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 ...

¶Here deuysed the proprietes that men of armes ought to haue & in whiche they ought to be taught ¶Capi^o· xj^o·

WE haue deuysed al ynoughe the maners and introduc¦cions of fayttes of armes that thaūcyēt gaff to the∣yre children / the whiche for an ensāple are gode to be kept in mynde / and so behoueth vs to retourne to that / that is said afore / that is to wite in what thynges the gode & wyse cap¦tayn or his lieutenaūt shal aplie hym self first he shal as it is said afore drawe vnto him al y^e best & moost chosen men of ar¦mes

and shal cherysshe hem / And syth it cometh to speke of gode men of armes / vegece recounteth of the propryetees y^t behouen vnto theym / and saith that with hardynes without whyche he may not be ought / must be taught & be maystre in helping of him self in his harneys & to be in at his ease to thende he may lightly assaylle his enemye / and to be able to lepe lightly ouer a dyche and to clymme yf nede be vpon that that may lette him to entree the lodgis of the aduersaryes ouer hedgis & ouer tent{is} yf he seeth his tyme / to bowe asyde forto voyde y^e strokis by delyuernes of body / and to enuahiss¦he leping vpon his enemyes yf the manere of the bataylle re¦quyreth / And saith that suche maner of appertyses abasshen the courages of the aduersaryes & putte hem in a fere and so hath thaduantage ouer hem / And thus it hath be full of∣ten that one hath had the bettre vpon a stronger man than̄ hym self / and sooner wounded hym that nought was appa¦reilled for to deffende hym self / And of suche touches sayth he / vsed the grete pompee whan he faught / And yf ye dema∣unded of me where shal the best men of armes be taken / I say for an ansuere / what so eu{er} it is said that the men that be in the hote countrees nyghe the sonne how wyse that they be subtil & malicio{us} / are not moche hardy / by cause thay haue not foyson of blode / for cause of the grete hete that there habo¦undeth / & also to the contrary / they saye that they of y^t cold coū¦trees are hardy & not wyse / & thus cosequently none of bothe ought not be taken / but they of that lande whiche is be¦twix bothe tēperate ought to be taken / but as to me I hold y^t in this none othre rewle ought to be kept / but for to chese tho o men that moost haue seen / and that take moost delyte & ha¦ue plesur̄ in thexersice of armes / in whiche labour is they¦re glorye & theyre Ioye sette / and that none othre felicite nor

worship̄ they requyre / but onely that / that may com̄ to theym by meane of theyre cheualrouse dedes / and suche of what na¦cyō that they be of / are to be taken & receyued / and trouth it is that with thauctours all good witte ought to accorde that yf the captayn hath nede of folke of the comynaltee he ought sin¦gulerly to chese theym that can̄ som̄ craftes / as bochers that are woned to shede bloode & to smyte with axes •• carpenters smythes and all other that excersyce theyre bodyes in tra¦uaill and in werkes that be doon by might of mann••s ••and Also men̄ of the countrey to whome harde lyeng ••••yne and labour is not straunge & are norysshed of rude f••de suche be good to suffre peyne & trauayll / without whiche thyng is not made werre that long is demened & kept /