OFTEN tymes consideryng with my selfe most har­tely beloued fren­des? the high and most vertuous re specte, which the famous romayn Preceptū Catonis. Cato hadde to the common wele, when he so earnestlye amonge o­ther his moral preceptes did teach Proposi­tio. that we shulde fyght for oure coū ­trye. I thought it myght be ney­ther Beneuo­lentiam consiliat a sua et au­ditorium persona. inconuenient nor yet incomly but very commendable and neces­sarye for vs that I shuld bestowe this small layser, in declaryng vn [Page] to you some argumentes and per­swasions tochinge our most boun den duetie to oure natiue and na­turall countreye. That ones hea­rynge the same, as we that haue redde and perused thystoryes of the noble feates of them that at­tayned immortall glorye in that behalfe as therby encoraged, you also with semblable alacritie and Scopus. towardnes may vertuouslye ad­uaunce youre selues to follow the wholsome doctrine of y ^e Sapient Cato. And notwithstandynge that after I reuolued this attemp tate in my mynde and w ^t inwarde contemplacion behelde euery way howe I myght best begynne, and begon, procede and so condinglye perfourme it accordinge the due expectacion that you myght haue of me, interprysynge the same, I foūd it to be a burden heuier then [Page] I myght wel sustayne seing right wel y ^t yf I shuld take thoccasions A difficul­tate rei at­tentiores facit. to write, that the mater frely offe­reth to my hand: no volume could comprehend the same, and scantly the hole entreual of my lyfe shuld therevnto suffise: yet as the maner is of other recent writers takynge this sodayne occasion as well of Ansa. my propre exile, as of the most god lye quarels of our moost drad so­ueraigne lorde kynge Henrye the eyght, who most tenderly desyreth the welth of hys loyall subiectes and paynefully stodyeth for the same: the trompe whereof soun­deth throughe oute al the regions of the earth, and shalbe doubtles foreuer a miroure to all suche as shall hereafter desyre to gouerne in a common wele, I can no lesse doo then expresse vnto you, such symple reasons, as haue at this [Page] presente concurred in my memo­rye touchynge oure sayde mooste bounden deutye and office to oure natiue countreye, whiche I haue gathered together partelye of the sayenges of famous auctours and partely of the experience that I daylye se in men of noble In­gene and vertuous educacyon. Consilia­rios regi­os sibi cō ­siliat, dum circa rēp: se adeo solicitum predicat.

Trustynge that thereby, the zele that nature hathe in me kendled towarde my countreye, may apere in me not onelye inextynguyble, but also alwayes vygylante and cyrcumspecte for the good and commodytye of the same. For yf anye of vs, hauynge receyued offycyous pleasure at our frendes handes, wyll not onelye remem­ber Sillogis­mos. the same with rendrynge due thankes, but also euen shewe aparant tokens of oure good wylles to regratifye it with lyke offyce, [Page] why then, consideringe that by the exemple of our fathers we ought to be alwayes thankefull for oure nutricion. Shuld we not accumu­late and heape our thankes and officious dueties to oure natyue contrey, by whose ayde moost prin cipally we were not onely produ­ced and nouryshed, but also preser Hiis ma­lis infan­tes obno­xii sunt maxime. ued when we coulde neither speke nor go nor yet of our selues euite y ^e peryll of fyre water yron or such lyke daungerous thinge, whereby we myght peryshe in our infancy. By her benefite, we fyrste learned A benefi­ciis. to go on the grunnde, and in amia ble maner to frame oure babyshe tongues, to speake oure mother tounge or contrye language. By her benefite the stronge, the weke, the poore, the ryche, the noble, and thinferiour persons lyue together & are serued together in their vo­cacion [Page] with y ^• necessaryes of theyr bodye. In our countrey we fyrste dyd beholde the most beautyfull bryghtnes of the sonne, which the euerlastyng god hath so disposed to the vse of man, that beynge cō ­mon to al y ^t nacions of the earth, it extendeth beames and lyght, as though the same were propre to eche countreye: wherein the worke manshyp of god appereth to be e­quall vnto vs his sapience, excea­dinge the iudgement of man. Out of her wombe dyd ebullulate and Baptiza­mur in pa tria. sprynge the water wherewith the most heauenly ceremonie through which we are called christiās was in vs perfourmed. By her benefit the rude feldis of oure vnderstan dyng, readie to growe w ^t all kynd of vnclene thinges, were sowed with y ^e diuine precepts of y ^• gospel without the instructions whereof [Page] we shulde be as thinfideles that do not knowe god, who can there­fore repende condigne offyce or thāke though we dyd study payn­fully for the same. And as the fa­mous Lucianus in opuscu­lo de pa­trie enco­mio. auctor Lucian sayeth, there is nothinge in this worlde, so ho­nourable, or so godly, whereof the goodnes of the natiue contrey is not in some respecte a maistres, & an occasion. Nether can we name the commoditie, the