But first ther wolde be meoved a question, whiche dame Cristyn makithe mencion of in the seconde chapitre of the Tree of Batailles: whethir that werres and batailes meintenyng and using ben laufulle according to justice or no. And the oppinion of many one wolde undrestond that haunting of armes and werre making is not lefull, ne just thing, for asmoche in haunting and using of werre be many infinite[90] damages and extorsions done, as mourdre, slaugheter, bloode-sheding, depopulacion of contrees, castelles, citees, and townes brennyng, and many suche infinite damages. Wherfor it shulde seme that[91] meintenyng of werre is a cursid deede: not dew to be meyntened. As to this question it[92] may be answerd that entrepruises and werris taken and founded uppon a just cause and a trew title is suffred of God, for dame Cristen seiethe and moevithe, in the first booke of the Arbre of Bataile, how it is for to have in consideracion why that princes shuld maynteyne werre and use bataile; and the saide dame Cristin saiethe v. causes principalle: thre of them {7} bene of righte: and the other tweyne of vallente. The first cause is to susteyne right and justice; the second is to withestande alle soche mysdoers the whiche wolde do foule[93] greif and oppresse the peple of the contre that the kyng or prince is gouvernoure of; the thrid is for to recuver landes, seignories and goodes [that] be other unrightfully ravisshed, taken away be force, or usurped, whiche shulde apperteine to the kyng and prince of the same seignorie, or ellis to whome his subgettys shuld apparteine [and] be meinteined under. And the other tweyne be but of violence, as for to be venged for dammage or griefe done by another; the othir to conquere straunge countrees bethout[94] any title of righte, as king Alexandre conquerid uppon the Romayne: whiche tweine last causes, though[95] the conquest or victorie by violence or by roialle power sownethe worshipfulle in dede of armes, yet ther ought no cristen prince use them. And yet in the first thre causes, before a prince to take an entreprise, it most be done be a just cause, and havyng righte gret deliberacion, by the conduyt and counceile of the most sage approuved men of a reaume or countre that the prince is of: and so for to use it in a just quarelle as[96] the righte execution of justice requirithe, whiche is one of the principalle iiij. cardinall virtues. And if that using of armes and haunting of werre be doone rather for magnificence, pride, and wilfulnesse, to destroie Roiaumes and countreis by roialle gret power, as whan tho that wolde avenge have noo title, but sey _Vive le plus fort_, [that] is to sey, Let the grettest maistrie have the feelde,-- [In this place the following insertion is made by a second hand in the margin:]