neyther about Noone he conueyed hys army into theyr Campes again Then at the length Ariouistus sent part of hys power to assault the lesser Camp The encounter continued verye sharpe on both sydes vntyll the euentyde At the sunne setting after many wounds geuen and taken Ariouistus conueyed hys army again into hys Camp As Cesar made enquirye of hys prisoners what should be the cause that Ariouistus wolde not encounter with him in a pitched field he found that the occasion therof was this bicause it was a custome among the Germanes that theyr auncyent women should by castyng of lots and soothsaying declare whether it wer for their behoof to feight or no and that they sayde the Germanes might not by anye meanes possible get the victory if they fought before the new mone The next day Cesar left a sufficient power in eche of hys Campes to defend them and set all hys lyght armed souldiors in the face of his ennemyes before hys lesser Camp bicause he had a small number of Legionary souldyors in respect of the multitude of hys enemyes to thintent to vse the light armed souldiers for a showe He him selfe wyth hys men ordred in three battels marched to the Camp of his enemies Then were the Germanes constreined of necessity to bring their power out of their camp And so they set seuerally wyth lyke distaunce betwene theÌ„ the The people of ConstaÌ„ce Harudes the * People about Strausbrouâ—â— Marcomannes the * People about Wormes Triboks the * People about Spire Uangions the * People about Sion in Ualoys Nemets the * Sedusianes and the * Sweuians euery one by theym selues and bycause there should be no hope left in running away they enuironed all their whole battel with their carts and chariots In them they placed theyr women and they at suche tyme as the souldiers shulde go forth to battell holding vp their hands and weping besought theym that they woulde not yeeld theym in bondage to the Romanes Cesar assygned to euery Legion seuerally a Lieuetenant and a Threasoror to th entent they should be as witnesses of euery mans valiant behauior And he himselfe gaue charge vpon his enemies out of the right wing bicause he perceiued his enemyes to be weakest on that syde So assone as sygne of battell was geuen our men set courageously vppon their enemyes And on thother syde our enemies on the sodein came forth agaynst vs with such celeritie that we had no leysure to discharge our darts at them In so much that castinge asyde Dartes the matter came to hande strokes wyth naked swords But the Germanes quickly knitting themselues close together brake the force of our swords Neuertheles there were very many of our men to be found that flew stoutlye vpoÌ„ them and pulling their tergats out of their handes wounded theym aloft Now whyle the battell of our enemies was on the left wyng dryuen backe and put to flight in theyr right wing by reason of their multitude they didde sore ouercharge vs. Whiche thynge when P. Crassus a noble yong gentilman Lieuetenant of the men of armes perceyued bycause he was somewhat more at liberty than they that were in the battell he sent the rereward to the resâ—ow of our men that were in peril By meanes whereof the feight was renewed and all our enemyes tooâ—e theÌ„ to flyght And they neuer ceased flying before they came to the Rhine whych was about fyue miles from the place where the field was fought There also fewe of them eyther trusting to their streÌ„gth assaied to swim ouer or els fyndinge Botes saued themselues by rowing among the which number Ariouâ—stus was one who fynding a lighter tyed to the banke fled away in it Our horsmen ouertooke all the rest and slew them downe ryght Ariouistus had twoo wyues th one a Sweuian borne whom he hadde brought from home wyth hym thother of Norimberge the suster of king Uoccio whom he had maried in Fraunce sent thither by her brother both the whych perished in that chase The two daughters of them also was one of theym slayne and thother taken prisoner Marcus Ualerius Procillus as he was led away by hys kepers bound wyth thre cheines chaunsed to light into Cesars hand as he pursued the horsmen of hys enemies The which thing was no lesse ioy to Cesar than the victory it self that one of the honorablest men of al the Prouince of Gallia hys familar freÌ„d in whose house he had soiourned was deliuered out of hys enemies hands and recouered agayne by him and that misfortune had not layd anye such calamitye vpon hym as myght haue abridged any part of Cesars great gladnes and reioycement He tolde Cesar that three times lots were cast vpon hym before hys eyes whether he shuld be burned out of hand or reserued vntill an other time and that it was hys good lucke to be saued by lotte Marcus Titius also was found and brought vnto him again When the brute of this discoÌ„fiture was blown ouer the Rhine the Sweuians that were come to the riuer syde began to returne home again whom amazed for feare the Ubians whych are inhabiters on the Rhyne pursewing slew a great number of them Cesar hauing in one Sommer dispatched twoo great warres conueyed hys army into garrisons among the Sequanes somewhat soner than the tyme of the yere required and makyng Labienus for generall in hys absens hee him selfe went into Lumbardye to holde a parlament there FINIS THE SECOND BOKE of C. Iulius Caesars Commentaries of his warres in Gallia DVRING THE TIME that Cesar wyntred in Lumbardy as we haue shewed before it was oftentimes reported to hym by here say and he was also certified by letters from Labienus â–ª that al the Belgies which we haue declared to be the third part of Gallia did coÌ„federate themselues against the people of Rome and giue hostages among themselues The causes of their confederacye were theis Firste they feared least after that all the rest of Gallia were subdued our army should come against them Secondly bycause they were moued thereunto by dyuers of the Galles who partly like as they wer lothe that the Germanes shuld haue taried any lengar in their country so lykewise it greued them that the Romane army shuld winter and continue in Fraunce and partlye were such as through vnconstancy lightnes of minde desired thalteration of the state Of diuers also who wheras nowe it was a common trade through all Fraunce that whosoeuer was of most power and most ability to hire men made hymselfe a king thought they shuld not so easly come by their purpose if we gate the souereinty Cesar being moued with theis tidings and letters leuied two new Legions in Lumbardy and in the beginning of Sommer sent hys Lieuetenant Q. Pedius wyth them to conducte them into Fraunce And assone as there began to be any store of forrage in the fields he hym selfe came vnto hys armye He gaue in charge to the
Ryuer * Sabis that we spake of before From the same riuer with lyke leuelnesse vpwarde rose another hyll directlye against this about two hundred fote the bottom whereof was open and thupper part so thycke wyth wood that it coulde not easlye be seene inward Within those woods our ennemyes kept them selues close and in the open grounde were to be sâ—ne a fewe stales of horsemen by the ryuers side and the riuer was aboute three foote depe Cesar sending hys horsmen before folowed after wyth all hys power But the manner and order of theyr araye was otherwyse than the Belgies had reported it to the Neruians For inasmuch as the enemy was at hande Cesar as hys rustome was to do ledde six legions alwayes in a readinesse vncombred wyth the cariage of any thing after theym he placed the stuffe of all the host and lastly the two legions that were last leuied were a rereward to the whole army garded the stuffe Our horsmen with the slingars and bowmen passing the riuer encountred wyth the horsemen of our ennemies While they receyled backe to their company in the woods from thence agayne issued out vpon oure men who durst not pursew them any further then the playne and open ground extended in the mean time the sixe Legions that went before hauing theyr woorke measured out vnto them began to fortifiye theyr Camp As sone as they that lay lurking in the woods espied the formest cariages of our armye which was the tyme agreed vpon among them selues to geue the onset vpon vs for the performance wherof they had set themselues in order of battel within the woods and encouraged one another before hande sodeinlye they came flying out with al their power and charged vpon our horsmen Hauing easly put them back disordred them with incredible swiftnes they came running down to the riuer insomuch that well nere all at one instant our enemies were in the woods in the Riuer and in hand with vs. Wyth lyke swyftnesse also they rose against the hil to our Camp against them that were occupied about their work Now was Cesar dryuen to do al thyngs at ones The banner was to be displayed whych was the tokeÌ„ when weapon was to bee taken in hand warninge was to be geuen by the sounding of a trumpet the souldiors were to be called backe from the worke such as were gone abrode to fetch turfe were to be sent for the battel was to be set in aray the souldiors were to be encoraged signe of battell was to be geuen Of the whych thyngs a great part was interrupted by shortnesse of the tyme and the hasty assault of our enemies Agaynst theis distresses two thyngs were a helpe Firste the knowledge and experience of the souldiors bycause that throughe theyr practise in former battels they coulde as good skyll to teache theym selues as be taughte of others what was to bee done and secondlye bycause Cesar had geuen commandement to euery Lieuetenant seuerally that none of them shoulde be so hardye to departe from the worke from their seueral legions vntil such time as the camp were fortified Theis men by reason of the hasty approch of their enemies looked for no commaundement from Cesar but ordred al things by them selues as seemed best by their owne discretions Cesar hauing commaunded such things as were nedeful ran encoraging hys souldiors what way soeuer chaunce led hym and came to the tenth Legion He made no lengar protestacion to his souldiors but that they should haue in remeÌ„brance theyr auncient prowesse and that they shoulde not be discouraged in theyr harts but valeantly wythstaÌ„d the brunt of theyr enemyes And bycause hys ennemies were no further of than a man might throw a Dart he gaue theÌ„ a signe of encountryng the whych done as he was goyng to another part to encourage them like wyse he found them feightyng alredy For the tyme was so short and the enemy so earnest to feight and so nere at hand that there wanted leysure not only to place theym vnder theyr antesignes but also to put on theyr skuls and to pul their tergats out of their cases Looke what part euerye man by chaunce lighted into from his worke and what antesigne he sawe fyrst there he stayed least in seking for hys owne companye he should lose the tyme whych was to be spent in feighting When he had set his men in aray rather according as the nature of the place and the fal of the hyl and the necessity of the tyme wold suffer than as the reasoÌ„ and order of battell required so that his legions in diuers places at ones were fayne to encounter their ennemies one in one part and another in another the perfect syght and view being also hindred by reason of thick hedges that were betwyxt theÌ„ there could not any certain rescow be placed any where neyther coulde it be sene what was nedeful to be done in euery part nether could any one maÌ„ see the order execution of all thinges And therefore in so great vncerteinty of things ensewed also diuers haps of fortune The Souldiors of the ninth and tenth legions as they stood in the ryght syde of the battel after the darts were throwen dydde quickly driue down from the higher ground into the riuer the * Atrebatians for they by chaunce were matched wyth them then out of breath wyth running and fortrauelled and sore wounded and preasyng after them slew a great part of them with their swordes as they were troubled in passing the water Moreouer they sticked not to passe the riuer wyth them but boldly aduenturing into a place of disaduauntage they renued the battell agayn against their enemyes that returned vpon them and made resistence whom finally they put to flyght Also in another part two other legions the eleuenth and the eyghth hauing driuen backe the * Ueromanduanes with whom thei encountred from the hygher ground fought harde vpon the banks of the ryuer And al our whole Camp wel nigh being left naked on the forefront and on the left side seing that in the right wing stood the .xii. legion and wythin a lyttell waye of it the .vii. legion All the Neruians in a verye thycke battell by the conduct of Boduognatus who was generall of the field made towarde the same place Of whom some began to assault our Legions on the open syde and some to get to the hyghest place of oure Campe. The same tyme our horsemen and oure light harnessed footemen and such as were with theym who as I tolde you were put to flyght at the first shocke of our ennemyes as they were retyring into their Camp met theyr ennemyes ful in the face and fledde agayne from them another way And the varlets and pages who from the highe gate of our Camp and the top of the hyll had seene oure men passe the Riuer with conquest going out to gather the spoyle when they looked backe and saw the enemies in our Camp tooke theim to
