Well derie, when we first swore our way into the army, I thought Skinny was a coward; I figgered if he ever got in a regular scrap with Bill the Twicers hired patriots his knees would knock together like a pair of castnets played by a Spanish bull fiter; but I take it all back, Skinny in Battel is a whole team and a cross dog under the waggin.
"Love Letters of a Rookie to Julie"
Barney Stone
As for example, if an Historiographer shal write of an Emperor or King, how such a day hee ioyned Battel with his enemie, and being ouer-laide ranne out of the fielde, and tooke his heeles, or put spurre to his horse and fled as fast as he could: the termes be not decent, but of a meane souldier or captaine, it were not vndecently spoken.
"The Arte of English Poesie"
George Puttenham
The dinners and wine are charged in their Battel bills; so they have to pay once a term, just as they do for their orders at commons.
"Tom Brown at Oxford"
Thomas Hughes