their owne ouerthrowe of their parents and freends and also of their countrie We read in histories of ancient times that a King of the Persians dying left two sonnes each demaunding the Empire and yet while the matter was a debating they conuersed and liued together in al kindnes and brotherly louingnes till it was in the end declared by the peeres of the Empire which of them was chosen and elected to be the King which the other tooke so well that hee would not in any case be brought to think either vnkindely of his brother or euill of the electors he hauing what he aspired vnto and they doing what they thought best and conuenientest for the Countrie Such discretion would doe well in all men to cut from them manye inconueniences debates strifes and quarrels The nobility of Women HAuing discoursed of the inequalitie in nobility and especially of priuate noblemen and gentlemen I wil not take occasion now to say any thing of the meanes and maner whereby men rise vnto honour and dignitie nor of the greatnes and nobilitie of kingdomes prouinces and citties considering that this matter hath been so largelye and laudablye handled by many as appeares by the reading of the ancient and moderne histories which are filled with discourses tending to this purpose this I will onelye saye by the way that those places haue beene famed for most noble and had in greatest account which haue produced brauest men commended vnto posteritie for their vertue either intellectuall or actiue morall or politicke ciuile or militarie and as places are made famous or enobled by reason of the excelleÌ„t men that are there borne so also can no place how barbarous soeuer it be drowne or darken the glorie and commendation due vnto a man ennobled by valour prudence or other vertues whatsoeuer as Anacharsis being noted by one to be a Scithian answered as sharpely as readily true indeed by birth but not by bringing vp so that howbeit he was a Scithian borne yet were his manners not barbarous nor his life Scithian like but deserued the commendation due to ciuile and vertuous education But I will leaue the vertues and nobilities of men and turne my speech to women hoping they will not be offended with me if I discouer the vertues and noble disposition of their sexe which being such as deserue highest commendation I vtterly disalow of their opinion that not onely not attribute nobilitie vnto women but also abridge them from power and abilitie to ennoble and imparte nobilitie vnto others We read of many excellent women both of high and low estate in diuers histories whose fame hath been carried through the world for rare vertue some for valour others for learning others for wisedome others for chastitie others for other singular vertues and commendable partes manye Queenes and noble Ladies haue gotten great renown and become glorious for armes and warlike exploites many haue had their names dedicated to euerlasting remembrance euen by the memoriall of their owne pennes hauing been most exquisite writers and pen-women themselues both for prose and verse In my opinion then are women greatly wronged by them that seeme to take from them power of transferring nobilitie to others excluding them from so great an honor they notwithstanding hauing great reason to be copartners with men therein for excellency consisting in vertue of the body and the minde and women being endewed with both beautye and vertue and seeing that women can learne whatsoeuer men can hauing the full vse of reason or else nature who doth neuer do any thing in vaine should haue to no purpose giuen them the gifte of vnderstanding I thinke they deserue fellowship and communing in honor with men considering nature hath bestowed on them aswel as on men meanes to attain vnto learning wisedome and al other vertues actiue and contemplatiue which is made manifest by the example of many that haue coÌ„firmed the opinion of their valour and excellencie by their rare vertue and almost incredible prowes And to recite the worthy actes of some I will wholye commit and passe by the Amazones their story being counted fabulous and mention some whose valiant vertuous acts haue been recorded in true histories aswell of olde times as of our times The king Argus hauing by reason of long continued wars great want of men Theselide a woman of a cittie wherin Argus was besieged by Cleomenes king of Lacedemony prouoked the other women in the cittie to take armes and leading them out at the gates deliuered the Cittie from siege and put their enemies to shameful flight I wil not heer speak of the valour of Artemisia of Isicrate of Semiramis of Tomiris of the women of Lacedemony of Debora of Iudiâ—h and other vertuous and magnanimous yea holye and sacred Ladies whose historyes are contained in the holy Scripture but I will come vnto those whose life was not so long since but that we may well remember them About the time that the Englishmen vnder Charles the 6. had brought in subiection the gretest part of that kingdom there was a yong maideÌ„ called Iane Pulzela daughter to a shephâ—ard of the Duke of Loraine who not yet reaching to the fifteenth yeere of her age was accounted to be a Prophetesse and of many helde to be a witch but this maketh not to the purpose the King beeing in great doubt of his fortune sent or her to know whether he should lose the rest of his kingdome also or no and hauing answere that hee should become victorious