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Twoe gentlemen [Suizers?] beinge determined to
fight for liffe and death obteyned lycence of a Prince to
haue a free feilde graunted who condiscendinge to their Request com:
maunded they sholde fight wth weapons of a gent wch are swordes
of equall lengthe. Beinge entred into the lists, the one bringeth
wth him a sword accordinge to the appointmente, the other
the like weopon, and therwth secretlie a nomber of pricks of iron
wch at his first entrie he bestowed in diuers parts of the feild
And comminge to fight, him self havinge on shoees wherof ye
soales were of yron, he resorted still to the places where
thease pricks of sharpe nailes were laide, till at length the
ennemie had so sore hurte his foot vppon them as he became
vanquished. hereof no small doubte ariseth whether he lawe:
fullie might in this sorte have victorie or not, but by reason in
armes it semeth he maye, because in Combatt for life & death
it is tollerable (as ofte it hathe bene saide) to vse all pollecie
Crafte or deceipte. Tiberio Crasso beinge in Spaine & knowe:
inge that the ennemies of the people of Rome thorough the
greate dearthe of Corne had extreame neede of breade &
victuaills, and so as that in diuers daies before they had
not eaten any foode of Sustenaunce, he havinge aboundance
cawsed a greate deale of his owne provision to be laide forthe
wch done sodeinlie he retired him selfe from thence, wch the
ennemies perceyvinge, allured wth ye sweete victuaills, ran thy:
ther to staunche their extreme hunger, where they fed so disor:
dinatlye, that they only remoued not their former wants, but
also became so heavie & sleapie, that Tiberio returninge thither
to assaile them, obteined a speedie desired victorie Hanibal
beinge in the great & famous warrs against the Romaines
at Canna seinge that longe drowght & winde, had raised mer:
veilous store of dust & sande, like a wise & skillfull capteine
knewe that the winde drivinge the same vppon the face of the
ennemie were no small aduauntage to him in fighte he placed
his battle in such speedie and skillfull sorte as he gained the
aduauntage of the winde, and therby raised the dust so thicke
in the eies of thennemie, that by that crafte & pollecie he
gained the victorie, wherin died so manie Romaines as not
one of the noble famelie of Fabrij reamined aliue, wch till this