Here begynneth the booke whiche is called the body of polycye And it speketh of vertues and of good maners, and the sayd boke is deuyded in thre partyes. The fyrst party is adressed to prynces. The seconde to knyghtes and nobles: and the thyrde to the vnyuersal people. The fyrst chapytre speketh of the dyscrypcyon of the body of polycye.

¶ yet ensample of the wyse cauteles in armes.

PErycles that was duke of Athenes was of very force dryuen by them of ••oloponense in to a place that was closed aboute with many grete mountayns / where there were but two yssues for to go in or out / & whan he sawe that he was thus enclosed / anone he lete make ayenst the one of the yssues a strenge depe dytche semynge that it was made for bycause that his enemyes sholde not entre in at that place. ••nd at the other yssewe he was hymselfe with hys people as they wolde yssewe out whan theym lyste by force. The enemyes whiche supposed that he wolde not yssewe out at the other place / for by∣cause the dytche was made so meruaylous stronge / wente all

to the other ys••e we for to kepe that / and there they made wat∣che that they sholde not come out. Then anone Perycles made laye ouer brydges of Tymbre that he had / lette make & yssued out saufe / he and all his people. ¶ Also the hoost of Rome shol∣de passe by the forest of Latyne for to go vpon them of Uoyens And when they of Uoyens sawe that / they wente in to y^e sayd forest and sawed many of the trees as good as in two and put themselfe in a busshement fast by / And anone as the hoost of y^• Romaynes was entred in to the forest y^• Uoyens assayled out on euery syde and put downe the trees that were nexte theym vpon the Romaynes / and by that meanes they dyscomfyted & slue all the Romayne hoost. ¶ Also Alyxsaunder the kynge of Epyre had grete warre with the Elyryens▪ And vpon a tyme he bethought hym on a cautele and ordeyned hym a grete ma∣ny of garmentes suche as y^• Elyryens vsed to were vpon they•• harneys▪and anone lete cast them vpon his owne meyne / and when he vnderstode that his enemyes were come nyghe vnto hym / he cōmaunded his men whiche were arayed in these gar∣mentes / & commaunded them to sette fyre in the houses abou∣te them / whiche was in his owne londe / and whan the Elyry ens sawe that the houses were sette on fyre they supposed that it had ben done by theyr owne felawshyp / for bycause they we re arayed in suche garmentes as they vsed / and ranne fast to helpe them / and passed thrughe a strayte passage for to come to them / And there this sayd Alysaūdre had layde a grete busshe ment▪ & when they were in y^• strayte the busshement brake vpō them▪ & ••lue them euerychone. ¶ Also they that fought ayenst •• people y^• were called Heryceres / toke a spye of theyr enemyes and slue hym / and toke all his clothes and caste theym vpon one of theyr owne men that was lyke to his bygnes / and ma∣de hym go•• vp to an hyghe hyll where he myght se the hoost of his enemyes / and anone he made a sygne that they sholde co∣me

forthe in al that they myght / & so they dyde. For they wante t•• had ben theyr owne spye whiche they sente forthe / & so by this meane they were ouerth▪ owne / for they came amonge y^• busshe ment of theyr enemyes / where they were all slayne and taken. ¶ Also Leutulus had nede of sowdyours and so he waged a certayne nombre of men of Macydone / And whan this Leutu lus was somwhat approched nyghe his enemyes▪they of Ma cedone whiche doubted to haue the worse of the batayle depar ted out of the hoost for to go to the other partye / And whan Leu tulus sawe this myschete / anone he made all the hoost folowe them in ordynaunce of batayle / whan the enemyes sawe them come on / vnder suche fourme / they supposed that they of Ma cedone came vpon them to begyn y^• batayle for bycause y^• they came so before the other / & forth withall they shotte & can theyr dartes in all that euer they myght / where as they thought for to haue yelded them before / & with y^• Leutulus came on w^t his people / & by y^• meane he had y^• felde & dyscomfyted his enemyes