:

Plin. 7. 56.

In sympo.

In hym. Apollo. Gen. 21.

Nic. de lyra.

whereby men learned afterwarde to immitate the fame in findyng out both bowe and shaftes. Plinie referreth it to Schythes the fonne of Iupiter. Better and more noble wryters bringe fhoting from a more noble inuentour: as Plato, Calimachus, and Galene from Apollo. Yet longe afore thofe dayes do we reade in the bible of fhotinge expreflye. And also if we fhall beleue Nicholas de Lyra, Lamech killed Cain with a fhafte. So this great continuaunce of fhoting doth not a lytle praise Thotinge nor that neither doth not a litle fet it oute, that it is referred to th[e] inuention of Apollo, for the which poynt fhoting is highlye praised of Galene where he fayth, yat mean craftes be first found out by men or beastes, as weauing by a spider, and suche other: but high and commendable fciences by goddes, as fhotinge and muficke by Apollo. And thus fhotynge for the neceffitie of it vfed in Adams dayes, for the noblenesse of it referred to Apollo, hath not ben onelie commended in all tunges and writers, but also had in greate price, both in the best commune wealthes in warre tyme for the defence of their countrie, and of all degrees of men in peace tyme, bothe for the honestie that is ioyned with it, and the profyte that foloweth of it.

Galen in exhor. ad bo

nas artes.

Philol. Well, as concerning the fyndinge oute of it, litle prayfe is gotten to fhotinge therby, feinge good wittes maye moofte easelye of all fynde oute a trifelynge matter. But where as you faye that mooste commune wealthes haue vsed it in warre tyme, and all degrees of men maye verye honestlye vse it in peace tyme: I thynke you can neither fhewe by authoritie, nor yet proue by reason.

Toxophi. The vse of it in warre tyme, I wyll declare hereafter. And firste howe all kindes and fortes of men (what degree foeuer they be) hath at all tymes afore, and nowe maye honestlye vse it: the example of mooste noble men verye well doeth proue.

Herod. in clio.

Xen. in insti

Cyri. 1.

Cyaxares the kynge of the Medees, and greate graundefather to Cyrus, kepte a forte of Sythians with him onely for this purpose, to teache his fonne Aftyages to fhote. Cyrus being a childe was brought vp in fhoting, which thinge Xenophon wolde neuer haue made mention on, except it had ben fitte for all princes to haue vsed: seing that Xenophon wrote Cyrus lyfe (as Tullie Ad Quint. fayth) not to fhewe what Cyrus did, but

Fra. 1. 1.

what all maner of princes both in pastimes and ernest matters ought to do.

Darius the first of that name, and king of Perfie shewed plainly howe fit it is for a kinge to loue and vse shotynge, whiche commaunded this fentence to be grauen in his tombe, for a Princelie memorie and prayse.

Darius the King lieth buried here

That in fhoting and riding had neuer pere.

Strabo. 15.

Agayne, Domitian the Emperour was so cunning in fhoting that he coulde fhote betwixte a mans

fingers ftanding afarre of, and neuer hurt

Tranq. Suet.

Herodia. 1.

him. Comodus alfo was fo excellent, and had so sure a hande in it, that there was nothing within his retche and fhote, but he wolde hit it in what place he wolde: as beaftes runninge, either in the heed, or in the herte, and neuer mysse, as Herodiane fayeth he fawe him felfe, or els he coulde neuer haue beleued it.

Phi. In dede you praise fhoting very wel, in yat you fhewe that Domitian and Commodus loue fhotinge, fuche an vngracious couple I am fure as a man shall not fynde agayne, if he raked all hell for them.

Toxoph. Wel euen as I wyll not commende their ilneffe, fo ought not you to difpraise their goodneffe, and in dede, the iudgement of Herodian vpon Commodus is true of them bothe, and that was this: that

C

beside strength of bodie and good fhotinge, they hadde no princelie thing in them, which faying me thinke commendes fhoting wonderfullie, callinge it a princelie thinge.

Furthermore howe commendable fhotinge is for princes: Themiftius the noble philofopher Themist. Theweth in a certayne oration made to in ora, 6. Theodofius th[e] emperoure, wherin he doeth commende him for. iii. thinges, that he vsed of a childe. For fhotinge, for rydinge of an horfe well, and for feates of armes.

Herod. in clio.

Leo de stra

tag. 20.