their beles as fast as they could Therewithall was also heard a noise and a rose of them that came wyth the cariages and euerye man scattred awaye for feare some one way and some another All the which things strake such a feare into the harts of the horsemen of Triers who are reputed for men of singular prowesse among the Galles and were sent from their City to aid Cesar when they had sene that our Camp was replenished with a multitude of our enemies oure Legions sore layd at and in maner beset roūd about and that our pages our horsmen our slingars of Numidie fled scattring here and there euery way thinking there was no hope of recouery with vs toke theyr way home and reported to their Citie that the Romanes were put to flyght vanquyshed and that their enemies had wonne their Camp and all theyr cariages Cesar as he went from encouraging the tenth Legion to the ryght wyng when he perceyued his men to be sore pressed and the Antesignes gathered together into one place the souldyers of the .xii. Legion to be pestered so thycke together that one could not feight for another al the Centurions of the iiii Cohort slayne the antesigne bearer kylled and the antesigne lost the capteynes almost of all thother Cohorts eyther wounded or slain among the which number P. Sextus Baculus a verie valeant Gentilman chief captein of a band was hurt wyth so many and so sore wounds that he was now not able to stand on his legs the residue to wax somewhat faint and diuers forsaken of the hindermost to wythdrawe out the battell and eschewe feightyng hys enemyes geuing no entrance to such as came vp against the hyll on the forefronte from the lower grounde and laying sore to them on both sydes so that the matter was brought to a narrow yssue and no help that could be mynistred to releue theym toke a tergat from one of the hyndermost souldyors for he was come thither without a tergat and aduauncing hym selfe into the forefront of the battel called vppon the Centurions by name and encouraging the rest of the souldiors he commaunded the antesigne to be aduaunced and the bands to set them selues more at large to thintēt they might the easlyer wyeld their swords By his comming the souldiors being well chered and gathering courage agayne when euerye man for hys part in the syght of hys graund capteine euen at thuttermost extremitie endeuored to employ hys trauell the brunt of the enemye was a littell stayd Cesar perceyuing that the seuenth Legion whych stoode by hym was likewise sore ouerlaide by the enemy admonyshed the Tribunes that the Legions shuld by lyttel and littel knit them selues together and turnyng their antesignes aduaunce them toward the enemy By meanes wherof whē as one helped another and that they were out of feare of being enclosed of the ennemy behynd they begā to stand more boldly at defens to lay their hāds better about them In the meane season the souldiors of the two Legions whiche in the rereward were a defence to the cariages hearing of the battell ran thyther a pace were spyed by oure enemyes in the top of the hyll And Titus Labienus hauing wonne the tents of our enemyes and beholding frō the higher groūd what was done in our camp sent the tenth legion to the reskew of our men Who learning by the flyght of oure horsemen and pages in what case the matter stood and in how great daūger both the Camp and the Legions and the Captaine hym selfe was made as much hast as was possible Upon the comyng of them there ensewed such an alteration of thynges that euen such of our men as for griefe of theyr wounds were falne downe leaning vpon their shieldes began to feight againe a fresh the pages perceiuing their enemyes amased ran vpon thē armed being vnarmed themselues and the horsemen to th entent wyth valeātnes to wipe away the reproch of theyr former flyght did in al places put theym selues into the battell before the Legionary souldyors How beit the enemies euen in thuttermost perill of theyr lyues shewed suche manhode that as fast as the formest of them were ouerthrowen the next vnto them bestrid theym and fought vpon theyr bodyes the whych being lykewyse cast downe and the deade carkesses heaped one vpon another those that remayned standyng vpon thē as it had bene a hyl threw darts at our men and latchyng our Darts sent them agayn at vs so that there was good cause to deeme them men of so hault courage who durst passe so broade a ryuer clymb vp the high banks and march vp into a place of most disaduauntage for themselues all the whych thyngs the noblenesse of theyr courage of most hard hadde made very easy Thys battell beyng dispatched and the nation and name of the Neruians being brought almost to vtter destruction the elder sort who as we tolde you with the women and chyldren were gathered together into out Ilands fennes when they heard of this battel thinkyng that nothyng was able to stay the conquerors nor nothyng able to saue such as wer vanquished by the consent of all that were lefte alyue sent ambassadors vnto Cesar yelded them selues to hys mercy alledging in declaration of the great calamity of theyr country that of syx hūdred Senators they were brought to three and of threescore thousand men there were scarce fiue hundred left that were able to beare armor Whom Cesar to th entent it myght appeare he had shewed pity to wretches and such as submitted themselues vnto him preserued verye carefully graunting them to enioy styll theyr country towns and streightlye commaunding the borderers to restrein themselues and theyrs from doyng them any wrong or harme The Aduaticks of whom we haue written before commyng with al their power to aid the Neruians when newes was brought them of thys discomfiture brake of theyr iorney and returned home and abandoning vp all theyr Townes and Castels conueyed all their goods into one towne of nature excellently wel fortified the which on al parts roūd about hauing most high rockes and steepe fallings had left on one syde an ascent gentlye rising by littel and littel not passing two hundred fote brode This place they had fortified with a double wall of a very great heighth therupon had laid in a redines stones of a great masse logs of timber sharpened at both endes Them selues were the ofspryng of the Cimbriās and duchmen who at such time as they toke their voyage through our Prouince into Italye bestowed suche stuffe and cattell of theyrs as they coulde not carye and dryue wyth them on thys syde the riuer Rhyne and left syx thousand of their companye behind for the saufe kepyng defence of the same Theis after the death of their companions beyng many yeres together dysquietted by theyr neybors whyle they somtime inuaded and sometime defended concluding peace by general consent chose this place to inhabit
the dooing of the matter were quickly ferrried ouer Almost at one instant a littel be fore day light tidings was brought to the enemy that contrary to theyr custome the Romanes made an vprore in their camp and that a great company was going vp the streame and a great noise of Ores heard that way and that a littell beneath men of warre were ferrying ouer in Barges When they had heard this forasmuch as they thought that the Legions were passing in three places and that al of theÌ„ troubled wyth the rebellion of the Heduanes prepared themselues to flyght they also deuided their army into thre partes For leauing a conuenient number for defence against oure camp they sent a small bande toward Corbeit Metiosedum which should procede no further thaÌ„ they saw the Botes go and with all the rest of their power they went against Labienus By the breake of day bothe all our men were ferried ouer and the battell of our enemyes appered wythin sight Labienus hauing encouraged his souldiers to be mindfull of their auncient prowesse and of so manye prosperous fieldes that they had fought and to thynke wyth themselues that Cesar vnder whose banner they had many a time and often foiled their enemies was there present he bade blow vp to the battell At the first encounter on the right wing where the seuenth Legion stode oure ennemies were driuen backe and put to flighte on the lefte wyng whyche place the xv Legion held albeit that the fyrst rankes of our enemyes were striken throughe wyth Dartes and fell downe deade yet neuertheles the rest stode earnestly at defence and there was not any man that made countenance to run his way The Capteine Camulogenus himselfe was euer at hande and encouraged them While the victory hung yet in doubtfull ballance The Marshals of the vii Legion hearing what was done in the lefte wynge shewed the Legion at the backe of theyr enemies and aduaunced their banners agaynst theym Yet for all that there was not anye man euen at that time that forsoke his ground but were all enclosed rounde about and slaine euerychone Camulogenus also tooke suche fortune as hys souldiers did Nowe they that were lefte for defence agaynste Labienus camp when they heard that the battell was ioyned went to succor their fellowes and tooke a hill but they were not able to wythstand the force of our souldiers specially being conquerors So intermedling theÌ„selues wyth the rest of theyr company that fled al such forasmuch as there were neyther woodes nor mountaynes to hyde them they were al slaine WheÌ„ Labienus had dispatched this matter he returned to AgeÌ„dicum where the stuffe of the whole army was left and from thence he came with al his power vnto Cesar. UpoÌ„ knowledge that the Heduanes rebelled the war was encreased Ambassades were dispatched into all partes as far as eyther theyr fauor authority or mony was able to stretch they streined themselues to sollicit the Cityes Hauinge gotten into theyr handes the hostages that Cesar had bestowed among them they put the neuters in feare that they would put them to death The Heduanes requested Uercingetorix that he wold come to theÌ„ and consult wyth them for thorder of the warre When they had obteined theyr request they sewed to haue the chief doing coÌ„mitted to themselues and they brought the matter so farre in controuersy that a counsell of all Gallia was called at Beawâ—â—e Bibracte to the which place resorted great numbers of people from al quarters and the matter was putte to voyces by which it was concluded generallye that Uercingetorix shuld be GrauÌ„dcapteine styll From thys counsell were absent the men of Rhemes the Lingones and the Treuires The men of Rhemes and the Lingones were awaye bycause they cleaued to the frendshippe of the Romanes the Treuires by reason they were farre distant and were infested by the Germanes whyche was the cause that they came not of all the tyme of the warre nor sent anye ayde to anye of bothe partyes The Heduanes tooke the matter verye heauilye that they were set beside the souereintye they lamented the chauÌ„ge of theyr estate wyshinge that Cesar would pardon them And yet hauing enterprysed the warre already they durst not wythdraw theÌ„selues to take counsel alone from the rest Eporedorix and Uiridomarus yong gentelmen of greate towardnes coulde ill abide to be at the commaundement of Uercingetorix Howbeit hee commaunded all thother Cities to geue him pledges and wylled them to bringe them in by a day Ouermore he bade that all theyr horsmen to the number of .xv. thousand should wyth all spede possible resort hither to him As for fotemen he sayd he wold content himself wyth those that he had alreadye for he wold neyther try the courtesye of fortune nor put the matter to a pytched field But forasmuch as he had so good store of horsemen it was an easy matter to compasse to prohibit the Romanes from fetchinge corne and forrage so that they could finde in theyr hearts to abide the destroying of theyr owne corne and the burning of theyr owne houses through losse of which their priuate goodes they sawe they shoulde attaine souereinty and liberty for euer When he had set thyngs thus at a stay he commaunded the Heduanes and Secusianes whych were borderers vppon the Prouince to find him ten thousand footemen and for an ouerplus eyght hundred horsmen ouer whom he made captein the brother of Eporedorix commaunding him to make war vppon the people of Allobrogians On thother side he sent the Gabales together wyth the nexte hundreds of Auverne against the Heluians and the Ruthenes Cadurkes to wast the borders of the Uolces in Arminacke Neuerthelesse by secret messages and ambassages he solliciteth the Allobrogians whose mindes he hoped were not yet quietted syns the last war Unto their noble men he promised monye and to the City the superiority of al the whole countrye For a defence agaynst all theis chauÌ„ces were prouided before hand two twentye Cohortes The whych being raysed out of the verye Prouince were by the Lieuetenant L. Cesar in all places set as a Bulwarke against the enemy The Heluians of their owne head encounteryng wyth their borderers were put to the worse and wyth the losse of the Prince of their Citye C. Ualerius Denotaurê° the son of Caburus and manye other that were slayne in the field were driuen to take their walled Townes The Allobrogians placing diuers garrisons vpoÌ„ the Riuer of Rhone defended their borders wyth great care and diligens Cesar bicause he perceyued hys enemies to be better furnished of horsmen than himself and that all the wayes were so forlayd that he could not be relieued wyth any thing out of Prouince or Italye sent ouer the Rhine into Germanye vnto those Cities which thother yeres before he had pacified and demauÌ„ded of them horsmen and fotemen light harnessed which were wont to feight amongest them At theyr comming forasmuche as they had not so
