The first Part.

PLATO , Calimachus and Galene , very noble writers bring the inuention of shooting from Apollo : for the which cause , Shooting is highly praised of Galen in his booke of Exhortation to good Artes , where hee saith , that meane craftes be first sonnde out by men or beastes , as weauing by a Spyder , &c. But high and commendable Sciences by Goddes , as Shooting and Musicke by Apollo . And if wee shall beleeue Nicholas de Lyra , Lamech killed Caine with a Shast .

Cyaxares the king of the Medes , and great grandfather to Cyrus , kept a sort of Scythians with him only for this purpose , to teach his son Astiages to shoot .

Cyrus being a child , was brought vp in shooting , which Xenephon wold neuer haue made mention of , except it had been fit for Princes to haue vsed , seeing that Xenephon wrote Cyrus life ( as Tullie sayth ) not to shewe what Cyrus did , but what all manner of Princes both in pastimes & earnest matters ought to doe .

Darius the first king of Persia of that name , shewed playnlie , how fit it is for a king to loue and vse Shooting , who commanded this sentence to be written on his tombe for a princely memory and praise .

Darius the King lyeth buried heere , That in Shooting and riding had no peere .

Herodian his opinion of Commodus the Emperour , was : that he had no Princely thing in him , but strength of bodie , and good Shooting .

Themistius the noble Philosopher , in an Oration made to Theodosius the Emperour , commendeth him for three things that hee vsed of a Childe : Shooting : Riding of a horse well , and feates of Armes .

It is most manifest in the histories of our Nation , that the kings and Princes of this Realm haue bin excellent Archers : And this age can witnesse with what loue and affection the right noble kings of famous memorie , king Henrie the eight , and Edward the sixt , did vse and exercise the same in their owne persons .

By Shooting is the minde honorably exercised , where a man alwaies desireth to bee best ( which is a word of honor ) and that by the same way that vertue it self doth , coueting to come nighest a most perfect end , or meane standing between two extreams , eschuing short or gone , or on eyther side , wide . For which causes Aristotle himselfe saith : that Shooting and Vertue be very like . And that of all other , it is Aristotle de Morib . the most honest pastime , and least occasion to naughtinesse , two things doe very plainly prooue : vz Day-light and Open place . If Shooting fault at any time , it hides not it selfe , but openly accuseth and bewraieth it selfe : which is the next way to amendement , as wise men doe say .

THE SECOND PART .

NOt only kinges and Emperors haue beene brought vp in shooting , but also the best common Wealths that euer were haue made goodly actes & laws for it : as the Persians ( who vnder Cyrus conquered very many nations ) had a law , that their children should learne three thinges only , from fiue yeares old to twenty : To ride a horse wel , to shoot wel , & to speak trueth alwaies and neuer lie .

The Romans ( as Leo the Emperour in his booke of the sleightes of warre telleth ) had a law that euery man shuld vse Shooting in time of peace , while he were fourty yeeres olde : And that euerie house should haue a Bowe and fourty Shaftes ready for all needes : The omitting of which Law ( saith Leo ) among the youth , hath beene the only occasion , why the Romaines lost a great deale of their Empire .

The firste Statute and Lawe that euer Dauid made after he was King , was this : that all the children of Israell shoulde learne to shoote ( according to a Law made many a day before that time , for the setting out of Shooting ) as it is written ( saith Scripture ) in libro Iustorum , which booke we haue not now Reg , 2 , 1 extant .

Plato wold haue common Masters and stipends De Leg 7 for to teach youth to shoot : And for the same purpose he would haue broad fields neere euery Citie made common for men to vse shooting in .

Leo the Emperour in his sixt booke : Let all the youth of Rome bee compelled to vse shooting , either more or lesse : And alwayes to beare their bow and their quyuer about them , vntill they be fourty years old : For since Shooting was neglected and decayed among the Romanes , many a Battell and fielde hath been lost .

