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the scholar issued forth with his bow in his hand, and his shafts at his back, to breathe the open air, and study the noble art of archery.

It is but too common a practice to cast an ancient servant away with neglect and indifference, when he has been superseded by a more seemly or a more useful successor. The bow has shared this fate in England. In the days of our early glory, much of the success of our arms was owing to the strength of arm, and accuracy of eye, with which the bold yeomen of England" drew their arrows to the head," and discharged the "iron sleet" against their discomfited enemies. Our history teems with the exploits of the English archers. In Ascham's time, however, their merit was not old enough to be forgotten, and accordingly he does not insist as strongly as might be supposed, on the numerous victories which the shafts of our archers gained. The battles of Cressy, of Poictiers, of Agincourt, and of Flodden, are all the instances which he has selected, of the might of our English bowmen; instances, which, though not very numerous, are certainly conclusive enough.* At the present day, when the bow has not only ceased to be an instrument of war, but even an amusement in time of peace, and when it only survives amongst us in the legends of our ancestors' valor, and in the family names which have descended from the makers of this" artillerye," the Bowyers and Fletchers, it cannot but be interesting to listen to a passionate admirer of this ancient and forgotten art.

Toxophilus, first published in the year 1544, was written during its author's residence at the university, and seems to have been intended as an apology for the zeal, with which he studied and practised the art of shooting. It is said, that Ascham's great attachment to this exercise, and the time he spent upon it, were considered by some as unfitting the character of a grave scholar; and, indeed, in the character of Toxophill, the author confesses that such a charge had been brought against him. From this imputation, therefore, it was his object to free himself, by shewing the honour and dignity of the art, in all nations and at all times, and its acknowledged utility not

* All the assizes of arms, which regulated the armour and weapons of all persons liable to bear arms in the nation, from the 27 Henry II. to 21 James I. invariably mention bows and arrows, which seem to have been the weapons of those, whose rank and fortune did not enable them to purchase defensive arms. After specifying the different arms to be borne by each, according to the extent of his fortune, there is a general clause directing the use of bows and arrows by the rest; omnes item alii qui possunt habere, arcus et sagittas habeant."

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only in matters of war, but as an innocent and engaging pastime at more peaceable periods. But his work would have been imperfect if he had not entered into the practical part of the art, and given directions both for choosing and using the bow. Accordingly, his Schole of Shootinge is a complete manual of archery, containing not only a learned history of the art, and the highest encomiums on its excellence and utility; but likewise the most minute practical details, even down to the species of goose, from the wing of which the best feathers are to be plucked for the shaft; and whether a white, a black, or a grey feather is to be preferred. Perhaps, however, the most interesting part of the volume is that in which he enlarges, with evident delight, on the advantages of shooting, and on the great fitness and utility of such an amusement, for those who are compelled to live a sedentary life. He was certainly well qualified for this part of his task, from his double love of study and archery.

A scholar seldom takes much delight in active amusements. The body is always postponed to the mind; and provided the latter has exercise enough, he is too apt to be negligent of the health and comfort of the former. On this account, the amusements of literary men have frequently a degree of mental labour combined with them, which generally defeats the ends they ought to attain; or, as Fuller says, " they cozen their mind, in setting it to do a double task under pretence of giving it a play day, as in the labyrinth of chess, and other tedious and studious games." It is difficult to cheat the brain into idleness. Kirke White could not help repeating Greek verses as he took his daily walk. Mere exercise is rather painful than pleasant to studious men, and accordingly we find that they often hasten over it like a disagreeable task. Swift used to run up and down a hill some half dozen times, by way of compressing as much exercise as possible into a given space of timea mode of recreation for which we have the authority of Galen, whose catalogue of amusements, for the studious, we shall give in our author's words, strongly recommending them to the attention of our modern literati.

