THE SCHOOLE OF SHOOTYNGE 29
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ox. Litle is to be sayd of the bracer. A bracer servethfor two causes, one to save his arme from the strype of thestryngc, and his doublet from wearynge, and the other is,that the strynge glydynge sharpelye and quicklye of thebracer, may make the sharper shoote. For if the stryngeshoulde lyght upon the bare sieve, the strengthe of theshoote shoulde stoppe and dye there. But it is best by myjudgemente, to gyve the bowe so muche bent, that thestrynge neede never touche a mannes arme, and so shouldea man nede no bracer as I knowe manye good Archers, whicheoccupye none. In a bracer a man muste take heede of. iii.thinges ; that it have no nayles in it, that it have no buckles,that it be fast on with laces wythout agglettes. For thenayles wyll shere in sunder a mannes string, before he beware, and so put his bowe in jeoperdy: Buckles and ag-glettes at unwares, shall race hys bowe, a thinge bothe evyllto the syghte, and perilous for frettynge. And thus aBracer, is onely had for this purpose, that the strynge mayehave redye passage. Phi. In my Bracer I am cunnyng ynough, but what sayeyou of the shootyng glove? Tox. A shootynge Glove is chieflye for to save a mannesfyngers from hurtynge, that he maye be able to beare thesharpe stryng to the uttermost of his strengthe. And whena man shooteth, the might of his shoote lyeth on the for-mooste fynger, and on the Ringman, for the myddle tyngevwhiche is the longest, lyke a lubber starteth backe, andbeareth no weyghte of the strynge in a maner at all, ther-fore the two other fyngers, muste have thicker lether, andthat muste have thickest of all, where on a man loosethmoste, and for sure loosyng, the formoste finger is mosteapte, bycause it holdeth best, and for that purpose naturehath as a man woulde saye, yocked it with the thumbe.Lether, if it be nexte a mans skynne, wyl sweat, waxe hardand chafe, therefore scarlet for the softnes of it and thick-nesse wyth all is good to sewe wythin a mannes glove. Ifthat wylle not serve, but yet youre finger hurteth, you mustetake a searynge cloth made of fine virgin waxe, and Deer'ssewet, and put nexte your fynger, and so on wyth youreglove. If yet you fele your fynger pinched, leave shootyng
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