Introduction

i /7-2U K(^S"^ /f"^'^ .^^s- ^3 \ \ is! Anecdotes OF ARCHERY; FROM THE ^m eMitft to tfje gear 1791. Including an ACCOUNT of The most FAMOUS ARCHERS OF ANCIENT AND MOVER S' TIMES j with fome curious Particulars in the LIFE of ROBERT FITZ-OOTH Earl of Huntington', Vulgarly called ROBIN HOOD. THE PRESENT STATE OF ARCHERY, WITH THE DIFFERENT SOCIETIES IN GREAT BRITAIN, Particularly thofc of Yorkfhire, Lancafhire, and Durham. By E. HARGROVE. rORK: Printed for E. Hargrove, Bookfeller, Knare/bro'; And fold by all the Bookfellers cf York, Leeds, and Ripon. MjDCCjXCII. ' -- ' ( Tor GEORGE ALLAN, EsQj, F. A. S* IN GRATITUDE FOR MANY FAVOURS RECEIVED, THESE ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY ARE MOST HUMBLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR. JNECDOTES OF JRCHERT. THE Bow is the moft ancient, and hatli been the mofl: univerfal, of all weapons; and pro- bably was ufed againfl; the beafts of the forefts, long --We before men made war upon each other: find it ufed by the moft powerful and civilized, as well as the mofl: barbarous and uncultivated, na- tions. In Holy Writ* we are told Isaac called his fon Esau, and faid, " Now therefore take, I ' pray thee, thy weapons, thy qbiver and thy bow, " and go out to the field, and take me fome ve- ' nifon ; and make me favory meat, fuch as I ' love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, that " my foul may blefs thee before I die." Jonathan, the fon of Saul, was a fkilful Arciier; but it feems this weapon had been ne- gleftcd amongft the armies of Ifrael, for in the fatal battle near mount Gilboa, betwixt Saul and the Philiflines, we arc told f, " The battle " went fore againft Saul ; and the Archers hit him; " and he was fore wounded of the Archers." * Gen. xxvii. 3. f 1 Samuel, xxxl. 3�. A3 6 ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. In tii; next chapter we are told, tliat David gave orders for the children of Judah, to be taught the ufe of the bow. In the Iliad, we find the bow fometimes mentioned, though ic does not feem to have been of general ufe in either army daring that memorable war. The poet fpeaking of Paris, and defcribing the drefs and arms of that delicate warrior, fays The anther's fpeckled hide f Flow'd o'er his arrrour with an eafy pride} His bended bov/ atrofs his (houlders fiung. His fword befide him negligently hung ; Two pointed Ipears he ihoolc, with gallant grace. And dar'd t!ie braveft of the Grecian race-}-. Pandarus aiming an arrow at Menelaus, the action is thus delcribcd J : Now with full force the yielding horn he bends. Drawn to an arch, and joins the doubling ends j Clofe to the breaft he itrains the nerve below. Till the barb'd point approach the circling boW S Th' impatient weapon wS'.izaes on the wing. Sounds the tough horn, and twangs tlvs quiv'ring firing. * And yet this was th3 man who afterwards infijicu/ly flew the great Achil!e3, by wountiing liitn in the heel wifh an arrov;, whvn he vim going to marry Pclyxsna, in ihe temr'^ '�^ Apollo. t Iliad, Bouk III. line 27. i Ilia<l, Book, IV. liiie Ka. ; . ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. 7 The Locrians were a body of troops in the Grecian army, who occafionally ul'ed both the bow and the fling . The LocRiAN fquadrons nor the jav'lln wield. Nor bear the iielm, nor lift the moo ly fliield j But /kill'd from far the flving (haft to wing, Or whirl the fou.iding pebble from the fling. Dextrous with thefe they aim a certain wound. Or fell the diftant warrior to the ground. Thus in the van, the Telamonian train Throng'd in btight arms, a prefling fight maintain J For in the rear the Locrian Archers lie, Whofe ftones an.i arrows intercept the fky ; The mingled tempeft on the foes they pour Troy's Icatt'ring orders open to the fliow'r. The fuitors of Penelope, having in vain at- tempted to bend the bow of Ulysses, (that liera being prefcnt, difguifed like a beggar) he with much difficulty obtains leave to try his fkillf One hand aloft difplay'd ' The bending horns, and one the ftring eflay'd. From his eflaying hand the firing let fly, Twang'd ftiort aad fiiarp, like the (hrill fwallow's cry, A general horror ran thro' all the race. Sunk was each heart, and pale was every face: Then fierce the hero o'er the threfhold ftrode j Stript of his rjgs, he blaz'd out like a god. � Iliad, Book XIH. line 891. t Odyflly, Book XXI. line 44C. : ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY^ Full in their face the lifted bow he bore, And quiver'd deaths, a formidable ftore ; Before his feet the rattling fhow'r he threw, And thus terrific to the fuitor crew " One vent'rous game this hand has won to-day. Another, princes ! yet remains to play; Another mark, our