reason of theyr artillerie regarded neuer one whitte and thus with the Romaynes I maye conclude that the borders of theyr empyre were not at the sunne rysinge and sunne settynge as Tullye sayeth but so farre they went as artillarie woulde gyue them leaue For I thinke all the grounde that they had eyther northewarde farther than the borders of Scythia or Eastewarde farther than the borders of Parthia a man myght haue boughte with a small deale of money of whiche thynge surely sho tyng was the cause From the same contrie of Scythia the Gothians Hunues 〈…〉 Diaâ— and Wandalians came wyth the same we pons of artillarie as Paulus Diaconus doth saye so berafte Rome of her empyre wyth fyre spoyle waste so yâ— in suche a learned citie was lefte scarce one man behynde that had learnynge or leysoure to leue in writinge to them whiche shoulde come after howe so noble an Empyre in so shorte a whyle by a rable of banyshed bondemen wythoute all order and pollicie saue onelye theyr naturalle and daylye excercise in artillarye was broughte to suche thraldome and ruine After them the â—urkes hauing an other name but yet the same people P. Mela. â— borne in Scythia brought bp onely in artillarie by the same weapon haue subdued and beraft from the Christen men all Asia and Aphrike to speake vpon and the moost noble countries of Europe to the greate diminishing of Christe his religion to the great reproche of cowardyse of al christianitie a manifest token of gods high wrath displeasure ouer the synne of the worlde but speciallye amonges Christen men which be on slepe made drunke with the frutes of the flesh as infidelitie disobedience to Goddes worde and heresie grudge euel wyll stryfe contention and priuie enuye coueytousnesse oppression vnmercifulnesse with innumerable sortes of vnspeakeable daylye bawdrye which thinges surely yf God hold not his holy hande ouer vs and plucke vs from them wyl bryng vs to a more Turkishnesse and more beastlye blynde barbarousnesse as callyng ill thinges good and good thynges ill contemnyng of knowledge learnynge settynge at nought and hauyng for a fable God and his high prouidence wyll bring vs I say to a more vngracious Turkishnesse if more Turkishnesse can be then this thaÌ„ if the Turkes had sworne to bring al Turkye agaynst vs. For these frutes surelye must neades sprynge of suche seede and suche effect nedes folowe of suche a cause if reason truthe and God be not altered but as they are wont to be For surely no Turkyshe power can ouerthrowe vs if Turkysshe lyfe do not cast vs downe before If god were wyth vs it buted â—ot the turke to be agaynst vs but our vnfaythful sinfull lyuyng which is the Turkes moder and hath brought hym vp hitherto muste nedes turne god from vs because syn and he hath no felowshyp togither If we banished ill liuyng out of christendome I am sure the Turke shulde not onelye not ouercome vs but scarce haue an hole to runne in to in his owne countrye But Christendome nowe I may tell you Philologe is muche lyke a man that hath an ytche on him and lyeth droÌ„ke also in his bed and though a thefe come to the dore and heaueth at it to come in and sleye hym yet he lyeth in his bed hauinge more pleasure to lye in a slumber and scratche him selfe wher it ytcheth euen to the harde bone than he hath redynes to ryse vp lustelye dryue him awaye that woulde robbe hym and sleye hym But I truste Christe wyl so lyghten and lyfte vp Christen mennes eyes that they shall not slepe to death nor that the turke Christes open enemy shall euer boste that he hath quyte ouerthrowen vs. But as I began to tell you shootynge is the chefe thinge wherewith God suffereth the turke to punysh our noughtie liuinge wyth all 〈…〉 The youthe there is brought vp in shotyng his priuie garde for his own person is bowmen the might of theyr shootynge is wel knowen of the Spanyardes whiche at the towne called Newecastell in Illirica were quyte slayne vp of the turkes arrowes whan the Spanyardes had no vse of theyr gunnes by reason of the rayne Iâ—d nowe last of all the emperour his maiestie him selfe at the Citie of Argier in Aphricke had 〈…〉 hooste sore handeled wyth the Turkes arrowes when his gonnes were quite dispatched and stode him in no seruice bycause of the raine that fell where as in suche a chaune of raine yf he had had bowmen surelye there shoote myghte peraduenture haue bene a litle hindred but quite dispatched and marde it coulde neuer haue bene But as for the Turkes I am werie to talke of them partlye because I hate them and partlye bycause I am now affectioned euen as it were a man that had bene longe wanderyng in strauÌ„ge contries would fayne be at home to se howe well his owne frendes prosper and leade theyr lyfe and surely me thincke I am verie merye at my harte to remember how I shal finde at home in Englande amonges Englysh men partlye by hystories of them that haue gone afore vs agayne by experience of theÌ„ whych we knowe lyue with vs as greate noble feates of warre