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in personne as shall hereafter be declared. Andrea de Iserina
and Mr Baldo affirme, that although a gentleman doe con:
tinuallie abide or dwell in the contrie, yet ought he not there:
fore to be accompted as a villaine, because the rudenes of the
place cannot remoue the honnor wch naturallie he possesseth
as in the next booke shall more plainlie appeare.

Howe it is not Lawfull to corrupt
A Champion.

Ca. 9.

In the constitution of Fredericke the Emperor
it is declared, that althoughe it be lawfull in battle
of lyfe & death wth all fraude to vanquish an ennemy
yet yf a Champion be corrupted, and so suffer him selfe to be
vanquished, yet shall not he againste whome he fought be accoun:
ted victorious, because the lawe Civile saith that victorie is
not to be gained by corrupcion. fforasmuch as Combatts were
invented for triall of truth by force of armes. And there:
fore to winne by corruption, is contrarie to the lawe, nowe other:
wise then where a man gaineth his presse by corrupting the
Iudge or the witness. ffor thoughe in fighte it be lawfull to
vse all fraude and aduanntage, yet is it not sufferable to cor:
rupte the Champion to thende he sholde not doe his endevour
in the Iudgemente of the battle, for victorie so gained sholde
be dishonnorable. The auntient emperors were wonte to
crowne those yt foughte valiauntlie, and denied them of glorie
wch by corruption happened to attaine to victorie. Thoughe
as before I saide in combatt of life and death it be lawfull
to vse all deceipte in weakininge the powre of thennemie
wth deceipte ought to be construed and taken for pollecie or
virtue in thexercise of armes. ffor wch reason who so be:
commeth victorious by force of his person shalbe more estee:
med then he yt wth mere crafte wthout courage or mag:
naminitie hath vanquished thennemie, though by such means
he hath before overcome full manie a noble knighte, besides
this he that corrupteth a Champion dooth not desrue the