Againe , in the xi . Book and 50. Chap. Let your Souldiers haue their weapons wel appointed and trimmed , but aboue all other thinges regarde most shooting : And therfore , let men when ther is no war vse Shooting at home : For the leauing off onely of Shooting hath brought ruine & decay to the whole Ruin & decaie to the whole Empire by leauing off of Shooting . Empire of Rome .

After wardes hee commandeth againe his Captaines by these wordes : Arme your hoast as I haue appointed you , but especially with Bowe and Arrows plenty : For shooting is a thing of much might & power in warre , and chiefly against the Saracens & Turks , which people haue all their hope of victorie in their Bowe and Shafts .

Besides all this , in another place hee writeth thus to his Captaine . Artillerie is easie to bee prepared , and in time of great neede a thing most profitable . Therefore wee straightly commaund you to make Proclamation to all men vnder our dominions , either in warre or peace , to all Citties , Burroughes and Townes , and finallye to all manner of men : that euery seuerall pearson haue bowe and shaftes of his owne : And euery house besides this , to haue a standing bearing Bow and fourty shafts for all needes : And that they exercise themselues in holtes , hilles and dales , playnes and woods , for all maner of chaunces in warre .

And yet Shooting ( although they sett neuer so much by it ) was neuer so good ( then ) as it is now in England : which thing to be true , is verie pro●●table , in that Leo doth say : That he would haue his Souldiers take off their Arrowe-heads , and one shoot at another for their exercise : Which play if the English Archers vsed , I thinke they would find small sport , and lesse pleasure in it . But the exercise therof otherwise , bringeth a notable aduantage to them that doe practise the same : For experience doth teach vs , that the strongest men doe not alwayes make the strongest shoote , which thing prooueth that draweing strong lyeth not so much in the strength of man , as in the vse of Shooting .

To conclude this second part , if a man shuld peruse all pastimes and exercises profitable to be set by of euery man , woorthy to be rebuked of no man , fit for all ages , persons and places , and a medicine to purge the whole land of all pestilent gaming , onelie Shooting shall appeare , wherein all these commodities shal be found , being strengthened by putting in execution such laudable actes & statutes as haue bin on that behalfe made and prouided by the Parliaments of this Realme .

THE THIRD PART .

EVripides ( euery of whose verses Tullie thinketh to be an Aucthoritie ) doth say , That of all weapons the best is , where with least danger of our selfe , we may hurt our enemie most : And that is ( as may bee supposed ) Artillerie : which now adayes is taken for two thinges , Gunnes and Bowes .

Peter Nannius a learned man of Louain , in a Dialogue sheweth exceeding commodities of both : And some discommodities of Gunnes : as infinit cost and charge , cumbersom cariage if they be great , the vncertain leuelling , the peril of them that stand by , &c. Besides al this , contrary wind and weather , which hindereth them not a little , and sometime maketh them vnprofitable : yet of shooting he cannot reherse one discommoditie .

But because some sort of men at Armes would bring our Magistrates and the better sorte of our people and nation to mislike this ancient weapon , as vnprofitable for the wars of our dayes : & wold attribute alexcellence to the Musquet and Caliuer : See Sir Iohn Smyth , Knight , in his booke treating of Archery from fol. 20 , to fol. 28. wher you may find he vtterly consuteth them , proouing three especiall poyntes against them , vz.

1 Archers to be most ready in the field . 2 Archers to faile least in shooting . 3 And that they doe anney the Enemies most , be they horsemen or footmen .

And then after many vnreplyable reasons , offereth that hee will neuer refuse with 8000. good Archers to aduenture his life against 20000. of the best shot in Christendom .