"To runne up and downe an hill, to clyme up a longe powle or a rope, and there hange a while, to hold a man by his armes, and wave with his heeles, muche like the pastime that boyes use in the churche when theyr master is awaye, to swinge and totter in a belrope, to make a fiste, and stretch out both his armes, and so stand like a roode. To go on a man's tiptoes, stretching out the one of his armes forward, the other backeward, which if he blered out his tongue also, might be thought to dance antic very properlye. To tumble over and over, to toppe over tayle, to set backe to backe, and see who can heave an other's heeles highest, wyth other much like."

If we might rely on the word of Sir Philip Sidney, the exereise of riding on horseback is a very fitting relaxation. He gives a very fascinating account of the zeal with which he and his friend, "the right vertuous E. W.," when at the emperor's court, studied this science. This, too, was an amusement which met with the approbation of Bishop Stillingfleet. Moreover, Erasmus seems to have been attached to it, who, as Ascham tells us, "When he was here in Cambridge, and when he had been sore at his booke, (as Garret, our booke-bynder, has verye oft told me) for lacke of better exercise, would take his horse, and ride about the market-hill, and come again." Fieldsports seldom take the fancy of literary men, and, notwithstanding the praise of honest Piscator, Isaak Walton, we are rather inclined to think with another old writer, that " fishing with an angle is rather a torture than a pleasure, to stand an houre as mute as the fish they meane to take." After all, the soberest and perhaps the fittest exercise is a quiet and refreshing walk in the fields, where the eye enjoys a pleasant change of scene, just sufficient to attract the attention of the mind without fatiguing it; but in this opinion we run completely counter to our author, who speaks of this mode of exercise in a very contemptuous manner-" walkinge alone in the field hath no token of courage in it, a pastime like a single man that is neither fleshe nor fishe." But it is time that we should inquire into Ascham's favourite amusement, upon the illustration of which he has bestowed so much learning, and no small portion of wit. The whole work is a dialogue between Toxophilus, a lover of archery; and Philologus, a student. We give the opening of the discourse, from the similarity of it to the celebrated interview between Ascham and the Lady Jane Grey, when he visited her at Brodegate in Leicestershire, before quitting England on his travels in Germany, an interview which he has recorded in his Schoolemaster.

"Phi. You studye to sore, Toxophilus.

"Tox. I will not hurt myselfe over much, I warrant you.

"Phi. Take heede you do not, for we physitions saye, that it is neyther good for the eyes in so cleare a sunne, nor yet holesome for the body, so soone after meate to look upon a man's booke.

"Tox. In eatinge and studyinge I will never folowe any physicke, for if I did, I am sure I should have small pleasure in the one, and lesse pleasure in the other. But what news drave you hither, I pray

you?

"Phi. Small news, trulye, but that as I came on walkinge, I fortuned to come with three or four that went to shoote at the prickes: and when I sawe not you amonges them, but at the last espyed you lookinge on your booke here so sadlye, I thought to come and hold you with some communication, lest your booke shoulde run away with

you. For methought, by your waveringe pace and earnest lookinge, your booke ledde you, not you it.

"Tox. Indeede, as it chaunced, my minde went faster then my feete, for I happened here to reade in Phedon Platonis, a place that entreates wonderfullye of the nature of soules; which place, whether it were for the passinge eloquence of Plato, and the Greeke tongue, or for the highe and goodlye description of the matter, kepte my minde so occupyed, that it had no leisure to looke to my feete. For I was readynge how some soules, beinge well feathered, flewe alwayes about heaven and heavenly matters; other some having their feathers mouted away and droupinge, sancke downe into earthlye thinges.

"Phi. I remember the place very well, and it is wonderfullye sayd of Plato; and now I see it was no marveile, thoughe your feete fayled you, seinge your minde flewe so faste.

"Tox. I am glad now that you letted* me, for my heade akes with lookinge on it, and because you tell me so, I am very sorye that I was not with those good fellows, you spake upon, for it is a very fayre day for a man to shoote in.

"Phi. And methincke, you were a great deale better occupyed, and in better company, for it is a very fayre day for a man to go to his booke in.

