo many parts and mufcles are brought 
into regular and united action, that no one part is wearied by excefs 
of exertion ; and the bow in itfelf is of very light weight. On the 
contrary, the mufket (with the bayonet fixed) is very ponderous, 
end as in ufing it, it muft reft chiefly upon, one arm ; it foon 
1 caufes fatigue in an hot action, when the vollies are given 
without intermiffion. Whereas the bowman can (hoot for many 
hours without being fatigued. Another difadvantage on the part 
of the mufket may be here noticed ; namely, that the effect of 
the powder is fuch, that be fides involving the muikettotr in a 
cloud of fmoke, it affects his eyes and affails his throat and fto- 
mach, circumftancea which muft contribute to leffen the efteft 

/ ©f his difcharges. 

D 3 "fee 



E 38 J 

H fee many fons as tall, or taller; or bigger, and 
cr ftronger ; as they fhall fee lower, flenderer, or weaker 
fC th'an their fathers," (35) 

" They alfo objeft, that v the Englifli have not for 
° thirty or forty years, had To much exercife in archery as 
€t their forefathers ufed : whereby archers in number 
u are greatly decayed. This is true I confefs ; but it 
cc is the fault of the magiftrates in not putting the" 
* laws in force: which their negligence or contempt, 
cc whether it hath proceeded of that they have 
€ * been carried into the fancies of liking the aforefaid 
'* .weapons of fire, becaufe they fill means ears and 
€ * eyes, with fuch terrible firf, fmoke, and noife: 
<c or elfe, that they have been perfuaded thereunto, by 
fC fome old new-fangled men of war, that do neither 
" uhderftand the true efFefts of mufketry, harquebufleery, 
ic nor archery, I wot not." 

" Our people and nation, of a fingular gift of God, 
« c and as it were by a natural inclination (36), with 



(35) Speaking of the Englifh in general* we may obferve, that 
they are not f© ftrong as their anceftors. The reefoos are obvious. 
Whilft commerce was but little attended to, the fports of the 
field filled up much of the time of the higher clafles, .and manual 
labour and recreations requiring ftrength, that of the lower. As 
arts and manufactories increafed, the occupation of great num- 
bers became either fedentary, or fuch as deprived them of the 
opportunity of keeping up the vigour and ftrerigth of the body, by 
exercife: fiefides, the increafe of cities and towns, the conic* 
quent impediment to the free circulation of air in them ; with 
the unreftrained ufe of fpirituous and adulterated liquors, and 
habits of luxury ; have contributed greatly to enervate the people 
of this iflandr Yet among the laborious poor* we ihall dill find 
the ftrength and power of body poflefled by their anceftors, (often 
the only patrimony defcended to them) and which their occupa* 
lions are admirably calculated to preferve, and continue to their 
pofterity. - 

(36) " All Engliflimen (fays Afcharn) generally, be apt for 
" {hooting. Children even from their cradle love it, and young 
u men, without any teaching, diligently ufe it." Toxtp&ilus. 

" good 



t 30 ] , 

" good execution of laws, came to be fa perfeft and* 
" excellent in tbe life of the long bow, without any 
u public charge. Our enemies are more ufed to fire* 
cc weapons, and having many fortified places and con- 
" ftant garrifon* to keep up, have always men trained 
fC to arms. 

SECTION II* 

Ejfeftsof Arrows more certain than thofe of Bullets— ? 
Arrows terrify the ifye— Sir John Smith's ChaU 
lenge to the Mujket^-Difference between the Range 
of an Arrow and a Bullet — EffeQs of bottfE-EjfeQ 
of Archery proved by Examples — Battles of Creffy, 
PoiBierSy Nawaretta, Agincourt, and Herrings — 
Opinion that Archers cannot Jiand the Charge of 
Horfe, anfaered by Examples to the contrary. 

" \ RC HERS, being good, direft their arrows 
" ■*** with a great deal more certainty, being within 
€t *eight, nine, * ten, or eleven fcores, than any muf- 
<c keteers or harquebufieers (how good foever they be) 
cc can do in a much nearer diftance; by reafbn that 
<f mufketeers and harquebufleers failing in their points and 
. " blank, do neither kill nor hurt: befides that in their ' 
€C paints and blank, (throughf the great imperfections 
u before declared)* they do very feldom hit; whereas 
1* contrary wife, the arrows do not only wound, and 
" fbmetimes kill in their points and blank, but alfo in 
cc their defcents and fall (37) : for if in their defcents* 

(37) Stow (wha copies from John. Hofs) informs us, i^at at 
th& hattfs of Hastings, Duke William commanded bis men, «* that 
44 feme of then* would fhopt direftly forward, and other ibme 
<c upward, Ijy radon whereof* the Arrows fliot upward deftroyed 
" the Engliihmen as they ftooped, and the arrows wot directly 
#< af©«*hand f wounded them that flood upright/ 1 Annalh, p. 100. 

D 4 " they 



; - [ 40 ] 

€t they light not upon the enemies faces ; yet in their 
cc lower defcents, they light, either upon their breads, 
€€ bellies, thighs, knees, or legs; and in their loweft de- 
c< fcentfall even to the very nailing -of their feet to' the 
t€ ground; which with the terrible coming of the arrows 
€€ in the eyes and fight (38) both of horfemen and 
€t footmen, caufeth in them a wonderful, fear and terror. 
€C Whereas contrarywife, harquebufleers and mufketeers 
" with their weapons of fire, do no ways terrify neither 
* c horfes nor men, that are but four or five times ufed 

, fc to their cracks, fmoke, and noifej unlefs by great* 
€c chance, they "happen t;o be ftricken with bullets: and 
u the reafon is this ; that the bullets being difchargecj are 
cc jnvifible, and therefore do no ways tenify the fight: 

' " whereof it commeth to pafs, that when horfes and 
<c men that have been in three or four fkirmifhes, do fee 
* that they receive no hurt, neither by the fire, fmoke, 
€C nor noife; nbr that in many thoufands of harquebufs 
cc and muflcet (hot, there are not twenty men (lain, 
<c nor hurt* they grow after to be far lefs in doubt of 
<c thofe weapons of fire, than. of pikes, halbards, lances, 
" and fwords. Howbeit, the vollies (39) of archers 
*' arrows, flying together in the air, as thick as hail, 
cc do not only terrify and amaze in moft terrible fort, 
cc the ears, eyes, and hearts, botfy of horfes and men, 



(38) " If it be true (fays Sir John Hayward) as all .men of 
u aftion do hold, that the eye in all battles \sfirft overcome ; then 
u againft men equally accuftomed to both t the' JtgAt of the arrow 
** is more available to vi&qry, than the crack of the piece." Life 
of mllithn hy J: H t , "* : . 

(39) It muftnot be fuppofed, thrftthe archers delivered their ar- 
rows in a diforderly or promifcuous manner. On the contrary, their 
difcipline feems to have kept pate with their' provvefs. ' Froiflart 
relates, that at the ever memorable battle of Creffy, "the archers 
" of England Ihotte fo holly tmder 9 that the* Frenchmen were 
" fayne to give place to the Engwhmcn." FmJfaSt; yoL u c. 127. 
Grafton Citron* p. 270. ' • 

' ' / ' n wirJi 



t 41 ] 

« with the noife and fight of their coming? but fhejr 
" alfo in their defcents, do not leave in a whole fqua- 
" dron of horfemen, nor footmen (although they be in 
" motion) fo much as one man unftricken and not 
cc wounded with divers arrows, if the number of the 
" archers be anfwerable to the number of the fquadron 
u (40). And therefore for the experience that both I, 
" and many others, both noblemen, gentlemen and 
cc great captains of many nations, that I have ferved 
c< amongft, have had of the fmall effed of weapons 
" of fire in the field, with the reafons and differences 
<c before alledged; for my part, I will never doubt to 
€€ adventure my life, or many lives (if I had them) 
€€ artiongft eight thou/and archers complete, well chofcn, 
" and appointed, and there withall provided and fur- 
x€ nifhed with great ftore of lheaves of arrows, as alfb 
c< with a good overplus of bows and bow-ftrings, 
u againft twenty tboufand of the beft harqubeujfeers and 
€t mujketeers that are in Chriftendom." 

" This I know, that harquebufleers, if led by fkilful 
. cc conduftors, are not to, give any vollics, above three or 
€€ four fcores at the furtheft: nor muflceteers any vollies 
cc of bullets, above eighty ten, or twelve fcores, at any 
<c fquadrons of horfe or foot in motion. And yet that 
" too far (41), unlefs the leaders think rather to terrify 



(40) N^ead informs us, that Henry VIII. won Turwin, Tournajr 
and Bullogn, chiefly by the ufe of the bow : which a,mazed the 
enemy, and wounded almoft every one. Double-armed Man. Such was 
the effect of well directed vollies of arrows fliot' by the Englifh, 
that befides the ilain, the number of the wounded, (who generally 
were made'prifoners) was very considerable in almoft all the great 
contents, in which they-ufed the bow. Grafton, fays that at the 
battle of Poi&iers, " there were divers Englifh archers that had 
*' f°H r 9 frve^ oxjix prifoners." Chron. 

(41) The point blank range of a muflcet ball is computed to be 
under 150 yards; in aflion, its efFect can feldom be depended upon 
at more than two thirds of that diftance. See poft (note 67 .) 

" with 



I ** 3 

* % with hoife and fmokc, than with any hurt of the bu!- 
" kts. Whereas, archers reduced into their convenient 
u forms (42), being in fb great numbers (as afbrefaid) 
u do dim the light of the Sun, darken the Air (43), nnd 

(43) u The ancient order of reducing archers into form, by our 
* f moft Skilful and warlike anceftors, was into hear/es ; that is, 
** broad in front, and narrow in flank : as for example, if there 
•• were 259 30, 35, or more or fewer archers in front; the flanks 
" did confift but of 7 or 8 ranks at the moil. And the reafoo 
" Was this, that if they had placed any more ranks than 7 or 8, 
** the hinder ranks would have loft a great deal of ground, in 
," the vollies of their arrows, at their enemies; confidering the 
.?' Convenient and proportionate diftances between rank and 
'*• rank, and ranks before them ; as alfo, that the fight of the 
•• kinder ranks would have been taken away, by fo many former 
u ranks, from, directing their vollies of arrows towards their 
4i enemies faces. Our anceftors placed the hearfes of archers, 
u either before the front of their armed footmen, or elfe in wings 
" upon the corners of their battalions, and fometime* both in 
u front and wings." Sir Jok* Smith. 

•* At the battle of Crefly the archers flood in the form of an 
u hearfe, about 200 in front, and but 40 in depth: which is 
** undoubtedly the beft way of embatteling archers, efpecially 
"when the enemy is very numerous, as at this time. For 
" by the breadth of the front, the ex tendon of the enemies front 
" is matched; by reafon of the thinnefs in flank, the arrows do 
* c more executions being more likely to reach home." (Barnes^ 
p. 356.; 

•After the introduction of fire arms, the archers were placed behind 
the Harquebuffeers, with great effect ; as we read was pra&ifed at 
the battle of Pinkey, between the Englifh and Scotch, on the 
banks of the Elke. Fidepoft^ chap. 4. 

(43) This expreflion of Sir John Smith's, refpe&ing the appear- 
ance of arrows, is by no means hyperbolical. Hjftorians of all 
ages, have made fimilar obfervations upon their flight. Our old 
chroniclers frequently compare the vollies of arrows, at the battles 
'of Crefly, Poicliersand Agincourt, to the fall of hail and/iow, and 
to metis in the Sun. Our poets follow them. Drayton (in his 
JP*£r.O/£/V»), fpeaking of thexivil contefts, writes, 

€€ The winters fleet or kail was never feen fo thick, 

" As on the boufes fides the bearded arrows flick. 

" Hie middle fight (which was the army's only pride) 

" Of archers moft approved 

< ' 4f Stood ftoutly to the ihock, and flang out fuch a flight 

€t Of fliafts, as well near/eem'd t'cclipfe the welcome light. 

* And with the fliot came^jfa, like Jlortryjhwfrstf Hail" 

Song %% m 

u cover 



[ 43 ]. _ 

Ci cover the Earth with their vollies of arrows, eighty 
€€ mne % ten and eleven^ fcorcs diftant from them (44)'; 
cc in fuch fort, as no numbers of mufketeers or har- 
fC quebufleers or argolcteers (45), nor yet fquadrons of 
." lances, nor of footmen (being fo ill armed as in thefe 
fC days they are), (hall be found able to abide the incredi- 
cc bte terror of the (hot of fuch infinite number of arrows'. 
* c For there' is no doubt, but that archers with their 
<c * vollies of arrows, will wound, kill, or hurt above 
€€ one hundred men and horfes, for every one that (hall 
€t (hall be (lain or hurt, by the vollies of (b great 
cc numbers of harquebujfeers or mufketeers y as before 
<c mentioned (46)." 

u Now whereas our fuch men of war, do further 
" difable our archers, faying, that they are to work in a 
cc manner no effect, neither againft horfemen nor foot- 
cc men;' and that archers are not able to abide the 
ci terror of the (hot of mufketeers nor harquebufieers, 



(44) It feeras that twelve /core yards was, in general, the full 
extent of the flight of the heavier kind ci Jheaf or war arrows, which 
were very long and proportionabjy heavy. Each iheaf confided of 
twenty four, *• of which (Sir John Smith fays,} eight were tower 
" feathered, fmaller and flighter arrows than the reft." Anfioer to 
Mr. Barwick. The ufe of which was, " to gaul or aftonne the 

'*' enemies with the haile mot of light arrows, before they fhall 
** come within the danger of the harquebufs (hot." Art <fW*r % 
JJarltiaxMSS. A Si8. 

(45) The harquehttfs was a lighter fort of muiket, and was nfed 
without a reft The argolette feems to have been the fame or very 
like it, and gave the name of *rgdeteer to the marfe JUdiers who 
ufed this latter fire-arm. 

(46) Refpe&ing the great inefficiency attending the firing of 
musketry in modern war; Mr. Mafon obferves, that Marihftl 
Count Saxe, in his Memoirs, ftates, that on a computation of balls 
ufed in a day's a&ion, not one of upwards of eighty five took place;. 
Mr. Mafon has collected feveral modern inftances of the eflfed 
of mufketry, from which it appears, that Marihai Safe's, compu- 
tation may (under the prefent iyftem of military tadics) fairly be 
doubled* Mafon #* the Lwg*B(rtP and Pike* 

" with 



[ 44 ] 

** with many other vain and fond Gbje&ions, contrary 
w to all reafon and experience: it is not to be marvelled 
* c at, that they do fo grofsly err in their fond opinions 
" conceived and alledged, againft the excellent effeds of 
u that weapon, of which they never had any experi- 
€< ence, nor yet do know how to order them. Foj: 
<€ marchers, reduced into their forms, were placed hy our 
€C anceftors in the face of the men at arms (47) of 
€€ France, and all other brave horfemen of foreign 
" nations, who in thpfe days were faf better armed, 
" than any nations in thefe our days are. And yet 
fc with this. good order, the wonderful effedt of our 
" archery and arrows was fuch; that flying in the air as 
* c thick as fnow, with a terrible noife, much like a 
u temp eft nous wind preceding a tempeji-, they did leave no 
** difajmed place of horfe or man unftricken and not 
" wounded. As may well appear by many battles and 
" vidtories, and namely, by the battle; of Crejy 9 that 
<c King Edward III. and Prince Edward his fon won 
<c againft King Philip of Francfe ; where the faiid King 
* € Philip had eight or ten tboufand men at arms, and 
cc fifteen tboufand Genoefe crofs-bow men, (which were no 
* c ways inferior for fervices in the field to the mqfkets 
ic of this time (48) : with fo puiffant an army alfo on 

" horfefeack 



: (47) The men at arms (fometimcs called by Froiffart Gens a*armes % 
at other times lances, from the fpears, or lances they often carried) 
fought both on horfeback and on foot. At times, they were 
habited'in body-armour of iron, and plates of iron on their arms: 
the joints were defended with mail, which was worn under the 
whole armour (therefore often called by hiftorians a flnrt pi mail). 
At other times they were ftill clofer armed, with the joints, of 
the armour defended by plates of iron. Stint t. vol. 3. p. 33. 

(48) The crofs bow was the intended rival of the long-bow ; but 
we find, from unqueftionable authorities, that the crofs-bow-men 
could never ftand againft the Englifh long-bow men. In the fea 
engagements before Sluys, and with the Spanifli armada near 
Winchelfea^ in the reign of Edward III. Barnes, (p. 18a. 451.^ 

tells 



[ 43 ] 

cc horfcback and on foot, very well armed apd ap- 
" pointed (of divers nations), that they were fix afthe 
" leaft for every one of the Englifli : in which battle 
<c were flam eleven Princes > and twelve hundred knights* 
- " befides thirty thou/and Joldiers of all nations. And 
4< the wonderful effeft and terror of fhot of arrows was 
" that day fuch, as neither the French King with his 
cc men at arms, nor any other of his great captains, with 
Cf their brave and well armed bands of horfemen of 
" divers nations, were able to etiter and break the 
" archers: although they had no pikes, ftakes^^[) 9 

" banks, 

tells us, " that the Englijk arrows did more execution byfdr than the' 
" crofs-bows ;" and that in the latter engagement, " the arcUero 
" of England pierced their arbalifters with a further reach than 
" they could flrike again." Yet Wood (in his Bow-man's Glory) 
tells us " that fome crofs-bows fhot twenty /core yards." However, 
the care taken in this kingdom, by the leg i flat are, to refrain the 
ufe of the crofs-bow (which feems to have been favoured as an 
inftrument of amufement in England in the reigns of Henry VII f 
and Henry VIII.) and to encourage the practice of the long-bow, 
fufficiently marks the preference given to the latter, as a weapon of 
war. See Stat. 19 H. 7. c. 4. 6 Hen. 8. c. 13. and fubfequent 
ftatutes. Hollinmed (who wrote in the fix teen th century) laments 
the decay of our ftrong archery, obferving, " that Certes, the 
" Frenchman and Rutters, deriding our new archery in refpe& to 
" their corfelets, will not let in open fkirmifh (if any leifure ferve) 
" to turn up their tails and cry Ihoote Englijhmcn\ and all becaufe 
44 our ftrong {hooting is decayed and laid in bed : but if fome of 
" our Englifhmen now lived, that ferved King Edward III. the 
" breech of fuch a varlet fbould have been nailed to his bum, 
*' with one arrow ; and another feathered in his bowells, before 
" he fhould have turned about to fee who (hot the firft." 
x De/cription of Britain, Book 2. Chap. 12% Among the plates engraved 
in Strut? s Horda Angtl-cynnan (vol. 2. pi. 46 J is one reprefenting an 
engagement between the Engliih and French in Flanders, in the 
reign of Henry IV. in which a rank of Englifh longbow-men appears 
oppofed to one of crofs-bow men: and one of the latter is repre* 
fented, as having flepped a little forward and turned up his bare- 
breech; in which an arrow from an Engliih long-bow appears to be 
firmly fixed. Thefe authorities, concurring in fuch particulars, pro* 
bably record, or refer to a well known fa6t. 

(49) Our archers, to guard and protect themfelves from the 
attack of the horfe, ufed to place, before them flakes five or fix fee^ 

long 



- c * ] 

u banks, nor trenches to guard them; but being in the 
f? plain and open fields, the archers^ with their vollies of 
" arrows, did break both horfemen and footmen* 
" wounding and killing, both horfes and men, in fuch 



long pointed with iron. (Grafton ckron. p. 455.^ ' Paulus Jovius 
gives us a complete view of the arms and manoeuvres of a body 
of Englifh archers, in the following words; " Apud Anglos in 
** fagittis uriica fpes, et praecipua gloria crebis vi6toriarum proven- 
u tibus, parta. £as minimo digito craffiores, bicubitalefque, 8c 
44 haraato prariixas ferro; ingentibus ligneis arcubus intorquent, 
u tanta vi, arteque, ut ad primos praefertim i&us fquamofam 
•' thoracem, ant loricam facile penetrent, fervefa&amque geftatu 
'*• & multo fole; ferream Equeflrem armaturam faepe transfodiant. 
" His e Romana difciplina, mos eft vallum geftare, et dimenib 
fi fpatio protinus, ubi hoftis fuerit in confpedu, in orbem fe 
•* munire. Palos enim teretes utrinque ferrea cufpide praeacutos, 
.** roira celeritate folo defigunt, & infefta acie, paululum procli- 
#c natos in hoftem vertunt : in medio autem ferreus eft annul us, 
•' quo perpetua fsepe refte vinciuntur. Circumvallati in nunc 
" modum, levo pede in ima parte palum premunr, & divaricatis 
*' cruribus, panfifque lacertis, fagittas excutiunt. Interna autem 
•* finiflri brachii offea tabella conteguntur, ne manicae rugis 
** recurrentis, nervi impetus elidatur: eo quod diximus, muni- 
** tionis, genere Gallici equitatus impetium, quo nihil acrius, atqut 
•* ixhemcntius olim fuit y egregie fuftinuerunt ; quam alii temerd 
**. illatis fe praeacutis vallis iudnerent ; alii vel,in poftrema acie 
** fagittarum grandine flernerentur. Hac una praelii ratione Joan- 
** nes Galliae Rex apod Pictavos ingenti praelio vi&us, captufquc 
44 eftt et Philippus ad Saramorabrinam accepta magna clade, pro- 
44 ffigatus. Apparuitque ea in pugna, fagittarios ;Ligures, qui 
44 Scorpibnibus arcuferreis uterentur, quo teli genere atque animis 
44 hoftibus pares videri poffent ; necque vi, necque cekritate Anglis 
14 fuiflfe comparandos" Defriptio Britannia, fo. 16. Speed gives us 
the following account of the ufe made of thefe flakes, by the 
archers at the battle of Agincourt. "The firft troop of French 
44 horfe were exquifitery appointed; whereon the riders much 
* 4 ptefumed, and meant to have burfl through the archers, with a 
44 violent courfc ; but they giving back, left their fharpe pointed 
44 flakes flicking, which till then were unfeen. The French, fup- 
44 pofing the archers had fled, Came on with their horfe upon the 
44 fpur, and that in fuch heat, as the earth feemed to tremble under 
• 4 their thundering feet ; and being forced forward without fore- 
44 fight of danger, carried their proud riders into the jaws pf 
44 definition: for falling by troops upon thofe goring flakes, they 
41 were miferably overthrown and paunched to death." Hift. of 
Great Brit. p. 628. 

" fort 



[47 1 

** fort, that the French Xing himfelf K being in great 
" peril, had his horfe with the (hot of arrows flaiti 
u under him. By. which example, and divers others, 
" that I will hereafter al)edge$ it may be apparent to 
" any man that is poflefifed with the grace of God* 
u and therefore of found judgment, that archers being. 
" m great numbers, and reduced intp the form,, of 
" bsarfes or double bearfes^ as wings to a battalion or 
u fquadron of pikes (chat they may the more coflVftii- 
u ently give their vollies of arrows,) need not be guarded 
fC with pikes," nor yet (lakes (as fome talk of the bat~ 
cc tie of Agincourt,) but they themfelves are moft 
<c brave pikemen: for as a fquadron of pikes weH 
" formed, do with their pikes in their hands work gtieat 
** effed: in rcfifting a charge of lances, or byencounter- 
" kig with another fquadron of pikemen their enemies; 
" Co the arrows of brave archers reduced into hearfes, 
. u being delivered out of their bows, do become fo 
*' terrible pikes in the eyes and light of the horfes, as 
" Alio in lighting upon their* (hafrons, cranets or fteel 
u pe&oreils, or being not barbed, upon their bare feces 
" and every dilarmed part ; that the horfes with the 
u buzzing, ftriking, and unaccuftomed noife, and with 
<c the blows and wounding of the arrows, do fly back 
" and athwart the one the other: in fuch fort, as no 
" force of fpurs can make them go any further againft 
" the archers, but that they do diforder and overthrow 
** one another. Befides that againft fquadrons of 
€t armed footmen, the vollies of arrows flying in the 
u air, and coming in their eyes and fights as thick as 
" hail; and lighting upon their faces, and every: other 
€c difarmed part \ do fo amaze them, that they come to 
u lofe their ranks and diforder themfelves, before they 
* s can come "to join with another fquadron of arnned^ 
u mea their enemies: and alfo with their terrordo 

", wonderfully 



. t 48 ] 

** wonderfully tonfiife and confound the greateft and 
'• Sraveft captains, in their directions and command- 
«* ments. As it may very well appear, not only by 

* the battle of Crefly before mentioned, but alfo by 
'*■ the battle of Poiftiers : where, certain years after, the 
** fame Prince Edward, (that was at the battle of Crefly 

* With King Edward his Father,) having not in his 
w tfhole army above eight thoUfand Englijh, and Gaf- 
u coigns (of the which there were fix thoufand archers, 
'* and two thoufand armed men;) overthrew King 
cc John of France, (that valiant Prince,) who at that 
" battle was accompanied with a great part of the 
< € nobility . of France and of other nations, as Dukes> 
cc Princes, Earls, and other great captains; and had in 
u his army above three /core thoufand horfemen and 
u footmen ; of the which there were above ten thou- 
<c fand men at arms ; and of horfemen of all forts abovel 
<€ thirty thoufand: where* a little before the battle, the 
€C Prince with his notable captains, confidcring the 
u fmall number that he had to make head and refift 
" the French King with fo huge an hoft, did take a 
<c ground of fome flrength and advantage, for the 
M guard of the flanks and bafck of his fmall army. And 
€t placing a great part of his archers in front, in the 
€< open place where the French horfemen and footmen 
€< were to enter and give battle : the archers with their 
" wonderful vollies of arrows (through the great good- 
€i nefe of God) did that day fo wound, kill and mif- 
u chief both horfes and men ; that he overthrew King 
€i John of France with \ his whole army, and took him 
u and one of his fons prifonersj and of Earls, Barons f 
" Knights, and Efquircs, to the number of fixteen hun- 
€€ dred or more: befides that there were (lain the Duke 
u of Athens, with fo many Earls, Barons, Knights and 
" Efquires; that they were numbered to be above feven 

"hundred 



r 49 i 

** hundred, and fo many prifoners of. all forts taken ' 
<c by the Englifli and Gafcbigns, that they far exceeded 
** the number of the Princes army" 

u The battje alfo of Navarretta in Spain, fought by 
,c the fame Prince Edward (in favour of Don Pedro ei 
a Cruel, againft Don Henry of Caftile,) may teftify the 
" wonderful effeift of archers, where there were above 
** an hundred thoufand Spaniards, Frenchmen, Portu- . 
€t guefe, Genoefe crofs-bow men, and Moors, both 
" horfemen and footmen, overthrown in that battle/' 

cc The famous battle and vidtory of Agincourt, alfo 
tc of later years fought by King Henry V. againft* the- 
" whole power of France, doth evidently (hew the. 
cc moft excellent effe&s and execution of archers, where 
" with the j*race of God and incredible vollies of ar- 
<c rows, the French King's army was overthrown, which 
C€ confided of above forty thoufand horfemen and footmen: 
" of the which there were ten thoufand men at arms, 
" all knights, efquires and gentlemen; whereas King 
** Henry's army did confift of but ten thoufand archers, 
." fifteen hundred lances^ and two thoufand footmen of 
cc other weapons. In which . battle were flain, the 
cc Dukes of Lorain, of Brabant, of Alen?on, and Bar, 
cc with a great number of efquires; befides that, there 
*.* were taken prifoners, the Dukes of Orleans and 
" Bourbon, with many other earls, barons and knights." 

" The battle of Herrings alfo (fo called by the 
" French chronicles) fought in King Henr^ VI's time 
<c (near unto a village in France called Rouveray, not 
" far from Orleans) doth evidently ihew the great 
t€ excellence of archery, againft all other forts of 
cc weapons; in which battle Sir John Falftaff, .with 
cc other brave Englifh captains, by the grace of God 
"- and terrible (hot of the archers, overthrew the baftard' 
€C of Orleans, the Lord High Oonftable of Scotland, the 

E * " Count 



mo j 

a Count of Clermount, with rtiany other captains of 
9f great account, and their tthole army of Frenchmen 
" and Scots; in the which there were a great number 
" of French barquebuffeers and trofs-bow-men) which 
" againft the archers wrought no effeft" 

" But I omit the particulars of many other great 
* c vi&ories, that I could alledge for proof of the incrc- 
c * dible effe&s of our archers in battles(5o): and will now 
<r come to.anfwcr certain other frivolous objections, of 



(50) Not only large, but even very inconfiderahle bodies of archers, 
have done great fervice in the field. Lelandm his ColkBanea (vol. 
x. p. $69 to 5 72) has mentioned feveral feats performed by 
a few Englifh archers in France in the time of E4 ward III. And 
Afcham notices an. action performed by Sir William Walgrave 
and Sir George Somerfet with only fixteen archers, near Hammes, 
" where {to ufe Afcham Y words) they turned with fo few 
" archers, fo many Frenchmen to flight, and turned fo many out 
*' of their jackes (coats of mail) which turne turned all France to 
V fhame and reproach; and thofe two noble knights to perpetual 
u praife and fame." Toxopfu See alfo Sir John Smith's Difcourfe on 
Weapons ; and Barnes's Hifi. of Edward HI. *The latter writer 
among others, noticed an action which, in its effect, may well be 
hanked among the wonders of archery. This was the battle fought 
near Mauron, between Rennes and Plomerel, (15th Aug. 1352) 
between the Englifh and French; the former (who were only 
300 men at arms and 600 archers) were led by Sir Walter 
Bentley and Sir Robert Knowles. The army of the French and 
Bretons, (being four times as great as that of the Englifh) was 
under the conduct of Lord Guy de Nefle marfhal of France, and 
other great officers; and was fo ordered by the marfhal, that 
having a fteep mountain behind at the back, the French and 
' Bretons might be enforced to ftand to it refolutely, by defpairing 
to fly. This array was. fo dreadful, that it difmayed the hearts of 
feveral Englifhmen, and they began to fly, and thirty of the 
archers actually defer ted. But by the courage, good conduct and 
tefolution of Sir Walter Bentley, the Englifh (after a doubtful and 
bloody fight,) obtained a famous victory. Among jthe flain on 
the fide of the French, were the marfhal himfelf, thirteen lords, one 
hundred and forty knight s> five hundred hatchelqrs y '(whofe coats of 
armour were brought, away-:) but the common foldiers ,were not- 
numbered. And the Englifh took prifoners (of lords ^ knights and 
hatchelors) to the number of one hundred and thirty, p. 463. See alfo Rof- 
Unfitefs Ckron. Reign of Heir. VI. 

(mailer 



*< fmaller mompnt than thefe that I have already, by 
** fuch notable examples and experiences of great bat* 
fc ties and vi&ories, anfwered." < - - 

" Some of pur fuch men of war, (becaufe by cot% 
< c prion and modern experience, no number of muflce* 
cc teers.por harquebuffeers in the plain fields, without 
" iuecQilf s of fontie other weapon or ground of advanr 
f c ta'ge, are able to abide the charge of half fo many 
« c lances qi -Jlradiots (51 ) in number «as they are, with* 
Cf put being QVerthrown and brpken,) do therefore 
c < think and commonly report, that with a very fmall 
** number of horjemen, fhey will break a far greater 
cc number of archers* by which their opinions and 
cc reports,- it feemeth, that as they are utterly ignorant, 
cc &nd without any experience of the effedts of archers, 
cc fo are they as ignorant of all notable hiftories; or elfe 
« c acpording to the new fafliion, they do believe nothing 
cc but that. which they, themfelves have feen, which in 
#f troth sppeareth to be very little* 9 ' 

c< For anfwer whereunto, (according jto thcteftimony of 
" the French chronicles) I fay, that in King Henry YVs 
cc time, John kord of Bellay, being accompanied with 
cc two hundred lances at the leaft, met by chance with- 
cc an Englilh captain, called Berry, that had to the num- 
cc ber of four /core archers j who perceiving the French- 
€ * meh, prefently reduced his men into an bearft> tqj-n- 
* c ing their backs to aq hedge, (that the lances might 
<f only charge them in front j and fo giving their vol- 
CT lies of arrows at the French lances charging, did fo 
'? wfcund and kill their horfes, that they overthrew 
'* them, and flew and took divers of them prifoners/* 

- (51) Str&fiots were French light horfemen, with fhort ftirrups, 
beaver .hats, fmall fpears, and fwordslike the fcimitere of Turkey. . 
Grafton's Chron. p. 980. 

^ - E 2 " And 



€ * And within a while after, a French captain (Guion 
fC de Going) accompanied by fix fcere lances, went out 
" to feek an adventure with the Englilh ; and was met 

♦ by Sir William Olde, with fixteen or twenty archers 
cc on horfeback (52) ; who difmounted, and formed in a 
u broad way, where lances could not charge them, but 
" in front ; and the French lances charging them, the 
cc vollies of arrows of thofe few archers, wrought fuch 

* notable effcft againft the French horfemen, that they. 
* c broke and overthrew them; in fuch fort, that there 
u were divers of the French flain and taken prifoners. 
".And in our time, King Henry VIII. being at the 
* €t fiege of Teroiienne, a convoy of provifions was com* 
" ing from Guines towards Teroiienne : all the French 

. €€ captains of Picardy and Vermandois having intelli- 
* c gence of it, aflembled all the men at arms, harque- 
u bufleers and crofs-bow-ipen, laid in ambufli, and. 
u overthrew the Englifli light horfe avan-couriers ; 
* € which being perceived by the Englilh, they fo-place<J 

* " their archers , that after a long fight, and" many 
cc charges by the French men at arms and their (hot 
t€ given, (the French far exceeding the Englifli in 
" number) the French, having a number of horfes 



(5a) The bow wds not confined to ihcfoot foldier. The Eng- 
lifli had in their armies a number of mounted bow-men, (called 
tlobkrs) who were found t© be very ferviceable. (See* Mofeley, p. 
262 .) Barnes (fpeaking of the actions of thefe archers) fayi 
" Thofe that went out into the field, to range themfelves in order 
u were warmly received by the archers on horfeback, who rode 
" about fcouring the field, and Wherever they efpied any extraor- 
" dinary concourfe of men gathering together, thither they rode 
'* up, ancfdiflblved them by their thick flights \of arrows. P. 3 1 i.** 

Sir John Smith (in his comparifon tfiveapons^) draws a comparifon 
between the effe&s of htnfe-mutkctecrs and hcrfe* archers, and decides 
m favour of the latter. 

cc wounded 



t 56 ] 

u wounded and (lain, were completely repulfed and 
* c overthrown by the excellence of the archers (53). 



($3) On the effeft of arrows againft the horfe, may be added the 
two following inftances. " At the battle of Durham or Nevils- 
4 * crofs (anno 1346) Sir David Graham, a valiant baron, with a 
u wing of five hundred horfe, well appointed, gave a full charge 
€l upon the left flank of the Englifh archers; but was received 
" with fuch a fltower of arrows, that after two or three attempts 
u in vain, having loft many of his men, he was fain to fly, back 
" to the main battle, upon the fpur, in great danger of being 
• c taken by his purfuers. Barnes, p v 3 79. 

" About Bartholomewtide laft (1595) came out of Scotland', 
4< one James Fergufon, bowyer to the King; who credibly re- 
" ported, that about two years paft, rebels did rife there againft 
• c the King, who fent 500 horfemen well appointed. They meet- 
ci j,jg ^ 00 rebells, bowmen, — The bowmen flew two hundred and 
M four-fcore of the horfis % and* killed \ wounded, and fore hurt moft part 
•* of the King's men" Treatife to prove the Ufe of Archery, 1596. 
Paulus Jovius has given us a very lively defefription of a rapid 
charge made by a body of French horfe, upon the Engliih archers, 
" than which (fays he) there was nothing more fevere and impe« 
" tuous ;" yet he adds, that the latter fuftained it with a wonder- 
ful firmnefs; continuing to pour down upon them a ftornj of 
arrows. (Vide ante note 49.J 



E 3 „ SECTION 



i » ! 



SECTION III. 

Particular Efft&s of Arrows dgainji fire-Arms, 
proved by Examples — Ket's Rebellion — Rebellion 
in the JVefi — Battle at Newhaven — Superiority 
of Englijh Bows and Archery, compared with the 
Bwvs and Archery of other Nations. 

c< IVt^W if ^ e *&& °^ v °nics of arrows be lb 
« J/N terribje,, both againft horfemen ahd fbotmett 
,ct armed ($4.)', (as I have before declared, by (b many 
<c reafons and examples,) what then are the vollies of 

" arrows 



(54) In anfwer to thofe, who afferted that an arrow would not 
'penetrate through fingle buff jerkjns, or fcarcely through ordinary- 
clothes, Sir John. Smith obferves, that although the French for- , 
merly were well defended by body armour, yet did they not 
tnift to that alone ; but carried pavoifes (fhields plated with fteel, 
feven feet long and about two feet broad) to proted themfelves 
from the Englifh arrows. We may therefore without difficulty 
imagine, that had they not found by experience, that armour was 
not proof againft the Englifh arrow, they would never in battle, 
have encumbered themfelves with large and heavy fhielcls* But 
upon this fubje6t Patritius (before quoted) difputing the violence 
of arrows, maizes a Angular remark, doubting not to affirm " that 
•* an Englijh arrow, with a little wax put upon the point of the head, will 
u pa/s through any ordinary corfelette or cuira/s:" Pariah milit. 1594. 
Lib. 3. fo. 37. It feems needlefs to accumulate authorities upon 
a matter, in which all hiftorians concur ; but the two following 
examples (among many others) may perhaps tend to put Sir John 
Smith's obfervation beyond difpute., Lord Lyttelton tells us, 
** that Henry II. during his expedition into Wales, was wounded 
" by a random arrow; and if his habergeon, or coat of mail, had 
" not been ftronger than ufual, the wound would have proved 
** mortal, but the (kill of his armourer faved him." Koh 2. p. 57. 
We may fuppofe, that the King's armour was made of the beft 
materials, and well calculated to preferve the life of fo royal a 

perfon ; 



[ 53 ] 

c< arrows able to perform, againft mufketcers and har- 
w quebufleers,' that arc in a manner difarmedi whole 
cc weapons of fire in the field do rather terrify and 
€C make afraid younglings and novices of war, with 
* € fmokc and noife, than with any often killing, hurt- 
u ing, or wounding them with bullets: whereof not 
** only old foldiers, but horfes alfo that are a little ufed 
€€ to their fire, cracks and fmoke, are not any thing 
cc amazed, nor afraid. But: three or four vollies of 
*' arrows, lighting amongft any number of muflceteers 
cc or harquebufleers (how old and brave foldiers foever 
€t they be) will fo amaze and terrify them, that they 
€€ fliall fail to -charge their pieces, to put touch powder 
€( into their pans and their matches into their ferpen- 
" tines isS)- Befides, that they will either wound, 



perfon ; probably it was fimilar to that worn by his father, on 
receiving the honor of knighthood, which (fays, Lord Lyttelton) 
4 * was an incomparable habergeon, compofed of double plates or 
" fcollops of Jteelj which no arrow or lance cpuld penetrate." Vol. a. 
p. 157. We, are told, that the panoply worn by Earl Douglas at 
the battle Of Homildon, was of remarkable temper. Pinkerton's 
Htjl. of Scotland. Speed fays, that not only his armour, but that" 
oih\%men at arms had been three years in making, yet he adds, 
*' theEnglifh arrows rent it with little adoe;" and Douglas him- 
felf received five woun,ds. Annals, p. 328.' Sir John Smitn 
obferves, that metal targets were made of two tempers, the foft 
to refift muiket fhot, and the hard to reiift the lance, and tempered 
heads of arrows. Anfiver to Mr. Barwick 9 MSS. And Lord Lyttelton 
(fpeaking of the armour of the twelfth century) addi " we find, 
** thit tne armour of the knights in thofe days, was not always 
** proof againft arrows from Welch or Englifh bows.'* Vol. a. 
p. 160. As to the effect of arrows Upon wood, Edward VI. informs 
us, that one day an hundred archers of his guard, (hot before him 
two arrows each at an inch board oifeafoned timber ; and that fome 
of the arrows pierced quite through it, and others not only went 
quite through this board, bat fixed in another board behind it ; the 
diftance is not noticed. MSS. Diary of King Edward Fl. Brit. 
Mtif (Bib. Cott. Nero. C. 10. P. $$>) page 39. 

(50 Although Sir John Smith is fpeaking of the match lock, yet 
the obfervation i§ applicable to the frekch. 

E4 " kill 



[ 5(5 ] 

" kill, or mifchief them, in fuch fort, as happy thofe, 
"that with three or four arrows in. their bodies, faces, 
cc arms or legs, throwing down their harquebufles and 
<c mufkets, can efcape put of the v terror and danger of 
<c the vollies of arrows (56). For cpnfirmati^n whereof 
<c there be divers modern examples, with very honour- 
€€ able teftimony of fuch as are yet living ; very hpn- 
€( ourable, by birth and parentage, as alfo by titles 
IC of honor and worthinefs; of which that noble gentle- 
--" man Ambrofe Earl of Warwick is one, that accom- 



(56) On this head, Clement Edmonds furnifties us with the fol- 
lowing juft remarks. " The diforder or routing of an enemy which 
** is caufed by the bowmen, cometh~from the fearful fpec\acle of a 
* - drift of arrows; for a mower of arrows well delivered and well 
" feconded, for a while, is fo tmible to the eye> and fo' dreadful m 
•' fucpfs ; that it is almoft impoflible to keep the enemy from 
" routing. Of fuch bullets as do hit, the greater part do not 
*« ftrike death, but are oftentimes carried until the ikirmifli be 
41 ended, before the party feels himfelf hurt. But a fleeve of 
•• archers is available againft an enemy, as well in fuch arrows as 
'« do not hit, as in fuch as do hit : for whereas the cloud of 
", arrows is fubjed to our fight, and every arrow is both fufpetfed » 
"' and able to bring* death fitting on the head, an enemy is 
" as much troubled at fuch arrows as come fair upon him and 
«* do not hit, as thofe that do hit ; for no man is willing to expofe 
" his flefh to an open and imminent danger, when it lieth in his 
" power to avoid it : and therefore whilft every man feeketh to 
" avoid hurt, they fall into fuch confufion, as betides the.lofs of 
" particular men, the enemy doth,hardly efcape diforder, which 
'* is the jgreateft difadvantage that can befal him; moreover, 
" the arrows having barbed heads, although they make but a 
" light hurt, yet they are not eafily pulled oiH, which maketh 
«* the foldiersnot mind the fight, until they be delivered of them. 
€i And the horfe fo fling and chafe, that it is impoflible they 
4< fhould either keep their rank, or be otherwife managed for any 
" fervice." And he concludes by obferving, " that the ufe of 
* c the bow was too much neglected by the Englifh of his time, (he 
«* wrote about the clofe of the feventeenth century) confidering 
" the honor they had achieved by it in former ages.*' Lib. 7. 
tb> 1 5- />• 137- Mr. Grofe writes to the fame purport ; and adds, 
that archers can a6t in the rear of a battalion of infantry, and 
even of a fquadron of cavaby. Hift* of the EngUJi Army. vol. i, 
p. 148. note'. ' • x 

" panied 



[ 57 .3 

5* panied the Duke of Northumberland his father, 
*' (then Earl of Warwick) a man of great valour and 
cc fulBciency for the governing and conducting an 
"army: • who. in the year 1548, was fentfby King 
€i Edward VL as his lieutenant general, with an 
<c army of horfemen and footmen, to fupprefs the re- 
<c bellion of Ket, in Norfolk ; who at that time lay en- 
« c camped with a great power of notorious and hardy re- 
u bels by the city of Norwich, ^jpon a high hill called 
" Mount Surrey, To the which city, the duke with his 
" army being come, he with great order did enqamp and 
" lodge himfelf and his army on the other fide of the 
cc city and river. And the next day he entered the town 
" and brought four and twenty field pieces, to the 
" chief charge whereof he appointed colonel Courpenick 
<c an -Alman and a great foldier, with his regiment- of 
<c AlmanSy which was twelve hundred, the mod of 
*5 them brave fhot, and all old foldicrs ; with divers 
cc Englifii bands and valiant captains of our own 
a nation, for the guard of the fame: but before they 
" could thoroughly entrench themfelves, thole furious 
ce rebels, (contrary to all expectation,) defcended down 
" their hill with fuch fury of ihot of arrows, (being all 
".bowmen, fwords and bills,) that they gave fuch a 
cc terror and fear to our people, both ftrangers and 
cc Englifh, as they were fain to rqn away, with the 
" lofs of ordnance, and (laughter of a great fort of 
"-foldiers: and before the Duke could make head 
" againft them, they had recovered eighteen field- 
cc pieces; and carried them up to their hill, even with 
€C very force of men. And within two or three days 
cc after, thofe gallants did not let to abide the battle 
" againft the Duke and his whole army, in the plain 
<f field; where the battle was fo manfully fought on 
" both fides, . that it could be hardly judged (by the 
"'.*'. " beft 



t 58 1 

f beft foldiers that were there,) which fide was likely to 
" prevail: but in the end, (God givinglhe vi&ory,) it 
" was feen by that battle, that arrows were a moft noble 
€C weapon* And whereas the Duke, who at his firft 
<c aflembling and forming his army, changed many 
u archers into harquebufleers (becaufe he had no 
u opinion of the long-bow) he, after the vi&ory and 
** fiippreflion of the rebels, upon the experience that 
** he in thofe aftions had of the danger and terror of 
H arrows (his own horfe being wounded under him at 

* that battle with three or four arrows, whereof he 
, * died) did both then, and many times after, openly* 

w proteft his error before Count Malatefta Baglion, (an 

* ancient and noble, foldier, Italian,) ahd other great' 
" captains Italians and Almans ; faying, that from that 
** time forward, he would hold the boti) to be the mly 
u weapon of the world-, and fo did all the notable cap- t 
•* tains, both Englifli and ftrangers, affirm the fame* 
u And this I have fet down almoft verbatim , from the 
u report of the aforefaid Ambrofe Earl of Warwick,, 
** who was prcfent at that aftion, and had his horfe 
" wounded under him with two or three arrows (57). 

" A< In the fame year of the reign of King Edward VI. 
u and the fame fummer, Sir John Ruffel, Kt. (Lord 
€( privy feal, that was after Earl of Bedford,) being 
H fent by the King 3s his lieutenant general, Avith a 
^ c great power both of ho'rfemen and footmen, againft ^ 
,<c the rebels of the weft parts; accompanied with Lord 
m Grey of Wilton, Sir WilKam Herbert (after Earl of 



(57) Speaking' of this a&ion, Sir John Hayward obferveg, 
•Mhat the rebels firft put forth their archers, then their horfe- , 
•* men, then .a tumultuous multitude without judgment or dir.ee- 
** tion : and that the Italian* were well ordered and difcipliaed." 
Life of K. Ed. rip. b^ 

€< Pembroke, 



I 59 ] , 

Kt Pembroke, the Lord of Htinfdon (that now is,) wit& 
* f many N others, both Knights and Efquires of great 
* € worfhip; and coming to certain flcirmifhes and en 4 
<€ counters with the rebels : the archers of the rebels; 
€€ did fo behave themfclves with their vollies of arrow; 
, €C againft divers old bands, harquebufleers^ Italians* 
cc and Spaniards ;' that they drove them from all' their 
€€ ftrfengths, as from banks, ditches, hedges, and other 
X€ advantages of ground, to the great, mifchief of many . 
** of thofe ftrangers. And of thefe great efle&s of 
** archers againft harquebufleers, I have heard the 
«* Lord Chamberlain aforefaid (who was there an eye 
€€ witnefs) very notably report. Befides that, many 
<c years paft, I have heard Captain Spinola, an Italian, 
** (who was a very brave foldier, and wounded with 
€< arrows in thofe fervices and adliorts,) give Angular 
€€ commendation of the archery of England. 
- '* To the like effeft and lingular commendation of 
" archers, I have alfo heard the aforefaid' Earl of 
€ ? Warwick divers times further report, that in the 
c * year 1562, being at Newhaven in Normandy; the 
€€ notable and great Chaftillori, admiral of France, being 
*< at thefiege of Caen, fent to the earl for fuccour of. 
" feme Englifli bands; which he defired might be 
f< moftly archers. But the earl having none with him* 
€€ fent fix hundred braVe harquebufleers with fome armed 
u men alfo, which he very thankfully received: but 
cc therewithal! fignified unto the earl, that he had rather 
" have had two hundred archers ; and that he would have 
" performed greater fervice with that fmall number of 
** bowsy than with all thofe brave harquebufleers. 

<c And Ihortly after, the notable colonel Alman, 
u the Reingrave, who had ferved many yeari in 
i( France, accompanied with many other brave captains, 
u both French and Almafcs, with a great power both 
*■'■'. "of 



' ffC 

<( 

l€ 

*c 
tt 
tt 

Ct 
H 
tt 
it 
it 

a 
it 
it 
a 
tt 
tt 
tt 
tt 
n 
tt 



of horfemen and footmen ; coming down and en- 
camping not far from Newhaven: there happened 
a great Ikirmifh between certain Englilh bands of 
Newhaven, and the French and Alman companies, 
which* continued very hot, with many vollies of 
harquebufs (hot, and new fupplies on every fide # 
But at length, the French, and Almans, exceeding the 
Englifh far in multitude, forced them to retire with 
diforder, even to the gates of Newhaven. During 
which action, it happened, that four -f core tall archers 
(Hampfliire men) did at that time land in the Haven ; 
who, taking their bows and (heafs of arrows with 
their other furniture, did prefendy march without any 
tarryance through the town into the field, where the 
ikirmifli was; upon whofe coming, the Englifh 
bands (that a little before were forced by the often 
charges and great multitude of the fhot of their 
enemies, to retire even to the very town ditches 
and gates); taking courage afrefli, they and the 
bowmen entered again into (kirmifti with the Almans 
and French; where the four-fcore archers did behave 
themfelves fo Jiotably againft the enemies, with their 
vollies of arrows; that with the brave and valiant 
charges which they and the reft of the Englifh 
bands gave upon their enemies, (but chiefly with 
the .excellence of the archers) they forced them not 
only to retire, but to turn their back$; in fuch fort, 
as putting a great number to the {word, they became 
matters of the field. Upon which notable effed of 
thofe few archers, as alfo upon divers others, that the 
Reingrave had before time feeo in ferving againft the 
Englifti, helhortly after, upon the return of a meflage, 
fent by the- Earl of Warwick (Sir Edward Horfey 
being the meffenger), did moft highly commend 
the notable effe&sj that he long before, in divers fer- 

" vices,. 



... t 01 ].. 

* c vices, had feen performed by Englifli archers^ both 
€l againft horfe and foot: and faid alfo, that long 
" before that time, he knew by experience, that great 
. € * numbers of Englifli archers were able to perform very 
"great matters in the field; but that fo fmall a number 
Ki of bowmen, as were in that laft great conflict, fliould 
cc be ' able, with their arrows* to do fo great mifchief 
€€ againft his old bands of Almans, French and Gaf- 
u coignes, he would not have believed, if he himfelf had 
cc not feen it. And therefore did with great reafon and 
€< experience proteft and acknowledge, the long bows 
** of England, to be the mod excellent weapons for 
€t the field, that were ufed by any nation in Chriften- 
c< dom: and faid, that the Queen" of England had 
€C great caufe fo to efteem and account of them. And 
cc to this effefl*, I have divers times heard the Earl of 
u Warwick himfelf very notably report." 

Sir John Smith then refers to Sir James Croft, (Who 
he obfcrves, had ferved under feveral of our kings and 
commanders in many great military ftations), and who 
rfcports fimilar effcfts of the Englifli archers. He calU 
to mind* the known effedte of the Gothian, Parthian, 
Arabian, Turkifh and Tartarian-bows; which people he 
,obferves had more archers than other troops in their 
armies; that the Goths, Vandals, and Alans con- 
quered more with the effeft of their bows, than of any 
other weapons (58): and that fome nations, (as the 
Perfians, Partisans, Medes, and Turks) did even in 
his time, prefer the bow to fire-arms. " And it is, 
€t evident (fays he) by hiftories which have mentioned 



(58) Pliny fays, " fi quis iEthiopas, jEgyptum, Arabas, Indos, 
41 Scythas, Ba&ros, Sarmatarum tot gentes & orientis, omniaque 
4 * Parthorum regna diligentius computet, sequa fere pars hominuni 
** in toto hi undo calami s fuperata degU." Plin. Lib. j6. c. 36. 

" bows, 



I to 1 

* bows, , iand by fuch as have travelled into many 
•* parts of Europe, Africa, or Afia : that our Englifh 
€< bows, arrows, and archers, do exceed and excel all 
u other bows, ufed by all foreign nations ; not only in 
" fubftance and ftrength, but alio in the length and fixe 
cc of the arrows "(59). However he concludes his dif- 
courfe, by exprefling the little hope he had of convincing 
men, who were fo felf- willed, that thejr would give no 
credit to hiftory y experience^ or example* 



f 59) Whatever may be the fuperior fkill of Englifh bowmen, 
and the fuperior effect of their bows ; yet Sir John Smith is not 
quite correffc, in reporting, that the Englifh arrow was longer than 
that in ufe among other nations. Many tribes in Afia, Africa, an<J 
America, nfe v wooden bows and arrows, as long, and fometimes 
longer, than Englifh bows and arrows. Afchaxn notices (among 
others) the bows of the Ethiopians, the length of which were fo*r 
cubits? and the arrows of the Indians, which were from a yard 
to a yard and a half in length, Toxoph. The arrows ufed at this day, 
with the Tartar horn bows, are probably, what Afcham alludes to, 
which are about that length. Alexander the Great, was wounded 
(in a battle with the Oxydracte) with an arrow, three feet long. Rolling 
vol. vi. p. 375. See alfo Mofeley, p. 67. . As to the. comparative 
effects of the Englifh and other bows; Patritius fays, *' the won- 
*' ders done by the Parthian ibows, are not to be compared to the 
fC Engli/h bows for Jrength or Jhooting" ParaU Milit. 



CHAP- 



[63 } 



CHAPTER III. 



SECTION I. 



Authorities in Jitpport of Sir John Smith's Obferca- 
tions — Difufe of the Bow, as a Weapon of 7Var 9 in 
England. 

