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Of two men at Armes the one of them by misch:
aunce, thorough his horses stumblinge vppon
a truncheon of a broken launce falleth, &
not thorough thennemies Virtue.

Ca. 16.

Twoe gentlemen of Almanie cominge into
Italie to fight on horsbacke for triall of their manhood
and virtue, made sute to sondrie lords there to obteine
a feilde of libertie for the satisfaction of their desires. At length
their request was graunted vnto them by the governor of Rome
that frelie they sholde fight vppon such articles as was agreed
vppon betwext the parties, & that he that sholde be victored, shold
besides lose his armor & horse & yelde him self a faithful pry:
soner. It chaunced that after diuers courses faire roune, & sondry
launces well broken, one of their horses stombled emonge the
truncheons of the broken launces, lienge vppon the grounde, &
at last he him selfe fell to the gounde & his horse vppon
him. The aduersarie seinge him downe & labouring to recovr
him selfe to come againe saide, thowe art alredie ouerthrowne
in retiringe from me, therfore art become my prisoner, & I will
not make more courses for that I have alredie obteined. The
question in this case was whether the gent thus overthrowne
ought to be prisoner or not. And it was answered that he
ought not, because the Challenge was not for life & death
but for triall of virtue. And seinge it was not the force
nor skill of the aduersarie that caused the fall, neither
the blowe at any encounter before receaved but only by means
of the broken launces, yt were vnequall iudgemente to accom:
pte him as victored, also sith prises & rewardes are geven
onlye to them that thorough virtue overcome their ennemies
who so dooth gaine the aduauntage by happe & fortune as
it semeth desrueth neither rewarde nor victorie, because
neither force nor pollece was the meane. The lawe
saith that yf so be a kinge proclaimeth to give a certeine