"Tox. All dayes and wethers will serve for that purpose, and surely this occasion was ill lost.

"Phi. Yea, but cleare wether maketh cleare mindes, and it is best, as I suppose, to spende the best time upon the best thinges, and me thought you shotte verye well, and at that marke, at which everye good scholer shoulde most busilye shote at."

Toxophilus now proceeds to prove, by copious quotations from ancient authorities, that some relaxation and pastime are to be mingled with " sadde matters of the minde," a position which the studious Philologus endeavours to controvert.

"Phi. How muche in this matter is to be geven to the authoritye eyther of Aristotle or Tullye, I can not tell, seinge sadde men may well enoughe speake merilye for a merye matter: this I am sure, whiche thinge this fayre wheate (God save it) maketh mee remember, that those husbandmen, whiche ryse earlyest, and come latest home, and are contente to have theyr dinner, and other drinkynges broughte into the fielde to them, for feare of loosinge of tyme, have fatter barnes in the harvest, than they which will eyther sleape at noone tyme of the day, or els make merye with theyr neighbours at the ale. And so a scholer that purposeth to be a good husbande, and desyreth to reape and enjoye muche fruite of learninge, must till and sowe thereafter. Our best seede tyme, whiche be scholers, as it is very tymely and when we be yonge, so it endureth not over long, and therefore it may not be let slippe one houre: our grounde is very harde, and full of weedes, our horse wherewith we be drawen, very

VOL. IV. PART I.

* Hindered, interrupted.

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wilde as Plato sayth, and infinite other mo lettes,* which will make a thriftye scholer take heede howe he spendeth his time in sport and playe.

"Tox. That Aristotle and Tullye spake earnestlye and as they thoughte, the earneste matter which they entreate upon doth plainly prove. And as for your husbandrye, it was more probablye tolde with apte wordes proper to the thinge, than thoroughlye proved with reasons belonginge to our matter. For contrarywyse, I heard myselfe a good husbande at his booke once saye, that to omitte studye some tyme of the daye, and some tyme of the yeare, made as much for the increase of learnynge, as to let the lande lye some tyme falloe, maketh for the better increase of corne. This we see if the land be plowed every yeare, the corne cometh thinne up: the ear is short, the grain is small, and when it is brought into the barne and threshed, giveth very evill faule.+ So those which never leave poringe on theyr bookes, have oftentimes as thinne invention, as other poore men have, and as small witte and weight in it as in other men's. And thus your husbandrye, methincke, is more like the life of a covetous snudge that ofte very evill proves, than the labour of a good husbande that knoweth well what he doth. And surelye the best wittes to learninge must needes have muche recreation and ceasynge from theyr booke, or els they marre themselves; when base and dompish wittes can never be hurte with continual studye as ye see in lutinge, that a treble minikin stringe must alwayes be let downe, but at such tyme as when a man must needes playe, when the base and dulle stringe needeth never to be moved out of his place."

We regret that we cannot give the learned parallel between the arts of singing and archery. Philologe defends the former with great eloquence and skill; we shall quote a portion of it, which is deserving the serious consideration of the professional gentlemen mentioned in the extract.

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Besyde all these commodities, truely two degrees of men, which have the highest offices under the kinge in all this realme, shall greatlye lacke the use of singinge, preachers and lawyers, because they shall not, without this, be able to rule their breastes for everye purpose. For where is no distinction in tellinge glade thinges and fearful thinges, gentlenes, and cruelnes, softnes, and vehementnes, and such like matters, there can be no great perswasion. For the hearers, as Tullie sayth, be much affectioned, as he is that speaketh. At his words be they draween; if he stand still in one fashion, their mindes stande still with him: if he thunder, they quake; if he chide, they fere; if he complaine, they sorye with him: and finallye, where a matter is spoken with an apte voice for everye affection, the hearers for the most part, are moved as the speaker woulde; but when a man is alwaye in one tune, like an humble bee, or els now in the top of the churche, now downe that no man knoweth where to have him: or

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