ARCHERY, the art or exercise of shooting with a bow and arrow. The origin of the bow as an instrument of war is lost in obscurity. With all the ancient peoples, both civilised and barbaric, the bow was a favourite weapon, and skill in the use of it was regarded by the Scythians as a princely accomplishment. The Greeks and Romans employed archers to draw the enemy into action, and the exploits of the ancient Egyptians rivalled those of the archers of the Middle Ages.
There is no record of the use of the bow in France until the reign of Charlemagne, in the beginning of the 8th century, although we have evidence that in England both the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes employed it in the chase, as well as in battle against the primitive inhabitants of England, many years before the Conquest. The probability is that it was first introduced as a military weapon into Britain by the Romans; but it was under the Norman rule that the practice of archery in this island was not only greatly improved, but generally diffused throughout the country, so that England soon became famous for its archery, and her archers took precedence of those of every other nation. To preserve this superiority by constant practice appears to have been the study of many of our monarchs; and numerous statutes for enforcing and regulating the use of the bow among the people were enacted from early times until after the invention of fire-arms. Many laws were also made for securing the presence in distant and obscure parts of the country of persons skilled in the manufacture of bows and all the apparatus appertaining to archery, for guarding against fraud by those artificers, and also for the procuring of a constant supply of bow-staves from abroad. These laws appear to have been absolutely necessary, for in the olden time the English chiefly depended for their success in battle upon the bravery and expertness of their archers, whose appearance in the field generally led to success. William the Conqueror is reputed to have been so admirable an archer that few could bend the bow he used, and his victory at Hastings was certainly due to the skill and intrepidity of his archers. Richard I. performed great exploits with his archers in the Holy Land, where, according to Gibbon, 300 archers and 17 knights, headed by the king, sustained the charge of the whole Turkish and Saracen army. It was in his reign that the renowned Robin Hood flourished in Sherwood Forest. Edward II. levied a company of “Northumbrian archers” in the year 1314, for the invasion of Scotland.
The battles of Cressy and Poitiers were gained by the English archers in the years 1346 and 1356 respectively. Edward III. was extremely jealous of the honour of the bow, and anxious that its glory should be maintained. In the early part of his reign it was ordered that most of the sheriffs of England should each provide 500 white bows and 500 bundles of arrows for the then pending war with France. In the following year this order was reissued, with the difference that the sheriff of Gloucester should furnish 500 painted bows in addition. This king embodied a company of soldiers, whom he called the “Archers of the Guard.” Edward III. also, in 1363, commanded the general practice of archery on Sundays and holidays by the people in lieu of the ordinary rural pastimes, which were forbidden on pain of imprisonment. In this reign the price of bows was regulated by Government ; a white bow was Is., a painted bow Is. 6d., a sheaf (24) of sharp arrows Is. 2d., and a sheaf of blunt arrows Is. Richard IL, in 1392, directed that none of his servants should ever be unfurnished with bows and arrows, and that they should avail themselves of every opportunity of practising archery. At the same date an Act of Parhament compelled all persons employed a.s servants to shoot with bows and arrows on Sundays and other holidays. In the year 1402 the English archers won the battle of Homildon; and in 1403, at the battle of Shrewsbury, where Hotspur was slain, the most terrible havoc was created by the archers on both sides. In the reign of Richard III., it was enacted that for every ton of Malmsey or Tyne wine brought into England, ten good bow-staves should also be imported, under penalty of 13s. 4d. for every deficient stave; and to encourage the import of bow-staves, those above 6∣ feet long Were freed from duty.
For the manufacture of bows yew was generally preferred to all other woods, but to prevent a too rapid consumption of yew, bowyers were ordered to make four wych-hazel, ash, or elm bows, to one of yew; and no person under 17 years of age, except those possessed of portable property worth 40 marks, or the sons of parents owning an estate of £10 per annum, was allowed to shoot with a yew bow, under penalty of 6s. 8d. for each offence. That distant counties might be properly supplied with bows and arrows, the king claimed and exercised the prerogative of sending, if necessary, all arrow-head, bow-string, and bow makers, not being freemen of the city of London, to any part of the realm that required the services of such artificers; and neglect of an order to visit a place after the receipt of instructions to repair thereto, was punishable by.a fine of 40s. for every day the workman remained away.
In the reign of Henry IV. it was enacted that all arrowheads should be well brased and hardened at the points with steel, and stamped with the name of the maker, under penalty of fine and imprisonment, and forfeiture of the arrows, &c., in default; and by another statute passed in the same reign, it was enacted that persons from places whence bow-staves were derived, should import four bowstaves for every ton of merchandise taken on board, under penalty of 6s. 8d. for every bow-stave deficient. In this reign the highest price permitted for a yew bow was 3s. 4d. In the reign of Edward IV. it was enacted that every Englishman, and every Irishman living with an Englishman, should have an English bow of his own height; and also that in every township shooting butts should be set up, at which the inhabitants were commanded to practise on holidays, under the penalty of one halfpenny for each neglect. In the same reign the king, in preparing for a war with France, directed all sheriffs to procure a supply of bows and arrows for the service of the state. In 1405, it was made penal to use bad materials in the manufacture of bowsand arrows. In 1417 the archers of the army of Henry V. won the battle of Agincourt. This king directed the sheriffs of counties to take six wing-feathers from every goose for the feathering of arrows. In 1478 archery was encouraged in Ireland by statute. In the year 1424 James I. of Scotland, who was himself an excellent bowman, revived the practice of archery among his subjects. Richard III. lent 1000 archers to the duke of Bretagne. The same troops afterwards fought at the battle of Bosworth. In 1485 Henry VII. instituted the yeomen of the guard, who were then all archers, and in the 19th year of his reign the use of the cross-bow was forbidden by Act of Parhament, because the long bow had been of so much greater benefit to the nation. In this reign archery occupied an important position in the fashionable pastimes of the kingdom, and upon the occasion of the marriage of Henry with the Princess Elizabeth it formed a great feature among the nuptial festivities, the king himself joining in the shooting with heartiness and glee.
