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 sheweth how warres & batailles emprised by Iuste quarelle / moened in their right & droit / is thyng of Iustice & suffred of god ¶Capitulo ij^o·

Chaton the vayllaūt cōbataūt or fyghtar / by whos for¦ce and strēgthe of armes / the romayns had many fayr vyctoryes / & whiche neuer in bataill was dyscōfyted sayth that it ought more to haue proffyted to the comyn wele the wrytyng of rules / techyngs and dyscyplyne of armes whi∣che he had cōposed & made in a boke / than in ony thynge that he euer had doō wyth his body / for he saith alle that euer that a man may doo / endureth not but one age / But that whiche is wreton endureth to the comyn prouffit eu{er}more / by which Innumerable men may the more auaylle / so is it thenne by this reason proued / that it is not a thynge of lytyl prouffyt for to wryte & make bookes / But to thende that this presēt whrke by som̄ enuyous myght be reproched sayeng that it is but ydlenes & losse of tyme as to treate of thynges not lawfull / first it is to wyte yf warres & bataylles / chyualrye & faytes of armes of whiche thynge we hope to speke / it is or not / o thynge iuste / for as in excersysing of armes ben doon many grete euyllis / extorcyons / & grieues / lyke as occisiōs rauayne by forces / to brēne by fyre & infenyte harmes may seme to som̄e that warres & bataylles shold be acursed thyng & not due / And therfore to ansuere to this questiō / it is to

wete / that it appiereth manyfestly that warres ēprysed by iuste cause be permysed & suffred of god / lyke as we haue fo¦unden in y^e holy scrypture in many places / how our lord him self ordeyned to captaynes of hostes that whiche they shold doo ayenst theyr enemyes / lyke as it is wreton of one that was called Ih̄us / to whom he saide that he shold ordeyne him to bataylle ayenst his enemyes / & made an enbusshe for the better to vaynquisshe theym / And of other ynowe semblably is recyted / And also the holy escripture saith of god that he is fiers & gouernour of hoostis & bataylles / And warre & bataill whiche is made by iuste quarell is none other thing but right execucōn of iustyce / for to gyue the right / there as it apperteyneth / and to this accordeth the lawe deuyne / & sē∣blably the lawes ordeyned of men for to represse the arroga¦unts & malefactours / & as touchyng the harmes & euyllis that ben doon aboue the right & droyt of warre / lyke as other auctours sayen / that cometh nothyng of the right of warre but by euylnes of the peple y^t vsen it euyl lyke as I hope by the aide of god to touche here after where as it shal falle whe¦re as I shal speke of thynges lymyted after the lawes and droit canon in the excersyte of armes