I have mentioned this before, but it's worth mentioning again; Gervaise Markham's "The Arte of Archerie" Pub 1634, it can be accessed on
The Art of Archerie It is a far easier read than Ascham, Markham wrote on an amazingly diverse range of subjects from animal husbandry, military tactics to midwifery. Suspect he was one of histories greatest plagiarists, well worth a look.
I think that you're right about the plagiarism. Just read The Art Of Archerie and most of it is lifted wholesale from Toxophilus.
From Toxophilus
"Once I saw a man which used a bracer on his cheek, or else he had scratched all the skin of the one side of bis face with his drawing-hand. Another I saw which, at every shot, after the loose, lifted up his right leg so far that he was ever in jeopardy of falling. Some stamp forward, and some leap backward. All these faults be either in the drawing, or at the loose; with many other mo, which you may easily perceive, and so go about to avoid them."
From the Art Of Archerie
"Once I heard of a man, which used a bracer on his cheek, otherwise he had torn all the skin from one side of his face with this drawing-hand, another I have seen, which at every shoot after the loose would lift up his leg so far that he was ever in danger of falling; some will stamp forward and some leap backward, an all these faults are either in drawing or loosing, with a world of others, which any man may easily perceive and so endeavor to avoid them."
The whole book is just the second part of Toxophilus paraphrased!
Daniel