pleasure, the qualitie, the honoure or any other good thynge wherof the natyue countrey is not to be thanked. Ye though our contrey were in dede so baraign, as that she shuld nede the fruytes of other realmes and A contra­tii obiec­tione. so rude of tonge, y ^e in treatinge of weyghtie matters we shulde nede the ayde of estraunge languages: yet resteth in her as in y ^e originall and principall a great occasion of [Page] thankes and immortall prayses. Moreouer let vs considre the ve­ry instruct of nature that worketh Natura. vniuersally in all men, who was euer so vnnatural, ye though he ex celled many in auctoritie & power in the straunge contreye, to be de­lired with the pleasant and volup tuos contemplacion of the cōpasse and riches of grat cyties, y ^e costly buyldynge of edificis, or any lyke blandiment, that he wolde totally forget his natiue contrey? Perad­uenture in the comparison or wey­inge together of the goodnes of countrayes or famous cities, men wyll haue sometyme consyderaciō & respecte to theyr amplitude, ele­gance, plentifulnes & riches. But nowe at all y ^e nature hath rightly educed, wyll chose for him felfe a more mete place to dwell in, then his natyue conntreye: preferryng [Page] the same w ^e all her faultes, to al y ^e copious & rych places of y ^e world. Thus do the legitimate & trewe children. Thus do the fathers al­so that be honest, good, and rygh­tuous. A chylde certis hauynge any respecte of humanitie wil not prefer in honour any mortal crea­ture to his father, nor the father Mutuum parentum & filiorum officium. embrace with more fatherly affec­tion any yonglynge before his na turall chylde, yf then we owe due honour, to oure fathers as by the Honora patrem et matrem. very commaundement of god we are bounde, howe great study and industry is requisite of vs to forse that no wrake or euyll maye come to our natiue contrey, wherin our fathers are preserued and kepte, howe can it be sayde, that we do due honour to our fathers, yf suf­ferynge a permcyous myscheyf to growe agaynst our common wele [Page] that successiuely maye destroye the same: we spare our bodyes or goodes to take it awaye, and to establyshe a certayne order therin accordinglye: yf we be bounde to Locus a fortiore. oure fathers, we be moche more bounde to our lynnage, and so per quensequently to oure countrey, where they are conserued. You maye beholde the aged man, who all his lyfe tyme hath lyued sump tuouslye, reiectynge all maner the commodite ease and pleasour that he hath in the straunge countreye howe he wissheth most instantlye in his natiue countrey euen to re­pose his bodye as it were on the brest of his naturall mother: yea nature worketh with such fearce in men that whyle they suspecte them selues to be deprehended in an vnked contrey thinkynge ther to be buryed and turned to y ^e dust [Page] they can not but euermore desyre to departe. And the more we haue sene men come to the opinion of wysedome and to the nomber of yeares, the more subiectes they se­med to be to this affectiō that you haue herde here rehersed. ye anye aliant or straunger, that lyke a bastarde or spurious vilipendeth the name of his natiue countrey, estemynge exile a small matter, & lyke a glotten reposinge his felici tie in the stinkynge and bestly vo luptuousnes of the body, and the vile pleasours of y ^e same, yeldinge his industrye to satisfye concupis­cence, without studie charge or cō ­sideracion of the wele of his coun trey, is in no wise to be prosecuted with thargument of a gentle and regratifieng harte. Moreouer the goddis (as poetes do fayne) do delite in their natiue conntrey, [Page] Who, as Lucyan sayeth, behol­dynge the whole possessions of Lucianus men with the compas of the earth and occean: and knowynge them selues, as they write to be owners thereof: yet euery of them prefer­reth with more inwarde affection his natiue coūtrey then any other place of the worlde w ^tout respecte. Whose opinion I haue here to you rehersed, to thende onely that the affection, which is borne from the beginnigne to the natiue con­trey, maye appere to you thereby. But let vs haue oure recourse to the holy scripture, which is farre from the faynige of poetes, and considre we that is sayde of our sa uiour Iesus christe the verye ow­ner and redemer of the worlde, wherof the holy prophet Micheas Miche. 5. enspired with the spirite of god re kenynge with him self the honour [Page] due of all men to their natiue coū ­trey sayeth these wordes folowing which the holy euangelyste Ma­thewe Mathei. 