The office and duty in fighting for our country. Set forth with diverse strong arguments gathered out of the holy scripture proving that the affection to the native country should much more rule in us christians then in the Turks and infidels, who were therein so fervent, as by the hystoriis doth appear. 1545.   

¶ To the right honourable and my singular good ldrde and master, sir Anthony Sentleger knight, of the most honourable order of the garter, one of the gentlemen of the kings highness most honourable privy chamber, and lord deputy of Ireland.  
BEING so many ways bound unto your lordship, for the most gracious, bounty and munificence, which in the time of my grievous calamity you have unto me extended. I thought it should be noted in me a point of much ingratitude, to be so long absent from my country without having to you therefore due officious thanks. wherefore I have devised to present your honour with this my poor lucubration. That the same may be an example of my assiduous study, and desire to accomplish the duty, wherewith your lordship have me so often bound. The matter may be aswell conferred to the fervent affection, which always I have borne to my country, and to the grief of my proper exile, as also wholly attribued to the most godly purpose of our most dread sovereign lord the kings majesty, in setting forth his loyal subjects▪ against our enemies.  
In the one respect I take it to be a gift needful for me to give.  
And in the other (for this present time) somewhat apt for your wise doom to receive. That the same being perused, corrected, and set forth by your honour may have credit with all men, the more virtuously to do their most bounden duty, even in fighting for their country, as the sapient Cato doth counsel. In my most humble manner beseeching your honourable lordship to note therein not my temerious audacity and rudeness, but my willing heart to do my duty for my part & to suade other, in that I may to do the like. I have constrained this little work to more brefnes than I ought, leaving out the examples and histories, whereof your lordship is so well fulcome, that I feared the reading of them should be to you somewhat tedious: notwithstanding I know right well the rehearsal of them should add to my work no little coulloure of persuasion: which thing I eftsoons beseech your wisdom to accept accordingly, beseeching almighty god to send you most heartily well to far.  
Your most humble & obedient servant Edward Welsh.   

¶ This oration was pronounced by Edward walshe, at several times unto his fellows militing at the siege of Boloingn̄.  
OFTEN times considering with myself most heartily beloved friends? the high and most virtuous respect, which the famous roman 
Preceptum Catonis.  Cato had to the common weal, when he so earnestly among other his moral precepts did teach 
Propositio.  that we should fight for our country. I thought it might be neither 
Benevolentiam consiliat a sua et auditorium persona.  inconvenient nor yet incomly but very commendable and necessary for us that I should bestow this small leisure, in declaring unto to you some arguments and persuasions tochinge our most boun den duty to our native and natural country. That once hearing the same, as we that have red and perused th'histories of the noble feats of them that attained immortal glory in that behalf as thereby encouraged, you also with semblable alacrity and 
Scopus.  towardness may virtuously advance yourselves to follow the wholesome doctrine of the Sapient Cato. And notwithstanding that after I revolved this attemptate in my mind and with inward contemplation beheld every way how I might best begin, and begun, proceed and so condinglye perform it according the due expectation that you might have of me, interprysing the same, I found it to be a burden heavier than I might well sustain seeing right well that if I should take th'occasions 
A difficultate rei attentiores facit.  to write, that the matter freely offereth to my hand: no volume could comprehend the same, and scantly the hole entreval of my life should thereunto suffice: yet as the manner is of other recent writers taking this sudden occasion as well of 
Ansa.  my proper exile, as of the most god lie quarrels of our most dread sovereign lord king Henrye the eight, who most tenderly desireth the wealth of his loyal subjects and painfully stodyeth for the same: the trump whereof soundeth through out all the regions of the earth, and shallbe doubtless forever a miroure to all such as shall hereafter desire to govern in a common weal, I can no less do then express unto you, such simple reasons, as have at this present concurred in my memory touching our said most bounden duty and office to our native country, which I have gathered together partly of the sayings of famous auctors and partly of the experience that I daily see in men of noble Ingene and virtuous education. 