Where fol. 23. 27. 28. he prooueth long Bowes to be most excellent for battailes and great encounters , both against horsemen and footmen , for that it is a ready weapon both in faire and foule weather which shot is not : & that the arrowes in flying both in their descent & fal , kil & wound from the face to the foot , into many ranks of the aduers battel or squadron , Which the shot doth not , but in their point blancke ( staying at the first , second , or third ranke of the Enemie ) nor then , but seldom by reason of many imperfections , which hee setteth downe there . Where it is further to bee noted , that very many ranks of Archers may ( with couenience ) altogether , one behind another , shoot into the Enemies battell , which the gunnes cannot doe by reason of their point blanck , whereby they must needs endanger their fellowes before them : So that in fol. 29. hee concludeth , ( as wel he may ) that ther is no doubt , but Archers with their vollees of Arrowes , will wound , kill , and hurt aboue an hundred men and horses , for euery one so to be done by the shot .

In fol. 18. 19. He ( hauing shewed many imperfections belongyng to the Shot ) auerreth , that for those causes in many great encounters verie hot , and continued many howers with Shot , with new Supplies on both sides , within three , foure or fiue skores and neerer , there hath not been slaine and hurt on both sides with Bullettes thirtie men . And therfore in fol. 28. he saith : that it commeth to passe , that when men and horse haue ben in three or foure skirmishes and do see that they receiue no hurt , neither by fier , or smoke , nor noise : nor that in many thousandes of men there are not twentie men slain , nor hurt , they grow after to be tar lesse in doubt therof .

Howbeit the vollees of Arrows flying together in the aire as thick as haile doe not only terrifie and amaze , in most terrible sort , the ears , eies , and harts both of horses and men , with the noise and sight of their comming : But they also in their discents , doe not leaue in a whole squadron of horsemen or footemen ( although they bee in motion ) so much as one man or horse vnstricken and wounded with diuers Arrowes , if the number of Archers be answerable to the number of the squadron .

Downward-pointing arrow

Besides all which , it is to be noted , that horses in the fielde being wounded , or but lightly hurt with Arrowes , they through the great paine , that vppon euery motion they doe feel in their flesh , vaines , and sinewes , by the shaking of the Arrowes with their barbed heads hanging in them , doe presently fall a yerking and leaping , as if they were madde , in such sort , as be it squadron , or in troope , they doe quite disorder one another , and neuer leaue vntill they haue throwne and cast their maisters . Wheras contrariwise , Horses that are in vitall parts hurt with Bullets , or the bones of their legs , shoulders or backes be broken , they doe presently fall downe : Or otherwise , although they bee stricken cleane through , or that the Bullets do still remaine in them , they after the first shrinke , at the entring of the Bullet , do passe their carier as though they had very litle or no hurt . In which Treatise fol. 26. 27. hee complaineth of all sortes of Magistrates , for that they doe not see those notable Lawes made by former kinges for the aduancement of Archerie to bee put in execution , wherunto people of this realm ( of a singular gift of God ) by a naturall inclination , come to be perfect and excellent : Whereby wee are suffered to discontinue a weapon euer terrible to the enemies , and whereof they neuer had skill : and vpon any sudden shall bee enforced to sight with them at their owne weapons wherein ( by necessity ) they are continually trained vp , we being therin vnpractised .

The same knight , in the Proeme of his booke prooueth that the Egyptians did first conquer a great parte of Asia , Europe , and Affricke by their Armie , which did consist most of Archerie : But they falling into security and drunkennes , and neglect of that weapon , were conquered by Alexander the greate , the greatest part of whose Armie did consist of Archerie .

In like sort , and with the like weapon were the Grecians conquered with the Arabians . After the same Discipline of Archery they reuiued . And after ( vpon neglect thereof ) againe conquered and quite ouerthrowne by Mahomet with his Turkes and Ianissaries that consisted most of Bow-men .

King Dauid and Iosiah performed great effectes , therewith : By this weapon God gaue many victories to the Iewes : and by the same for their transgression Psa. 7. 63. 75 they receiued diuers ouerthrowes of the Gentiles . Besides that , king Dauid doth cal Bowes a mighty power , and in his Psalmes the vessels of death .