Several Acts were passed in the reign of Henry VIII. for the encouragement and promotion of archery; one ordered that butts should be erected and kept in repair in all townships, and that the inhabitants should practise shooting at them on holidays. The same Act directed that every able-bodied man, not being an ecclesiastic or a judge, should practise shooting with the long bow; and the guardians and employers of youth were ordered to bring up the boys in their charge to the practice of archery, neglect being punishable by fine. In this reign the practice of archery was strongly advocated from the pulpit by Bishop Latimer; and so jealous were the English of rival nations· competing with them, that aliens were forbidden to use the long bow. The English victory at the battle of Floddeπ Field was due to the skill and courage of the archers. Edward VI. devoted much of his time to the practice of archery as an amusement, and his Journal, in which are many allusions to his successes and disappointments at matches, is still preserved in the British Museum.
Archery continued to be an object of attention and solicitude with the Legislature during the reign of Elizabeth, and the price of bows was again regulated by statute; also, bowyers were commanded to keep in hand always a sufficient stock of bows. Charles I. issued commissions to prevent the enclosure of fields near London, so “as to interrupt the necessary and profitable exercise of shooting with bows and arrows,” and also for the restoration of all shooting-marks that had been already removed. And the· earl of Essex, at the beginning of the civil war, raised a company of archers for the defence of the king. In the time of Charles II. archery was a highly fashionable and popular recreation with all classes of society, and the “Merrie Monarch” used frequently to take part with the ladies and gentlemen of his court in toxophilite meetings. Queen Catherine also showed deep interest in the fascinating pastime, and in the year 1676 she presented a silver badge to the “Marshal of the Fraternity of Archers.” Both the king and queen frequently reviewed the numerous associations of archers then existent. In the spring of 1682 a. grand fête was given by the London Artillery Company at the Artillery Grounds, at which there were present upwards, of 1000 archers, and it is said that the gala outshone anything of its kind that had previously been seen in England; but from that time until the beginning of the present century, the attractions of archery appear to have been overlooked, and its practice neglected. In the English Bowman, a small book published in the year 1801, we find the following reason given as the cause of its revival in London :— “About the year 1776, BIr Waring, who then lived with Sir Ashton Lever at Leicester House, and who may justly be styled the father of modem archery, having, by continual business, contracted an oppression upon his chest (arising principally from sitting too closely at his desk and pressing his breast too much against it, and which the most eminent in the faculty had in vain endeavoured to remove), resolved to try the effects of the bow in affording relief. He accordingly made it a regular exercise, and in a short time
derived great benefit from the use of it, and ascribed his cure, which was perfect, to the practice of archery. Sir Ashton Lever, perceiving the good effects which so engaging an amusement had upon the constitution, followed Mr Waring’s example, and took up the bow; he was soon joined by several of his friends who, in the year 1781, formed themselvee into a society, under the title of the Toxophilites, and met regularly at Leicester House, having butts erected in the gardens belonging to it.
That society was the parent of the numerous societies of archers known about that period (i.e., 1790). “The enthusiasm,” says Hansard, in his Book of Archery, “ can only be compared with that which animated the admirers of Shakspeare and the drama generally during the Garrick era.”
There is now no means of ascertaining precisely the period at which the bow was relinquished entirely in these kingdoms as a weapon of war. Grose informs us that it was commonly used by the English soldiery for more than two centuries after the introduction of fire-arms, and indeed, long subsequently to the adoption of guns, the bow remained the favourite weapon of the army,—a fact which is not surprising when we learn, on the authority of Neade, a celebrated archer of Charles I., that the ordinary range of the bow was from 16 to 20 score yards, and that so rapid was the shooting of the archers, or so slow the firing of the musketeers, that an archer could shoot six arrows in the time occupied in charging and discharging one musket.
But although the bow has long been disused as a military weapon, it has ever been cherished in Great Britain, and particularly among the upper classes of society, as an instrument of delightful and healthful recreation; and it would be impossible to overrate the physical and moral advantages accruing from the regular practice of archery —one of the few “out-door” amusements that are as suitable for delicate ladies as for strong men. “There is,” remarks Mr H. A. Ford, “no exercise more healthy or more rational, or which returns more true and genuine gratification to the man who practises it.” As an exercise for ladies it brings all the muscles generally into healthy action, and is, in Mr Ford’s opinion, admirably suited to meet the requirements of the fair sex,—“general and equal, without being violent—calling the faculties, both of mind and body, into gentle and healthy play, yet oppressing none—withal most elegant and graceful.”
