HERE SCHAWIS THE DOCTOUR CERTANE THINGIS AND DOCUMENTIS TOUCHAND CLOSE BATAILL, THAT WE CALL BATAILL IN LISTIS.
nd first, be cause that close bataill is rycht perilouse and mysty to be jugit be ignorant men, that ar nocht instruct in the lawis, myn advys is, that thare suld na Prince, na Lord, hald felde of bataille in Listis, bot gif he had gude wise counsale of wele vnderstandand men of lawe; that is for to say, of Doctouris in Canoun and Ciuile, to geve him gude counsale: ffor commounly the casis ar sa subtile to juge, that Seclere men for couatise and auarice of warldis wyn, gevis oft tyme counsale to Princis that soundis mare to the desyre of wynnyng of warldis gude, na it dois to resone or to rychtwise querele; and als thai wate quhat casis ar in the lawis condampnyt vtterly, and reprouit, and quhat casis ar tholit and permysit at the plesance of Princis; and wate alssua, quhat casis ar priuilegit in the law quhilk nocht; and the lawis sais, That Aduocatis ar procuratouris of mannis lignage. And ane othir resoun quhy I haue sett this reugle is, ffor commonly the Clerkis ar mare sad of counsale, and mare caulde of complexion, and mare temperit in thair curage, and ferrar can se in the ground of a mater na Secleris; ffor Seclaris ar hate of blude, and in ire, and oft tymes thai geve thair counsale and jugement again resoun, with the wrang outhir for fede or frendschip, luferent, or haterent, or for mede, or for ire, or breth, or othir singulare appetite, for honour or richess, or lordschip or reddoure or otheris. And erar ar inclynyt to mak were, na trety and concorde; and to ger bataill in barrieris be, na to sloke it, and appese it; ffor ire lettis the mannis mynde to juge and determe veritee.
SECUNDA REGULA BELLI CLAUSTRALIS.
HERE DECLARIS THE DOCTOUR ANE OTHIR REUGLE AND DOCTRYNE APON THE GOUERNAUNCE OF CLOSE BATAILL.
hat nocht gaynstandand that be malice or hete, woodnes, ramage, or pride orguillouse, or be inclinacioun, auaricius appellacioun of bataill be maid, and the party ressauis the gage of bataill, the Prince suld be wise in his audience geving, and of gude tholemudenes, to suetely here the cause that the Appelloure chalangis the appelland of; and wele copy and vnderstand all the mater before, or he geve his consent, and gif the cause movis of dett or of fede, or of ony othir singular cause he suld call counsale, and inquere how and quhare, and in quhat place, and for quhat cause, and of quhat tyme, and all the circumstancis, and gif the Prince may be ony way get knawlage of other pruf or witnes, or othir pruf be instrument or obligacioun, or to draw out of the party be inquisicioun or confessioun, and othir maner of prufis. And gif the Prince may persaue be ony way that ony knaulage may be gottyn be ony way of the warld, the Prince suld nocht thole passe bataill. Or suppose na witnes war, bot anerly that the party allegit witnes, ȝit suld he assigne day till produce thai prufis before the justice ordinare; ffor quhen pruf is offerit, or allegit, all wage of bataill is slokit, be all lawis of canon and of ciuile.
To the Thrid reugle and doctrine of battaill in Listis is this: That the Prince in na case suld juge bataill to be, bot quhare thare is na prufis allegit na producit, and that is law commoun and reasonnable custum; bot he sall suere, be his faith, that his cause can nocht be prufit in na way bot be his persoun.
he Ferde doctrine teching and reugle of bataill in barrieris is: That a Prince suld haue gude counsale to ger propone before him the maner of the appellacioun, and the cause and occasiouns that the Appellour allegis in his appellacioun, and gif him thinkis resonnable the cause of the appellacioun, he suld admytt thame to the bataill; and gif thai war nocht resonnable, sloke it out, and geue na consent tharetill, na tholaunce; ffor gif fulis, throu thair foly, be sa daft that thai wage bataill for lytill, evyn as to say, Quhethir growis better wynnis in Burgoyne or in Gascoyne? or, Quhethir is thare fairar ladyes in Florence or in Barsalongne? or, In quhat countree is thare best men of armes, in France or in Lombardy? And the ta-part cast gage of bataill on the tothir, apon thir grete weris of lawe; or to say, his hors runnys fastar na his; or, That his hors is better na his, or syk lyke thing; or, That he lusis his lady better na he dois; or, That he dancis or syngis better na he dois, or for syk maner of tromperys; a Prince suld nocht juge na thole bataill to be, bot he suld, before the peple, in presence of his counsall, punyse syk trompouris, that otheris tuke ensample thareby in tyme to cum, to gage bataill for sik fule causis.
The Fyft doctrine is: That for na wordis of hete, and sudane ire of chaude cole or of chaude mellencoly, na injuriouse langage, thare suld na Prince thole na consent gage of bataill in listis to pas; for wordis may be said for hete, or for brethe, or for gude wyne, or othir wayis in lichtnes, that sone efter he may repent: bot and the wordis be injurious and dishonourable, crimynouss or defamatouris, and he perseuere in his outrageous langage, and lykis nocht till amend; bot stand in his purpos efter that the ire salbe past, ellis the Prince suld nocht juge bataill to be: ffor gif he dois, he jugis again the Lawis writtin opynly.