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greatest honnor in armes that maye be. ffor proof wherof the
Emperor whensoeuer he maketh any knighte he doth girde him
wth a sworde. All Capteines doe mainteine their aucthoritie
by the sworde, & therby doe iustice. The sworde is allwaies
caried before the Emperor, & finallie the sworde representeth
greate glorie & estate Moreouer it is to be considered that who
so looseth his helmett in bettell, meriteth greater reproche
then he that loseth his sheilde, because the helmet defendeth
the princypall member of the bodie, & the sworde serueth for
defence of baser parts, ffor triall wherof it appeareth that
the heade peice of kinge Nabuchodonozor was made of fine
golde as for the worthiest member, and his forecurrate of
siluer as a parte of lesse reputacion, Also we maye per:
ceave that Children at their baptisme are towched vppon
their heade as their moste worthie and principall parte
The Emperor wth his Crowne imperiall dooth rather
adorne his heade then his sholders. The worthines of
the heade appeareth also in that the same is placed vp:
on the hiest parte of the bodie, wherin is conserued the five
Sences, the braine is also therin conteyned It is also the abydinge place
of the witte and memorie, it possesseth the tonge, and for that the heade
is of such exellencie, the hurts and woundes geven theruppon be of
greatest reputacion. Whosoeuer loseth his gauntlet in fighte is
more to be reproued then he that loseth his Pouldron, because
the gauntlett defendeth the hande, wherof beinge berefte a sol:
dier cannot be admitted to serue. The gauntlet as a most wor:
thie parte of armor is commonlie sente for signe of defiaunce
he that loseth the seate of his Saddle by violence of thennemy
deserueth greater reprooffe then he that falleth to the grounde
thorough weaknes of his horse or his evell girthe or the brea:
kinge of the Saddle, or for that the girthes did breake, or yt
thorough like mishapps falleth downe wthout the force of thennemie
Thease and such like particularities, doe give or take awaye somme
parte of honnor from those that happen to come to personall combat.
And hetherto we have intreated of the honnor of a gent in com:
batt, wherof hereafter, we will also speake more at lardge.