doone by Artillarye as euer was done at any tyme in any other common welthe And here I must nedes remeÌ„ber a certaine FreÌ„chman called Textor that writeth a boke which he nameth Officina Teâ—toâ— wherin he weueth vp many brokenended matters and settes out much rifraffe pelfery trumpery baggage beggerie ware clamparde vp of one that would seme to be fitter for a shop in dede than to write any boke And amonges all other yll packed vp matters he thrustes vp in a hepe togyther all the good shoters that euer hathe bene in the worlde as he saythe hymselfe and yet I trow Philologe that of all the examples whiche I now by chauÌ„ce haue rehersed out of the best Authors both in greke and latin Textor 〈…〉 but .ii. of them which .ii. surely yf they were to rekeÌ„ agayne I wold not ones name theÌ„ partly bycause they were noughtie persons and shoting somoche the worse bycause they loued it as Domitian and Commodus the emperours partelye bycause Textor hath them in his boke on whome I loked on bychaunce in the booke-bynders shoppe thinkynge of no suche matter And one thing I wyl say to you Philologe that if I were disposed to do it and you hadde leysure to heare it I coulde soone do as Textor doth and reken vp suche a rable of shoters that be named here and there in poetes as wolde holde vs talkyng whyles tomorowe but my purpose was not to make mention of those which were feyned of Poetes for theyr pleasure but of suche as were proued in histories for a truthe but why I bringe in Textor was this At laste when he hath rekened all shoters that he can 〈…〉 he sayeth thus Petrus Crinitus wryteth that the Scottes whiche dwell beyonde
in the historie But as I began to saye the Romaynes dyd not so muche prayse the goodnesse of shootinge whan they had it as they dyd lament the lacke of it whan they wanted it as Leo the .v. the noble Emperour doth playnly testifie in sundrie places in those bokes whiche he wrote in Greke of the sleyghtes and polâ—ies of warre PHIL. Surelie of that booke I haue not heard before and howe came you to the syghte of it TOX. The booke is rare trulie but this laste yeare when master Cheke translated the sayd booke out of greke in to Latin to yâ— kinges maiestie he of his gentlenesse wolde haue me very ofte in hys chaÌ„ber and for the familiaritie that I had wyth hym more than manye other woulde suffer me to reade of it whan I woulde the whiche thinge to do surelye I was very desirous and glad because of the excellent handelynge of all thynges that euer he taketh in hande And verily Philologe as ofte as I remembre the departynge of that man from the vniuersitie whiche thinge I do not seldome so ofte do I well perceyue our moste helpe and furtheraunce to learnynge to haue gon awaye with him For by yâ— great coÌ„moditie yâ— we toke in hearyng hym reade priuatly in his chambre all Homer Sophocles and Euripides Herodotus Thurydides Xenophon Isocrates and Plato we feele the great discommoditie in not hearynge of hym Aristotle Demosthenes whiche ii authours with all diligence last of all he thought to haue redde vnto vs. And when I consider howe manye men he succoured with his helpe hys ayde to abyde here for learninge and howe all men were prouoked and styrred vp by his councell and daylye example howe they shulde come to learning surely I perceyue that sentence of Plato to be true which sayeth that there is nothyng better in any common wealthe than that there shoulde be alwayes one or other excellent passyng man whose lyfe and vertue shoulde plucke forwarde the will diligence laboure and hope of all other that folowyng his footesteppes they myght comme to the same ende wherevnto labour lerning vertue had coÌ„ueied him before The great hinderance of learning in lackinge thys man greatly I shulde lament if this discoÌ„moditie of oures were not ioyned with the coÌ„moditie welth of yâ— hole realme for which purpose our noble king full of wysedome hath called vp this excellent man full of learnynge to teache noble prince Edwarde an office ful of hope comforte solace to al true hertes of England For whome al England dayly doth praye that he passing his Tutour in learnyng knowledge folowynge his father in wisedome felicitie accordyng to that example which is set afore his eyes may so set out and mayntayne goddes worde to the abolishment of al papistry the confusion of al heresie that therby he feared of his ennemies loued of al his subiectes maye bring to his own glory immortal fame memorie to this realme welthe honour felicitie to true and vnfayned religion perpetuall peace concorde and vnitie But to retourne to shootynge agayne what Leo sayeth of shootynge amonges the Romaynes hys woordes be so muche for the prayse of shootynge and the booke also so rare to be gotten Leo. 6. 5. that I learned the places by harte whyche be as I suppose euen thus Fyrste in his sixte booke as concerning what harneys is best Lette all the youth of Rome be compelled to vse shootyng eyther more or lesse alwayes to bear theyr bowe theyr quiuer aboute with them vntyll they be .xl. yeares oulde For sithens shootynge was necglected and decayed among the Romaynes many a battayle and fyelde hath ben loste Lco. 11. 