How canst thou deny it? the defendant answereth, By an othe: thereupon the
officer is commaunded to cease from beating of him, vntill the matter be
further tried. They haue no Lawyers, but euery man is his owne Aduocate,
and both the complaint of the accuser, and the answere of the defendant,
are in maner of petition deliuered to the Emperour, intreating iustice at
his hands. The Emperour himselfe heareth euery great controuersie, and vpon
the hearing of it, giueth iudgement, and that with great equitie, which I
take to be a thing worthy of speciall commendation, in the Maiestie of a
Prince. But although he doe this with a good purpose of mind, yet the
corrupt Magistrates do wonderfully peruert the same: but if the Emperour
take them in any fault, he doeth punish them most seuerely. Now at the
last, when ech partie hath defended his cause with his best reasons, the
Iudge demandeth of the accuser, whether he hath any more to say for
himselfe: he answereth, that he will trie the matter in fight by his
Champion, or else intreateth, that in fight betwixt themselues the matter
may be ended: which being graunted, they both fight it out: or if both of
them, or either of them seeme vnfit for that kinde of triall, then they
haue publike Champions to be hired, which liue by ending of quarrels. These
Champions are armed with yron axes, and speares, and fight on foote, and he
whose Champion is ouercome, is by and by taken, and imprisoned, and
terribly handled, vntill he agree with his aduersarie. But if either of
them be of any good calling, and degree, and doe challenge one another to
fight, the Iudge granteth it: in which case they may not vse publike
Champions. And he that is of any good birth, doth contemne the other, if he
be basely borne, and wil not fight with him. If a poore man happen to grow
in debt, his Creditor takes him, and maketh him pay the debt, in working
either to himselfe, or to some other man, whose wages he taketh vp. And
there are some among them, that vse willingly to make themselues, their
wiues, and children, bondslaues vnto rich men, to haue a little money at
the first into their hands, and so for euer after content themselues with