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For what Personns A Man maye
come to combatt.

Ca. 5.

It is more over demaunded yf it be lawfull to enter in:
to personall battle for cawses towchinge our Children or
wief or other neere personns? wherto it is answered that yea,
ffor Mr Baldo saith that for our kindred the same is lawfull
but for straungers not, excepte they be Champions wth licence of
their Superiour who maye in defence of the goodes of their
neere aliaunce or their Contrie or for deare ffrendes, beinge
of person weake & insufficiente, or in respecte of great amitie
or auntient acquaintaunce in armes or other such noble exercises
ffor thease are compared alone to them of our owne bloode
And true ffreindes (as Aristotle saieth) have but one soule
and it is to be suppozed that we haue iustice. The hollie
scripture saith that we ought to deliver them yt suffer wronge
by prowde handes. Solomon writeth, fayle not to defende
thy neighboure from death. Tullius sayth that who so defendeth
not his freinde, is like to him that forsaketh his kinsfolde &
kingedome. By virtue of Chivalrie it is permitted to
fight for our companions and all such as be before rehersed
And therfore I wish that where two have vppon wager
of battle appointed to fight at a certeine daye, and the defen:
der before the daye dieth, and the Challinger saith he died for
feare that then somme kinsman of his sholde fighte in his
place, affirminge no feare, but the will of God to have
caused his death, and I thinke he ought to be admitted.
Also in case of impedimente of one kinsman, an other may
performe Combat in his place.