he hook, (_d_) Fig. 2, and the
end (_c_) acting with a lever advantage communicated its impulse to the
bridge, (_b_) against which was placed the arrow. The figure 3 will
explain the rest of the contrivance, (_f_) being a spring to keep the
trigger down.

"The wooden part of the arbalest is beautifully carved with figures; its
front extremity is a lion's head holding in its mouth an acorn originally
of gold, for which a wooden one is substituted, as is the round stock at
the other extremity which was of silver; its lower side has a figure of
Bellona, a terminus, &c., carved out of it; its upper, a sphynx, head of
Medusa, leaves, and numerous other ornaments upon it; the sides are also
beautifully carved, and two steel escutcheons on its sides before the
bridge have engraved on them a trophy, and two roses.

"As these cross-bows are now extremely rare, I should feel gratified if
any correspondent could inform me whether an arbalest of this description
is preserved in the Tower, or in any public or private collection of
ancient armour; and whether it was used by the Company of Archers after
the Restoration."

The _Steel Bow_ is of the shape annexed, _Fig. 5_, being a resting-place
for the fore end of the arrow.

We may here add that the _Cross-bow_ was also called a _Steel-bow_,
because the horns were usually made with steel; and others were called
_Stone-bows_ because they were modified to the purpose of discharging
stones. The cross-bow makers used to exercise themselves in shooting at
the popinjay, or artificial parrot, in a field called Tassal Close in
London, from the number of thistles growing there, now called the Old
Artillery Ground.[7]

The following description of an archer, his bow, and accoutrements, is
given in a MS. written in the time of Queen Elizabeth. "Captains and
officers should be skilful of that most noble weapon, and to see that
their soldiers according to their draught and strength have good bowes,
well nocked, well strynged, every strynge whippe in their nocke, and in
the myddes rubbed with wax, braser, and shuting glove, some spare strynges
trymed as aforesaid, every man one shefe of arrows, with a case of leather
defensible against the rayne, and in the same fower and twentie arrowes,
whereof eight of them should be lighter than the residue, to gall or
astoyne the enemye with the hail-shot of light arrows, before they shall
come within the danger of the harquebuss shot. Let every man have