arrow muft attain, -- Phcebus ! afliftj nor be the labour vain." Swift as the word the parting arrow fings. And bears thy fate, Antinous, on its wings : Wretch that he was, of unprophetic foul .' High in his hands he rear'd the golden bowl! Even then to drain it, lengthsn'd out his breath, Chang'd to the deep, the bitter draught of death i For fate, who fear'd, amidft a feafl-ful band ? And fate to numbers, by a fingle hand ? Full thro' his throat Ulysses' weapon paft, Andpierc'd the neck; He falls and breaths his laft. Eneas in celebrating the anniverfary of his father's funeral, amongft other fports and exercifes, introduces Archery. Forthwith Eneas to the fpcrts invites All who with fedther'd fhafts wou'd try their Ticill, And riamrs th- prizes. With his ample hand He from Serestcs' (hip a rnaft eredts; And on it by a rope fufpended ties A fwift-wing'd dove, at which they all /hould aim Their arrows : They affemble; and the lots Shuffled into a brazer: caique are thrown. With fav'ring Ihouts Hippocoon firft appears, OfFspring of Hy'rtacus : Then Mn�stheus next. So lately vi�tor in tiie navai ftrif'e. And crown'd with ylive-greens ; Eurytion third. ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY, Brother to thee, O Pandarus ! renown'd, Who onci', commanicJ to .iirt'ilve the league, Diiift firft aiiioiij^ Che Grecians hurl a dart J AcESTis to the hein,et's bottom finks/ The laft; hiaifeU' ptefuming to attempt The fports of youth. Then all with manly ftrength Bend their tough yeugh ; esch with his utmoft force All from their <juivers draw their flufts! and firft {Int from t'le twandng nerve Hipi-ocoon's flies Along the i1:y, beats the thin li^aid air, And en the body of the mafl a.V.erfe Stands fix'd : The rr.aft an.i frighted bird at once Tremble, and ail th-^ cirque with (houts refounds. Next eajjer Mnesthfus A'ith his bended 'ujw Stands ready, and his ryes and arrow aim'd Dirtrts to hcav'n yet cou'J not i-each the dove ; Herfelf unfonuiiate, biit cut the kno[s And hempen lig.innents in which iTie hung Ty''^ "-.y the feet upon the lofty mafr; She fiips into the winds and duiky clouds. EuRYTioN then impatient, and lonj; fiiice Holding h's ready bow and fitted /haft, Invokes his bMthi r ; and, in open air, Seeing the dovfe now ftiake her founding v.'ngs. Transfixes her aminft the clouds ! The bird Falls doau, and haves h^r life among the ftars. Cyaxares, king of the Mcdes, and great grandfather to Cyrus, engaged fome Scythian Archers to teach his fon the ufe of the bow. 'Jhis nation had a law, that their children fliould learn three things particularly, from the age of To five to that of twenty, viz. ride a hcrfe well. lO ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. to flioot well, and never to tell a lie. ZenoPHON obferves, that Cyrus was from a child brought up to Archery. Herodotus informs us, thatwhen Cambyseshad conquered Egypt, and had thoughts of invading Ethiopia, he fent fome fpies before him ; who, under pretence of carrying prefents to the king, might privately inquire into the ftrength and condition of the kingdom. When they were arrived at court, and had made their prefents, the king of ^Et miopia faid to them, � It was not from any confideration of my friend fliip, that the king of Persia fent you to me ' with thefe prefents ; neither have you fpoken ** the truth, but are come into my kingdom as ** fpies. If Cambyses was an honeft man he " would defire no more than his own ; and not ** endeavour to reduce a people under fervitude, � who have never done him any injury. How" ever, give him this bow from me, and let him ** know, that the king of Ethiopia advifes *' the king of Persia, to make war againil the ** Ethiopians, when the Persians {hall be ** able thus eafily to draw fo flrong a bow; and " in the meanwhile to thank the gods, that t.iey *' never infpired the ^Ethiopians with a defire * of extending their dominions beyond their own *< country." Saying this, he unbent the bow>. and delivered it to the ambalTador .^ ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. II The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, both Ipeak of this nation, as being famous for bend- ing and handling the bow *. The beft part of the armies of Alexander die Great were Archers. The bowmen of Athens performed wonders in many battles; but particularly under Demosthenes, their renowned general, when they defeated the Lacedemonians near the city of Pylos. Plato mentions, that one thoufand Archers were appointed for the (landing guard of the city of Athens. This celebrated philofopher was an advocate for Archery, and recommended to the Athenians that proper matters might be employed by the ftate, to teach their youth the ufe of the bow ; and that a large field ihould be fet apart, near every town and city, for that pur- pofe. The Cretans began to teach their youth the ufe of the bow at feven years of age ; and fo expert vvere this people in the ufe of the weapon, that all the neighbouring monarchs were defirous of having a band of Cretan Archers in their armies. *' The arrows of Gortynia," fays � Ifaiah Ixvi. I9.