58 THE ARTE OR CRAW I OF RHKTIIORYKI:
an hii'tory / iaue that in hii'tories we be more briefe and vfe lefle curiofitie. Here all thynges be augmented and coloured with as much ornamentes of eloquence as can be had.
Confirmacion of our purpofe / and confutynge or reprouyngr of the contrarye/ whiche are the partes of contencyon / are not requy- fyte in this kynde of oracyon / for here are nat treated any doubte- ful maters to whom contencyon perteynethe. Neuer the lefle/ fowtyme it happenethe (howe be it it is ieldome) thai a double may come / which rnui't be either defended / or at ///e lefte 1 excufed.
Example.
The frenche men in olde tyme made myghty warre agaynfte Me Romayn<?.r and ib fore befyged them that they were by cornpulcyon conftrayned to fal to compoiycyon with the frenche men for an huge fumme of golde / to be payed to them for the breakynge of the fyege / but beyngc in this extreme mylery / they lent for one ( .imyllus / whome nat very longe afore they had banyffhed out of the citie / and in his abfence made hym dictatour / whiche [ ( ' i l> | was the chyefeft dignitie amonge the Romaynes / and of ib great auctoritie / that for the i'pace of thre monethes / for Ib longe dured the offyce moft couenietly / he myght do all thynge at his pleafure / whether it concerned dethe or no / for no man ib hardy ones to fay nay agaynfte any thynge that he dyd / ib that for the ipace he was as a kynge / hauyng al in his owne mere power.
Nowe it chaunced that while this fumme was in payenge / cSz nat fully wayed / Camillus of whome I fayd afore / that beyng in exile he was made dictatour / came with an army / and anone bad feafe of the payment / and that eche party fhulde make redy to batyle 9 / and so he vainquiffhed the frenche men.
Nowe yf one i'hulde prayfe hym of his noble faytes / it shulde seme that this was done contrary to the lawe of armes / to defayt the frenche men of the raunibm due to thew / fyns the compacte was made afore, wherfore it is neceffary for the oratour to defende this dede / and to proue that he dyd nothyng contrary to equitie. For Me whiche purpofe he hathe two places. One apparent/ whiche is a common sayenge vfurped of the poete Dalus an viris quis in
' B. leeft. a B. bataile.
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