ce, the said maister by flatering and blandishing wordis meoved his
clerkis to desport bethout the cite in the feeldis, and so fedde hem forthe
withe sportis and plaies tille he had brought hem withyn the siege and
power of Camillus, and came to his presence, saiyng to hym that he had
brought to hym the sonnes of the chief lordes and governours of the cite of
Falliste, {54} whiche and he wolde kepe the said chyldryn in servage, the
faderis of hem wolle deliver hym the cite bethout any more werre making.
Than saide that just prince Camillus that it was not the Romayns condicions
to werre and punisshe such innocentis as never offendid in werre, ne knew
not what werre meoved; and wolde not suffre that the Falistes be defrauded
of here contre and cite by unjust menes of treason or fals covyn or undew
alliaunce, but as naturalle werre wol fortune by manhod and just dede of
armes to take the cite. And there the saide prince comaunded the
scolemaister for his gret deceite to be dispoilid and to be betyn nakid
withe baleese and sharpe roddis withe his owne clerkis into the cite ayen;
than the governours and maistres of the cite, havyng consideracion of the
gret justice and manhod that he used in his conquest, sent to Camillus
ambassatours withe the keies of the cite, and purposid unto him, saieng, O
ye fathir and prince of justice, wher as the welle honoure and renommee of
justice and of victorioux dedis reignithe among you Romaynes by using of
justice, and that for asmoche they perceyved that princes Romayns used
feithe and justice, and peyned theym to kepe theire peple conquerid hem to
be subgettis to Rome by justice, they were fulle joifulle and glad to lyve
undre theire lawes, and so delivered hym the [keys and the[150]] citee, to
the gret renomme of the saide prince and to alle the Romayns gretly to be
magnified.

Historie of dame Cristyn, declaring how a prince and a ledar of peple
shulde use prudence and justice by example of the noble cenatoure called
Fabricius.

[Sidenote: Res publica.]

And also as dame Cristyn[151] in the .xv. chapitre of the first partie of
hir seid booke of Tree of Batailes leiethe a noble example that {55} among
alle vertues that shulde long to a prince, a duke, a cheveteyne, or to a
governoure of a contre, citee, or towne, or a leder of peple, rehersithe
how it is necessarie that he shulde be a prudent man and a wise and of gret
trouthe, as by example it is write of the noble and trew senatoure