^eremiah xWi. 9. 12 ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. Claudia N, *' aiined from a trufty bow, are " fure to wound, nor ever mifs the deflined " mark." The vidlorles obtained by the Parthians, over the Romans, was chiefly afcribed to their fuperiority in the ufe of their bows. With thefe they purfued Marcus Antoninus over the hilis of -- P^edia and Armenia, conquered the noble Va-- lerian, and flew the Apoftate Julian. Though we find very little mention of the bow in the Roman armies, yet they often employed auxiliary Archers in their wars. Domitian, CoMMoDus, and Theodoi I us were accounted excellent fhooters. it is evident alfo they had mafters at Rome to teach the art, among whom was T Flavius Expeditus; whofe image Spon has given from a fepulcbral bafs relief, where he is called Doctor. 5agittarum. Leo ordained that all the youth of Rome fliould be compelled to ufe fliooting, more oi lefs; and always bear their bow and quiver about with them, till thiey were eleven years old. He alfo We adds, " ftriftly command you to make pro- *' clamatioo to all men under our dominion, which ' be either in war or peace ; to all cities and ' towns ; and, finally, to all manner of men,-- " that every free man have bow and arrows of ; ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. I3 ** his own, and every houfe have a bow and forty " arrows for every occaficn ; and that they exer- ' cife themfelves in holts, hills, dales, woods, " and plains, to inure them to all the chances of " war." The Artillery Company of London, the' they have long difufed the weapon, are the remains of the Ancient Fraternity of Bowmen, or Archers. Artillery {artilleriej is a French term, fignifying Archery : As the King's Bonxyer is, in that language, ftyled Arullier du Roy. William the Conqueror had a confiderable number of bowmen in his army at the battle of Mailings : The names of the officers of this part of his army is contained in the roll of Battle- Abbey f they are in number feventy- three, and came from the Vale of Rueil Bretviel, and many other places. Amongfl: thefe we find the names of Duglosse, Mowbray, Mortimer, Harecourt, DevRiux, Allan Count de Britaigne, &c. As this vidlory was certainly obtained by the help of the long-bow and broad-arrow J ; fo it was by the fame weapons that the Englifh after- wards conquered France. * Arcbaeologias, vol. vil. �\ Fuller's Church Hiftory. \ Harold himfelf was flain bv an arrow. B 14 ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. It may not be improper to infert in this place an excellent and curious comparifon between this weapon and our fire arms, mentioned in the life of William the Norman by Joh n Hayvvard. " One circumflance more I hold fit to be ob" ferved, that this vlclory was gotten only by ** means of the arrow ; the ufe v.'hereof was *' brought into this land afterwards. The Englifh " being trained to the figlit, did thereby chiefly " maintain themfdves with honourable advantage " againft all nations with whom they did contend " in arms, being generally reputed the beft /hot in " the world. But of late years it hath been alto" gether laid afide; and inftead thereof, the " harqucbufs and calliver are brought into ufe, yet " not without contradidion of many expert men �' of arms ; who, albeit they do not rtjeft the ufe �' of the fmall pieces, yet do they prefer the bow " before them : Firft, for that, in a reafonable *' diftance, it is of greater certainty and force: " Secondly, for that it difcharges fafter: Thirdly, *' for that m.ore men may difcharge therev/ith at " once ; for only the firft rank difchargeth the *' piece, neither hurt they any but thofe that are *' in front ; but with the bow ten or twelve ranks ' may difcharge together, and will annoy fo many � ranks of the enemy: Laflly, for that the arrow " doth ftrike more parts of the body ; for in that it " turneth by defcent, and not only point-blank, " like the bullet, there is no part of the body but ANECD�T�S OF AP.CHERY. - 15 " it m.iy llrike, from tlfe crown of tlie head, to " the nailing of the foot to tlie ground. Here" upon it follcyeth, that the arrows falling fo " thick as hail upon the bodies of men, as lefs " fearful of their flcllt, Co much {Tenderly armed " than in. former time,i, mu!l neceifarily woric - " more dangerous cir^iTi;). Eclides