IN the fame year in which Sir John Smith's difcourfe 
upon weapons was made public, appeared a 
lhorttrad, written by Sir Robert Williams; which Mr* 
Bar wick obferves, was to the fame purpofe ; only, that 
the latter writer gives fuperioi ity to the bow over aM 
lire-arms, with the exception of the mujket. Sir John 
Smith is fupported in his opinion, (upon the want of 
policy of the Englifh, in relinquifhfng the ufe of the 
long-bow,) by Afcham, Sir John Hayward, Patritius 
(who although he gives fire-arms the firft place, by no 
means aflents to the difufe of the bow,) Clement Ed- 
monds, and other writers. But as Sir John Smith 
had preditted, the advocates for the mu(ket at length 
prevailed; and we find, that notwithftanding this his 
able attempt to fupport the chara&er, and continue the 
ufe of that noble weapon y as he aptly terms the bow; 
(with which, the Englifh had as the preamble to the 
ftatute of the 33 H. 8. c. 9* exprefles* <€ not only dc- 
" fended tfiis realm, and thefubjeSls thereof, againfi the 
" cruel malice and danger of their outward enemies in 

«« time 



u time heretofore pafi $ hut alfo with little number and 
€C puijfance in regard had done, many notable a£ls . atid dif- 
€C , comfit ures of war, againfi the infidels, and other j and 
" furthermore fubdued and reduced divers and many re- - 
" gions and countries to their due obedience ; to the great 
c< honor, fame, and furety of this realm andfubjetts, and 
** to the terrible dtead and fear of all grange nations, 
" any thing to attempt or do to the hurt or damage of 
" them or any of them:") Archery, (which the fta- ' 
tutes of the 13 Eliz. c. 14. declares, " not only bath 
cc ever been, but alfo is God's fpecial gift to the Englrfb 
" nation, a Jingular defence of this realm, and an occa* 
cc Jion of many noble victories) " yielded to the opinion 
of the times, and at length the long bow ceafed to be; 
employed in this nation, as a weapon of war/' (66) 

• .. SECTION 



(60) Mr. Mofeley has obferved ; "that the battle of Agio- 
41 court; (which happened 141 5, under Henry V.) is the loft im- ' 
•* portant aftion, in which archery is much ipoken of; and that, 
€< although the ufe of it was continued through feveral fucceed- 
*' ing reigns ; yet it at length, feemed to have been cultivated more 
•* as an amufement, than for real military fervice (p. 228)."- But 
on this head, Mr. Mofeley is, moil unquestionably, incorrect : 
for we find the Englifh long-bow to have been, not only the 
chief weapon of conqueft; and a caufe of the great daughter, 
during the civil wars between the Honfes of York and Lan- 
caster, (particularly at the bloody battle of Towton) : but that 
in the reigns of Henry VI. Henry VII. Henry VIII. and Edward 
VI. it continued to fupport its military character, and invincible 
career of glory, with undiminifhed effect : as the memorable battles 
of Floddon and Pin key, (the latter is particularly noticed by Sir 
John* Hayward (poft fee 2.) and the campaigns in Prance 
and Flanders, during fhofe reigns, will teftify. In the reigns of 
Edward VI. and Elizabeth, we find its value in military fervice r 
highly fpoken of by foreigners of high rank and great military 
{kill, who had witnefled its powerful effects. {Sir John Smith* s Drf* 
courfe on Weapons, ante, ch. jii. fee. 3). In a letter from Queen 
Elizabeth, to the Sheriffs of Lancafhire, is an order to levy men 
for the Irifh fervice/ ; and the proportion of bows to calivers, is 
one half. And it. appears (by Queen Elizabeth's annual expence, 
civil and military, anno 1578), that fifty bowmen were on board 

each. 



.{ *' ] 



SECTION II. 

Comparifon between the Bow and improved Fire-arms- 
Former Difadvantage of the Bow — Advantage of 
the. Bullet over the Arrow — Peculiar Advantage of 
the latter — Que/lion, whether the Mufket or the 
Bow can difcharge thefajlejl, conjidered — General 
Obfervations. 

NOTWITHSTANDING the very powerful ar- 
guments made ufe of by Sir John Smith, for the 
continuance of military archery, and to prove the fu- 
perior effedt of the bow in war, over all other weapons : 
we cannot but fuppofe, that had he lived in thefe 
times, and been a wicnefs to the degree of perfe&ion 



each of the firft rate men of war, ani that the inferior rates alfo 
had a due proportion of archers. (PecA's Defiderata Curio/a, vol. i. 
lib. 2. p. 72). And Sir John Smith informs us, that a confidera- 
ble part of the army drawn out at Tilbury (to oppofe the Spanilh 
invaiion, anno 1588, ) confifted. of bows. Difcourfe on Weapons. 
Pere Daniel fays, arrows were (hot by the Englifti, at the fiege 
of thelfle of Rhe in 1627. In 1643, the Earl of Eflex iflued a 
precept, " for ftirring up well affected people by benevolence, 
♦'towards railing a company of archers, for the fervice of the 
" king (Charles I.) and the parliament." And in a Pamphlet, 
(noticed by Mr. Grofe) printed anno 1 664, giving an account of 
the fuccefs of the Marquis of Montrofe againft the Scotch ; fora- 
men are repeatedly mentioned : wbich is the lateft period to which 
any account of Englifh military archery can be traced. Grofe on 
ancient Amour and Weapons. Mofeley, p. 231. For an account 
of the cotnmifiions iflued for the revival of the ufe of the long 
bow;y& Stow' s Survey of London, vol. ii. b. 5. cb. 13. Mofeley and 
Hargrove* 

F ' to 



to which fire-arms (6 1 ) have been brought; and* the 
eafe and. celerity with which they are now ufcd j he 
would have entertained a much higher - opinion 'of their 
effe&s, and valued them accordingly (6 2)* It is true, 
that very little execution (comparatively fpeaking) is 
performed even by the moft improved fire-locks, owing 
(as Sir John Smith juftly obferves) to the difficulty,of 
taking a fure fight, the celerity ufed in loading and 
firing in a&ion, and other cirCumftances. And it muft 
be remembered that the bow had, in former times, to 
contend with fire-arms, which,, though flower in their 
elifcharges, were furer in their aim -, being considerably 
heavier than thofe-now ufed, and liaving the great ad- 
vantage of a reft, to correft the vacillation of the 
arm (63). On the other hand, the bow is fubjeft -to 
feveral inconveniences, not altogether fo referrible to 
fire arms. It is liable to be completely difabledjby the 
flroke of a bullet; being elevated for diftant jfhots 
much above the, head of the archer; and his aim is 
impeded and rendered fomewhat uncertain, by the 



^6i) Mention of can/ton and other great guns, has been omitted 
in this treatife ; which offers a companion between bows and 
/mail arms only. The fuperior and decided effect of ordnance (par- 
ticularly of late years), where it can be brought into action with 
effect, needs no comment. ' ' 

(62) Sir John Smith (to prevent his opinion of fire-arms being 
mifcoriftrued) candidly obferves, " that eveiy weapon has its due 
u time and place, and that fire-arms, although a moft ufeful wea- 
" pon, dre yet often found out of their place^ and confeqiiently then 
«* of no value." JnfwertoMr. Barwick. Harl. MSS. 

(63) The author of thefe Traces finds his fuggeftipn upon this 
point, confirmed by authority. The author of the Introduction to a 
plan of Difciplinefdr the Norfolk Militia; (fpeaking of the match-lock\ % 
obferves, " However* moft writers allow, and' fome old officers 
" that we have known, who remembered match-locks being ftill 
" in ufe, have confirmed it: that they were very fure, and lefs 
u apt to mififire than the fire-lock ;** but adds, that hre thinks the 
latter fcarcely credible, as the old locks were not fo well made as 
they are now. P. 7. note* 3. 

dazzling 



-C 67 ] 

dazzling light of the fun when in his front (64):* while" 
the mufketeer (from the horizontal Jincf.of his level) 
avoids this latter inconvenience. Befides, the bullet has 
the decided advantage of the arrow, in three very imy 
portant particulars; namely, velocity y force, and point* 
blank range. By means of the firft, it reaches its ob- 
ject (fuppofing it to be diftant one hundred yards) in 
lels than the fourth part of a fecond of timei while an 
arrow (from one of the ftrongeft bows) does not m6ve 
that fpace in lefs than three feconds. As to force, the 
arrow beyond two hundred and fifty : or two hundred 
and eighty yards at the furtheft, does not poflefs & force 
equal to what a bullet retains at that diftance. But the~T 
chief advantage of the mufket lies in the extent- of its , 
point-blank range, which is calculated to be about one 
hundred and twenty yards;' whereas the ftfongeft bow > 
cannot command a point-blank range much* exceeding, 
fifty yards : xonfequently, the lattenniuft -(beyond that^j^ 
diftance) depend for its effedt, Upon! the fkill and judg^ 
menrof the t^rchcr; #nd it is weil known by experience^ 
that in (hooting at obfjefts, diftant abduc oije hundred 
and eighty or two hundred yards and upwards, the eye . 
is frequently deceived; and that, not only mifts, but 
the lofs of the fun in the evening, and indeed the ab- 
fence of it (by, thef intervention of a paffing cloud, at 
noon day), .will caufe. this deqeption in a degree ;.4b 
that the arrow (halloften either* exceed, or (which molt 
frequently happens under fucfrxirqucnftances), fall floor t 



., (64) The archers in all encounters avoided, as much as poflrble, 
fighting with the fun in their faces. See the engagement before 
Slay*. Froijart's Chron. vol. i. c. 50* Battle. of Creffy. Froiffart's 
Ckron. vol. i. cc. 128, &c. HdUnjh&rs Chrvru- 158 7, Vol, ii. p. 358. 
Barnes's Hifi. Edward III. p. 182. 

F 2 of 



[' 68, ] 

of its deftination (65). Again, the arrow poffeffe? an 
advantage, (which the bollct can fcarCely, if ever be' 
made to command in any efficient degree, in the line 
of its flight) ; ranging with co'nfiderable certainty, in a 
curve, from an almoft perpendicular to nearly an hori- 
zontal elevation ; and taking effeft, as Sir John Smith 
obferves, " from the top of a man's bead, even to the 
u nailing of his feet" and from the firft to the laft 
. rank in the army $ while, the bullet, once paffing over 
. its objed, lofes itfelf in an ufelefs flight. However, 
tjie. difficulty of hitting the mark with an arrow at a 
great diftaoce, is much leffened in war, by the objedt 
to be ftruck, con fitting of feveral extenfive columns or 
lines of men y and it appears by recorded fafts, that 
out ancient archers very Jddom miffed fuch marks:' fo 
much lis all manual art, (and particularly the art of 
archery), -» under the influence of early habit and fre- 
quent pra&ice. Befides, as Mr. Maibn hasjuftly ob- 
ferved* the archer has the advantage of the mtifketeer, 
in being able to notice the flight and fail of his arrow, 
ind confequeatly to amend his difcharge. ' 
^-Whether it- is poffibfe for a mulketeer, of this day, 



(65) A remarkable ifrftance, in which a true knowledge of dif- 
fance became important, occurred aj the great battle of Towton, 
^between the Yorkifts and Lancaftrians, in the Reign of Edward IV. 
At the time the battle began, a thick fhow fell, and was driven 
fcy a briik wind full in the faces of the Lancaftrians, who were 
thereby prevented from obferving the exacl: diftance of the 
enemy. The Lord Fauconberg, an old and experienced officer, 
made an admirable ufe of this accident ; he ordered his men to 
advance as near as they conveniently could, to difcharge a flight 
q€- arrows, and then retire with' all fpeed out the reach of thofe 
of the enemy. This ftratagem" had a wonderful effect ; for the 
Lancaftrians feeling the arrows, and thinking their enemies were 
ndj: many yards diftant, emptied their quivers with unavailing dif- 
charges. ^fted % Hijiory of Great Britain. 

to 



[ 6 9 ] ■ • 

to (hoot /after (66) than an archer, will fcarcely btf 
contended. Certainly the muflccteer, in attempting 
this emulation, would heat and foul his piece in fuch 
a manner, as to leffen its efFed very confiderably : and 
the hurry of filch impetuous difcharges, would not 
only diftradt his aim, and confequently caufe great de- 
viation in his (hot, but alfo would loon difable him with 
fatigue* When charged with tlie bayonet, the muflce- 
teer would, perhaps, have fome advantage over the 
bowman, by being able to retain his foot the longed i 
as the latter would be under the neceffity of relinquifh- 
ing his bow,* time enough for him to take up his pike; 
unlets lie could retire through the rank behind hirm 
but the near approach of the enemy might, probably, 
render this manoeuvre impra&icable, without caufing a 
fatal confufion in the other ranks. Againft the borfe; 
A the bow, with the affiftance of the pike, feems capable of 
being ufed with the greateft effed:,. as Mr. Mafon has 
evidently pointed out. Yet, when a&ing ^gainft the 
foot, fo long as the archers could maintain their ground, 
and give their difcharges , with firmnefs j it is difficult 
to conceive, how the bed difciplined troops (within the 
reach of their vollies of arrows) could load their fire 
arms, during an inceffant ftorm of arrows, alTailing > 
every part; and falling with fuch force, as even to beat 
, their weapons out of their hands ; which was the cafe 

(66) An archer of this day has been known to fhoot twelve } 
t arrows, at forty-fix yards diftance^ into the circumference of two feci, ^ 
within the fpace of one minute. An expert raufketeer, cannot (wej 
may prefume) difcharge above half as many bullets in that time, 
at the fame diftance, with any certainty of effeSi. The bed Pruifian 
muiketeers (whofe pieces prime themfelves) are faid to difcharge 
fix bullets in a minute ; but fuch rapidity of difcharge is too fa- 
tiguing to be ; continued. So fimple is the exercife of the bow % 
that in ithe difcharge of the arrow, only two diftinft movements are 
neceifary ; viz. ift, the drawing the arrow from the belt and placing 
it in the firing, ad, the drawing/the bow, and looting the ^ariowi ,■ 

F 3 "at 



■ I 70 1 

«t the battle of Homildon (in- the reign of Henry IV. 
and called by fome HaUidown) where Speed tells usy 
u the, Lord Percy's archers making a retreat, did 
<c withall deliver, their* deadly arrows (tamvivide, tarn 
€t animosiy tarn graviter, faith our monk) fo lively, fo 
€C coufageoufly, fo gripvoufly \ that they ran through the 
u men at arms, bond the helmets 9 pierced their very. /words % 
" beat their lances to the earthy and eafily ihot thofe 
<c who were more (lightly armed through and through." 
Similar effects of Englilh archery were noticed at the 
batde between the Englilh and Scotch, on the banks 
of the Eflce, near Muffelburgh (called the battle of 
Pinkey), in the year 1547, when, fays Sir John Hay- 
ward, <c the Englilh archers fent fuch Ihowers of Ihot 
w over the Hackbutter's heads, that many bodies 
<c of their enemies, being but half armed, were beaten 
€C down and buried therewith." Life and reign of King 
Edward VI. p, 33. And it muft be obferved, that , 
the archers would pofiefs the advantage of being clear 
of the noifc and, fmoke, with which their adverfaries 
would be afiailed, and which in fome degree contri- 
bute to render the execution of muflcetry fo uncertain, 
and confequently, would be at liberty to make rapid 
movements, and to give their difchargfcs with greater 
regularity, certainty and effed:(67). 



(67) It has been already obferved, that the poini-llank range of 
a mulket (hot is about 120 yards ; but that in aft'tm it cannot be 
much depended upon beyond one hundred. Beyond 80 toifes, or 160 
yards, the fire of a line of infantry cany^/<?w have eifeft. . {Quito*** 
yol. i. p. 157). See Infiruclions, for the Drill, (as ordered, for his 
Majefiys Forces J by John Rujfelly Brevet Captain, and Paymafier, and 
late Adjutant in the Wejt London Militia, 2d edit. 1 799. And we 
bavefeen by calculation (grounded uponfa&s) what is the prefect 

feneral execution of mulketry, in pretty clofe actions. {jknte % note 46), 
t muft be admitted, that at 100 yards difianceT the iheaf or W 
arrow, v cail from a wr-bow, would ftrike its object with a force 
yearly, if not quite, equal to that of. a mufket ball •, and that it* 

ftrong 



t-t* 1 

fiiong fteel-pointed bead would, in fome refpe&s; give it the ad- 
vantage of the leaden bullet. Experiments have been lately made, 
to afcertain the claim for certainty of fhot, between the mulket and 
the bow. In order to accomplish thi&defign, one of the'beft mulkets 
was procured, and loaded with the greateft nicety ; the powder 
ufed was of the very belt quality, and the quantity was previoufly 
weighed, and proportioned with the utmoft exaclnefs, to the 
weight of the ball, which was confined with muflin or fine rag, 
inftead of paper: and in ihort, every precaution was taken to afford 
the mufket its true and full f effe£t. The-vi&ory was to be decided 
in twenty-one foots, at a target diftant too yards : and the refult 
of ^he trial was, that the mufket put eleven and the bow fifteen 
(out of twenty- one) fhots into the target. The t experiment was " 
repeated once or twice, but the bow continued the fuccefsful 
weapon. However, this trial could not {hew the advantage of 
the bow over the mufket, in its fuller! point of view ; for had an 

- army been (hot at, inftead of a target, eyery arrow, which went* 
wide of, or over the mark, would have t^aken place; while the 
bullet, having palled over the heads of the fir ft rank,' would probably 
pafs over the heads of the other ranks. Againft an enemy protected . 
by a hill, wall* or other defence in front (above the height of a 
jman) ; whilft the mufket is ufelefs, the bow can aft with csnfide- 
rable effect. It may be found very ferviceable in difchargrng 
arrows loaded with fire,, againft combuftible matters. See Mofeley % 
p. 175 to 182. Mr. Mofeley quotes from Voltaire's Hiftory of 
Charles XII/King of Sweden, an account of the brave fland 
which Charles (with a few attendants in a fto»e-built houfe) 
made, againft the whole Turkifh and Tartar army ; . and whiclt 
the former would have repulfed, had not the Turks fhot arrows 
loaded with fire into the roof, windows,, and doors of that 
ibrtrefs. Fire arrows were formerly ufed by the Englifh. Ibid. 
In the Britifli Mufeum Library (27/. Milit. Tracls) is a pamphlet, 
(printed in the year 1628, and entitled, " A new Invention of 
floating Fire-Jbafts in Long Bows)" wherein the author not only 
fets forth the ufe, but alfo gives particular directions for the con- 
struction of fire-arrows. " Their chief fervice (he obferves) 
44 is in molefting and putting in hazard the cannoniers ; firing 
*' the enemies tents ; making a blaze for the mulketeers to fire ; 
** keeping workmen by night in awaj facilitating attempts by 
44 night; dazzling the eye of the enemy, and expofing him; and 
** firing the fails of fhips : moft of which fervices may be per* 

' * 4 formed from behind a breaft of defence, (this indeed, is an ad- 
44 vantage Appertaining to archery in general); and in routing the 
*« horfe." The effect of a barbed arrow-head charged with fire y 
«nd adhering to horfe or man, may be eafily conceived. 



F 4 SECTION 



"\ 



[ n j 



i SECTION III. . - ' 

Obferoations on thepojjibility of increpfolg the Powers 
and EffeBs of the Bow — Caafes of the Improve- 
merits in Fire-arms— Value and Importance of 
lately imported Bow-woods, — Improvement in the 
Coti/iruBion of the Bow. 

HAVIN& thus ftated impartially, the claim for 
pre-eminence io military fervice, between the how 
and fire-arms ; the advocate for the latter cannot deny 
irie the indulgence of making this laft remark on the 
part of, the bowj namely, that had the praftice" of 
military archery continued, it would have attrafted the 
attention of the philofophers, and the mechanics of 
the times, to the prefent day : and that the realm 
(which {q much depended upon the effeft of archery) x 
would have held out great encouragement to men of 
genius, to exert their abilities in improving the bow 
and arrows and, no doubt, fuch attention and encou- . 
ragement would have led to the difcovery of greater, 
powers and effe&s, . than that weapon has hitherto 
difplayed; or at leaft, would have greatly improved 
thofe which we acknowledge it to poffefs. For we 
are fenfible of the rapid progrefs of all arcs and 
fciences, ^od of the wonderful perfeftion to which they 
have been carried in the courfe of the two l^ft cen- 
turies ; by means of the advancement of letters, and 
the inveftigations and experiments of philofophers and 
men of genius in all countries ; and of that liberal cdm- 
munication of ufeful difcqveries and inventions, which 

has 



has long chara&qrifed Europe. To thefe caufes> (as well 
as to the rewards'ifecured by the laws of this country to 
ingenuity) fire-arms owe their prefent powers. And 
although the bow and arrow have during all that im- 
portant period, lain by unnoticed; yet have they 
(Jiowever accidentally) profited by the knowledge and 
implements of modern mechanics; who cooftruft . 
. them with greater nicety ? than what our anceftors were 
pfed to do. The revival of archery has introduced to 
the attention of the bow-maker, feveral forts of foreign 
wood, (but lately imported into this country), which 
upon trial, have been found to make bows that rival, 
and in fome particulars even excel, thofe of the long famed 
yew: And the arrow woods now in ufe, arc deemed 
far fuperior to what were employed in archery in former 
times. But the new method of conftru&ing the kpw 
with a back, which (as it not only renders it on fome 
accounts, more acceptable as an inftrument of amufe- 
ment; but alfo increafes its powers, by giving addi- 
tional velocity to the arrow) may be found very ufeful 
in its military purpofe, was not praftifed till fome time 
#fter archepy had quitted the field.(68) 



(68) Admitting the great powers of tha bow, and its value as 
a weapon of war, even at this day ; yet it muft be confefled to 
-be a moft fanguinary one. A gun-mot wound in a part not vital* 
{even if the ball cannot be extracted), feldom proves fatal: the 
wound, after a' time, doling over the ball ; and but occafionally 
cauiing a degree of uneafinets, or pain. But a wound with a 
barbed arrow, not txtrafted, muft ever be attended with pain, and 
, considerable danger. Hiitorians frequently mention the torment 
endured by thofe, who have been wounded , by arrows : and Sir 
John Smith has fufficiently proclaimed the terrors of the Englifli 
barb; and noticed the inflammation and fatal effect, occasioned 
by the ruft of the arrow-head. Touching the galling of the 
enemy, (fays Clem. Edmonds), " there cannot be a better de» 
" fcription than that which Plutarch (P/*/. Crafts) maketh of 
*' the overthrow of the tlomans, by the Parthian arrows. The 
u Roman foldiers hands (faith he) were nailed to their targets, 
' "and 



t 74 ] , 

v. and their feet to the ground* or otherwife were fore wounded in 
, u their bodies, and died of a cruel lingering death, crying out for 
" the anguifh and pain they felt ; and turning and tormenting 
*■ themfelves upon the ground, they break the arrows flicking i» 
" them. Again, driving by force to pluck out the barbed heads, 
" that had pierced far into their bodies through their veins and 
" finews> they opened the wounds wider, and io caft themfelves 
" away." Lib. 7, cb. 15. The arrow has been, and if again 
ufed, may again become an inftrument of torture, at which huma- 
nity ihudders. An inftance, (pleading imperious neceffity indeed) 
occurred at the battle of Crefly, and is noticed by Stow in his 
rfnnals : fpeaking > of that battle he relates,- " that the Englifh 
44 Marmals and the Earls of Warwick, Salifbury, and Suffolk, 
" with their wearied battailes, joined the prince; having firft 
4t fupplied the exhaufted quivers of their archers with arrows 
, «* drawn from the bodies of their dead and dying enemies" P. 262. 
Barnes, p. 568. Such was the effed of arrows in war, that Sir 
John Smith tells us, u valleys ran with brooks of blood, caufed by 
• 44 the Slaughter of the Turkifh arrows" Anfwer to Mr. BarwicL 
HarL MSS. And Mr. Gibbon fays, " that the firft body of the 
44 Crufaders was overwhelmed by the Turkiih arrows; and a 
41 pyramid of bones informed their companions of the place of their 
44 defeat." Ck. 58. 



PART 



PART II. 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE REVIVAL OP ARCHERY, AS 
AN AMUSEMENT, IN ENGLAND! IN WHICH THE 
VALUE OF IT AS AN EXERCISE, CAPABLE 
NOT. ONLY OF AFFORDING MUCH PLEASURE 
- AND SATISFACTION, BUT ALSO OF RESTORING 
HEALTH, AND ADDING VIGOUR TO THE NERVES, 
AND STRENGTH TO THE BODY, IS CONSIDERED. 



1 77 ] 



CHAPTER I. 



, SECTION I. 

Archery alxvqys an Amufement in England — till of J 
late, confined chiefly to the North— Revival of 
Archery in the South — Caufe — Value of the Art as 
an Exercife — Authorities — Archery particularly 
recommended to young Perfons — Not denied to old 
Age — EffeB of Archery in relieving the Mind. 

NOTWITHSTANDING the fate of military zr- 
chery, the bow long kept its poft in this kingdom, 
as an agreeable amufement, and a polite recreation of 
much value. Yet, even as an amufement, (till within 
thefe laft few years) it has,- for a century pad, been little 
known. The archers divifion of the Artillery Company 
in the fouth; and one or two focieties in Lancajbire 
and Cbejhire, (counties once famed in hiftory for their 
powerful bowmen ( i ), and in which archery has never 



(i) *' Lancofieere faire archere* Leland *s Colltfian. 
. €i From Lancajhire y men famous for their bows." 

Drayt. Barms Wars % b. u f. 42. 
' Speaking of Qiejhlre, Drayton fays, ' 

Who with (their bills and bows) may confidently boaft 
Our Leopards they fo long and bravely did advance, . 
Above W\zfleur*de-liS) even in the heart of France* 

' - - Drayt. Poly Olbioiu Song n„ 

been 



been entirely, difufed); and the royal /company of archers 
in Scotland (2% have been for many years the fole, 
(and at times the very feeble) fupport of the art in Great 
Britain, Thus is if with the bow ; an inftruinent* 
which from the earlieft period of time, has been, in 
. almoft all parts pf the earthy the all conquering wea- 
pon ; an inftrument, by means of which the Norman 
conquered England ; and the Englifh not only fub- 
jefted and fecured Wales, Scotland, and Ireland ; but 
did ten fever al times fuccefsfully invade France ; once brought 
U to the brink of ruin ; once conquered it; made one of its 
Monarchs prifoner, and another tributary (Mq/bn)-, and 
with which, they performed fuch exploits wherever 
they 'went, as, proverbially, to become the beft allies, 
bf the worft foes. So that, but for the amufernent which 
the 4>cW ftill affords to a few; archery (in this king- 
dom) would be for ever loft and forgotten. And when 
that fails, this weapon, which oace every Englifliman 
had at hand {3), will (if even a remnant of it is found) 
be deemed a curious Velick, worthy the. acceptance of 
an antiquarian. But fo miferable an exit to fo noble, 
and once famed a weapon, need not be dreaded, while 
it receives the fupport it has met with for the lafl: 
fwenty years; interrupted in fbme degree only, by a 
long and unprecedented war, and the continued threat 
of iftvafion, which have compelled all men to fly to 
the arms of the day. . - - 

- The late revival of archery (which although it took 
place in the fouth gave new vigour to its fupporters iri the 

(a) See a full account of the Royal Company of Archers in Scotland," 
in Hargrove's Anecdot. p, 68, and Mofeley 228, and Appendix, p. 342. 

(3) By an a6t of parliament pailed in the 33d year of the reign 
of King Henry VIII. (c. 9.") and which was continued- and 
enforced by the 13 Eliz. (c. 14.) Every man (except fpiritual per- 
sons and the judges) was obliged to ufe mooting, and to have a 
" fow and arrows ready continually in his houfe." 

riorth 



north of England; and foon extended into every 
county, recommending as Sir William, Wood in his 
Bowman's Glory obferyes " at leaft itfelf as an exercift 9 
cc and though but in /port and triumph" to every En- 
glifliman) was owing to one of thofe accidents which, 
however trifling in themfelves or confined to an indi- 
vidual, have fometimes laid the foundation of much 
benefit to mankind. 

About the year 1776, Mr« Waring (who refided* 
with Sir Afluon Lever, at Leicefter Hbufe, and who 
may juftly be (tiled the father of modern archery) 
% having, by continual application to bufinefs, contrafted 
an opprdfion upon his cheft, (arifing principally from 
fitting too clofely to his cfeflc, and prefling his breaft 
too much'agaihft it, ajid which the mod eminent of the 
faculty had in vain endeavoured to remove), refolved to 
try the ' effeft of the bow in affording himfelf relief. 
He accordingly made it a regular exerciie, and in % 
Chort time derived great benefit from the ufe of it* 
and afcribes his Cure, which was/ perfect, folely to the 
life of archery. Sir Afhton Lever, perceiving the good 
efPeds, which fo engaging an amufement had upon 
N tfre tonftitution, followed Mr. Waring*s example, and 
took up the bow j he was foon joined by feveral of 
hi^ friends, who, in the year 1780, formed themfelves 
into a fociety, under the title of ^oxophilites^ and met 
regularly at Leicefter Houfe, having butts ere<3ed in 
the gardens belonging to it. And this fociety was 
the parent ftock of the numerous focieties of Archers, 
known at this day* ^except thofe, which I have before 
noticed, as exifting prior to this late revival of zxr 
chery (4). 

On 

(4) For a 4ift arid an account of thefe feveral focieties, fee 

Mo/kify, p. 230. Hargrove, p. j$. Oldfiehi> p. 73. With fuch 

' _ " - liberality 



[ 80 ] 

On the fcore of health then we find, that archery 
holds out to us a (irong inducement to value and ufe 
it as an exercife. • Its value indeed upon this account, 
does not reft folely upon a fingle fa£b. Afcham, who 

. was himfelf a valetudinarian, and of weak body, (and 
therefore thought it neceflkry to fpend many hours in 
fuch exercifes, as might afford the beft relief and 
relaxation, after the fatigues of ftudy), has in feveral 
pages of his treatife upon the art, reepmmended the 
practice of it, as an innocent^ Jalutary, ufeful^ and liberal 
diverfion. In his own words, " It is an exercife moftc 
<c holfome, |nd alfo a paftime moftc honefte* wherein 
"v laboure prepareth the bodie to hardnefle, and the 

. 4cV mind to couragioufneffe (5), fuffcring neyther the 
€C one to be made with tenderneffe, nor yet the other 
cc to be hurte with ydlenefie," and, comparing it with 
other exercifes and amufements, adds, " therefore, to. 

x cc loke on all paftimes and exercifes holefome for the 
, €c , bodye, pleafaunt for the mipde; ,comlye for every 
fC man to do ; honefte for all other to lokd On ; profit- 
<c able to be fet by of every man j worthy to be rebuked 
€€ of ho man; fitte for all ages, perfons, and places; 
cc onlye (liootinge fhall appeare, wherein all thefe com- 
" modifies may be fouhde." Bifhop Latimer (in a 
fermon preached before King Edward VI.) obferves, 
" It is* a goodlye arte, a holefome kynde of exercife, 

cc and much commended in phifike," and quotes Mar- 

i 

liberality of fentiment was the revival of archery embraced, that 
a mutual exchange of honorary freedoms foon took place between 
thefe focieties and the Toxophiiites ; which confers upon the latter, 
the privilege of being received, as archers, in the different' focietie* 
in Great Britain. .. » 

(5) ** For bows the ftrength of brawny arms imply 

(t Emblems of valor and of victory. 

Dryd. Flower and the Leaf. 

Turn validis flexos incurvant viribus arciis 

Vtq fe quifque viri. l j£r t cid. Lib. $. /. 500. 

cilius 



. • ■ ' - • f Si 1 

fcllids Phlfinus, who fays, " it wraftleth agayrifte tMityC 

** kyndcs of difcafes/' Latimer f s Sermons. (Scr. '6* 

before King Edward VL) And Wood, who doubtleft 

was a better archer than pet> Ipeaks to the fame effeftf 

" It is an exercife (by* proof)* we fee, 

" Whofe praclice doth with nature beft agree* 

" Obftru&ions of the liver it prevents, 

4< Stretching the nerves and arteries, gives extent* 

" To the fpleen's Oppilations, clears the breaft 

" And fpungy liangs: It is a foe profeft ' # 

" To all consumptions i" 

Bowman's Glory. (6) 

To young perfon?, Afcham ftrongly recommends 
the praftice of archery -, not only as an happy and 
honorable fubftitute for many unworthy amufements 
and expenfive fol]ies> (efpecially for that terrible pro- 
penfity to gaming, which he ferioufly deprecates and 
laments, as the great bane of the age in which he lived) 
but alfo on account of the manlinefs of the divqrfion, 
and of the fhare it may fairly claim in the prefervation 
of the health; for this exercife evidently tends to fup- 
prefs effeminacy, to invigorate the nerves, and to 
increafe the ftrength of the body. With his fentiments 
upon this fubjedt, thofe of a modern writer (Mr/ 
Saltzmann) perfe&iy accord. The latter, in confider- 
ing the'gymnaftic exercifes proper for youth, fpeaks of 
archery, 'as an exercife, in terms of high commendation* 
(Gymnaft. Exercifes.) And Dr. Mulcafter (a cotem- 
porary of Afcham, and matter of Merchant Taylors, 
and, afterwards, of Saint Paul's fchool, who publifhed a 
' treatife on the education of youth), fpeaking of ihoot- 



(6) Wood lived to prove the truth of his remarks; he died at a 
very advanced age. And his epitaph tells us, . 

* c Long did he live the honor of the bow, 
" And his long life to that alone did owe." 

Batrlngm* 

. " . G ing 



■ -> m [ '82 ] 

ing mth the long-bow, obferve^, " to fay enough of 
cc th!s exercife in few words, (which no words . can 
u praife enough for the commodities which it bringeth * 
" to the health of the body), it confifteth of the beft 
M exercifes, and the beft effeSfs of the beft exercifes." 
Pofitims , chap. 26. • 

Indeed, of fo much importance to youth was deemed 
th6 knowledge and exercife of archery, in the reign of 
Queen Elizabeth, even at the time; when the long-bow, 
as a weapon of war, was falling into negled:; that we 
find, by the orders, ftatutes, and rules made in the 33d 
year of that reign, for the government of Harrow . 
School, (ere&ed and endowed by^ patertt in the 14th 
year of the fame reign) ; it was a condition, which: 
every parent and other perfon, who fent a boy to the 
fchool, was obliged to obferve; " that hefhould allow 
c< the child at all times, a bow, three (hafts, bow -firings 
" and a bracer, to exercife {hooting." See a defcrip- 
tion of Harrow in the Topographer, for the* year 1791, 
vol. 4. In confequence of this regulation, there has been 
obferved at the fchool, till of late years, an annual (hoot- 
ing with the Englifh lpng-bow, for a filver arrow. This 
regulation re(pe£ting archery, probably, took place ia 
compliance with theftatuteof the 13 Eliz. c. 14. which, 
after declaring archery to be " an whokfpme exercife for 
<* the health and Jlrength of men" direfts all the ftatutes 
for the fuppreffion of unlawful games and for the main- 
tenance of archery, to be put in execution: and confe- 
qyently (among others) the 33 H. 8. c. 9. which 
enafts, " that the fathers, and governors of perfons 
<c under age, (hall teach them (hooting, and provide for 
" them a bow and two fhafts." This manly, exercife 
had a- general continuance to the Reign of Charles I. 
for we find in many hofpitah founded in that reign,, 
among the articles' of benefaction recorded upon their 

walls^ 



[ 83 ) 

walls, this fingular provifion; "Arms far the Boys" 

which fignifies Bows^and Arrows. (Gent* Mag. for 

1783, vol.53, p. y6i.y 

Nor is this exercife (like moft others) x the peculiar 

advantage and amufement of early (Jays* for Afcham 

juftly remarks, " that the labour which is in 

<c (hooting, of all other is beftj not ojnly becaufe it 

" erjcreafeth ftrengthe, and preferveth healthe moftj 

cc but becaufe it is not vehement, but moderate ; not oyer- 

<c layinge anye one 'parte with wearinejfe^ but Jcftlye exer- 

" cifinge every e parte with equalneffe^ as the arms and 

'" breaftes with drawinge, the other, partes with goinge ; 

cc being not fo painful for, the laboure, as pleafaunt for 

<c the paftime, which exercife (by the judgement of 

c< phyfitions) is mofte alowable." It may with truth 

be ftiled the friend of old age. And we fee old 

archers continue the diverfion with fatisfa&ion to them- 

felves, and pleaftfre to others; and although, when very 

far advanced in life, they find their ftrength fomewhat 

give way ; yet do they not perceive any lofs of Jkill in 

the art : by changing their ftrong bows, for thofe which 

are weaker, they feldom perceive the want of very 

powerful nerves ; but in purfuing this amufement, can 

" bid old age grow green and wear a fecond fpring." 

/ Atmftrong, Art of Prefcrving Health. 

On another account too, archery may deferve atten- 
tion. One known effeft of bodily exercife, is, that of 
relieving the mind from a depreffion of fpirits; and it 
is but juftice to this art, to obferve, that it can promote 
this effeft in a fuperior degree. Walking, riding, and 
many other exercifes, although well calculated to exhila- 
rate and raife the fpirits ; yet if vehemently purfued can- 
not be fo long; if languidly followed, they leave the 
mind open to an infenfible aberration: and in that inter- 
val, the caufe of its uneafinefs has time to return and 

G 2 % prey 



. [ • 84 ] 

firey upon the nerves. But archery being more a r egu* 
lor and conjfant, than a violent exercife, leaves but 
little time for intruding thoughts; and indeed requires, 
/(and in a peculiar manner arrefts) the attention both of 
the eye and the mind: s inculcating and ftrongly enforcing 
.acalmnefsand tranquility, free from the interruption of 
the tumultuous paffions. If ufed in fociety, this effe& 
is ft ill greater; and emulation mud at lead for a time, 

. " Drive melancholy from the haunted brow*" 
Nor does the care of the bow ceafe, when it is unbent ; 
for if the mind ftill requires aftive employment, the bow 
is always at hand ; and the lover of archery, the more he 
becomes acquainted with the art, the more he will find 
himfelf inclined to imitate the great Alfred '(7), and give 
fome of his fpare time to trim his bow and fhafts. And 
he will foon difcover, that they are capable of leading 
him to number lefs experiments, which will call forth 
his genius arid attention. 

v (7) See an anecdote to this purpofe, in AJfer. J&lfredi rebus geftis. 
p. 9. Spelman's Life of Alfred— or, Mo/city. p. % 16. 



SECTION 



[ 85" I 



SECTION II* 



Archery ufed as an Exercife by the firji Per/bnages 
in all Nations — Fajhionable in England, in tht 
times of Henry VIII. and his Succejbrs, till the 
Revolution — Caufes of its former Decline — Modern 
Archery patroni fed by the Prince of Wales and the 
Nobility — in the hands of the Fair Sex— Defence 

- of it in their hands— Value of Archery in promot- 
ing liberal and friendly Society — Peculiarity * of 
its tendency in this refpect — Unrefl rained Pleafures 
of the Amufement. 

' I V HIS manly exercife and truly princely amufement, 
"** has, in all nations, attracted the, notice and en- 
gaged the fupport, of the higheft orders of men. Many 
. Eaftcrn Princes continue it to this day. Afcham tells 
us, that of all other paftimes <c it is mode fitte and 
" agreeable with learning and learned men:" and he 
mentions, that federal Bifliops of his own time prac- 
tifed jhemfelves much in archery. Indeed, it feems tQ 
be a diverfion, in which the clergy may engage, "heing 
* c on that account worthy to he rebuked of no man." He 
has 'alfo noticed many Eaftern Princes and Roman 
Emperors, who were proud of exhibiting their ikili in 
the art: and among other great perfonages, particularly 
praiies Henry VIII. who took every opportunity, and 
ufed every means, to encourage archery j himfelf afford- * 
ing an example of no fmall (kill in the art (8). In Tiis* 

reign - 

(8) Apres allerent tirer de Tare, & le Roy cTAngletterre luy- 
, •* radjne, qui eft raerveilleufecnent bon archer & fort, & le ' 

1 G 3 " fefoit 



t 86 ] 

reign it feems to have been a very fafliionable amufe- 
ment j and his brother (Prince Arthur) became fo ex- 
pert in the ufe of the. long-bow* that a good archer was 
honored by being filled Prince Arthur (9). In this 
atnufemejftt he was followed by Edward VI. and Charjes 
I. — Nor was it inattentively regarded by Charles II. and 
James II. in whofe reigns it coatinued to fir\d »favor 
and patronage. It is faicl that James I. of Scotland 
was fo much (truck with the fpirit and gallantry of the 
Englifh archers, that (on returning to his own country, 
after his confinement in England), he eftablifrrcd royal 
companies of bowmen, in feveral parts of his domi- 
nionsjTome of which ftill flourifli. (Mcfeley, p. 228, note.) 
The abdication of James II. and 'the fucceffion of a 
family litde acquainted . with this kingdom and its 
amufements, would naturally have denied to the bow, 
its former fupport and encouragement. Hence it 
was, that archery, (driven tofeek an afylum where from 
(he earlieft period of its exiftence m this country, it had - 
in all times found zealous patronage and fupport), lay 
fo long a time concealed, in the remote corners of the 
kingdom. At this day, it mtift be considered as no 
fmall favor conferred upon archery, that his Royal High- 
fiefs the Prince of Wales, and many of the nobility 
and firft pfcrfonages in this kingdom, have condeffcended 
to patronife and encourage the revival of this once 
touch efteemed art : nor fhould it be forgotten, that our 
prefent gracious Monarch was pleafed (a few years 

* fefoitbon voir." Meeting detween Henry YIIJ. and Francis I. in 
the Field of the Clorh of Gold between Ardres and Guines. 

v Montfaucony Monumens dc la Monarchie Francoife, vol. 4. p. *99« 

'* Nemo -enim ipfo rege (Henry Vlll.) Britannicum ingentem 
** arcum contentius ilexit, nemo certius atque validus fagittavit." 
' Paul. Jov* 

• (9) In the year 1 58 r, a fociety of archers exifted, who filled - 
themielves, Prince Arthur's Knights. Mulcafter's P options, p. 10 1. 

fince) 



fince) to revive the ancient royal prize, annually (hot for 
by the royal company of archers in Scotland. (Bar^ 
rington). But to modern days, was referved the high 
and Angular honor, which archery has received, at the 
hands of the fair fex -, who have ftep'd forward at once 
to patronife, and to grace the exercife of it. One indeed 
among the reft, (whole exalted rank and acknowledged 
excellence ftamps additional value upon every thing 
,fhe deigns to notice) has taken up the bow. What 
greater encouragement can art exped or defire? 
Our fturdy anceftors, whole fteady well bra6ed nerves, 
(enabled them to draw to the head their yard-long ar- 
rows (which pierced the ftrongeft armour, and ftruclc 
their fierceft foe to the ground) would have been 
proud, to have witneffed fo flattering an attention to their 
favourite art ; to have feen the neatly trimmed ftiafi: loof- 
ed from the fair hand of an Englilh Female ; giving 
an example oijktll to the rougher fex, and wanting but 
their Jlrength^ to contend with the enemies of their 
country. 

This new sera, *s it has been (tiled, in the annals of 
archery, is condemned by fome, ' as introducing to the 
other fex an amufement, too mafculine to accord with 
the gentlenefs of manner, which Ihould afall times 
chara&erife it. But this cenfure feems to be fomewhat 
unmerited and ill-timed: for, as a late writer (Mofeley) 
juftly obferves, it is unfortunate, that there are few 
diversions in thp open air, in which women can join 
with fatisfa&ion : and archery feems to be an admira- 
ble antidote to the fedentary life, which is incident to 
the general employment of their time. On another 
account indeed, they are gainers by the amufement.; the 
attitude of an archer drawing the bow has been deemed 
worthy of notice, and N cannot fail of difplaylng the 
graces of the female form, in a confiderable degree. 

G 4 Since 



r 88 ] 

Since then archery has again raifed its head, crowned 
with* fuch diftinguilhed shonors, and offering fo much 
pleafure and advantage; let us receive it with due 
refpe&$ and pay our tribute, by continuing to cultivate 
the art: not overlooking the merit of thofe, who have 
bellowed their endeavours to draw }t from an unde- 
ferved negledt and obfcurity. And although the Eng- 
Jifli long-bow has been difmiffed (honorably fo we muft 
confefs) our fervice in the field ; let us not forget the 
bleffings we ftill enjoy, through the former exercife of 
its powers, and the value of the liberal, friendly and 
feleft focicty, which, in its prefent humble ftate, it is fo 
well calculated to promote and preferve. Society an4 
friendly intercourfe are, it is true, common to many 
amufements; though perhaps not to be enjoyed to the 
degree of delight (combining our health with our paf- 
time) which archery admits of. In thi$ exercife, our 
Friends, bock young and old, can engage with pleafure 
and fatisfadtion. At home, we, may content ourfelve* 
with gaining a moderate portion of exercife and health, 
by fhooting fliort diftances; abroad, thefe may be 
obtained in a fuperior degree. Pprfuing this amufe-,* 
ment, we may, at pleafure, eacounterthe lharp ajr of 
the mountain, or inhale the milder breeze of the valley j 
roving (or fhooting various lengths, to the extent even 
pf the utmoft powers of the bow, and " q( our own, 
ftrength), over the moft beautiful parts of the country, 
and in the moft delightful feafons of the year (advantn 
gges which no other ^mufement can afford) when 

« Fair-handed fpring unbofoms ev'ry grace ; 
" Nor is the mead unworthy of thy foot, 
*' Full of frefh yerdure, and unnumberM flowers, 
** The negligence of nature, wide, and wild ; 
, V* Where, undifguis'd by mimic art, (he fpreads 
- ^ y nbounded beauty to the royJDg eye." 

yhompforfs Spring. 

.- ' '" Pr 



Or when, 

«« From bright* ning fields'of ether fair difclosM, 
'«* Child of the fun, refulgenty«m;Hfr comes, 
u In pride of youth, 

UTiompfons Summer. 

° r > 

" while his fweeteft beams 
" The fun fheds equal o'er the meeken'd day ; 

Thompfon's Avtumn. 

Till, . • 

4t When the chearlefs empire of the fky 

•* To Capricorn the Centaur Archer yields ; 

*< And fierce Aquarius rules th' inverted year." 

Thompfon'i Winter* 



PART 



I I 



FART III. 



AN INQUIRY ANt? INVESTIGATION INTO SUCH 
EXTRAORDINARY FEATS, AS ARE SAID TO HAVE 
BEEN ACHIEVED WITH THE ENGLISH LONG- 

, £OW, IN FORMER TIMES; AND PARTICULARLY 
- BY THAT GREAT HERO OF ARCHERY ROBItt 
hood; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THAT FAMOUS 
OUTLAW FROM THE MO£T AUTHENTIC RECORD: 
AND A COMPARISON OF THOSE FEATS OF ARCH- 
ERY, WITH SUCH AS ARE WELL ATTESTED IN 
MODERN TIMES. v 



r * 



C &3 ] 



CHAPTER I. 



SECTION I. 

Preliminary Obfervations — Truth of the Ejrijiencc 

and Hiftory of Robin Hood. 
< 

l TPHE preceding military hiftory of the Engfifh long T 
-*> bow, affords us ample teftiraony and fatisfaftory 
proof, that " in the hands of numbers, it performed 
« verie greate matters." And although we do not^at 
this day, poflefs fuch authentic records relpefting the 
private fe^ts of the bow; as have been adduced in fup- 
port of the effeft of it, as a weapon of war: yet have 
we fuqh; traditional annals of the achievements of indi- 
vidual (kill and ftrength in archery ; as (corroborated by 
the opinion of thofe, who, although they lived feveral 
ages fobfequent to the time, when the great feats in archery 
were fuppofed to have been performed ; yet as they liv- 
ed piuch neater that time, and when archery flourifhed, 
had better opportunities of forming a more apcurate 
judgement upon the truth of the fafts in queftion than 
we,can command ; and correfted by our own reafon and 
experience) may enable us to determine, without being 
liable to the chargfc of much error or credulity, upon 
the truth of fuch ancient tradition. — We have not, in- 
deed, any one ancient and authentic hiftory or record 
€xa£ty to our purpofe; and from fuch ancient tefti- 
mony or tradition, as we are acquainted with, little can 
be gleaned worthy of credit or attention. — Many, as the 
proverb fays, €t talk of Robin Hood who never Jhot with 

" Ms 



' [04 ] 

" bis bow." The colledtion of old fongs (which, for 
centuries, has decorated every ballad ftall, under the 
title of Robin Hood's Garland > and which is the only * 
record of the chief feats in archery of this celebrated 
dharatter and his companions) fo completely involves 
the aftions they notice, in fuch a qloud of marvellous 
narration and poetical fancy, that many, upon the peru- 
faj of them, have thought themfeives warranted to 
declare their difbelief, that any fuch hero ever exifted. 
A little' refle&ion will teach us, that fomc of the moft 
romantic popular traditions are grounded upon unquef- 
/ tionable fafts, to which feveral of our ancient chroniclers ' 
and accurate hiftorians t>ear teftimony. That fuoh per- 
fons as Robin Hood and his companions did live* and 
gave the moft . fignal proofs of their great fkill in the 
ufeofthe long-bow ; weiiave the teftimony of feveral 
eminent hiftorians, upon whofe veracity we can de- 
pend (i). 

. SECTION 



(i) Robin Hood is noticed by Fordun, in his Scotkhronicon : by 
Staw and * Hollinfhed. But the moft particular account of tht* 
hero and his companions, is to be found in Johannes Major (the 
Scottimhiftorian,) which is copied by Grafton in his 4 * Chronicle of 
44 Breteyne y (page 82)." in thefe words. " About this tyme 
" (anno 1189} as fay th John Maior, * n his chronicleof Scotland, 
44 there were many robbers and outlawes in England ; among 
", the which number, he especially noteth Robert Hood, whom 
llt we now caJl Kobyo Hood, and little John, who were famous 
44 theues. They continued in woodes, mountaynes, and foreftes, 
44 fpoyling and robbing, namely, fuch as wereriche. Murders 
" commonly they did oonev except it were by the prouocation. of 
44 fuch as refiiled them in their rifelynges and fpoyles. And the 
<r fayde Maior fayth, that the aforefaid Robyn Hood ba$ at his 
14 rule and commandement an hundreth tall yomen, which were 
4 * mightie men and exceeding good archers, and they were maiiv- 
<4 teyned by fucha fpoyles as came to their handes : and he fayth 
44 moreover, that thofe hundreth were fuoh picked men, and of 
u fuch force, that four hundreth men, whofoever they were, durft 
* 4 never fet, upon them. And one thing was much commended 
* 4 in him,- that he would fufler no woman to be opprefled, vio- 
* 4 lated or otherwife abufed. The poorer fort of people he. 

fauoured 



44 fauoured, and* would in no wife fufFer their goodes to, be 
** touched or fpoyled, but relieued and ayded them with fuch 
44 goodes as hee gate from the riche, which he fpared not ; namely, 
** the riche prieiles, fat abbotes, and the houfes of riche earles- 
i4 And although his theft and rapyn was to be contemned, yet 
"■the aforefayd aucthour prayfeth him* and fayth, that among the 
44 number of theeues, he was worthie the name of the moft^a- 
44 tie theefe. A 

<c But in an olde and auncient pamphlet, I finde this written of 
**■* the fayd Robert Hood. This man (faith he) descended of a 
41 nobie parentage, or rather beyng of a bafe ftocke and linage, 
'* was, for his manhoode andchiualry, aduanced to the dignkie of 
44 an Earl ; excellyng principally in archery or mooting, his manly 
** courage agreeing thereunto : but afterwardes, he fo prodigally 
*' exceeded in charges and expences, that he fell into great dabt : 
iC by reafon v whereof, fo many adions and futes were commenced 
46 againft him, whereunto he aunfwered not, that by order of latoe 
u he was outlawed.- And then for a lewde fhift, a* his laft re- 
44 fuge, gathered together a companye*of royfters and cutters, and * 
44 practiced robberyes and fpojlyng of the Kinges.fubjects, smd oc- 
44 cupied and frequented the foreftes or wilde countries. The 
44 which being certefyed to the King, and he being greatly of- 
. * 4 fended therewith, caufed his proclamation to be made; that 
. " whofoe'ver would bring him quicke or dead, the King • 
** wou^d ge'ue him a great fumme* of money, as by the records in 
" the exchequer is to be ieene: but of this promife, no 'man 
* r enjoyed any beneiite. For the fayd Robert Hood, being after- 
44 wardes troubled with' fickneffe, Came to a certein nonry in 
44 Yorkihire, called Berklies; where, defiryng to be Jet blood, 
44 he was betrayed and bled to death. After whofe death, the 
** PriorefFe of the fame place caufed him to be buried by tlx 
44 high way fide, where he hadoafed to rob and fpoyle thofe that 
* 4 /paffed that way : and upon his graue the fayde priprefle did 
** laye a very fayre ftone, wherein the names of Robert Hood, 
** William of Goldesborough, and others were graven. And the 
4t caufjs why ihe buryed him there, was,. for that the common paf. 
<4 fengers and trauailers, knowyng and feeyng him there buryed, 
44 might more fafely and without feare, take their jorneys that 
** way ; which they durft not do, in the life time of the faid out* 
4t iawes: and at eyther ende,of the fayd tombe was ere&ftd a 
*** crofTe of ftone, which is to befeene at this prefent." 

The author of the New Garland has colle&ed a great variety ef 
inferefting anecdotes, explanatory, of the hiltory of this famous 
outlaw, and his companions ; which he has fubjoined ta his life* 
See the Notes to the Life of Robin Hood. 

In the reign of Edward III. we find mention of a band of 
robbers, which in time grew io numerous and formidable, as 
to become a terror and grievance to the whole kingdom. But 
they feem to have poffefTed very little of that liberal and benevo* 
lent fentiment, for which Robin Hood and his men were fo much 
Gated-. Barnes i B. i. c, 4. p. 62. 

