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If two doe fighte for life whether
the Iudge maye departe them.

Ca. 25.

Whersoeuer two gent or other soldiers doe fighte
onlye for triumphe or triall of virtue, yt is lawfull for the
Iudge to departe them at his pleasr, but yf they fight for honnor
& life thende of the Combat muste in anye wise be taried or at
the least that one doth denie or yelde. ffor in such combatts accor:
dinge to the opinion of all men professinge armes, the Iudgement
of God will in thende of the fighte appeare. kinge Dauid in
his Psalmes saithe. Blessed be the lorde God that teacheth
& directeth my hands in fighte. Therfore yf the Iudge
shall goe aboute to depart men yt fight for honnor & liffe, he
shall therin doe an acte rather of pittie then iustice. The
Iudge therfore by his discretion ought only to doparte the figh:
ters after deniall to save the partie victorious from the sinne of
murder, for otherwise doinge is against the commanndement of
God. As it once hapened in Germanie betwene two barons who
in the presence of the Emperor, came on horsback to fight, in case
of adulterie. ffor beinge wthin the lists the one chardged the
other saienge, we have agreed to fight wth armour & weopon
fit for men at armes, & thowe arte otherwise furnished, wch
was expreslye denied. Nevertheles the gent still affirmed yt
so it was, till at length both the parties did disarme them to
their shirts, wch done the one retorned to perfourme the combatt
wherby the accuser knewe he had iniustlie chardged his enne:
mie, & therfore while he was in arminge againe, put spurrs to
his horse & fledd, & was not more seene that daye. The othr
who remained wthin the lists arminge him self continued
there till suche time as the Emperor gave sentence that
the furniture of the knight fled should be his in token of honnr,
because in fleinge he confessed to knowe him self to mainteine an
vntruth. Also fleinge the lists is a plaine deniall greatly
reprochfull, & he that so dooth maye in all Princes courts
Campes & Citties, be by other gent professinge armes
reproved & repulsed.