parted till God had determined on whether partie ye falshoode & slaunder ought to reste. But the gent beholding so cruell a fighte ceased not to call vppon the iudge, who yet remayninge in his former opinion, not to hinder the devine providence refuzed to parte them, wch the saide gent perceivinge desirous to avoyde so greate a crueltie tooke it in hande. In wch case I saye that albeit it were most cruell to beholde, yet for yt the cause therof concerned treasons & haynous offencs, the ende of the combat ought to have bine abidden. So might the iustice of God have bene perceaved & euell men receaved a iuste example. Frederico the Emperor, by his constitucion disanulled the lawe of Lombardie wch permitted not particular battle (this onlye of treason & priuie murder excepted) because such offences sholde be more terrible to them that wente abowte them, the one is contrarie to the deuine maiestie & his commaundement, the other against the Prince, who is father of the common weale & ought to preserue truth & fidelitie. A kinge or Prince may be iustlie called a God on earth & euery treason may be saide to be contrarie to the nature of man, wch is common to liuinge men, & so in committing treason offendeth nature.
Where two doe fighte on horsbacke for life the one is Vnhorsed & lieth flatt vnseene whether a stander by, maye without punishment speake. ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~
Ca. 22.
