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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 perceave 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 vpon 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 soldier cannot be admitted to serue. The gauntlet as a most worthie 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 breakinge 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 combatt, wherof hereafter, we will also speake more at lardge.