Consiliarios regios sibi consiliat, dum circa remp: se adeo solicitum predicat.   
trusting that thereby, the zeal that nature hath in me kindled toward my country, may apere in me not only inextynguyble, but also always vygylante and circumspect for the good and commodity of the same. For if any of us, having received officious pleasure at our friends hands, will not only remember 
Sillogismos.  the same with rendering due thanks, but also even show apparent tokens of our good wills to regratifye it with like office, why then, considering that by the example of our fathers we ought to be always thankful for our nutrition. Should we not accumulate and heap our thanks and officious duties to our native country, by whose aid most principally we were not only produced and nourished, but also 
Hiis malis infantes obnoxii sunt maxim.  preserved when we could neither speak nor go nor yet of ourselves evite the peril of fire water iron or such like dangerous thing, whereby we might perish in our infancy. By her benefit, we first learned 
A beneficiis.  to go on the grunnde, and in amiable manner to frame our babyshe tongues, to speak our mother tongue or country language. By her benefit the strong, the week, the poor, the rich, the noble, and thinferior persons live together & are served together in their vocation with the necessaries of their body. In our country we first did behold the most beautiful brightness of the son, which the everlasting god hath so disposed to the use of man, that being common to all that nations of the earth, it extendeth beams and light, as though the same were proper to each country: wherein the workmanship of god appeareth to be equal unto us his sapience, exceeding the judgement of man. Out of her womb did ebullulate and 
Baptizamur in patria.  spring the water wherewith the most heavenly ceremony through which we are called christians was in us performed. By her benefit the rude feldis of our, ready to grow with all kind of unclean things, were sowed with the divine precepts of the gospel without the instructions whereof we should be as thinfideles that do not know god, who can therefore repende condign office or thank though we did study painfully for the same. And as the famous 
Lucianus in opusculo de patrie encomio.  auctor Lucian sayeth, there is nothing in this world, so honourable, or so godly, whereof the goodness of the native country is not in some respect a masters, & an occasion. Nether can we name the commodity, the pleasure, the quality, the honour or any other good thing whereof the native country is not to be thanked. Ye though our country were in deed so baraign, as that she should need the fruits of other realms and 
A contratii obiectione.  so rude of tongue, the in treating of weighty matters we should need the aid of estrange languages: yet resteth in her as in the original and principal a great occasion of thanks and immortal praises. Moreover let us considre the very instruct of nature that worketh 
Natura.  universally in all men, who was ever so unnatural, ye though he excelled many in authority & power in the strange country, to be delired with the pleasant and voluptuous contemplation of the compass and riches of great cities, the costly building of edificis, or any like blandiment, that he would totally forget his native country? Peradventure in the comparison or weighing together of the goodness of countrayes or famous cities, men will have sometime consideration & respect to their amplitude, elegance, plentifulness & riches. But now at all the nature hath rightly educed, will choose for him self a more meet place to dwell in, than his native conntreye: preferring the same with all her faults, to all the copious & rich places of the world. Thus do the legitimate & true children. Thus do the fathers also that be honest, good, and righteous. A child certis having any respect of humanity will not prefer in honour any mortal creature to his father, nor the father 
Mutuum parentum & filiorum officium.  embrace with more fatherly affection any youngling before his na turall child, if then we own due honour, to our fathers as by the 
Honora patrem et matrem.  very commandment of god we are bound, how great study and industry is requisite of us to force that no wreck or evil may come to our native country, wherein our fathers are preserved and kept, how can it be said, that we do due honour to our fathers, if suffering a permcyous mischief to grow against our common weal that successively may destroy the same: we spare our bodies or goods to take it away, and to establish a certain order therein accordingly: if we be bound to 
