When meat and drink is great plentye, Then lords and ladys still will be, And sit and solace lythe: Then it is time for mee to speake, Of kern knightes and kempes greate, Such carping for to kythe. How familiar a term it must have been in the common mouth the frequency with which the name is met fully shows. Our ‘Slingers’ represent an all but forgotten profession, but they seem to have been useful enough in their day and generation. The sling was always attached to a stick, whence the old term ‘staffsling.’ Lydgate describes David as armed With a staffe slynge, voyde of plate and mayle; while in ‘Richard Cœur de Lion’ we are told— Foremost he sette hys arweblasteres, And aftyr that hys good archeres, And aftyr hys staff-slyngeres, And other with scheeldes and speres. But we must not forget old England’s one boast, her archers, and our last quotation fitly brings them to our notice. They, too, in the battle-field and in the rural list, maintained alike their supremacy. If we would be proud of our early victories, we must ever look with veneration on the bow. ‘Bowman’ and ‘Archer’ still represent the more military professional, but not alone. Even more interesting, as speaking for the more specific crossbow or ‘arbalist,’ are our ‘Alabasters,’ ‘Arblasters,’ ‘Arblasts,’ and ‘Balsters.’ In Robert of Gloucester’s description of the reign of the Conqueror, it is said— So great power of this land and of France he nom (took) With him into England, of knights and squires, Spearmen anote, and bowemen, and also arblasters. Chaucer, too, describing a battlement, says— And eke within the castle were Springoldes, gonnes, bowes, and archers, And eke about at corners Men seine over the wall stand Grete engines, who were nere hand, And in the kernels, here and there, Of arblasters great plentie were.