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 ...

¶Of Acoriolo duke of Dace of Fuluyus nobilius / of Pamynodas / of Fabyus maximus / of Scypion Affry∣can the second / of Xertoryus / and yet of Pomodas duke of Athenes ¶Capitulo / vj^o· /

THat tyme that the rommayns were in dyscencyon the one ayenst the other and duryng the cyuyle werre / & where dyuerse natyons had syn the tyme of theyre prospery¦te conceyued a grete enuye and dysdayne ayenst theym se∣med by especyall to them of dace that the tyme was come that they might wel renne vpon hem / And where they had

dyuerse tymes admonested byfore thys theyre duke Acor••a¦lo for to doo soo whiche wolde not be agreable therunto / he atte he last by cause that they pressed hym so sore / and for to gyue hem a knowlage by an example dide make dyuers dog¦ges to be brought byfore hym in a place byfore the palays and were sette that one vpon that other in so muche that they bigan strongly to be fyght eche other / But in the moost strengthe of theyre bataille when it semed that they were moost angry and fyers that nothinge coude departe hem / he made a wolffe of whiche he was pur••eyed a fore to kepe emonges hem & assoone as the dogges sawe hym they l••f¦te the bataille that they had togider emonge hem / and they al of one acoorde runne a noone vpon the wolffe / and by this example shewed the said duke to his men / that what soeue∣re awerre that eny nacyon haue emonge eche other / they shall not suffre therfore / that a straūger shall hurte hem / but rather they wold make accorde togider for to ••ēne vpon hym / ¶Item Fuluyus nobilius hed capytayne of the ost of Romayns fonde hym self ones so nyghe taken by them of Samoys that nede and force was to hym for to abyde the bataylle / of the whiche thinge by cause that he knewe wel that his folke were sore a ferde by cause that theyre ene¦myes were of more quantyte than they were / he dyde aduy∣se hym self for to take awaye theyre feere by thys cawte••••e He sayd vnto hys folke and made hit to be cryed and pu∣blyed thrughe al his oost / that he had tourned vnto hym for money the hertes of a hole legyon of the Samytes / And that they shuld Ioyne with hym whan the bataylle shulde / begynne for to helpe hym / ¶And by cause they shuld byle∣ue bettre thys thynge he borowed of theym al the golde and the syluere that they might make / as though hit had be for

to prepare the said folke / A legion of men is in nombre / vj thousand / vj / C / lxvj / So it happed that for hope of this / the romayns toke so grete a boldnes in theire corages / that they enuaysshed hardyly & prondly ranne vpon theyre enemyes whiche they fonde al ynoughe dyspurueyed by cause that they preysed hem so lytel & setted nought by them for cause that they were so fewe folke to the syght of theym / and so the romayns vaynquissled the Samytes and gate the felde vpon hem / ¶Item Pamynodas the worthy duke of The¦bes shulde ones fyght ayenst theym of Lacedemonye / So dide he see in hym self for a subtylyte wherby the strengthe & hardynes of corage might growe in hys men / He made hem al to come byfore hym and sayd thus al ahighe in audyence that he wolde aduise hem of that that to his knowlege was come for a trouthe / It was that the Lacedemonyens had or∣deyned affirmably / that yf they had the vyctorye they shul¦de kylle and slee al the men and the women of Thebes / and that they shulde dystroye the cyte and shulde take the chyl∣dren in to thraldome perpetuelly / For this denoncyacyon they of Thebes moeued with grete yre & anger dide fight sore as men that sette nought by theyre lyues and ouerca∣me the Lacedemonyens that more folke were without com¦paryson / ¶Item Fabyus maximus shuld fyght ones ayenst hys ennemyes and was hys oost enforced ryght wel with pales and of stronge lodgys wherfore he doubted that hys folke shulde not fyght strongely ynoughe for cause of the places where they had theyre wythdrawht and refut were so sure / And therfore he made to be sette all a fyre or euere he began to fyght / ¶Item whan Scypion the secon¦de Affrycan conduytte hys seconde oost in Affryke hit hap¦ped hym to falle to the grounde whan he yssued out of hys

shippe / he soone behilde the contenaunce of his folke & percey¦ued that they toke this fall for an euyll token / & that they were al redy as dysconforted therfore / Thenne aduysed the ryght wise werryour in hym self of a wise worde for to saie wherby he myght gyue surtye to h̄is peple of theyre doubte he byganne to laughe & sayd boldly / O god be thou preysed here may ye see a good token For I am sesed al redy of the lan∣de of Affrike hyt wyl be myne without faylle / And thus by this worde he tourned the euyl hope of his folke in to a goode / the whiche thinge happed after as he had sayd / Item as xertorius shulde ones haue fought it appiered in his ost a merueyllouse signe / For the sheldes of his men of armes and the brestis of theyre horses becam al couered with blode the whiche thinge was to them occasion of a grete fere but the valyaunt duk assured theym full wel / saymge to them with a gladde chere that it was a ryght gode token and that by the same they ought to vndrestande that they shulde haue the vyctorye For thees partyes ben thoo that are & ought to be comynly blody with the blode of the enemyes / Item pamynodas the wortly duk of Thebes shulde ones be fight the Lacedemonyens / and where the cas happed that the ba∣taylle was somwhat dylated / hys chaere was brought vn∣to him for to sette a lytel vpon abydynge the owre of the bataylle / but percase of aduenture hys chaere tourned vndre hym and fille donne besyde / of the whiche thinge hys folke were muche abasshed and toke hit for an euyll betoknynge The said duke thenne whiche rose vp quyckly sayenge vn¦to theym with a hardy face in thys wise / Now vp vp lyght¦ly my gode knyghtes the goddes doen forbede vs the so••our¦ne and taryenge / For they haue admonested vs by thys to¦ken for to goo soone to the bataylle / and oure shal be the

vyctorye /