50. Agayne in the .11 booke and .50 chapiter I call that by bookes and chapiters whyche the greke booke deuideth by chapiters and paragraphes Let your souldyers haue theyr weapons wel appoynted and trimmed but abâ—ue all other thynges regarde moste shootinge and therfore lette men when there is no warre vse shootinge at home For the leauynge of onely of shotynge hath broughte in â—uyne and decaye the hole Empire of Rome Afterwarde he commaundeth agayne hys capitayne by these wordes 〈…〉 11 Arme your hoste as I haue appoynted you but specially with bowe and arrowes plentie For shootynge is a thinge of muche myghte and power in warre and chyefely agaynst the Sarracenes and Turkes whiche people hath all their hope of victorie in theyr bowe and shaftes Besydes all this in an other place he wryteth thus to his Captayne Artillerie is easie to be prepared and in time of great nede a thing moste profitable therfore we straytlye commaunde you to make proclamation to al men vnder our dominion which be eyther in war or peace to all cities borowes and townes and fynally to all maner of men 〈…〉 that euerye seare persone haue bowe and shaftes of his owne euerye house besyde this to haue a standing bearyng bowe and xl shaftes for all nedes and that they excercise them selues in holtes hilles and dales playnes and wodes for all maner of chaunces in warre Howe muche shooting was vsed among the olde Romanes and what meanes noble captaynes and Emperous made to haue it encrease amonge them and what hurte came by the decaye of it these wordes of Leo the emperour which in a maner I haue rehersed woorde for woorde playnly doth declare And yet shotynge although they set neuer so muche by it was neuer so good than as it is nowe in Englande whiche thing to be true is very probable in that Leo doth saye that he woulde haue his souldiers take of theyr arrowe heades Leo. 7. 18. and one shote at an other for theyr excercise whiche playe yf Englyshe archers vsed I thinke they shoulde fynde smal play and lesse pleasure in it at all The great vpperhande maynteyned alwayes in warre by artillery doeth appeare verye playnlye by this reason also that whan the spanyardes franchmen and germanes grekes macedonians and egyptians eche contry vsing one singuler weapon for whyche they were greatelye feared in warre as the Spanyarde Lancea the Francheman Gesa the German Framea the Grecian Machera the Macedonian Sarissa yet coulde they not escape but be subiectes to the empire of Rome whan the Parthians hauyng all theyr hope in artillerie gaue no place to theÌ„ but ouercame the Romanes ofter than the Romaynes them and kepte battel with them many an hundred yeare Plutarch â— M. â—rass 〈…〉 Spart and sâ—ue the ryche Crassus and his son wyth many a stoute Romayne more with theyr bowes They draue Marcus Antonius ouer the hylles of Media Armenia to his great shame and reproch They sâ—ue Iulianus Apostata and Autoninus Caracalla they helde in perpetual pryson yâ— most noble emperour Ualerian in despite of all the Romaynes and many other princes whiche wrote for his delyueraunce as Bel solis called kynge of kynges Ualerius kynge of Cadusia Arthabesdes kyng of Armenia and many other princes more whom yâ— Parthians by
counsell of some gentlemen partly moued by the loue whiche I haue alwayes borne towarde shotyng haue wrytten this lytle treatise wherin if I haue not satisfyed any man I 〈…〉 he wyll the rather be content with my doyng bycause I am I suppose the firste whiche hath sayde any thynge in this matter and fewe begynnynges be perfect sayth wyse men And also bycause yf I haue sayed a misse I am content that any man amende it or yf I haue sayd to lytle any man that wyl to adde what hym pleaseth to it My minde is in profitynge and pleasynge euery man to hurte or displease no man intendyng none other purpose but that youthe myght be styrred to labour honest pastyme and vertue and as much as laye in me plucked from ydlenes vnthriftie games and vice whyche thing I haue laboured onlye in this booke she wynge howe fit shootyng is for all kyndes of men howe honest a pastyme for the mynde howe holsome an excercise for the bodye not vile for great men to vse not costlye for poore men to susteyne not lurking in holes and corners for ill men at theyr pleasure to misvse it but abiding in the open sight face of the worlde for good men if it fault by theyr wisdome to correct it And here I woulde desire all gentlemen and yomen to vse this pastime in suche a mean that the outragiousnes of great gamyng shuld not hurte the honestie of shotyng which of his owne nature is alwayes ioyned with honestie yet for mennes faultes oftentymes blamed vnworthely as all good thynges haue ben and euermore shall be If any man woulde blame me eyther for takynge such a matter