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strengthe and preserveth healthe most, but because it is not vehement, but moderate, not overlayinge one parte with wearinesse, but softly exercisinge everye part with equalnesse." Dr. Mulcastor, a contemporary of Ascham, thus eulogizes archery: "To say enough of this exercise in a few words, which no words can praise enough for the commodities which it bringeth to the health of the body, it consisteth of the best exercises, and the best effects of the best exercises." And Sir Wm. Wood, Marshal of the old Society of Finsbury Archers, thus sings its praise in his "Bowman's Glory:"

"It is an exercise (by proof) we see

Whose practice doth with nature best agree;
Obstructions of the liver it prevents,
Stretching the nerves and arteries, gives extent
To the spleen's oppilations, clears the breast
And spungy lungs; it is a foe profest

To all consumptions."

There are so few healthful recreations in the open air of which women can partake, without being considered to encroach on the privileges of the "lords of the creation," and incurring the imputation of being unfeminine, that we cannot wonder archery is making rapid progress among our countrywomen. Besides its beneficial effect on the health, too, it is an elegant amusement, developing as much grace as can ever be displayed in actual dancing, far more than the indolently paced quadrilles, or romping polkas, or deux temps of the present day can ever hope to call forth.

A slight sketch of what is known of the bow and arrows may not be deemed uninteresting, before we enter further on our subject.

There is no authentic history or tradition relative to the invention of the bow, but it is evidently of 'very remote antiquity. The first mention of it occurs in the Book of Genesis (xxvii. 3), 1760 B. C. Isaac bids Esau take his weapons, his "quiver and his bow," and go into the field and get him some venison. Ishmael, we are told (Gen. xxi. 20), "grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer." Indeed, repeated allusions to this ancient weapon of the Jews occur in the Old Testament: Jonathan presented his bow to David (1 Sam. xviii. 4); the archers "hit and sore wounded" Saul (1 Sam. xxxi. 3).

In the Greek mythology, and in the ancient Grecian and Egyptian sculptures, are various allusions to, and delineations of the bow. Records of archery have also been traced in many Persepolitan, Macedonian, and Parthian antiquities. The Chinese had this weapon. One of their proverbs says, "When a son is born in the family, hang the bow and quiver up at the gate;" and their great sage, Confucius, wrote a treatise on archery.

All the eastern nations seem to have used the bow as a weapon of warfare, and practised archery as an amusement in times of peace; in Persia, equestrian archery was much practised, and shooting

at the popinjay was a favorite recreation. The Arabs were skilful archers; in Chinese Tartary both sexes were equally expert in the use of the bow The Manilla Indians, the Caribbee Indians, the Demarara Indians, the natives of Florida, and the savage tribes of North as well as of South America, all were more or less acquainted with, and expert in the use of this weapon. Some warriors, exhibited at one of our theatres about fifty years since, excited universal astonishment by the skill and certainty with which they hit a mark scarcely so large as a shilling.

The Scandinavians were likewise expert archers. Homer mentions the bow several times. In his Iliad, b. ix. 1. 152, Pandarus is thus described aiming an arrow at Menelaus:

"Now with full force the yielding horn he bends, Drawn to an arch and joins the doubling ends; Close to the breast he strains the nerve below, Till the barbed point approach the circling bow; Th' impatient weapon whizzes on the wing, Sounds the tough horn and twangs the quivering string."

He mentions the Locrians as being "skilled from far the flying shaft to wing."

Again, in the Odyssey, we find the suitors of Penelope vainly endeavoring to bend the bow which Ulysses had left at home; and the hero himself, disguised as a beggar, having obtained permission to compete with them, thus proves his skill :— "One hand aloft displayed,

The bending horns, and one the string essayed,
From his essaying hand the string, let fly,
Twangs short and sharp, like the shrill swallow's cry."

Eneas, too, is made to introduce archery when celebrating the anniversary of his father's funeral.

We read that the armies of Alexander the Great were chiefly composed of archers.

Plato, who was a great advocate of archery, and was desirous that qualified persons should be appointed by the government to teach the youth of Athens this art, mentions that the standing guard of the city numbered among its force one thousand archers.

Livy makes mention of the skill and prowess of the Cretan archers.

Plutarch signalizes the defeats of the Romans by the Parthians, and ascribes to the manner in which these latter galled the enemy with their ar

rows.

The Huns were likewise skilful archers.

The Romans, as a people, were not skilled in the use of the bow, although many of the nobles and several of the Roman emperors practised it as an amusement. Herodian speaks of the feats and the "unerring hand" of the Emperor Commodus, who exhibited his skill on the wild beasts in the Amphitheatre.