in the end gaue the more credite vnto it because many of his noblemen assured him that she had the spirite of prophecie recounting many things vnto him which she had declared in priuate mens estates Afterward she tooke armes her selfe and behaued her selfe in such sorte among the other Captains and men of armes that in a verye shorte time she was made Captaine generall of the whole armye and being armed and mounted on a barbed horse in such sorte as she was not knowne but to be a man made a sally with all her troupes both horse and foote and assailing the enemie with an vndaunted courage followed her enterprise with suche valour and prudence that she freed the Cittie of Orleance from the siege being her selfe shot through the shoulder with an arrow thence she led her companye to Troe in Campanie where beeing encamped against the expectation of all the Captaines and Souldiers tooke the cittie in very shorte time and caused Charles the seauenth to be crowned in Rheymes as the ancient custome is hauing first deliuered the cittie from the siege which the enemie had laide vnto it Shortly after battering Paris and clambring on the walles as being famous amongst the stoutest Souldiers notwithstanding her legge was pierced quite through with an arrowe gaue not ouer the enterprise for all that but persisted till she had effected it Petrarch writeth that he knewe a damsell at Pozzuelo called Marie who borrowing the habit of a yong
man after the fashion men wore their apparell there armed her selfe and was euen the firste that fought with the enemie and the last that retired Vrsina wife vnto Guido the cheefe of the house of Torrello vnderstanding how the venecians had laid siege to Guastella a castle of her husbands hee being abroad armed herselfe and led a companye of men to the place and spoyling many Venecians defended the Castle Margaret daughter to Valdiner King of Suetia and wife to Aquinus King of Norway remained inheritrix vnto these Kingdomes in the right of her husband and of her father and in the right of her sonne Olaus also of Dacia but the Duke of Monopoli waging warre against her shee encountred him with a mightie armie defeated his forces tooke him prisoner and led him in her triumph after the solemn order of the Romans Mahomet King of the Turkes waging warre against the Venecians sent a great armie vnder the conduct of one of his generall Captaines to take the isle of Metelino and besieging Coccino very strongly the inhabitants issued and fought verye valiantlye against the Turkes in the same Cittie was a young maide who seeing her father slaine by the Turkes in this fight and the Citizens beginning to fainte and feare got into the former companies and skirmished so couragiouslye with the Turkes that all the Citizens ashamed to see themselues ouercome in stoutnes and courage by a simple girle tooke hart and vtterlye destroyed their enemies and saued the Cittie Bona Lombarda first seruant and afterward wife to Petro Brunoro of Parma being in the warres that the Venecians had against Francesco Sforza Duke of Millaine after Pauono a castle in the territories of Brescia was taken with her courage and gallant forwardnes recouered it againe Margaret wife to Henry King of England and Sister to Renatus King of Naples being informed that her husband was overcome in battaile and taken prisoner presentlye gathered certaine companies together and leading them to a place wherby the enemie was to passe encountred him ouercāe his camp and pursuing them that fled with her husband the King slewe an infinite company of men and in the end saued him and returned home with him and got him this most glorious victorie I remember that I being a youth a freend of mine sonne to a Trumpet that was in pay vnder the Captaines of the signorie of Venice was with a certaine cosin of his set vpon by eleuen other yong men that were their enemies which his mother perceiuing took a Partisan in her hands and defended her sonne and cosin and sorely wounding fiue of their enemies made the rest to flye Being in Rauenna I sawe in one of the Churches the carued image of a Ladie who being wife to a Gentleman that was cheefe of the house of Rasponi had euer in her life time accompanied her husband in all his warres and atchiued immortall fame by her prowesse and valour I was in Lombardie on a daye which was generally solemnised according to the custome ouer the whole Countrie and it happened at that time that there was a great quarrell betweene two rich houses among the Farmers and countrymen of that place the one part of which were called the Romani and the other the Ferrarisi both beeing vnder the Duke of Ferrara and meeting on this vniuersall feast daye at a village called Trefenta one of the Romani shot a Pistole at the cheefe of the Ferrarisi and thinking to haue wounded him missed him and hurte one of the Ferrarisi their wiues who was of so valiant a disposition that howbeit she was shot quite through yet said nothing to her freends nor complained of it leaste they should haue lefte their enemies and come to help her and so many of them might haue in meane while been spoyled by the aduerse parte but snatching a weapon out of one of the countrymens handes slewe him that had shot her and his fellowe that fought by him and so fell downe her selfe not able to performe any more liuing but foure daies after I haue read in the Cronicles of France that two great men