Here begynneth the table of the rubryshys of the boke of the fayt of armes and of chyualrye whiche sayd boke is departyd in to foure partyes ...

¶In what manere may a gentylman chalenge another for armes / ¶Capitulo / xvj

NOw telle me that I may vndrestāde I putte cas that my fader haue take for his pleasir in his armes a bē¦de of goules with thre sterres of golde aboue thesame / or sō¦me otherthinge / and that another man whiche is of n••o sib¦be to my fader had tak semblable armes / myght this man thēne bere hem by right without gainsayng of eny chalenge I āsuere the that the maistrs of the lawes maken vpon the same suche a questyon / that yf a man or a lynage had taken newe armes sith that openly he had borne hem / and that it happed soo that another man of the towne or namely of the countrey of whens that other man or lynage were of w••ld take or had taken hem / it were noo rayson / but they ought to abyde styl to hym or them that first sette hem vp nor the lor¦de of the place / yf eny complaynte be made therof vnto hym / oughte not to suffre thesame / For suche armes ben & were founde for to knowe a dyfference amonge the folke & other wyse there were noo dyfference / but rather a confusion 〈◊〉〈◊〉 apperteyneth not to the prynce nor to his iustice for to suf∣fre that his subgettes shal wrong nor doo shame to eche other And to doo suche a thing / that is to wite to take the armes that another hathe taken a fore / hit shuld seme as a des¦pysing doon for a despyt for a ryote or noyse to begynne one vpon another / now maister yet wold I be ansuered of ano∣ther maner of debate that myght wel com / a gentylman of al¦mayne cometh to parys for to vysyte the kyng & see the ma¦nere of his court / wher he doo fynde another gentylman that bereth thesame propre armes that he & they of his kynrede bere / the whiche thing the said almayn wyl chalenge but the frēshman ansuereth that he hath not foūden them of late but that his antecessours of old tyme had & yet dyde bere them / The almayn saith that his lynage is more aūcyent than the frenshmannis kynred / and therfore ought the sayde armes

to be his owne and not the Frenshmans / And that more is by cause that the frenshman sayth ayenst thesame & deny¦eth hit / the almayn ansuereth / that he wol vpon this quarell fight with him / & casteth in dede his gage to him therfore in presence of the kynge / soo aske I of the yf this almayn hath a good quarell / & whether the kynge by the ryght of armes ought to iuge herupon the champ of bataille / In gode feyth my loue if / for this cause shuld a batayll be iuged / noo right accordeth not therunto / & ynoughe euydent is the rayson wher¦fore / for what domage nor dysworship can come to the alma¦yn / yf a frenshman that his not of the coūtrey borne y^• he is of and that are not bothe vndre one lorde / bere suche armes as he dooth / syn that they be namely of olde tyme hys owne wherfore thenne nor by what rayson ought he to chalenge the same / Certes herto bilongeth noo bataylle to be iuged nor no maner of ryght nother / but that eyther of them two shal kepe still that that he hathe / I saye not that yf it happed to a knyght or man of armes of Fraūce or of som other lāde thrughe falle dyssymulacyon that that were a man lyuyng an euyll lyffe a grete theef or man sleer / to take the armes of a knyght of almayne / with the whiche he shulde goo in to bourgoyne or in lorrayne for to take his proye & to sette hou¦ses on a fyre there / and robbyng folke by the waye / without faylle the almayn shulde haue noo euyl cause for to chalēge his armes from suche a man / but schold his quarel be iuste & good / But noone other bataylle were not for to be Iuged ayenst this euyll man / but onely the hangyng of his body on a gybet / For it were not ryght that a good man shulde putte hym self in parel / ayenst another that euydently were knowen crymynal and lyuyng an yl lyffe / and for this ba¦••at to take the armes of another as his owne men myght

be punysshed by ryght in dyuerse wise / For yf a souldyour of simple lygnage of almayne or of som other lande / shulde co¦me in to fraunce for to take the kynges wages in hs wer∣res that shulde bere the armes of som auncyent knyght of his countrey / of whos predecessours after the renommee / were acustomed to com ryght gode men of armes / and forto be the more worshiped and more sett by and for to haue bet∣tre astate / had taken the said armes / It is noo doubte / that yf suche a thynge cam to knowlege / and that the kynrede shuld reclame of wrong doon to them / he were or ••ught to be by ryght punyshed therfore likewyse as he that shuld cōtrefet the signe of a tabellyon or notarye / or as a marchaunt that shulde countrefete the marke of another marchaūt / & lykwi¦se of suche other thinges / for yf suche athynge were suffred infynyt barates and deceytes myght be doo vndre coloure of thesame /