The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 538, March 17, 1832Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 538, March 17, 1832
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
We now meet with several enactments by Edward IV. for the appointment of
bowmen with the long-bow; but we pass over these and other records to the
19th year of the reign of Henry VII., who forbade the use of the cross-bow,
because "the long-bow had been much used in this realme, whereby honour
and victory had been gotten against outward enemies, the realm greatly
defended, and much more the dread of all Christian princes by reason of
the same." Statutes for the promotion of archery with the long-bow are now
very frequent; but the cross-bow is proscribed in the same proportion: and,
in the time of Henry VIII. a penalty of ten pounds was inflicted on every
one who kept a cross-bow in his house.
Though archery continued to be encouraged by the king and legislature for
more than two centuries after the first knowledge of the effects of
gunpowder, yet by the latter end of the reign of Henry VIII., it seems to
have been partly considered as a pastime.
From this period we pass to the date of the annexed CUTS, for which we are
indebted to the research of an ingenious Correspondent, with the
antiquarian subscription of "JONATHAN OLDBUCK,"[5] who appends to his
sketches the following historical notice:
"After the destruction of the Spanish Armada, fears being entertained lest
the King of Spain should (out of revenge) send an emissary to attempt the
life of Queen Elizabeth, a number of noblemen of the Court formed
themselves into a body guard for the protection of her person, and under
the denomination of the 'Companie of Liege Bowmen of the Queene,' had many
privileges conferred upon them. The famous Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was
captain of this company, which was distinguished by the splendour of its
uniform and accoutrements. Upon the accession of James I. the company was
disbanded, although those who composed it retained the privileges which
had been conferred upon them by Elizabeth. Upon the breaking out of the
Civil wars Charles reorganized this bodyguard which attended him against
the Parliamentary forces, and afterwards emigrated with Charles II. At the
Restoration this company was maintained, and under the title of 'Royal
Company of Archers' received a new Charter, being the origin of the
present 'Royal Artillery Company' of London. About the time of the
institution of the Liege Bowmen of the Queen, a new kind of cross-bow was
constructed in Holland, by one Vander Foheman, having many advantages over
the old one. This he brought to England and it was purchased and adopted
by the Company.[6]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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