2 reherseth in his seconde chapter. Thou bethleem sayth he, of the lande of Iuda, arte not the lest amonge the princis of Iuda: for out the shall there come vnto me y ^e captayne that shall rule my people Israel: yf the holy prophet of god did note such respect in our A fortiore sauyoure Iesus Chryste whiche doutles in that he was man, was in hym aswell assyduous as fer­ueut. The scripture testyfyeth the Luce 19. Io. 11. same by that he so tenderlye dyd wepe for the dissolation of Ieru­salem, and sundreye other exem­ples whiche at this presente I neade not to rehearse. What in­humayne, yea rather what bestly instyncte shulde rule in vs yf we shulde haue no affectyon of loue [Page] risynge in oure hartes to our na­tiue countrey, whose fathers and whole generacion and progenie is earthy & of the erth &, who as you haue harde receaue so many offi­cious cōmodities by her only bene fite. In this place by occasion of y ^e matter wherof I treate, I am cau sed to remēber y ^e moost detestable vilenie of Delapole, Path, Gar­rot Delapole Path. Garrot & such others as w ^t like mad­nes not only haue forsakē y ^e swete vicisitude & offices of their natiue countrey. But also w ^t most execra­ble & vngodly ingnominie haue wrought most falsely & trayterous ly against y ^e same. How be it lest I shuld seme ī their vituperie which no tunge can condingly vtter to digresse from my purposed mat­ter, I leue to them for a perpetual torment to their hartes the same whiche the makers of the lawes [Page] haue ordeyned to punish greuous offendours, euen exile. And for an euerlastinge exemple of their con­tumely the, most excellent benefi­tes whiche they haue receaued of their sayde natyue countrey, to be cōtrepeysed in the sight of all the worlde with their abhominable in gratitude & vnthankfulnes. Let­tynge you to witte that who so e­uer offendeth in y ^e like trespas, not onely breketh the bounde of al humanitie and gratitude, falleth frō the high degre of liberty, renegeth for euer to runne in the race of honour, but also transgresseth y ^e high institution and prouidence of god wherwithby inexplicable presciēce he hath ordeyned, and constitued eche man to lyue vnder y ^e powers of the earth as it is written in di­uerse [...] et 17 [...] Ro. 13 Sapien. 6 places of the holy euangelye we can not be therof ingnoraunt: [Page] not vnder such powers as we our selues shall chose or desyre, either through our blynde affections or otherwise: for he by the wounder­ful depte of his wisedome & his in uestigable wayes of for knowe­ledge, before we came to y ^e world, hath ordeyned prouyded and ap­poynted for vs, expresly that we ought in that behalfe to obserue and folow: in shewyng our duety to our natiue coūtrey without we shuld after the maner of gyaūtes, as sayth the Prouerbe fyght a­gainst Cum diis pugnare. god, & worke against his be hestes. It may be well appercea­ued by this hyghe prouydence of god y ^t among al trāsitory thinges we are principally bounde to our natiue countreye, And also that it Epilogus primi capi tis. maye not lye in vs to chaunge y ^t god hath appoynted the same be­inge euen the verye fyrste gyfte y ^e [Page] we receyue of our creator, by this also the wordes of the romayne oratour Tully, apere to be true where he sayth that oure byrth is the possession of our natiue coun­treye. It can not be expressed vnto your sightes by more viuely coul­lour of rethoricke, how moch com moditie and office accrueth vnto vs that be the germayne Citizens of our natiue contreye. Then if it myght be depinged before you, howe intollerable calamitie and vnquietnes is to them that be ba­nished and expelled frō the same, who beinge totally descruciate by the grefe of their perigrinacion, cesse and to affirme that amonge all the good thynges of the world the natyue countrey is the beste. And miserably complayning their infortunate and wretched lyfe, for that they inhabite not their na­tyue [Page] countreye, they esteme them selues for that cause onely, most in fortunat though in al other thin­ges, they haue their hartes desire of all the riches and pleasours of the worlde. And how they that for a while, as estraungiers and ali­antes Alienige­ne. haue leaded their lyues ha­uynge attayned no lyttle splēdour and glorie, eyther by ryches and possessions, dignite and honoure, notable fame of excellent lerninge and Ingene or renowne of diuine vertue, striuen together who may first come to their natine countrey as though no wher elsthey might with prayse excersyce their sayde goodes to the contentation of their myndes: ye the more I haue sene men auctorised and ta­ken as mete tachiewe greater attemptates the more they semed to accelerate, to their natyue [Page] countrey to thende they might cō ­uerte their industrye to the behofe thereof. So as truely I am made of the opynion that the whole stu­dye and labour that men take to attayne knowledge or to heape to gether treasours is pretended to Nihill nō tenetur patrie. thende either they myght with the same do profitte in exercisinge li­beralitie in tyme of neade or els in doing some laudable thing where of high commodite myght growe to the common wele, you maye be Notat tria viria quibus ho mines de­tinentur a [...]. sure I meane not here these grose marchauntes these sarcastical pre stes and possessioners of greate a­nuyties nor suche others, whose iudgementes touche nether heuen nor earth, but is caried with suche auydyous desire to hepe and to kepe as hath no maner ende.

