unsettled, our chroniclers do not mention archery till the death of
Richard I.
During the reign of Henry III. there were among the English infantry,
slingers, archers, and cross-bow men.
~Cressy 1346.~
~Poictiers 1356.~
It seems that the long-bow was at its zenith in the reign of Edward
III., who appears to have taken great pains to increase its efficacy,
and to extend its use. The terrible execution effected by the English
archers at Cressy, and at Poictiers ten years after, was occasioned by
British archers.
~Homelden 1403.~
The decisive victory over the Scots at Homelden was entirely achieved by
them, and the Earl of Douglas found the English arrows were so swift and
strong, that no armour could repel them; though his own was of the most
perfect temper, he was wounded in five places. The English men-at-arms,
knights and squires, never drew sword or couched lance, the whole affair
being decided by the archers.
~Shrewsbury 1403.~
~Agincourt 1415.~
They again did terrible execution at the battle of Shrewsbury, in 1403,
where Hotspur was slain, and the battle of Agincourt was their undivided
conquest.
~20,000 bow-men 1455.~
~Bow preferred to fire-arms.~
~Bows at Isle of Ré, 1627.~
~Bows against Scots, 1644 to 1647.~
~Bows in William 3rd’s time.~
During the reign of Henry VI., the Parliament voted an army of 20,000
bow-men for service in France. The battle of St. Albans, 1455, seems to
have been entirely won by the archers. Although fire-arms had attained
no inconsiderable degree of perfection in the reign of Henry VIII., yet
the long-bow was still the favourite weapon. Indeed, in the reign of
Elizabeth, the musket was so unwieldy, and slow to charge and discharge,
that the bow was considered superior by many. We find that Queen
Elizabeth, 1572, engaged to furnish Charles IX. of France with 6,000
men, part to be armed with long, and part with cross-bows; and in the
attack made by the English on the Isle of Ré, 1627, it is said some
cross-bow-men were in the army. In 1643 a company of archers was raised
for the service of Charles I.; and in a pamphlet printed in 1664, there
is an account of the successes of the Marquis of Montrose against the
Scots; and bow-men are repeatedly mentioned as in the battle. The
Grenadiers of the Highland Regiments, in the time of William III., when
recruiting, wore the old red bonnet, and carried bows and arrows with
them.
The Highland bow was very short, and by no means powerful.
MERITS OF THE LONG BOW.
~Range of long-bow.~
~Accuracy of long-bow.~
The English could not accomplish more than 600 yards, except on a few
extraordinary occasions; our modern archers not more than from 300 to
500 yards. The Turkish ambassador when in England in 1795, sent an arrow
upwards of 480 yards; and there are two or three instances on record
since archery has been merely a pastime, which have exceeded it by
twenty or thirty yards. It is said of Domitian, that he would cause one
of his slaves to stand at a great distance with his hands spread as a
mark, and would shoot his arrows so correctly as to drive them between
his fingers. Commodus, with an arrow headed with a semi-circular cutting
edge, could cut or sever the neck of a bird. The story of William Tell,
who struck an apple placed upon his child’s head, is well known, and
generally regarded in the light of an historical fact. It is stated that
Robin Hood could split a hazel wand.
~Penetration of long-bow.~
In a journal of Edward VI., His Majesty relates that 100 archers of his
guard shot before him two arrows each, and afterwards altogether. The
object aimed at was a well-seasoned deal board, one inch thick. Many
pierced it quite through, and some struck in a board on the other side.
The distance is not mentioned, but we know that Henry VIII. prohibited
any one above the age of 25 to shoot at a mark at a less distance than
200 yards.
~Advantages of the long-bow.~
The long-bow was light, inexpensive, and unaffected by weather, as the
strings could be removed. Moreover, 12 arrows could be fired with
accuracy in one minute. Two feathers in an arrow were to be white, and
one brown or grey, and this difference in colour informed the archer in
an instant how to place the arrow.
~Disadvantages of the long-bow.~
Although arrows could be shot from a bow with far greater rapidity and
precision than balls from a musket, yet in damp weather the bow and
string might become so much relaxed that the efficacy of the instrument
became much impaired. A side wind deflected the arrow exceedingly in its
flight, and even against a moderate wind, it was difficult to shoot at
all.
_Our Forefathers encouraged to acquire skill in archery by legal
enactments, and by the founders of our public schools._
1ST. BY LEGAL ENACTMENTS.