It is a disputed point at what time the long-bow

was introduced into England; some writers assert that it was the arbalest, or crossbow only, which was used from the time of the Norman Conquest until that of Edward II. Prior to the battle of Hastings, we have no record at all of archery being practised in Britain. Others again assert that it was an arrow, and not a bolt, which slew William Rufus, and which caused the death of Richard Coeur de Lion; and that the longbow, and not the crossbow, was the weapon of war in the contests between Matilda and Stephen, and with which Richard made such havoc among the Saracens. Certain it is that that famous hero of ballad romance, Robin Hood,* would be divested of half his charms if we took from him the graceful longbow and the "feathery arrows;" therefore, if not from stronger conviction, we side with the last-mentioned opinions, and are convinced that, although the arbalest may possibly have been the most common weapon of war, yet in the "merrie green wood" at least the other was expertly handled. Ritson, in the "Old Garland," a quaint collection of ballads on Robin Hood, gives the following characteristic anecdote of nearly the last words and actions of this famous outlaw; when he felt his end approaching, he said

"But give me my bent bow in my hand,
And a broad arrow I'll let flee;
And where this arrow is taken up,

There shall my grave digg'd be.”

At the battles of Cressy and Agincourt the longbow was evidently used; in the reign of Edward III. again we find express mention of our archers, to whom indeed the victory seems generally to have been chiefly owing in most battles wherein they were engaged. Sir John Smith attributes this not only to the skill of the archers, but to the "dazzling, bemazing effect which a volley of arrows, flying thick as hail through the air, must have on the enemies' soldiers, and also on their horses."

In the reign of Edward IV., we find sundry curious laws relative to archery, to the importation of bow-staves, &c.; in one of which, "unlawful games, as dice, quoits, tennis," &c., are prohibited; but every person strong and able of body" is required to use his bow.

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Henry VII. instituted a band of archers to guard his person.

Henry VIII. was a great patron of archery; and a law made in his reign enacted that "all men not having any lawful impediment, except religious and judges, under sixty years of age, shall exercise shooting in longbows; and teach their children, servants, &c., having a bow with two arrows for each under seventeen years of age, and with four arrows for those above seventeen. Penalty, 68. 8d. per month."

Who could "Hit a mark a hundred rod, And cause a hart to die."

Queen Elizabeth, too, was a patroness of archery, and did not disdain herself to "wing the feathered shaft." By some statutes made in her reign, we find that the use of the bow formed part of the education of youth. At some of the public schools, and especially at Harrow, every parent was called upon to allow "to each boy a bow, three shafts, a bowstring, and a bracer, to exercise shooting;" and prizes were given to be shot for by twelve competitors.

Shakspeare, who in his works introduces numberless allusions relative to this science, was, if we may credit any of the accounts of his midnight onslaughts on the deer, an archer of no mean skill.

Charles I. was a practical lover of archery, as was his father, James I.; and by these two sovereigns commissions were issued for the purpose of preventing inroads on, and removing obstructions from, the public grounds and fields devoted to the practice of archery; for it would seem that brick and mortar were even then beginning insidiously to encroach on the "pleasant green fields."

Archery was neglected by James II. in the troubles of his reign; and after his abdication, and the accession of a new family, bringing with them other predilections, the practice of it declined, and gradually fell into almost total disuse, being kept up only by a few companies or societies, among which the oldest, and the one which survived the longest, was the Society of Finsbury Archers, who had records dating as far back as 1676. In Clerkenwell church is a monument to Sir William Wood, one of their old marshals, who died at the age of 82. It has been restored by the Toxopholite Society: part of the inscription runs thus:

"Long did he live, the honor of the bow,
And his great age to that alone did owe.
But how can art secure? Or what can save
Extreme old age from the appointed grave?
Surviving archers much his loss lament,
And in respect bestow this monument."

A splendid silver badge, presented to the Finsbury Archers by Catherine, Queen of Charles II., was, by Mr. Constable-one of the oldest and few remaining members of that body-transferred to the Toxopholites, when he joined them soon after their formation in 1780, under the auspices of Sir Ashton Levers and Mr. Waring. That society was the parent of most of those which have since sprung up, and of late multiplied so rapidly: its grounds are in the Regent's Park.

George IV., when Prince of Wales, was a munificent patron of archery, and by his influence mainly contributed to make it fashionable, and thus reanimate it. The following circumstances will alone suffice to show how rapid has been its spread lately, and how generally its healthfulness and power o amusing have been acknowledged: Little more that twenty years since, there were only two or three establishments in London for the sale of archery

accoutrements; there are now probably twenty at

least.

