114 Yew- Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



And it was by means of the bow, as Bishop Light- 

 foot observes, 1 ' that England rose to the first 

 position in the commonwealth of nations, and by 

 force of arms inspired such terror, and commanded 

 such respect throughout Europe as it has never 

 commanded or inspired since, and in continental 

 politics attained an influence never afterwards sur- 

 passed, and only equalled if even then it was 

 equalled many centuries later in the struggle with 

 the first Napoleon.' 



Roger Ascham 2 asserts that neither the French 

 nor even the Scots could rival the English in 

 archery. In the battle of Falkirk, temp. Edward i., 

 the bow caused terrible slaughter amongst the 

 Scots, who are said to have lost 12,000 men, while 

 the English loss was only 100. 



Sir Walter Scott, in Marmion? admits the in- 

 feriority of the Scottish weapon : 



' But, O ! 



Short was the shaft and weak the bow 

 To that which England bore.' 



And in the deadly fight betwixt Earls Percy and 

 Douglas, described in the Percy Ballads : 



' Our English archers bent their bows, 



Their hearts were good and true, 

 At the first flight of arrows sent 

 Full threescore Scots they slew.' 



1 ' England during the latter half of the Thirteenth Century.' Lightfoot's 

 Historical Essays, p. 106. 



2 Toxophilus, 3 Canto v. par. v. 



