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And this is the resolution of Othone Emperor and kinge in
Italie. Fredericke therunto agreenge. Moreouer yf the chal:
lenger be leftehanded, and the defender vseth his righte, the defender
shall nevertheles fight wth his right hande and not his lefte,
because the lefte hande in him that is leftehanded is the right hande
And the challenger fightinge wth the leftehand, shall not fight
accordinge to the dysposition of the defenders right hande, but
accordinge to the leftehanded disposition. There were certeine
gentlemen that demannded yf the defeder were feinte or
weake of nature, and the challinger stronge lustie and weildie,
whether he ought wth fastinge, to abate or weken him selfe, till
his strength becaem weaker equall wth the defenders. ffor
otherwise a stronge challinger, that provoketh a weake
man and impotent, might easelie become in all combatts vic:
torious. wherfore to Auoyde this vnreasonable inconvenient
that a man of strength and force might call to combat, one
of impotent and vnhable bodie, like as we see a conninge
plaier at Tennys, seinge him selfe matched wth one
whose knowledge is farre inferior to his, doth either tie
one hande behinde him, or els dooth playe wth the lefte
hande, and the other suffred to plaie wth the right. So
likewise the Maisters of ffence were ever wonte to
geve somme advanntage to him suche as in skill of that arte
were to him or them inferior. And admitt that a soldier
prouoketh on other wanting an eie, he maye allege that
sith fortune is common to everie one, so in fighte sholde be
equall perill, and therfore the provoker ought not onlie to
blinde the one of his eies as erste I said, but also clere:
ly as It saide weare to put it owte, like vnto his aduersa:
rye, that in fight they maye be of one estate, and yf the one
maye not take hope of the others blindnes, and so fight wth
equall feare. ffor els he yt hath two eies sholde fight vppon
more assurannce, because losinge the one the other sholde yet
remaine. Also he that hath but one onlye eie, sholde fight wth
more feare, knowinge the aduanntage of his ennemie, wch were
no small discouragemt, to hazard the onlie eie he hath. And
therfore it is a principle in particular battells, yt equalitie must
be obserued, to thende that he that is vanquished, may not
have cause to excuse him selfe by disaduanntage to have lost
his quarrell and Combatt.