It seems strange that the French should have at no period of their history appeared to devote much attention to archery. Greatly as they have suffered at various times from the skill of their English foes, one would have imagined that they would have endeavored at least to foil them with their own weapons.

A few small societies of "tireurs" have occasionally existed, and one or two do so now: they have, however, a quaint old proverb on the subject, which says (what is well worth noting)— "Debander l'arc ne guérit pas la plaie;" or that the regret we may feel at having wounded the feelings of any person is but a poor atonement for the evil. "Faire de tous bois flêches," and "Cette flêche n'est pas sortie de mon carquois" are also two other trite allusions to archery.

Ere we proceed to the chief bearing of our subject, viz., archery as a recreation for females, we must not forget that celebrated archer Tell, who, when Gesler asked him why he took the second arrow, boldly replied

"Mit diesem zweiten Pfeil durchschoss ich-Euch,
Wenn ich mein liebes Kind getroffen hätte,
Und euer-warlich hätte ich nicht gefehlt."

We have said already that archery is peculiarly adapted for females; nor are we in the present day singular in that opinion. If we go back as far as the ancient mythology, we find Diana with her bow: if we seek in the writings of the poets, we find Tasso's beautiful description of Clorinda

"Her rattling quiver at her shoulder hung,
Therein a flash of arrows feathered well.
In her right hand a bow was bended strong,
Therein a shaft headed with mortal steel.
So fit to shoot she singled out among

Her foes who first her quarrel's strength should feel;
So fit to shoot Latona's daughter stood
When Niobe she killed, and all her brood."

If we speed our way to Asia, we shall find in some of the harems the fair slaves practising archery in the gardens of the seraglio. A traveller in Persia (we forget who) eloquently describes the bow of buffalo horn, black as jet, and highly polished, with its richly gilded and painted back, and string of pure white silk, decorated at the ends with loops of scarlet and gold; the delicate and costly arrows, the sleeve of rich satin, embroidered with gold, worn to protect the arm; and the jewelled thumb-ring (an article peculiar to the East), used by these beautiful captives; as well as the curious target, composed of softened clay, at which they shoot.

But we need not seek in the realms of the east, in the dream-land of poets, or the superstitions of ancient idolaters, in order to demonstrate that archery has been practised by females. Froissart mentions that it was one of the recreations of the stately dames of his day. Black Douglas, wife of one of the war

like and rebellious race of Douglas, was an expert archeress, and more than once, when besieged, tried her prowess on her own sovereign. Margaret, the daughter of Henry VII., is stated to have killed a buck in Alnwick Park, by shooting it with an arrow. In the privy purse expenses of Henry VIII., we find entered so much for bows, arrows, belts, braces, &c., for Anne Boleyn. Queen Elizabeth was evidently skilled in the practice of archery, for we find it recorded that at one hunting-party she with her own hand did shoot three deer. Catherine, queen consort of Charles II., encouraged this science, if she did not actually practise it, as is testified by the silver badge already alluded to, which she presented to the Royal Society of Finsbury Archers. And last, but not least, Queen Victoria is a lover and patroness of archery; and herself, at the Highland Fête at Holland Park, in 1850, added as a prize, expressly to be competed for by ladies, a handsome bracelet.

We now approach the most difficult part of our subject-the reducing practice to theory, or giving verbal directions for that which is best acquired manually. There are but few works on archery, and of these, "Hansard's Book of Archery," "Hastings's British Archer," and "Roberts's Bowman," are the best; and these are rather histories and treatises on the art than instructions for the practice of it. Our old friend Roger Ascham, in his quaint way, gives a very reasonable guess why more had not been written on this subject: "The faulte is not to be layed on the thinge which was worthie to be written upon, but of the menne which were negligent in doynge it; and this is the cause thereof as I suppose. Menne that used shootinge moste, and knewe it best, were not learned: men that were learned used shootinge little, and were ignorant of the nature of the thynge." Not that we believe that archery, any more than dancing, can be verbally taught; attention, imitation, practice, flexibility of the muscles, and concentration of the faculties, will advance a pupil in this art more than volumes of written directions: nevertheless, we will endeavor to give a few general instructions as lucidly as may be.

The accoutrements requisite for the practice of archery consist of a bow, a bow-case, about half a dozen arrows; a tin case or quiver for them; an arm-guard, a glove, a belt, a tassel, and a greasebox. These may all be obtained, sufficiently good in quality for general use, for two pounds.

