The Field Book: or, Sports and pastimes of the United Kingdom: compiled from the best authorities, ancient and modernMaxwell, W. H. (William Hamilton)
History
The Field Book: or, Sports and pastimes of the United Kingdom: compiled from the best authorities, ancient and modern
Maxwell, W. H. (William Hamilton)
Amusements -- Great Britain; Sports -- Dictionaries; Sports -- Great Britain
that is, the direction of the eye to the end of the arrow, rather than
to the mark; to obviate this evil habit, he advises such as were so
accustomed, to shoot in the dark, by night, at lights set up at a proper
distance for that purpose. He then concludes with observing, that “bad
tutorage” was rarely amended in grown-up persons; and therefore he held
it essentially necessary that great attention should be paid to the
teaching of an archer properly, while he was young; “for children,” says
he, “if sufficient pains are taken with them at the onset, may much more
easily be taught to shoot well, than men,” because the latter have
frequently more trouble to unlearn their bad habits, than was
primitively requisite to learn them good ones.
Kings and princes have been celebrated for their skill in archery, and
among those of our own country may be placed King Henry VII., who in his
youth was partial to this exercise, and therefore it is said of him in
an old poem, written in praise of the Princess Elizabeth, afterwards
Queen to Henry VII.
See where he shoteth at the butts,
And with hym are lordes three;
He weareth a gowne of velvette blacke,
And it is coted above the knee.
He also amused himself with the bow after he had obtained the crown, as
we find from an account of his expenditures, where the following
memorandums occur: “Lost to my Lord Morgan at buttes, six shillings and
eightpence:” and again, “Paid to Sir Edward Boroughes thirteen shillings
and fourpence which the kynge lost at buttes with his cross-bowe.” Both
the sons of King Henry followed his example, and were excellent archers.
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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