My father was a yeoman, and had no lands of his own, only he had a farm of £31, or £41, by year at the uttermost, and hereupon he tilled so much as kept half a dozen men. He had walked for an hundred sheep, and my mother milked 30 kine. He was able, and did find the king a harness, with himself and his horse, while he came to the place that he should receive the king's wages. I can remember that I buckled his harness when he went to Blackheath field. He kept me to school, or else I had not been able to preach before the king's majesty now. He married my sisters with /51, or 20 nobles a piece, so that he brought them up in god-liness and fear of God. He kept hospitality for his poor neighbors. And some alms he gave to the poor, and all this he did of the said farm. Where be that now hath it, payeth /161 by the year, or more, and is not able to do anything for his prince, for himself, nor for his children, or give a cup of drink to the poor.

In my time my poor father was as diligent to teach me to shoot, as to learn me other things, and so I.think other men did their children ; he taught me how to draw, how to lay my body in my bow, and not to draw with strength of arms as divers other nations do, but with strength of the body-. I had my bows bought me according to my age and strength ; as I increased in them, so my bows were made bigger and bigger, for men shall never shoot well, except they be brought up in it; it is a worthy game, a wholesome kind of exercise, and much commended in physic - An old English Preacher.