Another era in the annals of the art may be dated from the year 1844, when a national meeting of the archers of Great Britain and Ireland was held at York, since which time archery has assumed much importance as a national pastime, and year after year the wider competition which such assemblages have secured has brought forward bowmen and bowwomen, who, by their persistent efforts in carrying off honours, and that by the most remarkable achievements, have carried the art as nearly as possible to perfection. Under the auspicee of the “Grand National Society” archery has been conducted through all the stages of actual revival and establishment as a favourite British pastime. Rapid progress has, in every respect, marked its modern career. It was only in the year 1845 that ladies began to compete publicly with men for the prizes offered at “The National,” but at some of the matches, which have, without interruption, annually taken place since then, as many as 130 archeresses have participated in match-shooting, whilst at least an equal number of gentlemen have competed with them on some occasions, with a guaranteed prize list of about £400. These anniversaries have been held four times at Leamington and at Cheltenham; thrice at York and at Derby; twice at Shrewsbury, at Exeter, and at Bath; once at Edinburgh, Liverpool, Worcester, Oxford, the Alexandra Park (London), Clifton, Norwich, Birmingham, Hereford, Brighton, and Winchester. After the establishment of the Grand National meeting it was found necessary to fix an order of shooting; hence the origin of “The York round,” on which all public competitions by archers are now conducted, and which, for gentlemen, consists of 6 dozen arrows at 100 yards, 4 dozen at 80 yards, and 2 dozen at 60 yards; and for ladies, 4 dozen arrows at 60 yards, and 2 dozen at 50 yards. By this arrangement archers living in various parts of the three kingdoms can ascertain their relative proficiency. It is upon two days’ shooting, or the result of a “double round,” that the Grand National prizes are awarded on “value” alone, as the best criterion of good and central shooting. The principal of these prizes are the champion’s gold medal for gentlemen, and the challenge silver bracer and brooch for ladies. These much coveted honours are awarded by a majority of points only; and the points for the champion’s medal are reckoned as follows :—Two for the gross score, two for the gross hits, one for best score at 100 yards, and one for the best hits at ditto, and the same at 80 and 60 yards—making ten points in all. The ladies’ challenge bracer (presented by the West Norfolk Bowmen) is awarded on the same principle, namely, for the greatest number of points—eight in all. The highest score ever made by a champion was 1251, with 245 hits, at Cheltenham in 1857, by Mr Horace A. Ford, the author of The Theory and Practice of Archery, who won the medal of Great Britain as many as eleven times, and is, without doubt, the finest shot England has seen since the days to which legends and distance lend a somewhat doubtful glory, his scores being absolutely without parallel. He has now retired from public life as an archer. The nearest approach to any of his victories has been made by Major Hawkins Fisher, who carried off the medal in 1871 with 955, and has been champion in the years 1871-72-73-74. Mr Peter Muir, the greatest archer, probably, that Scotland has produced, at any rate in modern days, was the champion in 1863, scoring 845. Mrs Horniblow became the possessor of the lady champion’s bracer no less than ten times, and the highest score she ever made in obtaining it was 764, at Leamington, in the year 1873. To this lady is due the honour of having signally demonstrated that the bow really was a weapon adapted to woman’s use, and capable of evidencing, in their hands, not the perfection of grace only, but that of skill and talent also. To the Grand National Society, in the first instance, is this great increase of skill mainly owing, but beyond this, increased skill has led to increased taste and liking for the amusement, till, in an ever widening circle, nearly every county of England has become included within it. This has led to the establishment of other great meetings, till, at the time the present article is written, besides numberless meetings of private clubs, there are several public matches open to all, where formerly there were none. Thus we have the Grand National itself, the Leamington and Crystal Palace meetings, the Grand Western (where two handsome challenge prizes reward the shooting both of the champion and championess of the west of England), and a Scotch national meeting, where a champion gold medal, presented by Mr T. Macfarlane of New Zealand, and exclusively confined to Scotland, is annually shot for, being awarded to the successful bowman, according to the rules for the champion medal of Great Britain.
There are several societies of archers in the three kingdoms, but the most noted of the kind now existing are the following :—
The Royal Company of Archers.
The king’s body guard for Scotland was first constituted in its present form in the year 1676, by an Act of t.ho privy council of Scotland. An earlier origin has been claimed for the company, it being said by some that it was originally formed by the commissioners for enforcing the exercise of archery appointed by James I. of Scotland, who picked out the most expert bowmen in the various counties, and constituted them into a body of guards to defend the king’s person, in which distinguished station they displayed great devotion and bravery at the battle of Flodden, the body of the king being afterwards found surrounded by those of his attached archers’ guard. This, however, is mere tradition, no authentic record of their existence being found until the above-mentioned year 1676, when the minutes of the Royal Company begin by stating, that owing to “the noble and usefull recreation of archery being for many years much neglected, several noblemen and gentlemen did associate themselves in a company for encouragement thereof and did apply to the privy council for their approbation, and after several meetings, did adjust and concert several articles and regulations of the said company, and ,did further apply to the privy council for their approbation, which was granted.” The minutes of the company have been kept with great regularity from that time down to the present, with the exception of a period of about twenty years at the end of the 17th century, during which time there are no records. It is not supposed that the company was extinct at that time from what can be gathered from the succeeding minutes. It is probable, however, that during the Revolution the Royal Company was principally Composed of upholders of the house of Stuart, and that on this account their existence was for a time suspended. This may be true, as we find that the company was subsequently a strong Jacobite body; but whether it is the case or not, it is certain that the records recommence in 1703 by informing us of the election of a captain-general to succeed John, second earl of Argyle, who held that office from the formation of the company in 1676, and who had just died. The new captain-general was Sir George Mackenzie, Viscount Tarbat, afterwards created earl of Cromarty. Owing to his exertions while principal secretary of state for Scotland in 1703, he procured for the company a new charter from Queen Anne, renewing all their former rights and privileges, and conferring others, all which were to be held of the Crown for the reddendo of a pair of barbed arrows. This reddendo was paid to George IV. at Holyrood, when he visited Scotland in 1822, and to the present sovereign, Queen Victoria, on a similar occasion in 1842.
