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In his PARADOXES OF DEFENCE (1599), George Silver relates the story of the meeting of the famous Italian fencing instructor Vincentio Saviolo  and an English Master of Defense named Bartholomew Bramble.  A number of modern authors have remarked on this story, and nearly all (in my opinion) have missed its point.   It is commonly seen as the story of a savy italian who avoids a fight with a belligerent englishman.  In fact, it is the story of a pretentious italian who is intentionally taught a lesson by two englishmen, one a gentleman, the other lowborn.  The text below is, to my knowledge, the only one on the web in its original spelling and syntax.  For ease of reading, Vincentio's words are in red, Bramble's words are in blue, and the words of the unnamed gentleman are in purple.
                                                                                               --- Scott Crawford---

This Vincentio proved himselfe a stout man not long before he died, that it might be seene in his life time he had bene a gallant, and therefore no marvaile he tooke upon him so highly to teach Englishmen to fight, and to set forth bookes of the feats of Arms.

Upon a time at Wels in Somersetshire, as he was in great braverie amongst manie gentlemen of good accompt, with great boldnesse he gave out speeches, that he had bene thus manie yeares in England, and since the time of his first comming, there was not yet one Englishman, that could touch him at the single Rapier, or the Rapier and Dagger.

A valiant gentleman being there amongst the rest, his English hart did rise to heare this proude boaster, secretly sent a messenger to one Bartholomew Bramble a friend of his, a verie tall man both of his hands and person, who kept a schoole of Defence in the towne, the messenger by the way made the maister of Defence acquainted with the mind of the gentleman that sent for him, and of all what Vincentio had said, this maister of Defence presently came, and amongst all the gentlemen with his cap off, prayed maister Vincentio, that he would be pleased to take a quart of wine of him.

The reader should remember that this kind of offer would have been a perfectly polite and common way to make friends in a tavern or public house.  Also notice that Bramble was wearing a cap - an article of lower to middle class fashion - and had taken it off to show respect for the gentlemen.  Saviolo, as we will soon see, was wearing a gilt rapier, an article of high fashion.

Vincentio very scornefully looking upon him, said unto him. Wherefore should you give me a quart of wine?

Merry sir said he, because I heare you are a famous man at your weapon.

Then presently said the gentleman that sent for the master of Defence: Maister Vincentio, I pray you bid him welcome, he is a man of your profession.

My profession  said Vincentio? what is my profession.

Then said the gentleman,  he is a maister of the noble science of defence.

Why said maister Vincentio, God make him a good man.
 

Here the gentleman has made his point:  In spite of his pretentions, Vincentio Saviolo is still only a master of defense (working class), and not a gentleman.

But the maister of Defence would not thus leave him, but prayed him againe he would be pleased to take a quart of wine of him. Then said Vincentio, I have no need of thy wine.

Then said the maister of Defence:  Sir I have a schoole of Defence in the town, will it please you to go thither.

Thy school, said maister Vincentio? what shall I do at thy schoole?

Play with me (said the maister) at the rapier and dagger, if it please you.
 

This is a perfectly polite invitation, though it obviously could threaten Saviolo's reputation.  Notice also that an English fight master of the time would have been a teacher of many weapons, from swords to halberds and everything in between.  Bramble offers to spar with Saviolo using Saviolo's own favorite weapons.

Play with thee said maister Vincentio? If I play with thee, I will hit thee 1.2.3.4. thrustes in the eie together.

Then said the maister of Defence,  If you can do so, it is the better for you, and the worse for me, but surely I can hardly believe that you can hit me: but yet once againe I hartily pray you good Sir, that you will go to my schoole and play with me.

Play with thee said maister Vincentio (verie scornefully?)  by God me scorne to play with you.
 

To say 'scorn' is to say "you are beneath my status"

With that word scorne, the maister of Defence was verie much moved, and up with his great English fist, and stroke maister Vincentio such a boxe on the eare that he fell over and over, his legges just against a butterie hatch, whereon stood a great blacke jacke:  the maister of Defence fearing the worst, against Vincentio his rising, catched the blacke jacke into his hand, being more than halfe full of Beere.

"Blacke Jacke": a large beer container made of leather

Vincentio lustily start up, laying his hand upon his Dagger, & with the other hand pointed with his finger, saying, very well: I will cause to lie in the Gaile for this geare, 1. 2. 3. 4. yeares.

And well said the maister of Defence, since you will drinke no wine, will you pledge me in Beere? I drinke to all cowardly knaves in England, and I thinke thee to be the veriest coward of them all:   With that he cast all the Beere upon him: notwithstanding Vincentio having nothing but his guilt Rapier, and Dagger about him, and the other for his defence the blacke jacke, would not at that time fight it out:
 

Here we should notice an important point - None of Saviolo's gentleman friends come to his aid.  They easily could have had Bramble thrown in jail.  Instead, it appears that they all were either in on the joke, or enjoyed it too much to interfere.

but the next day met with the maister of Defence in the streete, and said unto him,  you remember how misused a me yesterday, you were to blame, me be an excellent man, me teach you how to thrust two foote further than anie Englishman, but first come you with me:  then he brought him to a Mercers shop, and said to the Mercer, let me see of your best silken Pointes, the Mercer  did presently shew him some of seaven groates a dozen, then he payeth fourteene groates for two dozen, and said to the maister of Defence,  there is one dozen for you, and here is another for me.

This was one of the valiantest Fencers that came from beyond the seas, to teach Englishmen to fight, and this was one of the manliest frayes, that I have hard of, that ever he made in England, wherein he shewed himselfe a farre better man in his life, than in his profession he was, for he professed arms, but in his life a better Christian.