And this is the handelynge of confirmaci-
on in state assumptiue.
¶ The conclusions in these oracions are
lyke to the conclusions of other.
¶ Of state legitime / and
the handelyng therof.
STate legitime is whan the con-
trouersy standeth in definicion or
contrary lawes / or doutfull wry-
tynges / or raciocinacion / or translacion.
¶ Of definicion.
DEfinicion (as Tully wryteth) is
whan in any wrytynge is some
worde put / ye significaciō wher-
of requireth exposicion.
¶ Example.
A Lawe may be made that suche as
forsake a shyppe in tyme of tempest
shulde lese theyr ryght yt they haue / either
in the shyppe or in any goodes within the
same vessell / & that they shal haue the shyp
& the goodes that abyde styll in her.
¶ It chaūced .ii. men to be in a lytle cray-
er / of the whiche vessell the one man was
both owner and gouernour / and the other:
possessour of the goodes. And as they were
in the mayne see / they espied one that was
swymmynge in the see / and as well as he
coulde holdyng vp his handes to them for
socour / wherupon they (beyng moued with
pitie) made towarde hym / & toke hym vp.
Within a lytle after arose a greate tempest
vpon them / and put them in suche ieopar-
dy that the owner of the shyp (which was
also gouernour) lepte out of the shyp into
the shyp bote / and with the rope that tyed
the bote to the shyp: he gouerned the shyp
as well as he coulde. The marchant that
was within the shyp / for greate dispayre of
the losse of his goodes / wyllyng to slee him
selfe: threst hym selfe in wt[h] his owne sword /
but as it chaunced the wounde was ney-
ther mortall nor very greuouse / but nat-
withstādyng for that tyme he was vnable
to do any good in helpyng the shyp against
the impetuousnes of ye storme. The thyrd
man (whiche nat longe afore had suffered
shyp wracke) gate hym to the sterne / and
holpe the vessell the best that laye in hym.
At lengthe the storme seaced / and the shyp
came safe into the hauen / bote & all. He yt
was hurt (by helpe of chirurgiens) recoue[-]
red anon. Now euery of these thre chalēge
the shyp & good[e]s as his owne. Here euery
man layeth for hym the lawe aboue reher-
ced / and all theyr controuersy lyeth in the
expoundynge of thre wordes / abydynge in
the shyp / and forsakynge the shyp / & what
we shal in suche case call the shyp / whether
the bote as part of the shyp: or els the shyp
it selfe alone.
¶ The handelynge hereof is. Fyrst in few
wordes and playne to declare the significa[-]
cion of the worde to our purpose / and after
suche maner as may seme resonable to the
audience. Nexte / after suche exposicion to
declare and proue the sayd exposicion true /
with as many argumentes as we can.