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by his procurer. The challinger maye in this case lawful:
lie speake infamie of him, and in his despight disarme
him selfe to his reproche and shame, and wheras it apper:
teined to the defender to choose the weapon the Iudge
& the feilde, nowe the challinger maye lawfullie in his
disdaine doe it, and bannish the defender as a Coward, a
man dishonnored and vanquished or as one that confesseth
him selfe yelded and is absent of purpose to molest the chal:
lenger. The matter beinge thus handled by the challinger
it shalbe a meane that the defender shalbe reputed amonge
gent of honnor as a Cowarde, and one of no estimacion, &
afterwardes he shalbe reputed as a man insufficient to serue
his Prince his contrie or common weale. This is the
Iudgement of the lawe Ciuill Vigetio affirmeth, that
it is the parte of a gent to reguarde his honnor wth:
out feare of death. he ought also to defende his contrie
and who so not estemeth his owne honnor, shalbe reputed
a knight dishonnored and of none accompte. Hieronimo
a discreete doctor affirmeth that a gent ought to shewe
his martiall virtue, and therby to gett fame. ffor the
woundes receaved in battle, be as it were a grace, and
whatsoever gent in time of neede or seruice dissembleth
sicknes exile or wthdrawinge him selfe, dooth by the lawe
civile deserue punishment, yf he so dooth to be absent from
thexercyse of armes when necessitie requireth. And
alleadgeth Grimaldo a gent Romaine to have bene so
punished, for yt at the time of battle he feigned him self
sicke and so became condemned as a [?]. Such men
are not worthie to beholde their Princes fate, but to be
reputed as cowardes wthout courage fame or honnor, wher
others beinge deade in seruice of the common weale, their
Prince or their owne honnor, doe liue in fame & glorie
reputed valiaunt & immortall, but thease yt so litle
esteme their owne honnor do liue as though they were
deade as witnesseth Liuio an exellent historiogra:
pher in his seconde booke ab urbe condita, recitinge
Tito Manlio a noble Romaine, and sonne to a Consull
whoe beinge provoked to combat by a Tuscane, ennemye