9ECT10K 



"E-tf 1 



SECTlbN iiv 

Teftimonies refpeBing Robin Hood's Feats of diftant 
Archery — Obfervations— Shots from Turkijh Bows 
-r-Shotfrom a Bow drawn with both Hands — Dip 
tant Shots by modern Archers — Obfervations on 
Robin Hood's Archery. " , 

- TPHE feats recorded of this renowned bowman, may 
~ be confidered as evidences of extraordinary 
ftrength, and extraordinary (kill. Probably, the old 
pamphlet, mentioned by Grafton in his chronicle, con* 
tajned fomewhat upon the fubjedh As our hero Jived 
and died, long before the art of printing was known ; we 
may well fuppofe, that the fongs made upon him dur- 
ing his exiftence, and for a confiderable period of time 
after his deceafe, were committed to oral traditions and 
consequently became fubfervient to the defe&ive me- 
mory, and the fancy of thofe, who from time to time, 
transmitted them to pofterity. Some of them indeed, 
bear evident marks of high antiquity ; while others can 
lay claim only to what (confidering the many centuries 
which have elapfed fince the time, when the a&ioris they 
celebrate, were achieved) may, perhaps, be ftiled a 
modern^ although not a very recent period of birth (2). 
Thefe fongs celebrate various feats and pranks of this 

"' hero, forhe of which may juftly, to ufe Dr. Hanmer's 
words, <c be ranked among the lies of the land/' 

(a) The editor of the New Garland, has endeavoured, by great 
- induftry, to ascertain the aera of almofl every long} which he has 
prefixed to it. ^ 

The 



*r* 



The firft fong in the Garland informs us, that Robin 
Hood's Father Ihot, ' 

" Two north country milts and an inch at a {hoot;*' - 
But leaving fuch . authority as this and moft of the 
longs in this collection afford us i we will refer to 
fuch other teftimonies refpedting Robin Hood's ex- 
ploits* as have been fomewhat credited, and do not fo 
much offend our reafon, or deride our judgment. One 
of them is noticed by Charlton (in his Hiftory of Whitby 
Abbey, p. H^) f who faysj " tradition informs us, that 
" Robin Hood and Littlq John (hot each an arrow, 
c< from the top of Whitby Abbey, which fell hot far 
cc from Whitby Laths ; and in memorial thereof, a 
" pillar was fet up by the Abbot, in the place where 
cc the arrows fell : and that their diftahcie from the Abbey 
" was a meafured mile." 

Dr. Meredith Hanmer (in his Chronicle of Ireland) 
fpeaking of Little John, obferves, " there are memo- ' 
" rable afts reported of him, which I hold not for a. 
ci trpthj that he would fhoot an arrow a mile off, and 
c< a great deal more: but thefe I leave among the 
" lies of the land." 

Mr." Walker (in his Hifiorical EJfay on the drefs of 
the ancient and modern Irijh) fays, " according to tra- 
" dition, Little John fliot an arrow from the old Bridge, 
u Dublin, to the prefent fciteof Sc. Michael's Church, 
<c a diftance not exceeding, he believes, that men- 
<c tioned by Mr, Harrington, as the greateft length, viz. 
cc eleven J core and feven yards (3). 

The 



(y) Mr. Barrington (in a poftfcript to hi* Obfervatims on Archery) 
endeavours to correct the error he had committed, 111 fuppofing 
eleven fcore and J even yards to be the utmoft extent an arrow can bo 
. ihot; and obferves, that the greateft length ihot at the London 
mark* (according to the map) was thirteen /core and 'five yards. 
°- » H Mr* 



[ 9»- J 

Thfe next authority upon the fubje&, is ' that of 
Drayton the poet, whofe charafter for truth and hifto- 
rical accuracy (lands very high ; arid indeed the fa<5t he 
mentions is fomevyhat more adapted to our comprehen- 
Con than thofe before noticed. Speaking of Robin 
Hood and his companions ; he fays, 

" At marks full forty /core, they ufed to prick and rove." 

. , Poly-Olbiorii Song 26. 

% .. The editor of the New Garland has hazarded an 
* opinion in fupport of Drayton, whom he calls a well 
informed and excellent man, " who wrote before 
c< archery had fallen into complete difufe." And in 
his notes to the Life of Robin Hood, (note K. p. 33) tells 
us, " their archery indeed was unparalleled, as both 
a Robin Hood and Little John have frequently (hot an 
" arrow a meafured mile, (or 1760. yards,) which, it is 
cc fuppofed, no one either before or fince, was ever 
" able to do." But he brings no. other authority in 
fupport of his affertion, than that from Charlton be- 
fore notiped. Whatever may have been the information 
and general knowledge of Drayton, we cannot alto- 
'. gether fubfcribe implicitly to his opinion upon this fub- 
je£h At the time h^ lived,, archery had fallen fo much 
into decay, that Hollinfhed (who publiflied his Chroni- 
cles of England foon after the birth of Drayton) obferves, 
that in his time, <c we had in a manner given over the artillery 
" of long bows, and did ufe tojhoot compafsfor our'paftime" 
But without calling Drayton's knowledge of archery. 



Mr. Harrington was not, it is true, an archer ; but bad he coa- 
fulted the lift of marks fet down in the " Aime for the Fin/bury 
44 Archers" he would have found feveral of them to be eighteen 
fcore and eighteen yards : indeed in the map he did consult, one 
appears to be fifteen fcore and eight yards, and another fxteenjeof e 
and two yards: and he might have been fatisfied by the Finibury 
archers of his day* that feveral of them had,, at the Finfbury 
marks, frequently ihot fifteen fcore yards, and upwards. " 

■ % * into 



■ • ■ , I » J 

into qutftion, we cannot furely with any fort of gravity 
admit (fpeaking of Robin Hood and his men) that 

«* Their hofe gave fuch a twang, it might be heard a mile?* 

• ■ . ' Poly-Qlbiori) Song 26. 

Indeed this advocate for Drayton's accuracy has him* 
felf faved us the neceffity.of any further corriment upon 
this marvelous feat ; fince yi a fubfequent note, {note Y.) 
he gives us the following remark, from Fuller's Wor- 
thies. " Surely the poet gives a twang to the loofe of 
cc his arrow, making him (hoot one a cloth yard long y at 
c< full forty /core mark> for compafs never higher than the 
" breajly and within lefs than a foot of the mark*" and 
he adds, " but herein our author hath verified the pro- 
*' verb ; ' talking at large of Robin Hood, in whofe 
tl bow he never (hot." 

The length, of the (hot from Whitby Abbey is. in a 
great meafure accounted for, when it is refcolledted, that 
Whitby Abbey was a very lofty building, fituated upon 
a very high cliff, and therefore cannot ftri&ly be called 
a fair (hot: but even allowing this advantage, we may 
ftiil be permitted to doubt y if either of the arrows fell 
near the fuppofed diftance, which is far greater thaa 
any arrow (hot by the ftrongeft man and beft archer, % 
even from a Turki/h bow, was ever known to fly (4). 

* ( In 



(4) Of all bows that have been invented, and with which we . 
are now acquainted, no one (in point of force, certainty* and ' 
effetf) has come fo near the Englifli long-bow, as the Turkifh 
bow. Although Knowles (in hteHiflvy of tie Turks, p. 517) telk 
us u that the Perfians ufed.both greater and ftronger bows, and {hot 
* 4 more deadly arrows than the Turks." The very great elafiicity 
of the horn bow gives it greatly the advantage of the wooden bow, 
in the diftance of its caft : and had not Afcham, Sir John Smith, 
and other writers, confidently and upon known experience, 
affirmed the fuperiority of the Englifli. bow in war ; we mfght be 
inclined, to efteem the Turkilh bow as the rival of the Englifli 
long-bow. However, in judging of the effeft of weapon? who* 

Ha- ufed 



I 1<X> 1 :- 

• In later times we' have(, upon the archer's own aa-< 
thority, an anecdote of a curious experiment with the 

bow; 



ufed in war, we rnuft not forget the diftinguifhing char afters of 
thofe who make ufe of them. For doubtlefs, with the fame 
weapon, the* coolnefs* courage, and difcipline of the Englifh, 
inuft have given them great advantage ; oppofed to the rn temperate, 
and diibrderly mode of warfare ufually remarked among tlje Turks* 
The elafticity of the horn-bow is capable of communicating a 
furpriiing velocity to the 'arrow difcharged from it ; but, probably, 
it is not calculated to caft fo heavy an arrow as the bow of wood j 
and its velocity diminifhes its certainty of caft. Many very fur- 
priiing long fhots are well attefted to have been made, with tb,e 
Turkiih bow. Stuart (in his Antiquities of Jthcns>.vc\. i. p. 10) 
mentions a random fhot made, in the year 1753, by Haffan Aga. 
the waiivoode of Athens , who delighted in Archery, to have bttvkfive 
hundred and eighty-four yards and one foot (Englifh meafure). Can- 
timir (in his Hiftory of the Otman Empire) fpeaking of the Emperor 
Murad IV. fays, " in the art of mooting with the bow, he had 
" riot his equal in the whole Turkifh nation,* except "the famous 
" champion Tozcoparad. There are now two marble, pillars 
",ftanding^f/Jta?« hundred cubits afunder, over which he is faid to 
f * (hoot an arrow." Tozcoparan is faid to have fhot feventeen 
hundred cubits. In the year 1795, Mamhood Eflendij, fecretary 
to the Turk i fli Ambaifador, a man poifefling very great mufcular 
power, lhot an arrow with a Turkifh bow four hundred and eighty 
ttvoyards in the prefence of three gentlemen, members of the 
,Toxophiiite fociety* now living ; who meafured the diftance, and 
to whom he obferved, that the prefenV emperor (Sultan Selirn) 
could {hoot further than any one of his fubje&s. In the year 
1598, <he fultan himfelf exhibited a proof of his great ftrength 
and lkill in archery ; by mooting (in the prefence of Sir Robert 
Ainflie, late arhbaflador to the Ottoman Port) an arrow, which 
drove into the ground at the diftance of fourteen hundred pike? 
(Turkifh meafiire^ or, nine hundred and Jeventy two yards tivo inches 
and three quarters (Englifh meafore) : and which diftance was mea- 
fured in the prefence of Sir Robert Ainflie. The arrows ufed by 
the Turk*, for very long fhofeVdo not exceed the length of twenty 
Ji* inches,, but they are drawn feveral inches within the bow, in 
a grooved horn ufed for the oecafion 1 : they are tapered from the 
nock to the pile', which is exceedingly fmall, and weigh about 
three millings and two -pence Englifh arrow weight. It mutt occur 
tp every one, that a bow, capable of carrying even alight arrow fo> 
great a diftance, muft be capable of catting an heavy one a 
h& diftance with very great force. Accordingly, we read of 
arrows caft from Turkifh bows,, which penetrated the heft mod* 

armour. 



;. " c 101 r 

bow 5 by means of which, an arrow was raft a mile in 
three flights. To effed this, the archer, according to 
Mr. Harrington's report of the feat, fat on ajltol, the 
middle plart of his bow being fafteried to his foot; 
which he elevated forty-five degrees; and he drew the 
fixing with his two hands applied to it. The bow, ufed 
upon this occafion, was a very ftrong one, made for 
the experiment. Mr. Mofeley mentions an archer, 
who made a good fhot in the prefence of Henry Vllf. 
in a firnilar way; and that he himfelf tried tjie expe- 
riment with fucceis. Mofeley. p. 90 to 93. 
- /Thefe ancient inftances of vtxy^dlftant fhooting with 
the Englifh long-bow are all I have been able to coIt 
left, and, probably, they are all that have bfcen handed 
down to us (5): and if thofe reported of Robin Hood 
were to reft updn the authorities I have quoted, we 
might be inclined tp refufe our aflent to his accom- ' 
plifhment of fuch extraordinary feats. If may, there- 
fore, afford us much fatisfaftion, and, perhaps, be the 
means of rempving doubt, if we affay the truth of 
the fafts ftated to us, by^ eftabliftiing, as a boundary 
to conjeftural opinions, that meafure, which our 
reafon, knowledge, and experience naturally point out. 



prmour. .Lord Bacon, indeed, goes fo far as to fay, that a Tarkifh 
arrow hath been known to pierce a fieel target or a piece of brafs 
two inches, thick. (Nat, Hifi. Expt. 704, vol. iij.) But' this feat Mr. 
Mofeley juftly fliles marvellous ; and obferves, 4t that to contra- 
** diet fach high authority might, perhaps, do greater violence 
-•* to good manners, than truth" Mofeley, p. 71, note. Yet Greaves, 
in his Pyramidographia, and Barclay, in his Icon animorum, notice 
firailar facts. Hooptt's Rat. Recreat. vol. 1. p. 198. edit. 1783. , 
(5) Strutt, -the diligent inveftigator of Englifh antiquities, 
who, in the preface to nis Horda-Angelcynnan informs us, he had 
fearched very many manufcripts; obferves, " that it was not 
". certain, how far the archery with the long bow could fend an. 
! 4 arrow." Hord. AngeU vol. ii. p. 44. 

H 3 , We 



We are well fatisfied that in modern times, no man hath 
fliot an arrow one fourth part of a mile. Mr. James 
Rawfon (of Cheetham Hitt, near M ancheftef , who died 
about the year 1 7.94, the beft archer of his day), told 
Mr. Waring, that he once (hot, upon gfound, very 
-litde declining in his favour, eighteen /core yards. And 
in the year 17,98 Mr. Troward (a member of the Tos- 
ophilite Society) fhot onvMoulfey Hurft (ah uncom- 
mon level piece of ground, and when the wind was 
very ftill) feventeen fcore yards (6). It is not believed, 
that, for at lead a century or two paft, the two laft 
mentioned ixiftances of diftant fhooting have been fur- 
paSed. 

That we do not at this time when archery is ufed 
merely as an amufement, exercife ourfelves in -fuch 
ftrong fhooting as our forefathers did, is true: con- 
sequently, we muft not form our judgment too pe- 
remptorily of what was done in archery, when in its 
prime ; by what we have heard was performed in its 
decline, or . have feen achieved in its prefent humble 
ftate: yet can we make due allowance for early habit 
and conftant practice, which we know will effe<9: fur- 
prifing things. Thefe advantages Robin HoocJ pof-^ 
feffed in their full extent, " his manly courage," as 
his Hiftorian fays, " agreeing thereto/* We may 
alfo admit the faft recorded of him, <c that in his 
" youth, he drew a prodigious ftrong bow:" and we 

(6) This fhot made by Mr. Troward, was not an accidental fhot: 
ie repeatedly fhot (both up and down the wind) that diftance, the 
fame day, in the pretence of many members of the Toxophilitc 
fociety. As his (hots were made during a conteft for a prize, 
jeach fhot was meafured With the greateft poffible accuracy. And 
the field had been pfevioufly flaked out in fares, and half '/cores. 
Mr. Troward (hot with afelf-bow, of the power of jixiy -three 
pounds. His arrows were flight arrows, of the length of twenty* 
nine inches, and weighing about four-fhillings (arrow weight.) 
The bow with which Mr. Rawfon fhot was a &*iiV-bow, 

muft 



t 103 ] ( 

muft certainly acknowledge, that he was a x moft com- 
plete archer. No doubt many of his companions (who 
Grafton fays, were faked men) were excellent archers, 
and perhaps rivalled this great herb himfelf, in the art. 
Not only their food, but their lives frequently depended 
upon their prowefs and flkill in the ufe of the bow ; 
and' the life they led gave them ample opportunities 
of improving the latter. We muft at the fame time 
admit, chat there have been in modern days, as ftrong 
men as Robin Hood, who have pra&ifed archery. 
Mr. Rawfon followed it, from an early period of life; 
he was a very ftout middle fized man, and being a 
man's fhoe-maker by trade; had, (in the exercife of 
his byfinefs) increafed the force, and hardened the mufc. 
cles of his arms, to fuch a degree, that his power over 
the bow was exceedingly great ; as was. his (kill in the 
ufe of it; having (from the age of eighteen to fixty) 
never refufed a challenge in the art {Hargrove) ; and 
yet he never was known to have been beat $t inches. 
What great power may be given to any part of the 
body, by early and conftaqt ufe, is well known. The 
arms of a waterman or ilackfmitb, and the legs of 4 
chairman, are conclufive evidence of the fa<5L pro* 
bably, Robin Hood himfelf did not poffefs mpch more 
bodily ftrength than Rawfon. But archery was the 
profeffion of the former, while the latter could only pur-< 
fue it occafionally, as an amufement. In this reaped: 
therefore, conftant ufe muft be confidered. 



H,4 SECTION 



r 104 i 



SECTION III*. 

Obferoations on the probable extent of Robin HoocTs 
Shots, drawn from the Forcer of the Bow, fuppofed 
to have been ufed by him — Conclujion. 

HAVING thus endeavoured to eftablifh upon ex- 
periment, a line to circumfcribe conje&ure and 
doubt j and to form the bafis of a comparifon between 
the ftrengtb and Jkitt of man; the only circumftance 
remaining, which may lead our judgment to its objeft, 
in this enquiry, appears to be, an attempt to ascer- 
tain what ftrengtb (or weight) of bow (7), the ftrangeft 



% (7) Mr. Waring was the firft pcrfon in England, who hit upou 
the expedient of difcovering the exact power of the bow, by 
wight. This method, according to Chevalier Chardin (fee his 
Voyages^ torn. if. ch. 12.) has been long known and practifed in 
Perfia. 

. . $y this means, we can afcertain the quantity of weight, or 
power, which a man mud overcome, before he can draw his bow 
fully up : for action and reaction being equal, it mud require the 
fame degree of power to fupport 'the bow, as is required to draw 
the firing.. So that when a man draws a bow of fifty pounds power 
or weight, he, in faB y fufpends or moves one fumdrad } pounds weight 
between his arms. This may be proved in experiment, by keep- 
ing the bow wjth a weight, in dead of fufpending it by means 
of a fupport. The moving fo great a weight with the body, with 
fo much facility, may appear furprifing ; but we muft recollect, 
how very much ftrength is under thd guidance of art ; that in 
drawing the bow, we difpofeof bur ftrengtb, and exert our mufcles 
to the greater! advantage; and that by a general and united exertion 
of mufcular power, we are capable of doing great things. It^is 
the judicious management of our bodily powers, which (as Defa- 
guljeres/in his Philofophy obferves) will, in a great meafure, ac- 
count for the very furprifing feats of ftrengtb, that have been exhi- 
bited bv men, 

man 



[ 103 J 

man can draw; and loofe with a proportioned eflfed* 
One of the moft mufcular and powerful men, and at T 
the feme time, one of the beft archers yet living, has * 
has been known to draw a 'twenty-feven inch arrow ta 
the fyead, in a bow of ninety poinds weight; but he could > 
not loofe an arrow from this bow, to a diftance at alt 
propprtioned to the ftrength of it. He found a bowi 
of eighty pounds within his command ; but from fc- 
venty to eighty pounds, is perhaps futh a medium 
ftrength of bow, that Jlrong men in general can manage 
with'eafe, Co as to enfure a good loofe; upon which 
moft particularly, as well as upon the fpring of the bow, * 
not only good, but far (hooting depends. 

The bow with which Mr. Rawfon fliot, drew about 
Jixty-four or fixty five pounds \ and if we compare the 
diftances, that both }Av. Rawfon and Mr. Troward 
fliot, with the power of their bows; we may, without 
coming to very nice calculation, allow twenty pounds 
weight, for every one hundred and ten yards. Now, 
fuppofing the bow ufed by Robin Hood, was even 
of eighty pounds weight -, that, according to the pre- 
ceding calculation, would cad an arrow upwards of 
four hundred yards. And if, agreeably to the laws 
of the increafed force of bodies, "we allow for an 
accumulation of power, independent of the calcula- 
lation by fimple weight, yet upon the whole, we (hall t 
not find any ground confidently to conclude* that Robin ' 
Hood ever (hot, even the lighteft flight arrow, five 
hundred yards upon level ground. And we may with 
very great rfeafon, rely upon ' what Neade, a ' writer 
upon-archery in the beginning of the feventeenth century, 
obferves; namely, that an ancient .bow (8) would 

carry 

. (8) It is not believed, that any very ancient Englifli long-bow- 
is now in exigence: whereby forae judgment might be formed 

.of 



C >06 I 

carry from eighteen to twenty /core yards, as the trnefi 
point of difiant archery. (9), 

SECTIOH 



of the power of the old bows. The author of the notes to the Lift 
ef Robin Hood) tells us, " that his bow and one of his arrows, his 
M chair, his cap, and one of his flippers, were preferved, till 
•* within the laft century :" and he quotes from Ray's Itinerant* 
(1760, p. 161) a paffage, wherein that writer fays, that Robin 
Hood's bow was kept at Fountains Abbey. According to a note 
of Mr. Afhmole's (inferted in the European Magazine. October, 
1794, p. 29$), part of a bow, formerly belonging to Little John, 
hung up {anno 1652) in the chancel of Featherfedge fHatherfage] 
church, in the Peak of Derby {hire* where he is faidto have been 
buried. The author of thole notes further adds, " he was in- 
* 4 formed that a bow faid to have belonged to Little John, was 
(anno 1795) in the poiTeflion of a gentleman in the Weft Riding 
efYorkfhire. (Notes GG, KK, LL.) 

Mr. Bofwell (fpeaking of Dunvegan CafHe, in the Ifte of Sky, 
and Sir Roderick M'Leod, one of its ancient Lairds, called Rorie 
More) j fays, •' we faw his bow, which hardly any man can now 
M bend." Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, London, 1758. 

A few bows, fuppofed to have been made about the beginning 
of the fixteenth century, have been exhibited of late ; but they 
did not, upon conjecture, appear to draw more than from feventy 
to eighty pounds, at the utmolt. Upon the late revival of archery, 
a large parcel of bows, known to have been long fecreted in a* 
houfe in Scotland, was fearched for: when it was difcovered, 
that the fervants of the houfe had been, for fame time, in the 
habit of lighting fires with them. * Fortunately,, however, two or 
three of them were faved, one of which is faid to be now in the 
pofleflioa of Lord Aylesford. In a Survey of Forts and Garrifons 
(made 30th July, 1623) we find notice taken of many Jiiiodred 
hows, bow-ftaves, ftrings, and fheaVes of arrow's, then in the 
Tower, and other forts in England. Muf. Brit. Harl. MSS. 
13*6. Upon inquiry at the Tower, I cannot learn, that any 
bows, bow-ftaves, firings or arrows, have been feen there for at 
leaft half a century. Old bows are now more valuable as curiofities % 
than for ufe : fortune has fo dried them, that feveral (although 
well rubbed with linfeed oil) have, upon late trials, broke in 
bending. 

* (9) To this authority, we may add, that of Pere Daniel, wh» 
fays, that an ancient bow would carry further than a fufil, and to 
the diftance of 600 paces. Mr. Mofeley obferves, that if he means 
common military paces, each of which may confift of two feet 
or rather more, the diftance of the range may be fet down at 40a 
yards. Mofeley », p. a66, note. Carew, in his Survey of Corn- 
wall, 



I 107 1 

wall, fpeaking of the ftrength and excellence of the Cornifli ar- 
chers,' obferves, ** for Jong mooting their fhaft was a cloth-yard f 
44 their pricks twenty four /core ; for ftrength, they would pierce 
44 any ordinary armour. ? By way of corroboration, it may be 
noticed, that upon the report of the late Mr. Conftable (a Fiiif- 
bury archer) there exifts a by -law/ or cuftom of the city of Lon- 
don, (which he declared he bad feen in the books of the corpo- 
ration), that entitled any one to the freedom of the city, who 
could bring proof, that he had fhot an arrow of a pound (aos.) 
weight, eight /core, or a flight arrow twenty -/even /core. But there ap- 
pears to be forae inaccuracy in this report : and inftead of the flight 
diftance being twenty-feven' fcore, it mould be only /eventeem 
/core,; the latter diftance with a flight arrow, being equal to the 
eight fcore diftance with a pound arrow. As archery began to 
decline, . diftant mooting became neglected, which Hollinfhed 
notices. De/crip. of Brit. Ch. 16. In the Aime /or the Finfipry 
archers, we fifld few diftances at nine fcore, mod of them are from 
twelve to fixteen fcore, yet there are many from fix teen to eighteea 
fcore, and the greateftt length is nineteen /core and \/our teem yards* 
The late Mr. Poole declared to Mr. Waring, that he had fre- 
quently fhot an arrow (weighing nearly five millings) fifteen /con 
and ten yards at the Finfbury lengths. And his cotemporary (the 
late Mr. Conftable) ' told Mr. Waring, that one in his time fhot 
/eventeen /core yards. Sir William Hood informs us, that the huttsfhot 
at by the archers at thej&w and footing in i 583, were at the dif- 
tance of /even /core and fight yards; and at the mooting in 168 r, 
(before King Charles II.) the targets were placed upon butts at 
, eight /core yards diftance. By a target book of the Finfbury ar- 
chers kept for the year 1671 (in the pofleflion of Mr. Howarth, * 
Toxopbilite) it appears, that eleven fcore yards was the fartheft 
target ^ifancz fhot by them, before the archers began to draw in* 



SECTION 



t 108 ] 



SECTION IV. 

-Robin Hood's Feats of Skill— Obfercations— -Feats of 
Skill recorded of other Archers^-Feats of Skill in 
Archery in modem times. • 

WITH refpeft to fuch of Robin Hood's exploit*, 
as were, more immediately, afts ofjkill; we 
have ftill lefs authority, than what we have* collefted 
on the fubjedt of his ftrong fhootrng. In the invefti- 
gation of this latter point, the Garland is the only clew 
to guide us. In one fong we are told, that when this 
hero was only fifteen winters old, 

" He hit the mark a hundred rod t 
" And he caufed a Hart to die.'' 

Progrefs to Nottingham. 

But his bard doubting, perhaps, whether he had faid 

tttough of this feat, adds, 

" Some fay hee brake ribs one or two, 

" And fome fay hee brake three ; 

" The arrow within the hart would not abide 

" But it glanced in two or three." 

Ibid. 

However in the 10th fpng the poet gives him a rival 

. " Will Scadlocke he kil'd a bucke, 
" And Midge he kiPd a doe; 
" And Little John kil'd a hart of Greece, 
" Five hundred foot him fro. 

Robin Hood and the Curtail Fryer. 

Robin Hood admits this to have been an incompa- 
rable (hot: for in the next verfe he declares (upon the 

occafion), 



[ log } 

otcafion), that he would ride an hundred miles to find 
one, who could match Little John. 

The next feat of archery mentioned in the Garland; 
h recorded of a ftranger ; (ar\d which indeed was not 
a very extraordinary pne). 

" Now the ftranger he made no m icicle adoe, 
" But he bends and a right good bow, , 
" And the beft of all the herd he flew, 
" Forty good yards him fro." 

Robin Hood and the Stranger?* 

For which Robinhood gives him much credit. 

The laft feat noticed in the Garland, is in the ballad 
of Robin Hood and Queen Katharine, in which, the 
bard makes Cliftori cleave the willow wand zt fifteen feore. 

In the (hooting match between Robin Hood and 
Guy of Gifborne: Robin Hood is made to cleave the 
• prick-wand at three fco^e rood.(io) 

To look upon thefe two laft moft extraordinary feats 

of (kill in the long-bow in any other light, than as the 

produce of fancy ; or, if ever performed, at the moft 9 

as the effeft of chance: would be extending our 

faith beyond reafon. Robin Hood and his men were, 

doubtlefs, excellent markfmen : hunger, we, can eafily 

imagine, often gave certainty to their (hafts ; and within 

a reasonable diftance, we may agree with Drayton, that 

€C Of thefe Archers brave, there was not any one, 
" But he could kill a deer, his fwifteft fpeea upon.' 9 

PofaOlbion, Song a6. 

Though it is probable, that they kill'd the deer chiefly 
by dealing upon them unawares, a method, which 
woods and forcfts greatly favour. 



(10) This fong is inferted in Dr. Percy's Retinites of ancient 
Poetry ; and is given in the New Garland. In the old ballad of 
Adam Bell) Clym of the Clough and William af Cloudejly^ we have an 
account of fimilar marvelous feats in archer/. Ibid* ♦ 

The 



[ 110 ] 

The only feat of (kill on record, at all firnilar to 
what the Garland affords, is noticed by Drayton; for 
which, he does not, it is true, give us any authority ; 
but fince he is remarkable as a pet for reje&ing fic- 
tion, and referring to faft; we may fuppofe. that he 
had ground for his afiertion. He tells us, that the 
old men encouraged the young, to inlift under the 
banner of Henry V. on his intended expedition to 
France, (which was afterwards rendered famous by his 
great victory at Agincourt), by pointing out to them, 
the feats of their anceftors at the battles of Crefiy and 
Poi&iers : and makes a father addrefs his fon, thus, 

"'And boy, quoth he, I've heard thy Grandfire fay, 
•> ** That once he did an Englifli archer fee, 
41 Who footing at a French twelve J r cor * away, 
" Quite through the body Jiuck him to a tree. 

Bat. of ' AgincourU 

Suppofing this fhot to have been a chance one, we 
do not, fee any reafon whatever to impeach it upon the 
grbund of impoffibility. Indeed, we tauft go fo far as 
to admit, that an expert archer might have performed 
the feat by deftgn. The diftance was certainly within 
the cprnpafs of the bow ; . as the ftatute of 33 Hen. VI IL 
forbids any perfon above the age of twenty-four, to fhoot 
at any mark of eleven /core, yards or under, with any 
prick-fhaft or flight arrow; which is fufficient evidence, 
that twelve fcore yards was not an uncommon diftance 
for the range of £n arrow ; and the force of a fheaf 
arrow from a ftrong bow, would, at that diftance, 
pierce many parts pf the body through and through* 
If we credit Shakfpeare, whofe veracity and accuracy 
have feldom been called in queftion, we have a corro- 
borating teftirhony of the probability of this remarkable 
fad; for in fpeaking of a good archer, he obferve$ 
that, cc he would clap in the clout at twelve/core, and 
<c carry a forehand fhaft a fourteen and fourteen and afr 
« half:' Second fart of King H, IF. aSt 3, fcene 2. 

. . - . Mr. 



[ HI /] 

Mr. Mofeley has quoted. from Giraldus Cambrenfisr, 
three inftances of extraordinary feats in archery, per- 
formed by. Welch bow-men, about the time i>f Hen* \l. 
The one, that during a fiege, it happened, that two 
fcldiers running in hafte towards a tower/ (ituated at 
a little diftance from them, were attacked with a num- 
ber of arrows from the Welch j wfyich being (hot with 
prodigious violence, iome penetrated through the oak 
doors of a portal, although they were of the breadth 
of f cur fingers in thicknefs. And that the heads of thefe 
arrows were afterwards driven out, and preferved, in 
order to continue the remembrance of fuch extraordinary 
force in fhooting with the bow. 

The other two happened alfo in a battle, at the time 
of William de Breufa, as he himfelf relates. A 
Welchman, having dire&ed an arrow at an horle-foldier 
of his, who was clad in armour, add had his leathern 
coat under it; the arrow, befides piercing the man 
through the hip, ftruck alfo through the feddle, and 
mortally wounded the haffe on which he fat. Another. 
Welch foldier, having ftiot an arrow at one of his 
horfemen, who was covered with ftrong armour, in th<5 
feme manner as the 1 before mentioned perfon, the fliaft 
penetrated through his hip and fixed in the laddie : but 
what is moft remarkable is, that as the horfeman 
dre^ his bridle afide in order to turn round, he re- 
ceived another in his hip on the oppofite fide, which 
paffing through it, he was firmly fattened to the (addle 
on both fides. ( 11 ) Mr. Mofeley has alfo mentioned 

fome 



(if) The Welch hiftorian adds, " that the bows, with which 
** the Welch atchieved fuch exploits, were not made of horn, 
%* of white woody or yew\J61um ex ulmellis Jilvejfribus ; tfcey'wcf* 
•' neither handfome nor polifhed, but rude and mteflKjpen; yet 
'* were they ffiffand ttrong; not fo well : calculated to caft far, as 

4i to 



112] 

fomfe fiiprifing inftances of (kill, in the ufe of the bow, 
exhibited by Iferfian archers, (noticed by Chardin and 
Tavernier in their Travels). Mofeley, p. 325. To which 
we may add an obfervation of Sir Xhomas Herbert's: 
€C at this day (fays he) a Perfian is of little repute in 
f< archery, unlels he can in full career, cleave an orange, 
* which hangs in a ftring atHVvart the hippodrome; 
** (and when £aft the mark) with another ready arrow 
u can ftrike the reft, turning in his fhort ftirrups and 
u morocco faddle) backwards." Travels into Perfia, In- 
dojtan, and the Eafi. Defer ipi on of the Perfian Monarchy 
and other parts of Afia. 

Modern archery has, indeed, nothing to boaft o£ , 
firhilar to the before noticed feats reported of Robin 
Hood and' his men. However, there are now living, 
ttiany very flcillful bowmen, who would not have dif- 
graced the corps of Sherwood Rovers. Of the various m 
focieties of modern archers, no one has, upon all occafi- 
onsy fignali2ed itfelf more, than that of the iToxophilites, 
who, at the grand meeting of the focieties of archers of 
England, (on the 27th of May, 1791, at Black heath) 
bore off the beft prize. Among its members, it can 
boaft of one,* who, fhootiftg two arrows at each end, 
has put twenty Jucceffive arrows into a four-foot target, 
at one hundred yards; and twelve arrows into the com- 
pafs of two feet at forty-fix yards, (within the Ipace of 



u to give a weighty blow." Itiner. Cambr. c. 3. p. 83$. Mr. War- 
rington in his Hiftory of Wales % tranflates the words ulmellis JUveflribux, 
" flight twigs joined or tvsijied together" It is difficult to conceive, 
that twigs tvuifted with the nicett art, could make a bow of any 
ftrength. They would probably anfwer the purpofe better, if laid 
flraight and bound together: but the word ulmellis feems capable of a 
more fttisfa&ory interpretation, and, with fubmiffion to the learned 
in grammar and antiquity, may, I conceiye, be conftrued, with the 
Englifli words, common elm y or elm plants \ which will leave nothing 
for conjecture. , ' -•* . 

* Mr. Waring. . 



C 113 3 . 

one minute). Another *, who ((hooting two arrows at 
each end) has put ten fucceffive arrows into an eight-inch 
paper at thirty y^rds ; and fifty-two arrows (out of an 
hundred) into a four-foot target, at one hundred yards. 
And two f who have, at the fame end, put both arrows 
into an eight- inch paper, at fix [core (an hundred and „ , 
twenty yards) : feats, which, in all probability, Robin. 
Hood himfelf never furpaffed ; and fome perhaps will 
add, probably too never achieved (12). 

The following Target-Card fliews the (hooting (in the 
Toxophilite ground) for the Prince's annual bugle, by 
thofe who have won it in the years 1795, 1796, 
1797. 



ARCHERS NAMES, 



1795. Mr. Brady - 
1 796.' Mr. Crunden 
797. Mr. Shepheard 



348 
301 
3<8 



Double ends 42. Arrows fhot 168. 
N.B. The lengths were 60 yards, 80 yards, and 100 
yards, (hot alternately. The value of the hits in each 
circle is marked by the figures 9. 7. 5. 3. 1. 



* Mr. -Crunden. \ Mr. Troward, Mr. H. Greene. 
(12) Among the archers of this day, Mr. Anderfon muft not be 
forgot; whofe excellence in Archery has (both in this country 
and in Flanders) been a fubjeft of admiration ; and given him an 
indifputable title to many prizes. He is one of thofe, ; in Afcham'g 
words, by nature apt for archery ; and who might well be ranked 

" With Scathlock, John, < or honeft Brand 
" That hath the happy hitting hand." 

Notes to the New Garland. 

I 



P A R T IV. 



THE ART AND PRACTICE OF ARCHERY, INCLUD- 
ING A COMMENT UPON THE TOXOPHILUS OF 
ASCHAM. 



I a 



[ m ] 



CHAPTER I. 

OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF ARCHERY, 

ASCHAM introduces the pra&ical part of his trea- 
tife by informing us, " that all things which 
€c belong to (hooting arc outward; of which, fome are 
c< peculiarly appropriate to each individual archer: 
" and others are general and common to all archers; 
€€ as time and place fe*ve." 

Under the firft of thefe divifions he enumerates, 
The Bracer--rSboQtinjr-Gl<rve--String—Bow, and 
Shaft. ' * 

Under the fecorid ; 

The Weather and the Mark. 

It may, perhaps, be as well to leave thefe heads in 
the order in which Afcham has placed them ; and here 
only obferve, that modern- archers make life of three 
other instruments, which muft be referred to his firft 
divifion, viz. . * 

A Belt—rTaJel and Greafe-Pot, 



I 3 CHAP- 



[ u» 3 



CHAPTER II. 



OF THE BRACER. 



. Ufe of the Braeer — Farm and Materials of the mcitnf 
Bracer-r-MQdem Bracers. 

u \ BRACER, fays Afcham, ferves two purpbfes : 
< c -£~V one, to fave the arm from the ftroke of the 
" firing when loofed upon it, at*d the coat from wear- 
cc ingj and the other, that the ftring gliding fliarply, 
cc and quickly off the bracer, may make a lharper 
€C fhoot. For if the ftring fhouldjight upon the bare 
cc fleeve^ the ftrerigth of the fhoot would flop and die 
" there. But that it is beft, in his judgment, to give 
* r the bow fo much bending, that the ftring need never 
cc touch the ^rn} j and consequently, that a bracer fhpuld 
€t become needlefs: *s was pra&ifed by many goo4 
cc archers with whom he was acquainted, and who. did 
€f not ufe any bracer. That in a bracer three things 
u fhould be attended to; that it has no naik in it, that 
cc it has no buckles, and that it be fattened on with laces 
fc without tags. For the nails will cut in furider the 
cc ftring, before the archer is aware of it, and foput 1 
<c the bow in danger. Buckles and tags at unawares 
cc will fcratch the bow, a thing not onjy unfightly but 
cc perilous, by giving birth to frets. And thus, a 
cc , bracer is only ufcd that the ftring may have a ready 
" paflage." . 

From thefe obfcrvatjons it feems, that Afcham does 
' not 



..["93' 

not mean to Jay that the bracer pofTefles any particular 
quality, whereby it can, independently, add any degree 
ofjbarpnefs to the fhoot; but only that it has that efFcft; 
comparatively and* when contrafted with the non-elaf- 
ticity of the coat fleeve. 

But in order 1 to determine how far the bracer 
anfwers to the Jecond purpofe noticed by Afcham; we 
muft firft afcertain, precifely, the inftant in which the 
arrow quits the firing* after it is loofed: for if the arrow 
leaves the fixing before the latter touches the afm, then 
the bracer cannot poffibly ferve this Jecond purpofe. On 
the other hand, if the arrow does not quit the firing , 
till the latter has touched the bracer; then it will be 
a queftion, how far the jar, which the ftring receives 
the inftant it falls upon the bracer, checks or impedes 
the force, or diverts the dire&ion of the arrow. How- 
ever, it is apparent, that the arrow is projected from the 
firing, as fobn as the latter reaches the point or line from 
which it is drawn: confequently, when the bow is - 
braced high, or the archer, in holding it, turns his wrift 
jbmewhat inwards, the ftring can never touch the 
arm. 

The form or material of the bracer is not noticed by 
Afcham. His annotator (Mr. Bennett) obferves, that 
this account of the bracer is fomewhat obfcure, and * 
that it feems to have been a kind of clofe fleeve laced 
upon the arm. And he remarks, that thofe who write 
of things well known, feldom extend their care tatime 
in which they may be>known lefs. This obfervation,' 
although evidently not made by one acquainted with 
archery, may account for many of the deficiencies which 
are obfervable in the Toxophilus : yet, as archery was, at 
the time Afcham wrote, falling faft into decay, and he 
appears to have taken great pains to revive the art from 
its languid ftate $ it fhould feem, that the circumftance 

I 4 might 



[ 120 ] 

might have led him to have been the more particular 
in the minutiae of it. . - " i 

, We may well fuppofe, that the ancient bracer was 
very fimilar, in material and form, to that which is ufed 
at this day. The modern bracer is compofed of a piece 
of ftout leather, polifiied oh the exterior fide. In form, 
it is either oval or like the half of a coat fleeve. The 
colour is either black or brown. The fize of the bracer 
' depends upon that of the arm, and the manner of holding 
the bow ; for good archers (who hold their bows always 
fteadily and alike when they loofe the arrow) find jhat 
the ftring generally ftrikes nearly in the fame place, and 
can therefore (hoot with a fmall bracer : but in (hooting 
with much elevation (as at Rover?), the arm cannot 
be fo welj guarded by a very fmall one. Some modern 
archers have made ufe of a plate of born fajlened on 
the bracer; while others have glued fmall pieces of 
hard wood upon woollen cloth, having the -fides op- 
pofed to the ftring made round, in order that the 
ftririg might have the fwifter pafiage in its return: but 
the leathern bracer is the moft commonly ufed. 

More might be faid of the bracer, but as archery ' 
yet flouriflies, and this part of an archer'* accoutrements 
is very fimple and generally known, the young archer 
is referred to the bow-makers who fell them. 



CHAP- 



I 121 1 



F: . CHAPTER 'III. 



OF THE SHOOTING-GLOVE. 

life of the Shoot ingrGlQve — Ancient Shooting-Glcroe— 
Modern Shooting-Gloves — Materials—Fingers ufed 
in drawing the String — Handle of the B&tvforfnerly 
w&xed— J NwD covered with Velvet, Shag or worried 
Lace. 

« A SHOOTING-GLOVE, fays Afcham, is 
" -^"^ chiefly to fave a man's fingers from being 
" hurt; that he may be able to bear the (harp firing td 
" the utmoft of his ftrength. When a man (hoots, 
cr the might of his (hoot lies ori the foremqft finger and 
c< on the ringman; for the middle finger, which is the 
c< longeft, like a lubber ftarts back, and bears no 
c< weight of the firing in a manner at all: Therefore, 
€e the two other fingers muft have thicker leather, and 
u that muft have thickeft of all, whereon a man loofeth 
<c moft : and for fure loofing, the foremoft finger is moft 
c< apt, becaufe it holdeth Beft; and for that purpofe 
€t nature hath, as it were, yoked it with the thumb* 
<c Leather, if it is next the (kin, will fweat, wax hard, 
cc and chafe; therefore, fcarlet, on account of its foftnefi 
€C and thicknefs, is good to few within the glove (i). 



(i) Afcham does not, I prefume, mean that a fcarlet dye com- . 
municates any peculiar degree of foftnefs to cloth; but that fcar- 
let cloth, of a fine texture, was well fuited to this purpofe. And 
that fine cloth, of any colour, would anfwer equally as well. 



"If that is not fcjfficient, but the finger is ftillhurtj 
u you muft take a cerecloth, covered with a mixture of 
"fine virgin wax and deer's fuet, and put next your 
u finger, and then put on your glove. If ftill you feel 
€C your finger pinched, leave off (hooting ; both becaufe 
" then you will fhoot ill, and, by little and little hurting 
fc your finger, it will be long ere you will be able again 
u to take up your bow. . A new glove plucks many 
u a fhoot, becaufe the firing goes not freely off: 
*' and therefore the fingers muft be cut fhort, and 
" trimmed withfome ointment, that the firing may glide 
" well away. Some, by holding the npck of their 
cc fliaft hard, rub the fkin off their fingers : for this 
< c there are two remedies; one, to have a goofe-quill 
u fplit and fewed againft the nocking (betwixt the 
u lining and the leather), which too will much help 

* the fhoot: the ojher, to have a roll of leather 
** fewed betwixt the fingers, at the fctting on of the 
** fingers, which will keep them fo much apart, that 
*' they will not hold the nock fo tight as they did* 

* The fhooting-glove has a purje> .which ferves to pur 
tc fine linen cloth and wax in ; two things neceffary to 
u a Ihooter* Some men ufe gloves, or other fuch like 
* f thing, on their bow-hand, to prevent its being chafed, 
u becaufe they hold' fo hard. But tbftt commonly 
" happens when a bow is not round, but fbmewhat 
u fquare : fine wax will do very well in fach a cafe, to 
** lay where a jnan holds his bow/* 

Thus fpeaks Afcham of the fhooting-glove: but, 
in modern times, various inventions for guarding the 
drawing fingers from the effedt of the firing, have 'been 
made ufe x>f ; of which every archer ufes th$t one 
which, upon experience, he finds fuits him beft., The 
following are the moft generally yfed:~viz. 

k The 



I, T?\i$ Jborting-glwe i which confifts of finger-ftalls 
fattened to. thongs buttoned round the wrift; and 
may be ufed with or without a glove, 

3. Finger-ftalls ; fewed to a common glove, 

3, The tab-, which is a piece ofjiat leather, into 

. which the fingers are let, and which lies on the 

- btftfc of the hand. 

The beft leather for each of the above, is what is 
called horfe-butt leather, dreffed on that fide which is 
ufed outwardly. 

We may here notice, .that Afcham. Ipeaks of Jbree 
fingers being ufed in drawing the bow. Shooting with 
two fingers only is much ufed in modern archery; 
and probably was pra&ifed in Afcham's time, al*. 
though he has omitted to mention it. It is faid* by 
lome very excellent archers of this day who (hoot with 
only the two firft fingers, to be the moft fcientific mode of 
(hooting, and to infure an eafier and cleaner loofe, and 
confequently more certainty, than Ihooting with three 
fingers : but in .roving and (hooting with very ftrong 
bows, three fingers have, with moft men, been deemed 
to poffefs the greater power, and accordingly are theo 
generally ufed (2). 

As to the holding the bow: wax muft Certainly 
unite the hand to the bow very firmly. However, for 
at lead a century paft, the handle of the bow has been 



(i) Soft and flefhy fingers being not Co well calculated to loofe 
the firing cleanly, without being fometimes hurt by it 5 it may be 
found neceflary, for thofe who have fuch fingers, to eafe the two 
firft by ufing the third finger with them. But when the third 
(or ringman as Afcham terms it) is very long or ftifF, it will be 
found often to hang too much on the firing; and therefore 
ijiould be ufed as little as may be. The Turks, Perfians and' 
Moguls, who ufe the horn bow, draw with their thumb only." " 

covered 



C im ] 

covered with velvet, fhag, or worfted lace, which, (erves 
fufficiently well to fix the bow firmly in the hand ; efpe- 
cially as moft archers wear a glove on their bow hand. 

The Purfe noticed by Afcham as forming part of 
the Jbooting'glove> muft furely have been very inconve- 
niently placed. A waxed cloth to rub the bow and 
firing ; with a fmall file to trim the head and nock of 
the arrow ; fpare firings, &c. generally attend an ar- 
cher: but in thefe days, he would never think of put- 
ting them irito his Jbooting-glove. 



CHAP- 



. [ W5 T 



CHAPTER IV. 



OF THE STRING. 



Importance of good Strings — Whether the String 
Jhould be made of Hemp or Silk — Strings how made 
— Different Effefts of thick and thin Strings — 
Of whipping Strings and preventing them from /bow 

< wearing out. 

ASCHAM fays but little of the firing, ' contenting 
himfelf with obferving, <c that, although appa- 
c< rently a trifle, it is of much importance; as a bad 
" firing breaks many a good bow, and nothing half fo 
"many: and that becaufe an inexperienced man 
" may be more eafily deceived in the* choice of his 
u firing, than of his bow; that ftringers ihould be 
cc the more diligently looked after, by the proper offi- 



if 

cers. 



Whether the firing fhould be made of good hemp, 
as they were in h}s time, or of flax or filk, Afcham 
leaves to the determination of the ftringers. 

It cannot be colle&ed either from record or tradition, 
that any other than hempen firings have been ufed for 
English bows. Indeed filk was not brought into England 
in any quantity till the fixteenth century : yet a very old 
ballad (which mentions Englifli archers) has the fol- 
lowing line; 

" Thcyr ftringes ofjilke ful fure." 

Adam Bell, dfc. Part ii. •}. 126. Percy* s 
Rcliq. of anc. Eng* Poetry. < 

\ . c . if 



• 

If filk was ufed, the firing mufl; either confift of a 
number 4 of threads bound at intervals (as thofe ufed 
with the Turkifh, Perfian, and Tartar bows, in which 
cafe it would be too thick for the nock of our arrows) * 
_o& of 'raw filk twitted, which, probably would aa- 
fwer for this purpbfe, if the fibres were long enough, 
and the elaftic quality of filk could be diminifhed. 
The Italian hemp is obferved to make the beft firings* 
being ftronger in texture and having longer and finer 
threads than moft other kinds. We may recolledl, that 
.Sir John Smith (ante, Part u Cb, ii. fee. i.) obfcrves, 
that the firings, even of ftrong war- bows, when mad^ 
of good hemp, did feldofri break. - 

The firing is made of the longefl threads of the 
hemp, twifted very tight; and afterwards, as Sir John 
Smith notices, rubbed with a kind of water-glue, to 
preferve it from wet. The eye (which, is that part of 
, the firing that occupies the upper horn of the bow) is 
firft made ; and is.fomewhat the thickeft part ; the other 
end is generally without any eye (though firings have 
lately been made with two eyes, which anfwer well 
enough) : ^nd, when put on the lower horn, is made into 
a twifted knot or noofe, termed, and much ufe,d by 
thofe employed in moving timber, a timber bitch: as 
the tighter it is drawn, the more feCurely it holds. , , 

Afcham makes a diftin&ion, which appears to be 
worthy of attention, between great and little (he means 
thick and thin) firings ; the great firing, fays he, cc is 
,c more Jafe for the Bow, more fure to prick with, 
€C but of flower cajl: and the little ftring direftly the 
<c r<etoerje\ not fo fafe, therefore to be taken more care 
" of, left, by being long ufed, it break the bows 
u more fi.t to fhoot far, than apt to prick near" 
Therefore* when you are acquainted with the nature 
both of the great and fmall firings, you muft fie your 

bour 



C 127 ] 

bow according to the occafion of your (hooting 5 and 
^as-no doubt Afcham . meant) to the Jirength of your 
bow. For in (hooting great diflances, as at rovers and 
jpigbtSy when ar longer arrow is ufed than at fhort lengths, 
and the bow is much elevated, die firing muft be 
ftrong, to refift the great tendon and jar which tt ts 
to Curtain. With refpeil to the large firing fhoot- 
ing the fureft, it may be obferved; that when' the 
firing is fmall, but ftrong enough to hold the bow, the 
whipping at the nuking paint may be made as thick as 
the nock of the arrow will admit of y by which means, 
the thin ftring may, poffibly, become more certain in 
the call. 

Bow firings are always whipped (that is wrapped) at 
the nocking point, and a little above and below k, ge* 
nerally the breadth of the fingers ufed in drawing, with 
fine twine or (ilk, firft waxed. This whipping anfwers two 
purpofes; that of filling the nock of the arrow (which 
ihould always fet rather tight on the firing) and faving 
the firing from wearing at that place. Some archers alfb 
whip the eye and noofe of the ftring and a little below 
each, adding a flight covering of gum or glue to the whip- 
ping, for the latter purpofe. And in whipping, are 
careful, when the ftring is fufficiently (^retched (for 
mod new firings will give a little) to whip the prerife 
point on which the arrow (hould lie, (which is called 
the nocking paint) with white ajid on each fide with coloured 
filk or thread, that they may always nock exa&Iy . Catgut 
' s and ftlver-wire have, by fome modern, archers, been tried 
for this, purpofe : but, being harder. than twine or (ilk, 
they have been found often to burft the nock of the 
arrow, when that goes on tight; and catgut, unlefi firft 
moiftened, is difficult to whip on the ftring. 

The nocking part of the ftring fhould be waxed 
before it is whipped, that the whipping may hold the 

better: 



[ 128 ] 

better: and afterwards, the whole firing fhould be waxed, 
and alfo now and then rubbed with bees-wax or wljite wax, 
(though the former is ippft generally ufed) to prevent 
its collecting moifture and unt willing: tbp latter in-* 
convenience is remedied by retwifling the firing at the 
bottom end. 

After the firing is put on, and fo flrctched, that it 
does not want altering; the eye and noofe, if not whip- 
ped, may be (lightly rubbed .with moiftened Indian glue, 
which will prevent their fraying. And the eye of the 
.firing may be fattened to the upper horn, by means of 
a piece of twine or filk, carried through a hole in the 
latter : which will prevent the firing from coming off 
continually at the lower horn, and thereby untwifling. 
Fine glove-leather or any kind of tape or binding, 
wrapped, round the eye of the firing, will preferve it 
from being cut by the nock of the horn. 



CHAP-* 



t '-m'* 1 



CHAPTER V. 



OF THE BOW. 



SECTION I. 

floods proper for Bpws^— Value of. Tew (fs a Bow* 
wood — Superior Value of foreign Yew — New Con* 
JiruBion of the Bow — Origin of the Invention — • 
^ Newly imported Bow-woods — Metal Bows. 

WE now come to what Afcharp, with reafoil, 
terms the chief inftrument of archery, the bowl 
though perhaps, ftridUy and mechanically fpeakihg, the 
bow and arrow conftitute but one complete inftrument * 
of which *ach is but a component part, and ufelefs when 
disjoined. The fame obfervation, indeed, applies to the 
ftring. The bow, on account of its nature and import 
tance will, in its'independent and fevered form, deferve 
a minute defcription and attention. 

