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 is deuysed how it is not expedyent that a kyng or souerain prynce goo in bataylle for the peryllis of aduersay¦re fortune ¶Capttulo vj^o· (Book 6)

Thēne by the way aforsaid y^e wyse kynge or prynce shal determyne to werke in the fayte to entrepryse warres & bataylles / And for as moche as it is a thynge notayre / that in suche a fayt to bygynne / mayntene / & contynue foure pryn¦cypall thynges / That is to wite an heed or chief / hardynes∣se / Strengthe / and constaunce / without the whyche alle shold goo to confusion / ye yf that onely one of them faylled / now it is to see yf it be good that the kynge or souuerayn prynce in his propre persone goo to his warre / And be in the bata¦ylle / For as the faytte ought to touche hym more than / ony other / By whiche his presence myght represente the for¦sayd four thynges / And with this that it is no doubte y^t his knyghtes & men of armes & all thoost shold haue the better herte to fyghte / seeyng their lord in y^e place / redy to lyue & deye with them / without faille for to āsuere to this q̄stion

not Wih̄thstondyng all that ony may saye of the wele & good that myght ensiewe / and that many ensamples shold be foūden of kynges & prynces / to whome it is wel taken to be presente in their bataylles / lyk as the kynge alexander in his conquestes / & also many kynges of fraūce / as the kyng clodoneus / charlemayne & ynowe of other / & also charles whi¦che presently regneth beyng a childe in the age of: xiiij: yere newly crowned was in the batayl of rosebek / ayenst the fle∣myngis / where he had noble victorye / it is not to be delibered ne lightly to be concluded / that the kynge ne souerayn prince goo in his propre {per}sone / and better is it teschewe it •• than to goo thyder / alleway reserued som̄ cas that is to wite ayenst his owne propre naturel subgettes / in caas that they be re¦bell to hym / the cause is for as moche as naturally the sub∣get fereth to offēde the mageste of his souerayn lorde in espe¦cyal in his presence / whom they may not denye •• what some∣uer paruerse wylle they haue / that they shold lose hertes and mēbres like as they were vaynquisshed / they seeyng agaīst hym: whome they ought to ayde / and also to be with hym a∣yenst alle men / and in especyal the confusion is grete ayenst them / And the right is grete for the prynce •• whan he is to theym good & not cruell ne tyraunt / But not for what so∣meuer necessite that he see / he ought wel to take hede •• that he be sette so surely in the bataylle / that the perill of euyl fortu¦ne may not falle vpon his persone / But the reason general wherfore it is not good commynly that he goo to bataill is by cause that none may knowe to what partye god shal gy¦ue the eure of the victorye / wherfore yf the fortune cam ay∣enst the prynce beyng there in persone / by whiche he take deth be take or flee / that shold not be perdycyon and desho∣nour only to his sayd persone: but to them of his blood:

& generally to alle his subgettis londe & contrees perdicōn & infenyte inconuenyent / lyke as ynowh̄ may be knowen by thexperience of caas semblable in this royame / & ellis where late happened / And therfore it is not to be chosen that for the regarde of som̄e particuler vtilite is put in aduenture & peril that / of whiche may come infenyte harmes & inconuenyētes and therfore a prynce ought not be byleued that therin shold be ouer wylly & courageo{us} / but he ought to be put fro it / and the causes & reasons to hym assigned with examples whi∣che oughte to refrayne hym / Consideryng the right grete pe∣ryl / not onely of his persone as said is but of alle hys sub∣gettis & royaulme / And to this purpoos veryly may wel serue for example / the wytte & good gouernaūce of the for∣said wise kynge Charles the whiche he not mouyng fro his trone ryal in palays / conquerd agayn alle the londes lost by his predecessours right cheualero{us} / lyke as the trouthe is ma¦nyfested / and that it be true to this purpoos / that wytte & di¦ligence be more expedyent in faytte of warre than in the pre¦sence of the prynce / semblably it appiereth by the first duc of mylane fader of this that now is: the whiche not partyng fro his palays: conquered by his wysedom as many londes & seignouries in lombardie & in the marches: that to the sey¦gnourye of a Cyte he attrybued & gate so many other that he made it a right grete & notable duchie