Moreouer, not onelye kinges and emperours haue ben brought vp in fhoting, but also the best commune wealthes that euer were, haue made goodlie actes and lawes for it, as the Perfians which vnder Cyrus conquered in a maner all the worlde, had a lawe that their children fhulde learne thre thinges, onelie from v. yeare oulde vnto. xx. to ryde an horse well, to fhote well, to speake truthe alwayes and neuer lye. The Romaines (as Leo the[e]mperour in his boke of fleightes of warre telleth) had a lawe that euery man shoulde vse shoting in peace tyme, while he was. xl. yere olde and that euerye house shoulde haue a bowe, and. xl. shaftes ready for all nedes, the omittinge of whiche lawe (fayth Leo) amonges the youthe, hath ben the onely occafion why the Romaynes loft a great dele of their empire. But more of this I wil speake when I come to the profite of shoting in warre. If I fhuld rehearse the statutes made of noble princes of Englande in parliamentes for the fettyng forwarde of fhoting, through this realme, and specially that acte made for fhoting the thyrde yere of the reygne of our mooft drad foueraygne lorde king Henry the. viii. I could be very long. But these fewe examples fpecially of fo great men and noble common wealthes, shall stand in ftede of many.

Phi. That fuche princes and fuche commune welthes haue moche regarded fhoting, you haue well

declared. But why shotinge ought so of it felfe to be regarded, you haue scarcelye yet proued.

Tox. Examples I graunt out of hiftories do fhew a thing to be fo, not proue a thing why it fhuld be fo. Yet this I fuppofe, yat neither great mens qualities being commendable be without great authoritie, for other men honeftly to folow them: nor yet those great learned men that wrote fuche thinges, lacke good reason iuftly at al tymes for any other to approue them. Princes beinge children oughte to be brought vp in fhoting both bycause it is an exercise moost holfom, and also a paftyme mooft honeft: wherin labour prepareth the body to hardneffe, the minde to couragiousnesse, sufferyng neither the one to be marde with tenderneffe, nor yet the other to be hurte with ydleneffe as we reade how Sardanapalus and fuche other were, bycause they were not brought vp with outwarde honest payneful pastymes to be men: but cockerde vp with inwarde noughtie ydle wantonnnesse to be women. For how fit labour is for al youth, Iupiter or els Minos amonges them of Grece, and Lycurgus amonges the Lacedemonians, do fhewe by their lawes, which neuer or- Qu. deyned any thing for ye bringyng vp of youth that was not ioyned with labour. And the labour which is in fhoting of al other is best, both bycause it encreaseth strength, and preferueth health mooft, beinge not vehement, but moderate, not ouerlaying any one part with weryfomneffe, but foftly exercifynge euery parte with equalneffe, as the armes and breaftes with drawinge, the other parties with going, being not fo paynfull for the labour as pleasaunt for the pastyme, which exercise by the judgement of the best phyficions, is most alowable. By fhoting alfo is the mynde honestly exercised where a man alwaies defireth to be best (which is a worde of honestie) and that by the fame waye, that vertue it felfe doeth, couetinge to come nighest a mooft perfite ende or meane standing betwixte. ii. extremes, efcheweing

Cic. 2. Tus.

Gal. 2. de

san, tuend.

Arist 1. de morib.

fhorte, or gone, or eitherfyde wide, for the which causes Aristotle him felfe fayth that shoting and vertue is very like. Moreouer that fhoting of all other is the mooft honest pastyme, and hath leeft occafion to noughtineffe ioyned with it. ii. thinges very playnelye do proue, which be as a man wolde faye, the tutours and ouerfeers to fhotinge: Daye light and open place where euerye man doeth come, the maynteyners and kepers of fhoting, from all vnhoneft doing. If fhotinge faulte at any tyme, it hydes it not, it lurkes not in corners and huddermother: but openly accufeth and bewrayeth it selse, which is the nexte waye to amendement, as wyse men do faye. And these thinges I suppose be fignes, not of noughtineffe, for any man to difalowe it: but rather verye playne tokens of honestie, for euerye man to prayse it.

Iso, in nic.

The vfe of fhotinge alfo in greate mennes chyldren fhall greatlye encrease the loue and vfe of fhotinge in all the refidue of youth. For meane mennes myndes loue to be lyke greate menne, as Plato and Ifocrates do faye. And that euerye bodye fhoulde learne to fhote when they be yonge, defence of the commune wealth, doth require when they be olde, which thing can not be done mightelye when they be men, excepte they learne it perfitelye when they be boyes. And therfore shotinge of all paftymes is mooft fitte to be vsed in childhode: bycause it is an imitation of moost ernest thinges to be done in manhode.

Wherfore, fhoting is fitte for great mens children, both bycause it strengthneth the body with holfome labour, and pleaseth the mynde with honest pastime and alfo encourageth all other youth ernestlye to folowe the fame. And these reasons (as I fuppofe) ftirred vp both great men to bring vp their chyldren in shotinge, and also noble commune wealthes fo ftraytelye to commaunde shoting. Therfore seinge Princes moued by honest occasions, hath in al commune wealthes vsed