Locus a fortiore.  our fathers, we be moche more bound to our lineage, and so per quensequently to our country, where they are conserved. You may behold the aged man, who all his life time hath lived, rejecting all manner the commodity ease and pleasure that he hath in the strange country how he wisheth most instantly in his native country even to repose his body as it were on the breast of his natural mother: yea nature worketh with such fierce in men that while they suspect themselves to be deprehended in an unked country thinking there to be buried and turned to the dust they can not but evermore desire to depart. And the more we have seen men come to the opinion of wisdom and to the number of years, the more subjects they seemed to be to this affection that you have herd here rehearsed. ye any alien or stranger, that like a bastard or spurious vilipendeth the name of his native country, esteeming exile a small matter, & like a glotten reposing his felicity in the stinking and beastly voluptuousness of the body, and the vile pleasures of the same, yielding his industry to satisfy concupiscence, without study charge or consideration of the weal of his country, is in no wise to be prosecuted with th'argument of a gentle and regratifying heart. Moreover the God's (as poets do feign) do delight in their native country, Who, as Lucyan sayeth, beholding the whole possessions of 
Lucianus  men with the compass of the earth and ocean: and knowing themselves, as they writ to be owners thereof: yet every of them preferreth with more inward affection his native country than any other place of the world without respect. Whose opinion I have here to you rehearsed, to th'end only that the affection, which is borne from the beginnigne to the native country, may appear to you thereby. But let us have our recourse to the holy scripture, which is far from the faynige of poets, and consider we that is said of our sauiour jesus christ the very owner and redeemer of the world, whereof the holy prophet Micheas 
Miche. 5.  inspired with the spirit of god reckoning with himself the honour due of all men to their native country sayeth these words following which the holy evangelist Mathewe 
Mathei. 2  rehearseth in his second chapter. Thou bethlehem saith he, of the land of juda, art not the least among the princes of juda: for out the shall there come unto me the captain that shall rule my people Israel: if the holy prophet of god did note such respect in our 
A fortiore  saviour jesus christ which doubtless in that he was man, was in him aswell assiduous as ferueut. The scripture testifieth the 
Luce 19 Io. 11.  same by that he so tenderly did weep for the dissolation of jerusalem, and sundreye other exemples which at this present I need not to rehearse. What inhuman, yea rather what beastly instyncte should rule in us if we should have no affection of love rising in our hearts to our native country, whose fathers and whole generation and progeny is earthy & of the earth &, who as you have hard receive so many officious commodities by her only benefit. In this place by occasion of the matter whereof I treat, I am caused to remember the most detestable villainy of Delapole, Path, Garrot 
Delapole Path. Garrot  & such others as with like madness not only have forsaken the sweet vicisitude & offices of their native country. But also with most execrable & ungodly ingnominie have wrought most falsely & traitorous lie against the same. How be it lest I should seem in their vituperie which no tongue can condingly utter to digress from my purposed matter, I leave to them for a perpetual torment to their hearts the same which the makers of the laws have ordained to punish grievous offenders, even exile. And for an everlasting example of their contumely thee, most excellent benefits which they have received of their said native country, to be contrepeysed in the sight of all the world with their abominable in gratitude & unthankfulness. letting you to wit that who so ever offendeth in the like trespass, not only breaketh the bound of all humanity and gratitude, falleth from the high degree of liberty, renegeth for ever to run in the race of honour, but also transgresseth the high institution and providence of god wherwithby inexplicable prescience he hath ordained, and constitued each man to live under the powers of the earth as it is written in diverse 
〈…〉 et 17 〈◊〉 Ro. 13 Sapien. 6  places of the holy evangelye we can not be thereof ingnoraunt: not under such powers as we ourselves shall choose or desire, either through our blind affections or otherwise: for he by the wonderful depth of his wisdom & his investigable ways of for knowledge, before we came to the world, hath ordained provided and appointed for us, expressly that we ought in that behalf to observe and follow: in showing our duty to our native country without we should after the manner of giants, as saith the Proverb fight against 
Cum diis pugnare.  god, & work against his be hests. It may be well apperceaved by this high providence of god that among all transitory things we are principally bound to our native country, And also that it 
Epilogus primi capi tis.  may not lie in us to change that god hath appointed the same being even the very first gift the we receive of our creator, by this also the words of the roman orator Tully, apere to be true where he saith that our birth is the possession of our native country. It can not be expressed unto your sights by more vively colour of rhetoric, how much come moditie and office accrueth unto us that be the german Citizens of our native country. Then if it might be depinged before you, how intolerable calamity and unquietness is to them that be banished and expelled from the same, who being totally descruciate by the grief of their peregrination, cease and to affirm that among all the good things of the world the native country is the best. And miserably complaining their infortunate and wretched life, for that they inhabit not their native country, they esteem themselves for that cause only, most in fortunate though in all other things, they have their hearts desire of all the riches and pleasures of the world. And how they that for a while, as estraungiers and aliens 