Various materials have at different periods been used in manufacturing bows. In Job, we read of "the bow of steel." Homer tells us that the bow used by Pandarus was

"formed of horn, and smoothed with artful toil A mountain goat resigned the shining spoil."

In many parts of the East, horn, and sometimes ivory, are used. The yew-tree has also furnished many bows; now various woods are employed be

ory.

sides the yew, as lancewood, rosewood, snake-wood, and tulip-wood, combined with hornbeam and hickBows are made of two kinds, "self-bows," or those formed of one piece of wood, and "backbows," composed of two kinds of wood, one tough and the other elastic; the common lancewood selfbow is the cheapest of any; the continental yew self-bow is the most expensive. Bowstrings have been made of silk, catgut, and hemp: the last is the best and most durable material.

Arrows are chiefly manufactured of prepared limewood, old deal, pine, and aspwood; the "nock," or notch, for the reception of the string, is of horn; the feathers from the wing of the gray goose, the turkey, or the eagle; and the head or pile of thin steel or iron. The length of the arrow depends much upon that of the bow; for a bow five feet long the arrows may be twenty-four or twenty-five inches in length. Arrows vary in weight as well as length, and are usually proportioned to the strength of the bow; their weights are always marked on them between the feathers, and archers should take care, when shooting at a mark or target, to keep to one certain weight.

The "quiver" is of tin, and usually japanned; it is generally made to hold about half-a-dozen arrows: it may be made of very rich and ornamental materials.

The "brace," or arm-guard, used to protect the arm from being hurt by the rebound of the string, is made of morocco leather, calf, or pigskin; the surface is smooth, hard, and polished, to prevent the string from being fretted in its passage over it.

The "belt" is composed of the same leather as the brace, and dyed the same color, viz., crimson, purple, or green, but generally the latter: from it on the left side is suspended the "tassel," which is of worsted, and the same color as the belt: its use is to wipe the arrows after they have been used, as a small particle of dirt adhering to them will impede their flight. The "grease-box," if not an absolutely necessary appendage, is a very useful one for keeping the fingers of the glove moist and supple; it usually consists of an ornamental box worn on the same side as the tassel.

The "glove" is used to protect the fingers from being injured by the string: it is made to match the belt and brace, and should fit well, or it will be of no use; it must be kept supple while being used, or it impedes the action of the hand.

The target is of twisted threshed straw, similar to that of which beehives are made; this is covered with a surface of canvas, on which equidistant circles of different colors surround an eye or centre of gold; these circles determine the value of each shot, and test the skill of the archer.

Our ancient friend Ascham pithily observes: "Archery is more pleasant to behold than easy to be taught; less difficult to be followed in practice VOL. XLV.-22

than to be described." The preliminary rule we lay down is to begin practising with a bow which can be managed without any extra exertion of the arms and chest; thus, one of some twenty or twenty-five pounds power will generally be the best for young ladies during the first season; during the next, they can increase the power to thirty or thirty-four pounds, but we should never advise them to exceed forty pounds. Good instruction and example, backed by diligent attention and practice on the part of the learner, will be rewarded by proficiency: at the moment of taking aim, the powers of the mind should be concentrated on the affair in hand, much judgment and coolness being requisite: nervousness, inattention, or a wandering of the thoughts or eyes, will cause the aim to be false. Vegetius (cap. 15) says that "the left hand should be steady, the right hand draw the string with judgment, and both the eye and the mind be brought to bear together on the object of the aim."

"Shoot streighte and of a good lengthe,
Then shall ye win of any strengthe,"

is the advice of an old author who wrote in the sixteenth century; and to shoot straight the eye must be fixed on the mark, the mind bent to assist the eye, and then the hands will obediently, governed by these two potentates, perform their duty. To shift the eye from the shaft to the mark, and from the mark to the shaft, is to insure a failure.

The bow must be held in the left hand, the arm extended in a straight line, and the wrist turned inwards; the hand grasps the bow at the handle, as nearly level with the top of it as possible. With the right hand take the arrow by the middle, and pass it under the string and over the bow; when the pile reaches the left hand, the forefinger of that hand must be clasped over it to steady it; the right hand now glides back to the nock, and grasps it with the thumb and finger; the cock feather is looked for, and the arrow slid down the bow and arranged with the cock feather upwards, and in a line with the top of the handle of the bow; during this manoeuvre, the bow may be held horizontally: it is now brought by a semicircular sweep of the arms into an almost perpendicular position, the forefinger of the left hand entirely detached from the arrow, and the whole of that hand grasps the bow at the handle, while with the right hand the arrow is adjusted to the string; by the time the bow is raised to its proper position, and the arrow brought to a level with the ear, it should be nearly three-quarters drawn. The body should stand sidewise as regards the target, the face only being turned directly to it; the eyes looking straight at the mark. Aim should now be taken, and the bow not kept fully drawn for more than a second, or it will be injured, but the arrow loosed at once. One of our celebrated opera dancers is said to have observed that, of all the

attitudes she ever studied, not one was so graceful, or displayed the form to better advantage than that of drawing the bow.