~Henry 2nd from 1154 to 1189.~
We have previously stated that the first law encouraging the practice of
archery was passed in the reign of Henry II.
~Richard 2nd from 1377 to 1399.~
An Act of Parliament was passed in the reign of Richard II., to compel
all servants to shoot on Sundays and holidays.
~Edward 4th from 1461 to 1483.~
~Every man to have a bow.~
In the reign of Edward IV., an act was passed, ordaining every
Englishman to have a bow of his own height, and during the same reign
butts were ordered to be put up in every township for the inhabitants to
shoot at on feast days, and if any neglected, the penalty of one
halfpenny was incurred. The same monarch also passed an act, that bows
were to be sold for 5s. 4d.
~Cross-bows prohibited by Henry 7th & Henry 8th.~
Henry VII. prohibited the use of the cross-bow, and Henry VIII., less
than twenty years after, renewed the prohibition. He forbad the use of
cross-bows and hand guns, and passed a statute which inflicted a fine of
£10 for keeping a cross-bow in the house. Every man, being the King’s
subject, was obliged to exercise himself in shooting with the long bow,
and also to keep a bow with arrows continually in his house. Fathers and
guardians were also commanded to teach their male children the use of
the long bow.
~Encouraged by Philip and Mary.~
A statute of Philip and Mary mentions the quantity and kind of armour
and weapons, to be kept by persons of different estates, viz:--“Temporal
persons having £5 and under £10 per annum, one coat of plate furnished,
one black bill or halbert, one long bow, one sheaf of arrows, and one
steel cap or skull.”
~Prices fixed by Elizabeth.~
An act of Elizabeth, fixed the prices for long bows, at 6s. 8d., 3s.
4d., and a third sort at 2s. each bow.
~Encouraged by monarchs from Henry 8th to Charles 1st.~
~Proclamation by Charles 1st.~
Numerous statutes were passed to encourage archery in the reigns of
Henry VIII., Elizabeth, James I. and Charles I. in whose reign the
legislature interfered for the last time in 1633, when Charles I. issued
a commission for preventing the fields near London being so enclosed,
“as to interrupt the necessary and profitable exercise of “shooting,”
and also a proclamation for the use of the bow and pike together:--“A.
D. 1633.--Whereas in former tyme bowes and arrowes have been found
serviceable weapons for wars, whereby great victories and conquests have
been gotten, and by sundry statutes the use thereof hath been enjoined,
&c. &c.--and we expect that our loving subjects should conform
themselves thereunto, knowing the exercise of shooting to be a means to
preserve health, strength and agility of body, and to avoid idleness,
unlawfull disports, drunkenness, and such like enormities and disorders,
which are too frequent among our people.”
2ND.--BY THE FOUNDERS OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
~Estimation of archery by founders of schools.~
The founders of our Grammar Schools appear to have considered that the
acquirement of skill in archery by their scholars was no less worthy of
attention than their moral and intellectual improvement. They provided
by their statutes sound learning and a religious education for all, but
secured the removal of such as shewed no aptitude or disposition to
learn. They also prescribed the amusements and exercises of the
scholars, and prohibited such as were calculated to lead to idle and
vicious habits. In fact, as true patriots, they understood how the sons
of free men ought to be educated in youth, and that “a complete and
generous education is that which fits a man to perform justly,
skilfully, and magnanimously, all the offices, both private and public,
of peace and war.”
~Harrow School, founded 1571.~
The founder of Harrow School, Mr. John Lyon, prepared a body of statutes
to be observed in the management of the School. By one of these he
limited the amusements of the Scholars “to driving a top, tossing a
hand-ball, running, shooting, and no other.” By another he
ordered:--“You shall allow your child at all times, bow-shafts,
bow-strings, and a bracer, to exercise shooting.” On the entrance-porch
to the Master’s house are two shields, the one bearing the Lion rampant,
the other, two arrows crossed, an ancient device which had its origin in
the design of the founder. This device is also impressed on the exterior
of all books which are presented by the Head-Master as prizes to those
scholars, whose improvement entitled them to such rewards. The practice
of archery was coeval with the foundation of the School, and was
continued for nearly two centuries. Every year there was a public
exhibition of archery, when the scholars shot for a silver arrow. The
last silver arrow was contended for in 1771.
