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.

¶ Ensample of worthy knyghtes. Capitulo. xli.

OF grete vygoure was that worthy knyght whi che was well nourysshed w^t Iulyus Cezar who∣se name was called Scenola to whom was gy∣uen and to other knyghtes a passage for to kepe and a towre ayenst the hoost of Pomp ye whyle y^• warres endured bytwene them / So it happened that y^• hoost of Pomp ye thought to gyue them a grete assa••••telin so mythe that this knyght had moche payne to defende hymselfe frome his enemyes / for they charged hym passynge sore / so the batay ••e was passynge stronge and cruell. For there were many wor thy men on bothe partyes. But this Scenola whiche was as hardy as a lyon dyde so grete dedes of armes that it was mer uayle to tell / and suffred so moche payne in defence of his place▪ that he was passynge sore hurte / and in his fyghtynge he sayd to his knyghtes / nowe for the gentyll knyghtes and felowes•• breke the dartes of your enemyes w^t your feete & receyue theyr ••••owe hedes in your throtes / & we shall ouercome them▪ For in the meane tyme y^• we dye / he shall come y^• shall rescowe this for ••••esse / and too speke in fewe wordes his language & his dedes

were so mothe that he ought to be put in memory / for he by his good amonycyons & ensamples of his dedes encreased so y^• cou rages of his felawshyp y^• they dred no dethe but fought mer∣uaylously. Then he wente vp to the towre & cast the deed men vpon the quycke / and droue them downe fro the walles y^• were entrynge vp / he cutte of the hondes of them that touched y^• wal les aboue / and caste stones and other thynges y^• he myght gete without seasynge. But to speke shortely he••lue soo many that the hepe of the deed men was as hyghe as the toppe of the wal as the olde auctours wytnesseth / whiche wrote the noble actes and dedes of y^• Romaynes. And then he lepte out amonge his enemyes / then anone they ranne vpon hym on euery syde and he faught so sore that his sworde was so grecy of the bloode / & so blunted with strokes that it myght cutte no more. And his enemyes caste so faste the dattes at hym that often tymes the dartes mette togyder and toke away y^• stroke. And thus he en dured longe / lyke as ••ucan wytnesseth of hym and of his mer uaylous dedes / seynge also y^• there was so grete preese aboute hym that he myght vnnethe dure noolenger. And amonge all other strokes he was smyten with an arowe in y^• lyfte eye / but anone he raced out the arowe of his heed▪and the eye withall / & trade vpon it. And whan he sawe that he was soo ••ore hurte y^• he myght not wel endure no lenger / he fayned hymselfe that he was repentaunte that euer he faught ayenst the Cytezyns of Rome. And he sayd also that they ought to haue py••e on hym / for as moche as he was of theyr bloode / and prayed them that one of them myght brynge hym before ••ompye for to crye hȳ mercy and there he wolde dye. Then there was one in the pla∣ce that byleued well his wordes / and came to hym for to haue ledde hym to Pompye & anone as he came nygh•• this Scena gaue hym so grete a stroke that he slue hym stoone dede. And than anone they fell vpon hym and slue hym / and thus ended

Scena one of the good knyghtes of the worlde.