That right manie students skilfull in the profoun|dest sciences and learned toongs, manie venerable clerks, who in most weightie causes with singular wisedome, successe and faith, haue serued their prince and countrie this college hath brought foorth: hereto that manie toward wits it still to haue, hath had the good hap (which happilie yet too it dooth reteine) may here with modestie a litle be touched, neither to com|parison that were contentious folie, nor yet to seeke glorie that cannot be but vaine, but onlie in storie to mind, how vnto purposes vertuouslie deuised and wiselie pursued, Gods goodnesse alwaies giueth chée|uing and thrift according.]

¶ In this seuen and twentith yeare of king Hen|ries reigne, as witnesse the English chron [...]cles, Abr. Fl. et Fabian. 447. a knight of France called sir Lewes de Bueill chal|lenged an esquier of England,A combat vp|on triall of manhood be|twéene a French and an English|man. named Rafe Chal|lons, to triall of certeine feats of warre. Herevpon (as was thought conuenient) a daie was appointed them to make proofe thereof; the place also was assig|ned of their meeting, to wit, at a towne in France called Maunt or Maunce, where the French king at the same time was personallie present. But fortune (saith mine author) was to Challons so fauourable, and leaned so much to his side, that he ran the French knight through with the point of his fatall speare:

Huncilli finem lingua superba dedit.

The English esquier seeing the infortunate euent of this triall to fall to the shame of the challenger, was so far from reiossing at his ouerthrow,The compas|sion of the Englishman to his eni [...]. that he was touched with christian compassion, & moorned for his enimie, for whome also he kept an obsequie as if he had béene his owne naturall brother, and descen|ded of the same parents. For which mercifull moti|ons of mind inwardlie working, and outwardlie ap|pearing, he was of the king greatlie commended. But doubtfull it is, whether the other, if he had surui|ued, and got the vpper hand, would haue had the like reuerend care of the Englishmans dead bodie, as to haue vouchsafed it a solemne interrement.]