in hande orels for writing it in the Englyshe tongue this answere I maye make hym that whan the beste of the realme thinke it honest for them to vse I one of the meanest sorte ought not to suppose it vile for me to write And though to haue written it in an other tonge had bene bothe more profitable for my study and also more honest for my name yet I can thinke my labour wel bestowed yf with a litle hynderaunce of my profyt and name maye come any fourtheraunce to the pleasure or commoditie of the gentlemen and yeomen of Englande for whose sake I tooke this matter in hande And as for the Latin or greke tonge euery thyng is so excellently done in them that none can do better In the Englysh tonge contrary euery thinge in a maner so meanly bothe for the matter and handelynge that no man can do worse For therin the least learned for the moste parte haue ben alwayes moost redye to wryte And they whiche had leaste hope in latin haue bene moste boulde in englyshe when surelye euery man that is moste ready to taulke is not moost able to wryte He that wyll wryte well in any tongue muste folowe thys councel of Aristotle to speake as the coÌ„mon people do to thinke as wise men do and so shoulde euery man vnderstande hym and the iudgement of wyse men alowe hym Many English writers haue not done so but vsinge straunge wordes as latin french and Italian do make all thinges darke and harde Ones I communed with a man whiche reasoned the englyshe tongue to be enryched and encreased therby sayinge Who wyll not prayse that feaste where a man shall drinke at a diner bothe wyne ale and beere Truely quod I they be all good euery one taken by hym selfe alone but if you putte Maluesye and sacke read wyne and white ale and beere and al in one pot you shall make a drynke neyther easie to be knowen nor yet holsom for the bodye Cicero in folowyng I focrates Plato and Demosthenes increased the latine tounge after an other sorte This waye bycause dyuers men that write do not know they can neyther folowe it bycause of theyr ignorauncie nor yet will prayse it for verye arrogauncie ii faultes seldome the one out of the others companye Englysh writers by diuersitie of tyme haue taken diuerse matters in hande In our fathers tyme nothing was red but bookes of fayned cheualrie wherin a man by redinge shuld be led to none other ende but onely to manslaughter and baudrye Yf any man suppose they were good ynough to passe the time with al he is deceyued For surelye vayne woordes doo woorke no smal thinge in vayne ignoraunt and younge mindes specially yf they be gyuen any thynge thervnto of theyr owne nature These bokes as I haue heard say were made the moste parte in Abbayes and Monasteries a very lickely and fit fruite of suche an ydle and blynde kinde of lyuynge In our tyme nowe whan euery manne is gyuen to knowe muche rather than to liue wel very many do write but after suche a fashion as very many do shoote Some shooters take in hande stronger bowes than they be able to mayntayne This thyng maketh them suÌ„mtyme to outshoote the marke suÌ„mtyme to shote far wyde and perchaunce hurte suÌ„me that looke on Other that neuer learned to shote nor yet knoweth good shafte nor bowe wyll be as busie as the best but suche one coÌ„monly plucketh doâ—ne a syde and crafty archers which be agaynst him will be bothe glad of hym and also euer ready to laye and bet with him it were better for suche one to sit doune than shote Other there be whiche haue verye good bowe and shaftes and good knowlege in shootinge but they haue bene brought vp in suche euyl fauoured shootynge that they can neyther shoore fayre nor yet nere Yf any man wyll applye these thynges togyther shal not se the one farre differ from the other And I also amonges all other in writinge this lytle treatise haue folowed suÌ„me yonge shooters whiche bothe wyll begyn to shoote for a lytle moneye and also wyll vse to shote ones or twise about the marke for nought afore they beginne a good And therfore did I take this litle matter in hande to assaye my selfe and hereafter by the grace of God if the iudgement of wyse men that looke on thinke that I can do any good I maye perchaunce caste my shafte amonge other for better game Yet in writing this booke some man wyll maruayle perchaunce why that I beyng an vnperfyte shoter shoulde take in hande to write of makyng a perfyte archer the same man peraduenture wyll maruayle howe a whettestone whiche is blunte can make the edge of a knife sharpe I woulde the same man shulde consider also that in goyng about anye matter â–ª there be .iiii. thinges to be considered doyng saying thinking and perfectnesse Firste there is no man that doth so wel but he can saye better or elles summe men whiche be now starke nought shuld be to good Agayne no man can vtter wyth his tong so wel as he is able to imagin with his minde yet perfectnesse it selfe is farre aboue all thinking Than seing that saying is one steppe nerer perfectenesse than doyng let euery man leue maruaylyng why my woorde shall
