Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-01
HISTORY.
the Modern History of Arel.yrv.

lost in obscurity. With all the ancient
peoples, both civilised and barbaric, the
bow was favorite weapon, and skill IN
the use OF it was regarded by the Scythi-
ans as a princely accomplishment. The
Greeks and Romans employed archers to
draw the enemy into action, and exploits
of the ancient Egyptians rivaled those
Of the archers of the middle ages. There
is no record of the bowin France untl the
reign of Charlemagne, in the beginning
of the eighth century, although we have
evidence that in England both the Anglo
Saxons aid the Danes employed it in the
chase, as well as in battle against the
primitive inhabitants of England, many
years before the conquest. The prob
ability is that it was first introduced as a
military weapon into Britain by the Ro-
mans; but it was under the Norman
rule that the practice of archery, in that
island, was not only greatly improved,
but generally difused throughout the
country, SO that England soon. became
famous for its archery, and her archers
took precedence Of those of every other
nation. To preserve this superiority by
constant practice appears to have been
the study Of many of her monarchs, and
numerous statutes for enforcing andregu-
lating the use of the bow among the
people were enacted from early times IN
til after the invention Of firearms. Many
laws were also made for securing the
presence in distant and obscure parts of
the country of persons skilled in the
manufacture Of bows and all the appa-
ratus pertaining to archery. These
laws appear to have been absolutely
necessary, for in the olden time the En-
glish chiefly depended for their success in
battle upon the bravery and experiences
Of their archers, whose appearance in
the field generally led to success.
Richard I. performed great exploits
with his archers in the Holy Land, where,
according to Gibbon, 300 arehers and
seventeen knights, headed by the King,
sustained the charge Of the whole Turkish
and Saracen army. TWAS inhis reign that
the renowned Robin Hood forrished in
Sherwood forest. Edward II. levied a
company Of Northumbrian Archers
in the year 1914, for the invasion of
Scotland.
The battles of Cressy and Poictiers
were gained by the English archers, in
the years 1916, 1856, respectively. Ed
ward III. was extremely jealous Of the
honor of the bow, and anxious that it's
glory should be maintained.
In the early part Of his reign it was
ordered that the Sherifs Of England
should each provide 500 white bows and
500 bundles of arrows for the then-im-
pending war with France. Edward III.
also commanded the general practice Of
archery on Sunday and holidays by the
people in lieu of the ordinary rural
pastimes, which were forbidden on pain
of imprisonment. In the year 1902 the
English archers won the battle Of Ham
ldon, and in 1903, at the battle of
Shrewsbury, where Hotspur was slain,
the most terrible havoc was made by
the archers on both sides.
T., 41,a raion IF HonrvY TV ~ r.-oo an,
acted that all arrowheads should be well
hardened at the points with steel, and
stamped with the name of the maker.
In the reign Of Edward ~. it was en-
acted that every Englishman and every
Irishman living with an Englishman
should have an English bow of his own
height. In 1417 the archers of the
army Of Henry V. won the battle of
Agincourt. This King directed the
Sheriffs of counties to take six wing
feathers from every goose for feathering
the arrows. In 1478 archery was en-
couraged in Ireland by statute. In the
year 1929 James l., Of Scotland, who
was himself an excellent bowman, re-
vived the practice of archery among his
subjects. In the reign Of Henry VII.
Q485) archery occupied all import
ant position in the fashionable pas
times Of the kingdom, and, upon
the occasion of the marriage of Henry
with the Princess Elizabeth, it formed
great feature among the nuptial festiyi-
ties, the King himself joining in the
shooting with heartiness and glee.
Queen Catherine also showed deep in
terest in the fascinating pastime, and in
the year 1876 she presented a silver
badge to the " Marshal Of the Fraternity
of Archers." Both the King and Queen
frequently reviewed the numerous asso-
Citations of archers then existing. In
the spring of 1852 grand fete was given
by the London Artillery Company at
the artillery grounds, at which there
were present upward Of 1000 archers,
and it is said that the gala outshone any
thing of its kind that had previously
been seen in England but from that
time until the beginning Of the present
cent11rv the attractions appear to have