280 



SYLVA FLORIFERA, 



Virgil notices the elasticity of this wood in 

 the iEneis. 



" This foul reproach Ascanius could not hear 

 With patience, nor a vow'd revenge forbear ; 

 At the full stretch of both his hands, he drew, 

 And almost join'd, the horns of the tough yew." 



Of all the European nations, the English 

 are generally allowed to have been the best 

 archers ; 



" Skill'd in fight, their crooked bows they bend : ,; 



and to their dexterity in the use of this 

 weapon, is ascribed many signal victories, par- 

 ticularly those of Cressy, Poictiers, and Agin- 

 court, over the French ; and that of Hamildon 

 over the Scots. And long before these famous 

 battles were fought, Henry the Second had 

 succeeded in the enterprise of conquering 

 Ireland, chiefly by the use of the long bow, 

 with which the Irish were at that period 

 (1172) entirely unacquainted. 



The reputation of the English as skilful 

 archers does not pass unnoticed by Tasso ; 



" Maggior alquanto e lo squadron Britanno : 

 Guglielmo il regge, al re minor figliuolo, 

 Sono gV Inglesi sagittarj" 



Canto I. Stanza 44. 