and guyde them and turne them in a short roome and runne vpon the Uergies and stand stedfastly vppon the beames and quicklye recouer them selues backe agayne into the wagons Wyth the whiche thinges whyle oure men were troubled for the straungenesses of the feight Cesar came in very good season to the rescow For at his coming the enemyes stood stil and our men toke hart to them Notwithstanding forasmuche as he thought the tyme serued not then for hys purpose to meddel wyth his enemies or to geue them battel he kept himselfe in hys place and anon after conueyed hys Legâ—ons into hys Camp agayne As theis things were a doing that al our men were occupyed the rest that were in the fields went theyr waye For many days after there folowed such coÌ„tinual stormes that we were fain to kepe our Camp and our enemyes could not come forth to battel In the mean time the Britons sent messengers abroad into al quarters publyshing euery where what small number was of vs and what oportunitye both of winning 〈◊〉 and setting themselues at libertye for euer was offred if they could turn the Romanes out of their camp Hâ—ruppon assebled a great power of â—orsemen and fotemen and came to oure Camp Albeit that Cesar perceyued that the same thyng was like to happen whych had come to passe a fewe dayes ago that if hys enemyes were put to flight yet should they by their quicknes scape dauÌ„ger yet notwythstanding forasmuch as he had gotteÌ„ a thirtie horsmeÌ„ which Comius of Arras whom we haue spoken of before had brought ouer with hym he sette his Legions in battel ray before his Campe. When the matter came to be tryed by the sworde our enemies were not able to stande any while agaynste the force of our Souldyers but turned their backes Whom we purse winge as farre as our strength wold geue vs leaue to run slew very many of them and after we had burned vp all the howses a greate waye aboute we retyred into our Campe. The same daye came ambassadours froÌ„ our enemies to Cesar to entreate for peace whom hee charged wyth double number of Hostages commaunded them to bring them to him into Gallia And forasmuche as the It is the tyme wheÌ„ the daye and night are all of one length which is twyce in the yere in March and September Equinoctial drew nere he thought the wynter season was not for hym to sayle in his ships being so weake as they were wherfore hauing gotten a mete weather somewhat after midnight he loosened from the shore with his shippes the which came eueryecheone of them safe to lande But that twoo of the shippes of burthen could not attaine to the same hauon that the rest dydde and were dryuen somewhat lower Out of the whych when as a threhundred souldiers beyng set a lande were going towarde their Camp the Morines whom Cesar at his setting forth into Britaine had left in quiet allured with hope of spoile came about them not with so greate a nomber to speak of at the firste and bad them put of their harnesse if they loued their liues When they on thother syde castynge theimselues in a ringe stode at defence sodenly at the cry that was made ther came together aboute sixe thousande men The whiche thinge Cesar hearing of sent all his horsemen out of his Campe to theyr rescowe In the meane whyle our men withstode the force of theyr enemyes feightyng verye valeantlye by the space of more then fower howers in the which time fewe of them beinge wounded they slew very many of them But assone as our horsemen came within sight our enemies casting away their weapons turned their backes and a great number of them were kylled The next day Cesar sent his lieuetenant T. Labienus with those Legions that he had brought ouer againe out of Brittaine agaynste the Morynes that had made insurrection Who hauing not any place to fly vnto for succour by reason their fennes were dryed which kind of refuge they had vsed the yere before came almost all in subiection to Labienus But Q. Titurius and. L. Cotta two other of Cesars Lieuetenantes which had led certeyne Legions against the Menapians hauing wasted al their fieldes cutte downe all their corne and burnt vp al their buildings bycause the Menapians had al hid theymselues in the thicke woodes returned vnto Cesar. Cesar appointed that al his Legions should winter amonge the Belgies Onelye two cities of Brittaine sent hostages thither the rest refused to do it After theis thinges were done vppon the sight of Cesars letters the Senate proclaimed a general supplication for twentye dayes FINIS THE FYFTH BOOKE of C. Iulius Caesars Commentaries of his warres in Gallia THe same yere that Lucius Domitius and Appyus Claudyus were Consulls Cesar departinge frome hys winter garisons into Italye as he was yerely wonte to do commaunded his Lieuetenantes in whose charge he had lefte hys Legions that they shoulde in the wynter season cause as manye news shippes to be buylded as they could and the olde to be mended declaring of what receite and fasshyon he wold haue them made For the more spedye loading and vnloading of them he made them somewhat lower than those that we are wonte to occupye in our Seas and that so much the rather bycause that through the often chaunge of the tydes he had perceyued that the Seas wente rougher there For the better carying ouer of thynges of greate weight and numbers of horses he made theym somewhat broader then those that we vse in other seas All theis he commaunded to be made in such wise that they might be spedelye driuen wyth ores whereunto their lowenesse did greatlye further Suche thynges as were necessarye for the arming out of the shippes he caused to be brought out of Spaine And after that he hadde helde a parliament of the hither Galia he tooke his iourney into Illyricum Now called Lumbardy because he harde saye that the marches of the Prouince were wasted by rodes made by the Pirustes Certain people of IlliricuÌ„ now called Sclaâ—ony When he came thither he commanded the Cityes to fynde hym men of warre and appoynted theym a place to mete all at together The whiche thing being blowen abroad the Pyrustes sent ambassadours to him declaryng that none of those thynges had bene done by the common coÌ„sent of their maiestrates and that neuerthelesse they were contente to make him amendes for the wronges that were done at hys pleasure Cesar accepting their profer charged theym with hostages and wylled theym to brynge them in by a certaine day declaring vnto them that vnlesse they did so he would persecute their City with the sworde When the hostages were brought in by the day limitted he appointed dayesmen betwene the Cities to consyder of the matter in variance and to â—esse the penalty Hauinge dispatched theis matters and held a counsel there he returned agayn into the hither Gallia from thence went to
handsome horses he toke the horses froÌ„ the Marshals and Romane horsmen and from such as he had raised vpon the sodeine and distributed them among the Germanes In the meane time that theis things were a doing the fotemen out of Auuerne and the horsmen that were enioyned to all Gallia assembled together The number of theis men of war being very huge wheÌ„ they were come together at suche time as Cesar was passing toward the Sequanes by the vttermost borders of LaÌ„gres that he might the easlyer succor the Prouince Uercingetorix lodged in three campes about ten myles of froÌ„ the Romanes and calling to couÌ„sell the Capteines of hys horsemen he tolde them the time of victorye was come for the Romanes were flyinge into Prouince and glad to get them out of Gallia The whyche suffysed to obtein libertie for the preseÌ„t time but littel or nothing auailed to kepe peace and quietnes in time to come For they wold returne agayne with a greater power and neuer make an end of the warre And therfore nowe was time to set vppon them whyle they were troubled wyth their cariages For if the fotemen aduentured to rescow theyr goodes and made any tarience about it they coulde not continue on their iorney Againe yf forsakinge their cariages whyche he beleued wolde rather come to passe they had regard to theyr liues they must nedes be spoyled bothe of theyr furniture and of theyr honor For as touching his enemyes horsmen they myght well assure themselues that none of theÌ„ durst be so â—olde as ones to put hys head out of the battell The which thing to th entent they myght with better courage attempt he said he wold stand before his CaÌ„p in battel ray with al his whole power to put his enemies in feare The horsmen cryed out all at ones that a solemne othe ought to be taken of theÌ„ that he should not be receiued vnder anye roofe nor haue recourse to hys chyldren nor to hys parentes nor to hys wyfe that had not twyce at the least rode through the battell of his enemies When the matter was agreed vppon and euerye man put to hys othe the next day seuering their horsmen into three battels twoo of them shewed them selues on the two sides and the thyrd meeting vs face to face assaid to stop vs of our iorney The whych thyng when Cesar hard of deuiding hys horsemen likewyse into thre troopes he coÌ„maunded theÌ„ to procede agaynst theyr ennemies Al the thre battels fought at one instant Our battell of footemen stode close together and receiued the cariages in among the Legions Looke wheresoeuer our men semed to be in daunger or to sore layde at thyther Cesar wylled the standerdes to be aduaunced and the battel to be turned that waye The whiche thinge was both a stop to the ennemies that they could not pursew and aâ—so an encouragement to oure men wyth hope of succor At the length the Germanes on the right side gettinge the top of the hyll draue theyr enemies down and folowynge the chace vpon them hard to the riuer where Uercingetorix abode with his battel of fotemeÌ„ slew manye of them When the rest perceiued that fearinge to be enclosed about they tooke them to flight ThaÌ„ was there nothing but slaughter in al places Three of the chiefest of the nobility of the Heduanes were brought prysoners vnto Cesar Cottus the Lieuetenant of the horsmen who at the last election stode competitor agaynst Conuictolitane Cauarill who after the reuolting of Litauicus became capteyne of the footemen and Eporedorix who before the comming of Cesar had ben Captein Generall of the Heduanes in theyr warres against the Sequanes After that all hys horsemen were put to flight Uercingetorix retiring wyth hys armye in the same order that he had set theym before hys camp begaÌ„ forth wyth to take his iorney toward Aleria a towne of the Mandubians coÌ„maunding his stuffe to be brought out the campe wyth all speede and to folow after him Cesar bestowing hys cariages in the next hil and leauing there two Legions for the defence of them folowed after him as far as the time of the daye wold suffer and when he hadde slayne to the number of a three thousand or thereabouts of his enemies that were in the rereward the next day after he pitched hys Camp before Alexia When he had viewed the situacion of the town and put his enemies in feare bicause theyr horsmen in whyche part of the armye they put greatest truste were put to flyght encouraging hys souldiers to the woorke he began to cast a trenche about Alexia The towne itself stode vpon the top of an hyll in a very high place that it seemed not possible to be won but by continewance of siege At the fote of the sayde hil ran two riuers on two sides therof Before the towne was a playn of a thre miles long On al other parts the towne was enuironed wyth dyuers hyls all of a like heighth distaÌ„t a good pretye space one froÌ„ another Under the wall as much of the hyll as was toward the sunne rysing the Galles had whollye occupyed wyth theyr tentes had drawen a trench and a wall of stone wythout morter of six foote in heighth all the waye The compasse of that fortification whyche the Romanes were about was eleuen miles Their tents were pytched in places conuenient there were rered three and twenty castles in the whych men warded al the day time that there shuld not be any saly made out vpon the sodein and the same in the night season were kept with a strong watch and ward to defend them At the begynninge of the woorke there was an encounter of horsemen in the playne that wee spake of before of three miles longe betwene the hylles Great prowesse was shewed on bothe partes When our men were in anye daunger Cesar sent in the Germanes to theyr rescow and placed his footemen in battell ray before his camp least the footmen of hys enemies shuld sodenly breake out vpon them Oure men perceiuing that the Legions stoode readye to rescowe them tooke heart vnto them insomuch that oure enemies being put to flight did hynder one another wyth theyr multitude and pestred themselues in getting in at the narrow gates The Germanes chased them egrely eueÌ„ hard to theyr fortifications Great slaughter was made and many forsaking their horses went about to passe the dyche and to climbe ouer the wall Cesar commaunded his Legions whom he had set before the RaÌ„pyer to auauÌ„ce theÌ„selues somwhat forward Wherat the Galles that were within hold were no lesse troubled thaÌ„ they that were wythout For they thought that we had made toward them and therupon cryed by and by to harnes and diuers of theym for feare rushed into the towne Uercingetorix bade shet the gates that the Campe were not left naked The Germanes after they had slaine a greate number of men and taken a greate sort of horses retired Uercingetorix tooke aduice to
said he knew those thinges to be true and no man was more sory for it than he because that where as he was of greate estimation hym selfe bothe in his owne countrie and in al Gallia beside and his brother could do little or nothing by reason of his youth his broother had bene aduaunced by his meanes only the whiche his welth and aucthoritie although he had abused not only to the decaye of his estimation but also well neere to his owne destruction yet not with standinge he was sore troubled inwardely bothe for the loue he bare to his brother for thopinion of the common people For if Cesar should chaunce to deale any thinge roughely with him hee standing so highely in his fauour as he dyd euery man woulde thinke it were done by his consent procurement wherby it wolde come to passe that he should loose the hartes of all the Galles As he was making thys request vnto Cesar with many wordes weeping Cesar toke him by the right hand and comforting hym desired him to make noo more intreatance assuringe hym that hee set so much by him that at his requeste he was contēt to pardon both the iniurie done to the common weale also his owne griefe to order all as hee thought good Herevppon hee called Dumnorix aside taking his broother to him declared what matters he had to charge him with laying before him what informatiōs were put vp against him what complaynt y◠citie hadde made of him he warned him to auoide all causes of suspition hereafter vpon trust wherof he tolde him he wolde for his brother Diuitiacus sake remit all that was past This done he set good watche about Dumnorix to thintēt to know what he did with whom he had any conference The same day being certified by his skowtes that his ennemies were emcāped vnder the side of a hyl about .viii. myles from his camp he sent to viewe the nature of the hyll and what comminge there was to it on euery side rounde aboute Worde was brought him agein that it was verye easye Aboute the ende of the thyrd watch he commaunded Titus Labienus his liuetenant to take the same menne for his guides that had viewed the ground before and knew the way and with twoo Legions in all haste possible to take the toppe of the hyll declarynge vnto hym what his purpose was to do In the end of the fourth watche he him self by the same waye that his ennemies hadde gone went toward them and sente all his men of armes before hym Publius Considius who was counted most expert in feates of chiualrie as he that had sarued first in the armye of Lucius Sylla and afterward vnder Marcus Crassus was sent before with the skowtes At the dawning of the day when T. Labienus had gotten the toppe of the hill and that he was not paste a myle and a halfe from the camp of his enemies who as he lerned afterwarde by hys prisoners knewe neither of his comming nor of Labienus being there Considius came ronning to him vppon the spurre and made report vnto him that the hill which he would that Labienus shoulde haue taken was possessed by his ennemies the whiche he perceiued by the armes antesignes of the Galles Hereupon Cesar withdrue his armye into the next hill and set his men in order of battell Labienus for as muche as Cesar had expresselye commaunded him that he should not ioyne battell with his enemies before suche