~St. Albans School.~
At St. Alban’s Grammar School, one of the articles to be recited to such
as offered their children to be taught in the School was,--“Ye shall
allow your child at all times, a bow, three arrows, bow-strings, a
shooting glove, and a bracer, to exercise shooting.”
~Wilton School.~
Sir John Dean, who founded, in 1558, the Grammar School of Wilton, in
Cheshire, framed a body of statutes for the School. One of them
provides:--“That upon Thursdays and Saturdays, in the afternoons, and
upon holidays, the scholars refresh themselves, and that as well in the
vacations as in the days aforesaid, they use their bows and arrows only,
and eschew all bowling, carding, dicing, cocking, and all other unlawful
games, upon pain of extreme punishment to be done by the Schoolmaster.”
~Dedham School in Essex.~
The Free Grammar School of Dedham, in Essex, was endowed in 1571, and
confirmed by a Charter of Queen Elizabeth in 1574. Her Majesty’s
injunctions to the parents of the boys who should attend the school at
Dedham were:--“That they should furnish their sons with bows, shafts,
bracers and gloves, in order to train them to arms.”
~St. Saviour’s School in Southwark.~
One of the statutes at the Grammar School of St. Saviour, in Southwark,
decrees that “the plays of the scholars shall be shooting in long-bows,
chess, running, wrestling, and leaping:--players for money, or betters,
shall be severely punished and expulsed.”
~Camberwell School.~
A statute in the same words is found in the rules and orders framed for
the government of Camberwell Grammar School, which was founded in 1615,
by letters patent.
MEANS BY WHICH SKILL IN ARCHERY WAS ACQUIRED.
~An archer made by long training, &c.~
A successful archer could only be constituted by long training,
strength, and address, we need not therefore wonder that the practice of
the long-bow was not more copied by our neighbours, as the French
pertinaciously adhered to the use of the cross-bow.
~Every man had arms.~
Etienne di Perlin, a Frenchman who wrote an account of a tour in England
in 1558, says:--“The husbandmen leave their bucklers and swords, or
sometimes their bow, in the corner of the field, so that every one in
this land bears arms;” and it is also stated that all the youth and
manhood of the yeomanry of England were engaged in the practice of the
long-bow.
~Public matches.~
Public exhibitions of shooting with the bow continued during the reigns
of Charles II. and James II., and an archer’s division, at least till
within these few years, formed a branch of the Artillery Company. The
most important society of this kind now existing is “The Royal Company
of Archers, the King’s body-guard of Scotland.” The exact time of its
institution is unknown, but it is referred by the Scottish antiquarians
to the reign of their James I.
~Causes of bad shooting.~
Roger Ascham, in “Toxophilos,” states that the main difficulty in
learning to shoot, arises from having acquired and become confirmed in
previous bad habits; so that, “use is the onlye cause of all faultes in
it, and therefore children more easelye and soner may be taught to
shoote excellently then men, because children may be taught to shoote
well at the first, menne have more paine to unlearne their ill uses than
they have labour afterwarde to come to good shootinge;” and after having
enumerated a long list of faults ordinarily committed, he thus proceeds
to describe the secret of shooting straight with the long-bow.
~Shooting depends on the eye.~
~The hand obeys the eye.~
“For having a man’s eye alwaye on his marke, is the onlye waye to shoote
straighte, yea, and I suppose so redye and easye a waye, if it be
learned in youth and confirmed with use, that a man shall never misse
therein. Men doubt yet in loking at the marke what way is best, whether
betwixt the bow and the stringe, above or beneath his hande, and manye
wayes moo. Yet it maketh no greate matter which waye a man loke at his
marke, if it be joined with comlye shooting. The diversitye of mens
standing and drawing causeth divers men loke at their marke divers
wayes; yet they all had a mans hand to shoote straighte if nothinge els
stoppe. So that cumlynesse is the onlye judge of best lokinge at the
marke. Some men wonder whye in castinge a man’s eye at the mark, the
hande should go streight. Surely if he considered the nature of a man’s
eye, hee woulde not wonder at it. For this I am certaine of, that no
servaunt to his maister, no child to his father, is so obedient as
everye joynte and peece of the bodye is to do whatsoever the eye biddes.
