Page:MS V.b.104 087v.png

more honnor for mine owne virtue, then thow by the virtue of all thy
auncestors, from whose nobilitie thowe doost degenerate. I will there:
fore proceede against thee to thy infamie & shame, that seekest to shame
the duetie of a souldier, for thow art but a Souldier & even so am I.
Therfore beinge equall in this profession, we are equall & may not
be refuzed. Thease reasons on either side considered by the reader
it is to be iudged by sentence of Chevalrie, whether this gent by
nature may refuze to fighte wth this soldier, beinge descended
from a base ffather, longe practized in armes, & commended for his
virtue and honnestie In wch case I saye he maye not be re:
fuzed, because in martiall discipline virtue is no lesse regar:
ded then nature as before in the firste Chapter it is declared
that longe exercyse of armes maketh a man a good soldier and not
Idlenes or delicacye. But vse maketh a gent valiaunt, &
naturallie he is predestined and called to warrs, wherin only
nature avayleth not, because he muste be practized & vsed to
that exercise, And nobilitie nourished in Idlenes voyde of
martiall skill is not commended. Therfore he is noble who
is so made by his Auncestors, as we shall hereafter pceave
The lawe Ciuile saith, that soldiers armed and discipline
of warre were before the lawe of nobilitie, Also thexercise
of armes wch cheiflie is vsed of nobilitie, hath most respect
to courage & martiall virtue, and regardeth not nobilitie
naturall. It allowth the nobilitie of minde, and that vir:
tue wch becommeth a soldier. This is proved by the lawe Em:
periall, wch commaundeth that a bonde man beinge virtuous
and valiaunt in armes sholde by the Prince be aduaunced
to the nomber of gent in the Campe, yea though he were
borne vile & obscure, and whosoever is Challenged though he
he [sic] be vnmeete, yet beinge practized in armes shalbe reputed
a good soldier, as one emonge the reste. Because the vse
of armes dooth so make him beinge instructed in skill know:
ledge and martiall wisedome, wch nobilitie of nature alone
dooth not. ffor thease reasons a soldier is reputed hable
worthie & approved to thexercise of armes wch geveth no:
bilitie, and maketh them noble that are trained therin Tullio
saithe the praise that Scipio for his virtue deserued, is nowe
to be geven to such as vse thexercise of armes. The com:
mon lawe dooth call him noble that hath longe practized
armes. The lawe also affirmeth that the warrs geveth