God when hee promiseth help to the Iewes , hee vseth no kind of speaking so much as this : That hee Deut. 32. will bend his Bowe , and die his Shaftes in Gentiles blood : Whereby it is manifest , that Shooting is a wooderfull thing in warre , whereunto the high power of God is likened .

When Demosthenes the valiant Captaine slue and tooke Prisoners , all the Lacedemonians besides of the Citie of Pilos , the Shaftes went so thick that day ( sayth Thucydides ) that no man could see their enemies . I Lacedemonian taken Prisoner , was asked of one of Athens , whether they were stout Fellowes that were slaine or no of the Lacedemonians : Thucid. 4. He answered nothing els but this : Make much of those Shaftes of yours , for they know neither stout nor vnstout . &c.

The Gothes . Vandals , Alans , and other Northren Nations , inuaded and conquered Rome and Greece and besieged Constantinople , spoyled Hungarie , Austria , Illiria ; and Dalmatia , wasted all Italie , sacked France and Spaine , inuaded Affrick , &c. And it is most euident they atchieued all these victories , more with the effect of Bowes , then with all the rest of their weapons .

With the like weapon did the Arrabians inuade Constantinople , Mesopotamia , Surria , Armenia & Persia , Ierusalem , Egypt , Barbarie , &c. They discontinuing this weapon , were by the same chiefly conquered by the Turkes .

The like did the Tartars against Parthia , Media , Armenia , Mesopotamia and Surria , with innumerable numbers of Archers on horsback .

So did Tamberlaine the Tartar Emperour , ouerthrow Baiazeth the Turkish Emperor , by reason his Armie did farre exceed the Turks in the number of Archers .

Which most excellent effects of Archery , was the cause that Amurath the second Emperor of the Turks , did within few yeares after institute for the guard of his person , a number of Ianissaries on foot ( beeing Christians renyed ) taught from their youth to exercise the Bowe : And so of the Harquebuze : So that when the Turke sendeth any his Baslaes to besiege any towns , they all vse to take with them both their bowes and Harquebuzes : their Harquebuzes to vse in trenches against places fortifyed : & their bowes for seruices of the field : But the Turke for guarde of his person , and for al battels and great encounters in the field , doeth euer prefer the Bowes before the Harquebuzes , fol. 41 ▪ 42. So likewise doe the Tartars , Persians , and Parthians vnder the Sophie : who although they haue had the vse of shot long before vs in Europe , yet haue they , and do still prefer their Archers , and Bowes for Battels and Victories before their weapons of fire . fol. 42

It is very certain , that shooting is the chief thing wherewith God suffereth the Turke to punish our sinnes withall : The youth there is brought vp in Ca●p de rebus Turc , Shooting : and it is well knowne to the Spaniardes the might of their shooting , who in the towne called Newcastle in Illerica , were all slaine by the Turkes Arrowes , when the Spaniardes had no vse of their gunnes by reason of the raine .

And since that , the Emperours Maiestie himselfe at the Citty of Argier in Affricke , had his hoast sore handled with the Turkes Arrowes , when his guns stood him in no seruice at all by the like accident of raine .

And therfore , as concerning all these kingdoms Plin , lib , 16 Chap. 36 and common wealths , I may conclude with Plinie , thus : If any man would remember the Ethiopians , Egyptians , Arabians , the men of Indie , of Scythia , so manie people in the East of the Samaritanes , and all the kingdome of the Parthians , &c. hee shall perceiue halfe the part of the world to liue in subiection , ouercome by the might and power of Shooting .

Proofes from our Nation of former and moderne times .

THe sayd Sir Iohn Smyth , knight , fol. 29. 30. 31. Tilburie Campe . proouing that by the example of placing Bowes in the Armie at Tilburie . An. Dom. 1588. Captains of this age in general , not to be expert in that Discipline , hee teacheth the order of our Auncestors therein , in this sort . vz.

