If your scholer do misse sometimes, in marking rightlie these foresaid sixe thinges, chide not hastelie: for that shall, both dull his witte, and discorage his diligence: but monish him gentelie: which shall make
him, both willing to amende, and glad to go forward in loue and hope of learning.
And further along he discourages beating! Of course, when one is tutor to Princess Elizabeth, such reprimands are impolitic, and in any case unnecessary.
The middle of The Scholemaster has as xenophobic a rant about Italy as anything found in George Silver (link via AEMMA) in his Paradoxes of Defense. Silver hates the Italians for introducing the dishonest and unmanly rapier, which he derides. He has deeds on his side to back this opinion: his challenge to one Italian master went unanswered, and he himself discusses the occasion on which he did meet such a school.
Ascham, it seems, agrees; his Toxophilus was a reaction to the English adopting Continental swordplay, and abandoning the longbow. Agincourt speaks loudly on his behalf.
If anyone has a link to Toxophilus which does not require registration, that would be lovely.
By the way, toxon means bow, not poison (toxikos, from a bow. Just like that for which Odysseus was looking, when events overtook him). The other word for bow is bios, which is exactly the sort of coincidence that sent Medieval alchemists on allegorical journeys almost as rambling as this post.