The eye is the guide, the ruler, and the succourer of all the other
parts. The hande, the foote, and other members dare do nothinge withoute
the eye, as doth appear on the night and darcke corners. The eye is the
very tongue wherewith witte and reason doth speake to everye parte of
the bodye, and the witte doth not so soone signifye a thinge by the eye,
as every part is redye to followe, or rather prevent the bidding of the
eye. This is plaine in manye thinges, but most evident in fence and
feighting, as I have heard men saye. There every parte standing in feare
to have a blowe, runnes to the eye for help, as younge children do to
the mother; the foote, the hande, and all wayteth upon the eye. If the
eye bid the hand eyther beare of or smite, or the foote eyther go
forward or backeward, it doth so. And that which is most wonder of al,
the one man lokinge stedfastlye at the other mans eye and not at his
hand, wil, even as it were, rede in his eye wher he purposeth to smyte
next, for the eye is nothing els but a certain windowe for wit to shoote
out her heade at. This wonderfull worke of God in making all the members
so obedient to the eye, is a pleasant thing to remember and loke upon:
therefore an archer may be sure in learninge to loke at his marke when
hee is younge alwayes to shoote streight.”
The following description of the English archer is from an ancient
treatise on Martial Discipline:--
~Archer to wear easy dress.~
~Captains to see that bows &c., were in good order.~
~Twenty-four arrows to each man.~
“The yeoman hadde, at those dayes, their lymmes at libertye, for their
hoseyn were then fastened with one point, and their jackes were long,
and easy to shote in, so that they mighte draw bowes of great strength,
and shote arrowes of a yarde long. Captens and officers should be
skilful of that most noble weapon, and to see that their soldiers
according to their draught and strength have good bows, well nocked,
well strynged, everie stringe whippe in their nocke, and in the myddes
rubbed with wax, braser and shuting glove, some spare strings trymed as
aforesaid, everie man one shefe of arrows, with a case of leather
defensible against the rayne, and in the same shefe fower and twentie
arrows, whereof eight of them should be lighter than the residue, to
gall and astoyne the enemy with the hailshot of light arrows, before
they shall come within range of their harquebuss shot.”
~Encouraged from the pulpit.~
The subject of archery was not deemed, in those days, an unsuitable
theme for the pulpit, as may be seen by the following extract from one
of the seven sermons (the sixth) preached before Edward VI., within the
preaching place in the palace of Westminster, on the 12th of April,
1549, by that patriotic reformer, Bishop Latimer. With honest, plain
spoken words, in the midst of his discourse he breaks off--
~Training of Bishop Latimer.~
“Men of England, in times past, when they would exercise themselves,
(for we must needs have some recreation, our bodies can not endure
without some exercise), they were wont to goe abroad in the fieldes a
shooting; but now it is turned into glossing, gulling, and whooring
within the house. The arte of shooting hath bene in times past much
esteemed in this realme, it is a gift of God that He hath geven us to
excell all other nations withall, it hath been God’s instrument whereby
He hath geven us many victories against our enemies. But now we have
taken up whooring in townes, instead of shooting in the fieldes. A
wonderous thing that so excellent a gift of God should be so little
esteemed. I desire you, my Lordes, even as ye love the honour and glory
of God, and entend to remove his indignation, let there be sent forth
some proclamation, some sharpe proclamation to the justices of peace,
for they doe not thier dutie, justices now be no justices, there be many
good actes made for this matter already. Charge them upon their
allegiance that this singular benefite of God may be practised, and that
it be not turned into bolling, glossing, and whooring within the townes:
for they be negligent in executing these laws of shooting. In my time my
poore father was as diligent to teach me to shoote as to learne me any
other thing, and so I think other men did their children. He taught me
how to draw, how to lay my body in my bow, and not to draw with strength
of armes as other nations doe, but with strength of the body. I had my
bowes bought me according to my age and strength, as I encreased in
them, so my bowes were made bigger and bigger: for men shall never shoot
well except they be brought up in it. It is a goodly arte, a wholesome
kinde of exercise, and much commended in phisicke.”
The following is another extract from the same sermon:--
~How estimated by the people.~
“I came once myself to a place, riding on a journey homeward from
London, and I sent word over night into the towne that I would preach
there in the morning, because it was a holiday, and methought it was an
holidayes work. The church stood in my way, and I took my horse and my
company, and went thither, (I thought I should have found a great
company in the church,) and when I came there, the church door was fast
locked. I tarryed there halfe an houre and more, at last the key was
found, and one of the parish comes to me and said: ‘Sir, this is a busie
day with us, we cannot heare you, it is Robin Hood’s day. The parish
are gone abroad to gather for Robin Hood. I pray you let them not.’ I
thought my rochet should have been regarded, though I were not: but it
would not serve, it was faine to give place to Robin Hood’s men.”
