HINTS TO ARCHERS. 367 



inches thick ! William cle Breusa, himself an archer, likewise relates, 

 that he saw a horse-soldier, clad in complete mail, with buff coat be- 

 neath, struck through the hip with an arrow, which not only killed 

 the rider but, piercing the saddle, killed the horse. " But," says 

 William, " although that might be thought a clever shot, it was 

 nothing to another I saw." Another Welshman struck another 

 mailed horseman, in a similar way, and fastened him to the saddle 

 through the hip ; but the wounded man turning his horse by the 

 bridle, the same archer dealt another shaft, which, strange to say, 

 observes William, passed through the other hip, and completely fixed 

 him : and the horse plunged so fearfully, that men marvelled to see 

 so clever a horseman, not knowing the ingenious manner by which he 

 was made to keep his seat ! If the gentleman did not affirm that he 

 saw these things, I should hardly have believed him. This De Breusa 

 was a member of the " Royal British Bowmen," which society exists 

 to this day, and can produce as good shots as William. 



But of all who have conferred lustre on the annals of archery, none 

 are so conspicuous as the bold outlaw of Sherwood, that " most gentle 

 theefe,/ as Grafton calls him in his Chronicle of Breteyne. It would 

 be endless to repeat the exploits of this hero of the bow ; suffice it to 

 say they were obliged to take his life by treachery, " For the said 

 Robert Hood, whom men call Robyn Hood," says Grafton, " being 

 troubled with sicknesse came to a certain nonry in Yorkshire, called 

 Berklies, when desiring to be let blood, he was betrayed and bled to 

 death." He was buried by the highway-side by the prioress of the 

 nonry; and " upon his grave the sayd prioresse did lay a very large 

 stone, wherein the names of Robert Hood and William of Goldes- 

 borough, and others were graven." Dr , Gale, Dean of York, has 

 preserved his epitaph, which is as follows : 



HEAR UNDENEAD DIS LATIL STEAN 

 LAIZ ROBERT EARL OF HUNTINGDON, 

 NBA ARCIR VERZA HIE SA GEVD 

 AN PIPL KAULD IM ROBIN HEUD. 

 SlCK UTLAWZ AZ HI AN IZ MEN 

 VIL ENGLAND NIVR si AGEN. 



Obit. 24. kal-Dekembris, 1247. 



Dr. Hanmer speaking of the extraordinary things performed by 

 Robin Hood and Little John, says, the latter is reported to have shot 

 an arrow a mile; " but I leave these," observes the worthy doctor 

 rather discourteously ; " among the lies of the land." I don't know 

 why he should disbelieve it, when many greater things than that, 

 have been done, with the help of the long bow ; as any one may see 

 who reads the doctor's " Chronicles of Ireland !" 



I would willingly recount the feats of the great archers of former 

 days, but I have no space, I must pass over the great Zosimus, who de- 

 scribed a friend of his at the battle of Mursa, who had the wonderful 

 gift of discharging three arrows at once, and killing a man with 

 each ! Phillip de Comines and Froissart were great shots, as any one 

 will discover by reading their Chronicles. And Sir John Smith who 

 tells us of the " valleys which ran with rivers of blood, caused by 

 the slaughter from the Turkish bow." The great Lord Bacon too, 