growing to be enemies for the dukedome of Bretagne the one pretēding an estate in the same in right of his father as being his by inheritance the other claiming interest in it by the right of his wife as her doury c. one of thē was much fauoured by the King of Fraunce and the other of the King of England these two rising vp in arms one of them whom the King there least fauoured was taken and put in prison and the Frenchmen began to spoile his countrie and take his tenantes and comming to a Cittie where the Lady was wife to him that was taken besieged it and often assailed it though in vaine for she like a right valiant gentlewoman and of a manly courage prouided that not one woman in the Cittie should bee idle but bring her helping hand for the defence of the Cittie and maintenance of their honour causing some to make instruments of pitch and tarre and fire workes others to bring stones seething water and other things necessary at that instant and necessitie and very oftentimes issued very valorously and brauelye and firing her enemies tentes put them to great losse and confusion slaying manye of them but they daylye receiuing new supplies from the King she was forced to send for some succour to the King of England for which whilest she staied they draue her to many inconueniences for the people began to mutter and to mutinie within the Cittie finding great want and scarcitte by reason whereof many dyed and she was much sollicited and importuned to deliuer vp the Cittie to the enemie and not knowing how to answere them she desired them to staye for Gods mercie but so manye dayes limiting a certaine time and if no aide came in the meane while then shee would doe their request those daies being expired whilste shee was heuilie musing what answere to make her citizens that had verye earnestlye besought her againe to render spyed the English nauie on the seas and calling them to her window comforted them with that sight and caused all things to be prepared and made in a readines that when her English freends were landed and should assault the enemy she might with her companies make a sallie to meete them and bid them welcome to the destruction and vtter ouerthrow of her enemies which shee did and slewe so manye of the Frenchmen that all the countrie was amazed thereat and shee maintained warres against them a long time after I haue read in the histories of the Turks how that Selim Sultan hauing obtained the Empire after hee had poysoned his Father and strangled his Brother Corcut who was a Philosopher with a mightye armye pursued his Brother Accomat whom the King of Persia Vsan Cassano much fauoured and holpe with men prouision and monye but the Bretheren meeting together and the victorie being very doubtfull a great while in
of cōbatants should apertain to the superiors cheefe gouernours neither can it by any reason be lawful for eche one to take any such enterprise in hand that is willing to doe it or else for profe of their valour in which case also no Souldier ought to goe to the combate without licence neither doth any burthen or charge remaine vpon him if he deny the combate for that hee is to vse his valour in that warre not according to his owne pleasure but his vnto whome hee hath sworne his seruice and obedience without any respect of particular interest yet it may so fall out that a Souldier being burdened with some especiall quarrell concerning his reputation ought so much to regarde the same that he ought to abandon both the armye his countrie and naturall Prince rather then to suffer it to passe vnanswered Concerning which point I will say as much as I can presently call to remembrance True it is that if there rise any quarrell betweene two gentlemen of two aduersary armies they ought not either to challenge or answere a challenge without the authoritie of their Generall for that without his leaue it is not lawful for any man to haue any intelligence or dealings whatsoeuer with any in the enemies Campe but if that the quarrell were such that either of the parties should be dishonored either by delaying the challenge or not aunswering the same then ought he whose honor and reputation is in danger of staine to enlarge himselfe as much as in him lyeth from that subiection hee is in and bring himselfe into the waye whether the safegarde of his honor inuiteth him Insomuch that among Gentlemen this opinion is currant that if a man were in some Cittie besiedged by the enemie and could not obtaine leaue of the Gouernour to come foorth hee ought to leape ouer the walles to goe and defend his honor Yet will I not deny but that if a mans country or naturall Prince should be interessed in the matter he ought to haue a respect both of the one and the other and especially when a great parte of the quarrel should concerne either his Countrie or Prince for that thē the maner of proceeding therin ought to be platted by their counsaile and aduise But in all other cases when the matter onely concerneth a mans own interest then ought not any gentleman be backward in challenging or answering the challenger and in no case either vpon commaundement or vpon any penaunce whatsoeuer refuse the combat Neither according to my simple conceite ought any prince to look for any thing at his subiects hands that may empaire their reputation or woorke their dishonour How Gentlemen ought to accept of any Quarrell in such manner that they may combat lawfully