They placed them in the face of the men at Armes of France and other Nations ( who were then better armed then now wee vse to bee ) and the effect was such , that flying in the ayre as thicke as snow , with a terrible noise ( much like a tempestious wind ) they did leaue no disarmed place of horse , or man vnstricken and vnwounded , as may well appeare by the battell of Cressey ; that king Edward the thirde , and his sonne Prince Edw. won against Philip of France , where the French were six to one wel armed : where were slain xi . Princes , a thousand and two hundred knightes , and thirty thousand Souldiours : The woonderfull effectes and terrour of the shotte of Arrowes was that day such , as neither men at armes nor other Horsmen of diuers Nations , were able to enter and breake the Archers , being without pikes stakes , bankes , and trenches to guard them , but in the plaine Fieldes : The Archers with their Vollees of Arrowes did break the ranks both of Horsemen and footmen , wounding and killing both horse and man , the French kings horse being slain vnder him , and himselfe in perill .

The like or greater ouerthrow was acted by the same Prince , against Iohn king of France in the battell of Poicters , with six thousand Archers , and two thousand armed men against 60000. French .

The same Prince fought the like battell in Spain ouerthrew a hundred thousand men in one battel by the wonderful effect of Archers .

So was the battell of Herringes fought there in Henrie the sixt his time , and won by Archery ,

In the same kings time ( as the French Chronicles do report ) the L. of Belay accompanied with two hundred French Lances going to Mans , met with an English Captain called Berrie , and with him 80. Archers , by whom the Lances were ouerthrowne , and diuers taken prisoners .

The like encounter happened about that time , between Guyan de Coing , a French Captaine with 120. Lances , and Sir William Olde with twentye Archers , with like successe .

But for that it may be obiected : That it may bee graunted , that Archery was a preualent weapon in auncient times before the Musquet and Calliuer came to the perfection of their vse : It is not amisse to produce later instances of these our ages .

Seruices of great effect done by Archerie of our Nation in these our times .

NOtable seruice was done in the time of king Henrie the 8. of famous memorie ( vpon a conuoy between Guiens and Teroun ) by Archers .

In the time of king Edward the sixt , 1548. Ket with his Norfolke Rebels , by one conflict and a foughten field ( beeing men vnarmed ) did great exploits against the Duke of Northumberland by Archers : So that the Duke lost his good opinion of Harquebuzies , and would euer after say publikely , the Bow to be the noblest weapon of the world : This Sir Iohn Smyth setteth down from the certaine reporte of the late Earle of Warwicke , who was there present .

In the same kinges time the Westerne Rebels The right honorable the Lord of Hu●ldon , L , Chamber laine that now is , an eie-witnes . droue the Spanish and Italian Harquebuzies from all their strengths with vollees of Arrowes , which sir Iohn Smyth also hath hard the L. Chamberlaine that now is very notably report ( who was there an eie witnes ) Captaine Spinola an Italian , a verie braue Souldiour , and wounded with Arrowes in these seruices , gaue singular commendation of the Archerie of England .

The Battell of Floddon hill , where Iames king Scottes was slain , is very famous : where the Archers of Cheshire and Lancashire got immortal name and praise for euer .

The feare onely of English Archers hath done stranger things then is read of els where : and that not long sithence , betwixt Eske and Leuen at Sandie Sikes did appear , where the whole nobility of Scotland , for feare of the Archers of England , were drowned and taken Prisoners .

There is an olde prouerbe in Scotland , that euery English Archer beareth vnder his girdle twenty foure Scottes .

And if it bee true , as it is sayd , when the king of England hath been in France , the Priestes at home ( because they were Archers ) haue been able to ouerthrow all Scotland .

