[Toxophilus] (Lover of the Bow) was published in 1545 and was dedicated to Henry VIII. Its main aim was to commend the art of shooting the long bow: Ascham was an enthusiast but also he demonstrated the art of writing in English with such good style that it could compare with the more usual Latin compositions. The tradition of long bow shooting had been a staple of English life both as a leisure activity and as a weapon of war, ever since Edward III had made it a requirement that every able bodied man must learn to shoot. This was no longer the case in Tudor England although there was still much emphasis on archery as a weapon of artillery: muskets and the use of gunpowder were still in their infancy and were slow and cumbersome to use. Henry VIII had fixed the price of long bows for young people in a further attempt to encourage their use.

Ascham used the traditional conversational style in both of the two books that make up Toxophilus. In book one Toxophilus is in conversation with his friend Philogolus and Toxophilus is making the case for the shooting of the long bow and is also encouraging Philogolus to practice the art himself. Philogolus has his doubts and Toxophilus must persuade him that it is in his best interests to follow his example. Their conversation ranges far and wide, taking in music, education and touching on religion, but Toxophilus concludes that:

"Therefore to look on all pastimes and exercises wholesome for the body, pleasant for the mind, comely for every man to do, honest for all other to look on, profitable to be set by of every man, worthy to be rebuked of no man, fit for all ages, persons, and places, only shooting shall appear, wherein all these commodities may be found”

There is a large section on the pastime (or vice) of gambling, Toxophilus says that shooting cannot be done at night, it is an open and transparent activity, whereas gambling usually takes place in hidden corners or in the dark. This is interesting because Ascham was allegedly a keen gambler himself, almost addicted to the cockfighting rings.
Much of the rest of part one is taken up with a history of archery. Ascham as a classical scholar delights in telling his friend about decisive battles in Greek and Roman history won by archery, he describes the various types of bows used and their effectiveness in battle. This leads him of course into the famous battles in more recent English history where the long bow proved decisive. He reflects that the failure of the Scots to become skilled in archery has led to them suffering many defeats at the hands of the English. Finally Philogolus asks Toxophilus to teach him how to shoot.

Part two is a fairly detailed guide on how to shoot a long bow. As in many guides it falls into two parts; the equipment to be used and the skills to be employed. This reminded me of when I studied photography at night school, the students could be divided into two clear groups. One group were almost fanatically interested in the equipment; the latest cameras on the market, filters that enhanced the pictures, speed of the film etc. so much so that they hardly spent any time actually taking pictures. The other group were almost the opposite, they just wanted to get out and take pictures using whatever equipment that came to hand. I think perhaps Ascham would have fallen into the first category had he been in that night class. Most of part two of Toxophilus concentrates on the equipment, however his knowledge and enthusiasm makes it a fascinating read as he describes the types of wood that can be used for bow making, how they should be shaped and designed; he goes on to describe various types of arrows, how they are made and what to look for, when buying. Part two is very much like an instruction manual, perhaps one of the first of its kind. ( )