THey that maintaine any quarrell vse most commonly to vndertake the combate with such intent that howbeit the cause of their quarrell be iust yet they combate not iustly that is not in respect onely of iustice and equitie but either for hatred or for desire of reuenge or for some other particular affection whence it commeth to passe that many howbeit they haue the right on their sides yet come to be ouerthrowen For that God whose eyes are fixed euen on the most secret and inner thoughts of our harts and euer punisheth the euil intent of men both in iust and vniust causes reserueth his iust chasticements against all offenders vntill such times as his incomprehensible iudgement findeth to be most fit and seruing to his purpose Wherfore no man ought to presume to punish another by the confidence and trust which hee reposeth in his owne valour but in iudgement and triall of armes euery one ought to present himselfe before the sight of God as an instrument which his eternall maiestie hath to woorke with in the execution of iustice and demonstration of his iudgement If therefore any man violate the 〈…〉 of my wife sister neece or kinse-woman I ought not or may not call him to 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 to the end that I may be reuenged of him Nor if any one should proue disloyall to his Prince or Countrie ought I challenge him to the combate in respecte of the hatred that I beare him or to obtaine fauour at the Princes handes or to purchase honour in my Countrie or if any of my kinsemen or freends were slain maye I challenge the murderer to the fielde in respect of the kinred or freendship I had with him but my intent ought to be such that howbeit I had not beene especially offended and no particular affection or respect should induce me thereunto yet for loue of vertue and regarde of the vniuersall good and publique profite I was to vndertake such a combate For I ought in all particular iniuries present vnto mine eyes not the persons either offending or offended but rather fall into cōsideration how much that offence displeaseth almightie God and how much harme may ensue vnto humaine kinde thereby And for adulterie ought a man to combate not as to reuenge the wrong done to one particular person but in regarde of all considering how holye and religious a bond matrimonie is being a lawfull coniunction instituted and ordained by God to the end that man and woman therein should not as two but one person liue together in such manner that nothing except death only might seperate and disioyn them Wherfore perpending the dignitie and worthines hereof and how that by adulterie this deuine ordinance and institution is violated matrimonyall coniunction infringed and lawfull procreation corrupted euerye Gentleman ought to vndertake the combate not so muche to reuenge himselfe or his freends or to thastice or punishe the offenders as to preserue and keepe from violence a bond so sacred and inuiolable with sure hope that God who as S. Paul saith will iudge the Adulterer will by means thereof giue most seuere iudgement In like manner if some man haue mis-behaued himselfe in any matter concerning his prince or cuntrie each Gentleman ought to thinke how that God hath ordained and authorised Princes to be aboue vs to the ende that vnder him they may as his ministers and officers gouerne vs his humble flocke how that nothing beeing move gratefull and acceptable vnto God then good gouernment among men who assembled together and liuing vnder the same lawes beare themselues orderly gouerning their liues and manners aright we are not so much bound in dutie towardes any as towards them that are as it were lieutenantes vnto almightie God in earth for so I call our princes and gouernors and towards that assemblie congregation of mankind vnder whose lawes we are borne and bred I meane our Countrie and how that no greter wickednes can be committed than for a man to rebel against him whom God hath ordained Lord and gouernor ouer him or to wrong him vnto whome he hath giuen his faith or to betray that citie vnto which hee is both for his liuing bringing vp many benefits besides
infinitly beholding In respecte whereof I saie each Gentleman hauing considered and weighed all this ought as a publique plague and not as a particular enemie to persecute him that committeth any of these odious excesses calling him to the triall of the swoorde confidentlye hoping and trusting with assured faith that God will chastice and punish him that hath so greeuouslye offended both him and his people violating his sacred ordinances and constitutions And for the same reason if some man haue committed murder hee that will combate with him must not doe it to this ende onely to wreake the death of him that is murdered in respect that he was his freend or kinseman but he ought to call to minde what a noble and excellent creature man is who being taken away and brought to naught by murder or slaughter the fairest and notablest woorke which almightie God hath framed is marred and spoiled Insomuch that whosoeuer committeth murder dooth dissolue and breake the most perfect peece of woorke that the creator of heauen and earth hath made and defaceth the image and likenes of God And for that God in his sacred law ordeined that man-slayers should be carryed from his alter and put to death the partie that will combate knowing how greatly his diuine maiestie is offended