OF ARROW-RELEASE. 



155 



finger-tips are worn, though some archers are enabled by 

 long service to shoot with their fingers unprotected. 

 Roger Ascham, in his " Toxophilus," written in 1544, 

 says : " A shootinge glove is chieflye for to save a man's 

 fingers from hurtinge, that he may be able to beare the 

 sharpe stringe to the uttermoste of his streugthe. And 

 when a man shooteth, the might of his shoote lyeth on 

 the foremost finger, and on the ringman ; for the middle 



Figs. 8 and 9. Mediterranean release. 



finger which is longest, like a lubber, starteth back, and 

 beareth no weight of the stringe in a manner at all; 

 therefore the two fingers must have thicker leather, and that 

 must have thickest of all whereon a man lowseth most, 

 and for sure lowsinge the foremost finger is most apt, 

 because it holdeth best, and for that purpose nature hath, 

 as a man would say, yocked it with the thoumbe." 



Hansard, in his " Book of Archery," states that the Flem- 

 ings use the first and second fingers only, a method adopted 

 by some English bowmen. This Fleming variety of the 