After noticing various kinds of bows, ufed by di£ 
ferent nations ; Afcharn proceeds to enumerate the feve- 
fal kinds of woods proper for Englifh bows* Among 
which, he obferves, that cc Brazelfa), elm, wych" (he 

(3) This word is, perhaps, a miff>rint for httzei: for, admitting 
that Brazil-wood was imported into England in Afcharu's time : 
yet, it was too brittle to make a felf-bow. But the former fup^ 
j>ofition feefas the moft fatisfa&ory ; as the ftatutes on archery do 
not mention Brafil, but often notice ha%el as a bow-wood. Thus, 
the ftatute of the 33 H. 8. c. 9. enacts, " that every bow-yet 
#i (living without the, City of London) for one bow of yew, 
" fliall make four of elm, wych, iafil t am or other wood, apt 
«• for the fame.' 9 

* , K mearw 



1 / E i3o 3 

means ttychelm ) " and alh, ari by experience, 
cc found to make vfery indifferent bows ; and that 
" yeu\ (which was in his - time and had long beea 
* generally ufed by the Englilh, and bore the beft 
cc price even among the Romans (4) for the pur- 

pofe 

(4) It ; does not appear, that during the period the Roman* 
retained the- dominion of the world, they had any other archers 
4han what were Auxiliaries: all' or moft of which were Cretans f 
who, as was obferved, ufed the Scythian bow; and we find, it 
was the fort of bow, upon which they relied for victory, in the 
firtth century. {Supra, part i.c/i. i.fec. 2.) This and the great 
Tartar bow feem to have had continuance among them long 
after the divifion of the Empire. It was, no doubt, the latter, 
in the ufe of which the Emperor Gratia n exhibited fo much 
(kill. Gibbon, vol. 3*. p. 4. But we are told, that after the great 
daughter of the Goths at the battle of Naiffiis (anno domini 251), 
a felecr, body of the Gothic youth was received -among the impe- 
rial troops', lb, vol. 1. p. 351. Jn the Reign of Conftantine, 
according to Mr. Gibbon, the introduction of the barbarians into 
the Roman armies became more univerfal. (vol. 2. p. 48.) And 
we' learn that the Emperor Alexius had Scandinavian guards^ 
In a former part of thefe tra&s {part 1. note 8.) an attempt is 
made to trace the ufe of the wooden bow, among the inhabi- 
tants of the north ; who, tfyere is reafon to fuppofe, were ac» 
quainted with this primeval bow, in very early times. Upon 
referring to the authority, which Afcham made ufe of when, 
he obferved that yew bore a high price, among the Romans as a 
bow- wood ; it is' evident, that he iuffered himfelf to be milled, 
and has quoted his author (Virgil) very imperfectly in the fol- 
lowing kajf line : — cc Taxi torquentur in arcus:" (which is the 458 
line in the fecond book of the Georgics.) For he has omitted 
to notice the moft important word in the whole, line, which (lands 
thus : ** ltyraos taxi torquentur in arcus." So that we find 
Virgil does not fey, that the Romans ufed the bow of yew, but 
.that the hurtans did. This people (who inhabited a part of 
Paleftine near Caelofyria) were celebrated archers, and formed 
part of Pompey's auxiliary troops at the battle of Pbarfalia. 
Lucan Lib. 7. /. 230. The, Philiftines, indeed, are frequently 
noticed in facred hiftory, as men very Ikilful in the ufe of' the 
bow. And to this ancient people, who appear to have been a 
very warlike nation, the invention of the bow and arrow hai* 
been afcribed. Univer/at Hifi. (anc. part) vol. 2. />. 220. The ufa 
of this wooden bow was, no doubt, extended to feveral of thofe 
tribes which Mr. Pinkerton, in his Differ tation on the wigin of ths 
Scythians* thinks proceeded we ft ward, and peopled Germany, 

Italy, 



C 131 ] 

f< pofc of bow-making), was the beft of all others for 
"a bow" (5). 

The fupcrior value of foreign yew as a„ bow-wood is 
recognized by ftatutes patted in the Rfijgns of Edward 
IV; and Richard III. which diredt that bowftaves fhall 



Italy, Gaul, and the countries bordering on the Baltic. Although 
we do not find much to guide us in our opinion, as to the time 
when the Romans became acquainted with or- ufed the wooden* 
bow ; yet have we fatisfactory evidence of their having been 
acquainted with its value in the fourth century. For Vegetius (a 
tloman General who lived in that period, and wrote bis book on 
military affairs in the Reign of Valentinian), in treating of the 
different weapons proper to be ufed in the Roman army, fpeak» 
-of, the wooden bow ; and with a feeming preference in compan- 
ion of other bows, in the following terms : " prope tertia, vel 

n* 4 quarta pars juniorum, quae aptior potuerit reperiri, arcubus 
* 4 ligneisy fagittifque luforiis, ad illos ipfos femper exercenda palos." 
Lib. i. Chap, 15. 

(5) The wood of the palm-tree feems formerly to have been a 
favourite material for bows, among many nations. Mo/eley 9 p. 51. 
But Afcham obferves, that ** we had no experience of it." And, 
fpeaking of the cornus> (of which the Lycians made their bdws) 
fays, " As concerning the name of it in Englifh, I can fooner. 
« 4 proVe that other men call it falfe, than I can tell the right 
fi name of it rayfelf." Mr. Mofeley calls it the cornel tree* 
Afcham adds, . " it is as hard as horn, and very fit for {hafts.'* 
Afcham, quoting Heroditus, informs us, that the Indians made 
very ftrong bows of a large reed. But no doubt, Heroditus alludes / 
to the bamboo, of which bows are ftill made in many parts of the 
Eaft. The inhabitants of Maxadavar fhoot arrows, from bows of 
this wood, a very great diftance. Turner's Narrative of the EmbaJJy 
in Tibet in the year 1783. Printed 1800. We are told, that the 
bows' of the Laplanders, which are fo ftrong that the ftouteft 
■Norwegian cannot bend them, are made of fir glued upon birch. 
Experiments have been tried of late years, to make a good bow 

' with tfr, but it totally failed to anfwer the purpofe. Probably, 
if fi/isufed by the Laplanders, it is bent when it is green, and 
^hejn the fap is riling. Mr. Curtis, in his defcription of the ufes 
Of the laburnum {Botanical Magazine, vol. 5. PI. 175), adds a-, 
note, wherein he obferves, that Matthiolus fpeaks of the wood of 
that hee y as being particularly ufed for making the beft kind of 
bows. Mr. Waring, who made the experiments, above noticed,* 
with fir, alfo tried the effect of laburnum for this purpqfe, but 
with no better fuccefs. He made fome bows of the //*#, which 
anlwered better. 

K 2 be 



L 132 J 

be imported from Veru£e?*aad particularly by the fta- 
tutc of the 8 Eliz. c. io. which regulates the price of 
bows,- and directs that when a bow of Englifh yew is 
fold for as. a bow of foreign yew may be * fold for 
6s. 8d. • 

From the time when archery was firft introduced 
into Britain, to the days of Afcham, we do not fiftd, 
that any other bow, than that formed of one piece of 

{^ wood, was ever ufed. Had any other been known, no 
doubt Afcham would have taken notice of it, in his 
Toxophilus t but his filence wpon the fubjeft may afford 
us a reafonable afiurance, that, in this kingdom, no 
other was then ufed or known. Since the time of 
. Afcham, a moft important difcovery in archery, by 
means of a new method of conftrufting the bow, has 

N £>een made in this country. It is an obfcrvation no 
lefs true than trite, that neceffity is the mother o£ inven- 
tion, and we know, by experience, thnt fome of the 
moft valuable difcoveries and inventions in the arts 

' bave been owing merely to accident : fo it has happened 
with archery. We find that, in the Reigri of Queen 
Elizabeth, a complaint was made to government that 
the foreign merchants, who by an aft of parliament 
paflfcd in the twelfth year of the Reign of Edward IV; 
ch, 2. and a fubfeqpent one in the firft year of the reign 
of Richard III. ch. n. were obliged, with every- butt 
of M^lmfey or Tyre wine, to import bow-ftaves, {four 
by the firft and ten by the laft mentioned aft) had 
long neglefted to pay attention to thefc afts: and 
that, when called upon to perform the injunftidn laid 
upon them, they alledged, that the importation of bow- 
ftaves had long been dififed-, and that the country, from 
whence they were brought, was then in the hands of 
the Turks. See S tow's Survey of London, vol* 2. b. 5. 

ch. IJ< 



[ 133 J 

/ 

d>*i3 (6). As the ufe of the mufket was then gaining 
ground, and, indeed^ loon ttfirefWards entirely fuperfeded. 
that of the bow in war; we may fuppofe, that very few, 
if any, bo weaves were imported after the Reign of 

Elizabeth: 



(6) Malmfey wine was chiefly, the produce of Crete, but 
the Venetians were in poffeflion of that ifland, from the middle 
of the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth to the middle of 
the feventgenth century. So that, had the yew, which they had 
been accuftoraed to bring into England, grown in Crete, the 
merchants would hardly have ventured to have made a falfe 
allegation. Before the Portuguefe difcovered. a paflage to India 
by the Cape of Good Hope, the Venetians purchafed the com- 
modities of the Eaft at Alexandria and other parts of the Levant, 
and diftributed them all over Europe. Hence, we may conclude, 
they brought the bow ftaves from thofe parts, and particularly 
from Tyre. In the Statute of 3*3 H. 8. {c. 9.) we find mention of 
elk yew, which Mr. Barrington fuppofes to mean elb yetv; the 
ftatute of the 13 Eliz. c. 14. refpe&ing the importation of bow-, 
ftaves, including the merchants from the eaft parts and the Hans 
Towns. And Sir John Smith obferves, that the Eafterlings had 
great quantities of yew." HarL MSS. Tne.Eafterlings or Eafter- 
land merchants were a company of merchants called commonly, 
in Queen Elizabeth's time, merchants of Elbing ; becaufe there 
they firft feated themfelves. Stow, Survey of London, vol. 2- b. 5. 
c. 17. We alfo find mention of Spani/h yew, of which our bo ws 
are fome times fa id to have been made. Stow informs us, that 
the people'.of Caftile purppfely deftroyed their woods, and pro* 
vided by law that no fuch wood ihould be prefefved. However, 
againft the reply of the merchants, it was urged, that the Italians 
fhould be compelled to bring in &o w -ftaves from the parts adjoining 
to Venice and thereabouts ; becaufe the fineft and bejt yew came from, 
tbence. Survey of London, vol.2, b. j. ch. 13. -The yew tree is 
a native of moft parts of Europe; but yew of the growth of the 
Eaftern countries feems to have been the moft efteemed for the 
purpofe of bow-nfakrng: pofleffing, probably from the warmth 
of climate, a cleaner texture and greater elafticity, than that 
which is found in colder regions. Yet, Englifli yew, even to this 
day, occasionally affords fome very good felf-bow ftaves. 

The yew tree was, no doubt, during Itlie reign of military 
archery in this country, much cultivated in England. Lord 
Lyttelton fays, that Fitz Stephen, fpeaking of the foreft of Mid- 
dlefex, takes notice, that it was full of yew trees ; the growth of 
which was -particularly encouraged in thofe days, and for many 
fucceeding ages ; becaufe the wood of them was efteemed the 
t>efit for making bows. Vol. 3, p. 274. But it is oblervable, 1 

K 3 . . . that 



■'■•■■'[. 134 ] 

/ 

EH^beth; although the long-bow ftill continued to be 
ufed, as an inftrument of dmufement. • In all probabi-r 
lity, archery would infenfibly have died away, or been 
very languidly pra&ifed in this kingdom after that- 
period; had not the bow-makers, for want of foreign 
yew, hit upon the following expedient (7). Finding 
that Englifli yew was, in general, too full of knots to 
make good bows of itfelf ; they tried the effe& of 
uniting a piece of tough and fpirited wood to the yew: 
the experiment exceeded their expeftation, , (for it 
brought the infide of the tree into ufe), and Kelfal of 
Manchefter, the oldeft and bed bow- maker of his tim^ 
^flerted, that after back % d-bows (for fo bows of two pieces 
were called upon this difcovery, to diftinguifh them 
from the firft fort of bows, which from that time received 
the title of f elf -bom) began to be ufed, they were 



that Fitz Stephen does not particularize yew trees, but only fpea-k- 
ing generally of this forefi, ufes the words, u faltus nemoro/i." See 
Fitz Stephens Defer ipt. of London with . a commentary. Quarto edit. 
j 7 72. p. 26. note 25. Indeed, it has frequently been fuppefed, 
that the old yew trees, ibmetimes feen at this day in church 
yards in England, were originally planted therefor the purpofe of 
archery. But fome have affigned another reafon for their being 
found in fuch places : namely, that in ancient tiroes, the yew was, 
on Palm Sunday, fubftifcuted for the Palm. See a Paper on thufuh* 
jeU in the Gent. Mag. for t/ie year 1 779. vol. 49. p. 578. The author 
pf« that paper mentions ^n opinion, to which he did not incline, 
that trees hacl oftep been planted in church yards to defend the 
church from the force of the wind. However this opinion is fupporte4 
by the words of the ftatute of the 35th Edw. I. (Stat, a.) 

(7) Whether our Englifh artificers can fairly lay claim to origi- 
nality of invention in this difcovery, may admit of fome doubt: (ince 
it appears, that the Laplanders, as Scheifrer informs us, have, for 
a long period of time, conftru&ed their bows of two pieces of 
wood; fattened together with a ftrong glue made of the fkins, of. 
fifli. Scbefferi Laponica. cap* 22. p. 244. flus glue is, no doubt, 
the ifinglafs, the ufe and excellent quality of which, as a glue, is 
well known in this country; and particularly by the bow makers. 
The firft back'd- bows, that appeared in England, were made, by 
|^e Kelfals of Manchefter, about the end of the fixteen, th century. 

deeme4 



, [ 135 ] ; 

deemed fo much preferable to felf- bows, that Tor one 
of the latter, he conftantly made fifty of the former (8)-. 
For fome time after this hew method of conftrufting 
bows Came into pra&ice, yew was ufed for the belly of 
the bow: fuflic, a wood brought from Hifpaniola, was 
afterwards tried, and was -found to make a much 
quicker bow than yew. And, of late years, the bow- 
yers have fele&ed from the different kinds of woods, 
imported into this country chiefly for the ufc pf cabinet- 
makers and inlayers, fbme which make excellent bows: , 
namely, a fpecies of Weft India cocoa- tree ; and a wood, 

t called by Mr. W,aring, who prifes it beyond all 
other for backed-bow^, dark-ruby ; which almoft rivals 

• the fuftic in the quicknefs of its caft, without partak- 
ing of the brittlenefs of that wood.(9). 

(8) The back'd-bow is not confined to a Jingle back ; a double 
back, or rather an intermediate flip of quick calling wood, has 
been found to anlwer with yew exceedingly well. The) art of 
uniting two pieces of wood, in the conftrudtion of thebow, has 
given birth to a further experiment in archery. Bows have been , 
made con lifting of four pieces : (two of them being half- lengths and 
united to form the belly; the third being very ihort, and occu- 
pying the center of that belly ; and t'he fourth being the full length, 
and forming the back) : and thus put together, they have been 
found to make a very quick mooting bow. 

(9) Notwithflanding the great repute, in which, according to 
Mr, Kelfal, back'd-bows were held, and the excellence at which 
the bow-makers have arrived in the conftru&ion of them : yet, 
many excellent archers give the preference to the felf yew-bow ; 
particularly when made of foreign yew. Some remarkable fine 
ftaves of foreign yew (faid to be of the growth of Switzerland) 
•were imported into England, a few years ago; and which, at 
this day are in the higheft efiimation. In aicertaining the dif- 
ferent merits of the back'd-bow, and the felf-bow ; it may be 
obferved, that the former is, by fome, thought to be more pleaiant 
and eafy in drawing, particularly in the laft inch^ and of quicker 
caft than the latter. Yet we know, by experience, that the 
beft modern felf yew-bows have never been exceeded in certainty ' 
or length of caft, by the bell modern back'd-bows. In this com- 
parison we may remark, that the roundnefs of the felf bow feems 
to be an equivalent to the peculiar cunftrudion of the back'd bow. 
On one account, bows made of the hard woods have the ad- 
vantage of the yew bows; the latter being liable to chryfal % a cir- 
cumftance which fcarcely ever happens to the former. 

, K 4 Self. 



r 136 ] 

Self : bows have lately been made Qf Canada yew^ 
Lance-wood and Cocoa-tree\ and although bows of thefe 
woods, in general, ftand well, and ai;e'not often liable 
to fret or chryfalj yet they by no means rival, even the 
Englifli yew, in fpirit and pleafant drawing. 

As to bows made of metal \ Afcham tells ys, V that 
" fcripture makes mention of brafs hows; and that ircy 
»<< bows and ftetl hows had been of long time, and 
" alfo were in. his time, ufed among the Turks: bu$ 
€€ that they muft needs be unprofitable. For if brafs* 
fc iron, or fteel have their own ftrength and power, they 
" are far above man's ftrongth $ and jf they are made 
<c equal to man's flrengthi their power {o flioot with 
'* is gone.". 

There have been long- bows of fteel made in thi$ 
country, by way of experiment-, fome of which do now 
exift. One of them was, a few years fince, tried at 
Lord Ay lesford's, Ground, in Warwickfhire: its power 
was computed to be dboutjixty pounds > but it could not 
be ufed with eafe or good efFeft(io). The ufe of 
fteel-bows is attended with confiderable danger. Some 
years ago, a gentleman received a fevere bruife, by the 
breaking of one when drawn. ,With refpeft to the 
bows of the ancients, .which by phe poets are called 

\ 

(id) In a former part of thefe Tra&s (Part 2. ch. 3, fee, J.) it ' 
has been fdggeltedi that bad the bow continued a' military weaporj 
in thjs country, it would, in all probability, have derived new 
powers, or at Lead, thofe which it is acknowledged tovpoffefs 
would have been increafed, by means of that perfection, which 
philofophy and the arts have now attained. Poflibly, the prefent 
methods of working in and tempering horn and fteel might, under 
the flrill of modern artificers, lead to fomething highly beneficial 
to archery ; either by connecting thofe two materials with "wood* 
or by ufmg them feparately and independently. The trial feems 
worthy the effort of genius: for 'mould it fucceed, the bow 
might again becorrie the fuperior and aH-cwquering weapon of 
war. 

golden 



$■ 137 ] 

fjddin bows wAfihcr hotfs; wc hive fufficieat f«fon 
to believe, that the poet?, iti fpe^king of the bow, ufed 
thofe words metuphtmkaUy. The ancient bows, particu- 
larly thofe wfed by the eaftern nations, .were, probably, 
covered (as thofe ufed by the Turks, Perfians, and in- 
habitants of the Eaft are at this day) with a lacker of va- 
rious colours, intermixed with leaf gold and filler. Yet 
poffibly, the ends of the bows of the ancients were ibmc- 
* times finished with a plate of filver or gold. See Homer % s 
Defcripti'on of the Bow of Pandarus. Pope's Homer.* Iliad. 
£. iy. I 143- 



SECTION II. 
CHOICE OF THE BOW; 

Rules — DefeBs to be avoided — Parts of Trees ufed in 
Bvw-rnaking — Obferoations. 

IN the choice of & bow, Afcham furniflies us with 'the 
following obfervations : by* way of introduction to 
which, he fays, " that as a bow of yew muft, for 
<c (hooting at. the pricks, be made peifedt, becaufethat 
" mark is certain, and moft certain rules can be drawn 
<c from it ; fo, that fliall ferve the purpofe of his re r 
« marks." 
'i. " That it be/mail, long, heavy > (n) and firong\ 
" lying flraight not winding; not damaged with 
€ f knot-gall y wind-Jhake, wen , fret , or pinch* 

■ (li) It is obfervable, that the lighteft woods have the quicfajl 
paft. This obfervation applies not only to bows made of -yew, 
but alfo to thofe made of other woods; of which latter the fuftic^ 
being the lighted, poffetfes this quality of quick nefs in a fuperior 
degrees 

2. " The 



t 138 J ,_ 

2. €€ The bcft colour of a bow is when the back 
C€ and, belly in working are much alike (for fuch 
* c oftentimes in wearing proves like virgin wax or 
" gold) : having a fine long grain, even from one 
u end of the bow to the other: the jhort grain, 
" although it fomctimes^ proves pretty good, is for 
" *the moft part brittle." 

3. ' €€ That it have plenty of wood in the band; for 
" if the ends of the bow are ftiffifh, the belly muft 
" of neceflity foon fret." 

4. " Every bow is made either of a plant, of the 
cc bought or of the bole of a tree (12). The 

< € f bough is commonly very knotty, and full of 
cc ^/fcf 5 weak,- of £//& ftrength, will foon follow 
€€ the firings and feldom wears to any good 
cc colour: yet, for children and young beginners it 
cc may ferve well enough. The plant proves frc- 
u quently well, if it be of a good and clean growth ; 
cc and, for the power of it, is quick enough of 
€C caft: It will ply and bend far before it breaks. 
" The bole of the tree is the moft free from knot 
c< or pin, poflefling a faft and hard wood, by rea- 
€€ fon of i?s full growth : Jlrong and powerful in 
" the caft, and baft for a bow, if the ftaves arc 
" cleft even, and afterwards wrought, not acrojf 
€t the wood, but as the grain and ftraight growth 
" of the wood leads : or elfe, by all reafon, it 
cc muft foon break, and that in many (hivers. 
<c This muft be confidered in the rough wood, 
Cf and when the bow-ftave is firft wrought and 
" fliaped; for, in dreffing and trimming it up for 
" a bow, it is too late to look to it." 

(12) It is faid, that both the , bow and the arrow fhould be 
taken from the fide of the tree which faces the eafl: the grain of 
the wood, on that fide, being the fineft and dried. 

To 



[ 139 ] 

To th6fe obfervations, Afcham adds, * € that he docs 
** not intend to meddle mucjj with. the making of a 
cc bow, left he Ihould feem to enter into another man's 
<c bufinefs : but advlfes bowyers to feafon their ftaves 
€€ well, and to give them the neceffary beatings and 
* c plenty of tillerings : and, with refpeft to the points 
cc upon which he has touched, recommends the archer 
<c to truft to an honed bowyer to put a good bow into 
Xi his hands, fomawhat looking himfelfto the tokens 
c< he has pointed out: and not to flick for a little 
fC more money for a good bow, than another would 
c< give: for, that a good bow, twice paid for> is better 
cc ,than a bad bow once broken" (13). 

Thefe remarks appear to be fo fuffkient and plain, 
that little need be added by way of illuftration : but on 
this head, one obfervation occurs, which will, by ex- 
perience, be found true; namely, that the fmail defeds 
(as frets or Jhakes) in a bow, particularly jn one that has 
been much ufed, are beft difcovered when it is bent, 



(1,3) At the time of the late revival of archery, not more than 
one or two bow-makers could be found ; and they lived in' the 
North of England, and had not been in much practice for many 
'years. The family of the Kelfals of Manchefter, (who were 
always reputed the beft bow-makers in England, and whofe bows 
are in great repute at this day) had followed the trade for many 
centuries, and was" nearly extinft. Fortunately for the art, Mr. 
Waring, of Leicester Houfe, had ftudied it under old Kelfal; 
and was ' therefore enabled to purfue his rules in the formation of 
the bow : an ignorance of which has rendered abortive the at- 
tempts of many modern bow -makers. Mr. Waring's own inge- 
nuity, which was fecured to him bypatent, has greatly improved 
upon Kelfal Ymethod of con (trucking the back'd-bow, by means of 
a very mechanical engine : the ufe of which has enabled him to 
give his bows a fuperior power, elegance and eflfeft. And in juftice, 
it ihould be obferved, that archery is greatly indebted to him for 
numerous experiments in the art : and for the difcovery, felec- 
tion and ufe of woods, obtained with a difficulty and expence that 
have deterred many others from the ufe of them, which make re« 
ma.rkabjy fine and valuable bows. 

* and 



[ 340 ] 

and by lookiog at it attentively in the fun/hike \ and 
faffing the chumb and fore-finger over it: which latter 
aft alone, , once or twice repeated, will in general de- 
tect them : fo critically true, in this relpedt, is the fenr 
fation by the touch. 

„ With refpeft to Afcham's third Obfervation, « that 
« a bow Ihould have plenty of wood in the hand," it 
may, indeed, be added, that a bow, which has not 4 
prominency in the center y will neither poffefs a quick 
nor afar caft: which moft deferable qualities in a bow 
will be found to refide chiefly in thofe which $re full in 
the hand, and regularly, and with nice proportion and 
' fymmetry, tapered to each horn. 



SECTION III. 



OF PROVING THE BOW, 



Jlaw a good bow may be known and proyed-^How it ' 
is to be altered — Reafons and Ob fer cations. 

TN the next place, Afcham gives us a method of trying 
■** and proving a bow, before we truftto it: " by (hooc- 
, fC itig in it in the fields, and Jinking it with dead ]beavy . 
" fliafts; looking where it comes moft, and providing 
" for that place betimes, left it pinch and fo fret." 
" When (fays he) the bow has been thus fhdt in, and 
f< appears to contain good (hooting-wood ; it muft 
<c again be taken to a fkilful and triifty workman, to be 
" cut Jhorter, /craped and drejfed fitter, and made jto 
,c come circularly round: and it Ihould be whipped at 

the 



cc the ends, but with difcretion, left it fnapin funder, 
<c or elfe fret, fooner than the archer is aware of. He 
cc muft alfp lay it ftfaigbt, if it be caft or need require: 
" and if it be made flat, he muft make it round -, by 
€t which means it will Ihoot f after for far fhooting, and 
<c alfo bzfurer for mar pricking." 

Afcham parries his admonition fo far, as to fay, 
<c - that a bow, which at the firft buying, without any 
u more proof or trimmings is fit and eajy to fhoot iri, 
€C will neither be profitable to laft long, nor yet plea/ant 
" to fhoot well." And, indeed, althoiigh frequent altfc- 
ration of a bow, particularly as bows are now .made 
with great nicety, may fometimes prove unneceflary 
and injurious ; yet, experience proves, that a perfe<5t bow 
h not made at once. ( 

With refpe<5 to a bow being made round, we muft 
recoiledt, that Afcham fpeaks of z /elf-bow, which, it 
feems, was m<ide round as well at the back as in the belly; 
but back^d-bows have almoft always a flat back, to 
prevent their cafting. 

It was an old cuftom to whip a bow at each end) 
and a little over the horn, with fine thread or filk : in 
order, as is fuppofed, to preferve the glue of the horn 
from being affefted by wet, which might unfolvc it. 
But this practice is now not known; and, if good glue 
is ufed in fixing the horn, and the bow is not kept in 
Tidamp place, it feems quite unneceflary for that pujr- 
pofe. . ' 



SECTION 



[ 142 J 



SECTION IV. 



OF THE HANDLE. 



Pofition of the Handle — Difference of Opinion on this 
Head — Observations. 

IT has been mentioned, that, in Afcham's time, the 
middle of the bow was waxed, in order to fix it 
firmly in the hand ; and, that of late years, a covering 
of velvet, {hag, or worfted lace, had been ufed inftead 
of wax. The only point of importance, refpefting the 
handle of the bow, is the pofition of it, which Afcham 
has not noticed. The Englifh. bow-makers have, ge- 
nerally, placed the upper part of the handle from an 
inch to an inch and a quarter above the exaft center of 
the bow; which of courfe\makes the lower limb fb . 
mucfy longer. The reafon for thus placing the handle 
is, they alledge, in order to make both limbs aft equally. 
the preflure, particularly when three fingers are ufed in 
drawing, being mod on the lower limb: but the bow- 
. makers in Flanders, who make no other than felf- bows, 
tC \on this account make the lower limb the ftrongejl ; and 
place the upper part of the handle precisely in the center 
of the bow ; infilling, that an arrow is beft caft from 
the center: while the Englilh bow-maker contends, that 
when the lpwer limb is thtftrongeft y it muft of neccf- 
fity be the firft at home ; ajid confequently, that as both 
limbs cannot in that cafe aft equally, they cannot caft 
equally. This difference, in the pofition of the handle, 

ha*k 



has been the fubjeft of much difcufllon among modern 
archers. Some of them take the medium, placing the 
upper part of the handle from one half to three quarters 
of an. inch above the center: while others adopt the 
Flemifh cuftom. Indeed, it fliould feem, that as the 
point on the firing from which we draw, muft. always 
form a central point ; tfae placing the center of the bow 
out of that line, muft (by creating tvjo centers of adlion, 
unlefs the bow is conftru&ed with very great nicety ,tp 
meet this principle,) caufe an erroneous effedt. Confe- 
deration too, muft fometimes be paid, to the different 
manner in which men bold their bows, and make the 
fulcrum: fome making it high, others low, and others 
in the center of the hand. 



section y. 

OF THE HORNS. 

Roundnefs to be obferced in forming the Nock of the 
Horns — Method of placing the Nocks of the Horns 
formerly ufed in Scotland — Ornaments for the upper 
Horn. ., v 

ASCHAM has faid no mbre on this head, than 
<c that the nock in the horn fhould be rtiade round, 
c< to prevent its cutting the ftring." 

•In forming the nock, there was, formerly, feme dif- 
ference between the Engliih and Scotch methods. The 
old Scotch bowyers, even to the middle or clofe of 
the laft century, made the nock of the upper horn on 

^ the 



Ac upper ot \ Bow- band fide, and that of the fovter horn 
6n the tender Or JBaft±band fide only; in order, as it is 
laid* that the arrow might <go ^cleaner and more freely 
from the bow. The EngKlh bowyers, difregarding this 
method as of no particular advantage, have always made 
the center of both nocks precisely in the center of the 

/back of both horhs, bringing each nock equally round 

- *>wards the belly of the bow. 

The tipper horn of the bow may be fhaped to _*" 

very" pieafing and piflurefque figure, in imitation of the 

*•■■ fcead of feme animal. This pra&ice is very ancient. 

(See engravings of the Saxon and Dacian bo&s in Mofeley, 

PI. t.) The head of the Aries (or battering ram) of. 

" "the ancients, fo much ' admired in fculpture, cannot 

• fail to afford a defirable ornament to the bow. The 
horns of the Flemifh bows are often thus ornamented. 



SECTION VI., 
LENGTH OF THE BOW. 

Mr. Harrington's Obfercations re/petting thejlandard 
Length of the Bow conjidered — Hit-Errors on this 
Head pointed out — Statute of 5 Edward IV. cited 

, ^-Remarks on that Statute — Obfervations on the 

. proper length of the Bow. 



A ^CHAM f, as . omitted to inform us what was the 
^^ proper ftandard length for the bow. He firft di- 
rects us to chdofe it long : and, after proving it, to have 
it cut farter-, but how fhort he docs not mention.' 

Mr. 



[ 145 J 

Mr. Barrington telkus, that the regulation of the 
Irifh ftatute of Edward IV. viz. " That the bow fhall 
t * c not exceed the height of the man> 'is allowed by ar* 
cc chers, to have been wellconfidered: $nd as the arrow 
" fhould be half the length of the bow, this would 
<c give *n arrow of a yard in length to thofe qnly, 
<c who were fix feet high/' In perufing this pbferva-'X , 
tion of Mr. Barrington 's, it mdft occur, notwithftand- \ 
ing We (hall find it received as good authority by Mr» '• 
Mofeley, and other late writers on archery, that it is by 
no means fatisfaftory: for it gives to a bow of five feet v^r 
fix inches, the common height of a man, an arrow of 
two feet, nine inches -, which, furely no archer ever v 
thought of attempting to draw^to the bead in a bow of \ 
only twice its length. Unfortunately for Mr. Barring-^/ 
ton, his Trad on Archery is, throughout, replete with 
errors. Upon referring to the ftatute in queftion, ' 

(which is the 5 Edward IV. c. 4.) we fhall find it penned 
in the following words; viz. cc that every Englifhman* 
" and Irifhman that dwell with Englifhman, and fpeak 
cc Englifh, that be betwixt fixteen and fixty in age, 
€t fhall have an Englifh bow of his own length, and 
€C onefiftmele at the leaft betwixt the necks " [fometimes 
in old MSS* fpelt nicks and fiftmele called handful] 
€t with twelve fhafes of the length of three quarters of 
ct the ftandard" Had Mr. Barrington consulted this 
ftatute, he would, furely, have deemed the words par- 
ticularized too important to be paffed over unnoticed 1 
and muft have feen the error of his own opinions, or 
of the opinions of thofe from whom he borrowed upon 
this occafion. We cannot eftimate the breadth of ; 
qn ordinary rpan's fift at lefs than four inches : but - 
the -ftatdte adds " at the leaft" fo that, according 
to this ftatute, the bow for a man five feet fix 
inches high, was to be nearly if not quite fix feet be- 

L twixt 



[ u* • ] 

twixt the nocks. In the prefent ftate of arcHery, when 
the length of the arrow does not often exceed twenty* 
pine inches ; we feldom ufe bows," longer than five feet 
ten inches j more frequently thofe which are an inch, 
and, generally, thofe which are two inches Ihorter. 
But, circumftances confidered, five feet nine inches 
feems to be a very fit length for a bow; when the 
arrow is not Ihortei; than twenty-feven, or longer than 
twenty-nine, or, at the mpft> thirty inches* It is in* 
deed, faid, that a bow of five feet eight inches (or two 
inches Shorter if the bow will ftand) will caft an arrow, 
of the -length of twenty-feyen inches, further than a ; 
longer bow will caft the fame or a longer arrow. " - 



CHAP. 



£- U7 l 



CHAPTER VI. 
pr arbows. (14) 

SECTION I. 

Different parts of a Shaft — Woods prQperfor Steles—* 
Jiuks to be obferved in making Steles-r-Woods pro- 
per for War~Arrows^-Woods ufed for Steles in 
modern Archery— Their different Qualities. 



" A SHAFT,* fays Afcham, " hath three principal 
<c - ** b parts, the ftele, the feather, and the head\ of 
* c which each muft be feverally fpoken of." 

(14) Arrows have been ufed ft* various purpofes." Mr. Mofeley 
has enumerated feveral ufes, to which the arrow was applied bjr 
the ancients; as divination, Jootfi/aying 9 and by way of communication 
and JtgtaJ. Pliny gives us the following account of a moft extra- 
ordinary power, which the ancients afcribed to them. " Sagittas 
4i corpore educlas, ft terram non attigerint, fubje&as cubantibus, 
*' amatorium efts, Orpheus et Archelaus fcribunt ? Bifl* Mundi. 
I4b. xxviii. cap. 4. A not unfimilar and magical power waf 
affigned to arrpws, by the bigot?. in ibis country, in the reign of 
Queen Mary. Scot, in his. Difcovery of Wliitchcraft* mentions **- 
chanted archers; particularly a poor fellow at Mailing, in Kent, 
who by one of Quee.n Mary's juftices was puniihed, for {hooting 
witfi flies or familiars, or enchanted arrolvs, becaufe he could will 
two pr three {hillings a day at the butts. 

Mr. Mofeley has given us an ingenious method of firing a gun* 
by the difcharge of an arrow. Mofeley, p. 209, 

La "Steles 



[ 148 *] ' 

cc Steles are made of various woods : as 

" Brafil. " Birch. " Black-thorn. 

" Turkey-wood. " Aflv Cf Beech. 

<f Fuftic. " Oak. , , " Elder. 

cc Sugar-cheft. "Service-tree. " Afp. • 

«< Hornbeam. " Alder. > <c Sallow." (i$) 

<c Thefe woods^as they are moft Commonly ufed, to 
<c they are the moft fit to be ufed ; yet fome one fitter 
cc than another, for different men's (hooting ; as lhall be 
c6 told afterwards." 

" A ftele muft fc vyell feafoned, to prevent its 
<c cafting; and (hould be made as the grain lies, and 
" as it grows, or it will never fly cleaq. A knotty 
" fteel may be fuffered in a large (haft, .but is not fit 
" for a fmall one ; both becaufc it will never fly far, 
?f. and is ever in danger p( breaking. It does not fly 
" far, becaufe the ftrength of the fhoot is hindered 
" and flopped at the knot : as a done caft intoun even 
€€ ftill water, will make the water move a great fpacej 
€€ yet if there is any whirpool in the water, the moving 
" deafes when it comes to the whirlpool: which is 
ft not unlike a knot in a (haft, if it is con fidered -well. 
" So every thing, the plainer and ftraighter it is in its 
fc own nature, the fitter it is for moving far. There- 
" fore, a ftele which is bard to ftand in a bow, without 
" knot and ftraight, (I mean not artificially ftrait as 



(15) Among the Eaftern nations; a ftiff reed or bamboo was 
formerly the moft ufed for arrows; which induced Pliny to ob- 
ferve, that the reed had. conquered half the world. (See ante, part 1. 
note 58.): The Cornel tree was not much lefs celebrated for this 
fervice. Afcham. Th'e ancient Scythians ufed deal. Mofeley, p. 1 17. 
Among the Turks, deal is much ufed for arrows at this day. The 
Indian reed or bamboo does not anfwer for our bows, being knotty 
and feldom ftrait; and, indeed, being of equal thicknefs, it has 
not fubftatue enough in. the cheft to Jiand (to ufe the archers term) 
in the Englilh bow. 

<c a F 



cc 



t 140 ] ■* 

<c a Fleteher makes it, but naturally ftraight ask grows,) ' 
" is the beft to make a fhaft of 5 either to go clean, 
" fly far, or. (land iurely in any. weather (16). 

" Now, how large, how fmall, how heavy, how 
<c light, how long, how ihort; a (haft (hould be, (par* 5 
fc ticularly for every man, feeing we muft talk pf the 
" general nature of fhboting,) ca a not be told? any 
cc more than a rhetorician can appoint any one fet of 
" words or figures, .fit for every matter : but even as'* 
cc the man and matter requireth, To the fitteft is to be 4 
ufed. Therefore, as concerning thefe contrarieties in 
a fhaft, fevery man. muft avoid them, and .draw tp' 
the mean of them 5 : which mean is beft in all things.*' 



(16) Afcham, probably, alludes to the method ufed by the 
Fletchers, of making the wood ftraight, by means of beat, termed 
by them fettittg. The ftraightnefs of an arrow is a veryeflemm 
point, in its proper formation ; and may be ascertained by twirl- 
ing 'the arrow over the thumb nail: if it fpins fmoothly, it is 
ftraight, if otherwife,* not. This method feldom fails to afford a 
trne criterion of its value and merits for flight. An eminent 
writer on* gunnery (Robins), has given us the following curious 
and philosophical account of the aberration of a crooked arfowv 
" If (fays he) a bent arrow, with its wings not placed in fome 
** degree in a fpiral pofition, fo as to make it revolve round its 
,f axis as it flies through the air, were fliot at a mark with a true 
'* direction, it would conftantly deviate from it, in confequence 
* c of being prefled to one fide by the convex part oppoiipg the 
€( air obliquely. Let us now fuppofe this dtfle&ion in a night 
" of an hundred yards to be equal to ten yards. Now v if the 
" fame bent arrow were made to revolve round its axis once 
" every two yards of its flight, its greateft deviation would take 
" place when it bad proceeded only one yard, or made half a revo- 
" lution : fince, at the end of the next half revolution, it would 
u again return to the fame direction; it had at firft;' the convex 
' •' fide of the arrow having been once in oppofite pofitions. In, 
u this manner it would proceed during the whole courfe of its 
" flight, conftantly returning to the true path at the end of eveYy 
" two yards; and; when it reached the mark, the greateft deflec- 
" tion to either fide that could happen, would be equal to what it 
" makes in proceeding one yard, equal to -r^th part of the for- 
" mer, or 3.6 inches, a very fmall deflection when compared 

" with the former one," New Principles of Gunnery^ 174a. 

L 3 Yet 



[ 130 J 

" Yet if a mto happens to err, in any of the £x- 
« tremes 5 it is better to err in want and fcantinefe, than 
u in too great excefs. As it is better to have a (haft 
*,*5 a little too Jhort, than over long; fomewhat no light % 
cc than over-heavy ; a little too fmall, than a great dedl 
cc too big. And to err in thefe contraries cometh 
« much, if men do not attend to the Jbrt of wood 
* * whereof the fhaft is made : for, fome wood is proper, 
Cc for this excefs j fomc for this fcantinefs, and fome for 
Cc the mean: as Brajil 9 Turkey-wood, fit/lit, JUgar-eheft, 
u zndfucb like > make dead, heavy, lumpifh, boiling JhaftS. 
u Again, alder, black-thorn, feryice-tree, beech, elder, afp, 
u and fallow, (either on account of their weaknefs or 
u lightnefs) make hollow , ftarting, fcudding, gadding 
u fhafts. But) birch, hornbeam, fome forts of oak* and 
u fome forts tf afh, beirig both ftroftg enough to ftand 
4t in a bow, and alfo light enough to fly far, are beft 
" for a mean. And although I know, that fome men 
Cc fhoot fo ftrohg, that the dead woods are light enough 
u for them ; and others fo weak, that the loo/e woods 
f < are heavy enough for them •, yet, generally fpeaking, 
* c for the mod part of men, the mean is the beft. 
cc Thus, no wood of its own nature is either too light, 
u ' or too heavy ; but as the fhootef himfelf makes it 
*-' comparatively fo. For, that (haft which, one year, is 
cc " top light and fcudding for a man ; for the fame rea- 
u fon, the next year, may chance to be heavy and hob- 
cc ling. Therefore, I cannot exprefs, except generally, 
u what is the beft wood for a fhaft $ but let every man, 
cc when he knows his own ftrength and tlie nature of 
* c every wood, provide and fit himfelf accordingly. 
u Yet, as Concerning Jheaf-arrow s for war; as I fup- 
cc pofe, it Were better to make them of good ajh, and 
" not of afp> as they are now a days. For of all other 
" woods, that ever I proved, aft, being big, xsfwifteft, 

" and 



{ "I 3 - 

" and again heavy to give a great ftroke; which a/p 
<c will not do. What hcavinefs doth in a ftroke, every 
cc man by experience can tell: therefore, afh, being 
cc both fwifter and heavier, is more fit for iheaf arrows, 
€C than afp" (17). 

Thus far fpeaks Afcham on the woods proper for 
lhafts. In modern archery, only five kinds of woods 
are commonly ufed for arrows: four lights viz. deal, afp, 
-arhele and a fpecies of light wood, (probably poplar) 
brought from Flanders : and two heavy, viz. lime, and 
Jamaka lance-wood. Of the firft kind, the Flemifli 
arrows are in great repute : it is faid, they are made of 
that part of the tree which faces the eajl, being confe- 
queiidy the drieft. Deal (that is the yetlow or red deal 
with the turpentine in it) makes a very good arrow, 
but is apt to wear and fplinter. Afp being lighter than 
this kind of deal, is the more ufed of the two. The 
arbele, in appearance and quality, fo nearly refembles 
the afp, that fcarce any differ-erice is perceivable in thefe 
two woods: however, the "afp is the Jliffejl, and the 
arbele the moft fpongy. Lime is an excellent wood for 
arrows : but unlels highly dried, in which cafe it be- 
comes brittle, it is fomewhat too heavy for many bows, 
when ufed at the target. It makes a very good roving 
arrowy as does lance-wood, which, being much heavier, 
is feldom ufed for any other kind of (hooting. Flight 
arrows are generally made of deal, afp or light lime, 
footed with lance-wood, or other hard wood. But, for 
^very/mall and light flights, deal feems to be the moft 
eligible-* as, being the ftiffeft wood, it ftands beft in 
the bow. 

( 1 7) Afp* being a very light wood, is certain] y not fo well adapt- 
ed for war arrows. Arrows have, in modern days, been made of 
aih : but they were very indifferent and by no means equal to thofe 
snick of lime ; which for war, feems greatly preferable to afh. 

L 4 SECTION 



I 152 1 



SECTION II. 
OF WEIGHING AND PAIRING ARROWS. 

Arrows weighed and paired in former Times — Now 

weighed by Troy-weight — Advantages of this Me- 

thod — Scale of Weight for Arrows ufed in different 

hinds of Shooting — Confequence of Shooting with 

, Arrows of unequal Weights. 

ASCHAM is filent refpefting the weight of arrows: 
yet, the praftice of weighing each arrow indivi- 
dually, againft a certain ftandard weight, feems to have 
been very ancient: the cuftom or by-law of the city 
of London (noticed in fart 3, note 9) making men- 
tion of a found arrow v It is faid, that old Kelfal, of 
Manchefter, only paired his arrows; weighing one againft 
another by means of a double loop at each end of a , 
ftick, which was made the beam of a balance. That 
our anceftors paid confiderable attention,, not only to 
the weight, but alfo to the merits of each arrow, (which 
could only be afcertained by a careful trial) we may 
Colkft from the following authorities: 

" Their arrows finelypair'd % for timber, and for feather, . 
*' With birch £nd brazil piec'd, to fly in any weather." 

. Drayt. Poly-Olb. Song 26. 
€i And Clifton with a bearing arrow, 
*f Hee clave the willow wand. " (ig) 

Robin Ffood and QueenXatherine/GWtfff*/. 

Arrows 

(18) The inhabitants of fome other parts of the. ^orld, where 
archery is #ill iq ufe, pay a (imilar attention to the merits of their 
*rrqwst • Captain Turner (fpeaking of the inhabitants of Buxa- 

dewa 



I 153 1 

Afrotfs 'are now weighed with the fame weight* as 
ftandard filver, and marked accordingly: fo that an 
prrow eqdal to five (hillings troy or filver-weight, is 
called^ an arrow of five fallings. This method is at- 
C tended with rqany advantages: among others> it enables 
us to pair arrows to a very great nicety, and to deter- 
mine \ inftantly, what arrow we (hall ufe for any low 
and any length. By this means too, a clofer connexion 
is made between the light and heavy woods. 
, It may be proper to notice here the different weights, 
according to which arrows are ufually made, for the 
various diftances and kinds of (hooting; t>bferving, that, 
in archery j diftance is meafured by yards or (as feems 
to have. been the moft ancient pra&ice) by roods, the 
rood conQfting of feven yards and an half, north country 
tneafure: and, that diftance is termed length. 

THE SCALE. 

Lengths. Weight of Arrows. 

s. d. s s. , d. 

4 Roods ( 30 yards) from about 4 o to 6 o 

8 ditto ( to ditto) ditto 3 6' to 5 6 

12 ditto ( 00 ditto) \ ,. " „ , 

16 -ditto (120 ditto)} dltto 3 o to 4 6 

Roving arrows are much heavier , and flight arrows 
much lighter, than others $ the former generally weigh- 
ing from five (hillings to ten and even v twelve (hillings ; 
and the latter feldom exceeding four fhillings. Yet, the 
above noticed weights are by no means arbitrary ; but, 
as Afcham has jufty obferved, €c every man muft ufe 



dewar in Tibet) informs us, that Guap the father of the prefent 
Lama, has arrows famed for their remote andfteady flight ; which 
liave names infcribed on each of them, atid places afligned to them 
in a quiver in feparate cells. Account of an Embajjy to the court of 
the Ttjkoo Lama^ in Tibet) in the yeat 1 783. (Printed 1800.) 

• « fuch 



.-..■- r 154 i 

* foch an arrow a* rtiofk Jkits him, and is beft adapted 
" to the nature and pwer of his bow," In another 
refpeft, the ^eight of an arrow is an objedt of attention* 
for, if an archer, after (hooting for fome time (particu- 
larly at butt or target diftance) with two arrows of equal 
weight, changes one of them for another of much greater 
* w much lefs weight j he will, if he loofes equally, im- 
mediately find, that the heavier arrow of the two Will 
falter/ of, and the lighter one fly over the mark: and 
that it will require fome little practice and (kill, to 
keep both to the mark; efpeciaily if that is at any dif- 
tance. On which account, in archery, three arrows ire 
called a fair ; that, if one is broke, loft, or injured* the 
archer may have two (the number ufed at a time) left 
of equal weight. 



SECTION III. 
LEtfGTH OF THE ARROW.* 

Length of the Arr&w not noticed by Afchwn — Opinion 
refpeBing the Length of the Arrow compared with 
that of the Bow-^Length of Flemijh Arr<ms-~- 
Retifons — Length of Arrows ufed in dift&ht Shoot- 
ing - 

NEITHER does Afcham notice the length of the 
arrow. It has long been a received opinion 
among archers, that, when the bow is of the length of 
five feet eight inches from nock to nock, the bdt length 
for the arrow, if ufed at kjs than raving diftances, 
Wiwenty-Jruen inches including the pile : and it may here 

be 



< [ 155 ] 

Be dbferved, th'at> in fpcaking of the length of arrdwii in 
gerteral, the pile is included in the melfure. Conforma* 
bly with this opinion, arrows have, for many years paft f 
been made in England. The Plemifh arrows arc one 
inch longer, probably on account of their bows, which 
are felf-bows, being, in genera), longer than Our backed 
bows ; and, confequently, follrtvivg the firing more* 
In roving and (hooting great lengths, we generally 
life a twenty-eight, foiiifetimcs a twenty-nine, and 
even a thirty inch arrow. For, when the bow, in 
(hooting, is much elevated, the archer finds the range 
ahd power of his drawing arm much increafed. 

We frequently find mention of a Jlandard arrow : (See 
Remembrance of a Shootings (anno 1583) by W. ikf. in 
Woofs Bowman's Glory. Stow's Survey of 'Li**/*** (1598) 
p. 77. Robin Hood's Garland.) This, no doubt, w» 
the flieaf or war-arrow, made after a certain fcale' 
or pattern, long prefer ved in the exchequer, but alio 
long loft and forgotten. Among the numerous ma* 
nufcripts in the Cotton and Harleian colle&ions, 
relating to orders in war, I have not been able 
to find one which affords any defcription or ad- 
count of the jlandard arrow. Moft of thofe orders • 
(particularly thofe iflued in the reign of Edward III.) 
direft a certain number of arrows [competences'] to be 
made, without-any injunftion refpe&ing their length or 
Cite. In the old ballad of Chevy Chace and in the Gar- 
land, we read of arrows being ufed, fome of which were 
a cloth yard and others an ^ long. Afcham tells us, 
* € that, at the battle of Agincourt, the army of Hen. V. 
u confided of fuch archers (as the Chronicle fays) that 
u mbft part ofthem drew a yard." Clement Edmonds 
fays, that in the reign of Henry V. the Englifti bow- 
men did commonly fhoot an arrow of a yard long beftde 
the head. Similar fafts are mentioned of the Corniih 

Rebels 



, Rebels in the time of Henry VII. by Hollinihed. 

. Chron. p. 782 ; by Lord Bacon, in his Life\ of that , 
Monarch 1 and by Carew, in his Survey of Cornwall) and 
other hiftorians. Yet fome men, in th'efe days, have 
doubted the truth of fuch reports : while others admit ' 
the fa$s, but contend that the cloth yard was, at the 
time fpoken of, only thirty inches. An accurate 
attention to this fubjett will convince us, that there 
feems to be very little ground to,diipute the veracity of 
fuch authorities. 

The ftatute of the Staple, made in the 17th year of 
Edward III. (c.' 10.) Enafts, " that there fhall be but 
<c one weight, meafure and yard throughout the realm." 
Arid the ftatute of the, 18 Henry VI. c. 16. declares, 
u that there fhall be but one meafure of cloth through 
" the realm, by the yard and the inch, and not by the 
€C yard and handful, according to the London meafure." 
And, by a fubfequent ftatute foEdw. IV, c. 1.) broad 
cloth was to be mcafured by the yard and inch contain- 
ing the breadth of a man's thumb. To carry this part 
of the fubje£t ftill further, it may be noticed, that 
among the Cotton MSS. (marked Claudius^ D. a.) is a 
very ancient ftatute (which will be found in the Appen- 
dix to Runnington's Statutes at large, p. 27) without any 
date, intituled " Compofitio ulnarum et perticarum;" 
in which it is declared, <c tres pedes faciunt ulnanu" 
After various fearches among ancient manufcripts, for 
the purpofe of afcertaining the truth of the fads in 
queftion, I have been able to fiqd only the following 
one, which applies to the inveftigation j and which will, I 
apprehend, be deemed of fufficient authority to fatisfy all 
doubt upon the occafion. It is an cxtraft from a MS9: 
intituled " Affairs from Public Records. Defence of the 
" State in the time of King Edward HI. both by Sea and 
" Land> gathered out of the Records by Robert Cotton** 



• * v ^ -- 



[ 157 ] 

<c 9th Y^r of 1 <c % O&ob; Rex mandavit malori et 
the Reign* y* vicecomitibus comitatis illius, emi 
" etp'videre faciant CCC arctis bonos 
•* et fufficientes, ac cordas ad eos com- 
" petentes : nee non quatuor dolia fa- 
<c gittaru' longitudinis unius uhe, de 
cc bono et Gcco maeremto ; ac capita , 
cc pro fagittis illis bene accrata, et 
u falas* largas habentifi. Et quod pre- 
<c di&' arcus &c.libe , nt'r conftabu- 
cf lar* Turns* LoncT, vel eius locu* 
", tenenti per indentur*. m. jo. 

Muf. Brit. Bibl Cott. Julius, c. 4. , 
TV*/, 2 F. 
It is ..true, that only 'very long bows would carry fo 
long an arrow j and that only very long armed men could 
draw it to the head. So that this length could not be 
a general ftandard for the army, but only for the tailed 
archers. And Sir John Smith tells us, that, in his time, 
it was the ufual practice for the foldiers to chufe their 
firft flieaf of arrows, and to cut thofe fhorter, which 
they found too long for their ufe. Anjwer to Mr* 
Batwick. The ftatute of the 5 of Edward IV. (fee ante, 
p. 145) diredbs the arrow to be cc three quarters of the 
u fiandard" If this ftatute means three quarters of 
the Englijb ell, then the arrow would be of the 
length' of thirty- three inches and three-quarters: but 
if it refers to the lEnglifh yard; then, the arrow would 
be exadtly twenty-feven inches. In air probability, 
the ftatute refers to this latter meafure, in which 
the pile or head of the arrow is Included : as the 
arrows ufed in England and Scotland have time out of 
mind, uniformly been twenty-feven inches, including 

• * Probably alas. 

k . - the 



the pile. An ancient Englifli arrow is now a very great 
rarity, Mr. Waring is in pofleffion of a number of 
arrows, madeprecifdy after an ancient barbed fheaf or 
war arrow, which he procured; and which appears from 
the fhape of the head, to have been in ufe when armour 
was worn, 'they are two feet four inches long, - from 
the nock to the point of the head ; (the latter being two 
inches), are made taper-lbaped, and weigh about feven 
ihillings. In the Leverian Mufeum is an iron arrow, 
tjMenty-nine inches -long (including the head) and barbed, 
which was dug up, feme few years fince,'near the ruins 
of Harwobd .Caftle in Y ork&ire. To follow conjedture 
refpe<9;ing its ufe; « may, from its durable quality, have 
been kept as ijtandard amow for the North of England. 



SECTION IV. 
FORMS OF ARROWS. 

Different forms of Steles fitted to different Shooters-* 

Reafons and Obfervations -Principles of Arts 

drawn from Obfervations on the JVifdom of Pro- 
vidence in the Formation ofAnimqfc. 