with this sinne ought not to vndertake the combate because he would kill him but because hee might be as it were the minister to execute Gods deuine pleasure and most holy commaundement By these examples maye a Gentleman perceiue what ought to be doone in all other cases so that it shall be needles for men to seeke examples for eache offence troubling both my selfe and the Reader In the meane time take this by the way that whatsoeuer I haue heere saide of the Challenger is also in the same manner to be vnderstoode of the Defendant insomuch that both the one and the other ought to regarde the preseruation of their honour and innocencie by iust meanes the one neuer challenging but with iust cause and vpright meaning and the other neuer accepting any challenge vnlesse hee know himselfe to be guiltles and in such sorte that he may take it with a good conscience as to doe or performe any action that concerneth his honor to liue and dye in defence thereof For as it is shamefull to doe any dishonorable act so is it more shamefull and opprobrious to maintain the same and stand in defence of it And againe a man finding himselfe innocent and wrongfully dishonored ought not to feare any danger but to venter his life at all times for the righting either of priuate or publique wronges in all things considerations and circumstances hauing a speciall regarde vnto iustice For God giueth right vnto him that is iust and ouerthroweth the vniust whosoeuer therefore shall take armes for iustice to repell vniust iniuries may be assured to preuaile and with an vndismaied courage goe about what he vndertaketh OF INIVRIE OF the Charge and of the shame WHereas I haue before sufficientlye intreated vppon the qualitie of Lyes and shewed the nature of them to bee to returne injuries peraduenture some wyll meruaile why I should againe speak thereof in this place seeing that the iniurie must needes be before any returne which though I confesse bee out of order to reduce it vnder this title yet in diuerse respects I haue bene moued thereunto as namely for that I finde a verie ill custome generally followed in quarrelles where by contempt of right course and law it selfe Gentlemen are rashly carryed to take weapons in hand not considering first if it bee a lawful quarrell or such as may deserue a Combat nor doo they euer desire to bee directed by an orderly proceeding But Gentlemen of discretion ought first before they enter into armes rightly to examine the quality of their quarel if it be worthie the proofe by weapons and by this meanes make a right introduction to the truth so as men bee not rashly lead on to the slaughter Again the ground of all quarrels betwixte Gentlemen is this that they thinke themselues iniuried or charged whereof my purpose is chiefly to intreate so farre forth as I shall thinke it needfull To beginne then with iniurie Iniury it is nothing else but a thing done without reason as as we vse to say wrongfully Charge And Charge is no other but an inforceing of a man to returne or to prooue or reproue anie thing alledged which is so tearmed by this name because that the lawiers affirme that the charge of prouing resteth on the Challenger He that is ged Whereby it appeareth that the man charged ought to be the Challenger and touching these two wordes it is to be vnderstood that sometime both iniurie and charge are at one time done and sometime charge without iniurie and a man maye also iniurie and not charge Touching the first thus it is I am charged by one with an offence I neuer committed wherin he doth me iniurie Iniury charge because hee doth vnlawfully seeke to defame me and then laieth the charge on me in that he forceth mee to seeke to returne the iniurie and make answere to his opprobrious wordes vnlesse I would suffer my selfe to be shamed Charge wiâ—â—out iniurie Whereupon I giue him the lie and so discharge my selfe and come to charge him which setteth me free bindeth him to maintaine his wordes which is as much as to vrge him to challenge Wherefrom we are to note that I onely charge him without iniuring because my answere is but reasonable and so the charge resteth on him as I sayd before Iniurie without charge is of two sortes viz. of wordes and of deedes Of wordes thus if one man should speak anie thing of another which were manifestly knowen to bee false to this he should not bee bound to aunswere because the first without anie returne woulde bee accounted a false accuser and a lyer and in mine opinion it is a more honourable reputation for a man to bee silent in such a case than by aunswering to seeme to make any account of the wordes as a noble worthie man sayde vnto a Gentleman that had slaundered him that hee would neither holde him a friende nor an enemie not yet answere his wordes reckning him vnworthie to bee wel spoken off by an honest man and too base a subiect for a man to speake euill off But if in case of such shamefull and false wordes a man shoulde bee vrged and giue the lie it is more than is requisite as a thing whereof a quarrell ought not to be taken for quarrels are to testifie a truth and where that is once manifest the quarrell is not required Iniurie by deeds without charge is when a man by aduantage or such lyke meanes offereth a wrong and it is euident that such a facte was villanouslye doone and this iniurie I account doone without charge in such lyke sorte as that was by wordes because that if hee that