thcfo general " refpedls, in many particular fervices and times " the ufe of tlie bo>v is of great advantage; if " fome defence He before r!ic cn;my, the arrow " may ftrike where the bullet cannot; foul wca" ther may much hinder the difchacge of th^ *' piece, but is of no great impediment to the dif- A " charge of the bow: horfe ftruck with a bul- *' let, if tiie wound be not mortal, may perfcnn " good fervice; but if an arrow be failcned in " his flefh, the continual flirring thereof, occa" fioncd by the motion of himfelf, will force him " to cafl of all command, and either beat ikwn, " or diforder thofc that are near. Bat the crack " of the piece, fome men fay, doth llrikc a terror " ill the enemy : True, if they be fjch as never *' heard the like noife before ; but a little ufe will " extinguilh thefe terrors. To men, yea to " hearts, acquainted with thefe cracks, they work *' a weak impreffion cf fear : And if it be true, " which ail men of aclion do hold, that the eye in " all battles is firft overcome, then againil men " equally accuflomcd to both, the fight of the ar" row is more available to viiSory than the crack of " the piece. Affliredly the duke, before the bat- B3 l6 ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. " tie, encouraged his men, for that they (houid *' deal with enemies who had no fhot. But I will " leave this point to be determined by more dif" cerning judgment *." William himfelfwas an admirable Archer, and was fo firong, that few but himfelf could bend tlie bow he ufed. William II. being hunting in the New-Foreft, in company with Sir Walter. Tyrrell, snd others; this knight unfortunately let fly an arrow at a flag, which glancing againfl a tree, took a difrerent diredion, and pierced the king's breaft, who immediately expired. To perpetuate the memory of fo remarkable an event, John Lord Delwar, who had feen the tree grow- ing, erected a pillar in the very place where it flood, with the following infcription : " Here stood the oak tree on which " AN arrow, shot ey Sir Walter Tyr" Rf.LL AT A stag, GLANCED, AND STRUCK *' King William the Second, surnamed �' RuFus, in the breast, of which he in�� stanti.y died, on the second day of " x^UGUST, a. d. iioo." ' King William the Second, surna" MED RuFUS, being SLAIN AS BEFORE RE- * See Harl. M.fiall. vol. ii. ANECDOTES OF ARCHER V. I7 ' LATED, WAS LAID IN A CART BELOKG' ING TO ONE PURKESS, AND DRAWN FROM " THENC!-: TO Winchester, and buried " IN THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THAT " CITY." Richard Strongeow, Earl of Clare, Pem- broke, and IJuckingham, was famous tor hi= llrength and flciil in Archery ; after reducing Ireland for king Henry II. he died 1 177. Richard I. King of England, when be- iieging the caftle of Chaluze, approached too near the walls, and was killed by an arrow from a crofsbow, on the 8th of March 1 99. 1 Durine the reiijn of this monarch we firft find mention made of Robin Hood , who hath been \ fo long celebrated as the chief of Englifh Archers. The inteftine troubles of England were very great at that time, and the country every where infelled with outlaws and banditti; amongfl whom none were fo famous as this Sylvan hero and his followers, whom Stow, in his Annals, ftyles renowned thieves. The perfonal courage of this celebrated outlaw, his (kill in Archery, his humanity, and efpecially his levelling principle, of * Vide Rapin. 15 ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. taking from the rich and giving to the poor, have ever fince rendered him the favourite of the com- mon people. Sir Edward Coke, in his Third Inftitute, page 197, fpeaks of Robin Hood, and fays, that men of his lawlefs profefTion were from him He called Roberdf?ne>2 : fays> that this notable thief gave not only a name to thefe kind of men, but mentions a Bay on the Yorkfliire coaft, called Robin Hood's Bay. He farther adds, that the Statute of Winchefter, 13th of Edward I. and another Statute of the 5th of Edward HI. were made for the punidiment of Roberdfmen, and other felons. Who was the author of the collection, called Robin Hood's Garla-nd, no one has yet pretended to guefs. As fome of the fongs have more of the fpirit of poetry than others, it is probably the work of various hands : That it has from time to time been varied and adapted to the phrafe of the times is certain. In the vifion of Pierce Plowman, written by Robert Longland, a fecular Prieft, and Fellow of Oriel College, and who flouriflxed in the reign of Edward III. is this pafTage : my I cannot perfitly Pater Nofter as the prift it fingetb} 1 can rimes of Robinhod and Randal of Cheftcr. ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. I9 Drayton in his Poly-Olbion, Song xxvi. thus cliaraiSlerifes him : From wealthy abbots' chefts, and churches' abundant ftore. What often times he took he (hared amongft the poor : No Lordly biihop came in lufty Robin's way, T.) him before he went but for his pafs muft pay; The widow in diftrefs he gracioufly relieved, And remedied the wrongs of many a virgin grieved. Hearne, in his Gloffary, inferts a manufcript note out of Wood, containing a pafTage cited from John Major, the Scottifli Hiftorianj to this purpofe ; that Robin Hood was indeed an archrobber, but the gentleft thief that ever was : And fays he might have added, from the Harlcin MSS. of John Ford UN '3 Scottifh Chronicle, that he was, though a notorious robber, a man of great charity. The true name of Robin Hood, was Robert FiTZ-ooTH, the addition of FiXi:, common to many Norman names, was afterwards oftenfomictcd or dropped : The two lall letters th being turned into D, he was called by the common people OoD or Hood. It is evident he was a man of qua- lity, as by the annexed Pedigree, copied from Dr.SruKELEY's Palo^ographia Britannia : John Scot, loth Earl of Huntington, dying anno R 1237, without ifTue Fitz-ooth, was by the female line next heir to that title, as defcended from Gilbert de Gaunt Earl of Kyme and 20 ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. Lindfey. Tlis title lying dormant * during the laft ten years of his life, there could be nothing un- reafonable or extraordinary in his pretenfions to H that honour. The arms of Robi \ iod were gules, two bench engrailed or. In the old garland he is faid to have been born at Loxley in StafFordfhire; and in a fliooting match f, made by the King and Queek, being chofe by the latter for her archer, (he calls hirn Loxley : a cuflom very common in thofc days to call perfons of eminence by the name of the town where they were born. It does not appear that our hero poficfied ar eftate ; perhaps he or his father might be depr ved of that on fome political account ; attainders and coniifcaticns being very frequent in thofe days of Norman tyranny and feudal oppreflion. In the 19th of Henry II when the fon of that kinp- rebelled againft his father, Robert de Ferrers manned his caftles of Tutbury and Duflield in behalf of the Prince. William FiTz-ocTH, father cf our hero, (fuppofe him connedled with the F e r r h r s, to which his dwelling * The title lay dormant 90 years after Robert's death ; namely, till the year 1337, when William Lord Clin- ton was created Earl of Huntington. �j- On this occafion we are told, that Robin Hood was dreil in icarlet,and his men in green 5 and that they all wore ; black hats and white feathers. . ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. 21 at Ln.xley * feems to point) might luiFcr with them in the confequer.ces of that rebellion, which would not only deprive the family of their eflates, hut alfo of their claim to the Earl Jo;t� of Hunt- ington. From fome fuch caufe our hero might be induced to take refuge in thofe woods and fo- -- refts, where the bold adventurer, whether fly- ing from the demands of his injured country, or to avoid the ruthlefs hand of tyrannic power,-- had often found a fafe and fecure retreat. Tutbury, and other places in the vicinity of his native town, feems to have been the fcene of his We juvenile frolics. afterwards find him at the head of two hundred iirong refolute men, and expert archers, ranging the woods and fore lis of Nottinghamfhirc, Ycrkfhire, and other parts of �he north of England f Charton, in Lis hidory of Whitby Abbey, page ijj.6, recites, �' That in the days of Abbot ** Richard this freebooter, when dofely purfued " by the civil or military power, found it necef" fary to leave his ufual haunts, and retreating ** crofs the moors that forrounded Whitby, � came to the fta coaft, wliere he always had in " readinefs fome fm^i.ll fiflung vefiels ; and ia * The Ferreks v;ei-e Lords nf L"xl'y. f Befides many other places, the following are particu- larly mentioned, v'z. BarnfJale, Waicefield, Plompton Fark^ and Fountains-Abbey. 22 ANECDOTES OF ARCHERY. " thefe putting oft' to Tea, he looked upon him' felf as quite fecure, and held the whole power *' of the Englilh nation at defiance. The chief " place of his refort at thefe times, and where his *' boats were generally laid up, was about fix miles " from Whitby, and is ftill called Robin Hood's " Bay." Tradition further i-nforips us, that in one of tlisfe peregrinations he, attended by his Lieutenant, John Little, went to dine * with Abbot Richard, who having heard them often famed for their great dexterity in fhooting with the long-bow, begged them after dinner to Ihew him a fpecimen thereof? when to oblige the Abbot, they went up to the top of