time as he saw his armye nere vnto their Camp to thintēt that assault might haue ben made vpon them on all sides at ones when he had taken the hill stoode still waiting for vs and absteined from feighting At length when the day was well foorth Cesar vnderstode by his espialles that they were his own men that had taken the mountain and that the Heluetians had dislodged from thens that Considius of a childish fear had reported for a certainty the thing he had not seene All that day he followed after his enemies with like distaunce as he had doone before and encamped within thre miles of their Camp The next day bicause that within twoo dayes after it behoued him to distribute corne to his souldiours and forasmuch as he was not aboue eightene miles frō Beawbrai which is the greatest and welthiest Citie in all the countrie of the Heduanes he thought good to make prouision for corne thervpon turning from the Switzers he toke his way toward Beawvray This his doing was by certaine fugitiues of the hand of Lucius Aemilius Captain of a troope of Gallian horsemē bewrayed to the enemy The Switzers whether it were that they thought the Romaines departed frō them for fear of them which semed to them so much the more lykely to be true bicause the day before hauing taken the higher groundes they had not geuen them battel or that they were in hope to cut theym of from their prouision of corn altered their purpose and turning backe againe began to pursewe vs and to assail◠our reregard whē Cesar perceiued that he withdrew his hoost into the next hil and sent out his men of armes to withstand the brunt of his enemies In the meane while he ordered his men vpon the mids of the hill in thre battels of fower legions of old expert souldiers so that aboue him on the top of the hill he placed the two legions which he had lately leuied in the hither Gallia together with all the straungers that were come to his aide and furnished all the hill with men of war In this time also he caused all the baggage to bee brought together into one place and the same to be fortified by them that stode in the higher battel The Heluetrās folowing after with all their chariots conueyed all their stuffe into one place and they theim selues on a thick throng hauing put our horsemen aside cast themselues in a square battell and preased vnder our vauntgarde Cesar sending first his owne and then all other mens horses oute of sight to th entent that putting them al in like peril he might cut of al hope of flight encouraged his men and ioined battell His souldiors by throwinge darts from the higher grounde did easily breake the battel of their enemies The which being ones disordered they charged vpon them with their naked swordes It was a great trouble to the Galles when they should feight that manye of their targets being striken through with one blowe of a dart and fastened together in such sort that after the yrō was bowed they could neyther pull the Darte out nor yet handsomlye seight by reason their left handes were troubled So that in conclusion many hauing a long time wearied their armes chose rather to cast their targets out of their hands and to seight wyth their bodies naked At length waxing faint with woūdes they began to lose ground and bicause there was a hil nere at hand about a myle of from the place they
began to draw them selues thither When they hadde gotten this hill and that our men pursued still after them the Boyans and Tulingians to the number of a fiftene thousand men who closed vp the battel of our enemies and were a rescow to their reregarde assailing vs on the open side as we passed by theim enclosed vs about That seing the Heluetiās which had recouered the hill preased forward againe and began the battell a freshe The Romaines tourninge their Standardes were faine to encounter theym both ways at ones The forewarde and middelwarde to resist theym that euen now were as good as vanquyshed and put to flight and the rerewarde to withstand them that came new vpon them So the battell was fore fought a long while ere fortune inclined to either party At the last not able to withstand our force any longer th one part of theym retired to the Mountaine as they had begon and thother part drew theim selues to their Chariots their stuffe For during all the time of thys battell which was fought from seuen of the clock in the morning vntil the euening there was not any of vs could say he saw his enemy turne his face from him Yea and about their stuffe the battell was prolonged vntill it was farre on the night bycause they had set against vs their Chariots in maner of a Rampire threw dartes from aloft at vs as we came toward them And many of them from vnder the Chariots and from among the wheles did thrust at our menne with Pikes and Iauelins and wounded them After long feight we wan their cariages and their tentes also in the which the daughter of Orgetorix and one of his sonnes were taken prisoners From this battell escaped about an hundred and thirtie thousand men which iourneying all that night long cōtinually without ceasing came the fowrth day after into the borders of the Now called Langres Lingones Our men being faine to rest themselues there three dayes for dressing of their woundes and buriyng of such as were slaine were not in case to pursue them Howbeit Cesar sent letters and messangers to the Lingones that they should not succour them with victuals or any other thing if they did he sent theym woorde he would repute them for his ennemies no lesse than the Heluetians After three dayes himselfe folowed them with al his power The Heluetians constreyned with penurie of al thinges sent Ambassadours vnto him to offer submission Who meting him by the way when they had cast them selues at his feete and with humble wordes sorowfull teares besought him of peace and that he had commaunded them to abide his cōming in the same place where they then were they obeyed As sone as Cesar was come thither he demaunded hostages their armor and the slaues that had fled vnto thē While theis things were a serching out and bringing together for dooing whereof they had one nights respite about six thousande men of that Canton which is called Strawsbrough Uerbigenus whether it were for feare leaste after surrendringe of their armour they shoulde bee ponnished or that they were induced wyth hope of escaping scotfree bicause they supposed that in so great a number as were there to be yelded their flight wolde either be hidden or not perceiued at all stale out of the Heluetian Camp the same first night and tooke their way toward the Rhine and the borders of Germanye Whiche thing when Cesar hadde knowledge of he commanded them by whose country they had passed that if they wold he should hold them excused they shuld seke them out and bring them backe againe When they were brought backe ageine he tooke them for hys ennemies as for all the rest when they had deliuered hostages armor and runnagates he tooke theym to mercy He commaunded the Heluetians Tulingians and Latobrigians to return into their owne countrye from whens they came And for asmuche as hauing wasted all their Corne and fruites at home in their Countrye was nothing remaining wherw t to sustain hungar he gaue in cōmaundement to the Allobrogians to furnish them with corne and willed thother to repaire their cities townes that they had burned This thing he dyd chieflye for this intent bicause he wold not haue the place frō whēce the Heluetians came to lie vninhabited least the Germanes that dwel beyond the Rhine shuld for the goodnes of the soyle remoue out of their owne Countrye into Switzerland and plant theym selues by the Prouince and the Allobrogians At the request of the Heduanes he graunted that the Boyans bycause they were knowen to be men of singular prowesse shoulde be placed in their countrye and the Heduanes not only gaue them ground to occupy but also afterward admitted them into like estate of fredome and liberty as they themselues had In the camp of the Heluetians wer found tables written with Greke letters and brought vnto Cesar wherein was expresslye conteyned a register of al the names and what was the nūber of al those that came out of their countrye of such as were able to beare armor by them selues of the children by them selues of the old men women seuerally by them selues Of al y◠which the grosse summe was of Heluetians reckned by the poll twoo hundred threescore and three thousand of the Tulingians sixe and thyrtye thousand of the Latobrigians fourtene thousande of the Rauracyans three and twenty thousand of Boyans twoo and thirtye thousande Among theis there were about fowre score and twelue thousand that wer able to beare armour The whole summe of them al one with another was thre hundred threescore eight thousand or therabouts The number of them that retourned home againe vpon muster taken as Cesar commaunded was founde to bee an hundred and ten thousand When the war of the Heluetians was brought to an end the Princes almoste of all the Cities of Gallia came ambassadors vnto Cesar to reioyce wyth him in his good fortune Declaryng that albeit the people of Rome had for wrongs done vnto them of old time by the Heluetians iustly now punished them by battel yet the thing had falne out no lesse to the behofe of the Realme of Gallia than of the Romanes inasmuch as the Heluetiās being in the floure of their prosperitye had abandoned theyr natyue country of purpose to make warre in all Gallia to thintent that hauing gotten the souereinty they might take their choise of al the whole countrye to plant and set themselues in that place that should seme most fruitful and commodious for them to dwell in and to make al the rest of the Cities tributary vnto theym They made request that it might be lawfull for thē to sommon a Parlament of Gallia at a certain day and that it would please Cesar to ratify it with his consent for they said they had certaine matters whiche they wold sew vnto him for by a common assent When theyr request was graunted they appointed a day
hym But if he gate hym not away and withdrew hys power out of those countreis he wold take him no lengar for hys frende but for hys enemy And yf he could kyll hym he was sure he should do a great pleasure to manye of the noble men and Prynces of Rome The which thing he had perfect knowledge of by their messengers of all whome he coulde purchase the good wil and frendship by his death But if he wold depart and leaue vnto hym the free possession of Fraunce he wold reward him hyghly for hys labor and loke what warres soeuer he wolde haue made he wold dispatch them wythout puttyng hym to any trauell daunger Cesar replyed manye things to thys purpose why he myght not desyst from hys enterpryse alledgyng that it stoode not with hys custome nor wyth the custome of the people of Rome to abandon their Alies that had wel deserued of them Neither coulde he see why Ariouistus should haue more right to chalenge Fraūce than the Romanes For Q. Fabius Maximus had hertofore vanquished the men of Auuerne and the People about Rhodes Rutenes and yet the peple of Rome pitiyng them did neither make their country a prouince nor put them to any tribute But if so be that respect ought to be had to tyme of most antiquity then had the Romanes most iust cause to reygne ouer Fraunce Or if the iudgement of the Senate oughte to be obserued then ought Fraunce to be free for as much as it was decreed that beinge conquered by battell it should styll enioy their owne lawes and customes Whyle theis things were a debating in the treatye it was told Cesar that Ariouistus horsemen were comyng toward the banke and that riding agaynst our horsemen they began to throwe darts and stones at theym Wheruppon Cesar made an ende of talking and wythdrew hym selfe to hys men commaunding theym that they should not cast any thyng at all agayne at theyr enemies For albeit that wythout any perill of hys chosen Legion he sawe he myght haue encountred wyth the horsmen of his ennemies yet notwythstanding he wold not geue occasion by puttyng his enemies to flyght to haue it said that breakyng promis with them he had entrapped them vnder pretence of communication When it was reported to the common souldiers how arrogantly Ariouistus had behaued himselfe in the treatie forbidding the Romanes all Fraunce and that hys men of armes had made assault vpon ours insomuch that by meanes therof the communication was broken of oure army began to be far more cheerfull and farre more desyrous to feight Twoo dayes after Ariouistus sent Ambassadours to Cesar certifying him that he was desirous to entreat with hym concerning those thyngs that had bene begon to be talked of and not brought to conclusiō Wherfore he wold he shuld eyther appoint a day to confer again or yf he wolde not so do that he shoulde sende some men of his with commission to commune wyth him Cesar thought it not good to cōmune personally with him any more the rather bicause the Germanes the day before had no stay of them selues but that they threwe darts at our men Agayn he thought that whomsoeuer of hys men he sent commissioner vnto hym shuld go in great daunger and shuld be cast into the hands of most sauage persons It semed most expedient to send vnto hym M. Ualerius Procillus the sonne of C. Ualerius Caburus a yong gentilman of singular vertue and humanity whose father had ben made free of the Citye by C. Ualerius Flaccus bothe bycause he was trusty and could speake the French tung perfectly the which Ariouistus vsed much by reason of long conuersation among the Frenchmen and also bicause there was no cause why the Germanes shuld worke any euil agaynst hym And with him he sent also M. Titius who vsed to resort as a guest to Ariouistus To theis men he gaue in charge that they shoulde diligently mark and iustly report vnto him what Ariouistus said Assone as Ariouistus saw thē in his Camp he cried out to theym in the presence of hys army asking them what they had to doe there and whyther they came as spyes When they went about to make theyr aūswer he wold not suffer them but by and by commited them to ward The same daye he remoued encamped vnder a hils syde about a six myles from Cesars Camp The next day after he marched wyth all hys power euen in the face of Cesars camp and pitched his tents a twoo myles beyonde hym of purpose to cut of his graine and victuals that was to be brought to him out of Burgundye From that daye forwarde by the space of fyue dayes together Cesar brought oute hys men before his camp and had theym in order of battel to thintent the if Ariouistus lifted to geue battel he might haue liberty when he wold But Ariouistus al this while kept his fotemē wythin the Camp and sent out his horsemen dailye to skirmysh This was the kinde of feight wherein the Germanes wer wel practised They were of theym six thousande men of armes and as many footemen verye swift of foote and strong whom the horsmen hadde chosen out of all the whole hoste euery man one for hys faufgard Theis they had always at hand wyth them in battell and vnto theis they resorted for succour If the horsmen wer any thing ouercharged theis stept euer in If any of thē were sore wounded or vnhorsed theis garded him about If the matter requyred eyther to aduenture far forward or to retire quickly back their swiftnes was such through continual exercyse that hanging vpon the horse-manes by th one hand thei wold run as faste as the horses When Cesar perceiued that Ariouistus kept hym self within his Camp to thintent he wold not any lengar be stopped from his victuals beyond the same place where the Germanes abode aboute syxhundred paces from their Camp he chose a grounde mete to encamp in and came thyther in three battels Two of theis battels he caused to stand styll ready in araye and the thyrd he willed to fortify the Camp This place was as I sayde before sixhundred paces from the ennemy Thyther sent Ariouistus about syxtene thousande footemen light harnessed wyth all hys horsmen to put our men in feare to prohybit them frō fortifiyng their camp Neuertheles Cesar as he had before determined commaunded twoo battelles to wythstand the enemy and the thyrd to go through wyth the worke When he had fortifyed the Campe he lefte two legions there and parte of hys hyred Souldiors that were there for his ayde and ledde hys other fower legions back again into his greater campe The next daye Cesar as he had pourposed before brought hys whole power out of both his camps and marching somewhat from hys greater camp set his men in order profered to geue hys enemies battel if they wold Whē he perceiued that they woulde not then come foorth