« A GAIN," fays Afcham, " as no wood can he enr 
fc +\ tirely fit for all forts of fliafts; fo cannot, onp 
<c Jbape of the ftele be fit for every (hooter. For thofe 
« which are fmall breafted, and large towards the head, 
« (tailed by their likenefs taper -fajbion, rufh-grown* 
" and by fome mejry fellows fob-tails,) are fit for thdfe 
" who fhoot underhand; becaufe they Ihoot with nfoft 

, " loofe, 



I »* ]■ 

€t loofe, and force not a (haft much in the bread, 
€t where the weight of the bow lies; as may be per- 
".ceived by the wearing of every (haft. - Again, the 
** large breafted fliaft is fit him, who (hoots right before 
<c him ; or elfe the bread, being Weak, would never (land 
<c that ftrong powerful kind of (hooting. Thus, the 
u underhand mutt have zjmall bread, to go clean away 
u out of the bow; and the fdrehand muft have a large 
^ bread, to bear the- great power of the bow. The 
< f (haft mud be made rounds nothing flat; without gall 
«* or wen,. for thfe purpofe. Becaufc, roundnefs, whe- 
w ther you take example in heaven or inearth, is the 
** fitted (hape and form for quick motion; and for the 
*' foon piercing any thing: and therefore, Ariftotle fays # 
<f that nature has made the rain round, that it might 
« the more eafily enter through the air, 1 * 

In illudration of this remark of Afcham's, we may 
notice how often the principles of human arts are de- 
rived from our obfervations upon the wifdom of Provi- 
dence, in the formation of animals, and in tjie various 
gifts and inftindU which are beftowed upon them. 
We may, as the poet fays, cc learn of the Utile Nautilus 
" to fail? and " of the Bee to build the vaulted demex" 
4nd draw, with fuccefs, our rules of archery from the 
rules of nature. y We fee, that birds and .fifties are larger 
in their middles than at their extremes, in order that 
they may float upon and move through their elements 
with facility. Hence, it (hould feem, that a breafted 
(or high chef ted) dele is bed calculated for diftant flight, 
by floating longer in the air, than one tapered or made 
heavy towards the pile. Modern archers ufe the breaded 
ftelesfor mod lengths, and particularly for flights i and, 
indeed, except for very fhort lengths or in a rough wind, 
that is the form mod generally preferred, 

, SECTION 



[ i0o i 



SECTION V. , " 

OF PIECING SHAFTS. 

i 

, Reafons — Origin — Utility. 

ASCHAM obferves, that "piecing a (haft with 
" brazil, holly, or otheh heavy woods, is to make 
c< the pile-end proportionally heavy with the feathers 
" in flying, for the ftedfafter (hooting. For, if the end 
cc was full heavy with lead, and the wood next it light, 
• c the head end would ever be downwards, and never 
ic flyftraight. In piecing, two points" (by point, Af- 
cham probably means pile, i. e. the length of the pile).. 
€c are fuflicient to prevent the moiftrfefs of the earth 
* € penetrating too much into the piecing, and fo 
<c loofening the glue. Therefore, many points are more ' 
€f pleafing to the eye, than profitable for the ufe. Some 
u ufed to piece their fhafts in the nock, with brazil or 
<c holly, to counterweigh with the head: and I have, 
M lays he, feen fome for the fame purpofe, bore a hole 
4< a little beneath the nock, and put lead into it. But 
cc , yet none of thefe means are at all neceXTary; for the 
€C nature of a feather in flying, if a man mark it well, 
? c is able to bear up a wonderful weighty And I think 
<c fuch piecing was firft introduced, when a good archer 
c< had broken a good (haft in the feathers * and, on ac- 
<c count of the partiality he had for ic, was loth to lofe 
cc it: therefore he would piece it. And then, by and 
" by, others, either becaufe it looked fmart, or becaufe 
" they would imitate a good archer, cut their wbole[ 

« fliafts 



' [ 101 ] • 

cc fliafta and pieced them 3 a thing, in my opinion, more 
cc expenfive than ufeful." 

. Upon the fubjeft of piecing arrows, -Afcham fpeaks 
wiriidifcernment; for, generally fpeakifcg, it is only a 
favourite arrow that is worth the experiment and ex- 
pence. Moft arrows, when pieced, lofe fomewhat of 
their original fpirit, and become more fluggifh. Lime> 
pieced with lance -wood or other bard wood, makes a 
very good roving arrow. 



SECTION VI. 



OF THE NOCK. 



Nocks of Arrows differently made— Advantages and 
difadmntages of different Nocks conJidered*—Obfer* 
vations on the double Nock. 

cc ^HEw<:*ofthe{haft," fays Afcham, "is diffe- 
* c A rently made 5 for, fometimes it is large and full, 
<c fometimes handfome and fmall: fometimes wide, 
cc fometimes narrow;" fometimes deep, fometimes lhal- 
cc low, fometimes round, and fometimes long : fome 
€€ (hafts have one nock, and others have a double nock; 
cc each of which hath its advantage. The large and 
<c full nock may be well felt, and many ways faves a 
€€ fhaft from breaking. The handfome and fmall nock 
cc will go clean away* from the hand; the wide nock has 
" no advantage, but, on the contrary, often breaks the 
fc Ihaft, and /tips fuddenly out of the firing: while the 
rc narrow nock avoids both thefe harms. The deep 

M " and 



cc and long neck is good in wer> for furc keqbng in the 
" firing. The (hallow and round nock is beft for our 
cc pwpofe in prickings for ofo** delivery of a {hoot. 
* c And double nocking is ufed for double forety of the 
« fhaft." 

Modern archery is unacquainted with the double nock ; 
but it is fuppofed to have been a crofs nock: in which 
cafe, one of the feathers muft have run on the hm. 
Probably, this expedient was confined to arrows ufed 
in war: and, certainly, it was better that an archer, 
when in the field, fliould have the feather of his arrow 
run on the bow, than his fhaft rendered ufelefs by a 
broken nock. And yet, it is difficult to conceive how 
an arrow could be ufeful, if one of the nocks was broke: 
the breaking of the nock often extending as far as the 
feathery which muft, in general, deftroy the intention of 
the double nock. 

The nock is made by the iofertion of horn into the 
end of the fhaft. Sometimes the nock is made of folid 
horn: and fometimes of the wood and horn, the latter i* 
the lead: liable to burft. 

In an old manufcript in the Britifh Mufeum, (appa- 
rently containing detached extra&s from Afeham) k' 
the following obfervation, " fhafts pointed in, the noei 
u are more pleafing than profitable." - 



Sprrrow 



C >& 1 



SECTION VII. 



OF THE FEATHER. -» 

Importance of the Feather — Obfervations on the Fed* > 
thers of different Birds — Their different Properties 
in Archery — Value and iffe of the Goofefeather 
informer Days — Merits of the Turkeyfeather — « 
Obfervations on the Feathers of the Goofe — Diffe- 
rence of Feathers in the fame Wing — Reafonsfor 
paying Attention to the Colour of the Feather — ■ 
Feathers the moji ejieemed when dropped. 

AFTER obferving, that neither wood, horn, metal, 
parchment, paper, or cloth, but only a feather is 
fit for a (haft ; Afcham tells us, " that the feather is of no 
" fmall importance ( 1 9), and that it requires great at- 

— % 

(19) Arrows 'without feathers cannot fly far, and arc greatly -~ 
affe&ed by the wind- Afcham informs us, that among the anciO 
e.nts, the Scythians (according to Heroditus) were the only people ' 
known to ufe arrows without feathers. Many African tribes ufe 
fuch arrows at this day : but as they are generally infe&ed with 
poifon, they are chiefly ufed againft near objects. In the Turkiih 
quivers we fometimes find unfeathered {hafts, which, being 
larger at the nock and tapered from that to a very fine point, fly 
but a very little way from the ftrongeft bow. Poffihly, they may 
be ufed, in teaching young fhooters the method of -drawing and 
looting the arrow with eaie and dexterity ; and in order to fave 
them the trouble of following a feathered arrow, in its diftant 
flight. This fort of arrow might afford a curious and not un- 
amufing conteft of (kill \nfar fhooting. It is faid, that if a light ^ 
lhaft is feathered at both ends, the wood being lightelt at the pile- ' 
end and the feather trimmed low at the nock-end and high at the 7 
pile-end, and fhot 'againft the wind, that it will return back ) 
again. And, that a fhaft feathered in the middle will, in its flighty / 
make,, a right angle. 

M 2 u tentknu 



[164 ] 



C€ 



tentiorh If you obferve," fays he, " the feathers of 
" all forts of birds, you will fee fome fo low, weak, and 
'* ihbrt; fome fo coarfe, harfh, and hardj and the rib 
" (which is the hard quill that divides the feather) fo 
<c brittle, thin and narrow; that it can neither be drawn, 
" pared, nor yet well fet on «: ' and, except it be a 
cc fwan's feather for a dead fhaft, which I know fotne 
" good. archers have ufed; or a duck's for a flight, 
€t which lafts but one (hoot; there is no feather but 
" that of a goofe, which hath all advantages in it. And, 
4t certainly, 2&z.Jhort Butt, which fome men are ac- 
ex cuftomed to ufe, the peacock feather doth feldom 
" keep up the (haft, either ftraight or level, it is fo 
." rough and heavy : fo that many, who have taken them 
" up for the fake of their gay appearance, have laid 
" them down again for the fake of utility. Therefore, 
cc for our purpofe, the goofe feather is the beft, for the 
" beftfhooter"(2o). 

At 



(2)0) Afcham obferves, that as to the feathers of eagles, where- . 
with the unerring ihafts of Hercules are reported to have been 
feathered : " the eagles fly fo high, and are fo rare and difficult 
" to come at, that no regard had been paid to them." In what 
eftimation the feathers of thofe birds have been held in the Eaft, 
we may learn from the following anecdote. 

" Oppofite to the town of Babadagy, which is the feat of the 

" Eafha of Siliftria, there is a mountain higher than the reft. 

' *' There are found in the neighbourhood of this city ? eagles (called 

1 " Giujigicn by the Turks and Tartars) which are larger than 

" all other birds; and in fo great plenty, that the bow-makers, all 

€i ' over Turkey and Tartary, are from thence furnifhed with fea-f 

" thers for their arrows ; although there are not abov^ twelve 

" quills (and thofe in their tails) that are fit for that ufe, which 

" are commonly fold for a Leonine. They are reckoned better 

" for that purpofe than all others : and a fkilful archer does not 

€f , care to ufe any other. If a man has feveral arrows in his quiver, 

" . made with other feathers, and but one among them fledged with 

" a quill of one of thefe eagles ; that one remaining untouched 

" will eat all the reft to the wood. And it feems to have been 

, «* upon 



- [■ 165] 

* At the time Afcham wrote, turkeys were, perhaps, 
not very common in England (21): or, if they were, 
yet it is probable, that the merits of the grey-goofe wing, 
fo much celebrated both by our hiftorians and poets as 
the archers fleet-anchor; were fo well known and fo much 
valued by the archers, that turkey feathers were not 
thought o£ for arrows. However, the turkey fea- 
ther is, perhaps, of little lefs value for the purpofe of 
archery, than the goofe feather: particularly as the 
former creates fome variety, at lead, in arrows* which 
we find Afcham approves of ; obferving, that <c when, 
c< you are acquainted with the properties of different • 
" feathers, you may fit your fhafc according to your 
<c /hooting^ becaufe no one rule can fuit every man." 
The Flemi/h arrows are chiefly feathered with turkey 
feathers 3 and they have, of late, been adopted by our 
Englifh fletchers. Nor have I ever heard the ufe of 
them condemned. They certainly pofiefs a much 
ftronger texture than goofe feathers, and feem to' be 
lefs affe&cd by wet or moifture, which is unqueftionably 
an advantage (22). In variety and ftrength of colour, 
fome of them being (in the naturalift's phrafe) beauti- 
fully barred, they far exceed thofe of the goofe* and . 
they appear to take a dye much better, 

" upon account of this x ftrength, that the Tartarian name of G7«- 
" j*g} tn was given to that kind of eagles." Rift, of the Othmqn 
Empire y by Demetrius Cantimir^ p. 319, note. 

(21) An old couplet fays, 

Turkeys y carp, hops, piccarel and beer 1 
Came in to England all in one year. y f ?*4* 

(aa) Goofe feathers, after they are put upon the fhaft, are'ge-* 
nerally covered lrghtly with gum-water, in brder to give them a 
greater degree of ftifFnefs, than what is natural to them. By which 
means they. fly better and refill moifture the more. It is faid, that 
if feathers are flightly wafhed with a folution of* gum-copal in 
fpirits of turpentine, (in the proportion of one third of the former '* 
to two thirds of the latter), thaV. they will become impenetrable 
bv moifture and wet ; and, that fuch a /varnifh will not impede 
the flight of the fhaft, or otherwife injure the feather. 

M 3 « The ' 



* [166 ]■• 

" The old goofe feather," continues Afrfratn, *f is 
cc fliff^tidflrong; good for a w/W, and fitted for a */<earf 
r . c (haft : the young goofe feather is weak and jfw, beft 
cc for zfwift. lhaft ; and it muft be trimmed at the firft 
c< {hearing, forrtewhat high ; for, with (hooting, it will 
«* fettle znd/all very much. The fame thing, although 
cc not fo much, is to be, confidered in a goofe or a 
fc g2nder. A fenny goofe, as her flefh is blacker, 
<c coarfer and more unwholfome \ fo is her feather, for 
" the fame caufe, coarfcr, hardier, and rougher: and 
<c therefore, I have heatrd very good fletchers fay, that 
<c the Jecond feather in one is better than the pinion in 
" the other." 

€ ? Betwixt the wings is little difference, but you 
f f muft have different (hafts of one flight \ feathered with 
" 5 C different wings, for different winds : for, if the wind 
<c and the feather go both one way, the (haft will be 
f € carried too much. The pinion feather, as it hath the 
<c firft place in the wing, fo it hath the firft place in 
" good feathering. You may know it, before- it \% 
" pared, by a bought which is in it ; and again, when it 
€t is trimmed, by the thicknefs above and at the 
€t grbundj and alfo, by the ftiffhefs afid finenefs, which 
€€ will carry a (haft better, fatter and further, as a fine 
" fail-cloth doth a fhip/' 

Notwithftanding this opinion of Afcham's refpedting 
the pinion-feather; modern fletchers hold, that the 
pinion-kzther is fit only for a low-feathered (haft, being 
crooked and ftiffj and, that the fecond, third, fourth and 
other feathers in the wing, have the preference, accord- 
ing to their pofitions: but, that the fifth and following 
feathers are weak, and feldom to be made ufe of. 

" The colour of the feather is lead to be regarded, 
ff yet fomewhat to be locked to : for a good white you 

f* have 



C »«7 ] 

" have fcmetimes an ill grey. Yet furely, it (lands with 
€€ good reafon to have the cock-feather* black, or grey, 
u as it were to give a man warning to nock right. That 
* c is called the cock-feather which ftandeth above in right 
cc nocking ; which if you do not obferve, the other 
" feathers rnuft neceflarily run on the bow, and fo fpoil 
" your fhoot." 

In fliooting at the Butts, white- feathers have the 
advantage of being moreeafily difcernible, at the longer 
lengths, when they light in the B v utt, than dark coloured 
ones. 

The feathers of the gander are, for the moft part, 
white, ahd thofe of the goofe hlack or gr^y. 

In the choice of a feather, fletchers prefer thofe which 
are dropped, to thofe which are plucked. 



M 4 SECTION 



[108 ] 



SECTION VIII. 
OF SETTING ON THE FEATHER. 

Feathers Jhould be drawn and pared with Care- 
Cautions and Reqfons — Obfercations and Rules for 
ufing Long and Short Feathers — Opinion refpe£ting 
the Inclination or Incurvation objbrved in Jetting 
fin the Feather — Haw far adopted by other Nations 
• — Circularity the Primum Mobile in Archery, 

ASCHAM, fpeaking of the fetting on ' of . the 
feather, fays <c you muft look that your fea- 
ic ,ther$ are not drawn too haftily, but pared even 
« c and ftraight with care. The fletcher is faid to draw a 
*' feather, when he hath but one fweep at it with his 
" knife; and then he planeth it a little, by rubbing it 
u over his knife. He pareth it, taking time and care 
u to make every part of the rib apt to (land ftraight and 
fc even upon the ftele. This thing, if a man talce not 
« heed of it, he may, perhaps, have caufe to fay of bis 
* c fletcher, as in drefling of meat is commonly faid of 
* c cooks i and that is, that Godjendeth us good feathers > 
u but the Devil naughty fletch$rs. If any fletchers heard 
" me fay thus, they would not be angry with me, unlefs 
" they were bad fletchers; and yet, thofe ' fletchers 
f c ought rather to amend themfelves for doing ill* than 
" be angry with me for faying the truth, The 
ff rib in a Jliff feather,' may be thinner ', for fo it will 
;ff ffcuid clpaner on; butj in a weak feather you muft 

* f leaye 



C i6g 3 

€l leave a thicker rib: or elfe, if the rib (which is the 
* € foundation and ground wherein nature hath let every 
" divifion of the feather) is taken too hear, it muft 
u needs follow, that the feather will fall and drop down % 
u juft as any herb doth, which hath its root too clofely 
<c pared by the fpade. The length zn&Jbortncfs of the 
? c feather ferves for different fhafts; as a long fea- 
f V*her, for a long, heavy or big (haft; the Jhort feather 
" for the contrary. Again, the Jhort feather may (land 
<* further \ the /<?ȣ feather nearer the nock. Your fea* 
" ther muft ftand almofi ftraight On, but yet in fuch a 
* c manner, that it may /#r» round if\ flying." 

Some modern archers hefld this opinion with Afcham ; 
namely, that each feather Ihould be fet on inclining to 
the right or to the left hand, according to the nature 
of the wing; the extreme, neareft to the pile, of each 
feather, being about one quarter of an inch out of a 
direft line: which method is faid to have been an 
ancient pra&ice, and well calculated to produce that 
rotatory motion in the arrow, which gives certainty 
to its flight. While others difregard it, as of little or 
no ufe. At prefent therefore, arrows are feathered 
fpmetimes ftraight, and fometirpes with an inclination. 

The Chinefe-Tartars often carry this inclination 
almoft round the arrow: but neither thePerfians or 
Turks feather their arrows otherwife than in ftraight 
Jines. 

And here/' continues Afcham, ' c I confider the won* 
*' derful nature of (hooting; which ftandeth altogether 
* c by thatfaftiion, which is mod apt for quick moving ; 
c< and that is by ronndnefs. - For firft, the bow muft 
cc be gathered round : in drawing it muft come round 
** equally : the ftriqg muft be round ; the ftele muft be 
■ 4C round : the beft nock round: the feather (horn fome r 
ft wh^t round: tjie (haft in flying muft turn round; 

* c and' 



I 170 3 

u and if 'it flies far,- it flieth a rwnd toffyafs; for either 
** above or beneath a round compafs, hindereth the fly* 
fc ing. Moreover, both the fletcher in making your 
€C fhaft, and you in nocking your lhaft, muft take 
fc heed that two feathers run equally on the bov?. For, 
fc if one feather runs alone onHhe bow, it will foon be 
<c worn, and will not be able to match with the other 
fC feathers : and again, at the loofe, if the- fhaft be 
lc light, it wilier/, and if it be heavy it will bobble" 

" And thus as concerning the fetting on of your 
" feather." 



SECTION IXa 
OF TRIMMING THE FEATHER. 

Rules to be obferoed in Trimming the Feather— 
- Plucking of Feathers — Flight- Arrows how fea- 
thered. 

* c HPO (hear a lhaft high or low> muft be as- the fhaft 
<c -*• is, heavy or Jight, great or fmall, long or 
cc fhort. The Jtyine- back 1 d fafliion makes the lhaft 
€i deader 1 for it gathers more air than the /addle -back' d ; 
u and therefore, the faddle- back is furer for danger of 
" weather y and fitter for Jmootb flying. Again,/ to fhear 
<c a (haft roundy as they were wont fometimes to do, or 
<c after the triangle fafliion, which is much ufed now-ar- 
" days, both are good. For roundnefs is apt for flying 
<c of its own nature, and all triangular fhapes, the (harp 
" point going before, are alfo naturally apt for quick 
" entering; and therefore faith Cicero, that cranes taught 
u by naturey always obferve in flying a triangular forrn^ * 
<c becauje that is Jo apt to pierce and go through the air" 

« Laft 



[ mi 

<€ Laft of all, plucking of feathers is of no avail, for 
*i there is no certainty in it j therefore, lef every archer 
€£ have finch ihafts, that he may both know them and 
" trufi them upon every change of weather. Yet, if 
<f they muft needs be plucked, pluck them as little as 
cc can be; for fo ftiall they be lefs inconftant." 

*' And thus'* fays Afcham, " I have knit up in as 
? c ftiort a fpace as I could, die beft feather s> featherings , 
" 2xAJhearing a (haft." 

All flight- arrows have the feathers very fbort, and cut 
very low ; generally not longer than three itfehes, ndr 
higher at the nock-end, than half an inch. On veryfoort 
and #gitf flight arrows, they are cut proportionally 
fhorter and lower. 



section x. 

OF THE HEAD. 

Origin and life of the Head — Different kinds of Heads ^ 

for Pricking — Obfervations on the Ufe and EffeEt 

of each-*- Materials of Heads — Comparifon between, 

the different EffeBs ofjkarp and blunt Heads fup- 

.ported by Experiment 

? c ^VTECESSITY," fays Afcham, « invented a (haft- 
cc ~ -L^l head: firft, to fave the end from breakings then 
5 C it made it Jharp, to flick better j afterwards, it made 
55 it oiftrong matter to.laft better: laft of all, the expe- 
# rience and wifdom of men have brought it to fuch N 
xc perfection, that there is no one thing fo ufeful' belong- 
ff ing to artillery, either to ftrike a man's enemy forer 
ft in war, or to ftioot nearer the mark at home, than is 

« c a 



€C a, proper head for both purpofes. * For, if a lhafc 
<c wants a head, it is worth nothing for either ufe* (aj). 1 
? Therefore, feeing that heads are fo neceffary, they, 
* c of neceffity, muft be iattended to. Iron zxAfteel are 
« the fitted for heads." , 

ic Now,, with refpeft to heads for pricking (24), 
" which is our purpofe, there are fever al* kinds : fome 
< c are blunt heads, fome Ihal-p, fome both blunt and* 
c< ftiarp. The blunt heads men ufe, becaufe they per- 
€C ceivc them to be good to keep a length with. They 
" keep a good length, becaufe a man pulls them no 
<c further afc one time than at another: for, in feeling 
'* the plump end always equally, they may loofe them 
<c equally : yet, in a wind and againft the windy the 
" weather hath fo much power on the broad end, that 
€C no man qan keep any fiire length with fuch an head. 



• (23) An arrow without a head will not fly to any confiderable 
diftance, particularly if the pile end of the fhaft does not outweigh 
the nock-end. Lord Bacon, indeed, tells us (what muft require 
extraordinary faith in his opinion to credit) that an arrow, with- 
out an iron point: will penetrate to the depth of eight inches into 
a piece of w//, when ftot from a Turkifh bow ; while another 
arrow, having an iron point, will not penetrate near fo deep. See 
E'xpt. Solitary, 794. Nat, Hifii We read that Lord Clifford fell 
in the battle of Towton; an arrow without an head, fliot from a 
bow of fome one laid in ambufh, having pierced through his 
throat, and ftuck in his neck. Speed, p. 687* 

1 (24). Afcham obferves, that " the heads of the English arrows 
" were better in war, tharf either forked heads or broad arrow 
44 heads; for, the end being lighter, they flew a great deal fafter, 
*' and gave a feverer ftroke." Thofe ufed when armour was . 
worn, were folid, and nearly heart-fbaped, with fmall barbs and 
jridged. In a preceding fedUon (Part. 4. Chap. 6. Sec. 3.) 
is noticed an order for arrows iflued in the Reign of Edward III. 
which directs that the wirigs or beards of the heads fhall be made 
large.' Mr. Mofeley has given Plates of a variety of arrow-heads, 
for war. They are taken chiefly from thofe engraved in Pere 
Daniel's Hifioire de la Milice Francoife ; and feem to have been, for 
the moft part, arrow-heads ufed by the French, and particularly 
by the crqfs-bowmeo. . 

cc Therefore* 



[ 173 ] 

u Therefore,' a blunt head* in a calm or down wind, is 
" very good; other wife none worfe." - ."' 

" Heads lharp at the end, without any fhoulders^ 
" (I call that the Jhoulder in a head which a man's 
"finger (hall feel before it- comes to the point) will 
c / pierce quickly through a wind,- but yet the /harp 
Ci head has two difadvantages ; the one, that it will keep 
u no length: it keeps no length, becaufe no man can 
"pull it with certainty as far at one time as at 
" another; it is not drawn with certainty fo far at one 
" time as at another, becaufe it wants the Jhoulderingi 
" wherewith, as with a fure token, a man may be 
" warned when to loofe: and alfo, becaufe men are, 
M afraid of fetting the (harp point in the bow^ The 
" other difadvantage is that,, when it is lighted on" the 
<c ground, the fmall point (hall every . time* be in dan- 
" ger of being hurt, which thing, of all' others, will 
44 fooneft make the (hafc ta lofe the length." ' 

" Now, fince blunt heads are good to keep a length 
" with, yet bad for a wind: (harp heads, good to pierce 
f c the weather, yet bad for a length: certain head- 
" makers (dwelling in London) perceiving the advan- 
" tages of both kinds of heads joined with an incon-* 
c< venience, invented new files and other inftruments; 
<c wherewith they brought heads for pricking to luch 
<c perfeftion, that all the advantages of both heads 
" (hould be united in one, without any difadvantige at 
cc all. They made certain kinds of heads, which men 
c < call higb-ridged, crefted or Jhouldered heads, or ftlver- 
c< Jpoon heads (on account of the likenefs fuch heads 
" have to the knob end of fome filver fpoons). Thefe 
c * heads are good, both to keep a length and ahb to 
€€ pierce a wind : to keep a length, becaufe a man may 
*' with certainty pull them to the fhouldering every 

ihoot, 



t *7<* J 

*' Ihoot, and no fiirthen, Tq pierce a wind, becaufe 
" the point, from the (houlder forwards, breaks the 
cc weather, as all other fharp things do. So, the blunt 
f< {houlder ferves for the fure keeping a length: the 
" point alfo is always fit for piercing in rough and 
" troubled weather." w 

With reipedt to the materials for heads, (which when 
not ufed in war are termed piles) it may be noticed, 
that the modern Flemilh fletchers make many heads of 
barn* which, anfwer extremely well,; but they are chiefly 
ufed for the two Jhort lengths ; namely, the four-rood 
length, a$d the eighj-rood length. 

Afcham's obfervation, that Jharp heads pierce the 
wiad better .than Hunt ones, deferves fome confedera- 
tion; and may require further experiment. The fol- 
Jowiqg trial rto prove the juftnefs of his opinion, was 
fetely n^ade. Six arrows, of equal length and weighty 
were conftru&ed with very great nicety ; three of them 
kwingjbarp piles; and the other three of them having 
that fofljofpile, which Afcham mentions to have been 
made by the London head makers (now called a 
rsvmgpile): the fir ft three were fhot againft the latter, 
feveral times, the wind being very gentle ; and, the 
refoit was> that the blunt piles always Rev? farther than 
.the fharp ones, by about fifteen yards. - 



afEGtiow 



[' 175. J 



SECTION XI* 

t 

OF SETTING ON THE HEAD, 

Rules Jbr Jetting m the Head—Reqfons why thejhort 
Head is better than the long Head. 

* U EADS > &!* Afcham, fhould be ktfyU on mi 
"Ax doje Qfl, F u u on ^ j s when the wood is beat 
** hard up to the end or flopping of the head* Clofe 
" e&, is when there is left enough wood on every fide 
" the fhaft tp fill the head: or when it is neither toe 
" fmall npr yyt too large. If there is any fault in any 
• c of thcfe points, the head, when it lights on an har4 
44 ftone or ground, will be in danger either of breaking 
* or beipg otherwife injured. Stopping- the head mth 
** lead, or any thing elfe, is now needlefs: becaufc, 
" every Jherjpoon or Jhouldered head is -(topped of 
° itfelf. Short heads are better than long: tor firft, 
cc the long head is worfe for the maker to file ftraight 
* c equally every way: again, it is worfe for the fleteher 
*' to fet ftraiglit on: thirdly, it is always in more daj>- 
"s ger of breaking when it is on." 



CHAP. 



[ J76 ] 



CHAPTER VII. 

OF THE BELT, TASSEL AND GREASE-POT. 

X 

Their different Ufes. 

THESE articles have already been enumerated 
among the neceffary appendages of an archer. 
. The Belt (to which the taffel and greafe-pot are fu£- 
pended) is furnilhed with a Well to receive the arrows 
for immediate ufe. 

The Taffel, which is made of worded, (generally 
green,) is uled for the purpofe of wipipg the arrows after 
they are drawn from the ground. 

The ,Greq/e-Pct (which is made of wood or horn) 
is filled with a compofition offuet and white wax, to be • 
put occafionally upon the fingers of the (hooting- glove, 
to render them more pliant, and caufe a ready and eafy 
Ioofe. .^ 

Inftead df the taffel and greafe-pot ; the archers, in 
former ticnes, were, as Afcham tells us, always pro-* 
vided with a piece of cldth and fome deer's fuec 



CHAP- 



C 177 3 



CHAPTER VIII. 



OF SHOOTING IN GENERAL. 



SECTION I. 



, General Obfervations — Faults obferoed in Archers—* 
Afcharris Five Points of Archery. 

" T TE that would attain high perfe&ion in fhoot- 
c< A A ing," fays Afcharn, " muft' needs begin to 
* c learn it in his youth $ the omitting of which thing 
€C in England caufes both fewer fhooters, and alfo, 
€e that every man that is a (hooter to (hopt worfe than 
<c he might, if he were taught* But the not having 
" ufed ihooting in his youth (hould dtfepurage no 
c< man that is wife.^ For, wifdom may work the fame 
t€ thing in a man, that nature doth in a child. ?> 

" A child, .by three things, is brought to excellence. 
c< By aptnefsy deftre ztidfear. Aptnefs makes him plia- 
cc ble Kke wax, to be formed and fafhioned even as a 
€€ man would have him. Defire, to be as good or better 
cc than his fellows, and fear of them whom he is under, 
" will caufe him to take great labour and pains with 
cc diligent heed in learning any thing: whereof proceed- 
<c eth, it the l^ft, excellence and perfection. A man 
" may, by wfiBom in learning of any thing, and efpe- 
c< daily to moot, have three like advantages alio : 
fc whereby he may, as it were, become young again, 

N "and. 



[ 178 ] 

** and fo attain to excellence. For, as a child is apt 
c< by natural youth, fo a man, by ufing at the fir it 
<c weak bows far underneath his ftrength, fhall be as 
cC pliable and ready to b* taught fair (hooting, as any 
" child: and daily ufe of the fame (hall both keep him in 
" fair (hooting, and alfo, at the lad, bring him to ftrong 
te "(hooting. And, inftead of the fervent defire, which 
<c provoketh a child to be better than his fellow; let a 
4C man be as much ftirred up with Jhame to be worfe than 
cf all other. And, the fame place that fear hath in a 
" child j to compel him to take pains, the fame hath 
<c love of fhooting in a map, to caufe him to forfake no 
fC labour, without which no man nor child can be 
cr excellent. And thus, whatfoever a child may be 
<c taught by aptnefs, defire and fear ; the fame thing, in 
c< (hooting* may a man be taught by weak bow*, , 
c < (hame and love. 

<c The beft (hooting is always the moft graceful 
c< (hpdtingi afcd Craffus (heweth in Cicero, that as 
Cf gracefulnefs is the chief point add moft to be (ought 
t( for irt all things, fo-gracefulne(s alone can never be 
" taught by any art or craft, but may be perceived well 
fC when it is done, not well defcribed how it fhouM 
" be done. If a man would fet before his eyes five df 
■** fix of the bfeft archers that evef he faW (hoot; and of 
" ode learned to ftand- y of another to draw } of another 
t€ to ioofii and fo take of every man what every man 
tx could do beft; I will venture to fay, he woyld come 
w t& fuch gfacefolnefs, as never man came to yet. 
u But faults ih archers do exceed the number of archer*, 
" which are caufed by the ufe of (hooting* without 
« teaching." 

" All the difcommodities," iays Afcham in the quaiftt 
Phmfeolfcgy and Curious Orthography of the fifteenth 
century, <c tthiche ill cuftome hath grafltd in archers, 

" can 



■ i m 1 ■ 

a can neyther be quycklyc poulled oute, nor yet fbfle 
c< reckened of me, they be fo manye. 

" Some (hooteth his head forwarde, as though he 
<€ woulde byte the market an other ftareth with hys 
" eyes, as though they fhulde flye out: an other wink- 
a cth with one eye and loketh with the other: fbme 
cc make a face with wrything theyr mouth and counte- 
u naunce fo, as though they were doyng you. wottc 
* f what: an other blereth out hfe tongue: an other 
" bytcth his lyppes : an other holdeth his neck a wrye* 
" In drawing, /fome fet fuch a compaffe, as thought, 
a they woulde, tourne about and bfyjje (25) all the 
€t feelde: other heave theyr hand nowe up now downe, 
" that a man cannot defcerna whereat they wolde ihote: 
cc an other waggeth the upper ende of his bow one way, 
cc the neyther ende ah other waye: an other wil (land 
" poyntinge his fhafte at the marke a good' whylc, and, 
" by and by, he will gyve him a whip, and awaye or a 
u tnanwitt(26): an other maketh fuch a wreftling with 
" his gere, as thoughe he were able to lhootc no more as 
€t longe as he lyved: an other draweth foftly to the 
€t myddes and, by and by, it- is gon you cannot know 
" how: an other draweth his fhafte lowe at the breafte, 
* c as thoughe he woulde fhoQte at a rouyng marke, and, 
€i by and by, he lifteth his arm up pricke heyghte: an. 
* € other maketh a wrynchinge'with hisbacke, as though 
4t a man pynched hyrn behyndet an othtt 1 coureth 
u dowhe, and layeth out his buttockes, as though he 



(*5) " This alludes to the a&fons of the Romifh Prieft in pub- 
" lie benedi&ions. This paflage may explain a very obfeure 
" phrafe in Spsofer, who calls waiving the fword in circles, bkjittg 
*• the fword." Bennet's Afcham. Note. 

. (a6.) In modern phrafeologjr, this expreffion would be ere a 
man is aware, 

N * « fliouldc 



[ 180 ] 

." flioulde fhoote at crowes[prf)\ an other fctteth for- 
cc " warde his lefte legge, and draweth backc with head. 
c< and ihowlders, as thoughe he pouled at a rope, or els 
€t were afrayd of the marke: an other draweth his 
" (hafte well, untyll within two fingers of the head, and 
4< than he ftayeth a lyttle, to looke at hys marke, and, 
? € that done, pouleth it up to the head, and lowfeth: which 
Cc waye, although fumme excellent (hooters do ufe, yet 
c< fureljr it. is a faulte, and good mennes faultes are not 
u to be followed : fumme drawe to farre, fumme to 
, Cc fliorte, fumme to flowlye, fumrtie to quickely, fumme 
u hblde ouer longe, fumme lette go ouer fonc, fumme 
.*< fette theyr (hafte on the grounde,and fetcheth him 
c< upwardej an other po; Jteth up towarde the (kye, 
" and fo bryngeth him downwardes." 

<c Ones I fawe a manne whyche ufed a brafar on his 
<c cbeke, or ells had fcratched all the (kynne of the one 
cc fyde of his face with his drawynge-hand : an other I 
<c fawe, whiche, at euerye fhoote, after the loofe, lyfted 
cc vp his ryght legg fo far, that he was euer in jeoper- 
cc dye of faulyng: fumme ftampe forwarde, and fumme 
<c leape backwarde. All thefe faultes be eyther in the 
, cc drawynge, or at the loofe; with many other mo, 
u whiche you may eafilye perccyue, and fo go about to 
" avoyde them." 

" Nowe afterwarde, whan the (hafte is gone, men 
c< haue manye faultes, whyche euell cuftome hath 
" brought^ them to, and fpecially in cryinge after the 
" (hafte, and fpeakynge woords fcarce honeft ibr fuche 
cc an honeft paftyme. Such woords be yerye tokens 
" of an ill mynde, and manifefte fignes of a man that 
*' is fubjefte to immefurable affe&ions. Good mennes . 
" eares do abhor them, and an honeft iflan therefore 
" wyl auoyde them." 

(a 7) ** That man holdeth his bow like a crno-heper" Shakf. 
Lear. Adt. iv. fc. 6. 

'../'. « And 



[ 181 T ■ 

cc And befydes thofe whiche muft nedes hatie theyr 
cc tongue thus walkings other men ufe other fatites 5 
<c as fome will take theyr bow and wry the and wrynche 
V it, to poule in his fhafte, when it flyeth wyde, as yf 
<c he draue a carte. Some wyl gyue two or three 
" v ftrydes forwarde, daunfing and hoppynge after his 
" fhafte, as long as it flyeth, as though he were a mad 
<c man. Some, which feare to be farre gone; runne 
" backwarde; as it were to poule his fhafte back; 
€t an other runneth forwarde whan he feareth to 
" be fhort, heauynge after his armes, as though he 
<c woulde helpe his Jhafte to flye. An other writhes 
cc or runneth afyde, to poule in his fhaft fixayght. One 
c < lifteth up his heele, and fo holdeth his foot ftill, as 
" long ?ts his fhafte flyeth. An other cafteth his arm, 
*\ backwarde after the lowfe. And an other fwynges 
" hys bowe aboute him, as it were a man with a ftaffe 
cc to make roume in a game place. And mainye other 
" faultes there be, which nowe come not to my remem- 
" braunce." 

" Thus, as you have hearde, many archers, wytfc 
" marryng theyr face and countehaunce, wyth other 
<f partes of theyr bodye, as it were menne that fhoulde 
cc daunce antiques, be farre from the comeJye porte 
<c in fhootyng, which he that woulde be excellent muft 
. " looke for. 

" Nowe ymagen an archer that is cleane wyth- 
fC but al thefe faults, and I am fure euery man would 
€( be delygHted to fe hyrn fhoote." 

Having thus, given us a pretty long catalogue of 
archers faults; Afcham, in the next place, tells us, that 
graceful fliQoting confifls of thefe things; of 

Standing^. Nocking, Drawing, Holding, and Looftng. 

Thefe five principal heads (which are now generally 
> termed Afcham V Five Points of Archery) will be arranged 

N 3 urider 



under different fe&ionsj in order to their being the 
rtore diftirt&ly noticed and clearly underftood. But, as 
an archer, after having furniGied himfelf with a bow, 
jrriuft begin with ftringing and bracing it; fome obferva- 
tions upon thofe two heads, feem to be very neceflary 
for his information, before he proceeds to apply the 
arrow to the ftring. And ftringing the bow firft 
offers itfelftoour notice: in treating of which Afcham 
will J>e our guide. 



SECTION II. 
OF STRINGING THE BOW; 

JCautions— Different E,ffe5ts of the high and low Bend 
-—Rule for afcertaining the proper Bend— Of 
Stringing a Bow that is cqft — Poftion of the 
String to be attended to. 

*' TN ftringing your bow," fays Afcham, cc you muft 
* * * obfervcthe proper length of it. For if the ftring 
^ is too fhort, the bending will give, and at faft flip 
V and endanger your bow. If too. long, the bending * 
cc muft of neceffity be in the fmallof the ftring, which, 
** being hard drawn, muft cfonfequently fnap in funder, 
* c to the deftrci&ion of many good bows. Befides, 
f f you muft fee that your bow is well nocked, left the 
cc (harp edge of the horn cut the ftring in twb. And 
. <f that commonly happens when the ftring, at the bot- 
** torn horn, has but one twift to hold itfelf by. You 
* muft alfo obferve to fct your ftring ftraight on, or 
* c elfe one end of the bow will writh contrary to the 
T c other, and break the bow. When the ftring begins, 
c< never fo little, to wear, truft it not, but caft it away ; 

" for 



u for* ftjs % an jtffaved h^penny that coft$ a man a 
cc crown" 

" Alfo, in Ttringing your bow, you muft have regard, 
, " to aa high or a low bend, for they are directly con* 
< c tra'ry in their purpofe f The low or finall bejid ha^ 
" but one advantage, which is in (hooting quicker am} 
" further than the other : the reafon of which is, that, 
* c when the bend is low, the ftrijig has a longer fpace 
*' to aft in before it parts with the (haft. The high 
" or great bend pofifeffe$, many advantage?: for -it 
cc makes the drawing and (hooting eafier, the bow 
f< being half drawn. It does not require a bracer, for 
u the ftring, being at a great diftance fvqm the bow, 
u feldom if ever reaches the .arm : And, for the feme 
cc reafon, will fcarcely ever hit a man's clothes, It 
cc does not injure the (haft-feather, as the low bend 
** often does: , and it admits of a man feeing his mark, 
" much better than the latter. Therefore, let your bow 
c< have a very good bend, a Jhaftmenf and two fingers 
« at the leajtr 

It has long been the cuftom, to afcertain the due 
bending or (as it is now generally termed) bracing of 
the bow by placing the fift perpendicularly on the inte- 
rior upper end pf the handle, railing up the thumb as 
high as it will reach. If the ftring touches the extre- 
mity of the thumb, the bow is deemed to be well 
braced j if it is higher or lower than the extremity of 
the thumb, it muft be altered accordingly. By die 
Jhaftment % Afcham means either that part of the jhaft 
pr arrow which is peeppied by the feathers, or elfe, th*t 
.part of it which expends from the nock to the point pf 
the feathers neareft the pile. Both the meafure by the 
thumb thus extended, and this ftiaftment (if the feathers 
are not fct very far frprn the nock) wiU be found to be 
about fix inches, which is (uppofed to be a fufficient 

N 4 bracing 



[ 184 ] 

4 

bracing for common, lengths. For, very long lengths, 
the rheafure of the bending may be half an inch or one 
inch lower : but when bows bend forwards, or (in the 
archers phrafe) follow the firing very much, they necef. 
farily enlarge the bending, and carry the firing further 
from the bow. 

If a bow is caft on one fijle (which will foon be dif* 
covered by looking down it when it is braced), let the 
firing at that end of the bow which is caft, lie moft 
on the convex fide, which will tend to bring the 
bow into its proper line, and in fome degree re- 
medy the defeft while it exifts. This pofition of the 
firing 1 (hould be occaflonally attended to, during the time 
of (hooting, left it ihould alter. And, the fame occa- 
fional attention Ihould, in general, be paid to the firing ; 
as.thenoofe will fometimes flip a little awry although the 
bow is not caft ; and, if the nock of the upper horn is 
not made true, the eye of the firing will incline to one 
fide, and make the how crooked. 



SECTION III. 
QF BRACING AND UNBRACING THE BOW. 

Ancient and Modern Methods. 

THERE are two ways of bracing/ and two of un- 
bracing, the bow. The old method of bracing 
was performed by refting the . lower horn of the bow 
upon the ground (the belly of the bow being turned 
towards the archers body); and Whilft one knte preffed 
the belly outwards and the infide^of one hand fupported 
the upper end of the bow, the firing was flipped into 
fjie nock,, with the other hind. 1 The modern way of 

performing 



I 185 ] 

performing this, is tofet the lower horn of the bow on 
the ground (the bow being held obliquely and the back 
turned towards the archer's' body) againft the infide of 
one foot,' turning the toe of that. foot a little inwards to 
prevent its flipping ; and to pull up the bow ftrongly 
at the handle with one hand, whilft the wrift of the 
other hand, placed almoft perpendicularly, prefles 
down the upper limb, of the bow, and the thumb and 
knuckle of the fore-finger of the latter hand carries the 
eye of the ftring into the nock. When the bow is very 
ftrohg, by quickening the motion of the bracing-hand 
the bracing will A become eafier. This method of 
bracing a bow is not common to all archers. Some 
extend their finger, ajid others both the thumb and 
finger, bearing upon the palm of the hand or brawny 
part of the thumb, to bring the ftring into the nock. 
But herein, as well as in many other points in archery, 
an archer will find it neceflary to confult eafe and his- 
own particular ftrength. The bow may be unbraced 
by holding it 'in the fame pofition, preffing down the 
upper limb in the fame manner, and unhinging the eye 
of the ftring with the thumb and forefinger j or, by 
placing the lower horn on the ground, keeping the 
,bow in an pblique pofition, and prefling the belly, at. 
.the handle, outwardly with one hand ; whilft the inte- 
rior fide of the other hand fupports the upper limb of 
the bow, and the fore -finger of that hand unhinges the 
ftring. 

In StvxMt's Hprda-Jngelcynnan (vo\. ii. pi. iii. fig. 15.) 
-will be found engravings of ancient Norman Archers, 
one of which is feen bracing his bow according to the 
.ancient cuftom above noticed. 

If the bow is lbmewhat too powerful for the archer 
alone to brace, he will be able to brace it with eafe, by 
$\e afiiftance of ahqther.perfon placing, his finger on the 

upper 



tipper horn, and bringing that dowrfwards at* the time 
the archer pulls up the bpw at the handle and carrier 
die firing into the nock,: or, by placing the upper horn 
of the bow under any kind of ledge or other fupport, 
and keeping it from flipping away, by pujhing the lower 
horn towards the ledge ftrongly with his foot, whilft his 
hand carries the firing into the nock. 



SECTION IV. 



OF STANDING. 



Rules to be obferved in appertaining the proper Pofition 
and Attitude of an Archer — Authorities — "Remarks , 
. and Inftrufyions— Reference to the Frontifpiece — 
<Ch&ra£teriftics of Archery — The. Archers Attitude 
a SubjeB of Admiration. 

cc npHEfirft point in (hooting/ 1 fays Afcham, " which 
« A requires the attention of the (hooter, is to take fuch 
f< a footing znd Jianding (29) as (hall be both pleafing to 
ct the eye, and advantageous to his purpofe : fetting his 
€C countenance and all other part of his body in fuch a 



(28) 'Wfcat Afchara here terms fianding^ he might with propri- 
ety have called po/itw, figure^ or attitude : for, his obfervatio^a 
upon this head embrace more than the mefe footing ; and, in a fub- 
fequent part of his work (fee poft % fee. ia.) : he again makes trfe 
«ff this word ftanding^ in a 'more confined fenfe, and to fignify 
barely the footing. On which account I have, for the fake of 
diftin&ion, ventured to fubftitute the latter for the former word, 
as the head of the fedion referred to- % 

" manner 



t m ] 

" tfifcnher and pofition, that both all his ftrength may 
tt be employed moft to his own advantage; and hit 
cc (hot made and managed to othc* men's pleafure and 
" delight. A man muft not go haftily about it, for that 
<c is rafhnefs; nor yet make too much ado about it, for 
c< that is over-care: one foot muft not -ftand too far 
fc from the other, left he ftoop too much, which is un- 
€C becoming; nor yet too near the other, left he ihould 
" ftand too ftraight up ; for fo a man (hall neither trie 
cf . his ftrength well, nor yet ftand ftedfaftly. Thfc mean 
cc betwixt both muft be kept, a thing more pleifant 
'? to behold when it is done, than eafy to be taught 
ri -how it fliould be done." 

Afcham, haying before enumerated all the faults, in 
his recolleftion, ufual among archers, (moft of which 
do not fcem to have been gentlemen's faults; for, we 
may fuppofe that he took many of his hints from 
clowns, and the inferior clafles of people who came to 
(hoot with their betters) has, in the ne*t place, given us 
an hafty (ketch' of the true pofture which an archer (hould 
adopt. But this part of archery requires much expla- 
nation, although, as Afcham juftly obferves, it is moft 
difficult to be taught or defcribed by the pen. How- 
ever, by way of confirmation to Afcham's remarks, 
and the better to explain this part of archery, which 
merits great attention, two authorities occur: the firft 
is taken from Bifhop Latimer; who, in his fermon 
{quoted p. 80.) fays, "in my time, my poore fe- 
<c ther was as diligent to teach me to fhute, as to 
cc learn any other thinge: and fo I thinke other menne 
€€ dyd theyr children. He taught me howe to drawe* 
€€ howe to laye my bodye in my bowe, and not to drawe 
€€ with ftrength of armes, as divers other nations doe; 
" but with ftrength of the bodye." And the other from 

NicoWs 



•* '. I \™ ] 

NieolFs London's, Artillery ; wherein he defcribes the pro-, 

, per figure of an archer, thus, 

" Setting his left leg fomewhat foorth before, 
" His arrow with his right hand knocking fine, 
" Notjiqoping, nor yet Jidnding fir eight upright, 
" Then with his left hand little 'bove his light, 
** Stretching his arm out, with an eafy ftrength 
u To draw an arrow of a yard in length." 

The archer (hould not oppofe his front but his fide to 
the mark; by which means he not only eyes it better, 
c ,but alfo gives a greater fcope to his drawing arm. 

TBy laying the body in the bow, is meant the inclination 
of the bead and cbefl a little forwards : but the archer 
j, muft bend as little as poffible from the waiji, and mull 
beware of inclining to his left fide. This inclination 
forwards, not only enables him to bring his bow-arm 
more in a direft line with his drawing-arm, and to fee 
his mark better; but alfo, at the fame time, frees his 
his cheft iv coat and hat (which latter fhould be turned 

i up on the (haft- hand fide) from the firing, in its 
return : and, when the bow : arm is brought forward, 
the firing will not catch the upper edge of the bracer; 
which young archers often perceive, without being able 

s to difcover the caufe or to remedy the fault. His 
knees fhould be ftraight, not bent, his hams being ex- 
tended, but poflefling ah eafy firmnefs; and he fhould 
keep his feet flat and firm upon the ground, without 
retting more upon one leg than on the other ; for, a 
partial bearing upon one leg tends to render him uq- 
1 7 fleady," and to enervate his whole aftion. Yet, it has 
been obferved, that the moft perfeft archer of this day 
was . aecuflomed to lay a little more flrefs upon the 
rigkt than upon the left leg. His left foot fhould be 
advanced a little before the right; the outfide of the 

i^ former fhould be almofl parallel to the mark, whilft 

the 



C leg 3 

the latter may. retain its common eafy pofition. Thi*^) 
heels may be about five or fix inches apart. j> 

It is, perhaps, more within the power and compafc l 
of the pencil, than the pen, to exprefs and do juftice to 
this part of archery; and therefore, the young archer 
is referred to the figure which forms the frontifpiece to 
thefe *tra£ts (the produ&ion of a celebrated modern • 
artift). The defign of this figure is to aid the foregoing C* 
verbal, defcriptiofl, by conveying to the eye as accurate*; 
a reprefentation as the peiicil can well command, of the f 
true pofition and attitude of an archer, drawing his 
bowW a point blank mark. It is not, indeed, an eafy 
taflc for the greatefl: ' artift to exprefs corre&ly and 
unitedly all the. chara&eriftic points of a perfect archer, 
in the a£t of drawing the bow and loofing the arrow : 
which form a difplay otfirength, eaje, coolnefs, resolution, 
or fixed defign, dexterity and rigour, that moft evidently 
indicate the united effort of the body and the mind; 
and form that model of gracefulnefs, the attainment of 
which is fo pointedly recommended by Afcham. 
• In the archer's attitude, manlinefs and ftrength firft 
ftrike us: for there is fcarqely a mufcle in the whole '; 
body, which does not perform a part in this united 
aftion. To thefe we fee joined a natural eafe, Co 
neceflary to give a proper fcope to the due exertion of 
bodily ftrength, and which is fupported by acoolnefs 
that carries with it the idea of pains and attention, and 
prognofticates fuccefs: the iexpedtancy of which is 
heightened by an apparent firm and fteady refolution or 
fixed defign, highly pourtrayed in the eye, which feems 
rivetted to the mark and looking in the center of that 
for the arrow which is not yet loojed. Laftly, we ob- 
ferve that critical nicenefs and dexterity, added to an 

energy 



[ 190 ] \ , \ 

energy and vigour in loofing the arrow, fo ef&ntialljr 
necefiary to crown the whole. 

The figure of an archer drawing his bow has always 
been a theme of admiration ; as moftjuftly conveying 
a 'true idea of the ftrength, elegance and dignity of the 
human form. 

Captain Turner, whofe travels have been quoted a 
little before (page 152, note), fpeaking of the archery of 
the Booteeans, of whofe flcill in the ufe of the bow he 
was an eye-witnefs, makes the following reifiark* It 
* was," fays he, "; impoflible to behold their fport with- 
" out admiration; for, befides the ftriking peculiarities 
'* in the per foil and drefs of a Booteean, the a& of 
" drawing the bow exhibits, in my opinion, one of she 
** moft graceful attitudes of mufcular exertion: the 
ff fencing fchool has not one that difplays an athletic 
u figure to greater advantage/* Embafy in Tibet, 
Part 2. Cb.i.p. 180. 

The archer's attitude did not fail to excite the talents 
and emulation of the greateft artifts in former ages; to 
which, the produ&ions of the ancients, ftill in exiftence, 
will bear ampk teftimony. The poet, the painter, the 
fculptor and the engraver appear to have been equally 
indebted to archery,. for many of their exquifite per- 
formances (29)* 

So 

. (29) The following trifling occurrence led me to confider the 
great lofs fuftained by the poet and the painter, on the difufe of the. 
bow. ' Pafl;ng a few days ago, through a principal flreet in Lon- 
don, I obferved upon the pavement, the endeavors of a poor 
wounded foldier to attrad the notice and chanty of paffengers, 
by fome rude defigns in chalk : among his figures was a leg % y 
which he had represented as transfixed by a barbed arrow. Upon 
queftioning him, whether he had ever received a wound in that 
part from an arrow, he anfwered in the negative: but added, that 
he had received a bullet in the fame part, which pafled through 
his leg; and that he had fubftituted the arrow by way of fymboU 
This qircumftance brought to my recollection, that greater artifts 

had 



[ 191 3 

So great has been .the fuccefs of Homer in his de- 
scription of the archer drawing his bow, (See Iliad. 4. 
]» 1 a j. &c.) that the great and u illumm'd" Gibbon, 
when quoting the pafifage, exclaims, cc bow concife-~ 
cc bowjuft — how beautiful is the whole pi&ure! I fee 

cc the attitudes of the archer 1 hear the twang of 

« his bow." 



SECTION V* 



OF NOCKING. 