Alienigene.  have leaded their lives having attained no little splendour and glory, either by riches and possessions, dignity and honour, notable fame of excellent learning and Ingene or renown of divine virtue, striven together who may first come to their natine country as though no where elsthey might with praise excersyce their said goods to the contentation of their minds: ye the more I have seen men authorized and taken as meet tachiewe greater attemptates the more they seemed to accelerate, to their native country to th'end they might convert their industry to the behoof thereof. So as truly I am made of the opinion that the whole study and labour that men take to attain knowledge or to heap together treasures is pretended to 
Nihill non tenetur patrie.  th'end either they might with the same do profit in exercising liberality in time of need or else in doing some laudable thing where of high commodity might grow to the common weal, you may be 
Notat tria viria quibus ho mines detinentur a 〈◊〉.  sure I mean not here these gross merchants these sarcastical pre stes and possessioners of great anuyties nor such others, whose judgements touch neither heaven nor earth, but is carried with such avydyous desire to heap and to keep as hath no manner end.  
These without doubt repose their 
Luce. 16.  whole felicity in the wicked Mam Mammon without further purpose than to see the same locked up as the high treasure of their hearts. The very Etnickes that never received the faith and consolation of the word of god nor heard the manifold reproaches 
Luc. ●▪ ●6  that Christ layeth against the rich for their abuses (were not 
Ma. 6.  so blind but they would for their countries sake bestow not only their goods but also their bodies as by exemples I will somewhat 
Secundum.  declare. I mean not also these studientes that study a great part of their youth with great diligence and pains to th'end they might under colour of the law or the word of god, work things for their private ease, and commodity: a great number of such birds buylden their nests in the branches and under the shadow of good doing, which daily invent new crafts of dissimulation. These study & watch always to increase and augment their voluptuous ease, and amplify their possessions and livelihood, not regarding thanxious thoughts and study that they are bound to take for the common weal and pre seruation of the church of God. Soch have not received revelaci on of the respect that our saviour jesus christ had to the common weal 
Ma. 17.  when he paid the penny found in the fishes belly, and when he answered 
Ma. 22. Luce. 20.  the pharisees touching that tribute due to Cesar, neither consi dre they the study and circumspection 
Petrus. Barnabas. Paulus. Passim in actibus Apostolorum et epistolis.  which the apostles, Peter, Barnabas, and Paul had to the common weal, in preaching the gospel, observing always the circumstances that made for the common weal: which things and many other necssarie instructions for our christian sotietie, while they stu die the contentious and inutile ru les of Duns, Thomas and such 
johannes Dunt Thoma● de aquine  others, and while they stick in de fuse & insoluble questions of divinity, are declared unto us with great & heavenly discretion by the very Etnickis as Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, 
Plato. Socrate▪ Aristoteles. Tullius▪ Lato. Plutarch. Seneca.  Tully, Cato, Seneca, Plutharch & all other famous authors that ever hitherto did write. I would o god that such were thindustry and good will of our priests & students that are allowed to sit at home to preach the gospel & ministre that law, peradventure, in such heavenly judgement 
Spūs paracletus namque di ci●ur spū● dorodoti●  they had the help of the spirit of god, whose graces are further extended than we can interpret or define. Neither do I mean such 
Tertium Demosthenes.  as are reproved by Demosthenes that sometime were militing in Grece for the only love of money and profit, without the inward study that they should have to do the honour of their country who for that they trusted in the corrupt minds of their captains to be by them received again to favour when they would for money. Went about when any danger came upon them, every man to save himself without any respect to the shame that they thereby disserued. Wherefore the said Demosthenes extolleth with high praise, the order taken for such in the common weal of Democratia: where 
Resp. De●ocratica  such offenders could never again be received to favour. And where many excellent honest and righteous istitutions were set forth very necessary for each man that is benevolent or studious for the good of his country to observe and follow, which for your sakes I trust shortly to see transphrased into our mother tongue, notwithstanding that in this example of the coward greeks I can in no wise move you. Whose deeds be manifest enough thanks be to god in declaring your willing hearts, to do the profit and honour of our native country.  
