44 ROGER ASCHAM
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etter to have a shafte a lytle to shorte than over longe^somewhat to lyght, than over lumpysshe, a lytle to small,than a greate deale to big, whiche thyng is not onely trewlyesayde in shootynge, but in all other thynges that ever mangoeth aboute, as in eatynge, taulkynge, and all other thyngeslyke, whych matter was onse excellentlye disputed upon, inthe Scooles, you knowe when. And to offend, in these contraryes commeth much yfmen take not hede, throughe the kynd of wood, wherof theshaft is made : Ff or some wood belonges to ye excedyngpart, some to ye scant part, some to ye meane, as Brasell,Turkiewood, Pusticke, Sugar cheste, and such lyke, madedeade, hevy lumpish, hobblyng shaftes. Againe Hulder,black thome. Serves tree, Beche, Elder, Aspe, and Salowe,ejrther for theyr wekenes or lyghtenesse, make holow, start-ing, studding, gaddynge shaftes. But Birche, Hardbeme,some Ooke, and some Asshe, beynge bothe stronge ynougheto stande in a bowe, and also lyght ynoughe to flye far, arebest for a meane, whiche is to be foughte oute in everythinge. And althoughe I knowe that some men shoote sostronge, that the deade woodes be lyghte ynoughe for them,and other some so weeke, that the lowse woodes be lykewysefor them bigge ynoughe yet generally for the moost parteof men, the meane is the best. And so to conclude that, isalwayes beste for a man, whiche is metest for him. Thusno wood of his owne nature, is eyther to lyght or to hevy,but as the shooter is him selfe whyche dothe use it. Forthat shafte whiche one yeare for a man is to lyghte andscuddinge, for the same selfe man the next yeare maychaunce be to hevy and hobblynge. Therfore can not I ex-presse, excepte generally, what is best wood for a shaft, butlet every man when he knoweth his owne strength and thenature of every wood, provyde and fyt himselfe thereafter.Yet as concerning sheaffe Arrouse for war (as I suppose) itwere better to make them of good Asshe, and not of Aspe,as they be now a dayes. For of all other woodes that everI proved Asshe being big is swiftest and agayne hevy togive a greate stripe with all, whyche Aspe shall not doo.What hevynes doth in a stripe every man by experience cantell, therfore Asshe being both swyfter and hevier is more
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