The history of the Royal Company since 1703 has been one of great prosperity. Large parades were frequently held, and were attended by numbers of archers dressed in the uniform of the body, which, in the last century, consisted of a green tartan coat and white knee-breeches. On such occasions the whole population of Edinburgh and the surrounding districts turned out to view the procession, as the company, with music and colours, marched down the Canongate to Leith Links, there to shoot for a prize. Many distinguished men marched in their ranks, and, both at their competitions and at the mess table, the utmost hilarity and good fellowship prevailed. Several of the leading insurgents in 1745 were members, but the company was not at that time suspended in any way, and a few years later no subjects more loyal or more attached to the constitution could be found in Great Britain.
In 1777 the Royal Company erected a large and handsome hall in the vicinity of their shooting-ground in the Meadows, Edinburgh. They meet there periodically for the transaction of business and to dine. The hall is decorated with several very fine portraits of eminent members of the body, in various uniforms, according to the rank which they held in the company and the time in which they lived. Among them are some masterpieces of Raeburn, Watson, Gordon, Grant, P.R.A., Macnee, &c.
In 1822, when king George IV. visited Scotland, it was thought appropriate that the Royal Company should act as his Majesty’s body guard during his stay. Consisting as the company did, and still does, of representatives of almost all the noble families of Scotland, together with a large proportion of landed gentry, professional men, and others, it was considered that no fitter body could be chosen, especially as there was a tradition, as we have seen, that the Royal Company had at a former period acted in a similar capacity. On the landing of the king he was received by a detachment of the body, who surrounded his carriage inside the cavalry escort and marched up with it to Holyrood. They occupied the same position in subsequent state processions; while at the levee and drawingroom held by his Majesty they lined the staircase and presence chamber, performing the duties usually assigned to the band of gentlemen-at-arms. When Queen Victoria visited the Scottish capital in 1842, the Royal Company again did duty, and the last time they were called out in their capacity of royal body guard was in 1860, on the occasion of the great volunteer review in the Queen’s Park, Edinburgh.
King George IV., besides authorising the company to take, in addition to their former name, that of “The King’s Body Guard for Scotland,” presented to the captain-general a gold stick, thus constituting the company part of the royal household. In virtue of this stick the captain-general of the Royal Company takes his place at a coronation or similar pageant immediately behind the gold stick of England, who, with the exception of the officers on guard for the day, is next the sovereign’s own person. The lieutenants-general of the company have silver sticks; and the council, which is the executive body of the company, possess seven ebony ones. George IV., in addition to the grant of a gold stick, appointed a full dress uniform to be worn by members of the company at court, when not on duty as guards, in which latter case the ordinary field dress is used. The court dress was scarlet and gold, but was changed in 1831 to a green coat with green velvet facings richly embroidered with gold thistles and arrows, gold epaulettes, crimson silk sash, gold-laced trousers, and cocked hat with green plume. The officers wear a gold sash in place of a crimson one, and an aiguillette on the left shoulder. All ranks wear swords. The shooting uniform has been frequently changed. We are not told what colour the coat was at the formation of the company, but there was a distinctive dress introduced about that time. In 1715 a green tartan was adopted (now the 42d tartan), which continued, with several modifications and alterations, to be the uniform down to 1829, when it was changed to green cloth. The present field dress consists of a dark green tunic with black braid facings, with a narrow stripe of crimson velvet in the centre; shoulder wings and gauntleted cuffs similarly trimmed; dark green trousers with black and crimson stripe; a bow-case worn as a sash, of the same colour as the coat, with a centre ornament of two arrows crossed saltierwise in a garter tie, surmounted by a crown; a black leather waist-belt, with richly chased gold clasp; a short sword, gilt hilted, made after the fashion of a Roman gladius; Balmoral bonnet, with thistle ornament and eagle’s feather. The mess uniform consists of a dark green dress coat with velvet collar and gilt buttons, with a crown on them, white waistcoat, and black trousers.
The Royal Company possess two sets of colours. The first banner was got in 1714, and bears a representation of the common seal of the company, viz., a yew tree proper, supported dexter and sinister by an archer with a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. The second was procured in 1732, and bears on one side a lion rampant quleβ t en a field or, with the motto a pro patria dulce periculum, ” and on the other a St Andrew, with a large thistle above his head, with the motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit. ” King William IV. presented the company with a new stand of colours in 1832. The ono banner combines the old ones, and the other has the Royal Scottish arms, with the words “King’s Body Guard for Scotland.”