habilitie not of the matter it selfe whiche deserueth no lyttle thinge to be sayde of it PHI. If it deserue no little thinge to be sayd of it Toxophile I maruell howe â—t chaunceth than that no man hitherto hath written any thinge of it wherin you must graunte me that eyther the matter is noughte vnworthye and barren to be written vppon or els some men are to blame whiche both loue it and vse it and yet could neuer finde in theyr heart to saye one good woorde of it seinge that very triflinge matters hath not lacked great learned men to sette them out as gnattes and nuttes many other mo like thinges wherfore eyther you maye honestlie laye verie great faut vpoÌ„ men bycause they neuer yet praysed it or els I may iustlie take awaye no litle thinge from shooting bycause it neuer yet deserued it TOX. Trulye herein Philologe you take not so muche from it as you giue to it For great and commodious thynges are neuer greatlie praysed not bycause they be not worthie but bicause their excellencie nedeth no man hys prayse hauinge all theyr coÌ„mendation of them selfe not borowed of other men his lippes which rather prayse them selfe in spekynge much of a litle thynge than that matter whiche they entreat vpon Great good thinges be not praysed For who euer praysed Hercules sayeth the Greke prouerbe And that no man hitherto hath written any booke of shoting the fault is not to be layed in the thyng whiche was worthie to be written vpon but of men which were negligent in doyng it and this was the cause therof as I suppose Menâ—e that vsed shootyng moste and knewe it best were not learned men that were lerned vsed litle shooting and were ignorant in the nature of the thynge and so fewe menne hath bene that hithetto were able to wryte vpon it Yet howe longe shotyng hath continued what common wealthes hath moste vsed it howe honeste a thynge it is for all men what kynde of liuing so euer they folow what pleasure and profit coÌ„meth of it both in peace and warre all maner of tongues writers Hebrue Greke and Latine hath so plentifullie spoken of it as of fewe other thinges like So what shooting is howe many kindes there is of it what goodnesse is ioyned with it is tolde onelye howe it is to be learned and brought to a perfectnesse amonges men is not toulde PHI. Than Toxophile if it be so as you do saye let vs go forwarde and examin howe plentifullie this is done that you speke and firste of the inuention of it than what honestie profit is in the vse of it bothe for warre peace more than in other pastimes laste of all howe it ought to be learned amonges men for the encrease of it whiche thinge if you do not onelye I nowe for youre coÌ„munication but many other mo when they shall knowe of it for your labour shotyng it selfe also if it coulde speke for your kyndnesse wyll can you very moche thanke TOXOPH What good thynges meÌ„ speake of shoting what good thinges shooting bringes to men as my wit knowlege will serue me gladly shall I say my mind But how the thing is to be learned I will surely leue to some other which bothe for greater experience in it also for their lerninge can set it out better than I. PHI. Well as for that I knowe both what you can do in shooting by experience yâ— you caÌ„ also speke well ynough of shooting for youre learning but go on with the first part And I do not doubt but what my desyre what your loue toward it the honestie of shoting the profite that may come therby to many other shall get the seconde parte out of you at the last TOXOPH Of the first finders out of shoting diâ—ers men diuerslye doo wryte Clandianus in histri Claudiane the poete sayth that nature gaue example of shotyng first by the Porpentine whiche doth shote his prickes and will hitte any thinge that fightes with it whereby men learned afterwarde to immitate the same in findyng out both bowe and shaftes Plin. 7. 56. Plinie referreth it to Schythes the sonne of Iupiter Better and more noble wryters bringe shoting from a more noble inuentour as Plato In sympo Calimachus In hym and Galene from Apollo Apolâ— Yet longe afore those dayes do we reade in the bible of shotinge expreslye Gen. 21. And also if we shall beleue Nicholas de Lyra Nic. de lyra Lamech killed Cain with a shafte So this great continuaunce of shoting doth not a lytle praise shotinge nor that neither doth not a litle set it oute that it is referred to thinuention of Apollo Galen in eâ—hor ad bonâ—â— artâ—â— for the which poynt shoting is highlye praised of Galene where he sayth yâ— mean craftes befirst fouÌ„d out by men or beastes as weauing by a spider and suche other but high and coÌ„mendable sciences by goddes as shotinge and musicke by Apollo And thus shotynge for the necessitie of it vsed in Adams dayes for the noblenesse of it referred to Apollo hath not ben onelie coÌ„mended in all tunges and writers but also had in greate price both in the best coÌ„mune wealthes in warre tyme for the defeÌ„ce of their lawes