Of these defectus that you have herd, I might set forth domestical exemples, wherewith my words mygh be opened even to your own eyes, but made odious and grievous unto some men's hearts. But because it is necessary for him 
Locus comunis d● auditorum beneuole●tia:  that would exhort the people, to all lure them with sweet and pleasant instructions, to acquire favour at their hands, for without that nothing is to them acceptable, I will not so manifestly set forth the faultis which (without my speech) shallbe with such as I have said, confronted more and more to their perpetual vitupery, & contempt, and to the immortal glory, and unspea kable renowine of the noble hearts that be of such human, and officious ingine, as knoweth their bodies and goods to be even the very possessiou of the common weal of their native country. And then 
Marcus Tulius.  selves as Tully saith to have been borne to the use thereof. Sithence therefore the noble orator 
Demosthenes.  Demosthenes not only counteth himself unable to dilate the noble virtue & the honour of such, who as I have said, are given to the common we'll but also affirmeth the whole vigour of rhetoric to be thereto insufficient: I were worthy to be redargued of moche arrogancy if I should attempt to make unto you a definition there of. He doubteth not to call such men the very soul of their country, 
Anima patrie.  because of their magnificence and nobility of heart, showing the same by an example of Grece, how when such Citizens were deceased and passed out of the world the whole dignity and noble authority of Grece, was taken away and fordone. He 
Lux patrie.  calleth them also the light of their country, meanings that as the light being taken away from our use, the rest of our life should be unto us tedious: even so the said noble citizens being departed the spendour and glory of Grece, was turned unto miserable darkness, and so the commons brought to right great ruin and decay. By which exemples it is plainly apparent how much difference is betwixt them that take pains in the common weal of their country as you do. And them that lie lurking at 
A contratiorum comparatione.  home like unprofitable ye rather unnatural and bestlye people, the will not look to render mutual office and thank to so many and spontayne pleasures, that their native country ministereth unto 
Uirtutis consummatio for ●●●udo.  them. And because that this that you have herd is the vive fountain of honour and the very office of fortitude, which of all ver tues is the consummate perfection. I will exhort, that we, who the for knowledge of god hath destinied to be of the noble church and congregation of England and Ireland: lack no courage to advance ourselves defending the worthy fame which our fathers before us so long time have defended and preserved. And regarding the great & noble magnanimity of the very Ethnickis, let no defect or slakenes be in us to per 
Exempla magnanimitatis quorundam Et nicorum  form so noble & worthy an inter prize. The Erectheans knowing that their prince Erecthea did put to death his own daughters called Hiacyntidas for his countries sake, thought it should be undecent for them, seeing their prince being immortal and doing so much for their country, to esteem more their mortal bodies then immortal honour. The Agidians also knowing 
Agide.  that their prince Ageus did first establish laws and institutions in the common weal, whereby he attained immortal praise, were animated rather to despise their mortal bodies then to be livers in Grece, after that the honour by him gotten should be in their default lost. The Leontians knowing 
Agide.  how the daughters of their prince Leon offered themselves a sacrifice for their country, thought it should be an argument of much villainy in them if they should be counted inferiors in fortitude, & magnanimity to women. The Aca 
A camantide.  mantians also remembering the verse of Homer, how the immortal prince Acamans did sail into Troy for the safeguard of his mother thought it should be requisite in them to bestow their mortal carcaise for their country the same being the conseruatrice of all their parents and progeny from the first of them to the last. The Cecropians also considering 