Bishop Latimer in his sixt Sermon made before Bishop Latimer his commendation of Archerie . king Edward the sixt , desired the Lordes , as they loued the honour and glory of God , and as they intended to remooue his indignation , to prouide for the practise of Shooting : which hee called the gift of god , wherby we excelled all other Nations : and an Instrument wherby he hath giuen vnto vs many victories .

The foresaide Lord Warwicke did also reporte , that when he was Lieutenant generall at Newhauen , hee did send to the Admirall of France , then fauored by her Maiesty , six hundred harquebuziers , who thankfully receiuing them , yet said , hee had rather haue had two hundred Archers : And that he would with them performe greater seruice : This message was brought from the Admiral by Sir Francis Sommerset , Sir Richard Throgmorton , and Sir William Pellam , knightes .

Woonderful seruice was sithence done by foure score of our Archers , against Dutch & French Harhusiers in France , to the great admiration of the Reingraue : whereupon hee did protest and acknowledge the Long-bowes of England to bee the best weapons for the field that were vsed by any nation of Christendome : And said that the Queene of England had great cause so to esteem of them . Reported by the said Earle of Warwicke .

Sir Iames Croft declared many notable seruices hee had seene done by Archers in England , Fraunce , Scotland and Ireland .

About Bartholmew tyde last , 1595. there came out of Scotland , one Iames Forgeson , Bowyer to the king of Scots , who credibly reported , that about two Scots become Archers . yeares past , certaine rebelles did rise there against the king , who sent against them fiue hundred horsemen well appointed : They meeting three hundred of the Rebels Bowmen , encountred each with other , where the Bowe-men slue two hundred and foure score of their horses , and killed , wounded , and sore Scots make prouision of Archerie hurt most part of the kinges men . Whereupon the said Forgeson was sent hether from the king with Commission to buy vp ten thousande Bowes and Bowstaues : But because he could not speed heer , he went ouer into the East countries for them : This report wil bee prooued by credible persons of the cittie of London .

It may therefore bee well concluded with Sir Iohn Smyth : That all conquering Nations haue made chiefe choise of the Bowes , as of the most excellent kind of weapon for victories and conquests .

And yet ( as he sayth ) it is euident by al histories and all such as haue trauelled many partes of Europe , Asia , and Affricke , that English Bowes & Arrowes doe exceede and excell all others vsed by all forein Nations , not only in substance and strength but also in length and bignesse .

Neither is it vnknowne , that the French Captaines and Gentlemen of this age , attribute all the former victories of the English against themselues , and their Auncestors , more to the effect of Archers , then to any extraordinary valiancie of our nation .

It therfore were great pittie ( or rather impiety ) to suffer this noble ancient weapon ( being so mightie a strength and honor to al nations that haue and doe vse the same , and especially to our English people aboue all others , for the reasons and examples aboue rehearsed ) to goe to decay amongst vs , while there is godly lawes prouided for the same , and while it may be vsed of any person , and the same person fully prouided of Bowe and arrowes for exercise ( according to the prescription of the lawe on that behalfe ) vnder twentie pence . The practise wherof ( besides his own excellence ) wil greatly diminish the noysome and pestilent custom of vnlawfull games now crept in vse in the roome therof , being far more chargeable then Archery is .

But there is great hope that this honorable weapon now ( by vse of vnlawful games ) greatly decayed , will resume to it selfe within this realme , his ancient strength and vertue ( and that in short time , the people of a naturall inclination being giuen thereunto ) seeing it hath pleased her royal Maiesty , vnder her Highnesse hand , to haue giuen out warrant vnto the right Honorable Sir Iohn Puckering knight , Lord keeper of the great Seale of England , to grant out Commissions vnder the same Seale , to put in execution one laudable Statute , made in the time of her right Princely Father for exercise of Archery , and debarring of vnlawful games : And seeing that the Lordes of her Highnesse priuy Counsell haue also by their Letters directted to his Lordsh. commended the same , as an Act fit to bee performed for the honor and strength of the Realme .