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before he had iustefied his doings. ffor whosoeuer standeth first in
iustification and after excuseth him selfe, doth make a plaine de:
niall. So as in conclusion I saye, that whosoeuer hath done or
committed anye offence default or iniurie & doth first iustefie the
same, yf after he falleth to excuse it doth make a manifest de:
niall, but yf he never doth Iustefie his doings but excuseth his
doings, that excuse excludeth all intent of evell meaninge. There
is also difference in denialls, as he that fleeth the feelde doth
therby make a more cowardlie deniall, then he that by force of
armes doth confesse him self vanquished, & ought the rather
to be reputed. As it once hapened that a certeine knight hearing
there was a ladie vniustlie accused of adulterie determined by
armes to defende her, & beinge come to the Cittie where she
was holden prisonner, tooke vppon him her quarrell against the
accusers, who because they were in nomber two, he brought wth
him one other valiaunt gent, that promised to fight likewise in the
favour of the ladie. The Challenge beinge made, & the daye of
combat agreed vpon betwene the parties, this knighte wth his com:
panion entred the lists, but one of the accusers fled & renounced
the Combat, wheruppon the knight defender of the ladie de:
sired alone to fighte wth the accuser, wch he did & was victo:
rious. Then was the companion of the victored condemned for
a denier & traitor. The like case hapened betwext fowre other
gent, of whome two defied the other for the honnor also of a
woman, after they were all appeared & the combat begon, one
of them fledd, but the companion of him notwthstandinge most
manfullie pceeded in the combat, & at the first course wth his
launce pearced thorough the bodie of one of the ennemies, wch
done he assailed the other, enforcinge him to yelde, wherby
the victorie was intierlie his, but his companion fled was nevr:
theles condemned as vanquished & infamous. wherfore retor:
ninge to the matter I saye that deniall is the greatest dishon:
nor & shame that anye gent can receive, for death wth repu:
tacion is more honnorable, then deniall wch carieth wth it
perpetuall infamie, because he that is vanquished & slaine
by his ennemie, maye be saide to die in defence of his honnor.
But the denier or vnsayer of his worde hath slaine him self
& his owne honnor for ever. All couragious knightes doe
affirme that they had rather be slaine then denie their
worde wch manfull admonition they geve to those that