for it â—crod I clio as the Persians which vnder Cyrus coÌ„quered in a maner all the worlde had a lawe that their children shulde learne thre thinges onelie from v. yeare oulde vnto .xx. to ryde an horse well to shote well â—â—o de straâ—â—g 20. to speake truthe alwayes neuer lye The Romaines as Leo themperour in his boke of sleightes 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 sayth Leo amonges the youthe hath ben the onely occasion why the Romaynes lost a great dele of their empire But more of this I wil speake wheÌ„ I come to the profite of shoting in warre If I shuld rehearse the statutes made of noble princes of Englande in parliamentes for the settyng forwarde of shoting through this realme and specially that acte made for shoting the thyrde yere of the reygne of our moost drad soueraygne lorde king Henry the .viii. I could be very long But these fewe exaÌ„ples specially of so great men noble coÌ„mon wealthes shall stand in stede of many PHI. That suche princes and suche coÌ„mune welthes haue moche regarded shoting you haue well declared But why shotinge ought so of it selfe to be regarded you haue scarcelye yet proued TOX. Examples I graunt out of histories do shew a thing to be so not proue a thing why it shuld be so Yet this I suppose yâ— neither great mens qualities being coÌ„meÌ„dable be without great authoritie for other men honestly to folow them nor yet those great learned men that wrote suche
pastimes as one Balbinus through blinde affection preferred his louer before all other wemen although she were deformed with a polypus in her nose And although shooting maye be mete sometyme for some scholers and so forthe yet the fittest alwayes is to be preferred Therefore if you will nedes graunt scholers pastime and recre ation of their mindes let them vse as many of theÌ„ doth Musyke and playing on instrumentes thinges moste semely for all scholers and moste regarded alwayes of Apollo the Muses TOX. Euen as I can not deny but some musike is fit for lerning so I trust you can not chose but graunt that shoting is fit also as Calimachê° doth signifie in this verse Both merie songes and good shoting deliteth Appollâ— Cal. hym â— Butas concerning whether of them is moste fit for learning and scholers to vse you may saye what you will for your pleasure this I am sure that Plato and Aristotle bothe in their bookes entreatinge of the coÌ„mon welthe where they shew howe youthe shoulde be brought vp in iiâ—i thinges in redinge in writing in excercise of bodye and singing do make mention of Musicke all kindes of it wherin they both agre that Musike vsed amonges the Lydians is verie ill for yong men which be studentes for vertue and learning for a certain nice softe and smoth swetnesse of it whiche woulde rather entice theÌ„ to noughtines than stirre them to honestie An other kinde of Musicke inuented by the Dorians they both wonderfully prayse alowing it to be verie fyt for the studie of vertue learning because of a manlye rough and stoute sounde in it whyche shulde encourage yong stomakes to attempte manlye matters Nowe whether these balades roundes these galiardes pauanes and daunces so nicelye fingered so swetely tuned be lyker the Musike of the Lydians or the Dorians you that be learned iudge And what so euer ye iudge this I am sure that lutes harpes all maner of pypes barbitons sambukes with other instrumentes euery one whyche standeth by fine and quicke fingeringe be coÌ„demned of Aristotle Aristot. pol. â— 6. as not to be brought in vsed amonge them whiche studie for learning and vertue Pallas when she had inuented a pipe cast it away not so muche sayeth Aristotle because it deformed her face but muche rather bycause suche an Instrumente belonged nothing to learnynge Howe suche Instrumentes agree with learning the goodlye agrement betwixt Apollo god of learninge Marsyas the Satyr defender of pipinge doth well declare where Marsyas had his skine quite pulled ouer his head for his labour Muche musike marreth mennes maners sayth Galen although some man wil saye that it doth not so but rather recreateth and maketh quycke a mannes mynde yet me thinke by reason it doth as hony doth to a mannes stomacke whiche at the first receyueth it well but afterwarde it maketh it vnfit to abyde any good stronge norishynge meate â—rels anye holsome sharpâ— and quicke drinke And euen so in a maner these Instrumentes make a mannes wit so softe and smoothe so tender and quaisie that they be lesse able to brooke stronge and tough studie Wittes be not sharpened but rather dulled and made blunte wyth suche sweete softenesse euen as good edges be blonter whiche menne whette vpon softe chalke stones And these thinges to be true not onely Plato Aristotle Galen proue by authoritie of reason Herodotus in Clio. but also Herodotus and other writers shewe by playne and euident example as that of Cyrus whiche after he had ouercome the Lydians and taken their kinge Cresus prisoner yet after by the meane