THE SCHOOLE OF SHOOTYNGE 45
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it for sheafe Arroes than Aspe, and thus much for the bestwood for shaf tes. Agayne lykewyse as no one wood can be greatlye meetfor all kyude of shaftes, no more can one facion of the stelebe fit for every shooter. For those that be lytle brested andbig toward the hede called by theyr lykenesse taperfashion,reshe growne, and of some merrye fellowes bobtayles, be fitfor them whiche shote under hande bycause they shootewyth a softe lowse, and stresses not a shaft much in thebreste where the weyghte of the bowe lyethe as you mayeperceyve by the werynge of every shafte. Agajme the bygge brested shafte is fytte for hym, whichshoteth right afore him, or els the brest being weke, shouldenever wythstande that strong piththy kynde of shootynge,thus the underhande must have a small breste, to go cleaneawaye oute of the bowe, the forehande muste have a biggebreste to bere the great myghte of the bowe. The shaftemust be made rounde nothynge flat wyth out gal or wemme,for thys purpose. For bycause roundnesse (whether youtake example in heaven or in earthe) is fittes shappe andforme both for fast moving and also for sone percynge ofany thynge. And therfore Aristotle sajrthe that nature hathmade the raine to be round, bycause it shoulde the easelyerenter throughe the ayre. The nocke of the shafte is dyversly made, for some begreate and full, some hansome and Ijrtle, some wyde, somenarow, some depe, some shalowe, some round, some longe,some wyth one nocke, some wyth a double nocke, wherofevery one hathe hys propertye. The greate and full nocke, maye be well felte, and manywayes they save a shafte from brekynge. The hansomeand l}rtle nocke wyll go clone awaye frome the hand, thewyde nocke is noughte, both for breakyng of the shafteand also for soden slyppynge oute of the strynge when thenarrowe nocke doth avoyde both those harmes. The depeand longe nocke is good in warre for sure kepyng in of thestrynge. The shalow, and rownde nocke is best for ourpurpose in prickyng for cleane delyveraunce of a shoote.And double nockyng is used for double suerty of the shaftAnd thus far as concemynge a hoole stele.
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