These without doubt repose their Luce. 16. whole felicite in the wicked Mam [Page] mon without further purpose thē to se the same locked vp as y ^e high treasour of their hartes. The very Etnickes that neuer receaued the fayth and consolacion of the word of god nor herde the manifolde re Luc. [...] ▪ [...]6 proches y ^t Christe layeth against the rych for their abuses (were not Ma. 6▪ so blynde but they wolde for their countreyes sake bestowe not only their goodes but also their bodies as by exemples I wyll somewhat Secundū. declare. I meane not also these studientes that studie a great perte of their youth with great diligēce and paynes to thende they myght vnder coullour of the lawe or the worde of god, worke thinges for their priuate ease, and commodi­tie: a great nomber of suche byr­des buylden theyr nestes in the braunches and vnder the shadow of good doinge, whiche dayly in­uent [Page] newe craftis of dissimulaci­on. These studie & watche always to encrease and augmēt their vo­luptuous ease, and amplifie their possessions and lyuelode, not re­gardynge thanxious thoughtes and studie that they are bound to take for the common wele and pre seruacion of the churche of God. Soch haue not receaued reuelaci on of the respect that our sauiour Iesus christ had to y ^e cōmon wele Ma. 17. when he payed the peny founde in the fisshes belly, and when he aun Ma. 22. Luce. 20. swered the pharisees touchinge y ^t tribute due to Cesar, neither consi dre they the study and circumspec­tion Petrus. Barna­bas. Paulus. Passim in actibus Apostolo­rum et epistolis. whiche the appostles, Peter, Barnabas, and Paule had to the cōmon wele, in preachinge the gos pell, obseruynge alwayes the cir­cumstances that made for the com mon wele: which thinges and ma­ny [Page] other necssarie instructiōs for our christē sotietie, while they stu die the contencious and inutile ru les of Duns, Thomas and suche Iohan­nes Dunt Thoma [...] de aquine others, and while they sticke in de fuse & insoluble questions of diui­nite, are declared vnto vs w ^t great & heuēly discrecion by y ^e very Et­nickis as Plato, Socrates, Ari­stotle, Plato. Socrate▪ Aristote­les. Tullius▪ Lato. Plutar­chus. Seneca. Tully, Cato, Seneca, Plu­tharch & al other famous auctors y ^t euer hitherto did write. I wold o god y ^t such were thindustry and good wyl of our prestes & studien tes y ^t are allowed to sit at home to preach y ^e gospel & ministre y ^t lawe, peraduēture, in such heuenly iud­gemēt Spūs pa­racletus nam (que) di ci [...]ur spū [...] dorodoti [...] they had y ^e help of y ^e spirite of god, whose gracis are further extended then we can interprete or defyne. Neither do I meane such Tertium Demosth nes. as are reproued by Demosthenes that sometyme were militynge in [Page] Grece for the onelye loue of mo­neye and profite, without the in­warde study that they shuld haue to do the honour of their countrey who for that they trusted in the corrupte myndes of their captay­nes to be by thē reaceaued agayne to fauour when they wold for mo­neye. Went about when any daū ­ger came vpō them, euery man to saue him selfe without any respect to the shame that they therby dis­serued. Wherfore the said Demo­sthenes extolleth with high praise, the order taken for soche in the cō ­mon wele of Democratia: where Resp. De­ [...]ocratica suche offendours coulde neuer a­gayne be receaued to fauour. And where many excellent honest and rightous istituciōs were set forth very necessarye for eche man that is beneuolent or studious for the good of his countrey to obserue [Page] and folowe, which for your sakes I trust shortly to se transphrased into our mother tonge, notwith­standynge that in this exemple of the cowarde grekes I can in no wise meue you. Whose deades be manifest ynoughe thankes be to god in declarynge your wyllynge hartes, to do the profitte and ho­nour of our natyue countrey.