of one Pactyas a verye headie manne amonges the Lydians they rebelled agaynste Cyrus agayne then Cyrus had by an by broughte them to vtter destruction yf Cresus being in good fauour with Cyrus had not hertelie desyred him not to reuenge Pactyas faulte in shedynge theyr blood But if he would folowe his counsell he myght brynge to passe that they shoulde neuer more rebel agaynst hym And yâ— was this to make them weare loÌ„g kyrtils to yâ— foot lyke woomen and that euerye one of them shoulde haue a harpe or a lute and learne to playe and sing whyche thinge if you do sayth Cresus as he dyd in dede you shall se them quickelye of men made women And thus lutinge and singinge take awaye a manlye stomake whiche shulde enter pearce depe and harde studye Euen suche an other storie doeth Nymphodorus an olde greke Historiographer write Nymphod of one Sesostris kinge of Egypte whiche storie because it is somewhat longe and very lyke in al poyntes to the other and also you do well ynoughe remembre it seynge you read it so late in Sophoclis commentaries Comment in Antig. I wyll nowe passe ouer Therefore eyther Aristotle and Plato knowe notwhat was good and euyll for learninge and vertue and the example of wyse histories be vainlie set afore vs or els the minstrelsie of lutes pipes harpes and all other that standeth by suche nice fine minikin fingeâ—ing suche as the mooste parte of scholers whom I knowe vse if they vse any is farre more fitte for the womannishnâ—sse of it to dwell in the courte among ladies than for any great thing in it whiche shoulde helpe good and sad studie to abide in the vniuersitie amonges scholers But perhaps you knowe some great good nesse of suche musicke and suche instrumentes wher vnto Plato Aristotle his brayne coulde neuer attayne and therfore I will saye no more agaynst it PHI. well Toxophile is it not ynoughe for you to rayle vpon Musike excepte you mocke me to but to say the truth I neuer thought my selfe these kindes of musicke fit for learninge but that whyche I sayde was rather to proue you than to defende the matter But yet as I woulde haue this sorte of musicke decaye amonge scholers euen so do I wysshe from the bottome of my heart that the laudable custome of Englande to teache chyldren their plainesong and priksong were not so decayed throughout all the realme as it is Whiche thing howe profitable it was for all sortes of men those knewe not so wel than whiche had it most as they do nowe whiche lacke it moste And therfore it is true that Teucer sayeth in Sophocles Seldome at all good thinges be knowen how good to be Before a man suche thinges do misse out of his handes Sophocleâ— in Aâ—acâ— That milke is no fitter nor more naturall for the bringing vp of children than musike is both Gallen proueth by authoritie and dayly vse teacheth by experience For euen the litle babes lacking the vse of reason are scarse so well stilled in suckyng theyr mo ther 's pap as in hearynge theyr mother syng Agayne how fit youth is made by learning to sing for grammar and other sciences bothe we dayly do see and Plutarch learnedly doth proue and Plato wiselie did alowe whiche receyued no scholer in to his schole that had not learned
Englande be verye excellent shoters and the best bowmen in warre This sentence whether Crinitus wrote it more leudly of ignoraunce or Textor confirmeth it more piuyshlye of enuye may be called in question and doubte but this surelye do I knowe very well that Textor hath both red in Gaguâ—us the Frenche hystorie and also hath hearde his father or graundfather taulke except perchauÌ„ce he was borne and bred in a Cloyster after that sort of the shotynge of Englisshe men that Textor neded not to haue gone so piuishlye beyonde Englande for shoting but myght very soone eueÌ„ in the first towne of kent haue founde suche plentie of shotinge as is not in al the realme of Scotland agayne The Scottes surely be good men of warre in theyr owne feate as can be but as for shotinge they neyther can vse it for any profyte nor yet wil chaleÌ„ge it for any prayse although master Textor of his geÌ„tlenesse wold gyue it them Textor neaded not to haue fylled vppe his booke with suche lyes if he hadde read the storye of Scotlande 〈…〉 Mâ— â— whiche Ioannes Maior doeth wryte wherein he myghte haue learned that when Iames Stewart fyrst kyng of that name at the ParliameÌ„t holden at Saynt Iohnnes towne or Perthie commaunded vnder payne of a great forfyte that euerye Scotte shoulde learne to shote yet neyther the loue of theyr couÌ„trie the feare of their enemies the auoydyng of punishment nor the receyuinge of anye profyte that myght come by it coulde make them to be good Archers whiche be vnapte and vnfytte thervnto by Gods prouidence and nature Therfore the Scottes them selues proue Textor a lyer bothe with authoritie and also daily experience and by a certayne Prouerbe that they haue amonges them in theyr coÌ„munication wherby they gyue the whole prayse of shotynge honestlye to