The following are the noblemen who have held the office of captain-general since 1676 :— [table]
Most of the prizes shot for by the Royal Company are held for a year by the winner, and in some cases he receives a grant of money to enable him to affix a silver or gold medal with his name and crest inscribed thereon to the prize. The only prize which becomes the winner’s absolute property is one of «£20, presented annually by her Majesty to be expended in the purchase of a piece of plate. This prize was first given by the Scottish privy council at the very beginning of the company. It was not, however, continued for many years, but was revived by his Majesty George III. in 1788, and has since been shot for regularly. The following is a list of the principal prizes shot for by the company :—
1. Musselburgh Silver Arrow, given by the magistrates of that town, and first shot for so far back as 1603. Now the competition is confined to members of the Royal Company, but at that time it was probably open to all comers. 2. Peebles Silver Arrow, shot for at that town. This arrow bears medals extending back to 1626, but it was not shot for by the Royal Company until 1786. 3. Silver
Arrow presented to the company by the magistrates of Edinburgh in 1709, and shot for from that time. 4. Selkirk Silver Arrow, first shot for by the company in 1818, but in itself a very ancient ξrize. 5. Silver Punch Bowl and Ladle, subscribed for by mem-ers in 1720, and having the. gold medal of the winner of each year attached. 6. Dalhousie Sword, a richly ornamented Indian sword, presented by captain-general the earl of Dalhousie, in 1833. 7. The Hopetoun Royal Commemoration Prize, a handsome silver vase and gold medal, presented by captain-general the earl of Hopetoun, to commemorate George IV.’s visit to Scotland in 1822. 8. Spens Anniversary Medal, shot for in honour of the memory of Dr Nathaniel Spens, an old and favourite member in the end of last century. 9. Prize given by the town of Biggar. 10. Silver Arrow, presented by the magistrates of Montrose. All these prizes are shot for in the field at a distance of 180 yards. There is, however,—11. St Andrew’s Cross, presented in 1801 by Sir George Mackenzie of Coul, Bart.; shot for at 200 yards. There are two prizes shot for at 100 yards, namely, 12. A Gold Medal made out of “pagodas,” being part of the money paid by Tippoo Sultan at the treaty of Seringapatam, presented by Major James Spens in 1793; and 13. A Silver Bugle Horn, presented in its present shape in 1830, by Sir Henry Jardine, Knt., but shot for for some time previously in a less handsome form. There are three prizes shot for at butts, at a circular piece of card-board four inches in diameter, at a distance of 100 feet. The most ancient of these is—14. The Goose Medal, or the Goose. The old mode of competing for this was by building a live goose in a turf butt, the head only being exposed to view, and he who hit the head and killed the goose was entitled to have her. Of course, this barbarous practice has been long discontinued, though it remained till after the middle of last century. In place of the goose s head, a small glass globe is put into the centre of the cardboard mark on the butt, and he who breaks the globe with his arrow receives a gold medal, to be worn for the ensuing year. 15. Papingo or Popinjay Medal, presented in 1831, and originally competed for by shooting at a stuffed bird, a parrot or popinjay, fixed to the top of * high pole. Ho who brought the bird down was adjudged victor. It having been found inconvenient to shoot for the prize in this P∖ an * e ½ i j 1 Λ n 5 °Y P om P eted ∙ for in the ordinary fashion at butts, lb. Λ Gold Medal, held for a year by the person making the greatest aggregate score on three appointed days
The affairs of the company are managed by a council of seven, who are elected by the whole company annually. Although the company has a right, as a body, to elect their own officers and admit new members, yet both those powers have for many years been left in the hands of the council. The fees of entry to the Royal Company are £25, and the entrant has also to be balloted for by the council. There are several “uniform” dinners held in the course of the year, which are very popular both with members and their friends. Smaller and less pretentious, though not less pleasant, are the “match” dinners held once a month by the shooting members, after a friendly match shot at rovers or butts. The average number of members belonging to the Royal Company is between 500 and 600.
The Royal Toxophilite Society is now established at the Archers’ Hall, Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London, where it has a handsome building for the use of its members, and ample shooting ground. It was founded in 1781 by Sir Ashton Lever, and represents the two ancient bodies, “The Finsbury Archers” and “The Archers’ Company of the Honourable Artillery Company,” and possesses, among other plate, the large silver shield given to the Archers’ Company by Queen Catherine of Braganza (consort of Charles II. ), and also silver arrows of the same and of earlier periods. The Royal Toxophilite Society have occupied their present ground (about six acres in extent) since 1832, when they obtained possession of it from the Woods and Forests, and erected on it their “Archers’ Hall.” The entire cost of the building, laying out the grounds, furnishing, and finishing, amounted to £4548, 9s. 6d. The society has for many years enjoyed special royal patronage. King George IV., who was fond of archery, shot, when Prince of Wales, with the members in their gardens at Leicester House, and on his becoming patron of the society in 1787, it assumed the title of “Royal,” by which it has ever since been distinguished. King William IV. was also its patron, as was the late Prince Consort. The Prince of Wales is at the present time the patron of the society, of which the earl of Dudley is the president.
