to be ftreight whyche is croked: The experience of this thing is fene in payntynge, the cause of it is knowen by learnynge. And it is ynoughe for an archer to marke it and take hede of it. The cheife cause why men can not shoote ftreight, is bicause they loke at theyr shaft: and this fault commeth bycause a man is not taught to fhote when he is yong. Yf he learne to shoote by himfelfe he is a frayde to pull the fhafte throughe the bowe, and therfore looketh alwayes at hys fhafte: yll vse confirmeth thys faulte as it doth many mo. : And men continewe the longer in thys faulte bycause it is fo good to kepe a lengthe wyth al, and yet to shote ftreight, they haue inuented fome waies, to espie a tree or a hill beyonde the marke, or elles to haue fumme notable thing betwixt ye markes and ones I fawe a good archer whiche did caste of his gere, and layd his quiuer with it, euen in the midway betwixt ye prickes. Summe thought he dyd fo, for fauegarde of his gere: I suppose he did it, to fhoote ftreyght withall. Other men vse to efpie fumme marke almooft a bow wide of ye pricke, and than go about to kepe him selfe on yat hande that the prycke is on, which thing howe much good it doth, a man wil not beleue, that doth not proue it. Other and those very good archers in drawyng, loke at the marke vntill they come almost to ye head, than they looke at theyr fhafte, but at ye very lowse, with a seconde fight they fynde theyr marke agayne. This way and al other afore of me rehersed are but shiftes and not to be folowed in shotyng ftreyght. For hauyng a mans eye alwaye on his marke, is the only waye to shote ftreght, yea and I suppose so redye and eafy a way yf it be learned in youth and confirmed with vse, yat a man shall neuer miffe therin. Men doubt yet in loking at ye mark what way is best whether betwixt the bowe and the ftringe, aboue or beneth hys hand, and many wayes moo: yet it maketh no great matter which way a man looke at his marke yf it be ioyned with comly fhotynge. The diuerfitie of mens ftandyng and drawing causeth diuerfe men [to] loke at theyr marke diuerfe wayes: yet they al lede a mans hand to shoote streight yf nothyng els stoppe. So that cumlynesse is the only iudge of beft lokyng at the marke. Some men wonder why in cafting a mans eye at ye marke, the hand should go ftreyght. Surely ye he confydered the nature of a mans eye, he wolde not wonder at it: For this I am certayne of, that no feruaunt to hys mayfter, no chylde to hys father is so obedient, as euerye ioynte and pece of the body is to do what foeuer the eye biddes. The eye is the guide, the ruler and the fuccourer of al the other partes. The hande, the foote and other members dare do nothynge without the eye, as doth appere on the night and darke corners. The eye is the very tonge wherwith wyt and reason doth speke to euery parte of the body, and the wyt doth not so fone fignifye a thynge by the eye, as euery parte is redye to folow, or rather preuent the byddyng of the eye. Thys is playne in many thinges, but most euident in fence and feyghtynge, as I haue heard men faye. There euery parte ftandynge in feare to haue a blowe, runnes to the eye for helpe, as yonge chyldren do to ye mother: the foote, the hand, and al wayteth vpon the eye. Yf the eye byd ye hand either beare of, or smite, or the foote ether go forward, or backeward, it doth so: And that whyche is mooft wonder of all the one man lookynge ftedfaftly at the other mans eye and not at his hand, wyl, euen as it were, rede in his eye where he purposeth to smyte nexte, for the eye is nothyng els but a certayne wyndowe for wit to fhote oute hir head at. Thys wonderfull worke of god in makynge all the members fo obedient to the eye, is a pleafaunte thynge to remember and loke vpon: therfore an Archer maye be sure in learnyng to lookę at hys marke when he is yong, alwayes to shoote ftreyghte. The thynges that hynder a man whyche looketh at hys marke, to shote ftreyght, be thefe: A fyde wynde, a bowe either to ftronge, or els to weake, an ill arme, whan the fether runneth on the bowe to much, a byg brested shafte, for hym that shoteth vnder hande, bycause it wyll hobble: a little brefted fhafte for hym yat fhoteth aboue ye hande, bicause it wyl ftarte: a payre of windynge prickes, and many other thinges mo, which you shal marke your felfe, and as ye knowe them, so learne to amend them. If a man woulde leaue to looke at his fhafte, and learne to loke at his marke, he maye vse this waye, whiche a good shooter tolde me ones that he did. Let him take his bowe on the nyght, and shoote at. ii. lightes, and there he shall be compelled to looke alwayes at his marke, and neuer at his shafte: This thing ones or twyfe vfed wyl cause hym forfake lokynge at hys fhafte. Yet let hym take hede of fettynge his fhafte in the bowe. Thus Philologe to fhoote ftreyght is the leaste maysterie of all, yf a manne order hym felfe thereafter, in hys youthe. And as for keypynge a lengthe, I am fure the rules whiche I gaue you, will neuer difceyue you, fo that there fhal lacke nothynge, eyther of hittinge the marke alwayes, or elles verye nere fhotynge, excepte the faulte be onely in youre owne felfe, whiche maye come. ii. wayes, eyther in hauing a faynt harte or