are named fewe other, it groweth through the malignitie of the writers, whom folowe fortune, and to theim for the moste parte it suffised, to honour the conquerours:  but it standeth not with reason, that betwene the Sannites, and the Toscanes, whom fought CL. yeres with the Romaine people, before thei wer overcome, there should not growe exceadyng many excellente menne.  And so likewise in Fraunce, and in Spaine:  but that vertue, whiche the writers did not celebrate in particuler menne, thei celebrated generally in the people, where thei exalte to the starres, the obstinatenesse that was in them, to defende their libertie.  Beyng then true, that where bee moste dominions, there riseth moste valiaunt menne, it foloweth of necessitie, that extinguishyng those, vertue is extincte straighte waie, the occasion decaiyng, whiche maketh menne vertuous.  Therefore, the Romaine Empire beyng after increased, and havyng extinguished all the common weales, and Princedomes of Europe, and of Afrike, and for the moste part those of Asia, it lefte not any waie to vertue, excepte Rome:  whereby grewe, that vertuous menne began to be as fewe in Europe, as in Asia:  the whiche vertue, came after to the laste caste:  For as moche, as all the vertue beyng reduced to Roome, so sone as thesame was corrupted, almoste all the worlde came to bee corrupted:  and the Scithian people, were able to come to spoile thesame Empire, the whiche had extinguished the vertue of other, and knewe not howe to maintaine their owne:  and after, although through the inundacion of those barberous nacions, thesame Empire was devided into many partes, this vertue is not renued: 

[Sidenote:  The causes why the aunciente orders are neclected.]

The one cause is, for that it greveth theim moche, to take againe the orders when thei are marde, the other, bicause the maner of livyng now adaies, having respect to the Christian religion, commaundeth not thesame necessitie to menne, to defende themselves, whiche in olde tyme was:  for that then, the menne overcome in warre, either were killed, or remained perpetuall slaves, where thei led their lives moste miserably:  The tounes overcome, either were rased, or the inhabiters thereof driven out, their goodes taken awaie, sent dispersed through the worlde:  so that the vanquished in warre, suffered all extreme miserie:  of this feare, men beyng made afraied, thei wer driven to kepe lively the warlike exercises, and thei honoured soche as were excellente in theim:  But nowe adaies, this feare for the moste part is not regarded:  of those that are overcom, fewe bee killed, none is kepte longe in prison:  for that with facelitie, thei are sette at libertie:  the citees also, whiche a thousande tymes have rebelled, are not destroied, the men wherof, are let a lone with their goodes, so that the greateste hurte that is feared, is but a taske:  in so moche, that men will not submit them selves to the orders of warre, and to abide alwaies under those, to avoide the perilles whereof thei are little afraied:  again these Provinces of Europe, be under a verie fewe heddes, in respecte as it hath been in times past:  for that al Fraunce, obeieth one kyng, al Spain, an other:  Italie is in fewe partes, so that the weake citees, are defended with leanyng to hym that overcometh, and the strong states, for the causes aforesaied, feare no soche extreme ruine.