32. Charny asks: A captain with all his army is lodged in the field or country of his enemy; and when evening comes the constables and the marshal go to set the guard for the horse and the foot; and they show them where they ought to hold themselves and remain. And since in the night their enemies attack the army of the other party where no one was on guard and they kill and take prisoner a great number of the people of the army; and the army is on the point of being defeated, but nevertheless it is not. However they lead away a great number of prisoners, horses, and goods without loss; and great damage is done to the army through death and other things, and they retreat to whence they came. The guard of this army did not ever move themselves from where they had been ordered to be, nor did they do anything. And so some say that that if the guard had rescued them, that their enemies would not have got away. Which should be more praised: to remain in their ordained place in the manner described above, or to have come to the rescue of the army in such need as described above? What do you think is better and more honorable?
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