merely to maintain their appointed numbers,
praying for their founders, and to feed the poor and needy in case of
necessity.

The following chapter (p. 76) is a remarkable one in respect to ancient
chivalric usages. It sets forth "How lordis sonnes and noble men of birthe,
for the defense of her londe, shulde exercise hem in armes lernyng." It is
urged that "the sonnes of princes, of lordis, and for the most part of alle
tho that ben comen and descendid of noble bloode, as of auncien knightis,
esquiers, and other auncient gentille men, while they ben of grene age,
(should be) drawen forthe, norisshed, and excercised in disciplines,
doctrine, and usage of scole of armes, as using justis, to renne with
speer, handle withe ax, sworde, dagger, and alle othir defensible wepyn, to
wrestling, to skeping, leping, and rennyng, to make hem hardie, deliver,
and wele brethed;" ... "and not to be unkonnyng, abashed, ne astonied for
to take entrepresis, to answer or deliver a gentilman that desires in
worship to doo armes in liestis, (either) to the utteraunce or to certein
pointis, or in a quarelle rightful to fight," or in time of war to defend
their sovereign and his realm. Such was the ancient custom of the kings
both of France and of England: as especially of king Edward the Third, and
of Henry duke of Lancaster. That chivalrous knight, who was accounted "a
chief auctour and foundour in law of armes," had (as the writer was told by
sir John Fastolfe) sent to him from princes and lords of strange regions,
as out of Spain, Aragon, Portugal, Navarre, and France, their children,
young knights, "to be doctrined, lerned, and brought up in his noble court,
in scole of armes, and for to see noblesse, curtesie, and worship."

This useful custom had been maintained by other noble princes and lords of
great birth; but now of late days, (continues our author,) the greater pity
is! many that be descended of noble blood and born to arms, as the sons of
knights and esquires and of other gentle blood, set themselves to "singuler
practik" and to "straunge facultees," as to learn "the practique of law or
custom of lands, or of civil matier," and so waste greatly their time in
such needless business, as to undertake the holding of manorial courts, to
keep and bear out a proud {xv} countenance at the holding of sessions and
shire-motes,[19] and "there to embrace[20] and rule among youre pore and
symple comyns of bestialle contenaunce that lust to ly