The Woodmen of Arden hold their meetings at Meriden, in Warwickshire. The society was revived, after a long interval, in the year 1785. The number of members is limited to 80; but the standing rules relating to the election of a member were, by general consent, suspended in the case of the late Sir Robert Peel. This occurred at the jubilee festival in 1835. The earl of Aylesford is lord warden of the society, whose shooting grounds, which are in the forest of Arden, consist of about 12 acres of land. A forest hall was erected in 1844. The Woodmen, exercising a nominal, as their predecessors did a real authority, over vert and venison, give appropriate designations to their officers. Of these, the lord warden is chief; and they have likewise master foresters and verderers. At the grand target, or annual wardmote, whoever hits the gold first is styled (for the year ensuing) Master Forester; and whoever gains the second gold becomes the Senior Verderer for the same period. In 1787 the silver bugle horn of Arden w as presented to the society by the earl of Aylesford; it is never shot for at a less distance than nine score yards, which may be extended to twelve score. In 1788 the countess of Aylesford presented to the society the “silver arrow,” to be annually shot for at nine score yards. Gold and silver medals are also presented to the master forester and senior verderer; and there are the Digbean gold medal, optime merenti, the possessor of which ranks as Captain of Numbers, he having gained the greatest number of prizes at the grand target; and the Digbean silver medal, bene merenti, which confers the Lieutenancy of Numbers upon the member who gains the next greatest number of prizes. The winners of these medals, which are shot for at 100 yards, take rank, for the year thereafter, next to the senior verderer.
Practical Archery.
Implements for the practice of archery are principally made in London and Edinburgh, and are of various degrees of excellence. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon archers that they should select their gear from a maker of undoubted “good report.” In the choice of a bow preference should be given to one which is under, rather than over, the strength which an archer can use without difficulty. The power required to draw an ordinary bow, for a gentleman, ranges from 40 to 60 tt> (i.e., power to draw the arrow to the point)—46 to 50 lb being the average power used for the “York Round.” The “Royal Archers” at Edinburgh and the “Woodmen of Arden” are the only clubs shooting longer distances than are recognised by “the York.” These longer distances are 180, 200, and 220 yards, requiring bows of from 56 to 64 lb power. Gentlemen’s bows are 5 ft. 10 in. and 6 feet long. Ladies’ bows, of course, are lighter, andean be drawn by a power of from 24 to 32 lb, the length being from 5 ft. 3 in. to 5 ft. 6 in. Bows are made of various kinds of wood, such as lancewood, snakewood, washaba, and .yew,— the last being generally preferred for sweetness of material and steadiness of cast, though lance and other woods are found to be more durable, much cheaper, and quite as well adapted for practice. Bows are made of three pieces, two pieces, and one piece, and are called three-woods, two-woods, and self. Self bows usually follow the string. Two-wood and three-wood bows being made a little reflex, should retain their shape. It is important that all bows should be preserved from damp, especially those constructed of two or three pieces, as, not only does moisture affect the wood and cause it to warp, but it also dissolves the glue by which the parts are united, and renders the implement useless. For correct and precise shooting an archer must possess himself of the best arrows he can procure. These should be of a weight adapted to the power of the particular bow for which they are intended, and must be alike in thickness, shape, and stiffness. The standard length of an arrow used by gentlemen is 28 inches, and its weight is equal, in standard silver coin, to from 4s. to 5s.; those weighing from 4s. 6d. to 4s. 9d. being used with bows of from 46 B⅛ to 50 R>. The lady’s arrow is 25 inches long, and weighs, in silver coin, from 3s. to 3s. 6d. Arrows are manufactured generally of red-pine timber, and the best are footed with a piece of hard wood—usually bullet-tree—glued on one end, upon the point of which the iron pile is fixed, and into the other end is inserted a wedge-shaped piece of horn, called the nock, in which a notch is made for the reception of the bow-string when the archer is shooting. The feathering of arrows depends in some measure upon the taste of the shooter. An arrow has three feathers—now generally taken from a turkey’s wing—affixed edgewise at the nock end, about an inch from the end, equi-distant from each other, and parallel to the flight. The wings are much shorter than they were formerly, ranging from 1∣ to 2⅜ inches in length, as the shooter may desire. One feather on each arrow is of a different colour from the rest, and is placed perpendicularly to the line of the nock; it is called the guide-feather (or “cock-feather”), as it enables the archer more readily to place the arrow on the bow-string. By using feathers of the right or left wing for the same set of arrows, the natural curve of the feather is sufficient to impart to the arrow in its passage through the air a rotatory motion equivalent to the flight of a rifle ball. The best shaped arrow is nearly the same thickness from the pile to the under end of the feathers, from which it tapers off slightly to the nock. The full-shouldered, or nearly parallelshaped pile, is to be preferred.
In addition to his bow and arrows an archer, to be fully equipped, must have a drawing-glove to protect the fingers of the right hand; an arm-guard made of stout calf, morocco, or other leather, to shield the left arm from the stroke of the string after the discharge of an arrow; a waist-belt in which to carry the arrows when shooting, and to which are attached a green worsted tassel for the removal of dirt, &c., from the points of discharged arrows; and an ivory grease-pot, containing grease for the drawing fingers of the glove, of which there are various kinds, every archer using that which suits him best. A doeskin glove, with the first three fingers tipped with smooth, firm calf or pig skin, about 1∣ inch long, upon the fingers, and having a strap to buckle round the wrist, is about the easiest and best for use. The flat tab covering the three fingers allows them perfect freedom; but the ordinary draw-glove, with cylindrical points and straps up the back of the hand and around the wrist is perferred by many archers, whilst others again prefer screw tips, fitting each finger separately, and with a strap on the front. Then there is the quiver, which is generally made of Japanned tin. It is used to preserve the arrows from damp, &c., also for keeping the reserve arrows in, as only three are used when shooting in company; it is never worn except when roving.
