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Twoe gentlemen the one a Neopolitane ye
other a Florentine desirous to fight for lyffe & death
obteined of the duke of Milan licence to fighte in com:
bat, agreinge that whosoeuer of them were vanquished sholde be ad:
iudged a traitor, and become prisoner to the vanquisher. Before
their entrie into the lists it was proclaimed by the iudge, that no
stander by during the battle sholde speake or make signe in the fa:
vour of enie of them that foughte vppon penaltie of liffe. Beinge
entred into the lists it happened that at the firste incounter, the
Neapolitan overthrewe the Florentine who lienge vppon the
grounde coulde not easelie be founde of the Neapolitan wandr:
inge abowte the feilde It happened that the saide Neapolitan
havinge a brother there, that amonge the rest looked on, moved
wth brotherlie love, contrarie to commaundement given, brake
owt saienge, Retire my brother thine ennemie lieth vppon the
grounde, tred vppon him wth thy horse & the victorie shalbe
thine, wch he sodenlie perfourmed & gained his desire. The
Florentine findinge him self distressed saide, that because
the lawes of the feilde were infringed, neither ought his enne:
mie to have victorie nor him selfe to be victored, consideringe
that it was ordeined, that no looker on vppon the penaltie
of liffe sholde by worde or token favour anye partie duringe
the fighte. ffor wch consideracion & custome in armes he
ought not to be adiudged a prisonner in particular, no more then
those that in common warrs be lawfullie taken who are by iustice
commonly released. On the contrarie parte the Neapoli:
tane affirmeth that orderlie he hath overcome his ennemie
ffor albeit his brother in speach hath transgressed the lawe
of the feilde, & desrueth to be punished, yet was his inten:
cion such though his brother had not spoken at all, & that
otherwise, no man wolde have behaved him selfe. The Flo:
rentine hereto replied, that beinge vppon the ground the
ennemie on horsback armed could not possiblie see him to deale in
that manner, and the nature of combatt is, that man to man
sholde fighte & not two to one, wch semeth in this case was not
obserued, whilest the one wth deeds & the other wth wordes
sought to oppresse him, and councell in armes is of no lesse