Fayre sone thou knowest that thy people & subgectes ben the hous of thy mynde, & the treasure wherby thy realme is conforted. For thy realme & subgectes ben as an orchyarde wherin ben dyvers trees berynge fruyte, the which trees have dyvers rotes & sedes for to bere, growe, & multyply the fruyte, & be the defence & durable treasure to thy realme, & of thy myght. It behoveth than that thy subgectes be well governed, & that thou take thought and care to that, that is nedefull for them, and to beware that no vyolence nor wronges be done to them, and after theyr condycyons and wontes to ordre them. Than gyve to them a good offycer that intendeth not to theyr undoynge, but that intendeth to rule them well, Justly and in quyete. And se that suche a good offycer be wyse, full of good maners, well condycyoned, and pacyent. For yf he be not suche one, wyte thou that the wyse men that were good before, wyll become evyll and rebell agaynst the. Also se that thou have good and dyscrete Juges, and that shall be worshyp to the, and encrease of thy court, and of thy realme. And that the sayde Juges be not corrupte with gyftes and mede, and that they have good notaryous scrybes, and egall sollycitours & advocates that wyll not take brybes as it happeneth seldom. Dere sone I pray the and admonest the that thou put thy selfe often in batayle, and take oftentymes the councell of them of thy court. But put the not with them that onely by enve and covetyse entreth presumptuously in batayle. And blame not nor dyspyse thy men of warre, but use fayre wordes amonge them, and often promyse them gyftes and honours. And in no wyse put thy selfe in batayle tyll thou be pourveyed of al necessary armes and other thynges therto belongynge. And whan thou seest thyn enmy renne sodaynly upon hym, and not slowly, and ever have good outryders and watches about thyn hoost. And lodge the alwayes as nyghe as thou mayst to hylles, woodes and waters. And have alway more haboundaunce of vytayle than nedeth. And above al thynges grete quantyte of trompettes, tabours and other mynstrelles. For they gyve force, myght, and rejoyce them that be with the, and make dyvysyon & feare to thyn enemyes. And be not alway armed in one harneys, but with dyvers. And be well stored with archers & handgonnes. And ordeyne some of thy men to renne, and other to stande stedfastly in thy batayles. Conforte thy men with fayre wordes and gyve them courage, & herty them to fyght. And above all thynges dere sone beware of treason with all thy power, and have ever good knyghtes about the well & swyftely horsed that yf chaunce happen that thou must nedes flee, that by them thou mayst save thy persone. But yf thou see ony of thyn enemyes fle haste the not to chase them but kepe thy folke alway togyder the moost that thou mayst. And yf thou wylt assawte castelles or townes have grete quantyte of gynnes, and artyllery for to breke the walles. And pourvey the of connynge myners, and grete nombre of archers and crosbowes. And do soo that thou mayst take away the water from them of the fortresse. And ever kepe some of thy enmyes for to knowe theyr doynges within. And yf thou can not have it but by batayle doo it. For alway the last ende of thy werkes ought to be batayle. And this ought to be done whan thou can not have them otherwyse. And doo all thy werkes by councell and not hastely.