Now certanly of aƚƚ the signys the wich ar founde ī armys as of flowris leuys and other merueƚƚys tokenys I can not declare here: ther be so mony. Bot ye shaƚƚ knaw generally that for aƚƚ tharmys the wich lyghtly any man has seen ī his days: ye haue rules sufficient as I be leue. to dyscerne and blase any of theym: and it be so that ye be not in yowre mynde to hasty or to swyfte in the dyscernyng. Ner ye may not ouerryn swyftly the forsayd rules. bot dyligently haue theym in yowre mynde. and be not to fuƚƚ of consaitis. For he that wiƚƚ hunt ij haris ī oon owre: or oon while oon. an other while an other lightly he losys both. Therfore take heede to the rules. Iff so be that they be not a generaƚƚ doctrine: yet shaƚƚ thai profecte for thys sciens gretly.
Merke ye wele theys questionys here now folowyng.
Bot now to a question I wiƚƚ procede. and that is thys Whethyr tharmys of the grauntyng of a prynce or of other lordys ar better or of sych dignyte: as armys of a manis propur auctorite take. when that it is leefuƚƚ to eueri nobuƚƚ man to take to hym armys at his plesure For the wich question it is to be knaw that .iiij. maner of wyse we haue armys
¶ The first maner of wyse we haue owre awne armis the wiche we beer of owre fadyr or of owre moodyr or of owre predycesessoris. the wych maner of beryng is comune and famus in the wych I wiƚƚ not stonde long. for that maner is best ṗuyt
¶ The secunde maner we haue armys by owre merittys as verey playnly it apperith by the addicion of tharmys of Fraūce to tharmys of Englonde getyn by that moost nobuƚƚ man prynce Edward the first getyn sone of Kyng Edward the thride yt tyme Kyng of Englond after the takyng of Kyng Iohn̄ of Fraunce ī the bateƚƚ of Peyters. The wich certan addicion wos lefuƚƚ and rightwysli doon. and on the saame maner of whyse myght a poore archeṙ haue take a prynce or sum nobuƚƚ lorde. &̄ so tharmys of that prysoner: by hym so take rightwisly he may put to hym and to his hayris.
¶ On the thride maner of whise whe haue armys the wich we beere by the grauntyng of a prynce or of sum other lordys.
¶ And ye most knaw that thoos armys the wych we haue of the grawntyng of a prynce or of a lorde resayue no question why that he berith thoos same. for whi the prynce wyƚƚ not: that sich a question be askyt. whi he gaue to any man sych an armys as it is playn in the lawe of nature and Ciuyƚƚ. For that same that pleses ther prynce has the strength of lawe. bot if any mā bare thoos armys afore. for that thyng the wich is myne with a rightwys tityƚƚ with owte deseruyng may not be take fro me. ner the prynce may not do hit rightwysly.
¶ The faurith maner of whise we haue thoos armys the wich we take on owre awne ꝓpur auctorite. as in theys days opynly we se. how many poore men by thayr grace fauoure laboure or deseruyngꝭ: ar made nobuls. Sum by theyr prudens. Sū bi ther māhod. sū bi ther strength. sū bi ther conīg. sū bi oḋ u̇tuys And of theys men mony by theyr awne autorite haue take armys to be borne to theym and to ther hayris of whoom it nedys not here to reherse ye namys. Neu̇ the lees armys that be so takyn they may lefully and frely beer. Bot yit they be not of so grete dignyte and autorite as thoos armys the wich ar grauntyt day by day by the autorite of a prynce or of a lorde. Yet armys bi a mannys propur auctorite take: if an other man haue not borne theym afore: be of strength enogh.
¶ And it is the opynyon of moni men that an herrod of armis may gyue armys. Bot I say if any sych armys be borne by any herrod gyuyn that thoos armys be of no more auctorite then thoos armys the wich be take by a mannys awne auctorite.
¶ Explicit.