that threw stones and Darts that no man was able to stand vpon the wall Assone as night had made an end of thassaulte Iccius of Rhemes a man of great byrth and fauor in his Countrye who at that tyme was Capteine of the Towne one of theym that came of ambassade vnto Cesar to entreat for peace sent vnto hym by messengers that if he dydde not reskew hym he was not able to hold out any lengar The same daye about midnyght Cesar vsynge for guydes the same persones that came of message from Iccius sent certain Numidians and archers of Now called Candye Creta and slingars of the Iles Now called maiorica minorica Baleares to succor the Townesmen By meanes of whose coming on th one syde the men of Rhemes in hope to make their part good became more earnest to abyde the pushe and on thother syde the enemyes for the same cause were out of all hope of winning the Towne Wherefore tarying there but a whyle when they had wasted the fields of the men of Rhemes and set on fyre all theyr villages buildings that they could come by they marched with al theyr whole power toward Cesars Campe and wythin lesse than two myles of hym pitched theyr tents the whyche as myght be perceyued by the smoke and fyres occupyed more than eight myles in bredth Cesar at the first both for the multitude of hys ennemyes and for the singular opinioÌ„ that was bruted of theyr manhoode determined not to be to hasty in geuing them battel Notwythstanding he daylye put in proofe by skirmishing with his horsmen both what hys ennemyes by their manhode coulde do and what hys owne men durst doe When he perceiued our men to be nothing inferior to theyr ennemyes then in a certayn place before hys camp of nature mere and conuenient to sette a battel in bicause the same hil where his tents were pitched rysing verye littell aboue the playn was no broder before than wolde suffice to set the forefront of a battel in and was steepe on bothe sydes and rysing a slope in the front by lyttel and littel came againe to a playne he drewe from th one syde of the hil to thother a dyche ouerthwart of a fower hundred paces or therabouts and at the ends of the diches rered vp bulwarkes and furnished theym wyth ordinance to thintent that when he had ordered his battels his ennemyes abounding in multitude should not on the sydes enclose his men as they were feighting Thys done he left in hys Camp the two Legions that he had last leuied that wheresoeuer shoulde be anye neede of succor they myght be led thither and set hys other six Legions in battel ray before hys Camp His ennemyes lykewyse bringing forth their power set them in order also Nowe there was betwene our army and the army of our enemyes a good prety marisse This our ennemyes looked euer when we shuld haue passed ouer And our man were ready wyth theyr weapons to assayle them being troubled if they had aduentured fyrst ouer it In the meane whyle the horsemen of bothe sydes encountred betwene the twoo battels After much streining of curtesy whyche part shoulde passe ouer first and none aduenturing to passe Cesar hauing gotten thupper hand of hys enemies horsemen conueyed al hys men agayn into their Camp From that place his enemies immediatlye toke theyr waye to the ryuer Nowe called Disne in Guien Arona the whych was shewed before to be behind our Camp There finding foordes they attempted to passe ouer part of their host of purpose if they coulde eyther to wynne the bulwarke that Q. Titurius Cesars Lieuetenant kept and to cutte downe the brydge Or at leastwyse if they could not so do to spoyle the fields of the men of Rhemes whych greatly furthered vs in our warres and to kepe our men from their vyctuals Cesar being aduertised herof by Titurius led ouer the brydge all his men of armes NumidiaÌ„s light harnessed hys slingars and archers and marched to them himself There was a sharp encounter in that place Our men setting vpoÌ„ theyr enemies troubled in the riuer slew a greate number of them The residew endeuoring like desperate personnes to passe ouer vpon their carkesses they repulsed with force of weapons and the horsemen enclosyng such as had fyrst passed slew theym euerichone When our enemyes perceyued that their hope deceyued theym bothe in wynning the Town and of passing the riuer and sawe our men wolde not aduenture into a place of dysaduauntage to feight wyth them and that theyr owne vyctuals began to fayle them they called a counsell by whych they determined that it was best for euery man to returne home to hys owne house and into whose borders so euer the Romanes should enter first with their army to resort thyther out of all partes to defende them to thyntent they myght rather trye the matter in their owne country than abrode and haue their own household prouision and store of victuals alwayes at hand to maintaine theim wyth To consent vppon thys poynt together with thother causes this reason also moued them bicause they vnderstood Diuitiacus and the Heduanes approched neere the borders of the People of Beawvoysâ— Bellouaâ—anes who wold not by any meanes be perswaded to tary any lengar but that thei wold go succor their owne When this thing was fully agreed vppon about the second watch wyth great tramplyng and noyse departing out of their Camp wythout any certain order or gouernement euerye man preasing to be formest on his iorney and making hast to be at home they demeaned them selues in such wyse as that theyr departure myght seme lyke a running away Cesar hauing forthwyth knowledge hereof by hys spyes and mystrustynge some treason bicause he perceyued not as yet what should be thoccasion why they departed kept hys army hys horsmen styll within his Camp By the dawning of the daye when he was better assured of the matter by hys skoults he sent all his horsemen before to stay their rereward and made Q. Pedius and L. Aurunculeius Cotta Lieuetenants ouer them commaunding his Lieuetenant T. Labienus to follow immediatlye after theym Theis ouertakynge the hyndermost and chasing them manye myles slew a great number of theym as they fled Whyle the rerewarde wherevnto we were by that time come stayd and valeantly with stood the force of our Souldiors the formest bicause they semed out of daunger and were not restreined by awe or commandement of any man assone as they heard the noyse brake theyr aray and tooke theym euerye man to hys heles to saue hymselfe So without anye daunger our men slew a great multitude of them and mo had slaine if the day had ben lengar About the sunne setting they retired from the chace and returned in to theyr Camp as was commaunded The next day folowyng before hys ennemyes coulde recouer theym selues from their feare and flight led hys army into the country of the
beaten vppon the shallowes so that both wayes thassault of the townes was hyndered And if at anye tyme ouercome perchaunce with the greatnes of our works when we had shet out the sea with Ietties and mounts raised as hygh as the towne wals they begā to haue distrust in theyr estate by and by arriued a great number of shippes whereof they had plenty at pleasure and caried awaye all that they had and conueyed them selues into the next townes where they defended them agayne wyth the same aduantages and commodities of the places This they did so muche the more easlye for the most parte of the sommer bicause our ships were kept away wyth tempests and much a do we had to sayle in the mayne and open sea against so great tides wheras were hauens fewe or none at all For their shyps were builded and decked in thys wyse The keles of them were somwhat flatter than the keles of our shyps to th entent they myght the easlier abide the shallowes and the falling of the tyde Theyr foredecks wer very streight vpright and so were also theyr sternes made so for the nones for the better abydyng of the greatnes of the waues and of the tempestes All the whole shyp was made of hart of Oke able to endure anye force or displeasure were it neuer so great Their seats were of planks a foote depe fastened with nayles an ynch thyck In stead of Cables the anchors were tyed with cheines of yron In stead of the linnē cloth their sayles were of leather or els of raw hides drest thinne whych happened for want of hemp and fla◠and bycause they knewe not the vse of them or els whiche hathe a more likelyhode of trueth bycause they thought that in so great tempests of the Ocean and in so great rage of the winds shippes of so great burthen coulde not well and handsomlye be guided with sailes of linnen Thencounter betwene theis ships and our nauy was such that onlye in swiftnes and rowyng with ores we were to good for them But al other thinges accordinge to the nature of the place and the violence of the tempestes were more handsome and agreable for theym than for vs. For neyther could ours hurt them with their stemmes they were so strong made neyther coulde a weapon easlye be throwen vp into theym by reason of their heighth and for the same cause they might not well be kept among rocks Moreouer it came to passe that when the wind began to be boisterous and that they had put themselues to the wether they were both able the better to endure the tēpest and staid more saufly in shallow places and when the tide fayled theym they feared nothing at all the stones and rocks of all the whyche thyngs the mischaunce was to be feared of our fleete When Cesar had won manye townes perceyuing that he spent all that greate trauell in waste for asmuche as though he toke their townes yet they euer scaped hys handes so that he could not hurt them he determined to tary the commyng of hys nauy The which assoone as it was assembled and came wythin kennyng of our ennemyes about a two hundred and twentye of theyr shyps in very good readynesse and throughly furnyshed wyth all kynd of artillery launching out of the hauen set theym selues agaynst ours Now wist not Brutus that was admirall of the fleete nor anye of the Tribunes or peticapteynes wherof euery one had hys shyp appointed to hym seuerally what was to be don or by what meanes they might maintein the battel For wel thei knew y◠wyth the stemmes of their ships they could not anoy their enemies albe it thei had raised vp turrets yet wer the foredecks of the French ships far aboue them so that neither any dart could be cast any thyng handsomlye from bylow such as were throwne downe by the Galles fel wyth greater force One thing whych our men had prepared before did vs good seruice which were sharp hookes fastened vnto long steales not vnlyke in fashion to Countrye Sithes Wyth theis they tooke hold vpon the cords that held the saleyards to the mastes and drawing them vnto them cut them a sunder as the Galleyes were driuen forward wyth force of ores so that of necessitye the sayle yardes must nedes fall downe to thintente that the French ships disappointed of their sayles and tackling wherin cōsysted their chief hope they might at one time be marred for doing any more seruys Then remayned thencounter consysting only in manhod wherin our souldiors easly surmounted And that so much the more bycause the thing was done in the sight of Cesar and all his army insomuch that no dede wer it done any thyng valeantly could escape vnnoted For the army stood vppon all the hylles and al the high grounds from whēce there was any perfect vewe into the sea The sailes being as we said cut downe when as two or three of our galleies were alwais about one ship of our enemies our souldiors endeuored most earnestly to boord thē The whych thing when the Frenchmen perceyued after that many of theyr ships were won from them and that they could finde no remedye agaynst that mischief they endeuored to saue themselues by flight But whē their shyps were nowe turned to take the winde sodenly the sea became so stil and calme that they could not styrre out of the place The whyche thing happened for our purpose as wel as we could wish For our men ouertaking theym one by one did in such wise boord them that verye fewe of all the whole nūber escaped to land and that was by reason the night came so fast on the battel being continewed almoste from fower of the clocke to the sunne going downe In the which battel was dispatched the war of the People of Uannes in Britaine Uenets and of al the sea coast For not only al the youth yea al that were of further yeres in whō was anye wisdome and estimation wer assembled thyther but also they had brought thither all the shyppes that were to be gotten anye where the which being lost the rest had neyther whither to resort for saufgarde nor wyst how to defēd their townes And therfore they yelded themselues and al that they had vnto Cesar. Upon whome he determined to take the greater punishment to thintent the barbarous people should hereafter take better hede how they demeaned themselues otherwise than well toward ambassadors wherfore putting al their Senate to death he sold the rest vnder a garlond for bondmē While theis things were a doing about Uannes Q. Titurius Sabinus with that power which he had receiued of Cesar was come among the People of Perche Uuels The Gouernor of them was one Uiridouix he had the chyef charge of all those Cities that had rebelled out of the which he had gathered a puissant army And in theis fewe dayes the People of Roane Aulerks People of Eureux People of