Nocking the eajieji part of Archery — Cautions — 
Method of preventing irregular Nocking-~Of 
Handling the Bow. ' 

* c y I X) nock well," fays Afcham, " is the eafieft point 
«*, A of all 5 and therein is no art, but only conftant 
cc attention to nock truly, not fetting.the fhaft either 
€C too high or too low, but exaftly ftrait a crofs the. 
" bow. Inconftant nocking makes a man lofe his 
" length. And befides, if the fhaft- hand is high and 
i4 the bow-hand* low, or the contrary; both the bow 
" is in danger of breaking, and the fhaft, if it is fmall, 



had, upon iimilar occasions, been compelled to refort to this Jymfol. 
The artift, who defigned the medal ftruck upon the late efcape 
of the King from the piftol of a maniac, defpairing to reprefent 
that weapon and its bullet fo as to be pifturefyucly fuitable to the 
ideas he wifhed to convey, has, I obferve, boldly ufed the poor 
£oldier'8j/yml>ol % and defigned an arrow broken by a fhield, fup- 
ported by an inviiible arm. In the battle of Haftings, the poet 
defcribes the appearance of the arrow, after it had transfixed the 
body, in many different ways. Rowley's Poem. 

will 



" will ftart; if great; it will hobble. You muft always 
u nock the cock- feather upwards: and be fure the ftring 
."'•does not flip out of the nock, for then all is ift danger 
« of breaking." > * ' 

It has been already remarked, that feveral modern 

archers, in order to prevent irregular nocking, whip 

the precife nocking point of the ftring with-ftlkof one 

colour, and whip on each fide of that, with filk of a- 

' different colour, the breadth of the drawing-fingers. 

In order that the arrow may fly true to the mark* care 
fhould be taken, that the nocking- part of the ftring, 
when whipped, fills the npck of the fhaft fo tight as to, 
prevent the arrow moving, without being liable to burft 
the nock of the arrow. 

c < When," fays Afcham, " you have fixed your fhafc 
" in the bow, you muft take the latter exa&ly in the 
"/middle, or elfe you will lofe your length, and rifle 
" the breaking your bow." 

By the middle, Afcham here means, that the upper 
fart of the bow-hand ftiould be upon the upper part of 
the handle of the bow, in a line with the nocking 
point on the ftring, The arrow ftiould reft between 
the bow and the firft joint 9f the fore-finger (but prefling 
againft the bow); which finger may be raifed a little, 
in order to make a better focket or groove for the ar- 
row to lie in : and, the end-joint of that finger ftiould be 
bent inwards. 



SECTION 



[ i93 r 



SECTION VI. 



OF DRAWING. 



Drawing the beji part of Shoot big — Rules and 
Remarks. % 

" T^\R AWING well," Afcfcam obferves, "is the 
" -*^ beft part of (hooting. And it is better to draw 
<c to the ear (whereby, Procopius obferves, men fhoot 
" both ftronger and longer) than to the breaft. Leo, 
" the Emperor, would have his foldiers draw quickly 
K " in war,, for that makes a (haft flie apace." 

" In fhooting at the pricks, hafty and quick drawing 
" is neither fure nor graceful. Therefore, to draw 
" eafily and uniformly; that is to fay, not moving the 
fc hand* firft upward, and then downward, but always 
" after one and the fame manner, till you come to the 
"ridge or fhouldering qf the head, is beft both for 
" advantage and gracefulnefs." - * 

There is fome difference among archers in the mode 
of drawing. ^Some extend their bow-arm completely, 
before they begin to draw $ others .extend -it gradually 
as they draw, which certainly is theeafieft method,/ 
Afcham has obferved that, in his time, fome, and thofe 
very good archers, drew their arrows within about two 
inches of the pile, then paufed for a moment and c6r- . 
refted their aim, and afterwards drew home and loofed. 
But he deems this method a fault or Jhift y infixing ^hat 
the drawing and loofing ihould be but om continued 
a^ion throughout. 

O We 



I 194 ] ^ 

We muft fuppofe, that /Afcham was a proficient in 
the art, upon which he wrote, particularly as he gave 
up much of his time to the pra&ice of it: and* there- 
fore, that he would not have hazarded a decided opinion 

'upon this point, unlefs he had himfelf experienced the 
juftnefs of his remark; and had found that his opinion 
was fupported by the concurrence and praftice of 
excellent archers. Yet it muft Be obferved, that at 
this day, feveral of our beft archers pra&ife and ap- 
prove of this very fault or Jbift (if Afcham will have it 
" fo). Other very good archers draw within two inches 
of the pile, and then draw and redraw (in a manner 
playing with and humouring the bow within thofe two 
inches) till they loofe. 

It is a principal rule in (hooting, that the arrow 
fhould always be drawn home, in the manner Afcham 
defcribes j whether it is (hot at a Jhort or a long length. 
He has before,* (See ante> Chap. 6. Sec. 10) explained 
the meaning of the jhoulder of the head of the arrow. 
And by what he obferves in this place, it fhould feem, 
*hat, in his time, the archers drew very near to the point 
of the head or pile. Perhaps it is beft to do fo, but it 
is not every archer that can (particularly when he 
ufes the fh^rp or fugar-loaf pile) draw fo near the 
extreme point of the pile, withput being in danger of 
fetting it in his bo\v On which account, many archers 
do not draw beyond where the pile is joined to the 
wood:* that is to fay, they do not draw beyond the 
wood of the arrow. 

We muft recolleft, that Afcham has cautioned us 
againft making too great a circle with the body, and 
pointing the arrow very high or very low, when we 
draw.* The foregoing rule for ftanding being obferved* 

.the archer will findy that, as his fide is turned to his 
mark, his arms in drawing will move* in the arc of a. 
• • circle* 



[ 195 ] 

circle. .If he holds his drawing^hand about the height 
of his wai/l, he will bring it round to his mark in an 
eafy curve* 



SECtlON VII. 



OP HOLDING. 



How Holding is to be performed — Portion in which, 
the Bow Jhould be held. 

■ n TTOLDING," fays Afchato, " muft hot be longs 
«* 1. A f or it p Uts a bow in danger of breaking, and 
4 * alfo fpoils the fhoot: it muft, occupy fo little time, 
cc that it may be perceived better in the mind, when it 
cc is done, than feen with the eye, when doing." 

By holding* Afcham here means, holding the firings 
when thebow is drawn up. '/ 

He has not noticed the pofition in which the bow 
fliould be held, at the time of fliooting. In all or 
moft of the prints of ancient archers, we fee it held in 
a perpendicular pofition: (Seethe engravings to Strutt's 
Horda AngfiUcynndn?) This was certainly- the moft 
convenient pofition in battle, and it has been generally 
continued to this day. However, feveral of the belt 
archers of this day hold their bows Jomewhdt obliquely. 
Yet, for fhootin'g ftraight, the former pofition fliould 
feem to be the moft certain: and it muft be obferved, 
that the more diftant the mark, the more perpendi- 
cularly muft the bow be held. 



O 2 SECTION 



[ 1& } . 



SECTION VIII. 
• OF LOOSING. 

Rules to be obferved in Loofing. 

" T OOSING mull: be performed much in the 
<c A-ifame manner as holding. So quidc and 
u hard, that it be without any twitches: fo foft and 
fC gentle, that the fhaft fly not as if it was fent from a 
" b<rw~cu[e. The mean betwixt both, which is per- 
<c x fed loofing, is not To hard to be fbllowed in (hooting, 
*' as it is to be defcribed in teaching. . For' clean loof- 
u ing> you muft te careful of not. hitting any thing 
tc about you. And remember to hold your hand 
cc always the fame height on your bow, that you may 
< c keep the length truly." 

l*o loofe well is the moft difficult point in fhooting; 
and moft difficult, as Afcham pbferves, to be explained 
on paper: but, as good fhooting depends greatly upon 
the loofe y it is that branch of the art which muft be 
ftudied with attention and praftifed with pains. The 
material points to be attended to in performing this 
movement, are — holding the bow-arm very firm at 
the moment of loofing, ^making, it as it were* a vies 
(upon which the fteady flight of the arrow much de- 
pends): — bringing the elbow of the. drawing-arm 
round ,— and loofing while drawing, without making 
any paufe immediately before the loofe. 

« If," fays Afcham, " you follow thefe precepts in 
€C ftanding, nocking, drawing, holding and loofiog, they 

- €< will 



f w i v 

tx will, at laft, bring you to excellent and fuccefsful 
" fhootihg." 

It may be proper, at the clofe of the laft of the fore- 
going five principal points in archery, to offer the few 
following remarks, applicable to all of them. 

There is obfervable, in the pra&ice of all arts, a grfcat 
difference in the manner in which men perform their 
labours and operations. The caufe is very apparent. 
Scarcely any tyvo men will be found alike. We fee how 
materially they differ from .each other, in mental and 
bodily powers; and, how varioufly nature cbarafiferifes 
their aftions. Some are ftrohg, fome weak; fome are 
quick, others flow in their a&ions. Objedts, fays Arif- 
totle in his Poetic, may be the fame, and the imitation 
performed by the fame means, and yet in a different 
manner. Thefe differences appear very forcibly to us in 
archery. , But, independent of this remark,fome allowance 
muft be made for human errors, A perfeft archer 
is, ijideed, not every day's obje£t. Afcham, fpeaking 
of his own times when archery was more gene- 
rally praftifed than it is in thefe days,^ has told us, that 
if a man would fet before his eyes five or fix of the faireft 
archers that ever he faw flioot ; and of one learned to 
jland) of another to draw, of another to' loofe % and fo 
take of every man what every man could do beft, he 
would, no doubt, arrive at fuch perfe&ion as never man 
came to yet. He has alfo obferved, that good archers have 
their faults. Daily experience proves to us, that bad 
inftruftion and ill example have, in all human aftions, 
a rooted and prevailing influence. The greateft beauty 
is often marred by a blemifh. We muft therefore, in 
contemplating and feeling the effefts of the former, not 
overlook or become infenfible to the latter: and, upon 
all occaGons, be particularly careful to diftinguifli prin- 
ciple from cuftom and habit \ however well difguifed 

O 2 the 



the latter may be. An attention to* this rule, will be 
our fureft guide to true and unerring excellence in 
archery. 



SECTION IX. 
OF SHOOTING AT MARKS, 

Firft Lejfons. 

TT7HEN the archer has attained fuch a command 
* * . over bis bow, as to be able to brace and un- 
brace its and to ftand, nock, hold, draw and loofe 
with eafs and dexterity (30), he may proceed to (hoot 
at a mark. 

In modern archery, the firft and fhorteft diftance is 
thirty yards, the archer then proceeds to fixty j which 
latter diftance is faid to be a key to and to command all 
lengths. But, perhaps the Perfian and Turkifli me- 



(30) The Perfians, according to Chardin, attained "to a very 
great degree of dexterity in thefe principal points. They fhot, 
fays he, into the air, as high as the bow would carry, endea- 
vouring to excel each other in the height of the thoct. The art 
confifted in folding the bow properly, drawing and looting tne 
firing with eafe, without fuffering the left hand which held the 
bow and was fully extended, or the right hand which handled the 
firing, to fbake in the flighted degree. And, that the tnftructors 
deemed the exercife well performed, when, the bow being held 
in the left hand fliffly ftretched out, the firing was drawn, with 
the'thumb, to the ear, as it were to hang it there. Afterwards, 
fays.he, they learned to fhoot at a mark. When, it was not only 
neceffary to hit it, but^alfo that the arrow fhould fly ftraight and 
firm, without tottering. Laftly, they learned to fhoot with force 
and weight. Tom. a. Ch. iz. 

' thod 



[ 199 a 

thod is better: according to which, the learner is firft 
to pra£Hfe at twenty and even ten yards, at which .di(V 
tances an archer may become fo expert as to fyt the 
fmalleft mark. 



section x. 



OF ELEVATION. 



Ob/eroations on Elccation-^HigheJi Point of Eleva- 
wtion — Different Methods made life of by Archers 

to obtain due Elevation. — Remarks. 

> * * 

ASCHAM has but barely dropped an bint upon 
this head, in obferving cc that the arrow fliould 
€t fly a round compafs" that is, in a parabola or curve; 
which implies the neceflity of giving a, degree of ele- 
vation to the bow: but the due extent of that elevation 
is a point of fome difficulty, and depends chiefly on the 
.judgment of the eye. If the elevation is too low, the 
arrow muft fall fhort -, and if too high, it muft fly over 
, the mark. In (hooting at moderate lengths, the lower 
the elevation can be made, the more certain is the 
ihoot ; fpr, the more the arrow in its flight lofes the track 
of * a parabola or curve, and approaches to an angle, 
the lefs likely is it to fall upon the mark; and, the 
higher it afccnds, the more it is liable to be affedted by 
the wind. It is on this account, that a ftrong armed 
archer has the advantage of the weak-armed one : the 
former, by drawing a ftronger bow, can reach his objeft 

O 4 with 



, i aoo ] . 

. with a much lefs degree of elevation, than one who 
is contained to fhoot with a weak one. Yet, it muft 
beobferyed, that fome archers fhoot (and by cuftom 
very, well too) with an higher elevation than what the 
bows they (hoot with require. 

In fliooting very great lengths, the bow muft often 
be raifed to the higheft point of elevation that can ex- 
tend the flight of a proje&ile. This elevation has been 
afcertained and fixed at forty-five degrees. But it 
feems, that an error of a degree above or below 
45 , will not produce a fenfible one in the diftance: 
becaufe, the fines, within a degree of 90 , differ 
v$ry little from the radius, and thofe fines, near the 
elevation of 45 °, are as diftances. Doftrine of Projec- 
tiles, by William Starr at. Dublin, 1733. 

In order to afcerfain the due degree of elevation, fome 
archers make ufe of the knuckles of the bow-hand as a 
guide and gradation or fcalfe of height, raifing or de- 
preffing the bow, and carrying the eye along a firft or 
„ fecond knuckle, according to their idea of the diftance,- 
or the fall of their laft-fhot arrow. To bring this me- 
thod to a greater nicety, others have drawn lines, in 
different colours, upon the glove of the bow- hand, an- 
fwering to twice the number of the knuckles, (one line 
falling upon the center of each knuckle and another 
between each' knuckle). Mr. Mafon, in his Confidera- 
tions on the Long-bdw and Pike, fuggefts the following 
ingenious refle&ion to determine the diftknce f of fuch 
objefts as men and horfes 5 namely, with die arm ex- 
tended and the bow braced, to compare the height of 
objefts from head to foot, at different diftances ; 
as, they appear in comparifon of the altitude of the 
upper part of the bow, when looking fever the hand. 
And, he obferves, that by fettling the memory of this in 

the 



t 201 ] 

the eye, or noting the general marks of the variations, 
the archer can always determine the diftance with corf- 
fiderable precifion. It would be placing archery too 
much in the back ground, and entering too deeply into 
, the fcience of optics, particularly the doftrines of falla- 
cious vifion and apparent magnitude, to profecute this 
difcuffion further. 

The advantages to be derived from the ufe of the 
methods of afcertaining the due degree of. elevation 
before noticed, refult, poflibly, more from habit, than 
from principle -, particularly as the parabolic theory of 
proje&iles feems td be giving way to praUice and expert- 
\ment (3 1 ). The eye is an organ of wonderful power 5 and* 
as it is taught, fo it continues to exercife its functions* 
And therefore, as he who is intruded to read Hebrew 
without points, will read it with, at leaft, equal facility 
with one who has always been accuftomed to the ufe 
of fuch helps : fo, the archer, who is at firfl: fnftrudted 
to (hoot without having recourfc to fuch means, (which 
may often miflead him through geometrical nicety), will 
Ihoot as. well, or, poffibly, better, without relying upon 
them ; particularly, as fome of thofe methods feem te 
have a tepdency to detach the eye from the mark, upon 
which it fhould always, in fhooting, be fixed. 

When this elevation fhould begin, muft depend upon 
thefe circumftancesj namely, diftance— ftrength and 
Jpring of the bow — and the looje. In modern archery, 
we generally (hoot point blank at a thirty-yard mark. 
If the bow^ we ufe is very weak, and without much 
fpring, it may, even at- this fhort length, require fome 
trifling degree of elevation. On the contrary, if it is 

(31) See this fubjeft- examined and explained by the authors of 
the Encyclopaedia Britannica % Tit. Projectiles. 

pretty 



[ 202 ] 

prtrtty ftrong, or has a quick return, and is fharply 
loofed, it may enable us to (hoot point-blank fomewhat 
forthcr. - 



SECTION XI. 
OF THE WIND AND THE WEAT HER. 

Necejfity for an Archer to x underjiand and Jludy the 
, N&ture of the Wind, and to become well acquainted 
with the Flight of his Arrows — Difference of the 
Seafons—Ejfed; of the Weather upon the Bow and 
the Archer— EffeBs of the Wind in Archery — 
Couife and Nature of Winds — Cautions to be ob- 
ferved injhooting near the Sea Coafi and Rivers 
qffe&ed by a Tide* 

* nP^HE greateft enemy of (hooting," fays Afcham, 
•« -*r is the wind and the weather-, whereby the true 
" keeping of a length is principally hindered. If this 
"was not fo, men, by teaching, might be brought to 
, ff wonderful near fhooting. And therefore, as in fail- 
<f ing the chief point of a good mafter is to know the 
<€ tokens of a change of weather, and the courfe of the 
#< winds; that thereby he may the better cdme to the 
<€ haven: even fo, the beft property of a good fhooter 
** is to know the nature of the winds, with him and 
<f agatnft him ; that "thereby he may fhoot nearer to his 
mark. Wife matters, when they cannot obtain the 
" beft haven, ate glad of t{ie next: fo, good fhooters 

,c who 



*c 



I 203 ] 

* who cannot, when they would, hit the mark, will 
€C labour to come as nigh as they can, 

cf A good archer will,, firft, with attentive pra&ice 
€t and marking the weather, learn to know the nature 
€€ of the wind ; and with prudence will nrieafure in his 
€€ mind, how much it will alter his (hot, either in 
4t length-keeping, or elfe in ftraight- (hooting. And 
c< fo, with changing his (landing,' or taking another 
<c fhafr, which he perfectly well knows wifl be fitter for 
<c his purpofe (either becaufe it is lower feathered, tor die, 
<c becaufe it is of a better wing) will fo^ manage with 
€C judgment his fliot, that he (hall fcem rather to have the 
<c weather under his rule, by good caution and attention, 
<c than the weather (hall appear to rule his (haft by any 
€t fudden changing. A (hooter, who puts no difference, 
cc but (hoots in rough and fair weather alike, (hall al- 
<c ways put his winnings in bis eyes. Therefore,- in. 
cc (hooting, there is as much difference between an 
c< archer that is a good weather-man, and one that 
4C knows and notices nothing about it; as there is be- 
. €C tween a blind man, and one who can fee." 

u Thus, with refpeft to the weather; a perfect archer 
€t muft firft learn to know the fure flight of his (hafts, 
cf that he may be bold always to truft' them. Then 
€i muft he learn, by daily experience, all kinds of wea- 
€< ther; the tokens of it when it will come; the nature 
Cf of it when it is come; the diverfity and altering of it, 
cc when it changes; and the decreafe and diminution of 
u it, when it ceafes." 

" He that would ui\derftand perfeftly the wind and 
<c the weather, muft put differences betwixt times. For 
* c diverfity of time caules diverfity of weather. As, 
€t throughout the whole year, fpririg, fummer, autumn 
f< and winter; fo, in one day, morning, noon, after- 
€i noon and evening, both alter the weather, and change 

" not 



[ 204 ] ' ' 

* c not only the "power of the bow, but the ftrength of 
fC a man alfo. And to know that this is fo, is fuffi- 
f< cient for an archer: nor is it neceffary for him to 
" fearch into the caufe, why it fhould be fo, which 
cc belongs to a philofopher. In confidering the 
fC time of the year, a wife archer will follow a good 
u failor. In winter and rough weather fmall vefiels for- 
<c fake the fea: fo likewife, weak archers, ufing fmall 
cc and hollow fhafts with bows of little power, muft 
** be content to give place for a time. And this I do 
•* not fay to difcourage any weak (hooter: for, as there . 
cc is no better (hip than a galley, in a fmooth and 
fc calm fea ; fo, no man fhoots more gracefully or 
cf nearer his mark, than fome weak archers do, in a 
tt fair and clear day. Thus, every archer mud know^ 
cr not only what bow and (haft is fitted for him to flioot 
te with, but alfo' what time and Jeajon is befb for him 
<c to (hoot in. And, if the weather is too bad for your 
5* fliooting, leave off for that day, and wait a better 
" feafon. 

u In every one of the times before mentioned, the 
" weather alters; fometimes it is windy; fometimes 
Cf calm ; fometimes dowdy ;. fometimes clear ; fome- ^ ' 
f< times hot; fometimes cold; fometimes the wind is 
ct moift and thick; fometimes dry and fmooth. A little 
** wind, in . a moift day, ftops a (haft more than a good 
" whifking wind in a clear day. And, indeed, I have 
" obferved, when there has been no wind at ail, the air 
*• fo mifty and thick, that both the marks have been 
<c furprifingly large. And once, when the plague was in 
** Cambridge, the, down- wind twelve fcore mark, Tbir 

* th« fpace of. three weeks, was thirteen fcore and an 

* half* and into the wind, being not Yery great, a 
** great deal above fourteen fcore. 

€C The wind is fometimes plain up and down^ which 
f* commonly is moft certain, and requires the lead 

" knowledge 



[ 305 ] 

c * knowledge 5 wherein an indifferent fliooter, with indif-" 
** fcrent inftruments, if he can flioot home, may make 
<c tjie beft fliift. A fide-wind tries an archer and good 
<c gear very much. Sometimes it blows a-loft; fome- 
" times clb(e to the ground -, fometimes it blows by 
c< blafts^ fometimes it continues in one blaftj fome- 
" times an archer will find a full fide-wind, fometimes 
c< a quarter-wind (32) and more with him: or, on the 
<c contrary, againft him; which may be difcovered by 
" catling up light grafs; and may be eafily learnt 
" by a very little obfervation and experience/' 

u To fee the wind is impoffible, fo fine and fubtii 
" is the nature of it: yet, I once had an opportunity- 
<c of obferving the nature of the wind, by attending to 
c< a drift of loofe fnow, over a plain of frozen fnow, in 
" a clear day. Sometimes the wind was not more 
l c than two yards broad, and would carry the loofe fnow 
<c as far as I could fee: another time the fnow would 
cc blow over half the field at once: fometimes the 
f c fnow would tumble foftly, and, by and by, it wotild 
" fly furprifingly faft. And this I perceived alfo, that 
Cf the wind goes by dreams and not wholly together. 
" For, I could fee one Itream within a fcore of me ; ,. 
cc then, the fpace of two fcore, no fnow would ftir ; 
<c but, ' at a like diftance, another ftream of fnow, at 
€t the very fame time, would be carried likewife, but 
u but not equally ; for, the one would lie ftill, while 
<c the other flew apace, and fo continue:' fometimes. 
€C more fwiftly, fometimes more flowly, fometimes 
*' broader, fometimes narrower, as far as I could 
cc fee. Nor did it fly ftraight; but fometimes it turned 
* c this way, fometimes that, and fometimes it ran 



(3a) Afcbam diftinguifhes the archer's winds thus, up-winJ y 
jhwn-iuind) fid^-wind, JullJIde-wind^ Jide-ivind-qtiarter \ 

" round 



w round in a circle. And again, the fnow would be 
<c lifted clean from the ground up into the air, and by 
€C and by, it would be. all laid clofe upon the ground, 
" as though there had been no wind at all: imme- 
<c . diately, it would rife ancl fly again. And what was the 
€< mod wonderful} at one time, two drifts of fnow 
t€ flew, the one out of the weft into the eaft, the other 
fC out of the north into the eaft.' And, by means of* 
<c the fnow, I obferved two winds, the one crofs over 
" the other like two high-ways. And again, I could 
" hear the wind blow in the air, when nothing was 
cc ftirred t>n the ground. And, when all was ftill 
<c where.! rode, not very far from me the fnow was 
u lifted up wonderfully. This experience made mk 
cc more furprifed at the nature, than fkilled in the 
u knowledge, of the wind : but yet, thereby I learned 
. " perfeftly, that it is no wonder at all, that, in the wind, 
cc a man lofes his length in (hooting, feeing, that in fo 
" many ways, the wind is variable in blowing." 

r " The more uncertain and deceitful the wind iSj 
" the more heed muft a wife archer give, to under- 
€< ftand the changes of it* He 1 that doth miftruft, is 
" feldom deceived. For* although thereby he ftiall 
€< riot attain to that which is beft; yet, by fuch means* 
cc he fhall at leaft avoid that which is worft. Befides 
" all thefe kind of winds, you muft obferve if any cloud 
cc ajpears and gathers by little and little againft you j or,; 
€s if a (howcr of rain is likely to fall upon you; for* 
4f then, both the driving of the weather and the thick- 
" ening of the air increaics the mark : when, after the 
c< (hower, all things are, on the contrary, clear and calm; 
u and the mark, for the moft part, new to begin again* 
" You muft take heed alfo ; -if ever you fhoot where 
<c one of the marks, or both, ftand a little fhort of aa 
c< high wall, for there you may be eafily deceived*. 

« If 



[ 207, J 

*< If you take grafs and caft it up, to fee how the. 
" wind is, you will frequently fuppofe that you Ihoot 
€< down the wind, when you are (hooting dire&ly 
cc againft it. And the reafon is plain: for the wind, 
" which - comes indeed againft you, rebounds back 
<c again at the ; wall, and whirls back to the prick and 
€C * a little ' further, and then turns again; as violent 
<€ water againft a rock or high beach. So that, the 
<c grafs caft up will fly that way which,- indeed, isther 
<c longer mark; and deceive quickly a lhooter thai is 
€€ not aware of it. And this I have repeatedly experi- 
€C enced, when ftiooting at marks Handing within walls s 
<c as. thofe at Norwich and York. And therefore, in 
<c fhooting at marks fo fituated, I made ufe of the 
iC following expedient: I firft went to the middle diA 
c * tance between them, which was an open place, and* 
<c with a feather or light grafs, found out as well as I 
Vc could, how th'q wind was: that done, I went to the 
c * prick as faft as 1 could, and according as I had found 
cc the wind when I was in the mid-way between the 
" marks; fo, I was fain to be content to make my Ihot 
" as well as I could/' 

€< You muft alio be very obfervant when you fhoot 
" t near the Jea coaft y although two or three miles from 
/ <c the fea; for there careful attention ' will mark ex- 
<c traordinary changes, in the cleared day. The fame 
«* remark may be made by the fide of a river, efoe« 
<c , cially if it is affefted by a tide; where, whoever (half 
cc pay a diligent attention to the tide and the weather* 
" fhall eafily bear away the prize he Ihoots for/' 



SECTION 



[ 208 ] 



SECTION XII. 



OF THE FOOTING. 



footing or Standing in the J¥ind> the heji m$ans 
of counteraSting its EffeBs* ~ 

u T TAVING thus* marked the weather, you mud," 
■*■ -* fays Afcham, " pay much attention to your 
" x ftanding> that, by comparing the one with the other, 
cc you may regain by the latter what you loft by the 
* c former* And, in zjide windy you muft ftand fome-» 
c ^what acrofs into the windj by which means you will 
"'fhootthefurer." 

In the preceding SedKon, we find Afcham calling 
our attention to the winds ; in the prefent, he has given 
us an excellent rule for counteracting their effedt upon 
the arrow. 

It' -is ufual, with feveral archers, to make what they 
term an allowance for the wind, Ihooting wide of the 
mark and on the fide on which the wind lies, in order 
that the wind, may carry the arrow to the^ mark. This 
requires very great judgment aftd nice (hooting indeed^ 
to be of any advantage ; and frequently deceives. The ' 
young archer fhould be particularly cautioned nol: to 
truft too much to the wind: for, great reliance upon 
that will not Qnly bring him frequent difappointment at 
any one time, but alfo may lead him to contract an 
habit of trufting more to the wind than to his (hooting ^ 
by which means he jvill always fhoot with much un- 
certainty. Standing in the wind and (hooting through 



[ 209 ] 

' it, will be found far more certain than leaving the (haft 
to be guided by the wind: for, by this means we render 
unneceflary, or, at lead, greatly contradt our Allowance 
for it. 

Afcham muft frequently have experienced the good 
effeft of this part of archery 5 for he adds, " this point 
_ <c well known and properly managed in (hooting, gains 
* c more advantage, commendation, and praife to an 
u archer, than any other thing befides." 



SECTION Xllt. 
OF TAKING AIM. 

Obfervations. 

" /^\F giving aim/' fays Afcham, " I fcarcely know 
cc V-/ w hat to fay. In a ftrange place, it takes away 
" air opportunity of foul play (33), which, is the only 
" praife of it; yet, in my opinion, it hinders the 
€< knowledge of fhooting, and makes merj more neg- 
€f ligent, which is difpraile. Though aim be given, 
€C yet obferve, that at another man's fhoot you cannot 
** well, take aim, nor even at your own* becaufe, the 
*' weather will alter, even in a minute, and that at one 



(33) I confefs, that I do not comprehend w6at Afcham means 
by foul play in giving aim ; particularly, as archery, of all other 
paftimes, feems capable of affording the haft opportunity for foul 
play. In thefe days it is received and adopted as the moft gentle- 
manly recreation* and is attended by the moft liberal and mannerly 
fociety ; who have no caufe to exclaim with the* poet, procul 6 
fYocul efie prof ant. 

P " mark 



« mark,, and not at the other, «nd ftflfeft your (haft in 
" the air, when you fhali perceive no wind on the 
" ground i as I imyfelf haye feea-flufts tuipbk aloft in 
" a very fair day." > 



SECTION XIV. 

OF KEEPING A LENGTH. 

Cautions and Remarks. 



«f 



WHEN/* fays Afchaqn, *< you have taken good 
footing; before you fet your fhaft in. the bow, 
" obferve whether it has any earth or wet adhering to 
u it; for either of them will caufe it to lofe the 
"length. Y s ou muft alfo attend to the head, kft it 
M fhould have received any hurt in the laft fhoot ; for t 
"by lighting upon a ftone,.the head will fometimes 
*f be injured, the fhaft crooked, and the feather da- 
€t maged ; the leaft of which accident^ will occafion a 
u man to lofe the length. And therefore, they muft 
€t be noticed when the fhaft is taken up, and remedied* 
ic by making the he&d fmooth, which will affift it$ 
** flight. For which purpofe, every. archer carries about 
<€ him a file, a ftone, fifh-(kin, and a piece of cloth.-' 
" To look at the lhaft head, at the loofe, is the 
f c greateft help in keeping a length that can be; but 
<c it hinders excellent fhooting; becaufe a man cannot; 
4€ fhoot perfectly fti aighr, uniefs he looks at his mwh 
? was I to (hoot at a line, and not at a mark, I wouki 
c * always look at my fhaft end/* 



u Now, if yon mark the weather ditigtntly, keep your 

* landing exaftly, hold and nock /r#/y, draw and loolc 

* always alike, and' keep your elevation correfffy, you 
a will never mifs your length." 



SECTION XV. 
OF SHOOTING STRAIGHT. 

Obfervations — Different means to Jhoot Jlraight ufed 
by different Archers — Different ways of looking at 
the Mark— Nature and Powers of the Eye — Caufes 
of not Jhooting Jlraight— Remedy — Necejfity ef 
keeping the Eye always fixed upon the Mark. 

LASTLY, fays Afqham upon the fdbje& of (hoot- 
ing, <c it only remains for you to fhoot Jlraight. 
<f As the weather belongs principally to the keeping a 
*' length, (yet a fide-wind belongs alfo to fhooting 
* c ftraight), even fo, the nature of the prick is' to fhoot 
*t ftraight. The length or fhortnefs .of the mark is 
f< always under the rule of the weather: yet, thpre is 
" fomewhat in the mark worthy the notice of an 
*• archer. If the pricks ftand on a ftraight and plain 
° ground, they are the beft to fhoot at. If the mark 
** ftands on an hill-fide, or the ground is uneven* with 
tc pits and windings between the marks, die eye muft 
4€ think that to be ftraight, which is crooked. The 
** effeft of this isfeen in painting, and it is enough for 
*f ai> archer to notice and attend to it. The chief rea- 
*• fon why men do not fhoot ftraight, is becaufe they 
" lodk at their Jhaft. And this fault arif&, when a 

P 2 " man 



[ 2ia g 

« man is .not taught to (hoot when he is young. If he 
u learns to (hoot by himfelf, he is afraid of drawing 
€C his fhaft through his bow; and therefore always keeps 
cc his eye upon his (haft, and cuftom confirms him in" 
<c this fault. Men continue longer in this fault, be- 
€€ caufe they find it fo advantageous in keeping a 
" length; and yet, to. (hoot ftraight, they ufe feveral/ 
cc devices. Some fix their eye upon a tree or hill 
" beyond the mark, or elfe notice fome plain object 
cc between the marks: others find out fome mark a 
" bow wide of the prick, and then take care to keep 
cc themfelves on the hand upon which, the prick (lands: 
€c a method , which pofifeffes a greater advantage, than 
" thofe are apt to believe, who have not tried it.' 
<f Some, and thofe very good archers [as has been 
" before noticed] in drawing, look at the mark, until 
" the (haft is drawn nearly to the head; then they 
** look at the (haft, but at the very loofe, with a fecond 
<c fight, they find the mark again. But this method as 
" well as thofe before noticed, are but fhifts, and are 
u not to be followed in (hooting ftraight. For to 
u have the eye always on the mark, is the only 
" way to (hoot ftraight ; and, I apprehend, fo ready 
<f and eafy a way, if it be learned in youth, and con* 
u firmed by ufe, that a man will never mifs therein, 
" Men doubt what way is bed in looking at the 
gt mark; whether betwixt the bow and the fixing; 
" above or beneath the hand; and many other ways: 
€€ yet, it is of little confequence, which way a man 
<c looks at his mark, if he (hoots gracefully. The 
u diverfity of men's (landing and drawing is the caufe . 
<f of their looking at the mark different ways: yet, they 
u all lead the hand to (hoot ftraight, if nothing elfe pre- 
" vents it. So that gracefulnejs is the only criterion for 
" looking at the mark." ^ . 

" Some 



[ 213 ] 

€t Some wonder, why, when the eye is fixed pn the 
€i mark, the hand fhould-go ftraight: but let them 
t( recolledt, that the eye commands, as it we>e, all the 
t€ members of the body. This is apparent in many 
" things, but moft evident in fencing and fighting; in 
" which a man (hall read in the eye of his antagonift, 
" where he intends to ftrike him. Therefore, an 
** archer who learns to look at his mark when he is 
<c young will always (hoot ftraight. What prevents a 
€< man, who looks at his mark, from (hooting ftraight, 
" are, a fide wind •> too ftrong or too weak a bow % 
" a weak bow-arm; the feather running too much on 
" the boW; a large breafted (haft for one who (hoots 
" under-hand, becaufe it will hobble ; a fmall breaded 
cc (haft for one who (hoots over his hand, becaufe it 
a will ftatt; a pair of winding pricks ; and many other 
" things," which an archer mud notice and learn to 
,c amend. . s 

c< If a man would leave off looking at his (haft, and 
" would learn to look at his mark, he may make ufe of 
" the following expedient; which a good (hooter told 
,c me he once did. Let him take his bow at night, and 
<c (hoot at two lights - y when he will, from neceflity, be 
" compelled to look always at his mark> and never at his 
cc (haft; and this method once or twice ufed, will cau(e 
" him to forfake looking at his (haft. Yet, muft he 
cc be very careful not tofet his (haft in his bow" 
Aftrham means that both eyes (hould be fixed on the 

, mark, as archers do not (hut one in (hooting. 
* I cannot, perhaps, finifli this chapter on (hooting, 
more to the archer's fatisfaftion, than by giving him 

; the two following extradts, relative to the fubjett. The 
firft is from Vegetius; and the other is taken from a 
book printed at the commencement of the feventeentfy 

I century. 

[ P 3 " Great 



[ 214 ] 

^ c Great attention fhould be given, that tb? young, 
* c archer holds his bow with caution and 0ciU, occupy* 
i€ ing it manfully ; that his left hand is fteady ; that his 
" right hand draws the firing with judgment; that 
u both his eye and his mind a& together upon the 
€t objedt of his aim: and that, whether on foot or on 
Cf horfeback, he learns to (hoot ftraight(34). 

" Shooting in the long-bowe, is both healthful 
* € for the bodie, and neceffary for the common-wealth) 
« the firft extending the limbes and making th^rn 
sc pliant, the other an able ftrength fit to prefervc 
" and defend his countrie. And firft, for lhooting in 
cc the long-bowe, a man muft obferve thefq few rules: 
* c firft, t4iat he have, a good eye to behold and difcerne 
" His marke ; a knowing judgment to underftand the 
€C diftance of ground to take the true advantage of a 
" fide-winde, and to know in what compafle his arrow 
'< muft flie; and a quick dexteritie to give his fhaft a 
t€ ftrong, fharpe, and fodaine loofe. He muft, in the 
" a£Upn itfelf, ftand faire, comely and upright with 
" his body ; his left foot a convenient ftridc before 
€t his right; both his hammes ftiffe; . his left vme 
c< holding his bowe in the midft ftrecht ftrait-out: 
" and his right arme with his three firft fingers and his 
c< thumb (35) drawing the firing to his right earej the 
u nock of his arrowe refting between, his forefinger and 



(34) At Docrores ad haac rem et artifices eligendi : et major' 
adhibenda folertia, ut arcum diligenter ac fcienter teneant, ut 
fort iter iipp leant : ut finiftra fixa lit^ et dextra cum ratione duca- 
tur: ut ad illud quot feriendum eft: occulus pariter animniqut 
confentiant : ut five in equo, five in terra, return fagittare d<x*» 
ant. Fegetius* Cap. 1$. 

(35) The thumb is not ufed, butfomewbat turned down 14 
drawing. ^ ■ 



I 415 ] . .' 

, cc long-finger of his right hand ; and the fteale of his 
cc arrowe, belowe the feathers, upon the middle knuckle 
" of his for-finger on his left-hand,. He fhall draw 
<€ his arrow up clofe to the head, and deliver it on the 
<c ' inftajit, without hanging on the firing. The beft 
cc bowe is either Spanifti 6r Englilh yewe, and the 
" worft of witchen or elm. The beft fhaft is of burch, 
cc fugar-cheft or brafell; and the beft feather gray or 
<c white." Country Contentments. (London, J615.). 
Chap. 8. p. 107. School of Recreation* by &, H» 
1684. 



P 4 CHAP- 



. [ 0J6 ] 

\ 

CHAPTER IX. 

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND CAPTIONS. 



SECTION I. 



Means of attaining to Excellence in Jhooting — An 
Art in Archery to be found out and commanded. 

IN a preceding part of the Toxopbitus, we find Af- 
cham referring the young archer to an attentive 
obfervation and imitation of the feveral qualities of the 
bed archers. Bad precepts reduced into pra&ice, as 
well as bad examples, will only bring him frequent dif- 
appointment. For, as Afcham obferves, cc there are 
cc fome who poffefs a very good bow and good (hafts, 
" and very good knowledge of (hooting, but they'haVe 
cc been brought up in fuch evil-favouted (hooting, 
" that they can neither (hoot gracefully, nor. near the 
u mark." And that " the want of proper inftru#ion 
<c caufes many to decline beginning to (hoot, and more 
cc to leave x)ff (hooting, when they have begun. 

After having obtained good inftruftion and exam- 
ple, pra&ice and earned endeavours muft perform the 
reft; for, difufe and carelefihefe are fore enemies to 
archery. 

There is, as Afcham obferves, " an art in archery," 
which we jnuft endeavour to find out, and to command. 

But 



I 217 ] 

But we may fay with the poet 5 hoc cpus, hie labor ejt. 
There are many arts, in which men are fo aided by a 
complication of mechanical power, that the wigine^ and 
not the man, may be faid to accomplifh the end. This is 
not the cafe with the bow, an inftrument of moft fimplc 
conftru&ion ; and, being fo, it depends, for its opera- 
tion and effeft, entirely upon the conftant attention and 
ikillofman. Perhaps, no art whatever requires more 
attention j if we would attain high perfeftion in it. Like 
the art of mufic which can produce many who can per- 
form exceedingly well upon an inftrument ; yet but few 
Orphan?**: fo, archery can boaft of many good fhooters, 
but of few Robin Hoods. 



SECTION 11. 

Of ujing Jirong Bows— General Rules for choojing 
the PojLixr of Bows. 

TT is a common fault (particularly with young 
■** fhooters, who, in general, are fond of exerting their 
ftrength to the utmoft) to ofe bows, which are too ftrong 
for them to manage with eafe. By which means, they not 
only ftrain their mufcles, but fometimes injure them fo 
tnqch, as to deprive themfelves of the exercife of the bow 
for a time; and fome have, from this caufe, repented that 
they ever took it up. Independent of the obfervation, 
it is often owing to this circumftance that young (hooters 
make little progrefs in the art; for Afcham obferves, that, 
cc this thing makes fome to overflioot the mark, fome to 
" fhoot far wide, and perchance to hurt a by-ftander." 

And 



t -»" 1 

And, in another place, he remarks, * that thfe ffcrongetf: 

/ fC men do not always draw the ft/ongeft fhot : which 

u proves, that dr&wing ftrong lies not fo much in the 

c< ftrenpb of a man, as in the ufe of 'Jhooting. Foiythat 

** a ftrong, man not ufed to (hoot, has his arms, breaft 

cc and (houlders, and other parts, wherewith he fhould 

** draw ftrongly, one hindering and flopping another.'* 

/And, " the ftrongcr the man, the more unhandfomely 

I u he (hoots ; and the fooner he breaks his bow." But, 

) cc that if a ftrong man, with ufe of (hooting, could apply 

,/ ") fc all the parts of his body together, he would then 

i cc both drawftron ger and (hoot better than another 

V cc Man. And thus, ftrong men, without ufe, can 

* <c do nothing in (hooting, to any purpofe, neither in 

,ff war nor peace ; but if they happen to ftioot, yet, 

€c they have done in a (hoot or two. When, a weak 

Cf man, that is ufed to (hoot, (hall ferve *for all times 

f c and purpofes ; and (hall ftioot ten (hafts againft the 

** other's four, and draw them up to the point every 

i c time, and, (hoot them to the moft advantage : draw- 

€€ ing and withdrawing his (baft when he pleafes; mark- 

cc ing at one man and 'yet letting drive at another. 

u Again, he that is not ufed to (hoot, (hall by awk-' 

** wardly holding his bow and knocking his (haft, and 

€t not looking to his firing in time, continually rifk" the 

•* breaking of his bow. Befides, he will (hoot very few 

fc fhafts, and thofe moft awkardly; fome ndt half 

"•* drawn up; (bme too high; fome too low; nor can 

u he drive srihot at one rime, or (top a (hot at another i 

cc but out it muft, and often to little purpofe {36)." . 

Biftiop 



(36) The following anecdote will fully prove the truth of Af- 
cbam's observations. Some few years ago, there was a ftrong 
man blamed Topham ; who exhibited furprifing feats of flrength, 
and who happened to be at a public- houfe near Iflington, to 

which 



[ aig ] 

BHhop Latimer in his fermon (before quoted) in- 
forms us, " that he had his bows bought for him ac- 
" cording to his age zndftrengtb, and, as he encreafcd 
<c in them, fo his bows were made heavier and 
" ftrongcr." This method, of learning to (hoot, was 
fcrupuloufly attended to by the Perfians, who trained up 
their youth to be moft excellent archers. And Leo, in 
bis Ta&ics, advifes, that the bow fliould be fomewhat 
under the power of the (hooter (37). 

It is not poflible to lay down any precife rule, with 
refpe<5t to the exaft power of the bow which a young 
archer ihould firji take up, or, which is adapted to every 
man. But an obfervation fimilar to what Afcham his 
made, in fpeaking of arrows, may be very properly 
applied to this head: namely, that when a man knows 
his own ftrength, and the nature of his bow, he muft 
provide and fit himfelf . accordingly : duly confidering 
the kind of (hooting, he.propofes to himfelf, with re- 
fpeft t9 diftance, which muft often determine his 
choice. However, it may be noticed, that few men 



which the Fin (bury Archers reforted after their exercife. Tophaaj 
confidered the longbow as a play thing, only fit for ( a child; 
upon which, one of the archers laid him a bowl of punch, that he 
could not draw the arrow two thirds of its length. Topham ac- 
cepted this bet with the greateft confidence of winning; butt 
bringing the arrow to his breaft, inftead of his ear, he was greatly 
mortified by paying the wager, after many fruitlefs efforts. The 
late Mr. Con ft able, who communicated this anecdote, was pre- 
fent at the time. , - • 

(37) It feems very neceflary, to- caution the young archer againft 
a ferious error which has crept into Mr. Mofeley's Ejfay on Archery, 
in the quotation of this paflage from Leo : according to which, 
quotation, Leo dfredb the bow to be rather above than beneath 
the power of the fhooter. See Mofeley, page 262. The original 
fpeaks thus, Tpfap/a $* exarav nana r i&iav*i<rxw kcu *x wip at/Jm 9 
(johtov 3e xai anafo-Jlzqa. Arcus etiam fingulorum viribus idonef^ 
non fupra vires, fed potius infra vires utentium. Lewis TaHica^ 
cap. 6. 

who 



who have obtained their full ftrength, and are in perfe& 
health, need fear to take up one under the power of 
forty-eight or fifty pounds for a fhort length ; of fifty- 
five pounds for a long length ; and of fixty- pounds for 
roving or Eight (hooting. Ladies and boys bows pop* 
fefe, on the average, a power of twenty-feven pounds. 
Yet, we find both boys and ladies, who can ufe bows 
of thirty-two pounds weight with eafe and flcilU 'Phe 
arrows, ufed by ladies and boys, feldom exceed the 
length of -twenty-four inches. Anditfhould be ob- 
ferved, that an archer may often find it more fuitablc 
O to his ftrength, inclination and purpofe, to increafe the 
1 power of his fow, and Jhorten the length of his arrow. 



c 



SECTION III. 
AFFECTIONS OF THE MIND. 

T T is abiblutely -neceffary, that the young archer 
-*> fhould take up his bow with toolnefs and attention ; 
for hafte and too great eagernefs are qualities in an 
archer which muft be got rid of, before he can arrivfc 
at ' any degree of excellence in the art. As to anger 
and other affections of the mind, Afcham cautions us 
much againft giving way to them. No inftrument 
whatever is more affe&ed by the impulfe of the animal 
fpirits than the bow. It is when not only our bows, 
but our nerves are well ftrung, that we can do juftice to 
the art. We muft call courage and confidence to our aid, 
applying, to our purpofe, the motto of a noble houfe: 
<f Nee temcre nee timide." What good effe&s thefe two 

great 



[ 231 ] 

great rfequifites in archery will, accomplifh, cannot be 
more forcibly inftanced, than in the following cir- # 
cumftarice. , At the battle of Agincourt, the Englifti arn 
chers ( who although ahnoft to a man greatly reduced 
in ttrength, by the want of fufiicient and proper food* 
and labouring under a raging dyfentery) recolledting 
the valour of their forefathers, and encouraged by their 
brave prince, met undifmayed their enemies. And 
hiftorians inform us, cc with fuch courage had the 
4 * king's words infpired them, that though before, they 
" co\j\dfcarcely bend their bows, they were now aMe*o 
* c .draw their yard-fang arrows to the bead" 



SECTION IV* 



OF BREAKING BOWS. 



Means by which Bows are broke — by the String — by 
the Shaft — by Drawing too far— "Remedy and 
Tokens of thefe Caufes — by Frets — Obfervations.cn^ 
the Remedy for Frets — by Shooting in Winter. 

« A SHOOTER/' fays Afcham, « breaks his bow' 
cc -£*- commonly four different ways* by the firing, by 
€€ the (haft, by drawing too far, and by frets. 

" By the firing j when it is either too fhort, too 
€< long, not fafely **put on, put on with only one wind- 
" ing or twift in the noofe, put on crooked, cut afun- 
" der by a bad nock, or permitted to remain too long 
"on. the bow. When the firing fails, the bow muft 

"of 



I 2^2 ] 

" of neceflity break, and especially in the middle: 
* c becaufe both ends, having nothing to ftqp them, fly 
€k back fo far, that the belly muft of neceflity rife up 
** violently ; which you will perceive by bending a bow 
u backwards. Therefore, a bow which fellows the firing 
«* is leaftr hurt by the ftring breaking {38). 

** By the fhaft a bow is broken, either, when it is 

* too fhort, and fo you fet it in your bow ; or, when the 
u nock breaks on account of its- fmallnefs; or, \vhen 
^ the firing flips out of the nock on account of its 

* widenefs. For you pull it to your ear, and then let 
t€ let it go ; which muft of neceflity break the fhaft at 
fe the leaft, and endanger not only the fhaft and the 
€€ firing, but alfo the bow : becaufe, the bow poflefles 

* no power to counteract its force. This manner of 
<c breaking a boW, is the moft dangerous for by-" 
€t flanders ; for, in this cafe, you will fometimes fee 
*' the end of a bow fly twenty yards from the (hooter, 
ce : and moft commonly (as I have often obferved) the 
c< upper end of the bow/' 

kQ Some archers, who either do not ufe a bow equal' 
** to their ftrength, or are apt or fear to overdraw 
« their arrow, and thereby either fet it in, or draw it 
m through the bow, ufe a piece of cork cut in the 
<c fhape of a wedge (about an inch broad) (?he bafe 
u of this is glued againft the infide of the bow, fb 

that the arrow may reft upon it. The cork 
<c fhould be covered with parchment (the green co 
** loured is generally ufed), which helps to bind the 



(38) Back'd bows being, on account of their reflex form and 
fSbdency, more liable to break by the failure of the firing than 
felf-bows, which generally follow the ftring: it has become aa 
©bfervation, with the bow-makers, that a fmart-cafting back'd- 
bow which ftands the breaking of tfce firft tiring, adds, therebj, 
» guuxea to its value. 

" cork 



€C 



[ 12Z ] 

ff cork tighter, and makes & ftnootB path for thfe 
* c arrow. ' 

€C The bow is drawn too far y two ways. Either, 
* c "when you take a longer (haft than your own,* [or 
what your bow will bear], " or elfe, when you (hilt 
* c your hand too low or two high for fhooting properly. 
cc This means pulls a back in funder, and then the bo* 
** flies into many pieces." 

" So that, when you fee a bow broken, having the 
f< belly rifen up towards both ends or one, the ftring 
* c brake it : when it is broken in two pieces, and, a* 
u it were, eivn off> and, efpecially in the upper end ; the 
u (haft-nock brake it: when the back is pulled afun- 
" der in many pieces, too far drawing brake it. Thefe 
" tokens are either always true, or elfe very feldom 
cc erroneous." 

<c The fourth caufe that breaks a bow is frets g- 
• c which render a bow apt and ready to break by any 
#< of the three ways before mentioned. Frets are to be 
ce found in a (haft, as well as in a bow, and they arc 
** very fimilar to a canker, creeping and increafing in 
€€ fuch parts of the bow as are the weakeft (39). To 
€i prevent which, your bow muft be well trimmed and 
cc dreffed by a (kilful hand, that it may come rbund 
cc compafs every where. If your bow has a knot in 
'* the back, you muft beware of frets, left the parts next 
** the knot are not left ftrong enough to bear with the 
tf knot; for, if they are not, the ftrong knot will fret 
c f the weak places near it* Frets are at firft fmall 



(39) " Beware/' fays Afcham, f c of your (haft-heads, daggq^ 
?' knives and tags ; left they fcratch your bow; a thing, as before 
?• obferved, both unfightly to look on, and dangerous by giving 
** rife to frets." At this day, when no daggers are worn, we have 
little elfe betides the fhaft-head to guard the bow from. 

" pinches, 



" pinches, and (as foon as they have fliewn them- 
u (elves) the places about the pinches mull be (craped, 
ff to make them fomewhat weaker ; and that as well 
" where there is any figns of their coming, as where 
€t it is a&ually pinched; by which means the pinches 
<c .will die away, and never increafe further into 
«« frets/* 

M Frets begin often in a pin, for there the good wood 
€ * is corrupted, and;muft neceffarily be weak, and confe- 
" quently doth fret. Good bowyers therefore raife 
€€ each pin, and allow it more wood for fear of its 
'" freting. Bows, moft commonly, fret under the hand; 
cc not fo much, as fome fuppofe, on account of the 
f< moifture as of the beat of the hand (40)." 

" There is no remedy for frets, but to make the 
u fretted place as ftrong or ftronger than any- other. 
<c To fill up the fret with fmall (hivers of a quill 
cc and glue, which fome think will anfwer, muft be 
c< ufelefs. For, fuppofe the fret to ceafe, yet, fince 
1 f the caufe which made it fret before (namely weak- 
€C nefs of the place) is not removed, it muft neceffarily 
c< fret again. With refpedt to cutting out the frets, 
** with all manner of piecing of bows, I muft entirely 
" exclude fuch (hifts 'from perfect lhooting. For, 
u pieced bows, like old houfes, are more expenfive to 
€< repair, than convenient for ufc. Swaddling a bow 
€C much with bands feldom avails, unlefs it is to keep 
f< down zffell in the back; otherwife, bands either are 
u unnecefiary when the bow is good, or ufelefs when 
u it is fpoilt. And, although mean and poor (hooters 



(40) This might have been the cafe, when the handle was only 
waxtdi but, if there is plenty of wood in the handle, is now, 
(especially as the handle is covered) very uncommon. • 

will 



, [ 445 ] fc . 

cc will fomettmes ufe pieced and bandaged bows, 

cc becaufe they are not able to procure better 5 yet, 

€€ upon good confideration, they will find it lead coft 

" ^nd more pleafure to beflrow a few additional lhil- 

€€ lings on a new bow, than to pay a fmajl Turn for 

cc piecing an old one/' 

" There is another means, which will foon caufe a 

cc bow to be broken by one of the three ways be- 

<c fore noticed; and that is, (hooting in winter when 

€€ there is any froft^ which penetrates wherever there is 

cc any watery humour -, as there is in woods more or 

" lefs: and, it is well known, that frozen fubftancds 

cc will fooner break than bend. To prevent an acci- 

<c dent from fuch 4 caufe ; the bow muft, before it 

c< is ufed, be brought to the fire, and there, by cje- 

cc grees, rubbed and chafed with a waxed cloth : which 

€c will bring it to fuch a date, that it may be (hot in 

" with fufficient fafety. Take heed alfo of mifty 

cc and < moift weather, which will hurt a bow more 

c< than any rain. For then, you muft either frequently 

€€ rub it, or elfe leave off fhooting. . In the field alfo, 

4t when walking between the pricks, you may, either 

cc with your hand or elfe with a cloth, keep your bow 

cc in £uch a temper." 

