'Upon the morrow (of St. Nicholas Eve, 1530) I was sent for by the King to come to his grace; and being in Master Kingston's chamber in the Court (Hampton Court), had knowledge thereof, and repairing to the King, found him shooting at the rounds in the park, on the backside of the garden.
'And perceiving him occupied in shooting, thought it not my duty to trouble him: but leaned to a tree, intending to stand there, and to attend his gracious pleasure. Being in a great study, at last the King came suddenly behind me, where I stood, and clapped his hand upon my shoulder; and, when I perceived him, I fell upon my knee. To whom he said, calling me by name, "I will," quoth he, "make an end of my game, and then will I talk with you," and so he departed to his mark, whereat the game was ended.
'Then the King delivered his bow unto the yeoman of his bows, and went his way inward to the palace, whom I followed.'
Sir Thos. Elyot, the first edition of whose book, the 'Governour,' was printed in 1531, devoted chapter xxvii. to the praise of the long bow, and was the earliest writer on the subject of archery, unless the unknown author of the 'Book of King Modus,' which is said by Hansard ('Book of Archery,' 1840, p. 210) to be 'preserved in the royal library at Paris,' wrote about two centuries and a half before the 'Toxophilus,' by Roger Ascham, was printed in 1545.
Neither Elyot nor Ascham makes any mention of the societies of archers known as the Fraternities of St. George and of Prince Arthur, but something of the kind is plainly indicated by Richard Mulcaster in his book, the 'Positions,' published in 1581, where he quaintly says, 'This exercise' (archery) 'I do like best generally of any rounde stirring without the dores, upon the causes before alleaged: which, if I did not that worthy man our late learned countriman Maister Askam, would be halfe angrie with me though he were of milde disposition, who both for the trayning of the Archer to his bowe and the scholler to his booke, hath showed himselfe a cunning archer and a skilful maister.
'In the middest of so many earnest matters I may be allowed to intermingle one which hath a relice of mirthe: for in praysing of Archerie as a principall exercise to the preseruing of health how can I but prayse them who profess it thoroughly and maintain it nobly, the friendly and franke fellowship of Prince Arthur's knights in and about the Citie of London which of late yeares have so reuiued the exercise, so countenaunced the artificers, so inflamed emulation, as in themselues for friendly meting, in workmen for good gayning, in companies for earnest comparing, it is almost growne to an orderly discipline, to cherishe louing society, to enriche labouring pouerty, to maintaine honest actiuitie, which their so encouraging the under trauellours, and so increasing the healthfull traine, if I had sacred to silence would not my good friend in the Citie, Maister Heugh Offley, and the same my noble fellow in that order, Syr Launcelot, at our next meeting haue giuen me a sowre nodde, being the chief furtherer of the fact, which I commend, and the famousest knight of the fellowship, which I am of? Nay, would not even Prince Arthur himself, Maister Thomas Smith, and the whole table of those wel known knights, and most actiue Archers haue layd in their challeng against their fellow knight, if, speaking of their pastime, I should haue spared their names? Whereunto I am easily led bycause the exercise deseruing suche prayse, they that loue so prayseworthy a thing, neither can themselues, neither ought at my hande to be hudled up in silence.'
In 'the Auncient order Societie and unitie laudable of Prince Arthure and his Knightly Armory of the Round Table London, 1583,' Richard Robinson says, 'King Henry VIII. not onely ... proceeded with what his Father had begun,' by keeping up a body guard of archers, 'but also added greater dignity ... by his gracious charter confirmed unto the worshipful citizens (of London) ... this your now famous Order of Knights of Prince Arthure's Round Table or Society.'
But when the practice of archery was enforced by Act of Parliament, and there were shooting butts and fields at hand almost everywhere for the use of those who took a genuine interest in the exercise, there could be but little reason for the introduction of archery societies and clubs. The meetings for the exhibition of skill would be the regular musters.
How different the position of archery would have been if, instead of clamouring for and getting passed irksome Acts of Parliament, compelling all to shoot, archers, bowmakers, fletchers and others had started a National Long-Bow Association with State sanction and encouragement for the promotion of this exercise and the reward of the most successful shots!
As in early times there were great musters or reviews of companies of archers, of whom the sole actual survivor is the Royal Body-Guard of Scotland (the Archers Company of the Honourable Artillery Company, itself originally a body of archers, was revived late in the last century, and is now represented by the Royal Toxophilite Society) for military display; and local festivities, and wardmotes, as still maintained by the Woodmen of Arden (revived in 1785) and the Scorton Arrow Meetings (dating back to 1673), for the glorification of the best local shots; and the daily use of the long-bow for exercise and sport, i.e. killing of game; so now there are the meetings of the Grand National Archery Society, established for the peaceable purpose of annually rewarding the champion and championess and other illustrious archers, as hereafter set out in the full account of these meetings, and also the local public meetings of similar character also given; and in addition to these there are the meetings of the numerous archery societies and clubs in different localities, and the constant private practice either at home or on club grounds.