Liseaux Eburouiks and Lexobians hauing kylled their Senotors bycause they wolde not be the authors of thys war had shet their gates ioyned themselues wyth Uiridouix Besydes theis a great multitude of vnthrifts and cut throtes were flocked thither out of all Gallia of those sorte of rascals whom hope of spoile and desyre of warre had wythdrawen from husbandrye and daylye labor Sabinus therefore helde him selfe wythin his Camp in a place mete for all purposes When Uiridouix being encamped against him a two myles of did daily bring forth hys armye and offer him battell insomuch that now Sabinus began not only to be despised of his enemies but also to be cried out vpon and taunted of his own souldiors And he gaue hys enemies so much cause to think that he stood in feare of them that now they durst approche euen to the trenche of hys Camp The which he did bicause he thought it was more then a Lieuetenant ought to doe to encounter with so great a multitude of enemies specially in thabsence of his generall onlesse it were in an indifferent place or vppon some occasion of aduauntage geuen When he had thus confirmed thē in this opinion of his fearfulnesse he chose out a mete person for the purpose a suttle fellowe one of the Galles that he had in his retinew for his ayd and persuaded him with great rewards and large promises to steale ouer to his ennemies geuing him instructions what he should do Thys fellow comming thither like a runnagate reported what feare the Romanes stoode in and declared howe sore the Uenets had distressed Cesar him selfe assuring them that the next nyght after at the furthest Sabinus wold steale priuelye with his armye out of hys camp and take his way toward Cesar to succour him When this was hearde they cryed out all with one voice that so faire an occasiō of good successe ought not to be let slip and that the Camp was to be assaulted out of hande Manye things pricked forward the Galles in this deuice as the pawsyng of Sabinus the dayes before the warranting of the runagate the want of victualles for the whiche they hadde made verye slender prouision the hop◠of the good successe of the warres about Uānes and bicause men commonly are willing to beleue such thyngs as they woulde haue come to passe Moued with theis perswasions they wolde not suffer Uiridouix and the reste of the Capteynes to depart out of counsell before they had graunted theym that they should arme theym selues and march to our Camp The which thing being agreed vnto they came meryly toward vs wyth theyr shreds and fagots that they had gathered to fyll vp the dyches as if the vyctory had bene theyr own out of al cry The place where our tents wer pitched was somewhat highe rysing by littel and littel from the bottome about a thousand paces Hyther they came runnyng a great pace to thintent they wolde geue the Romanes as littel leysure as they could to gather together and arme themselues insomuche that by that tyme they came there they were cleane out of breath Sabinus after he had encouraged hys men gaue them token of encounter whyche they sore desired And perceyuyng hys enemyes to be troubled wyth the burthēs that they bare commaunded yssue to be made out vpō them sodenly at two gates It came to passe by meanes of thaduauntage that we had of the groūd through thunskylfulnes of our enemyes that had ouerweried thēselues before and through the prowesse of our owne souldiors practysed in former conflicts that they were not able to abyde one pushe of vs but by and by tourned their backs Whom combered in that sort our men freshe and lusty encounteryng with slew a great number of them and our horsmen ouertaking the rest left but few of theym that saued theym selues by flyght So all at one tyme Sabinus was certified of the battel on the sea and Cesar of Sabines victorye and immediatly therupon all the Cities yelded to Titurius For as the harts of the Balles are cherefull and forward to take warres in hand so are theyr courages faynte and nothyng stout to beare out aduersities At the same tyme almoste P. Crassus comming into Aquitaine the which as is sayd before both for the largenesse of the Countryes and multitude of people is to be counted a third part of Gallia when he perceyued that he must make warre in such a place where a few yeares before Lucius Ualerius Preconius a Lieuetenant was put to flyght and his army slayn and from whence L. Manlius the Uiceconsull was glad to scape by flyght wyth the losse of all hys stuffe and cariages he sawe it stode him in hand to looke well aboute hym and to take good heede Wherfore hauing made prouisiō of graine gotten aid as well of horsmē as footmen and moreouer called vnto him by name many valeant personages oute of Tolowse Caracassone and Narbone which are Cities bordering vpon the Prouince of Gallia he led his army into the coūtry of the People about Tolouse Sontiats The Sontiats hauing knowledge of hys comming before assembled a great power both of footmen also of horsmen wherein consisted their chief strength and encountryng our army by the way first begā the battel wyth theyr horsmen The which being put to flight as our men of armes chaced theym sodenlye they shewed their footmen whom they had laid in a valley for a stale They setting on our men disordered began the battell again The feight was long and cruel the Sontiats for the trust they had in theym selues by reason of their former vyctoryes thynking that the welfare of Aquitaine consisted in their manhod and prowesse and our men desyring to shew what they could do without their Generall and without the rest of their Legions hauing but a yong man to theyr Capteine At length our enemyes ouercome wyth woundes tooke them to flyght Of whom after that a great number had bene slayne Crassus in his way began to assault the head Citie of the Sontiats and when he saw theym stande stoutly at defence he builded Uines and Towres They on thother syde somtime issuing out and sometyme drawyng Mines to the Mount and Uines in which feat the Aquitaines are very cunning bicause that amōg thē in many places are yron mynes when thei perceiued our men to take so good hede of them that they could nothyng at all by those meanes auaile sent Ambassadors to Crassus and desyred that he wold take theym to mercy The whych request obteyned they deliuered their armor as was commaunded them Whyle the mindes of all oure men were busyed herabout out of another part of the towne Adcantuan chief gouernor of the Citie wyth syxhundred sworne brethren whome they call Soldures whose state and condicion is suche that they participate and enioy alike all commodities of thys lyfe wyth them to whō they haue vowed their frendship and that if any thing happen vnto them otherwyse
then wel that they come to anye mysfortune eyther they take part wyth them in theyr aduersitye or elles kyll theym selues In somuche that wythin the compasse of mans remembraÌ„ce there hath not any of theÌ„ bene found that wheÌ„ his frend to whoÌ„ he had sworn himselfe was slaine wold refuse to dye entended to make a saly vppon vs. But our souldiors warned bi the great shout that was raysed by such of our company as warded on that syde resorted to their weapons after a sharp encouÌ„ter draue him back into the towne and yet neuertheles he obteyned of Crassus the lyke benefyt of submyssion as other of the Townesmen had done After that Crassus had receyued their armor hostages he toke hys waye into the Marches of the * Uocatians * Tarusatians Then the sauage people agreued that wythin so few days after oure coming thyther we had won a town both by situacion and mans hand so wel fortified sent out ambassades on all sydes confedered themselues together gaue hostages one to another and prepared men of war Furthermore ambassadors were sent to the Cities of the hythermost part of Spain next vnto Aquitaine and ayd of Souldyors and Capteines were waged from thence At whose comming they began to set forwarde the war with great authority and great multitude of people Those wer chosen to be Capteines that had serued all theyr tyme wyth Q. Sertorius and therfore were demed to be men of singular knowledge in feates of armes Theis according to the custome of the people of Rome practysed to take places of aduauntage to fortify theyr Camp and to cut oure victuals of froÌ„ vs. The whych thing when Crassus perceyued considering that his owne armye by reason of the slender number therof coulde not conuenientlye bee sent diuers wayes abroad and that hys enemye might both raunge abroad at pleasure and also forlay the wayes yet leaue sufficient defence in hys camp besydes whyche was a cause that grayne and victual could not wel be conueyed vnto hym and moreouer that the number of hys ennemyes daily encreased he thought it best to trie the matter by battel wythout any further lingering Hauing propounded thys matter in counsel when he perceyued al of them to be of the same opinion he appoynted the next daye to geue battel in As sone as the day began to breake he brought foorth his army and orderyng them in two battels placed hys aydes in the middle ward waiting what his enemies entended to do They albeit that in consideration of their multitude and theyr auncyent renowne in cheualry and the small number of oure men thought they might haue geueÌ„ vs battell sauflye yet notwithstanding they thought it a surer way by forlaying the wayes and cuttyng of our victuals to get the vyctory wyth out bloudshed And if the Romanes for penury of corne and vyctuals began to retyre they determyned to assayle them cowardly as they were troubled in marchyng wyth theyr burthens on their necks The Capteines lyked thys counsell so well that as often as the Romanes brought their men into the fielde they kept them selues wythin theyr Campe. Crassus perceyuyng that when he by his prolonging of tyme and hys enemyes by pretending such feare had made our Souldiors more couragious to feyght insomuche that it was hard at euery mans mouth that they wold to their ennemies campe wythout any further delay after he had geuen encouragement vnto theÌ„ led them thither with willing harts There while some filled vp the diches some by throwyng darts thick draue the defendantes downe from theyr Rampyres and fortifications and that the straunge souldiors whome Crassus trusted not greatly vnto to feyght in mynystrynge stones and weapons vnto others and in brynging turfe to make the mount made a showe as though they had fought in dede and whyle on the contrarye part our enemies fought sloutly and vnfearfullye and that the weapons whych came â—â—om aboue lighted not any where in vaine oure horsemen raunging about the Camp of our enemyes brought Crassus word that theyr camp was not so strongly garded at the chief gate and that it was easye to enter at it Crassus exhortyng the capteines of the men of armes to encourage theyr men wyth promis of greate rewardes declared vnto them what he wold haue done They according to theyr commission taking foorth fower Cohorts which beyng left to defende the Camp had not ben wearyed wyth labour and leadyng them a great way about bicause theyr enemyes should not spye theym from theyr Camp whyle all theyr mynds and eyes were occupyed earnestly in feighting came quickly to that side of the fortificatioÌ„ that we spake of before And breaking it downe were entered all wythin the camp of theyr ennemies before they could be perfectly discerned by them or that it could be knoweÌ„ what they were a doyng Then was hearde a great noyse from that part wherewith our men recoueryng strength which commonly happeneth in hope of victory begaÌ„ to assault them more fiercely Our enemyes being besette on all sydes and past hope of all recouery cast themselues downe from their fortificatioÌ„s intending to saue themselues by flyght Whom oure horsmen ouertakyng in the champioÌ„ fields made such a slaughter of theÌ„ that of fiftye thousande which were knowen to be assembled thither out of Aquitaine and from among the The peoples of Byscay Cantabres scarce the fowrth parte was leâ—te aliue and so when it was far in the night he returned into his Camp When thys discomfiture was heard of the most part of Aquitaine yelded vnto Crassus and of theyr owne accord sent him pledges in the whych nuÌ„ber were the People of Tarbes Tarbelles the People of Tarbes Bigerrons the People of Bierne Precianes the People of Bierne Uocats the People about Turâ—e Tarusats the People about Turfe Flustats the People of Agenoys Garits the People of Agenoys Auscians the People of Aux Garumnes the People of Aux Sibuzats and the People of Aux Cocosats A fewe of the Cities that were furthest of vpon confideÌ„ce in the time of the yere bycause wynter was at hand draue of from dooyng so The same time almost Cesar albeit that the soÌ„mer was nygh spent neuertheles forasmuch as when all Gallia was brought to peaceable obedience the People of Tyrwyn Morines and Guelders Cleues Menapians only remayned that bare armor against him and had neuer sent ambassadors to hym for peace thynkyng that war might soone be dyspatched ledde his hoste thither But they determined to make war wyth hym far after another sort than the rest of the Galles had done For in asmuch as they vnderstood how the greatest nations that had geuen him battell in the field had bene vanquished and put to flyght and perceyued theÌ„ selues to haue mayne woods and marisgrounds they conueyed themselues and all that they had into the same To the entrance of which woods when Cesar was come
