Archery-Books-on-PDF-Shakespeare-An-Archer

126 Pages·2011·6.54 MB·English

by  Rushton, William Lowes

SHAKESPEARE ARCHER
AN

SHAKESPEARE AN ARCHER.
BY
WILLIAM LOWES
RUSHTON,
m
OF GRAY'S INN, HAKKISTER-AT-LAW,
ofthe Mersey Bowmen; Corresponding Member ofthe. fierlin Societyfor the
Study ofModern Lam/uages; Corresponding Member ofthe. State Historical
Society of Wisconsin, U.S.A.; Author of"Shakespeare a Latri/rr,"
"Shakespeare'sLegalMarlins," "Shakespeare IllustratedIn/
Old Authors," "Shakespeare Illustrated by the 'Lex
Krr>]>tfi,'"Shakespeare's TestamentaryLanguage"
"Shakespenrt-'s Euphuism," $r.
LTVERrOOL
:
LKE AND NIGHTINGALE, PHIXTKHS, 1">, NOHTH JOHN
1897.
LIBRARY
741896
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
NOTICE.
Tliis small look is an attempt to illustrate and
explain obscure passages and words and compressions
of doubtful meaning in the works of Shakespeare.
28, CUOXTRTH KOAD,
LIVERPOOL, January, 1897.
ERRATA.
Page11, Line 2, fortimeread tune.
16, 8, fordumpithreaddumpish.
40, 15, formarkingreadnoeJcing.
,, 40, 17, forgoodreadfine.
41, 15, forgntenreadguten.
41, ,, 15, forsogurreadsogar.
,, 63, ,, 8, forairwithesreadourwishes.
,, 67, ,, 32, foryereadye.
,, 68, ,, 28, forhadreadhas.
,, 88, 14, forarowreadarrow.
,, 108, ,, 31, foTpierc'dresidpiec'd.
113, 34, forSt. Paul'sreadPaul's.
,, 113, ,, 37, forareadatf.
Forknockandknocking (passim), readnockandnocking.
"A
well-experiencedarcher." Pericles.
" luce, gloriadellagenteumana." Dante.
RCHERY
terms, phrases, metaphors, and similes
arevery numerous intheworksof Shakespeare,
and some of the passages in which they occur
cannotbethoroughlyunderstoodandappreciated
unless the reader has a practical knowledge of the art of
shooting in the long bow.
"Toxophilus : The School of Shooting," first published
in the year 1545, was written by Roger Ascham when he
lived in Cambridge. Shakespeare was very familiar with this
admirable treatise on the art of shooting in the long bow,
wherein I see the origin of many passages in his works.
I will first show that Shakespeare was familiar with
"Toxophilus," and then I will give evidence of his practical
knowledge of archery.
Hamlet. 0,itoffendsmetothesoultoheararobustious
periwig-pated fellowteara passiontotatters,toveryrags,
tosplittheearsof thegroundlings, whofor the most part
arecapable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and
noise.
O, therebeplayersthat I have seen play, and heard
otherspraise, and that highly, not to speak it profanely,
that, neitherhavingthe accent of Christians nor the gait
ofChristian,pagan,norman,haveso struttedandbellowed
thatIhave thoughtsomeof nature'sjourneymen hadmade
menandnotmade them well, they imitated humanity so
abominably. Act3, Scene2.
Of the makynge of the bowe, 1 wyll not greatly
meddle,lesteIshouldoseemetoenterinto an othermannes
occupation, whyche I can no skyll of. Yet I woulde
desyre all bowyers to season theyr staues well, towoorke
themandeynke themwell, togiuethemheetes conuenient,
andtylleryngesplentye. For thereby they shouldebothe
getthemseluesagoodname, (Andagoodnameoncreaseth
amannesprofyteniuche) andalso do greatecommoditie to
thehole Realme. If any mendo offend in this poynte,I
am afraid they be those iourny men whiche labour more
spedily to makemanye bowes for theyrownemonyesake,
than they woorke diligently to makegood bowes,for the
common welth sake, not layinge before theyr eyes, thys
wyseprouerbe
Sone ynough, ifwel ynough.
Wherwyth euere honest handye craftes man shuld
measure, as it were wyth a rule, his worke withal. He
that is a iourney man, and rydeth vpon an other mannes
horse, yfheryde an honestpace,no mannewylldysalowe
hym: But yf he make Poste haste, bothe he that oweth
the horse, and he peraduenture also that afterwarde shal
byethehorse, maychauncetocursehym.
In these passages Shakespeare and Ascham speak in
disparaging terms of the work of journeymen, and use the
same words. It offended Hamlet " to the soul to hear a
robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to
very rags," and he says "I have seen players who have so
strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of nature's
journeymen had made men and not made them well, they
imitated humanity so abominably; " and Ascham, in desiring
all bowyers to season their staves well, to work them and sink
them well, to give them heats convenient and tillerings plenty,
says, "if any do offend in this point I am afraid they be those
journeymen which labour more speedily to make many bows
for their own money sake, than they work diligently to make
good bows for the common wealth sake."
ACT
I.
SCENE 1. On a ship at sea; a tempestuous noise of
thunderandlightning heard.
Enters,Ship-MasterandaBoatswain.
Mast. Boatswain
!
Bonts. Here, master: what cheer?
Mast. Good, speakto themariners: fall to't, yarely,
orwerunourselvesaground: bestir,bestir. [.Exit.