Cecropide  how their prince Cecrope was ta ken to be pertly a man and pertly a dragon for none other cause then that in ingine and judgement he resembled a man, and in vigout a dragon, in th'affairs of the common weal. And likewise 
Anthiochi de.  Thantiochians forgetting not that their prince Anthiochus was son unto Hercules determined in their hearts either to lead a life worthy the nobility of their princes, or else to die with the honour to them left. With diverse, ye innumerable others as well Greeks & Romans as of other common weles the exemples whereof to be showed our present leisure doth inhibit. If than such magnanimity 
Epilogos cum argumento.  did reign in the hearts of the very infidels, which in deed the law of nature giveth in yielding their persons to so many jeopardies for their countries, how much more should the like desire be even inflamed in our hearts who have 
〈◊〉 nature.  above the law of nature the glad tidings of health, the gospel of our saviour jesus Christ, who ex 
Ler divina.  empting not the law of nature, from his holy rules: hath further promised us that our bodies shall be raised again with greater perfection ye with incorruptible glory, 
Thess. iiii  the hope whereof only certis is no small joy and solace to our hearts, and an efficax remedy to put away from us thanxious & formidelous thoughts that might rise in us of our flesh, which we have above thinfidels, and Etnickis that want hope. If we should seem to stay and spare our wretched bodies from so noble an enterprise what may thinfideles, as saint Iohn Chrisostome saith 
Chrisostomus.  lay to our charge? what will they not cast in our teeth? These be they thatso constantly affirm that there shallbe a resurrection of the deed: fair words but their deeds draw not after that line, with their words: they affirm that there shallbe a resurrection of the dead, but they despair in their hearts. Let not us therefore frustrate the 
Hortatur ad stabilitatem.  hope that our saviour jesus christ hath given to us for the recomfort of our hearts, as saith saint Paul: lest we should lament and morn like them that want hope. And if thinfideles remenbring the magnanimity of their princes were so animated: How moche more should we be even inflamed beholding the princely clemency fortitude and magnanimity of our liege and natural king Hen rye the eight by the grace of god king of England France and Ireland defender of the faith in earth under god of the churches of England Ireland the supreme heed, & of his noble progenitors which no volume can comprehend, were the same by any orator explicable. ye why should we not be even determined like men to fight for life & death, rather than living to see that princely dignity, that evangelical governance defaced, which the very providence of god hath given to us not to th'end we should permit the same to be by our enemies forfrushed and brought to nought, but that we should virtuously stand in the defence and maintenance thereof in all fidelity troth and singleness of mind As the law of nature, the bond 
●erotatio  of love wherewith our native coum treye hath bound us, the example of the princely dexterity of our noble king and his highness noble progenitors. And also the very word of god in so many places doth incite and persuade us to do And finally lest we should be inferi ours to thinfideles whose magnanimity I have here to your part lie declared, I most tenderly exhort you even with the words of saint Paul: let each of us possess his body in all holiness and honour not in sustaining dishonour as though we knew not god ye as though we had no hope, or knew not these things that you have herd of the officious and plentiful goodness of our native country. Which I doubt not hath efficace strength and energy to change the very coward heart to be hardy bold and courageous in following the precept of the sapiente Cato, even to fight for the native country. And not with standing that by the rehearsal unto you of histories of noble men this proposition should have the strong collection of arguments, for our small laysar, let this that I have said be unto you for this time sufficient.  
Finis.   

¶ Imprinted at London in Aldersgate street by johannes Herford.  
At the costs and charges of Robert toy dwelling in Paul's church yard, at the sign of the Bell.  
Anno dni. 1545.