Targets consist of straw basses with painted canvas faces sewed on them. The “National” targets are 4 feet in diameter, and they have on their faces five circles or divisions, the centre one being gold, and scoring 9; tho red scores 7; blue, 5; black, 3; and the white or outer circle, 1. These targets are placed on stands constructed of three ribs of iron jointed at the top; the two side ribs have spikes on the front edge on which the targets rest; the centre rib is thrown behind, as a spur to support the triangle. There should always be a pair of targets provided by an archer in practising, in order to save time and trouble; and a young archer has always been advised to practise at a short distance, and to lengthen it as he progresses—commencing at 20 yards, till he is able to hit the smallest mark, which will prove that he has attained command over his bow.
To enable an archer to keep a record of his shooting the following scoring-card will be found useful (the marks may be made with the point of a pin or pencil) :— [table]
There is no “royal road to archery, and more real progress towards proficiency in the bow may be gained in a few hours under the practical guidance of an adept in the art, than can possibly be imparted by all the treatises upon the subject that ever were written; yet, for thoso who would master the rudiments of the science, a few words may be useful upon what have ever been considered the “five points of archery,” which Ascham in his celebrated work describes as “standing, nocking, drawing, holding, and loosing.”
1. Roberts, in his English Bowman, remarks upon the difficulty of conveying by verbal description so accurato a representation as the pencil can give of an archer drawing his bow. It is a model of gracefulness, tho attainment of which is so pointedly recommended by Ascham. Mr Ford in his disquisition, says the “heels should be about six or eight inches apart The feet must be flat and firm on the ground, both equally inclining outwards from the heels, the position of the feet being such that a straight line drawn from it would intersect both heels The kneee must be perfectly straight, not bent in the slightest degree
The weight of the body should be thrown equally on both legs In short, the footing must be firm, yet at the same time easy and springy, and the more natural it is the more likely it is to possess these qualities.” The accompanying woodcut will best illustrate the attitude which an archer should assume.
2. To string a bow, take it by the handle in the left hand, with the flat side (or back) towards the wrist; place the horn of the under end in the hollow of the left foot; then put the palm of the right hand on the back of the upper end of the bow, below the loop of the string, with the thumb on the one side, and the forefinger I) ent on the other side of the bow, and with the left hand fixed as the fulcrum. Then with the right hand press the string upwards until it reaches the notch in the horn, and the bow is strung, and should exhibit a space of about 5 j inches between the string and the interior of the handle.
“Honora Spencer (Mrs Sharpe), who wrote specially upon archery from a lady’s point of view, in alluding to the stringing of the bow, remarks :—‘ Whilst the right wrist is pressing the bow downwards the other hand should be pulling your bow towards you, each hand with equal pressure, each hand with equal strength. At the same moment that you press and pull, you must use your first two fingers (of course of the right hand) in slipping the string into the groove intended for its reception.’ Another mode is recommended, and we are told ‘ to press the thumb and forefinger closely against the sides of the bow, whilst you pull smartly at the handle.’ This, I believe, is the accepted method among gentlemen; but a lady has not often sufficient power in her thumb and forefinger to bend the bow and stringit at the same moment; besides this, the pressing of the bow with the wrist is far more graceful for a lady. The same remark and advice apply to the unstringing of the bow, only that the string has to be slipped out of the groove. If you find,after some halfdozen attempts that this method of stringing strains neither the right nor left wrist, you may safely conclude that your bow is suited to your strength.”
3. The bow being now ready to receive the arrow, the archer must “nock,” or place it on the string at a spot prepared for it (which should be about ⅞ths of an inch above the upper end of the handle) with the guide feather furthest from the bow, catching the string with two or three fingers, and the arrow between the first and second.
4. He must then take a firm position with his left shoulder towards the target, turning his head only from his neck, and looking over his left shoulder. He must then raise the bow with his left hand, keeping the upper end inclined one or two degrees from his body, and with his right hand draw the arrow to the level of his chin, and below his ear, to which point the arrow should always be drawn while the left hand and arm should be elevated or depressed, according to the distance to be shot, or the strength of the bow.
5. When the arrow is fully drawn, dwell for a moment or two to steady the aim; then “quit” or discharge the arrow, by allowing the string to pass smoothly over the finger points without jerking. The position which a lady should assume whilst in the act of discharging her arrow is illustrated by the annexed figure, the correctness of which might have been increased by the elbow of the left arm, in which there should not be the slightest bend, being held straighter.
Except for line there is no accepted theory of taking aim. Due regard must be paid to the weather. When it is calm, the archer must fix the position of the target in his vision, and experience will soon tell him how to find the line and degrees of elevation. In wind, the line and degrees must be varied to suit the conditions of the atmosphere; in a cross wind there must be an adaptation to the direction of the wind; whilst in an up and down wind more or less elevation must be taken according to the strength of the current.
The following is a summary of points well worthy of being remembered by every shooter:—Have the string straight on your bow. Always nock on the same place. Place the arrow over the string, not between it or the bow. Do not have the arrow too tight on the string. Draw slowly and evenly. Turn your elbow a little upwards. Slant the bow a little to the right. Always draw the arrow the same length. Draw a little below the right side of the chin. Always, while drawing, keep the elbow of your right arm level with the shoulder. Keep the “point of aim” always directly in view. Look along the τchole length of the arrow. Be careful to point it perfectly straight. Do not shut the left eye; yet do not aim with it. Make the left arm always that by which you change the elevation. Do not hold the bow long fully drawn. Never let the fingers of your right hand follow the string. Do not jerk, but loose smoothly. Be certain that your bow-arm does not move when loosing.
