■>' 



204 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period ii. 



then a difficult matter to kill him, and it always paid 

 better to save him for his ransom.^ 



For the convenience of the reader we have continued 

 the sketch of the mercenary troops and condottieri down 

 to the fifteenth century, in order to treat the question all 

 together ; but during this same period in other parts of 

 Europe infantry forces were appearing and exerting such 

 an influence upon battles as to materially affect the 

 progress of the art of war. We shall therefore go back 

 somewhat in the order of time, and consider the archers 

 of England and the Swiss pikemen, and endeavour to 

 trace the effects of their victories, in reference to the 

 development of the military science. 



SECTION III. — ENGLISH ARCHERS AND SWISS INFANTRY. 



The best infantry of the fourteenth century were 

 without doubt the English yeomanry, composed prin- 

 cipally of archers well organised and wonderifully skiKul 

 in the use of the long bow. They were commanded by 

 nobles who did not disdain the service, and the king took 

 the greatest care to encourage and improve the force. The 

 yeomen, the strong and vigorous workers of the soil, were 

 continually practising in peace in their own fields the use 

 of the bow, which, at first enjoined upon them as a duty, 

 soon became one of the most popular amusements of the 

 people. 



Almost every village had its archery butts, and the skill 

 attained by the English bowmen seems almost incredible. 

 They were able to shoot twelve arrows a minute, and 

 many were able to shoot a second arrow into a first 

 already fixed in the target.'^ 



The weapon was the great bow over five feet in length, 

 made of yew, and was capable of despatching a strong 

 barbed arrow 240 yards. The arrows were very sharp 

 and feathered at the base. They were carried bound 

 together in a sheaf, and fastened to the waist, and some- 

 times in a leathern bag, but were never carried in a 

 quiver.^ 



» Hallam, i. 475. ^ Bardin, 225. ^ Violet-le-Duc, 173. 



*^ :l! 



