34 ROGER ASCHAM
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ox. Therefore shall I tell you some tokens in a bowe,that you shal be the seeldomer deceyved. If you come intoa shoppe, and fynde a bowe that is small, long, heavy andstrong, lyinge st[r]eyght, not windyng, not marred withknot, gaule, wyndeshake, wem, freate or pynche, bye thatbowe of my warrant. The beste colour of a bowe yat Ifynde, is whan the backe and the bellye in woorkynge, bemuche what after one maner, for such oftentymes in wear-yngy do prove lyke virgin wax or golde, havynge a finelonge grayne, even from the one ende of the bowe, to theother: the short graine although suche prove well somtjrme,are for ye most parte, very brittle. Of the makynge of thebowe, I wyll not greatly meddle, leste I shoulde seeme toenter into an other mannes occupation, whyche I can noskyll of. Yet I woulde desyre all bowyers to season theyrstaves well, to woorke them and synke them well, to givethem heetes convenient, and tyllerynges plentye. Forthereby they shoulde bothe get them selves a good name,(And a good name encreaseth a mannes profy te muche) andalso do greate commodite to the hole Realme. If any mendo offend in this poynte, I am afrayde they be those joumymen whiche labour morer spedily to make manye bowes fortheyr owne monye sake, than they woorke diligently to makegood bowes, for the common welth sake, not layinge beforetheyr eyes, thys wyf e proverbe. Soone ynough, if wel ynough. Wherwyth evere honest handye craftes man shuld meas-ure, as it were wyth a rule, his worke withal. He that is ajourney man, and r^'^deth upon an other mannes horse, yfhe ryde an honest pace, no manne wyll dysalowe hym : Butyf he make Poste haste, bothe he that owneth the horse, andhe peradventure also that afterwarde shal bye the horse,may chaunce to curse hym. Suche hastinesse I am afrayde, maye also be foundamonges some of them, whych through out ye Realme indiverse places worke ye kinges Artillarie for war, thinkyngeyf they get a bowe or a sheafe of arrowes to some fashion,they be good jmough for bearynge gere. And thus thatweapon whiche is the chiefe defence of the Realme, verye
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