Of these defectus that you haue herde, I myght set forth domesti­call exemples, wherewith my wor­des mygh be opened euen to your owne eyes, but made odious and greuous vnto some mens hartes. But bicause it is necessary for him Locus comunis d [...] auditorū beneuole [...] tia: that wolde exhort the people, to al lure them with swete and pleasaūt instructions, to acquire fauour at their handes, for without that no­thinge is to thē acceptable, I will not so manifestlie set forth y ^e faultꝭ [Page] which (without my speche) shalbe with such as I haue saide, confrō ted more and more to their perpe­tuall vitupery, & contempt, and to the immortall glorye, and vnspea kable renowine of y ^e noble hartes that be of suche humayne, and offi cious ingene, as knoweth their bo dies and goodes to be euen the ve ry possessiou of the common wele of their natiue countrey. And thē Marcus Tulius. selues as Tully sayth to haue ben borne to the vse thereof. Sythens therfore the noble oratour Demo Demosthe nes. sthenes not only coūteth him selfe vnhable to dilate y ^e noble vertu & y ^• honour of such, who as I haue said, ar giuē to y ^e commō wele but also affirmeth y ^e whole vigour of rethoricke to be therto insufficiēt: I were worthy to be redargued of moche arrogācy yf I shuld attēpt to make vnto you a diffiniciō ther [Page] of. He doubteth not to call suche men the very soule of their coun­treye, Anima pa­trie. bycause of their magnifi­cence and nobylitie of harte, shew­ynge the same by an example of Grece, howe when such Citizens were decessed and passed out of the worlde the whole dignitie and noble aucthoritie of Grece, was taken awaye and fordone. He Lux pa­trie. calleth them also the lyghte of their countreye, meanings that as the lyght beinge taken awaye frome our vse, the rest of oure lyfe shulde be vnto vs tedyous: euen so the sayd noble cytizens beinge departed the spendour and glory of Grece, was turned vnto my­serable darkenes, and so the com­mons brought to ryght great ru­yne and decaye. By whiche ex­emples it is playnly aparant how muche difference is betwixt them [Page] that take paynes in the common wele of their countrey as you do. And them that lye lurkynge at A contra­tiorum compara­tione▪ home lyke vnprofitable ye rather vnnaturall and bestlye people, y ^e wyll not loke to render mutuall office and thanke to so many and spontayne pleasours, that theyr natiue countrey mynystreth vnto Uirtutis consum­matio for [...]udo. them. And bicause that this that you haue herde is the vyue foun­tayne of honour and the very of­fyce of fortitude, whiche of all ver tues is the consummate perfectiō. I wyl exhort, that we, who the for knowlege of god hath destinied to be of the noble church and con­gregacion of Englande and Ire­lande: lacke no courage to ad­uaunce our selues defendinge the worthy fame whiche our fathers before vs so longe tyme haue de­fended and preserued. And regar­dynge [Page] the great & noble magnani­mitie of the very Ethnickis, let no defecte or slakenes be in vs to per Exempla magnani­mitatis quorundā Et nicorū fourme so noble & worthy an inter prise. The Erectheans knowyng y ^t their prince Erecthea dyd put to death his owne doughters called Hiacyntidas for his countreyes sake, thought it shuld be vndecent for them, seinge their prince being immortall and doinge so moch for their coūtrey, to esteme more their mortall bodies then immortall ho nour. The Agidians also knowe­ynge Agide. that their prince Ageus dyd fyrst establyshe lawes and insti­tuciōs in the cōmon wele, wherby he attayned immortal praise, were animated rather to dyspyse theyr mortall bodies then to be lyuers in Grece, after that the honour by him gotten shulde be in theyr de­fault lost. The Leontians know­ynge Agide. [Page] howe the doughters of their prynce Leon offred them selues a sacrifice for their coūtrey, thought it shulde be an argument of moch vilenie in them yf they shulde be counted inferiours in fortitude, & magnanimitie to womē. The Aca A caman­tide. mantians also remembrynge the verse of Homer, howe the immor­tal prince Acamans did sayle into Troye for the saluegarde of his mother thought it shulde be re­quisite in them to bestowe theyr mortall carcaise for their countrey the same beynge the conseruatrice of all their parentes and progenie from the first of them to the last. The