courage, or elles in fufferynge your felfe ouer muche to be led with affection: yf a mans mynde fayle hym, the bodye whiche is ruled by the mynde, can neuer do his duetie, yf lacke of courage were not, men myght do mo mastries than they do, as doeth appere in leapynge and vaultinge. All affections and specially anger, hurteth bothe mynde and bodye. The mynde is blynde therby: and yf the mynde be blynde, it can not rule the bodye aright. The body both blood and bone, as they fay, is brought out of his ryght course by anger: Wherby a man lacketh his right ftrengthe, and therfore can not fhoote wel. Yf these thynges be auoyded (wherof I wyll speake no more, both bycause they belong not properly to fhoting, and also you can teache me better, in them, than I you) and al the preceptes which I haue gyuen you, dilligently marked, no doubt ye fhal fhoote as well as euer man dyd yet, by the grace of God. Thys communication handled by me Philologe, as I knowe wel not perfytly, yet as I fuppofe truelye you must take in good worthe, wherin if diuers thinges do not all togyther please you, thanke youre felfe, whiche woulde haue me rather faulte in mere follye, to take that thynge in hande whyche I was not able for to perfourme, than by any honeste shamefaftnes withfay your request and minde, which I knowe well I haue not fatiffied. But yet I wyl thinke this labour of mine the better bestowed, if tomorow or fome other daye when you haue leyfour, you wyl spende as much tyme with me here in this fame place, in entreatinge the question De origine animæ. and the ioynyng of it with the bodye, that I maye knowe howe far Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoicians haue waded in it. Phi. How you haue handeled this matter Toxophile I may not well tel you my felfe nowe, but for your gentleneife and good wyll towarde learnyng and fhotyng, I wyll be content to fhewe you any pleasure whenfoeuer you wyll: and nowe the funne is doune therfore if it please you, we wil go home and drynke in my chambre, and there I wyll tell you playnelye what I thinke of this communication and also, what daye we will appoynt at your request for the other matter, to mete here agayne. Deo gratias. LONDONI. ♬ In ædibus Edouardi VVhytchurch. Cum priuilegio ad impri- 1545. 1. TOXOPHILUS, THE FOUNDATION OF ASCHAM'S AFTERFORTUNES. In a humorous letter to Queen Elizabeth, on 10. Oct. 1567. (87.): Ascham divides his idea of her into two; and afking her in one perfonality as his friend, to intercede with her other perfonality, as queen, to relieve him from his difficulties, recounts to her the history of his penfion. "I wrote once a little book of fhooting; King HENRY, her most noble father, did fo weil like and allow it, as he gave me a living for it; when he loft his life I loft my living; but noble King EDWARD again did first revive it by his goodness, then did increase it by his liberality; thirdly, did confirm it by his authority under the great feal of England, which patent all this time was both a great pleasure and profit to me, faving that one unpleasant word in that patent, cailed “ during pleasure," turned me after to great displeasure; for when King EDWARD went, his pleasure went with him, and my whole living went away with them both. But behold God's goodness towards me. and his providence over me, in Queen MARY, her highness' fifter's time, when had loft all, and neither looked nor hoped for any thing again, all my friends being under foot, without any labour, without my knowledge I was fuddenly fent for to come to the council. I came with all will, and departed with much comfort, for there I was fworn fecretary for the Latin tongue, because fome of them knew that King EDWARD had given me that office when I was absent in Germany, by good Mr Secretary's procurement, and because fome did think I was fitter to do that office than those were that did exercise it. When I faw other fo willing to do for me, I was the bolder fomewhat to speak for myself. I saw WINCHESTER did like well the manner of my writing; I faw alfo that he only was Dominus regit me that time. I told him that my patent and living for my Book of Shooting was loft. Well, faid he, cause it to be written again, and I will do what I can I did fo, and here I will open to your majefty a pretty subtlety in doing happily a good turn to myself, whereat perchance your majefty will fmile; for furely I have laughed at it twenty times myself, and that with good caufe, for I have lived fomewhat the better for it ever fince. I caufed the fame form of the patent to be written out, but I willed a vacant place to be left for the fum. I brought it fo written to the bishop: he asked me why the old fum was not put in. Sir, quoth I, the fault is in the writer, who hath done very ill befide, to leave the vacant place fo great, for the old word ten will not half fill the room, and therefore furely, except it please your lordship to help to put in twenty pounds, that would both fill up the vacant place well now and also fill my purfe the better hereafter, truly I shall be put to new charges in caufing the patent to be new written again The bishop fell in a laughter, and forthwith went to Queen MARY and told what I had faid, who, without any |