Cesar and that they had entreated hym for a truce gaue a quycke charge vpon our men and put them out of aray And when our men returned agayn to theyr defence they according to their custome lyghted a fote and goring our horses and dismoūting many of their maisters put the rest to flyght and in such wyse chaced them in their feare that they neuer ceased flying vntyll they came in the sight of our army In that encounter wer slayne of our horsmen threescore and fowertene among whome was one Piso of Aquitaine a verye valeant Gentilman borne of a noble house whose Graundfather had obteined the Souereinty of hys owne Citye and was proclaymed friend of oure Senate Thys Piso reskowing hys brother beset wyth enemyes delyuered him out of daunger he hymself being cast from hys horse that was wounded resisted valeantly as long as he could But at length being enclosed after he had receyued manye wounds he fell downe The whyche hys brother who nowe was gotten out of the battell perceyuing a farre of put spurres to hys horse and dasshyng in among hys ennemyes was slain also After that this battel was fought Cesar determined neyther to heare thambassadors nor to accept any of the profers of such as deceitfully and traiterously desiring peace had wilfully moued war Againe to tary vntyll the power of hys enemies were encreased and their horsmen returned he thought it the point of extreme madnesse and consideryng the infirmity of the Galles among whom he perceyued howe much authority hys enemies had gotten by that one skyrmish he thought it not good to geue them respit to practise new deuises When he had determined vpon theis matters and made hys Lieuetenants and Threasoror priuy to his purpose to the entent he should not haue any mo dayes of delay in encoūtring with his enemies there happened the best oportunity that could be deuised for his purpose whiche was this the next day folowing earlye in the morning the Germanes vsing the like dyssemblyng falshod that they had done before came to our Camp in great number accompanyed wyth all theyr nobles and auncient men both as thei said to purge themselues of that contrarye to the former treaty and contrary to theyr owne sute there had bene a battell fought the day before also to haue wroght some new fetch to haue gotten a truce if they could haue cōpassed it by wile Cesar being glad that they were falne into his hands commaunded them to be put in sauf kepyng And thervppon he led all hys power out of hys camp commaunding hys horsmen to folow after his host bycause he thought them discoraged wyth their late conflict Thus with his men in thre battels he marched the space of eyght myles wyth such spede that he came to the camp of the Germanes before they coulde vnderstande what was done Who being dismayed in all things vppon the sodein both for our hasty approch and for the departure of their owne men hauing leysure neyther to take counsel nor yet to arme themselues were so troubled that they wyst not whether it were best for them to go forth wyth theyr power against the enemy or to tary and defende theyr Camp or els to saue themselues by flight Our men vnderstanding their feare by the rore and shuffling that was amōg them and prouoked with their traiterous dealing the day before dashed into their Camp In the which place such as could quicklye arme them selues resisted our men a whyle and mayntayned the battell amonge their stuffe and cariages But the rest of the multitude of women and children for thei came from home and passed the Rhine tag and rag beganne to flie here and there euerye way after whom Cesar sent his horsmen to ouertake them The Germanes hearing the crye behinde them when they saw their company murthered threw away theyr harnesse and forsaking their standerds fled out of their camp and whē they came to the metyng of the Maze and Rhine being past hope of fliyng any further after that a great number of them were slaine the rest cast themselues into the streame there being oppressed with feare wearynes and the force of the water perished Our cōpany wythout the losse of any one man sauyng that a fewe were wounded wheras there was to the number of fower hundred and thirty thousand of our enemyes one and other returned out of this dread full battell into their Camp And there Cesar gaue lycence to depart to such as he had deteined But they fearing that the Galles whose fields they had wasted wold punish theym and deale cruelly with theym sayde they wold tarye still with him and Cesar being content therwith graūted them theyr liberty After that this battell against the Germanes was dispatched Cesar thought it expedient to passe the Rhyne for many causes wherof this was the iustest that forasmuch as he saw the Germanes so easly persuaded to come into Gallia he wolde haue theym stande in some feare of theyr owne thinges at home also when they should perceyue that the people of Rome both could and durst passe the Rhine wyth an army And to further thys matter withall that company of horsmen of the Usipits and Teucthers which I said before were gone a forragyng and to fetch booties on thother side of the Maze and were not at the battel after the dyscomfyture of their company had retired ouer the Rhyne into the borders of the The people about Nassaw Hessen in Germany Sicambers and ioyned themselues wyth them Unto whom when Cesar sent ambassadors desyryng them to deliuer into hys hands such as had moued war against him and the realme of Gallia they made aunswer that the people of Rome had nothyng to do beyond the Rhine For if he thought the Germanes did him wrōg to come into Gallia with out his leaue why should he chalēge any souereinty or authority at all on thother syde of the Rhyne Moreouer the People about Colon on the further side of the Rhyne Ubians who alonly of the people beyond the Rhyne sending Ambassadors vnto Cesar had entred in Leage wyth him and geuen him hostages made earnest sute to him that he wold succor thē agaynst the Sweuians who sore oppressed them Or yf he could not so do being occupyed about other weighty affaires of the people of Rome they desyred that he wold do no more but only bryng his army ouer the Rhine for in so doing he should pleasure them as much as yf he had succored theym and also put them in good hope for euer after For they said that the name and estimation of the Romaine army was so great synce Ariouistus was chaced and now of late this other ouerthrow geuen that the fame frendshyp of the people of Rome might be a protection to them euen among the furthest Nations of Germanye wherfore yf he wold come they profered a great number of Boates to ferrye ouer his armye in Cesar for theis causes whych
hys good successe by feighting in playn battel sent away all his greater powers and kepinge styll a fower thousande wagoners watched whiche waye we went and drew somwhat aside out of the way hiding him selfe in combersome and woodye places and where so euer he knew our men shuld march he draue bothe cattell and people from thence in to the woods And when our horsmen raunged any thing frely abrode into the fields for forrage or to harry the countrye he sent hys wagoners by all wayes and pathes out of the woodes vpon our men of armes and encountred with them to their great preiudice through the feare whereof he kept theym short from raunging at their pleasure So the matter was brought to thys passe that Cesar wold not suffer his horsmen to stray any farnesse from his maine battell of fotemen aduentured no further to anoy his enemies in wasting their fieldes burning their houses than he was able to compasse by the trauell of his footemen as they were able to iorney In the meane whyle the Trinobantes which is the strongest City well nere of all those countries out of the which City a yong gentilman called Mandubrace vpon confidence of Cesars help coming vnto him into the maine land of Gallia had scaped death by flyght which he should haue suffred at Cassibelans hand as his father Imanuence had done who had reigned in that Citye sent Ambassadours to Cesar promysing to yeld vnto hym and to do as he shuld coÌ„maund them and they desired him to defende Mandubrace from the tiranny of Cassibelan and to send him into the City to take the gouerment and souereinty therof vpon him Cesar sessed them at forty hostages and besides that to finde grayne for his army and he sent Mandubrace vnto them They executed hys commaundement out of hande and sente hym both his ful number of hostages and also grayn for his army When Cesar had defended the Trinobantes and saued them harmelesse from hys souldiers the * Cenimagues * Segontians * Aucalits * Bibrokes * Cassians sending Ambassadors to Cesar yelded them selues vnto him By them he learned that not far froÌ„ the same place was Cassibelans town fortified with woodes marisgroundes into the whiche was gathered a great nuÌ„ber of men and cattel Now the Britons call it a Towne when thei haue fortified a coÌ„bersome wood with a dich and a Rampyre and thither they resort to eschew the inuasions of theyr enemies To this place marched Cesar with his Legions he found it excelleÌ„tly wel fortified both of nature and by mans deuise Neuertheles he enteÌ„ded to geue assault vnto it in two places at ones Oure ennemyes after they had taryed a while beinge not able to endure the force of our men fled out at another part of the town A great number of cartell was found there and manye being taken in the chace were slain While theis things were a doing in theis quarters Cassibelan seÌ„t messengers into Kent whyche wee shewed before to lye vpon the sea in the which couÌ„try were fower kings Cingetorix Caruill Taximagull and Segonax commaunding theim to raise al the power they could make and sodenly to set vppon and assault our camp by the seas side Assone as they came to our camp our men breakyng out vpoÌ„ them slew a great sort of them and taking Cingetorix their noble Capteine prisoner conueyed themselues backe agayne in saufty When Cassibelan heard of thys battell for as muche as he had taken so many losses and had had his couÌ„try wasted but chieflye moued wyth the rebellion of the Cities sent Ambassadors by Comius of Arras to Cesar to entreate with him of submission Cesar in asmuch as he had determyned to passe the wynter in the firme land bicause of the sodein commotions in Gallia and for that there remayned not much of the soÌ„mer the whithe he perceyued might easly be trifled out by his enemies commaunded to send hym hostages and sessed the Realme of Britaine at a yerely trybute to be paid to the people of Rome geuing streight charge and coÌ„maundement to Cassibelan that he did no displeasure to Mandubrace nor to the Trinovants Assone as he had receiued the hostages he conueyed his army agayn to the sea where he found his ships repayred When he had set them a flote agayne for asmuche as he had a greate number of prisoners and many of his ships were perished bi teÌ„pest he determined to ferry ouer hys army at two conueyes And so it chaunced that of so great a fleete at so many viages neyther thys yeare nor the yeare before there was not any one ship missing that caried ouer our souldiers but of those that shuld haue bene sent backe agayne empty from the maine land when they had set the souldiers of the first conuey a shore of those that Labienus raused afterwarde to bee made whyche were to the number of threescore very few could attain to the place and all the rest were cast back The whiche when Cesar had a whyle taryed for in vayn least through the season of the yeare he myght be disapointed of sayling bycause the Equinoctiall was at hand he was fayne to packe vp his souldiers in lesse roume closer together And so taking thoportunity of a verye calme weather that ensewed he launched foorth in the begynning of the second watch and by the breake of the daye came saufe to land wyth al hys whole fleete When he had drawen his ships into harbrough and held a counsel of the Galles at Amiens oâ— Saint Quintins Samarobrina forasmuche as that yeare there was some dearth of corn in Gallia by reason of the drowght he was compelled to place his army in garison otherwise than he had done the yeres before to disperse hys Legions into mo Cities Of the which he committed one Legion to his Lieuetenaunt Caius Fabius to be led amoÌ„g the Morines another to Q. Cicero to be conueyed to the Neruians the third to L. Roscius to be conducted to the Essuans the fowrth he bade shuld winter among the men of Rhemes with T. Labienus in the marches of Triers Three he placed in Belgicke and appoynted Lieuetenants of them his Threasorer M. Crassus and Lu. Munatius Plaucus and C. Trebonius he sent one legion which he had last of al leuyed beyonde the Riuer Po and fiue Cohorts among the Eburones the greatest part of whose country is betwene the Maze and the Rhine and were vnder the dominion of Ambiorix and Cativulcus the charge of these souldiers he commytted to his Lieuetenants Q. Titurius Sabinus L. AuruÌ„culeiâ—s Cotta By distributing his Legions in this wise he thought he myght make best shift with the scarsenes of corn And yet the garrisons of al these legioÌ„s sauing of that whych he gaue vnto L. Roscius to be led in to the most quiet and peaceable part of al were conteyned within the space of one hundred miles In the meane season vntil he knew that his Legions were