As almost every archery society has its own peculiar rules for the practice of this pastime, we abstain from entering on those points which are merely optional, and conclude our remarks with a few slight hints relative to the archery dress, leaving our readers to modify them according to their own taste.

In a variable climate, all out-door amusements must be pursued with precaution if we would preserve health. Hence it is evident that a costume must be chosen which will not only be graceful and effective, but which will preserve the body from chilly winds, dampness in the atmosphere, &c. We recommend a jacket of velvet or cashmere, braided or trimmed with buttons fitting well but not tightly; a gilet of silk, or poplin, or pique, and a skirt of the same material as the jacket ornamented up the front with braiding or buttons, and a lawn habit-shirt and undersleeves. The jacket and skirt may be of emerald or Lincoln green, or of royal blue, or violet; and the gilet of white, or the palest shade of color; or the jacket may be of either of these colors, and the skirt of white, tastefully trimmed to match. The belt, &c., must be chosen in accordance with

the prevailing color. A hat of felt or beaver, in the style of that worn by la Figlia del Reggimento, decorated with a short feather or rosette to match the dress, will cover the head and protect the eyes from the sun. Lastly, but not least, the feet must be attended to and well guarded from the damp engendered by heavy dews, by the frequent showers, and by the sward having been watered to give it freshness; boots of kid, having channelled or cork or gutta percha soles, will be best, and if high heels are added, it is an advantage, as these prevent the whole of the sole from coming in contact with the ground.

Commending, then, to countrywomen the practice of archery as a healthful and graceful recreation, and pleasant change from their other occupations and pursuits, we wish them

"Stout arm, strong bow, and steady eye,
Union, true heart, and courtesy."*

* A new invention for propelling arrows has lately been brought into use successfully. A sheath, about the size and appearance of a dice-box, is furnished at one end with an elastic Indian-rubber cord, which, by being drawn to its full limit, forces the arrow with considerable effect to an immense distance. It is a very portable, cheap, and handy weapon; but not so stylish as the ordinary bow.

CROSSING THE Ο ΒΙΟ Ν.

AN INCIDENT OF WESTERN LIFE.

BY WORTHINGTON G. SNETHEN.

MRS. THOMAS was an unusually hard-favored

woman.

She must have been at least forty-five years old, and was blessed with an extraordinary amount of muscle, and a comfortable absence of that unnecessary fat which is one of the legacies of sedentary pursuits. Inured from infancy to a frontier life, with all its activity, severe bodily labor, and hardships, she never shrank from any of the conflicts of the elements, which usually keep at home people better to do in the world than she was, when she had anything to do which required her immediate attention and presence.

A small, sharp gray eye, peering out from beneath a rather projecting forehead, and from either side of a knifelike and aquiline nose, and a thin-lipped mouth, that curled downwards and then contemptuously upwards at each corner, were the characteristies of Mrs. Thomas's face. Her voice had a sort of nasal twang about it, combined with a sound similar to that which a cracked plate utters when held up and struck with a knuckle.

With her head encased in an old Leghorn straw bonnet, of the shape in which the fashionable world

used to delight just after the war of 1812, resembling a coal scuttle with its under lid projecting high over the forehead, and tied closely under her lean and lank jaws with two bits of dingy ribbon, one piece longer than the other, and with her yellowish gray hair combed back in Chinese style from her furrowed and expansive forehead, an expression was imparted to her face which the most enthusiastic artist, in search of the new and striking in the human countenance, could not find pleasure in contemplating.

On

And yet Mrs. Thomas was not a bad woman. the contrary, she was eminently a good woman, in the true sense of the term good. She was the mother of five sons and three daughters, having been married at an early age, and had brought up all her children in the way they should go. She herself had been a dutiful daughter, and was now a widow of little more than a year. In all the works of life, she had been and still was a strict follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. She and all her family belonged to that denomination of Christians who had carried the Gospel into the wilderness with so much success-the Methodists.

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