Cecropians also considering Cecropide howe their prince Cecrope was ta ken to be pertely a man and pert­lye a dragon for none other cause then that in ingene and iudgemēt he resembled a man, and in vigout [Page] a draggon, in thaffaires of the cō ­mon wele. And lykewyse Thantio Anthiochi de▪ chians forgettynge not that their prince Anthiochus was sonne vn­to Hercules determined in theyr hartes either to leade a lyfe wor­thy the nobilitie of their prynces, or els to dye with the honour to them lefte. With diuerse, ye innu­merable others as well Grekes & Romaynes as of other common weles the exemples whereof to be shewed our present leysar doth in­hibite. Yf then such magnanimity Epilogos cum argu­mento. dyd reigne in the hartes of the ve­ry infidels, whiche in dede y ^e lawe of nature gyueth in yeldyng their personnes to so many ieoperdies for their countreyes, howe muche more shulde the lyke desire be euē inflamed in our hartes who haue [...] natu­re. aboue the lawe of nature the glad tydynges of helthe, the gospell of [Page] our sauiour Iesus Christ, who ex Ler diui­na. emptyng not the lawe of nature, from his holy rules: hath further promised vs that our bodyes shal be reysed agayne with greater per fection ye with incorruptible glo­rie, Thess. iiii the hope whereof onely certis is no smale ioye and solace to our hartes, and an efficax remedie to put awaye from vs thanxious & formidelous thoughtes y ^t might rise in vs of our fleshe, whiche we haue aboue thinfydeles, and Et­nickis that wante hope. Yf we shulde seme to staye and spare our wretched bodyes from so noble an interprise what maye thinfideles, as saynt Iohn̄ Chrisostome sayth Chrisosto­mus. laye to our charge? what will they not cast in our teth? These be they thatso cōstantly affirme that ther shalbe a resurrection of the dede: fayre wordes but their deades [Page] drawe not after that lyne, w ^t their wordes: they affirme that there shalbe a resurrection of the dead, but they dispayre in their hertes. Let not vs therfore frustrate the Hortatur ad stabili­tatem. hope that our sauiour Iesu christ hath gyuen to vs for the recom­forte of our hartes, as sayth saint Paule: lest we shuld lament and morne lyke them that want hope. And yf thinfideles remenbrynge the magnanimite of their princes were so animated: Howe moche more shulde we be euen enflamed beholdynge the princely clemency fortitude and magnanimitie of our liege and naturell kynge Hen rye the eyght by the grace of god kynge of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendour of the fayth in earth vnder god of y ^e churches of Englande Irelande y ^e supreme hede, & of his noble progenitours [Page] whiche no volume can cōprehēde, were the same by any oratour ex­plicable. ye why shulde we not be euen determined like men to fight for lyfe & death, rather thē lyuing to se that princely dignitie, that e­uangelical gouernaunce defaced, which the very prouidence of god hath giuen to vs not to thende we shuld permit the same to be by our enemies forfrushed and brought to nought, but that we shulde ver tuouslye stande in the defence and mayntenaunce thereof in all fideli tie trouth and singlenes of mynde As the lawe of nature, the bonde [...]erota­tio of loue wherewith our natiue coū treye hath bounde vs, the exemple of the princely dexteritie of our no ble kynge and his highnes noble progenitours. And also the verye worde of god in so manye places doth incite and perswade vs to do [Page] And finally lest we shuld be inferi ours to thinfideles whose magna nimitie I haue here to your parte ly declared, I most tēderly exhorte you euen with the wordes of saint Paule: let eche of vs possesse his bodie in all holynes and honour not in sustayninge dishonour as thoughe we knewe not god ye as though we had no hope, or knewe not these thinges that you haue herde of the officious and plenti­full goodnes of our natiue coun­treye. Which I doubt not hath ef­ficace strengthe and energie to chaunge the very cowarde harte to be hardie bolde and coragious in folowynge the precepte of the sapiente Cato, euen to fyght for the natyue countrey. And not with standynge that by the rehersal vn to you of histories of noble men this proposicion shulde haue the [Page] strong collection of argumentes, for our small laysar, let this that I haue sayd be vn to you for this tyme sufficient.