CHAPTER I.
I. The English famous for their Skill in Archery.—II. The Use of the Bow known to the Saxons and the Danes.—III. Form of the Saxon Bow, &c.—IV. Archery improved by the Normans.—V. The Ladies fond of Archery.—VI. Observations relative to the Cross-Bow.—VII. Its Form, and the Manner in which it was used.—VIII. Bows ordered to be kept.—IX. The Decay of Archery, and why.—X. Ordinances in its Favour;—The Fraternity of St. George established.—XI. The Price of Bows.—XII. Equipments for Archery.—XIII. Directions for its Practice.—XIV. The Marks to shoot at.—XV. The Length of the Bow and Arrows.—XVI. Extraordinary Performances of the Archers.—XVII. The modern Archers inferior to the ancient in long Shooting.—XVIII. The Duke of Shoreditch, why so called;—Grand Procession of the London Archers.—XIX. Archery a royal Sport;—A good Archer, why called Arthur.—XX. Prizes given to the Archers.
I.—SKILL OF THE ENGLISH IN ARCHERY.
Among the arts that have been carried to a high degree of perfection in this kingdom, there is no one more conspicuous than that of Archery. Our ancestors used the bow for a double purpose: in time of war, it was a dreadful instrument of destruction; and in peace it became an object of amusement. It will be needless to insist upon the skill of the English archers, or to mention their wonderful performances in the field of battle. The victories they obtained over their enemies are many and glorious; they are their best eulogiums, and stand upon record in the histories of this country for the perusal, and for the admiration of posterity. I shall therefore consider this subject in a general point of view, and confine myself, as much as possible, to such parts of it as relate to amusement only.
II.—THE BOW KNOWN TO THE ANGLO-SAXONS AND DANES.
The Anglo-Saxons, and the Danes, were certainly well acquainted with the use of the bow; a knowledge they derived at an early period from their progenitors. The Scandinavian scalds, speaking in praise of the heroes of their country, frequently add to the rest of their acquirements a superiority of skill in handling of the bow. [268] It does not, however, appear, that this skill was extended beyond the purpose of procuring food or for pastime, either by the Saxons or by the Danes, in times anterior to the conquest. It is indeed said that Edmund, king of the East Angles, was shot to death with arrows by the Danes; but, if this piece of history be correct, it is no proof that they used the bow as a weapon of war. The action itself might be nothing more than a wanton piece of cruelty; and cruelty seems to have been a prominent feature in the character of those lawless plunderers.
III.—FORM OF THE SAXON BOW
Representations of the bow occur frequently in the Saxon manuscripts; and from one of them in the Cotton Library, written about the eighth century, [269] I have selected the following.