PROOFS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHERY.
~By names of places.~
There is little at the present day in England to afford any adequate
idea of the high importance, the great skill, and the distinguished
renown of the English archers. Some few places still retain names which
tell where the bowmen used to assemble for practice, as “Shooter’s
Hill,” in Kent; “Newington Butts,” near London; and “St. Augustine’s
Butts,” near Bristol. The Butts will be found applied to spots of land
in the vicinity of schools, as for instance, the College School of
Warwick.
The fields situated to the east of the playing-fields at Eton, and known
by the name of “The Upper and Lower Shooting-fields,” were probably so
named from the ancient exercise of archery on these grounds.
~Armorial Bearings.~
Many of the noble and county families of Great Britain and Ireland have
the symbols of archery charged on their escutcheons; as, for instance,
the Duke of Norfolk, the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord Grey de Wilton, the
Earl of Aberdeen, the Earl of Besborough, the Earl of Portarlington, the
Baronetal family of Hales, Sir Martin Bowes, and also on the arms of
Sydney Sussex College, in Cambridge, and the seal of the Sheffield
Grammar School.
~Government brand.~
The mark or brand used by the Government of the present day, to identify
public property, is an arrow-head, commonly called “The King’s broad
arrow.”
~Surnames of families.~
There are also existing families which have derived their surnames from
the names of the different crafts formerly engaged in the manufacture of
the bow and its accompaniments; as, for instance, the names of Bowyer,
Fletcher, Stringer, Arrowsmith, Arrow, Bowman, Bowwater, &c.
~National proverbs.~
If reference be made to our language, there will be found many phrases
and proverbial expressions drawn from or connected with archery; some
suggesting forethought and caution, as “Always have two strings to your
bow;” “Get the shaft-hand of your adversaries;” “Draw not thy bow before
thy arrow be fixed;” “Kill two birds with one shaft.” To make an enemy’s
machination recoil upon himself, they expressed by saying, “To outshoot
a man in his own bow.” In reference to a vague foolish guess, they used
to say, “He shoots wide of the mark;” and of unprofitable silly
conversation, “A fool’s bolt is soon shot;” and as a proof of
exaggeration, “He draws a long bow.” The unready and unskilful archer
did not escape the censure and warning of his fellows, although he might
be a great man and boast that he had “A famous bow, but it was up at the
castle.” Of such they satirically used to remark, that “Many talked of
Robin Hood, who never shot in his bow.” Our ancestors also expressed
liberality of sentiment, and their opinion that merit belonged
exclusively to no particular class or locality, by the following pithy
expressions, “Many a good bow besides one in Chester,” and “An archer is
known by his aim, and not by his arrows.” To these may be added,
“Testimony is like the shot of a long-bow, which owes its efficacy to
the force of the shooter; argument is like the shot of a cross-bow,
equally forcible, whether discharged by a dwarf or a giant.”
MILITARY AND POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF SKILL IN THE USE OF THE BOW.
~Commenced at the battle of Hastings.~
~Achievement lasted through a period of 500 years.~
~England had a voluntary army.~
From the time of the battle of Hastings the English archers began to
rise in repute, and in course of time proved themselves, by their
achievements in war, both the admiration and terror of their foes, and
excelled the exploits of other nations. The great achievements of the
English bowmen which shed lustre upon the annals of the nation, extended
over a period of more than five centuries, many years after the
invention and use of fire-arms. England, therefore, in those times,
possessed a national voluntary militia, of no charge to the Government,
ready for the field on a short notice, and well skilled in the use of
weapons. Hence sprung the large bodies of efficient troops which at
different periods of English history, in an incredibly short time, were
found ready for the service of their country. These men were not a rude,
undisciplined rabble, but were trained, disciplined men, every one
sufficiently master of his weapon to riddle a steel corslet at five or
six score paces, or in a body, to act with terrible effect against
masses of cavalry; while most of them could bring down a falcon on the
wing by a bird-bolt, or with a broad arrow transfix the wild deer in the
chase.
~Archers defeated men-at-arms.~
~Value in sieges.~