“Flight” and “clout” shooting has ceased, and “roving” is now practised only in Britain by the two clubs previously mentioned. They use a target 3 feet in diamater, and count arrows four bow lengths from the target; the nearest arrow counts two. Shooting at butts is still practised, the butts being from 80 to 100 feet apart; the mark is a round piece of pasteboard 4 inches in diameter. The shooting is nearly point blank. (j. sh.) A Glossary, or Explanation of Terms, Ac., made use of in Archery.
A.
Allow, Allowance. —An archer is said to allow, or make allowance for the wind, when he shoots somewhat wide of the mark, and on that side of the mark nearest the wind, in order that the wind may bring his arrow into the line of the mark.
Arrow, Bearing. —An arrow which possesses a steady flight.
Arrow, Bob-tailed. —An arrow increasing in bulk, in a regular proportion, from the nock to the pile.
Ascham. —A sort of cupboard, or case, to contain bows, and sometimes arrows, and other implements of archery.
B.
Back of a Bow. —The exterior, or flat side.
Belly of a Bow. —The interior, or rounded Side of a bow Bow-Arm. —The arm employed in holding the bow.
Bow, Self. —A bow made of one entire piece of wood. Bow-Shot. —The distance which an arrow flies from the bow. Bowyer. —A maker of bows.
Butt. —A mound of earth, upon which a mark to shoot at is placed.
C.
Cast, To. —To become warped.
Cast, The. —The right of shooting the first, by winning at the last shot, which is called getting the cast.
Chrysal, or Crysal. —A kind of pinch or crack in a bow.
Clout. —A small white target, placed near the ground. Clout-Shooting. —Shooting at clouts.
Cock-Feather. —That feather on the arrow which is rfppermost, and of the darkest colour.
Compass, To Keep. —To observe a due elevation.
Cut the Mark, To. —An arrow is said to cut the mark, when it flies straight towards it, but falls under it.
D.
Drawing through the Bow. —This signifies drawing so far that the point of the arrow comes within the belly of the bow.
E.
Elevation. —The act of raising the bow in shooting at the mark. End. —The place where a mark is fixed.
Eye of the String. —That part of it which occupies the upper horn of the bow.
F.
Fast. —A word used to caution persons from passing between the shooter and the mark, and to direct them to stand still.
Fletcher. —An arrow-maker.
Flight. —The distance or path in which an arrow flies.
Follow the String. —A bow is said to follow the string, when, by its use, it has lost its original straightness, and has obtained a curve or inclination forward.
G.
Gone. —An arrow is said to be gone, when it may from its flight be judged to fall wide of, or far from, the mark.
Grafted Bow. —One made of two pieces of wood joined at the handle.
H.
He! He !—This exclamation is said to have been an archer’s word of call, handed down from very ancient days.
Hit. —A stroke in the target or mark.
Home. —An arrow is said to be drawn home when it is drawn as far as it ought to be.
Horns of the Bow. —The ends of the bow, which are tipped with horn.
I.
Inches. —A distance allowed round the butt-mark, within which an arrow must fall to count.
K.
Keeping a Length. —Shooting the exact distance, although not straight.
L.
Length. —The distance to be shot.
Limbs. —The part of the bow above and below the handle.
Μ.
Mark. —Any object shot at.
N.
Nock. —An ancient word still used by archers for notch; nocks, therefore, are the notches in the horns of bows and arrows.
NocκiNα Point.— That part of the string on which the arrow is placed.
Noose. —The end of the string which occupies the lower horn.
0.
Over-Bowed. —An archer is said to be over-bowed when the pc wer of his bow is above his command.
Over-Hand. —Shooting over-hand is to shoot at the mark over the bow-hand.
P.
Pair of Arrows. —In archery three arrows are termed a pair, on account of the liability of one to break.
Petticoat, or Spoon.— The ground of the target beyond the white.
Pile. —The head of an arrow, usually made of steel or iron. Popinjay. —A wooden bird, used as a mark, particularly in Scotland.
Q.
Quiver. —A case in which arrows are kept or deposited, generally made of tin.
R.
Roving. —Shooters at rovers, which are casual marks, of uncertain distance.
S.
Self-Bow. —One made of a single piece of wood, or grafted. Shaft. —An arrow, so called when it wants only the head. Shaftment. —That part of the arrow occupied by the feathers. Shoot, A.—An arrow shot.
Sinking a Bow. —Reducing its force or stiffness.
Snake. —An arrow is said to snake when it works itself under tho grass.
Standing Bow. —A bow that stands well without sinking. Stele. —An arrow without feather or head.
T.
Tab. —A piece of flat leather, used instead of the fingers of the shooting glove.
Target. —A mark to shoot at, consisting of divers coloured circles. Target-Card. —A card coloured in the same manner as the target, containing the names of the shooters, and used for scoring their respective hits.
U.
Under-Bowed. —Using a bow that is too weak to shoot well with. W.
Weight of a Bow. —The weight or power which a bow requires to draw it properly up.
Whipping, The. —The material used to enwrap the nocking point. Wide Arrow. —One that falls wide of the mark.
Wind, Down. —When the wind blows directly from the shooter down to the mark.
Wind, Side. —When it blows directly across the line of mark. Wind, Up. —When it blows directly from the mark to the shooter.