Englysihe men saying thus that euery Englysihe Archer beareth vnder his gyrdle .xxiiii. Scottes But to lette Textor and the Scottes go yet one thynge woulde I wysshe for the Scottes and that is this that seinge one God one faythe one compasse of the see one lande and countrie one tungue in speakynge one maner and trade in lyuynge lyke courage and stomake in war lyke quicknesse of witte to learning hath made Englande and Scotlande bothe one they wolde suffre them no longer to be two but cleane gyueouer the Pope which seketh none other thinge as many a noble and wyse Scottish man doth knowe but to fede vp dissention parties betwixt them vs procuryng that thynge to be two which God nature and reason wold haue one Howe profytable suche an attonement were for Scotlande Iohn 〈…〉 both IohaÌ„nes Maior and Ector Boetius which wrote the Scottes Chronicles do tell also all the gentlemen of Scotlande with the poore coÌ„munaltie do wel knowe So that there is nothing that stoppeth this matter saue onelye a fewe freers and suche lyke whiche with the dregges of our Englysh Papi strie lurkyng now amonges them study nothing els but to brewe battell and stryfe betwixte both the people Wherby onely they hope to maynetayne theyr Papisticall kyngdome to the destrution of the noble blood of Scotlande that then they maye with authoritie do that whiche neither noble man nor poore man in Scotlande yet doeth knowe And as for Scottishe men and Englishe men be not enemyes by nature but by custome not by our good wyll but by theyr owne follye whiche shoulde take more honour in being coupled Englande then we shulde take profite in being ioyned to Scotlande Wales being headye and rebelling many yeares agaynst vs laye wylde vntylled vnhabited without lawe iustice ciuilitie and ordre and then was amoÌ„ges them more stealing thaÌ„ true dealing more suretie for them that studyed to be noughte then quyetnesse for them that laboured to be good when nowe thanked be God and noble Englande there is no countrie better inhabited more ciuile more diligent in honest craftes to get bothe true and plentifull lyuynge withall And this felicitie my mynde gyueth me within these few dayes shal chauÌ„ce also to Scotlande by the godly wysedome of oure mooste noble Prince kynge Henrye the .viii. by whome God hath wrought more wonderfull thynges then euer by any prince before as banishing the byshop of Rome and herisie bringyng to light god his worde and veritie establishing suche iustice and equitie through euery parte of this his realme as neuer was sene afore To suche a Prince of suche a wysdome God hath reserued this mooste noble attonement wherby neither we shal be any more troubled nor the Sâ—ottes with their best countries any more destroyed nor yâ— see whiche God ordeyneth profytable for both shall from eyther be any more stopped to the great quietnesse wealth felicitie of all the people dwellynge in this I le to the high renoume prayse of our moost noble kyng to the feare of all maner of nacions that owe ill wyll to either countrie to the hygh pleasure of God which as he is one and hateth al diuision so is he best of all pleased to se thinges which be wyde and amysse brought to peace and attonement But Textor I beshrowe him hath almooste broughte vs from our coÌ„municatioÌ„ of shoting Now sir by my iudgement the Artillarie of Englande farre excedeth all other realmes but yet one thing I doubt longe haue surely in that point doubted wheÌ„ or by whom shotyng was first brought in to Englande for the same purpose as I was ones in companye wyth syr Thomas Eliot knight which surelie for his lerning in all kynde of knowlege bringeth much worshyp to all the nobilite of Englande I was so bould to aske hym yf he at any tyme had marked any thing as coÌ„cernynge the bryngynge in of shootynge in to Englande he aunswered me gentlye agayne that he had a worcke in hand which he nameth De rebus memora bilibus Anglie which I trust we shal se in print shortlye and for the accomplyshmente of that boke he had read perused ouer many olde monumeÌ„tes of Englande and in sekyng for that purpose he marked this of shootynge in an excedyng olde cronicle the which had no name that what tyme as the Saxons came first into this realme in kyng Uortigers dayes wheÌ„ they had bene here a whyle and at last began to faull out with the Brittons they troubled and subdewed the Brittons wyth nothynge so much as with theyr bowe and shaftes whiche wepon beynge straunge not sene here before was wonderfull terrible vnto them and this beginninge I can thynke verie well to be true But nowas concerning many exaÌ„ples for the prayse of English archers in warre surely I wil not belong in a matter yâ— no maÌ„ doubteth in those few yâ— I wil name shal either be proued by yâ— histories of our enemies or els done by men that now liue Kynge Edward the thirde at the battel of Cressie ageinst Philip yâ— FreÌ„che king as â—aguinus the freÌ„ch Historiographer plainlye doeth tell slewe that