The end of this chapter affords a favourable oppor- 
tunity, of corre&ing an inaccuracy in a former page. 
{Page 194J. In the explanation of one of Afcham's five 
Points of Archery (drawing) ; it was noticed, that he 
had" cautioned us againft making too great a circle with 
the body. This obfervation is not quite correft •> for, in 
truth, the left fide of the archer being oppqfed to his 
mark, remains fa in the/ aftion of drawing', the hody 
* neither making any turn, nor defcribing any part of a 
circle. But, in bringing the bow round to the mark, 
the archer only raifes his arms from his waift, in which 
a&ion the bow and arrow move ii} a circular dire&ion. 

Q^ SECTION 



£ 2&0 ] 

GT PRESERVING BOWS, 

OfPolijhing Bows— Bow-Cqfes— of oiling Bows. 

ASCHAM obferm, " that an archer fhouW fre- 
" quently rub his bow, with a woollen cloth 
" waxed, till it fhines and glitters 3 which will caufe it 
<c to be clean, pleafing to the eye, of a good colour, and, 
c< in time, form fuch a hard and flippery polifli upon 
f< it, that neither the weather nor wet, can hurt it; 
" nor any fret or pinch be able to affed it. This 
<c fhould never be oinitted after (hooting (41). 

" Bows are greatly preferved by being kept in cafes, 
" made of baife or other woollen cloth ; which will 
" prefer ve them in their full ftrength, fo that they 
f c will not give in any weather. Leather, being apt to 
cc get moift, is not fo good for this ufe. Each bow, 
" when carried to $ny diftance, fhould have a feparate 
<c cafe, to prevent their rubbing againft each other: 
" this cafe fhould not be tight, left it ftrain the bow, 
" and caufe it to caft itfeif. Several bows thus cafed, 



tyi) Sir John Smith has informed us (**/*, Part I. Chap, ii.) 
That, in his time, the archers made ufe of a compofition of wa*,' 
foiin and fine tallow, for pdiming their bows ; which preferred 
them from the efFe&s of all weathers,. The copal oil varnt/i diluted 
vr'ithfpiats of turpentine is known to make an admirable varnifh for 
wood, impervious to moifture and wet; and, probably, would 
prove a very great prefervative to bows, particularly thofe which 
are backed ; the latter being the fooneft injured by damp, which 
frequently foftens the glue: and, when they are drawn, caufe* 
the back to give way* 

** may 



{ ,a27 ] 

« may be put into one large leathern cafe ; and thus 
** may be carried without injury. At home, be careful 

* not Jo place your bow too near a ftone wall, which 

* will make it moift and weak 5 nof jtoo near a fire, 
u which will render it fhort and brittle : but, the beft 
<c way is to put your bows into a wooden cafe (42). 

Bows fhould occasionally be rubbed with linfeed 
oil: once in a year is fufficient. Yew will abforb oil 
fafter than moft other woods, and therefore, care muft , 
be taken not to give it too much. 



SECTION VI. 

OF UNBENDING AND CHANGING BOWS DURING 
SHOOTING. 

SOME archers have thought It neceflkry to unbend 
their bows, whilft others were fhooting, and in walk- 
ing from one mark to the other; in order to prevent the 
baw lofing its fpring, by being kept long bent. But, this 
precaution is unneceflary: a good bow being found to 
foffer no injury in feveral hours fliooting* When the! 
Ihooting b over, the archer fliould never fail to un- 
brace his bow. On this fubjeft, Afcham gives us the 
following anecdote: I had, fays he, two bows, the one 
« quick of caft, neat and elegant, fit for pteafiire aAd 
a profit: the other a fog, flow of caft and following 



<4&) Very convenient cafes have of late years beefi made, 
which are caliejl Afckam % ia memory of the author of the Tox« 
ophilus. 

Qji « the 



[ 2*8 ] 

« the firing i more furc to laft, than pleafant to life., 
" By accident, they were both left bent all night, and 
<c part of the next day. In the morning, I found my- 
cc good bow entirely caft on one fide, and as weak as 
cc water: but, as to the lug, it was not at all the worfe, 
cc but afterwards (hot as well and as far las ever it did.** 
An archer fhould avoid, as much as may be, chang- 
ing his bow or arrows, during the /hooting ; as, the 
change of either, particularly of the former, will vary his 
ihooting: however, in moving from a long to a fliort 
length, or the contrary, it frequently becomes neceflary 
to change the arrows, and fometimes the bow: yet, 
fome archers ufe a bow they can command, at all 6r 
moft lengths. 



SECTION vrr. 

ascham's conclusion. 

« T^HESE things," fays Afcham, « fpoken of me 
tc -*- generally and briefelye, if they be knowen, 
* c had, and handled, (hall bringe a man to fuche fhoot- 
" inge, as fewe or none ever yet came unto : but, 
" furely, if he mifle in anyeone of them, he can never 
<c hitte the marke; and in the more he doth miffo 
, iC the farther he (hooteth from his marke." 

To <this we may add another remark of Afcham's, in 
his own words ; viz. " Againe you knowe, Hefiodus 
" writeth to his brother Perfes, <c that all craftes-men, 
« by contendinge one honeftly with another, do en- 
" creafe theyr cunninge with their fubftance." And 
<c therefore, in London and other great cities, men of 
tc one crafte moft commonly dwell together; becaufe in 

" honeftc 



\ " honefte ftrivinge together, who lhall do beft, everye 
: €€ one may wax both' cunninger and rycher. So like- 
: €€ vyfe, in fhootinge, to make matches, to affemble 
" archers together, to contend who fhall fhoote beft 
cc and winne the game, encreafeth the ufe of fhootinge 
f cr wonderfully amonges men." 

Befides the emulation naturally excited by competi- 
; tion, the " Meed of the green Archer," is hot want- 
ing t0 g* ve life to his endeavours; fince there are very 
few ibcieties, which have not their bugles, arrows, me- 
dals, and other prizes (43). Excellence in this art, 
has in no age gone unrewarded. The applaufe of 
numbers, and a prize from the hands of its patrons, mark 
the hiftory of home-bred archery. In early times, the 
viftor (according to the Garland) was rewarded with a 
gilt wreath, a filver arrow, or a pipe of wine. At the 
fhootings in the times of Henry VIII. and Charles II. 
Wood tells us, the archer's prizes were bows of gold and 
filver, pieces of plate and money. Bowman's Glory. The 
general meetings of the different focieties of arqhers in 
England, fince the late revival of the art, have been 
attended with a very confiderable display of grandeur. 
[At the meeting on Black-heath (in the year 1791) there 
were Jtxteen pair of targets on the, ground, each pair 
having its fociety in uniform. The novelty of the 
fight attracted fuch a concourfe of people, that the 
fhoQting was much impeded; which has obliged the 
archers, on public oecafions, to refort to fome more 
obfcure place. Tjje prizes were gold zoAfiher medals. 
See tf further account of' this meeting in Hargrove's Anec* 
Votes, p. 100. 

(43) The Toxophilite Society are how in poiTeffioft of the badge, 
Noticed by Mr. Barrington, and fuppofed to have been prefent- 
pd to the Finibury archers, by* Catherine of Portugal, "wife of 
Jbailes IL ■ ' Jf ' 

r <Lj CHAP- 



I *» % 



' CHAPTER I 

OF THE SEVERAL KINDS Orf SHOOTING, AND THE 
RULES TO BE OBSERVED TSEftJIN. 

THERE are &% kinds of {hooting with the long- 
bow: viz. v 
Roving-^-Hoyle-lbooting— Flight *ihooting--*3utt« 
fbooting— Prick or Target-ihooting, and Clouts 
{hooting. 



SECTION j. 

ROVING. 

ROVING, or {hooting at rovers* is doubtle-fs of aH 
other, the moft ancient kind of (hooting; and 
was principally attended to in this country, during tbft 
period when the bow was a national and military' wc** 
pon. It wa$ that ftrong and powerful kind of fhoocingi 
the negle£t of which, both HolUt^hed and Afchaw fc> 
niueh lament. Rovers* are,^ in fa£t* (as the wording 
ports) cafuai and unnaeafared of varied marks,* gene* 
rally at confiderable diftances, and ihot at with longpr 
and heavier arrows than thofe ufed for mod other kinds 
pf lhooting, Thefe marks, ace of tbiree forts, i aarasly, 
ift, Ground marks ; as land n&arks, ftones, or any other 
objefts that are fufficiently diftinft, either upon, the 

ground 



I 231 ] 

grooiid, or not more thin a foot or two above it. ad, 
tBgb marks -, as trees, tail bulhes, &c, 3d, Butts, and 
pick marks, 

This kind of (hooting was grdarty prized by our an* 
ceftors, as peculiarly requiring not only much fkill, but 
aUb conflderable ftrength, and a knowledge of diftaneej 
the command of which two latter qualities in archery 
was every thing in the field. And, fo attentive was the 
legtffetare to fupport and encourage thefe important 
points in the ufe of the bow* that we firid, when ar- 
chery began to decline upon the life of crofs-bows and 
fire-arms, and njen beg*r>, as HoHinftied obferves, €t to 

- . M fhoot compafs for paftime," an aft of parliament 
was pafled (33 Hen. 8. c. 9.) whereby, it is enadted, 
" that no ttiari under the age of twenty-four years fhaM 
" ihoot at any (landing prick, except it be at a rover, 
a whereat he (hall change at every (hoot his mark, upon 
ct pain for every (hoot, doing the contrary, four-pence. 
u And that no perfon, above the faid age of twenty- 
€t four years, (hall (hoot at any mark of cfaten /core 
€€ yards or tinder, with any prick-Jbaft or flight, under the 
cc pain to forfeit for every (hoot, fix (hillings and eight- 
#c pence." The ad* does not prefcribfe the length or 
weight of the arrow to be ufed. The fame aft ordered 
the ereftion of butts in every town, at which meh 
were to (hoot on Sundays and holy days. 

Thefe butts were often (hot at as roving marks, and 
not, as w£ generalfy (hoot at them at this day, as 
ftanding marks. Without changing the diftance at every 

' (hot; but, going the round and changing the butt at 
every jhot. Br, Mufcafter (mentioned in a preceding 
part of thefe Trafts who lived at the time the above 
aft of parliament pafled) obferves, that " in roving you 
cc may ufe either the butte, or the pricke, by the way, 
€€ for your marke, as yourpfeafurc (hall be." 

Q^4 The 



I 232 ] ' _, ' 

The Lengths in the Fin/bury Fields, yrhich were of very 
confiderable extent, confifted of feveral hundred marks, 
from nine fcore to near (twenty- fcore yards; and were 
marked by ftones (44), on which the names of the 
marks were cut : many of them exift to this day. And 
the Archers divifion of the Artillery company of London 
have, for centuries 'paft, been in the habit of (hooting 
at thofe marks once in every three or four years ? and x 
caufing all obftru&ions, which prevented one mark 
being feen -from the^ other, to be removed : as. their 
charter warrants. As was obferved, this kind of fhoot- 
ing required (kill, ftrengtb, and a good eye capable of 
afcertaining, by* a glance, pretty nearly the diftance of 
the mark to. be fiiot at. It was, no doubt, the (hooting 
alluded to by Leo, in his Taffies; who commanded the 
archers to exercife themfelve§ <f in holts, hills, dales, 
€€ woods and plains, to enure them to all the chances N 
c ^ of war." Roving has the advantage of prick (hoot- 
ing, by carrying our fteps through an extent of country. 
On which accourit, Dr. Mulcafter, fpeaking of the ar- 
chery of England, adds, <c wherein roving muft needes 
u be the beft and mod healthfull, both for varieties of 
' €€ motion in diverfities of foile; and, by ufing 0// archery 
cc in exercifing one kinde." The particular advantage 
to the archer, who pradtifes roving, is, that by (hooting 
at high elevations, frequently at an elevation of forty 
five degrees, he draws more towards his breaft, or 
the point of his (houlderj and, confequently, learns 
to command a very ftrong bow, acquires a knowledge 
of diftance, and gives a degree of more powerful ex- 
ertion to his body, than moft other kinds of archery 



(44) See a copy of a map of fome oft hefe. marks annexed to,Bar- 
rington's Obfervdtions on Archery : and the Ay me for the Fins bury Archer s^ 
which latter contains the names and diftances of all the marks. 

afford i 



[ 233 ] 

aflbrd ; and, in fa&; purfues the means to become 
a perfect archer. For Carew, in bis Survey of Cornwall, 
fpeaking of the fame of the old Cornifh archers, takes 
occafion to remark, " that for neere and well-aimed 
<c dictating, butts made them perfeft in the one, and 
u Having in the other: for, Prickes, the firft cdrrupttr 
<c of archery, through too much precifeneffe, were then 
* c Scarcely knowne, and little praftifed/' (45) 



O-RDEa OF ?HE GAME. 

Rules. (46) / 

1. For the finding of your mark, it muft be' wit&m. 

every man's reach. Alfo the precifely naming 
your mark, prevents much altercation. 

2. For whites you may have as many as you will, fo 

they be all forwards ; and, if you fhoot at any loofe 
white, if it be ftriken out of fight, it is no mark. 

3d. Although the wood of the ftake be above the pin 
(47), you are to meafure at the pin, if there be 
any j becaufe it is put in for that purpofe. 

4. If you find a bufh or a black; whatfoever you find 
' highefi in it, being within compafs of the mark, 



(45) Roving is ftill kept up by the Toxophilite Society. Mr, 
Barrington informs us, that the late General Oglethorpe, in com- 
pany with the old Duke of Rutland and others of confiderable 
rank, was accuftomed to fhoot in the neighbourhood of London. 
Obfervations on Archery* 

(46) All thefe rules (except the three laft) which were alwayi 
obferved by the Finfbury Archers, are taken from the dime for the 
Finjbury Archtrs, and the rules annexed to Shotterel and Durfcys 
Poem on Archery. ' \ 

(47) "the pin or peg fecured the mark to the ftake. 

you 



you are to, take the i/^^/f part theicof for your 
place t&medfurt at. 

.5, JFor all trees you are to meafure at foot > and fek ; 
. except, in naming them, you fey, at the nail, 
or at the hole in fuch a tree ; or, being a tree of 
fo fmall height, that you may reach the top of k 
with half your bow, then you may take the 
higheft part to meafure at:, but, for foot and pole, 
you mult meafure a foot above the higheft ground 
which joins the tree. . 

6. I£ in meafuring a fhoot, the difference is fo fmall 
that it cannot be decided: then that competitor 
ihall win the fhoot, which is , beft » at the n&ct 

* mark. 

% If, in 1 meafuring a (hoof, by hafte, the mark is ftirred 
out of its place, he is to lofe the Ihoot that mea- 
fures it. 

$. If, at fir ft coming to the mark, you claim* two, 
and the contrary fides draw their arrows: you are 1 
to win no more than you firft claimed, although 
your, partner, when he comes, challenges more* 

9. If you name one mark and Jhcot at another > you 
are to loofe your lhoot, and the others are to fol- 
low at the mark named. 

,lo. If your arrow treaks r you may meafure from the 
neareft piece that has wood and beady or wood and 
feather. 

11. If you have any mifliap, as in nocking amifs, &c. 

if you can reach your arrow with your how, you 
may ihoot again ; if k fly further, it is a lhoot. 

12. In fbooting a* rovers, you moft ftand no further 

from your laft mark [or Handing place], than you 
can reach with half your how (48). ij* He 

(48) The rule. ip. Sholterel and Durf&l adds, " but at Pricks you 
« are permitted to ftand two bows before your mark, aud as much 

t s" behind 



[ 535 3 

i j. He who gets the caft, has the privilege of naming 
the Jianding place and the next mark, and leads. 
Note, It is a general rule at all games, that the 
fhooter who gets the caft, or his partner Jeads. 

14. No arrow can count which is not within Jive bows 

(49), or ten yards of forne part of the mark. 

15. Seven is the game. 

Note. As it is not always poffibte to know, whether 
the mark given, is within the reach of every fhooter:' 
and it is not always convenient to be retrained in point 
ofdiftance, on account of a weak (hooter; therefore, 
the firft of the above rules is fubjetSt to this variation* 
viz : 

That, if any (hooter thinks, he cannot reach the 
mark, he may walk in a reafonable diftancej upon 
condition, that he (boots with *J&gbt arrow, and draws 
it to the bead. It may here be obferved, that in Shoot- 
ing games in general, the archer is at liberty toufe 
what fort of arrows he chafes : each archer fhoots two 
arrows j and a forfeit is generally paid, if, an archer 
docs not diftingmfti his arrow, by his awn particular 
mark. 



*- c behind it as you pleafe." However, this part of the rule feerns 
to have been long exploded, and the former part of it is adopted 
in frick-Jbooting as well as in roving. 

(49) The meafure by the bow is alluded to in the following Hanzai 
" The fcreffes men lchot foil faft, 
" As archares that weren godde, 
** Ther cam non ner ney the marke 
'* Bey half a god archares bnvt" 

RotynHukandttetttm.. Ehm Garland* 



SECTION 



t 23§ ] 



SECTION II. 



HOYLE-SHOOTING. 



HOYLE is an old north country word, fignifying 
fmall eminence?, as mole-hills, orthiftles, docks, 
and other prominent marks. Hoyle-fhooting is a game 
mentioned by Drayton ; who, fpeaking of Robin Hood 
and his archers, fays, 

** At long butts, fhort and Aoyles, each one could cleave the 
" pin." 

Poly-O/L Song. 26. 

This fort of Ihooting is (ftri&ly fpeaking) roving; 
as the marks fliot at are at varied and uncer- 
tain diftances. Indeed, it differs from roving only 
in this s that thofe diftances are always jhort : fome- 
times not more than fifteen or twenty yards* at the 
fancy "of the leader. This (hooting is ufed by way 
of variation, to conclude and determine butt-fboottng, 
when the games at the latter are equal on both fides. 



ORDER OF THE GAME. 

Rules. 

THE 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, nth, 12th, 
13th, and 15th, rules for roving, are applicable 
to hoyle-fhooting. 

The mark given is never to exceed Jixfcore^- and the 
neareft arrow wins. 



SECTION 



[ 237 ] 



SECTION III. 
FLIGHT - SHOOTING. 

FLIGHT-SHOOTING takes its appellation from 
the flighty or light arrows ufed in this game : which 
is fhot without regard to mark, orflxed diftance. The 
lighted arrows that will ftand in the bow, are made ufeof; 
and, the greateft poffible diftance is the only objedt. 

TKis kind of (hooting affords opportunities of trying 
experiments; by comparing the flight of long, fhort, 
heavy and light, and of fharp and blunt-piled arrows, 
in all weathers (50): as well as the powers of different 
bows. 

ORDMt 



( 50) It is fuprifing how a well-made and well-loofed arrow will 
contend againft, and even gain upon the wind. *t\izjwiftnefs of an 
arrow is well defcribed by Ovid : 

Swift as his words the fatal arrow flew, 

The Centaur's back admits the feathered w^ood, 

And thro' his breaft the barbed weapon flood. 

Met. Fab. a. 1. 36. 
And Mr. Mofeley has given us the following lively and pi£tu« . 
refque defcription of the flight of an' arrow: 

'* The appearance of an arrow on the wing, viewed on the fide, 
u is Angularly, interefting. Its fteady movement — the curve it de- 
" fcribes — its afcending and defcending motion— its velocity, &c. 
** are all fources of beauty which never fail to excite agreeable 
" feelings in-the mind, and, even lead us to attribute a&ive powers, 
ic for a moment, to the ihaft. Weaknefs and ftrength are well ex- 
44 preffedby the arrow which arrives ihort, or which pafles far over 
" the target ; and the different degrees of fwiftnefs perceptible in 
M arrows, frorn bows of various powers, immediately affociate the 
"ideas of bodily vigour and energy, in various degrees of 
** ftrength." Mcfeley, p. 273. 

A black arrow is beft feen in the air, and the archer can trace its 
flight better than the flight of any Other. — Arrows may be ftained 

with 



[ 238 ] 



Order of the game. 



T'HIS game fcarccly admits of any other rule, than 
that the furtbeft (hot wins: yet, the 6th, 8th, ioth, 
nth, 1 2th, 13th, and 15th rules for roving feem 
to be applicable to this kind of (hooting* 



SECTION IV* 



BUTT-SHOOTING. 



BUTT, fays Mr. Harrington, in his Olfervatkns m 
Archery y is a word fignifying a mound of earth on 
which marks are fixed to be (hot at j anH is of French 
extraction. We find that by the ftat. of the 33d H. 8. c. 9. 
butts were ordered to beere&ed throughout England. 

Butts are nearly fquare, and built in form of a wedge* 
They are made with turfs of earth, Thofe dug from a 
common, where the grafs is lhort and the roots of heath 
plants are matted together in it, are the beft for the pur- 
pole* Thefe turfs are laid upon each other, and rammed 
down hard. The length of each butt in front is generally 
nine feet, or little more * the height feven feet : it is four 

feet 



with a black dye made of copperas and Ipgwood, with a fmallpw 
portion of gum-arabic. They may be poltfhed with fliamoy leathery 
upon which a little tripoli has been put; then rubbed wkh Unified 
oil, afterwards dried and rubbed with a woolen cloth, and covered 
with the copal oil varnifh, thinned with fpirits of turpentine. 



[ ^39 ] 

feet deep at the bafe; and about one foot four inches 
broad at the top. 

They are frequently ornamented with crown-clods, (as 
they are called) ; that is, turfs cut into die fhape of an 
urn or hoUr-glafs, one of which is placed at each corner, 
and one in the middle. And, it is a very old cuftom, for 
the (hooter, whofe arrow lodges in one of the crown- 
clods, to pay fix -pence as a forfeit to the marker (51). 

Butts are placed at various diftances, Thofe erected 
by the Toxophilite Society,, are in fets : each fet con- 
fitting of four, and each butt being thirty yards diftant 
from the other; forming a chain of lengths of 30, 60, 
90, and 1 20 yards,-r-and fo difpofed, that they do not 
fond in the way of the archer, when fhooting at any of 
the lengths. 

Upon thefe butts (bread or about three feet and an 
half high) is placed the mark ; which is a circular piece 
of thin white pafte-board, four inches in diameter. 

Since the late revival of archery, a new kind of butt 
(faid to have been invented in Scotland) has been intro- 
duced into the Toxophilite Society, and adopted by it. 



(51) The marker is a perfon who attends the butt-fhooting ; 
alway* Handing by the butt {hot at. His bufinefs is to mark the 
fpot in which every arrow lights in the butt ; by placing, for about 
half, a minute, his marker (a fmall white mark fixed in a ftick which 
he holds in his hand) ciofe to the arrow ; fo that the (hooters may ' 
notice it. When he removes his marker, he gives tjiemthe follow- 
ing ngnals : 

For the heft arrow —Three ihakes with the marker over his 

head. 

For the fecond ditto —The like below* 

For the paper prick'd -»-He takes off his hat and bows , once fbr the 

outer circle — twice for the white — and 
three times for the pin. 

For an over arrow • . . — He moves the marker briikly upwards. 

For a wide ditto .... — horizontally. 

For a Jbort ditto .... ■ downwards* 

The marker feldom attends at any mark of lefs than ninety yards. 

it 



[ 240 ] 

Jtisihot, undercover at the four-rood*Iength. This 
butt confifts wholly o(ftraw y lard firft in truffes, and then 
fcrewed down as tight as pdfiible: the ends are afterwards 
cut fmooth. This is a very pleafant butt to (hoot at, is 
durable, (if kept undercover and preferved from wet) ; 
and never injures the arrow* 



/ ORDER OF THE GAME* 



THERE are two ways of fhootiqgat butt- marks, viz. 
either with or Without reference to the inches. 
i» In the firft cafe, no arrow counts which is not within 
the inches (or diftances allowed). Thefe inches 
or allowed diftances, are as follow: four inches 
at the four-rood-length ; eight inches at the eight- 
rood-length i and fo dri, allowing one inch for 
tvcryrood (52). 
2. In the laft, the arrow neareft to the mark wins. 
The Toxophilite Society, in order to fave the trou- 
ble of frequent admeafurement when the inches are 
fhot, place their white or mark upon a blue or dark 
ground ; which forms an exterior circle of as many 
inches in diameter as are allowed. So that, as every ar- - 
row counts which comes within the inches y fo, every 
arrow within the inches muft be in the paper. Hence, 
this is called the paper-game ; and is feldom fhot at any 
other diftance than the four -rood-length. 

Shooting at the inches feems to have been a very an- 
cient pradtice. In the ballads' of Robin Hood, we find 



(52) Many have beat the incfaat the/our and eight rood-lengths. 
But none have been known to do that, at the longer lengths. The 
inches are calculated from the outfide of the mark. 

mention 



[ 241 ] 

mention of a garland ; particularly in the fohg of Robin 

Hood and Guy of Gifborne\ and, in The Lytell Gefte of 

+Rokyn Hode.—(New Qarland). 

In the latter, we find the following regulation for this 

(hooting laid down : 

iC On every fyde a rofe garlonde, 

" They {hot under the lyne. 

" Who fo faylelh of the rofe garlonde? fay'd Robin, 

•« His takyll he fhall tyne." 

Seventh Fytte. v. l8o>. 

Rules. 

The 6th, 7th, 8th, ioth, nth, 12th, and 15th rules 
at rovers are applicable to butt-fhooting. 

The arrow is always meafured from that part which is 
neareft to the point of the pin. 



SECTION v. 
OF PRICK-SHOOTING. 

TN archery we frequently find mention of prick-fhooting. 
"** — Prick-marks and prick-lhafts are noticed in the 
ftat. of the 33d H. VIII. c. 9. before cited. The 
latter, we know, are arrows confiderably lighter than 
thofe ufed in other kinds of (hooting, except flight- 
fhooting. The ancient prick-mark was frequently called 
the white; and confifted, moft probably, of a card or 
piece of ftiff white paper. • 

In the Garland^ indeed, vfc read of prick-wands and 
billow-wands (probably peeled (licks). 

One thing we may colleft, which diftingtiilhes this 
kind of (hooting from others j namely, that the prick or 
mark was generally fixed to one fpof, and at a lefs dif-' 
i R tance 



[ 242 ] 

tance than in other kinds of {hooting, and not varied 
during the ihooting; hence the ftatute terms it zfianding 
prick or mark. Prick being a Saxen word for point* 
feems to indicate, that this kind of ihooting was chiefly 
confined to fmall marks. It was that fort of clo/e (hoot- 
ing which the ftatute intended toreftrain* and which, 
Carew obferves, " required too much precifeneft." 
Holirffhed and Afcham allude to it, under the term of 
" Ihooting round compafs :" and they agree in opinion 
with Carew, that it was " the corrupter of archery,** 
meaning the powerful archery of the fourteenth and 
fifteenth centuries. 

It was, probably, termed fhpoting in round compafs, 
becaufe it was plain up and down ihooting, at two fhort 
marks. To this kind of (hooting King Edward the 
Sixth, doubtlefs, alludes, in his MS* Diaryt where, 
fpeaking of a ihooting match in which he bore a part—, 
he obferves, " I loft the chaleng of ihoting at roundes, . 
K and wane at rovers." Cott.,MSS. Nero. c. 10. p. 55. 

The^ marks ufed in this kind of ihooting have, for 
more than two centuries pad, confifted either of a fmall , 
circular piece of white paper, fixed to a poft by means, 
of a hole and wooden pin (as appears to be reprefeuted 
in the frontiipiece to MarkbanCs Archery} \ or of a target. 
The former is now always placed, upon a butt: the lat- 
ter occafionally occupies its place on the butt (where 
we find it placed at public ihootings).— *See The Reaem- 
\ trance of Shootings, in the Bowman's Glory* But is gene- 
rally placed upon a frame, which gives it any degree of 
elevation required. 

It appears by the proceedings of the Fiaftwy archers, 
that in the ye^r 1671, they defigned and prefented a 
target to %the London and Weftminffer archers $ and , 
that in the year, 1754, the ftewards were direfted, *' to 
" provide a target, or fquare pafteboard > Gover^d witfc 

" cloth* 



[ 243 ] 

cc cloth} round the center of which fhould be drawn a 
c< circle, and about that circle, four concentric rings, to 
€C be vifibly and exadtly diftinguifhtfd by colours : fo, 
cc tha^the target might confift of five rings, valued by 
€t fifths: of which, the center was to be the captain's — 
€€ the. fecond or lieutenant's was to be 4~fifths of the 
i€ captain's— the third 3-fifths of the captain's-r-the 
rc fourth 2-fifths — and the fifth 1 -fifth. The outfide 
" was to be painted black, and called fous, and to be of 
" no value." 

The modern targets are piade of oil cloth, divided 
into rings or circles as above defcribed : but, inftead of 
fimple rings, the whole diameter, or fpace between each 
ring or circle, is coloured. The general colours are, for 
the center, gold; then red; the third white (termed the 
inner white) ; the fourth black ; and the exterior circle 
(termed the outer white) white (52), Thefe colours 
being generally painted upon a dark- green ground, all 
beyond the outer white is now termed the petticoat - ? and, 
till within a few years P a ^, it was a cuftom of ancient 
(landing and merriment, th&tzn bornfpoon ihouid, during 
the ihooting, be worn by whoever laft (hot his arrow into 
thc/ous or petticoat. This target xloth is fewed upon a 
bofs, which is made of draw (twifted as for bee-hives) 
with a fiat furface. 



(ca) The original Finflmry target feeras to have been preferable 
to the modern one, not pofleffing fuch a glare of colours. 

Afew years ago, a target, upon a new principle, called a Blazon^ 
was introduced from Flanders, and fhot at in Mr. Anderson's 
ground at Holloway. It was fquare, and was fixed fo as to have one 
angle upwards. Inftead of circles, the face of it was divided into 
iquares, each bearing a number, and next to every number was a 
cipher. The higheft number was 26, placed in the center, in a 
fmall circle; round which, in the fame fquare, was placed 
number 1 ; and the next higheft numbers were at the corners 
and on the fides* This target was fomewhat larger than our com- 
mon targets. 

R Z ORDER 



[ 244 ] 



ORDER OP THE GAME. 

IN ordinary (hooting, cplour ftamps no particular 
value ypon the hit ; but every hit in any colour counts 
one. At other times, (a$ in prize-Ihooting), the firfi 
(hot in the gold; or, the near eft center fhot, during the 
Jhooting, wins. And, fometimes every colour bears zpro* 
portionate value. Thus, a fhot in the gold counts 9 ; 
in the red 7 ; in the inner white 55 in the black 3 ; and 
in the outer white i : the exterior circle being, according 
to calculation, nine times larger than the interior one ; 
and the fame proportion being obferved in calculating 
the value of each circle. The moft central (hot gives 
the title of captain, the next that of lieutenant — of the 
target. The great eft number of bits gives' the title of 
captain ; and the next greateft number, that oilieutenant— 
of numbers. 

The modern target diftance is one hundred yards. It 
was formerly greater. At the (how and (hooting in 158 j, 
it was feven fcore and eight yards: — and in 168 1 eight 
fcore. At the Finfbury yearly target, the firft diftance 
was eleven fcore yards, and, at every two or three ends, 
it was reduced, ten yards, until it was eight fcore, at 
which it remained till the (hooting was finiflied. 

The fize of the target fhould vary in proportion to 
the diftance : thus, ztjixty yards, it (hould be two feet; 
at eighty yards, three feet ; and, at an hundred yards, four 
feet, in diameter. 

• , Rules, 

THE Finfbu.ry rule allowed an arrow to reckon in , 
that ring broken or deprejfed neareft the center; but in the 

Toxophilite 



j; 245 3 

Toxophflite ground, an arrow, dividing two colours, can 
only reckon in the colour fur theft from the center, 
. The 6th, 8th, ioth, nth, 12th, and 15th rules 
obferved at rovers, may alio be obferved in this 
(hooting, \ ' 



SECTION VI. 
OF CLOUT-SHOOTING. 

THE clout is a fmall white target, generally about 
twelve inches in diameter. It is fattened to a 
ihort upright flick, which is driven into the ground 
fomewhat obliquely, till the lower edge of the clout 
touches, or nearly touches, the ground. The clout, in 
former days, was a fquare white cloth. 

This game is noticed by Shakfpeare. — See ante, 
page no. 

ORDER OF THE GAME. 

THE clout is placed at the diftance of nine or eleven 
fcore yards. If at the latter, the diftance is generally, 
reduced half a fcore every game, till it is drawn in to 
nine fcore, when it remains fixed. ' Or (according to the 
practice in Scotland), the firft diftance is eleven fcore, 
for £ve double ends ; the next ten fcore, for the like num- 
ber of double ends j and, the laft diftance is nine fcore 
yards. 

Rules. 

THE rules for this game are the 6th, 7th, 8th, ioth, 
nth, 1 2th, 14th, and 15th rules ufed at rovers. * 

The fhot muft be meafured from the center of the 
clout. 

Rj SEC- 



[ OAQ ] 



SECTION VII. 



OF SHOOTING FOR PRIZES. 



THE old cuftom, among the Finfbury archers, in 
Ihooting for prizes at the target, was, that the j$r/l 
Ihot in the gold, or interior circle, won. This cuftom 
probably took place, when the targets were fixed at 
greater diftances than they are at preferit. But, as 
this method proved but ill calculated at the target dis- 
tance now obferved, either to excite emulation, or to 
difplay fnperior {hooting; the Toxophilitc Society new 
modelled the cuftom, by declaring, that the moft central 
fhor, made during the whole /hooting, ihould be deeipcd 
the beft, and win as thtfirfi center- (hot formerly did. 
This method, prefer ved the old cuftom of center -jhots> 
and, at the fame time, gave opportunity for a longer 
conteft of (kill. But yet it did not altogether decide 
fuperiority in (hooting. — To determine which, the Society 
iriftituted another prize, entitled the Medal of Numbers, 
which is won by the greateji number of bits in the 
target, without regard to colours. * 

N In order to carry the difplay of (kill ftill further, they 
ordained, that the bugle (which is annually prefented to 
them by their patron, his Royal Highnefs the Prince of 
Wales) ftiould be ihot for at the target, changing the 
Lengthy and the Size of the Target every end, and giving a 
value to each colour, in proportion to its proximity to the cen^ 
ter.—*(See ante, Page 113.) And, as an encouragement 
to the younger archers, it is a rule, that no member, who 
has won a bugle, can fhoot for ijecond till e*ch member 
has once won one. 

This 



C w ] 

This was a very old rule in prize-fhooting; as ap- 
peals by the following curious extraft, from a very an- 
cient mariufcript, preferved in the Harleian colledkioni 
•ntitled " The Bobke of certain Triumphes, upon the 
€f Marriage of Richard Duke of York (fon to Kinge 
u Edward IV.) with Ann Mowbray, Daughter to the 
44 Duke of Norfolk." 

" The challenge of the Ladie Mare's fervants to all 
<c comers, to be performed at Greenwiche." 

u To (hoot ftandart arrowe, or flight ($3)" 
* f< Item, The fifteenth dayeof Maie ne«t followinge, 
" there flial be certain archers of the faid Ladye's in the 
€f fielde, at the howers aforenamed > to Ihoot ftanjdart • 
€t arrowe and flight, with all comers. And he that wil 
u come and furtheft lhootes without (land, at any of 
u thefe games, or at all ; (that is to faie), the anfwfcrer y 
cc that lhootes the ftandart furtheft, to have a prife de- 
u lived btaci by the judges. Ancl he that lhootes next, 
" another ; and fo irj like cafe at the arrowe and flight : 
'* provided always, that he that winneth any of the 
€€ prifes, fhall not after that (hoote againe forgone of 
** the prifes of that game, he hath once woone of, 
" during the time." — Harl. MSS.T$o>6$. 



(53) Stow informs ue, that the citizens of London were accuf- 
tomed to fhoot before the Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffo, in 
4finlbury-field, with the ftandard, triad-arrow, and flighty for 
games.~- Survey of London. (1598). p. 77. And it feems, that the 
Lord-Mayor annually appeared to.iee a prize won, by fhooting 
with a pound-arrow. School of Recreation^ by R.H. London, 1684. 
i2mo. 



R 4 sec. • 



J 248 ] 



SECTION VIII. 
OF THE POPINJAY AND GOOSE. 

UNDER the bead of Games of Amufement, af- 
forded by the Bow, we . may add thofe of the 
pepingoe or popinjay, and the goofe. 

The firft of thefe two games (which feems to be an 
humane imitation of that defcribed in the Iliad and 
Mneii) is. a mark, the fhape and fizeof a( parrot, pro- 
jected two or three feet from the top of a church-fteeple. 
It confifts of three loofe parts, (all fixed together upon 
iron pins or points) ; namely, the body and two wings : 
and is (hot at perpendicularly (the archer refting his left 
foot upon the bafe of the tower) ; and, no arrow which 
-does not ftrike one of the loofe parts precifely at the 
pin which fupports it, can unhinge it* This game is 
annually pra&ifed at Kilwinning, in Scotland. 

The inhabitants of feveral parts of Flanders pra&ife 
the fame fort of game, under the tide of the Eagle. 

The goofe-Jhooting was thus : — cc A living goofe was 
" enclofed in a turf-butt, having its head alone expofed 
cc to vie^j and the archer who firft hit the goofe's 
cc head, was entitled to the goofe as his reward. Bbc 
€€ this cuftom, on account of its barbarity, has been 
cc long laid afide: and, in place of the goofe 7 head, a 
<f mark (of about an inch in diameter) is fixed upon 
f c each butt, and the archer, who firft hits this mark, is 
f c captain of the butt-fhooters for a year." — Harrington. 



SEC* 



I 249 \| 



SECTION IX. . ^ 

OF PLUCK-BUFFET. 

IN the Garland we read of a ludicrous game, Entitled 
Pluck- buffet >m which the King is made to engage with 
Robin Hood : 

Our Kynge and Robyn rode togyder. 

For foth as I you fay, 
And they {hote plucke-buffet, 

As they went by the way. 

And many a buffet our kynge wan, . . 

Of Robyn Hode that day ; ' • 
And nothynge fpajed good Robyn v / 

Our Kynge in his pay. v 

Lytel Gefie of Robyn Hode. 

Eight Fytte; 

This game is more fully explained in the preceding 

Fytte ; where it was agreed, that whoever fliould fail of 

''•the rofe-garland (hould 

Bere a buffet on his hede : 
• I wys ryght all bare. 

New Garland. 

Seventh Fytte. 



SECTION X. 
OF FISH-SHOOTING, &;C. 

ALTHOUGH fijhing cannot regularly be intro- 
duced under the head of Games in Archery ', yet is 
it an amufement, to which the bow can contribute ; and, 
many archers may be inclined to try the experiment. 
Shooting filh with arrow*, isan employment in which 

the 



t 250 ] 

the inhabitant* of many of the uncultivated parts of the 
globe are well fkilled. A few years ago, Mr. Waring 
invented an arrow for this purpofe, which has been ufed 
with great fucceft, both in the meers in Chefhire, againft 
thofe tyrants of the warry plain which frequently break 
through a net ; and, in ftriking carp from the land. 

Mr. Waring has jtffo invented arrows for throwing 
iuUets and fmall Jhot.>— See a defcription of them, and of 
the wbiftlhjg arrow, in Mr. Mofeley^s Effay on Archery. 
Mr. Mofeley alfo mentions a fingular invention (which 
he deems more curious than ufeful) for taking birds on 
the wing, by (hooting a net over them, by means of an 
arrpw.— Pages 135, 138. 



A ' 

/ 

\ 

REMEMBRANCE 

OF THE WORTHT 

SHOW and SHOOTING 

* BY THB 

PUKE OF SHOREDIfCH, 

AKD HI! 

ASSOCIATES 

THE 

WORSHIPFUL CITIZENS OF LONDON, 

UPON 

Tuefday the 17 th of September, 1583. 

Set forth according to the Truth thereof, to the everlafting 
Honour of the Game of Shooting in the Long Bow. 



By W. M. 



[ 25 * J 

. TO THE WQRTHT 

SHOREDITCH DUKE, - 

AND Hi;S TWO 

N E PHEWS, 

SONS TO THE 

EARL OF PANCRIDGE, 

And to all the Worfhipful Citizens and Chief Archers 
of the City of London: 

W. H. wiiheth Continuance of Health, with Increafe of Honour. 

JfOLDLT have Iprefumed (Right Worfhipful Members 
of this Honourable City) to publifh unto the eyes of the 
world, your late laudable work, which not only beautified 
this city, but the whole realm of England. Rare was the 
.fight, great was the cofi, yet greater your good wills: the 
report whereof will be in memory while London lajleth. 
Now feeing no man taketb in band to dejcribe the fame 
as it deferved, and pitying greatly it fhould lye bidden, 
I conftdered that blind Bayard oft times feemeth boldefl, 
and thereupon myfelf (though leaft able of all other) have 
prefumed, under your correction, to publifh the truth of 
what I noted in the train: therein purpoftng, that though 
to your own ears it bringetb no matter of delight, yet the' 

truth 



i *5fl ] 

truth of this feemly Jhow (which fame bath far fpread 
abroad) may through this realm be exprejed-, as alfo left 
in remembrance unto your childrens children, and their 
pofterity after them': Befeecbing therefore that your wife- 
domes would accept my good will, for which 1 remain 
thankful during my tife. 

Your Worfhips 
. , In all Humility 
W. M. 



[ '357 } 



REMEMBRANCE, &c. 



THE learned in time pad have greatly commended 
the' penning of hiftories, becaufe that by them 
their pofterity is certified, what hath been done in the 
d#ps of their anceftors; the benefit whereof is greatly 
confidered in the wifeft of this age, and I would it were 
unknown to none. Our Elders heretofore that have 
regiftcred the great battles and fkirmifhes in times 
paft, mention that the Long-bow hath done great 
a6te, and been the overthrow of mighty armies: 
wherefore confidering what profit apd honour our com- 
monwealth of England hath gained by the long-bow, 
I have thought convenient to fet down in memory that 
. mod: honourable (how of Archers, which was at Lon- 
don on the fevcnteenth of September, 1583; chiefly 
fbrtwo caufes: firft, to exhort our Countrymen to con- 
tinue at home this laudable exercifc, the better to dif- 
courage our enemies when they haply hear thereof, that 
by fo notable a thing fliewed but in a merriment, they 
may the better conje&ure what Englifh men could do, 
if ncceffity compelled them to the fame. Secondly, 
to follow the cuftom of our anceftors, which is, to 
leave enrolled fuch matter as is worthy meiftory, that 
fo good a work might feem new in fuch our fuccel- 

S fors, 



f 253 J 

fors, and procure them to the furtherance of the like 
caufes in themfelves. 

The Prince of famous memory, King Henry the 
Eighth, having read in the Chronicles of England, and 
feen in his own time how armies mixed with good Archers, 
have evermore fo galled the enemy, that it hath been 
great caufe of die vi&ory* hf being ppe day at Mile-end 
when Prince Arthur and his Knights were there fhooting, 
did greatly commend the gajne, and allowed thereof 
lauding them to their encouragement. 

This noble King at another time keeping a princely 
. court at Windfor, caufed fundry matches to be made 
pos&tfflipg flbooting in the long-bow: and to which 
caipe m?ny principal archers, who being in game i$d the 
^pfhoot given^ as all men thought, there was one Barlo 
yjst remaining to {hoot, being one of the king's guards 
$p whom the King very gracioufly faid, win them all 
3(i$ thoif ihaU be Puke pver all archers. This Barlo 
drew hif bow, aad (hwting won the beft. Whereat 
&$ King greatly rejoiced, commending him for his good 
jtrchpry; jyid for that this Parlo did dwell ii> Shoreditch, 
tfce King n^med him Duke of Shoreditch. (A fign of 
$ princely mind tp the encouragement of bis poor fub~ 
je$.) The memory of ajl which, both by Prince Ar- 
thur a^I the Dufee of Shoreditch, h#h been greatly 
revived,, find within thefe five year^ fee forward at the 
great cqft and $»*ges of fundry ttyicf citizens, whofe " 
f&me$ \ 9<W. And bqw this preffn; year 1583* much 
inore beautified tfyan ever if was, as hereafter is ex«* 
preflecj, Tl\e worthy Shoreditch Dufce> as fuccefibr to 
the former D^kes 4 his predeeeflbrs, gave warning to alt 
his Marquiffes, garls and Barpps, with aU their train of 
archery whatfoever, in and about the city of London, 
|p be in readifiefs to accompany him into the fields every 
one wjth a long- fcpw and fQurlhafts> upon the feven^ 

tecnth 



r 35$ V 

eecnth of September, and to meet him in Smithlfck!, 
which they did for the mort parfc 
; On which day in the morning, the Duke being at 
Merchants T ay k>rs Hall, there repaired unto him all 
ihofc that were appointed for the condti&ing of his per^ 
ion tp the place of meeting, as Barons, and a multitude 
of good archers under his own enfign; who with found 
&f trumpets, drums, and other neceflary inftfuments fot 
the beautifying of the fame, paflfed along Broadftreet, 
where the Duke dwelled, marching through Moorgate 
to Fin/bury Fields, and from thence ittto Smithfield, 
'where a great many attended for him: then .the black 
train, and' the Goldfmiths went forward into-Hblborn; 
the Duke and # his company following in a feemly order; 
vhelre fcoming againft Hatton-Houfe, the Goldfmiths 
ftaid, and caft thcmfelvcs into ranks,, that the Duke 
might have fair paflage between them: Co that the Train 
being now marching along, and- the Duke palling by 
the Marquis Barlo, alias ' Covell, he prefented to his 
noblenefs a wedge of gold, in fign of good will, which 
the Duke very thankfully accepted; then came the 
black train, offering by a Page a fpeech to this effedt, 
<c that be was ready to aid him witb all bis fewer y for 
u bisfafety, into the field:" whereat the Page, out of a 
box, flung abroad, glittering like gold, certain fpangles, 
in fign of liberality. 

Then came the Marquis of Glarkenwell with Hun^ 
tiers, who having been. abroad with their hounds, did 
wind their hornsj fo that the noife of them, together 
With the yelling and yelping of the hounds, and the 
whooping and hallooing of their Pages which followed, 
there was fuch a delight taken by the hearers thereof, as 
is worth memory; which j^farquis coming with his 
fcorefter, proffered his fervicc to the Duke, which hi 
thankfully atttjt^di which Jiunters were under the 
" ' " ' - S a " ■: Earl 



f 'sfe 1 

Euri .of Panerjdgfe whofe two fons being nephews to 

the Duke, came with. their power of. Knights, Barons 

«aod Squired, accompanied with many good and excellent 

^archers, taking plaice, to the honour of the Duke, into thfe 

jield. Then the.Goldfmiths took their place behind the 

JDuke, whofe gujjflcrs, when the Duke was even paft,.gave 

a worthy volley of ftot, which rung in the air like a thun~ 

4er clap; and fo took place in the hindward. Then 

went all t^e train through Chancery Lane, and turned 

.towards London down Flectftreet, until -they came to 

J^udgatei w.h^re ftood ready to receive xhem into the ' 

city,' certain Knights <b{ great wor(hip,.with many other 

' of the AWfifrocn (0 of the city and fundry prin- 

: cipal sCoronpqners ^ in the fame, who being men of 

years, and: had born great. good, will to the laudable 

gam^ of fliooting, entered with fair large arrows in their 

grands, in black: gowns, citizen-like, and took their 

place be Iwnd" the Duke; and as they yet pafled through 

Paul's Church-yard on the fdbth-fide, the$e came fundry 

Citizens [forth unto them (2)* all in their gowns, and 

.topk place, every one having an arrow, as before, to 

the better beautifying and fetring forth of the fame. 

Thus paffed they through' into CheapjBde, swho by that 

|ifcie«they were come thither;, all their Train was in 

place, and; marched as followed). Firft came two En- 

figns before the Marlhal of the Held, the Marlhal: being 

Clad in green velvet and fatin, widi a truncheon in his 

hand : then followed him forty Forefters, apparelled all 

in green, every one bearing a bow and four fhafts by 

tjheir fide, with horns at their backs, which they whided 

as tljey went *long. 

< :<(r) Sir Gwen Hopton, her Mayfly's Lieutenant of thi Tower 6f 
London, Sir Rowland Howard* 3nd;<ftvqrs AixlermetoL of Xonddit 
~ ' (2) At Paul's School came : untp them the. Merchant JJayl^rs ia • 
(heir gowns, evfer/ oriteliaving i fair broad anew in thW hands. ' 

*>-^ * y And 



,-• And between every one of them Rsqgcs(j)f ;iri ?Mw 
frocks girt unto them* * upon whicb wa& lowed" grditf 
pakeh leaves, widi caps; mack, in the fente rfftftn&$ 
everyone bearing a tiller-bow or cr6fi<-bow, and br&au£ 
arrows in their hands, to "the number df foray, all 
whooping and hallooing when the hunters, did wind 
dieir horns. Then xarne fix trumpet founding, with 
^rums and fifes, guarded w it h halberds; then ^ablfe^tRe 
JVlarquis of Islington with twelve Knights, and thofe*fe- 
vera! had fix gentlemen attendant on therti, and'PajkfrS 
Hi white fuftian with bteclc f ftripes, and caps** agreeable] 
bearing flriekls,- with a feemly (how of Archeri, WfcHfitfg 
about their necks and bodies gr^eriiibb&nv and 'large 
green fcarfio Next followed a fair, .large;* red ftreamer, 
With the red lion, '/with' halberais, rdfumsj'.'anii' propel 
Pages in greeo, with taffety night- caps,; bearing sfhields 
and (hafts jn their hands. Next', five *13wattrutter3 
ftrangely .-apparelled, with great hofeldown' to the 
ftmil of their legs,; with ftraiige caps agreeable; .bear- 
tog oii» their necks long fwords^ which fefcmed vkry 
fterti ?bi: Countenance : then followed; five green m*rj 
(4) clad in ivie, with clubs on theirvnscks, which were 
young ttees, and the roots upward? "with a worthy 
fhow*qf bowmen, who for the moft part wore ribbons 
C^f coloured orange tawny, and oranges hanging at them. 
. 'then came the refidue of the Earl of Pancridge's 
jrain in the fore- front thereof; the two fons to the Earl 
of Pancridge (hirrifelf not prefent, but his coft and 



{3) Mr* Beadel, in Paternofter-Row, and Mr. Smith, in Paul'* 
Church -yard, chiefeft. - • 

(4)' Thefe five green men were prepared by Mr. Wood, whd 
being continual ranger did both exprefs his name,' and beautify 
the fbow. His badge alfo bare a fair ibield, upon which flood this 
fentence, Mtre ways than one to the wood. The Marquis of Saint 
John's wood brought the>wild men. 
; ; "- .: S3 charges 



charges in fign of a willing mind did largely* ippear, 
With a .worthy .company of excellent good archers, 
?€Ompanicd with trumpets,, haibttrds, : drvras, enfigns* 
*nd'all other things neceffary-to the beautifying of the 
ftmc to their great praife, for their large Rberai&ies, be- 
fides, the great bountifolnefs of the Earl tHeir father. 
: ' Next followed the fellowftiip and near neighbours 
of Ludgate parts* . who, to.the furtherance of this fhow, 
had been at great coft in provxfi6n .of trumpets, drums 
cnfigfis, fifes, and other furniture : the nnoft part were 
habcrdafhers of Londpa ( 5), who. very orderly marched 
through the City of London, being fumptuoufly appa- 
• relied in velvet jerkins, and hats agreeable, with charai 
of gold about; their bodies, and Pages bearing their 
{hields of fine workmanihip, and a worthy train of good 
archers wearing green fcarfs aid ribbons of* the feme 
Colour; Thevihow of Feryers proceeded, which was 
on? hundred < habdifome fellows with calrrers on their 
necks, all trimly decked with; white feathers m tkw 
hats; fohad all their company of archers throughout* 
then their enfigrt aitd.two Cardinals, wearing broad hats 
of tawny colour rtwkh .two filk firings buttoned under 
their chins, the ends hanging down to their feet, ap- 
parelled in ied velvet and fatten; next followed two 
friar* clothed -in black robes, with bald crowns^ and 
beads in their hands, feeming to pray very devoutly, 
and bleffing them that palled by, caufing great laughing 
and fport. l 

* Then came the whole inhabitants following, beauti- 
fying the fhow, very coftly apparelled, with a child in the 
midft of them, mounted, on a great 'horfV richly trap-i 
ped, founding a trumpet, to. the. great wonder of. many 
the beholders. 



(5) Especially Mr. JBl^nior, chief of them. - 

Then 



. I ate '"."l 

Ybc!^ foltowrf tfce Mittis ^d hrfitfbftitfti #l%flP 
bridge/FIeet-ftreet, and Tetripte-bar; wkh ifhow word* 
^cbeheldihg, of f<&mfy arched, dl Bhtfcfy tpptiftiieA iti 
filks and $toam% wfrh their enfigttfr, drUftlJ, ti^tfrtipetei 
*nd fiich 6ther fuf armr*. Then the o*i '<Sevife' of 
Saint Ctement's parif&, tfhich bu* ten- days Before had 
made the fame fhow mi their own parifliy in letting up 
the Queen V Majefty's (lake in< Holbdrn fields rwhtcR 
ftake- matter Knevit, one of the gehtlemeii of foe* Ma- 
jefty's chamber, gave untothertv at his coft and chiafrgi^ : 
And* a gun worth three pounds, rrtade of gold, to lie 
giveA unto him that beft deferved it by (Booting in a 
piece* at the martc, which Was let up on pufpofe at 
Sam* "Jaxhdts Wall. Whereby was to-, be (ten /the great 
, good will of fo botfntiful and worfhipfat a gentleman ; 
Who hath promifed yearly,' during his life, to give five 
(hillings more to the fame; the gift was given for' i 
yeafr to the wiririer, and' to the pariih for ever.- The libe- 
rality of the right honorable lords of the nobility,- thefcr 
bountifulnefs towards the feafting of the whole parifh^ 
alibi is Mtorthy remembrance (6): The taanner of the 
feow was, firft, Saint Clement wearing a rochet and a 
n&itre, having a long gray beard, rid upon a hdrfe, witfi 
his man before him, between two hampers' full of fmall 
white loaves, giving of bread onto the poor, or zx\j that 
tWoulid havef the fame: having alfo twelve men follow- 
ing on foot in white canvas caps, and canvas frdcfcs 
girt to them, with baflcets on their ffioulders, Waiting 
upon him, halving a blue anchor painted on their Wafts 
and back^? finding it fo regiftered of him in their le- 
gendary, that S. Clement was firft a baker, Who for his 



- (6) The L. of Leicefter. gave them two bucks, and 40s. in mo* 
ney. The E. Arundel did lend them his houfe to feaft in, betides 
m hogfhead of wine and venifon, which he gave them. 

S 4 , £ood 



good wit and honed life, was made a bUhop, and after 
a Saint. After this fhow came all the young men of 
S. Clement's parifh, very well apparelled with chains 
and fome fcarfs ; every one having his Page attending 
upon him in black frocks, decked wkh Giver, with 
caps agreeable, with edgings of white furs, very feemly, 
bearing (hields and (hafts, which before did carry the 
guns of the batchdors, when they went to let up the 
flake, and to (hoot for the gilded gun. Next followed 
the ancient houflioldcrs of the fame parifh, with their 
Pages, having an enfign, with drums and fuch other 
furniture, with a worthy (how of archers following,. 

Then came the Marquis of Hogfden w^th a (lately 
enfign of red crimfon damafk, in the midft of the which 
enfign there was a phoenix in filver carried by two: men 
on two (laves, with found of trumpets and drums; the 
fhow beautified with Pages as before, handfwords to 
make room, and halberds to guide and keep them in 
order. >- \ 

After them came the Marquis of Shackelwell, chief 
treafurer to the Duke, with his men, every one with 
white and green ribbons, and badges in their hats, be- 
fore whom was carried a mod fair and, long enfign of 
red damaflc, in the which was the golden lion : after 
the enfign followed two with hand-fwords, to make 
room, and then after them two Pages all in white jackets, 
upon the which was painted with poudred armour,, and 
the one Page bare a fhield, on the which was painted a 
Well, on one fide of the well there was a leg, and on the 
other an arm, both arm and leg (hackled to the well, and 
branches of box fpringing out of the fotin;; the other 
Page a broad arrow in his hand. 

Next after this company came the ih after-comp- 
troller of the Duke's houfe with his men, every man 

* having 



Jmviftg a *bow and four arrows as the reft, and greea 
ribbons about their necks. * / v 

. Then came a large tables wherein was written "a de* 
fcription of the benefit of the (hooting in .the long-bow* 
and how (hooting has been decayed, and by whom 
^eftpred : advertifing men from all unlawful games, as 
dicing, carding, tipling in alehoofes, and fuch like, 

\wi(hing t& have the exercife of (hooting to be had in 
jufe jboth by matters and fervants, to the ftrength and 
commodity of this realnrf, as'alfo to the terror of -all 
/qreign. enerrties, befides two tables drawn with inferip* 
lio&s of hojneft exercife: then came two fair enfigns, white 

. and black, with whifBers in chains of .gfeld, with white 
ftaves, and henchmen following them bearing ihieldst 
every (hield painted with a feveral devife ; then caste ' 
the Duke hirp&lf, going between two fine Pages bearing 
Shafts, the Duke bearing a ftandard arrow in his hand; 
and being apparelled in a long gown, citizen- Hke, with 
a hat on his head, agreeable to the order of the chief 
commoners of the city: then after him followed Sif 
Owen Hopton, Knight, Lieutenant of her Majeflry's 
Tower of London, Sir Rowland Hayward, with othef 
the Aldermen and Citizens of London, bearing ftandard 
arrows in their hands, with a feemly company ^fnr<he*sr 
then came the Earl of Buckley elbfe with M after Daye 
at Alderfgate, with a (how of Marquiffes and Barony 
accompanied with many Knights of archery, beautified 

, with trumpets, drums, enfigns, and halberds, all the , 
archers wearing green (caffs; the Black Prince haying 
twelve Knights, and a troop of Barons following him in 
ihqios of gold yery ocderly, and between them Pages in 
green jackets and green taffety night-caps, all dropped 
with gold and conceits of rare device on their fhields, 
\ Then laft of his train came the; Baron. Siirrop, 
*whofe coftly (lake will be in memory after he is deadly 

now 



t *«« ] ' 

# »w;fbmdirig at Mite-ead* Tfts Bfer&i btoOgfcr k 
" feemly fhow of good archers, all with green ribbon* 
about their neck, and efcmcheons in ch^ir caps> with the 
gilded ftirrop, expreffing the truth of his name: who^ 
befides .his great cod and charges in feaftirtg 4>f bit 
archers, did chufe many good ringers of his neighbour^ 
who in the morning early did ring at the chiefeft churches 
about London, for the honour of the Duke and his 
company, feafting them in the mod commendable man- 
ner for their pains, who in the going out of the Duke 
through the city, did alio ring the bells in many chief 
churches all the way he went, and likewife at his confc- 
ing home, to their great pains and labour. 
* Laft of* all came the Goldfmiths, accompanied wkh 
feme other inhabitants of Cheap fide and clfewhere, that 
joined with them in company* The invention ©f the 
jhow was worthy noting : firft came trumpets and 
drams, with • two hand-fwords playing, making roorr^ 
with a fair beautified enfign : then thc'ancienteft fort 
-(7) firft. in gowns and hats, with everyone a fair large 
arrow in his hand, expreffing the good will to tfte kmg'- 
bow, and now being aged, do give over t&at laed&ble 
game: to their fons and fervants, yet ftill well-wiltert 
to the a&iott; and every one of them had bis Page 
feemly cloathed in red mandilions, ftriped witfc fiivcr, 
like broad laces, and caps of red taflfety, edged- with 
white furs thcfe carried their fltriefcte bf fundry devifes, 
in the. ope of their hands, and an arrow in th<* other 
hand : then came a (hip ready rigged, carried pageant 
wife, ind cunningly made to tfcfe and lean femetimefc 
oh the one fide, and fometimes on the other, with a 
fea-fifh ready to overthrow the fame, thrufting forth her 

(7) iVfarquis Barlo, alias CoveB, was the chief in* the forefrca* 
ef the fliooters. , , . - 

bead, 



kead, ' aftd ptotking it in ; again, in the tnidft of the 
fttyves, and t^o Indians or blttkmotts so go near unt» 
Irr oft' theone ewi ^f thelhip flood tWe Unicorn, on tfee , 
other end the mermaid* TWfhipifcemed as though 
k had newly tfcfnc (roth India,~aii& by great travel and 
danger had brdbgHt home her btif den, laden with gold 
„ and filvcr* theft followed 'the younger men of their train; 
arid for the tnqfft apparelled in fatin doublets, filk hat*, 
chain's of gold about their bqdfcs, and filk hofe, with 
a 1 bow and four r fhafa, and every one had his Page 
golhg before bit)' in red martdifions^ as before rflea* 
rioaed, and caps accordingly fuitable, feme bearing 
pickers, fame fpades, and fome hammers, fignifying a* 
thtfugh they came from the Indies, and had thence, 
by great labour, brought home that ereafure Which the 
fltip carried > and others carried wedges of gold* ;&&& 
fotfie of thdm filver, Which by workmftAfhip is nrtade 
out of the fame earth that the <hip bririgeth ; ahd &?&f 
one of theft Pages had upon their mandilions thefe fen- 
tenbe* written both before and bihtod i ■ f /: * -": 

,: Honfeft labour procufctK health;' • "' '' ' 

. •* .. By honeft labour men come to wealth. . 

.' Thus every one had his Page bfeafrkigthefe tools, like 
workmen by whole* labour many things are made 60* of 
gold and filver to the ufe of all men, and to the avoid- 
ing of .idlenefs. Then upon a ftaff was borne in the 
inidft of the fame (how, a coronet, whereat hung three 

, arrows of filver, very workmanly made ; then followed 
a concert of broken mufick, playing all the- way, to the 
great delight of all the beholders and h*&re*s of the 
Came: and laft of all* ah hundred fhot, being very ready 
and -nimble to difcharge, and thefe were well appointed 
with powder. Thus went, they along through Cfceap- 

t fide up Cornhill, and turned 'by Leaden-hall to Sifcopf* 
gate, where at the end of Houndfditch the Street was 

chained 



'chained in, and there placed the itnag^ of a monftrou* 
giant, which in tinoes pad dwelt in that place* being 

< ftoutly defended with long morr ice -pikes, halberds, and 
wheel guns of great (hot ready charged againft the 
Duke's gunners and archers, who valiantly ftot many 
arrows into the giant, and discharged thqir calivers, 
vhich the giant's men would nafc put up, but ftiook 
their fpears, foot off their pieces in (how to defend the 
place, which lince that giant lived belonged to Prince 
Arthpr. Thus for fport, on both fides, the trumpets 
founded, the drums (truck up, the; enfigns were toffed 
in feemly fort, and the fencers with tanfwords. made 
room, beginning a. battle in feemly fliow, the Shot of 
the Goldfmiths difcharged their (hot fo faft, and in good 
order, to the (baking of the giant's fort, that hardly the 
people near hand, might know one another. Thus the 
train pafled to , Shoredicch church, and then turned 
down into Hog{8en«-fields, into a fair large green paf- 
ture ground of goodly compafs, where a ttnt was fet up 
for the Duke ancf the chief Citizens, where, when they 
were come they might fit to fee the fhooters appointed 

, to fhoot at the butt new let up for, the fame,, being feven 
(core and eight yards from the other end of the teht. 
The true number of archers that (hot, was thirty bun* 
dred: the number that accompanied him into the field, 
of archers, citizens, whiffiers, and thofe which guarded 
them with bills, was forty and one hundred and odd 
perfons, befides Pages and Henchmen, which was irt 
number three hundred and odd. The attire worn by. 
all this company (for the mod part) was very gorge* 
©us* fome in black velvet jerkins, doublets of feting 
with hats of velvet; the moft part in fatin and taffety* 
and * hats of *affety, a great many wearing chains of 
gold. The true number of chains of gold worn among 
(he company, that 1 faw, was nine hundred forty two % 

the 



tiie reft of the company did all wear green large fcarfi, 
fome white fcarfs, other fome green ribbons, orangd 
tawny ribbons, fome black and white, green and whfte, 
but the mod part was green. - " 

• Before they came to the tent,- the train marched 
about the field in warlike manner, and forthwith caft 
themfelves about and broke their ray, every one hafting 
to the tent where the Duke purpofed to begin (hooting. 
Then every enfign brought in his archers, and there N 
with found of trumpets proclaimed by the heFald, 
that every man fhould avoid forty foot from each fide 
of the butt; otherwife to (land to their own perils;. Thuk 
. went they to (hooting, where by then three enfigns bact 
jfhot,. which was about three of the clock ; word was 
brought to the Duke, that certain of prince. Arthur's 
Knights were coming into the field, defirous to fpeak 
with his noblenefs. Having anfwer that they fhould bfe 
entertained cpurteoufly : « forthwith the Goldfmiths 
made forth to meet them, Haying at their own (take 
againft their coming, who anon came, and then the 
Goldfmiths enfign, and fome of their Pages very orderly, 
with feme of the archers in chains of gold, went and' 
met thefe courteous Knights, mounted upon ftately' 
palfreys, with ten Pages alfo on horfeback, and Irifh 
lackies with darts running by their horfes on foot, be- 
tides a trumpeter, a herald; and a meflenger, upion 
good geldings : the Knights were apparelled m cloth of 
tiflue, or crimfon filk and gbld; the-ir Pages in green * 
filk; "having likewife a feemly company of archers very 
richly apparelled in fatin doublets and chains of gold, 
to the number of two hundred, attending on foot, half 
going before, the refidue coming behind. (A worthy 
(how befeeming fo noble a game). Thtis with great' 
reverence they came near to the tent j the meflenger 
dad in a jacket of black velvet, with a black velvet? 
r:\ - . ■ cap, 



[ '47Q ) 

qtp> and green fatro doufhfet,, pronounced tn oration to 
tfre Duke : the cepy : *hereof followetj). ( 
rf* Mod noble Duke* firft to your good felf and next 
€C unto all your worthy fociety and company in general ; 
? lia the behalf of the moft noble and renowned 

* Pribce A-rthur, aijd.all hi* noble Knights, gratify you 

V (and yours) with the choie£ of a thoufand coramen- 

V dations: fame blowing abroad, ai)d in. the court of 
tc the noble Prince A rt Hur,~that this day (in this place) 

* fhoilld be prattifed the moft excellent quality of 

* {hooting in the long-bow. Which news were no 

V fopner blazed in that moft royal cburt, but by the 

* Oonfeflt of their renowned Princ? , thefc ooblc Knights 
? counted themTelves on horfeback, calling to mind 
€C the great courtefy ; tliey received ot? your noblenefs, 

* at the late royal fhow of their famous Prince. For 
,c reqokal of which your great friendftip, this^ troop of 
€C noblti Knights (for the honour they owe to the long- 
*• bow) are repaired hither to prefent unto ybur nobler 
€C nefs a friendly gift; which is; fiv« bows of gold, 
iC and five filver arrows j requiring yotfr noblenefs to 
• c bellow them on five of chef moft valiant, maft aifcive,* 
<f and 190ft expert of all your train, in (hooting in the 
€C long-bow, reqoefting . (friendly) we may prefently 
€ 5 fee the. delivery of them to thofe perfons moft. worthy : 
'V hoping you will accept thefe theic friendly gifts* 
€c fpringmg from well-willing minds. Loth to hinder 
** your worthy exereife, we omit for expence of time, 
'*; that. which elfe more largely fhould have been difr 
u courlid. Thefe a&iofts being finifhed (we prefumo 
€€ of your courtefy) wevfhall depart friendly, always 
<r wiflbing the prosperous fuccefs of your worthy excr- 
f tcifc. w 

The I>uke with hearty thanks accepted thefe thct* 
fcrefeats, promifing with great proteftation to match the 

prince 



t m J , 

prince every way .in good will ar>d . courtefy, wilhiog 
that this. their amity might long continue. 

Then the Kfligbts departed with great grief to the 
duke, hecaufe he had provided a banquet foe them, 
which could npt be ferved in by reafon of the unrulineii 
and throng of the people. 

The Marquis Barlo, chief of the Goldfmiths,, to gra- 
tify them with fome (how of courtefy, bellowed on 
them (two ingots or wedges, one of gold the other of 
filver, and after did conduit them into their own li- 
berties with a volley of (hot, which they very thankfully 
accepted. . 

And this one thing is worthy of memory, that upon 
the day pf Prince Arthur's (hooting, which was five 
weeks before this (how, the Duk^ willing to beautify 
the fame in fome feemly fort, fent a buck of that fea- 
fon by the' Marquis Barlo, accompanied with many 
Goldfmiths, who coming in fatin doublets and chains o£ 
, gold about their bodies, with horns at their backs, did 
all the way wind their horns, and prefentcd the fame 
to Prince Arthur, who was at his tent, which was at 
JVtile-end green ; he not only accepted the fame, but 
alio profiled to have the Duke's courtefy in mind, if 
God lent him life. 

Having now digreffed in brief, I will return to the 
Duke, who feeing the night draw on, broke up the 
{hooting until the next day, which was Wednefday, 
where they all ipet again, to try who could depart vi&ors 
of thofe' games then to be won. Which were in value 
as foHoweth; the firft fifty three Jhillings four pence, 
the fecond five nobles, the third fow nobles, the fourth 
twenty (hillings, and the fifth ten (hillings. Thitf 
every one having one (hot at the Butt, the beft five 
were young men j four of the beft games did the Earl of 
Pancridge's men win; the fifth one of the Duke's men did 

get. 



get, The beft and the fccond were won by two of S. 

Dunftan'a in the Eaft$ the 7 bcft was a fkinnerVmari, 
the "fccond a brewer's man: and he that won the firft 
d3d dwell in S. Bride's parilb, being a fadler's fon, 'att 
irhtch three were brought home in this manner. Firft, 
for that it was dark, they were brought out of the field 
with torch Kghts to the number of -two hundred, and 
the winners mounted upon great geldings, fent to them 
from out of thofe parts where they dwelled, very fump- 
tuoufly trapped with cloth of filk, and filver, and ano- 
ther of gold, with eight trumpets, drums and enfigns, 
with fhot,> which came from Fleetftreet to fctfch them 
home: and others with halberds fafely to conduct them* 
they all three were clad m green; the firft in green 
taffecy, With a white fcauf about his body, and a great 
chain of gold about his neck, with a cap of velvet, and 
a golden band about the fame, bearing an arrow in 
his hand, and a green ribbon hanging thereat; and fo 
had they all : to their great laud and honour were they 
fcondu&ed firft into Grubftreet, then entered the City at 
Cripplegate, down Woodftreet, and fo into Cheapfide : 
continual fhot was beftowed to bring them home, to 
the great delight of the beholders : thus marching 
through Paul's Church-yard, they went to Ludgate, and 
fo home, where their trains was very thankfully received* 
Againft they came home, there was prepared great ban- 
quets by their Mafters and Parents, to the great delight 
of that parifti where they dwelled, who would nor for 
money have loft the honor of the fame. 

Then did the Marquis Barlo with all the Gold- 
fmiths and his convoy of men at arms (8 ) fafe conduft the 
Duke home to his houfe, appointing one Jeffery Gates 



(8) Norwich and Savage, both notable for fhot in this train. 

an 



an ancient fetvitot to them, to he the leader, who marched* 
in the forward until they came to the Puke*fc houfe, 
where the Duke, was no fobner entered his houfe, and the 
Marquis, together with the chief of the train, bpt the 
harquebufleers, at the appointment of Gates, charged 
their pieces, and forthwith did bellow fuch a volley of 
(hot, as caufed the glafs to (hake forth of the glafs 
windows ; to the honour of the Duke, and the good 
liking of them all. 

Then every Bartm and the whole company of Go- 
Pernors were brought home to their joy and comfbrt r 
nrtaking good cheer, (hooting off their, pieces, found- 
ing of trumpets, ^and ftriking up of their drurps to de- 
light and comfort, . t 

Thus H&ve I (as perfectly as I may) described thq 
manner of the fame, reporting the truth -of what I faw, 
Then on the Mooday following, the Duke had provided 
a furinptuous feaft, to which all the archer* came, being 
kept at the Bifhop of London's Palace, who for the good 
will he bore to fhooting, lent, them his houfe freely, 
wifhing that, it might be as commodious to them, as 
the Ihow and fight, for provifion of fo many citizens 
in his houfe was comfortable to him. And for fear of 
diforder, there was unto every archer given a token 
ftamped with a broad arrow, who> at the gate of the 
Bifhop's palace, delivered them to thofe that were ap- 
pointed to receive )them. 

Which done, every man, (for the moft part having 
ribbons about their necks) went to thofe tables, which 
by good fprefight were provided for them, every man . 
taking his place until the fervice was brought in ; the 
tables furnifhed before with table cloths, fait, bread, 
and" trenchers. The great hall of the palace was filled, 
and over dip heads of the people hung the moft fump- 
tuous'Enfigns, under which they were before conduced 

T to 



to the field. There might a man behold the great pro- 
vifion of meat, the cooks in fuch good order dreffing 
the fame in quiet fort, as was worthy noting. v And 
when the fervice of meat was brought in, the trumpets 
founded, the drums ftruck up, and every man in very * 
good order placed to their contentment 5 fo that the 
great hall, the largeft parlor, the galleries, and other 
rooms in the houfe were" filled with people, who with 
great rejoicing gave thanks to God for his provideqefi 
and Weffings, many ways beftowed on them. Then 
was there ferved unto one large tables which was the 
higheft table in the great hall, boiled capon, roafted 
♦ beef, venifbri patties,- cuflkrd, tart, roafted capon and 
rabbits, with other difhes neceflary for the tome, with 
wine, beer, and &le, and ever was replenished with fuf- 
ficierit thereof to their contentation. 

The reft of the tables had this fervice to every mefs. 
Firft boiled mutton, roafted beef, a pafty of venifcn, 
and" a roafted capon; and fome had rabbits, befides beer 
and ale which was 1 fufficient, every mefs had a bottle of 
wine ferved in a bottle unto the fame: there were three 
hundred meffes of meat ferved in, to the great joy and 
comfort of thofe that were there, being ferved in fuch 
good order as is laudable. When the meat was ferved 
in, every mart familiarly drank one to another; and 
then the Duke very reverently drank to them all, whereat 
the trumpets founded, the people hallooed, the drums, 
ftruck up, and fuch a noife was made that it- was hearcj 
far off. Then the Duke, with fome of his l£nights and 
gentlemen, went about the whole houfe, and vifited 
every table, with drum and fife, to the well liking of 
them all; fo that with much melody they came in again 
into the great hall, giving thanks to the whole com* 
pany/ Then fundry times the trumpets founded, the 
drums ftruck up, and the company drank to the t>uke, 

*- paffing 



[ 275 ] 

paffing away the time until dinner was ended. Then 
another company did wind their horns, which in good 
order qf meafures they did. The people by this time 
beginning to depart, the Duke cauTed the Herald to 
ft and up and make a proclamation, that the people 
might be filent ; which done, he pronounced in a fhort 
ientence, a thank(giving to God for our gracious Queen, 
defiring God to fend her long life and vj&ony over all 
her enemies; whereat the people cried Amen; lifting up 
their caps, heaving up the tables over their heads, . in 
fign of joy of her Majefty, whereat the trumpets founded, 
the company hallooed and fhouted. Laft of all they 
praifed God and fo departed; giving the remnant of the 
broken meat to the poor and needy, of which, com- 
pany a number gave diligent, attendance for the fame at 
the great gate. (A Charitable deed in the knitting up 
offo honourable a matter.) 'thus they declared/their 
courtefies one to another, to the maihtenance of Chris- 
tian unity, which J pray God long continue, that this 
her Majefty's realm of England may be kept ftili in 
peace and tranquility, to the maintenance of God's 
Glory, the fame and perpetual renown of her Majefty ; 
whofe life, the God and giver of all life prolong, that 
our fives, which depend upon hers, may the better be 
preferved and continued. Amen. 



T 2 a BRIEF 



•'• 1 






A BRIEF 



DESCRIPTION 



OP THE 



SHOW 

? MADE AT 

S. MARTINS in the FIELDS, 

IN SETTING VP HE& 

MAJESTY'S STAKE. 

ON* Wednelday/ bemg the (econd day of Oftober 
laft pad, {landing at a flail in the Old Baily, I 
heard the found of drums and guns, and drawing near 
to fee it, there cameWhifflers with ftaves, red and 
white, with a lufty company of good archers, very well 
and feemly apparelled, bearing bows and (hafts ; every 
archer his page, clothed in red Mandiliori, ftriped with 
lilver, and caps agreeable to the fame. There came 
in number two hundred bowmen, mixed with two 
hundred calivers, bcfides halberds, to beautify the 
ihow, mixed throughout. The gunners were expert 
fellows, difcharging their fhot in very good order: 
all this train* going under fundry fair enfigns. Forth- 

;,< Ts **i 



with the trumpets founded, and a very fair fliow fol- 
lowed. Firft, men very ftrangely apparelled in long 
hairy garments, made of ' Ikins like unto martens, 
hopping and (kipping along as they went : then came 
two horfemen harneflcd, their horfes all over trap- 
ped in white (ilk : then came a vtry ftiraptuous Stake, 
being the Queens Majefty's, which they went to 
fet up in S. James's Field; upon this (take ftood 
a golden lion holding a (hield with her Majefty's arms, 

* the fupporters whereof were Fortitude, Juftice, Tem- 
perance, and Prudence, tfee lion having a whole crown 
on his head. Then came a feemly Pageant, very cun- 
ningly made and with great coft, wherein fat the 
Gods j firft, Pan, with Fame and Honour, attending on 
Vertue; then Saint Martin, and Eliza, as fuperior, 
accompanied whfr the Four Virtues; the Mufcs attend- 
ing very feemly with mufick playing before the Pa- 
geant. , Thus they pafled very orderly through Holborn 
to Chancery -Lane, and (o to $. James's in the Fields: 
in the train was carried three (ilver games as reward 
for the winhers of (hooting it* the' Ibtfg-bow, and a 
gilded gyn, as a reward unto the bed that could handle 
their piece. (Both exercifes of gnqtt ftnength unta jhi* 
realm). They ufed; many, fpeeches in their twrin ja 
they, went. And* at night were brought home very 
worthily with fir e^ works, which greatly beautified th^ 
fame. %o conclude, never faw 1/ a firirer figfct upon 
fuch a fudden, which being worthy of comno^KkmofHr 
I. thought good to note the principal things ^jhenefciv 
that k might remain in memory to* their continual 1 

• preife. . •'• h. -; .. ;; . •-• * r ; : r ' ■ 



'•-;•. * i 




• *' . : 


;r ■> .; :vj ^.» 


W 


fi 8RIBF 



A BRIEF 



RELATION 



OF THE SEVERAL 



APPEA&ANCES 



OP 



ARC HER S 



SINC&HI& 



MAJESTY'S RESTORATION. 



ON March the 21ft, anno Domini i66i 9 Four hun- 
dred arthera, with their bows and arrows, made a 
fpleadid *nd ^glofrious (how in Hyde-Park, with flying 
colours, and crois-bows to guard them. Sir Gilbert 
Talfeot Baronet, was their Colonel, Sir Edward Hunger- 
ford, Knight of theBath, their Lieutenant Colonel, Mr, 
Donne was their Major. Great was the appearance bpth 
of the4K)bility, gentry,^nd commonalty : feveralofthe 
archers ihot near twenty fcore yards within the oompafi 
of a hat with their crofs-bow$j and many of them, to 
the amazement t>f the fpe&ators, hit the mark ; there 
were likewife three flvowers of whittling arrows. Sa 

T 4 great 



."[ 260 1 * 

great was the delight, ^nd fo pleating the excrcife, that 
three regiments of foqt laid down their arms to comq 
to fee it. * 

Yet as delightful as it then was, this excrcife was in- 
termitted by fome unlucky negleftive fate, from the year 
1 66 1, till 1675 j and then indeed they began to firing 
their b6ws and < handle their arrows for a handfome ap- 
pearance to compliment Sir Robert Vyner, then Lord 
Mayor: their rendezvous was in the upper Moor-fields^ 
there, about three hundred and fifty, mod richly ha- 
bited, were drawn up in* a body; from thence they 
marched through Mporgate, through Cripplegate, and 
through Woodftreet into 'Cheapfide ; then they pafifed 
by the north fide of Saint Paul's, and marched round 
it into Cheapfide again, and fo to Guild-hall, where 
they waited to receive the King's mod excellent Majefty, 
and the then Lord Mayor. When the King had pafied 
by (who feemed highly pleafed with the fight of fo 
many archers) then they marched to Chrift-Church, 
where a very noble dinner was prepared for them at 
' the expence'.of the Lord Mayor : Sir Robert Peyton 
Knight, was their leader, and Mr. Michael Arnold 
Was their bringer-up : they marched under one colour, 
fix men with crofs-bows being appointed to guard it : 
all the officers, had green fcarfs, and every bowmah wore 
a green ribbon. There was hot any thipg more mate- 
rial to be mentioned in thatdky's march. 

Upon the 26th of May following, the archers 
marched to Tuttle-fields to fhoot their whiftling-ar- 
irows. They rendezvoused in the Military-Ground 
near Bloomfbury, and marched from thence through 
part of Hplborn, through Chancery-lane, through 
Temple-bar, and To through the Strand to Whitehall. 
There were fix abreaft, - yet when the van reach'd 
Whitehall, the rear had not paffed through Temple-bar, 
fo numerous where the archers then* from Whitehall 

direftly 



'dire&Iy to Tuttlefields aforefaid, "WherC they were 
drawfi up in a lifie, then came the King with his guard 
and coaches of ftate, together with^his Royal Higjhnds, 
the Duke of York, the Duke of Monmouth j and moft 
of the nihility attending him.; to fee them fhoot: His 
Majefty marched twice or .thrice from one end pf the 
body to the other to view them. The archers were in 
number near a thoufand* the fpettators near twenty 
thoufartd. It was a great encouragement, and a mighty 
joy and fatisfa&ion to the archers, to fee the King behold 
s them i with fucjh a ferene, benign, cheerful, princely 
and, favourable countenance : His Majefty was pleafcd 
to ftay ato hour or two to look on, whilft they (hot fe- 
veral (howers pf whittling arrows to entertain him, with 
which his Majefty, and the Nobility, feem'd very much 
fetisfiedj then the King was pleafcd to return to White- 
hall : then Sir Gilbert Talbot fent in feveral barrels of 
beer, and other provifion for the arfchers ; fo did Sir 
Edward Hungerford, Sir Robert Peyton, and the reft 
of the Captains; after they had refrelhed themfclves^ 
then they marched home with drums beating, and co- 
lours flying. Sir Gilbert Talbot being the Colonel; 
Sir Robert Peyton, Lieutenant-colonel ; and MichaeL 
Arnold, Major. > 

Iri the year 1676, on St. Simon and Jude's day. 
Sir Jofeph Sheldon being elefted Lord Mayor, about 
350 archers marched under the command of Sir Robert 
Peyton, Knight; they rendezvoufed in the upper Moor- 
fields, and marched as before mentioned in the time 
of Sir Robert Vyner's mayoralty, and were in the felf 
fame manner placed to receive the King and Queen, the 
nobility and gentry, who came to honour the Lord 
Mayor with their prefence at dinner at the Guild-Hail v 
When his Majefty was paffed by, then they marched to' 
Chrift-Church to dinner, Amongft the variety of 

fights. 



[ a82 ] 

fights, none Teemed to give his Majefty more content 
and delight, more pleafure and fatisfa&ion* than €o fee 
the bows and arrows, thefe ancient habiliments of war, 
revived. 

On the 14th day of July, 1681, the archm marched 
from London to Hampton-Court, under the com- 
mand of Mr. Edwards and Mr. Henry Warren: 
that was a day appointed to (hoot for feveral pieces 
of plate, worth thirty pounds, at eight fcore yards 
diftance. After a little time was fpent, the King was 
pleafed to honour them with his prefence» and ftay'd 
near two hours to behold their paftime, to the great 
joy, fatis&dtion, and honour of the archers: and as 
though this had not been honour enough, fo full of 
gpodnefs and clemency was his Majefty, that he permit- 
ted as many of them as pleafed to kifs his hand, in 
token of his being well fatisfied with that heroic exer- 
«ife; the prizes were two filver cups, aad three do- 
zen, of filver ipoons. The faid target was placed upon 
a Butt, erefled on the green, before the King's Palace 
there ; but it rained fo faft that the King was forced 
to retire before all the frizes were won, which were 
thirty-in number; he ftayed till fix were \*on, and ex- 
preft his fatisfa&ion very much; and without all ques- 
tion the archers may reafonably hope for what faVfeur 
they can humbly beg for the encouragement of ar- 
chery from this King, and it will be granted with as 
much readinefs as by any of his royal ancestors in 
the like cafe whatfoever heretofore ; for no King, 
unlefs his glorioifs Father, could ever rttatch his good- 
nefs. » 



POST- 



POSTSCRIPT. 



Y^N Friday the 21ft of April, 1682, the archers met 
^-^ in the Artillery- Ground, marching through Corn- 
hill, Fleet-Street, and the Strand, to Tuttlefields. The 
chief officers were Sir Edward Hungerfbrd, Knight of 
the Bath, Colonels Mr. Michael Arnold, LieutenantCo- 
lonel; Mn John Edwards, Major; Mr. Henry Warren. 
Captain Lieutenant; Mr. Edward Gough, Mr. Edward 
Done, Mr. George Walker, Mr. James Manley, Cap- 
tains; John Jennings, Lieutenant. The King's moftex* 
cellent Majefty, his Royal Highnefs, . and moft of* the 
nobility, were fo favourable as to honour thcrii with 
their prefence; as likewife the Ambaffador of the Em- 
peror of tfie kingdom of Morocco and Fez: there 
were at leaft a thoufand archers in the field; for now 
gentlemen begin to bcpleafed with the divertifemeht, 
and pleafed with this manly recreation ; There were 
three fhowers of whittling arrows ; fuch a, fight, fuch 
.a noife, and fuch an appearance, it's prefumed was 
never feen in England on the like occafion; yet we 
hope that every year will beget new lovers of this 
profitable and harmlefs exercife, for they are now re- 
folved, at leafj; once or twice a year, to make fuch a 
public appearance, if his Majefty will be pleafed to per- 
mit them f 



FINIS. 



G L OS S A RY 

..." \ 

OR 

EXPLANATION op this TERMS 

MADEtJtl OP IN 

\d R C H E R n 



A 



xYlLOW, \ An archer is faid to allow, or make aJUuMmce 



S,i 



ALLOWANCE, 3 for the wind, when he ihoots fbmewhat wide 
of the mark, and on that fide of the mark neareft 
the wind, in order that She wind may bring ban] 
arrow into the line of the mark* 
ARROW barbed— A war-arrow, having the' head armed with 
barbs or wing* (by the poets called beard). 

bearing— An arrow which pofleffcs a fteady flight. 

bob-taiVd— An arrow encreafing in bulk, in a regular 
proportion, from the nock to the pile* 

breafled—An arrow which is largeft in the middle i alf# 
termed high-chefted. 

broad— A war-arrow with a flat barb, fometimet balled % 

afwalhw-taiVdaXTOYT. * 

bullet.— An arrow made for throwing a bullet. 
fifling—An arrow ufed for (hiking fiib. 
butt— An arrow ufed in ihooting at ihort Butts. 
fluted— An arrow which is indented in lines to prevent its 
calling. ' ; 

ARROW 



r 
i. 


ARROW 










i 


\ 


I-- 


'- 


L 




' 




1 




i • 
t 





[ 386 ] 

ARROW* ruflhgrmm*— An arrow formed like a rufli. 

Jktof.—PL war-arrow carried in a fheaf. Sometimes by 
the poets called a fold- arrow. 

Jbot. — A& acrow.ufed foi; paftiog fcpallibot. 

- taper-fi*peJ.—9be Arrow hob\aiVct. 

ASCH AM.— A wooden cafe in which bows are kept 



'-.•:•- -." ? • >-■"■■ 

. BACK gf * hem. — The exterior fide of a bow. 

BELLY of a bow. — The jatario* $4<±M: *bow. 

BELT.— A ftrap furnifhed with a Well and worn rotind the waift, 
in>which the arrows -for immediate ufe are placed. 

BEND of 4 &w.— The fpace or fpan between the bow and the 
firing* when the bow is bent or braced. 

BLAZON.— A target ufed in Flanders : the face of which is di- 
vided into fquares, each fquare having a number. 

BLACKS,— Black *>r dark marks. 

BGUGHT.^A Twift or torrid 

BOW! <riw*-rThc arm eaiplojwd in. holding the how. 

wm**r*>hktk x d.n*K- bo»r f the back of which i$^aV//?/«/? fiecc glued 
' upanfce tolly. * 

— — hearing,— A tew that cafe an arrow welt. 

» » ■ < ■ i*a&»-JFbd hsad which hold* the bow. 

■ ■ ■ Jbu.<~* The dHtainee which at*arrow dies from a bow. 

-I jf«/^Aiavt of wood, cut ready for being'ihaped mto • 

♦ b#w. 

BOWYER.— A bawxnaker. 

BBAJCE, iW-~Ta bend a bow, by putting the firing into the tipper 

horn. A bow it faid to be kigk braced, when the 

firing U far from the belly; on the contrary, 

• ' when near the. belly, it it faid to be low braced. > 

BRACER^-A guard' worn on the arm to preVent the-ftrmg, in 
its return, from hurting the arm. 

BUTT.—A iaoiMui of earth, upon which a faark to ftoot at i» 
placed- 

— ~—Jhv>ting.— Shooting at Butts, or marks placed on Butti. 

i ■■■ ■ trrvw.—See arrow. t 

CAST 



t «»? 3 



C. * ' 

CAST, ^t-Tq caft, is to become warped. This word ia alfo u&d 

to exprqfs the operation or fpring of a bow ; 

aa a bow of quick or flow caft. 
■ the*— The right of fhootjng the firft, by winning at the 

laft ihoot ; which is called getting the cqfi. 
♦CHRYSAL. — A kind of pinch (in form like a canker-worm) iti 

a bow. 
CLOUT.— A fmall white Target placed near the ground. 

■■ —Jhwting*— Shooting at clouts. 
gOCK-feather.-- That leather on the arrow, which has no, one 

parallel to it ; and which fhould be uppermofi when 

the arrow is placed in the bow. , ' ' 

COME, /©.— A bpw is faid to come, when \tjinh or bends toa muck 

in any part. % 

COME round, to. 1 A bow i« faid to come round, or to come 

COME round compafs, to. 3 round compafs % or in cwpafs.% when, ia 

drawing, it forms a proper curve or circle* 
COMPASS, to hep.— To obferve due elevation. 
T ■ toJboot.—To (hoot compafs or a round eompafi, is to Jhoot 

the arrow in a curved or parabolic line, 
CROW-^/7.— A horn pile. 

CROWN»rW f — An ornament placed upon the Butts* 
CUT the mark, to,— An arrow ia faid to cut the mark, when it fliea 

flraight towards it, but falls under it. / 



VEAD-Jbaft.— A heavy dull ihaft 
DOWN-w^.-^ wind. 

DRAWING.— That ad i» fcooting (by drawing the firing), 
which immediately precede* locrfing. 

■ *This word (which is not to be found in Afchatn) may poffibty be the 
fame as ehryfali h a caterpillar in the worm ftate : a fret fomewhat rcfem- 
Wing that ammal ; and indeed Afcham obiervet, " that freti are very fimilar 
to a canker, creeping qnd increafing." 

> ' DRAWING 



I 3»8 ] 

DRAWING «**. r The arm y croplo y e d in. drawing the 

— hand ' < The hand \ ^ 

■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ fingers. ' The fingers* 

i through the[bow. — Is dra wing, fo far, that the point of 

the arrow comes beyond the belly of the bow. 
■ afeatber.— Is flipping it from off thfe quill. 

' E. . ' . 

BLkVATION.— The a& of raifing 'the bow in (boqting at tb« 
mark : generally oppofed to a point blank level. 

IND. — The place where a mark is fixed. 

— 'double. — A moot from one mark to another and back again. 

EYE of the firing.— That part of it, which occupies the upper horn 
of the bsw. 

F. ' ' 

FAST.— A word ufed to caution perfont from paffing between the 
(hooter and the mark, and to cUred them to 
ftandftill. 

FLETCHER.— An arrow-maker. . ' 

FLIGHT.— The difiance ox path in which an arrow fiieu 
■ ■ ^f.— An arrow ufed in flight-fliooting. 

m — >Jbooting. — Shooting with the lighteft fort of arrows 

(called flights) and the greateft diftances. 

1VL\JTED-arrow.~-i>ee arrow. 
. FOLLOW the firing.— A bow is faid to [follow the firings when by 
ufe, it has loft its original ftraightnefs; and has 
obtained a curve or inclination forwards. 

FOOT and pole. — (In meafuring a (hoot). The bole of a tree from 
the top to the root. 

FOOTING. — The manner of placing the feet in (hooting. 

FOREHAND.— See Overhand. 

— Jhaft. — An arrow (hot over-hand. 

FRET.— Is that part of wood which is corroded or eat away. But 
in archery, this word is chiefly ufed to fignify 
that riling or protuberance which is occafloned in 
fome weak woods, by the drain they receive in 
bending. Frets (fays Afcham) are little pinches. 

GARLAND, 



[ 2*9 ] 



GALL.— See Knot-gall. 

GAME, in. — In good fliooting. 

GARLAND.— A wreath, within which (in ancient times) the 

mark was placed. 
GONE.— An arrow is faid to be gone, when it may, from its flight,. 

be judged to fall wide of, or far from, the mark. 
GREASE POT.— A fraall box, fomewhat bell-fhaped, open at the 

mouth, and containing, the compofition ufed in 

lubricating the fingers of the fliooting -glove. 



H. 



HANDLE of the '£k&.— -That part of the bow which is hid in 
fliooting. 

HANG on the firings /©.—The Fingers pre faid to hang on the firing, 
when they do not loofe it fmoothly. 

HARD tofiand in a 3ow.— An arrow is fo fpoken of, when it flies 
from the bow fieadily, and without flirting, 

HEAD (ofajbaft)ycrefied. \ —A pile having a circular fwell- 

. 1 f high ridged, fing or prominency, forming the 

.. , filver-fpoon. fbafe of the Stopping, which is 

— : — : iJbouldered. J conical. 

HE ! HE ! — This exclamation is faid to ha^e been an archer** 
word of call, handed down from very ancient 
days. 

HEAT. 1 A word ufed by bow-makers, to fignify the tem- 

H EATING. 3 pering of wood by means of fire. 

HIGH-feathered. — An arrow is faid to be high-feathered, when 
the feathers are left long and deep* 

HIT.— A ftroke in the Target or Mark. 

HOLDING.— The a6fc of holding the firing , when the bow, in 
fliooting, is fully /drawn up. This word is, in- 
deed, fometimes applied to the bow. 

U HOME. 



[ 2Q0 ] 

HOME.— An arrow is faid to be drawn home, when it is drawn 

as far as it ought to be. 
■ «/.-— An arrow is faid to be at home, when it falls upon, or 

not ihort of the mark. 
HORNS of the how. — The exrremitie's or" ends, which are tipped 

•with horn. 
HOYLE.— A fhort roving mark. 
■ •; Jkooting.^Sftooting at Htyhs. 



I. 

INCHES.— The Inches or diftance allowed round the Butt-mark, 
in which an arrow muft fall in order to 1 count, 
when the inches are fhot. 



K. 

KElEP a length^ /«.— -To flioot the exa6t diftance^ ' although not 
ftraight. 

KNOT-GALL. — A preternatural tumour or hurt in trees, occafloned 
to the bough or other part of a tree, by fome 
other bough or tree rubbing againft it. 



LAYING a bow ftraight.— 2l term ufed by the Bow-makers, to 
', iignify the bringing it ftraight by means of heat 

or force. 
LENGTH.— The diftance fhot. 
LIMB of a Mu.— That part of a bow which reaches from each 

fide of the handle to the horn. 
LOOSE, the 7 —The aft of letting go the firing, after it is 
LOOSING, J drawn up. 
LOW -feathered.— An arrow is faid to be low-feathered, when the 

feather is Q\xtJhort zn&fhallow. 

MARK. 



[ 291 ] 



M. 

MARK.— The objea mot at. 

, roving.— A mark fhot at in roving. 
MARKER.— The perfon who marks the falj of the arrow in the 
butt. 

N. . 

NOCK. — This is the old way of fpelling notch, which, in ar- 
chery, is always fpelt and founded nock. 

NOCK, /«.— To place the nock of the arrow in the firing. 

NOCKING point.— That part 1 of the firing on which the arrow is 
placed. . N 

NOOSE. — That end of the firing which occupies the lower horn. 



QVER-arrow. — An arrow which flies over the mark. 

— — bowed. — An archer is faid to be over bowed, when the power 

of his bow is above his command. 
drawn. — An arrow is faid to be over-drawn^ when it is ' 

drawn too far. 
hand. — An archer is faid to fhoot over- hand \ when he looks 

at his mark over his bow-hand;.' 
OVER-HAND ./&*//.— An arrow that is fhot over-hand. 



P. 

PAPER, the.— The Butt-mark. 

game. — A game, in which no arrow is allowed, to count' 
which does not touch the paper. 
PETTICOAT.— The Face or Ground of a Target beyond the outer 

colour. ' 

PIECING ofajbafty the.— The wood at the pile-end % fpliced or 
incorporated with it. 

U 2 PILE. 



[ *9» ] . . 

PILE.— The head of an arrow ufed in ihooting at maris. 

— — roving .«*-The pile uftfd for roving arrows. 

fogar-kaf—K. pile in the form of zfugar-loaf. 

PIN.— The peg which faftens the Butt-mark. ' 

PINS. — Small knots in wood running frequently very deep, and 
fometimes quite through it. They are very hard, 
and in fome woods (as deal) may often be driven 
out. 

PJNCH.— A fmall Fret. 

PLUCK ajboot) /*.— To retard or deaden a flioot. 

* down afide, to.— To moot into the ground on one* fide. 

— buffet. — A game mentioned in the Garland, which enti- 
tled the Vi&or, intiead of receiving a prize, to 
give the Vanquished a buffet pr blow on the cheek. 

PLUCKING a fiatfar.— Raiting the feathers when they are 
funk. , 

POINT.— (Probably fignifying Pile.) A meafure in piecing an 
arrow. 

— - — blank. — The White (Mark), at which an arrow is fliot. 
Now ufed to exprefs an horizontal fliot. 

POPINJAY — A mark in.the fhapeofa bird. 

PREFERENCE.— One limb of a bow is faid to have the preference 
of the other, by bending mofl. 

PRICK mark.— The white Mark or Target fliot at. 

PRICKING. 1 ' . . , m , , 

FUCK,***. 3 - Sh0 ° tlD g at ?™ k Marks - . 

PRICKS. — The place where the pricks or marks are placed. 

■ Jbcft.—hvL arrow ufed in prick-fhooting. 

PRICKER.— The needle or inftrument with which the target 
card is pricked or marked. 

Q. 

dUIVER.— A cafe in which arrows are carried. 

R. 

RAISE a pit) rt.-r-A pin in a bow is faid to be raifed, when there 

is wood left around it forming a prominency. 

RINGMAtf. 



RINGMAN.T-The third finger or that upon which the wedding* 

ring is placed, 
ROOD," *.— Seven yards and a half. ' 

ROUND-fJw^/;. — See compafs. 

ROVERS? — Cafual marks, or marks of uncertain diftance. 
ROVING.— ^hooting at rovers. 
■ arrcw. r Aa arrow, -\ 

■ bono*. < A bow, > ufed in -mooting at Rovers. 

■ pile. t A pile, 3 

^UN w the bow, to. — A feather is faid to run on the bow, when it 
ir placed fo far out of its proper line, as to rub 
r * againft the bow in mooting. * 

S. 

SADDLE-Aioft/— A feather is faid to be cutfaddle-bacVd> when 

it is- cut in the fhape of a faddle. 
SCORE, *.— Twenty yards. ' 

SELF-^ew. — A bow formed out of we piece of wood. 
SET the Jbaft in the tow, to.— To pull the fhaft fo far, that the 

point touches//** belly of the bow. 
SHAFT.— An arrow : properly fo called when it wants only the 

head. 

SHAFT-*™. C The arm, 7 . 

, , 1 mt , , ( employed in drawing the arrow 4x 
- hand, C The hand, J * / 5 

-, gadding. •* r fiarts from the bow. 

Vims upon the wind. 
hat flies unevenly. 
-, hoftow.—A fhaft made of very light, porous or fpofigy 
v wood. 

SHAFTMENT.— That part of the arrow occupied by tht fia* 

' then. 
SHAKE.— A longitudinal crack, concuflion, or rent in wood, often 

caufed by the force of the wind. 
SHEAF of arrows. — A quiver or cafe' of arrows ufed in war, con- 
fining of twenty-four. 
SJIOOT, *.— An arrow fhot. 

■" dawn the butts, Vo.— To begin at the furtheji, and end at the 
Jbortefi butt. 

SHOOTING 



1 gadding, n r fiat 

yjcudding. S A fhaft that < Jkin 

— — , fabling. J v. thai 

■ ■ . I.. JiaHonti-— -A -flmff- madp. nf vp 



[ W ] 

SHOOTING-^*.-- A glove ufed on the Jb eft- hand in drawing 

the String. 
SHORT arrow. — An arrow which falls Jbort of the mark. 
SHOULDER of the pile. — The rifing or prominency near the 

point. 
SIDE wind.— Sec wind. 
SINKING a £*w.— The aft of reducing the fpirii or ftiffnefs of a 

bow, by fhooting in it with heavy arrows. 
SNAKE, /*.— An arrow is faid to fnaie, when it has worked itfcjf 

under the grafs. 
SPELL.— A rifing of the lamellae or ends of the grain of the wood 

of \yhich a bow is made. 
SPRING of a bow — The elaftic quality of a bow. 
STAND in the how, to. — An arrow is faid to ftand, (or to (land in) 

a bow* when it flies from it fteadily, and without 
' fhaking or flirting. 

1 in the wind, to. — To ftand acrofs the wind. 

STAND ARD^rrow. — An arrow made according to a certain fcale 

or pattern. ' 

STANDING, the.— The pofture in which .an' archer Hands, when 

he fhoots. 

■ how. — A bow that Hands well without finking. 

STELE.— An arrow without feather or head. 
STOPPING.— The extreme part or head of the pile, which is folid. 
SUGAR-/**/ pile.— See Pife. 
SWIFT'Jbaft.— A fhaft that flies fwiftly. 

SWINE'hack'dJbaft.— An arrow having the feather cut in imita- 
tion of the line of an hog's back. 

T. 

TAB. — A piece of flat leather, which lies on the infide of the 
hand, and is ufed in dead of the fingers of the 
fhooting-glove. 
TARGET. — A mark fhot at, confiding of feveral circles. 

arrow. — An arrow ufed in fhooting at the Target. 

■ card.— A card coloured as the Target, containing the 
names of the fliooters at the Target, and on which 
are pricked the hits, 

TARGET • 



C 295 ] 

TARGEX->fatf»;.-- Shooting at Target-marks. 
TASSEL.— A bunch of worked, ufed for wiping the arrows. 
TILLER.-— An intfrumebt made of a ftraight piece of wood, with 

a notch at the end, and notches on the upper fide; 

in which a bow is placed and drawn, to fee hew 

it bends. 
TILLERING.— Trying a bow by the tiller. Altering a bow by 

fcraping it. . 
TO the how. 7 — A man is faid to (hoot, and his arrow is faid 
theJhaft.S to fly to the bow or to the Jbaft, as his arrow 

flies to the bow-hand or Jkaft-hand fide of his 
♦. mark. l 
UP, too mucLi—A bow is faid tobe too much up, when it is braced 

too high. 

U. 

UNDER-£<raW. — An archer is faid Xo be under-bowed, when he 
ufes a bow too weak for him'tofhoot well with. 

UNDER- hand. — An archer is faid to fhoot under-hand, when he 
looks at his mark under his bow-hand. 

UPSHOT, to give the,— To make the prrfumed heft fhot, towards the 
end of the game. y 

UP-w/W.— See wind. 

W. 

WEATHER-MAN. — An archer is faid to be a good weatherman^ 

when he is converfant with the Weather. 
WEIGHT of a bow.*— The weight or power which a bow requires 

to draw it up. 
_ of an arrow, — The quantity of its bulk, afcertained by 

weighing it. 
WEN. — A callous excrefcence growing out of trees. 
WHIP, /*.<— To inwrap. 
WHIPPING, the.— The material ufed to inwrap the nocking 

point. 

WHIST- 



■ [■ aoff 3 

WHISTLING^rr«y.— An arrow with a large round and hollar 
head (generally made of horn) perforated with 
holes, which makes a- whittling noife as it flies. 

WlilTE.— The interior circle of a paper-mark. 

WIDE arrow. — Aivarrow which falls wide of the mark. 

" directly from the (hooter 

down to the mark. 
! dire&ly acrofs the line of 
A wind which I the mark. 

blows 1 obliquely upon the line of 
the, mark. 
direftly from the mark to> 
the mooter. " 

WINDING prich.— Prick-marks that (land afkaunt* 

WIND-J&ake.—Se* Shake. 



WIND, down. 

«C,7 r 




> Up. 




ADDITIONS. 



OF THE STRING. 



PART IV- Chap. iv. Add, The firing may be 
ftretched, before it is put on the bow, 
by fufpending a weight to it. 



OF THE NOCK. 

Chap. vi. Se6l. 6. Add, Silver nocks 
have been ufed, and a broken ilock 
has fometimes been mended with an 
hollow tube of filver. 



OF PRAWING. 

Chap. viji. Se6t 6. The firing, in draw* 
ing, fhould lie on Or near to the end- 
joint of the fingers, which fhtfuld be 
fufficiently bent to hold it, but not fo 
much bent as to retard or deaden the 
(hoot. 



OF COLOURING THE ARROW. 

Note 50. The arrow fhould be firft waihed 

with water, in which alum has been 

diffolved, this muft be qfed cold. When 

r the 



the alum water lias dried on the arrow; 
the black dye (which ihould be 'boiled, 
a»d fkaiied off ortce : hx twice) may, 
when cold, be laid on the arrbw, or the 
arrow maybe dipped in it two or three 
times : (if it be ufed when hot the ar- 
row will be liable to be caji). Fine 
glafk-papev will anfwcr the purpofe of 
removing thei roughneft left on the ar- 
row by the dye, as tvell, or better than 
tripoli. To make the black deeper, 
the arrow may, after the roughnefs is 
removed; again be rubbed wit^i a flan- 
nel which has been dipped in ( the dye, 
before it is oiled. Indeed the copat 
varniih may be entirely difpenfed with. 



ERRORS. 



Page. 


Z/7r*. 


- 




7 


7 


For England 


read Britain. > 


8, 


11 


Englifh 


— ~ Bfritohs. 


'; 


(»©/* 1. 9) 


Macou 


Mafcou. 


ic *i 


2 3- 


Englifh 


Britons. 


'5, 


.(«*/* 1. 32) 


Barrington 


Arnottl 


21 


1 


Paralells 


Parallels. 


*3 


20 


thining 


.— thinning. 


i5 


(w/* 1. 14) 


Corfelette 


— Corfelet. 


1 7 and 18 


Parenfhefis to 


begin at as, and end at 




, 


expreffes. 




H 


10 


Statutes 


read Statute. 


8c 


2 S 


Saltzmann 


Salzmann. 


IOO 


(note 1. 13? 


Waiwoode 


Paiwode. 




Cmtimer 


— Cantentir. 


*P7 


2 4 


Hood 


Wood. 




29 . 


Howorth 


— Haworth. 


in 


(»*/* L 2) 


atchieved 


- — achieved* 


1 12 


8 


Parenthefis. to 


begin at when* 




9 


Ditto 


at turning. 


113 




Mr. H. Greene read Mr. J. H. Greene. 


119 


3 


Dele femicolon after efftcl. 


163 


(«*/* I. 3) 


Scythians 


read Lycians* 


2l8 


12 


Strong ger 


Stronger* 


222 


1 


Dele all the inverted commas at the la/i 






paragraph. 




233 


(w/^46, Li) 


Parenthefis to clofe at Archers. 



Printed by C. Roivor/Jt, 
Hudson's Court, Strand. 



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