bothe the thyghes wyth a Iaueling Q. Lucanius of the same degree feighiing manfullye as he was rescowing his son that was beset with enemies was likewise slain Lucius Cotta one of the Lieuetenantes as he was encoraging al the Cohorts rank by rank was wounded full in the mouth wyth a slyng O. Tituriê° being moued with theis thinges when he had espied Ambiorix a far of encoraging his men sent hys interpreter C. Pompeius vnto him to desier him that he wold spare him and his souldiers Ambiorix being spoken vnto made answere that if he were desirous to common wyth him he shuld haue good leaue for he hoped he shoulde be able to wey so much with his people as to saue his souldiers and as for hymselfe shuld haue no harme at all for th assurance wherof he gaue him his faith Titurius communicated the matter wyth Cotta who was wounded that if he thought it good they might depart out of the battel and iointly go talk with Ambiorix for he was in hope to entreate hym for the saufgard of theÌ„ selues of their souldiers Cotta said plainly he wold not go to hys armed enemy and stood styfflye vppon that point Sabinus commaunded suche of the Tribunes as he had about him at that preseÌ„t and the peticapteines of the chyef bandes to wayte vppon him And when he came nere to Ambiorix being willed to put of hys armor he did so and commaunded hys men to do in likewise In the meane tyme while they debated among theÌ„ selues as concerning the coÌ„dicions that Ambiorix for the nones made a long protestacion he was by littel and littell enclosed about and slaine Than accordinge to theyr custome they cryed victory and made a great shout and therwyth geuing a freshe charge vpon our men brake oure aray There Lucius Cotta feighting valiantly was slayne and the moste part of his souldiers with him The remnant retyred into theyr camp froÌ„ whence they came Of whom L. Petrosidius the chiefe standerdbearer when he sawe himselfe ouercharged wyth the multitude of his enemyes threw the standerde into the trench and feighting right valiantly without the Campe there was slaine The others with much a do endured thassault vntil nyght in the night time being in dispaire of all succour they slew themselues euerychone A few that escaped fro the battel came by vnknowen wayes throughe the woodes to Tit. Labienus where he wintred and certified him howe all things had falne out Ambiorix being puffed vp with this victorye immediatly with his horsemen set forth towarde the Aduatickes who were borderers vpon hys kingdome neuer rested iorneying day nor night commaunding his fotemen to folow after as fast as they could When he had opened the matter styrred the Aduatikes the next day after he came among the Neruians and exhorted them that they shuld not let slip this occasion of setting themselues at lyberty for euer and of reuenging theÌ„ vpon the Romanes for the wronges they had taken at their handes He told them that twoo of theyr Lieuetenants were slayn and a great part of their army brought to nought affirminge that it were no matter at al to come sodenly vpon the Legion that wintred wyth Cicero to put them all to the sword for the performance wherof he profered himself to be their helper With this oracion he easlye persuaded the Neruians Whervpon immediatly dispatching messengers to the Centrones Grudies Leuakes Plewmosians Gordunes all the which were vnder their dominion they raised as great a power as they coulde and vpon the sodein came spedely to the place where Cicero wintred before that any inklinge of the death of Titurius was brought vnto hym It happened vnto hym also as it cannot otherwyse be that many of his souldiers which were gone abrode into the woods to fetch fewel timber were cut short by the sodeyne approche of the ennemyes horsmen Theis being entrapped the Eburones Neruians and Aduatikes with the coÌ„federates and clients of them all began to assault the LegioÌ„ wyth a great power Our men toke them quickly to theyr weapons and gate them vpon the Rampier With much a do they helde out that day bicause their ennemies put all theyr hope in speede and if they myght get thys victory they beleued they shuld be superiours euer after By and by Cicero dispatched letters to Cesar promising great rewardes if any wold coÌ„uey them to him But al the waies were so forlaid that the messengers were taken Ye wyll not think what spede diligeÌ„ce was vsed in the camp for of that stuffe yâ— had ben conueied thither for the fortifiing of it were raised in the night time about .cxx Towres and whatsoeuer waÌ„ted els of the worke was finished Our enemyes the next daye assembling a far greater power assaulted oure camp agein and filled vp the dich and our men made resistence in like sorte as they had done the day before The like was done diuers dayes after no part of the nyght season was discontynued from labour not the sicke no nor the wounded hadde any time to rest Whatsoeuer was nedefull to the next days assault was euer laid for prouided in a redines the night before A great sort of stakes hardned in the fier a great nuÌ„ber of Pikes for defence of the wal were new made towres were plauncherd battlements and portcolyses of timber set vp Cicero himselfe being a man very sickly tooke not so much leysure to rest hymselfe as the nyght time insomuch that his souldiers of theyr owne accord were faine in maner to compel him by entreatance to spare himselfe TheÌ„ the Captaynes and noble men of the Neruians whych had any entrance of communycation and cause of acquaintance with Cicero bare him in hand that they were desirous to speake wyth him â–ª Hauing leaue to doe so they declared the same thinges that Ambiorix had talked of wyth Tyturius That is to say how all Gallia was in armes howe the Germanes were passed the Rhine and how Cesar and the rest of the Romanes wer beseged in theyr wintering places making report moreouer of the death of Sabinus And for the more credit they shewed them Ambiorix They sayde they were in a wrong box yf they loked for any help at the hands of them whyche were in hazard and not able to help themselues Neuerthelesse that they were so well mynded toward Cicero and the people of Rome that they woulde refuse nothiÌ„g saue only their wintring amoÌ„g them the whych custome they wold be loth should be continued It shuld be lawfull for them wythout any let on their behalfe to depart in sauftye out of theyr wyntering places and to go into what quarters they wold wythout feare Cicero made none other aunswer herevnto but thys only that it was not the custome of the people of Rome to take any articles at theyr armed enemyes hand but if they wold lay down their weapons and vse hys helpe in the matter and send coÌ„missioners vnto Cesar
Cesar holdeth out his parlament stil and coÌ„maundeth the cities to find hym horsmen Hauing thus pacified thys parte of Gallia he applyed hymselfe wholye wyth thought and mind to the wars of the Treuires and of Ambiorix He commaunded Cauarine to accompany hym with the horsmen of the Senones least there shoulde ryse anye vprore in the country eyther throughe his irefulnes or for malice that they bare against him When he had set theis matters at a stay forasmuche as he knew certainly that Ambiorix wold not encounter with him in battell he forecast in hys minde how he might come to the knowledge of all hys other deuises There were the Menapians bordering vppon the Eburones fensed in wyth continuall fennes woodes round about them who only of al the people of Gallia had neuer sent ambassadors to Cesar to entreat for peace and he was sure that Ambiorix soiorned amoÌ„gst theym Also he had vnderstanding that by meanes of the Treuires he had entred in league wyth the Germanes He thought it mete to disappoint hym of theis helpes ere he assailed him by battel lest either being brought to vtter dispayre he myght hide himselfe among the MenapiaÌ„s or otherwyse he himselfe be compelled to feight wyth thinhabiters on the further side of the Rhine When he had determined vpon thys deuise he sent all the baggage of hys army to Labienus amonge the Treuires and bade two Legions go thyther to him Himself wyth fiue Legions hauing nothing to comber theÌ„ set forward agaynst the MenapiaÌ„s There hauing not raised any power bicause they trusted in the strengthe of the place they fled into the woodes and Marysses conueyed al theyr goods thyther Cesar deuyding hys armye wyth C. Fabius hys Lieuetenaunt Ma. Crassus hys Threasorer and quicklye makinge bridges assayled them on three parts at ones and setting their houses and villages a fier gate a great bootye of men and cattell By meanes whereof the Menapians were enforced to send Ambassadors vnto him to entreat for peace Receiuing theyr hostages he threatned to take them for hys enemyes if they receyued eyther Ambiorix or hys Ambassadors wythin theyr borders When he had set these thyngs at a stay he left Comius of Arras with a troope of horsemen as a Warden among the Menapians and him self went agaynst the Treuires Whyle Cesar was doyng theis thinges the Treuires hauing assembled a great host of horsmen and footemen were about to set vppon Labienus who with one LegioÌ„ had wintred in their borders And now they were not past a two dayes iorney from him when they vnderstoode that two Legions mo sent thither by Cesar were come vnto hym Wherfore encamping theÌ„ selues about xv miles of they determined to tary for the aid of the Germanes Labienus hauinge knoweledge what hys ennemyes purposed to do and hoping that through their rashnes some occasion of battel wold be geuen left fiue Cohorts to defend the stuffe and setting foorth toward his enemy wyth .xxv. Cohorts and a great power of horsmen encamped himself within a mile of him There was betwene Labienus and hys ennemyes a riuer wyth steepe bankes hard to be passed This riuer he neither purposed to passe himselfe neyther thought he that hys ennemies wold passe it Euerye day they were in greater hope than other of ayde Labienus sayd in an open assembly that forasmuche as it was reported that the Germanes were nere at hand he wold not put both his own goods the goods of hys army in hazard and therfore wold the next morning by break of the day dislodge his caÌ„p Theis things were sone reported to the enemy as it is commonlye seene that among so many Gallian horsemen as he had nature compelleth some of them to beare fauor to theyr countrye affayres Labienus in the night time callinge to hym the Tribunes and chief officers of his camp declared vnto them what he minded to do And to thintent the easâ—yer to bleare hys ennemyes eyes wyth suspicioÌ„ of fearfulnes he bade that they should remoue wyth more noise and hurlyburly than the custome of the Romanes was to do By thys meanes he made his remouing seme like a running away Theis things also as it happeneth where two armyes encampe so neere together were by spies before daylight caried to the enemy The rereward was scars out of the camp but that the Galles encouragyng one another not to lette their hoped pray slyppe out of theyr handes In asmuche as it wold be to long to waite lingaring for the ayd of the Germanes sith the Romanes were in such a fear and it stode not wyth their honor to be so cowardly that wyth so greate a power as they had they should be afrayd to assayle so small a handfull specially beyng troubled flying away boldly passed ouer the riuer in a place of disaduauÌ„tage gaue vs battel Labienus mistrustyng as much before to th entent to toll them all ouer the Riuer kept on his way softly with like pretence of feare as he had vsed before At length sending the stuffe and cariages somwhat before and settyng them vpon a littel hil ye haue ê™ he my Souldiers the occasion that ye wyshed for Ye hold your enemy in a place vnhandsome and of disaduauÌ„tage Nowe let vs peticapteines see lyke valiantnes in you as you haue oftentymes shewed before youre Graundcapteine think that he were now here and presently beheld your doyngs with his eyes Wyth theis words he commaunded the standerd to be turned toward the enemy and the battels to be aduaunced And seÌ„ding a few horsmen away for the defence of the Cariages he placed the rest on the sides of his battels Oure men raising a great showt quicklye discharged theyr darts at theyr enemyes When contrarye to theyr expectacion our enemyes saw vs whoÌ„ they beleued to haue ben fled return vpon them with force of armes they were not able to abide so much as the onset but at the fyrst meting taking themselues to their heles fled to the next woodes whom Labienus pursewyng wyth hys horsemen slew of them a great number and toke many mo and wythin fewe dayes after recouered the Citye For the Germanes that were comming to theyr ayde hearyng of the discomfiture of the Treuires retired home agayne The kinsfolk also of Induciomarus who were thauthors of thys rebellion departed out of the City and accompanied the Germanes And so the souereinty and rule of the countrye was betaken to Lingetorix who as we haue declared continued alwais faythull from the beginning After that Cesar was come from the Menapians among the Treuires he determined for two causes to passe the Rhine of the which one was bicause they had sent ayd to the Treuires agaynst him â–ª thother was to th entent that Ambâ—orix should not haue anye recourse vnto them Theis matters being determined vpon he purposed to make a bridge a littell aboue the same place where he had passed hys army before When the maner how he wold haue it done was ones
burthen whych had abiden in the Campe folowed after The very same time by chauÌ„ce came the Germane horsemen betweene them and home and wythoute tariaunce with like pace as they had ridden all the way endeuored to breake into the camp at the chiefe gate and they were not espied by reason of the woodes that were on that side which letted the view before they were so nere our Camp that the Merchant-men whiche laye in hales vnder the Rampyer side had no leysure to recouer themselues wythin saufgarde Oure men being taken vnprouided vppon the sodein were so troubled that the Cohorte was scars able to wythstand the fyrst brunt Our enemyes spred theim selues on all sides about to see if they could finde anye entryng place in so muche that our men had much a do to defeÌ„d the gates for the place was otherwyse so stroÌ„g of it self and so wel fortified that it neded no defence Al the whole camp was in a feare and euery one demauÌ„ded of another the cause of the tumult in so much that they wyst not which waye eyther to aduaunce their banners or whither they should assemble themselues One reportes for a certeinty that the Camp was alredy taken another holdes opinion that the Graundcapteine and hys armye being vtterly destroyed the barbarous were come thither as coÌ„querors many deuised new supersticioÌ„s to them selues by reason of the place setting before theyr eyes the mischaunce of Cotta Titurius who were slaine in the same Castell Throughe thys feare wherewyth all oure men were strycken the rude Germanes were confirmed in their opinion whyche they had conceyued vppon the report of a prysoner that there was no strength wythin Wherupon endeuoring to breake in perforce they encouraged one another not to let so good fortune scape out of theyr handes There was lefte behynde in the garrison sick one P. Sestius Baculus who had had the leading of one of the chyef bandes vnder Cesar of whom we haue made meÌ„tion in the former battels he had fasted nowe fiue dayes He being in despaire both of hys owne lyfe and of the liues of al his company came out of his tent vnarmed and perceiuing hys enemies to preace sore vpoÌ„ them and that the matter stode in vtter peryll toke weapon from such as stode next him and set him self in the gate After him folowed the Centurions of that Cohort whych warded in the Campe for a whyle endured the conflict with hym But at the length Sestius was so sore wounded that hys courage fayled him and he sanke downe that much a doe there was to drawe him out of the preace and to saue his life Duryng the time of this leysure the rest toke heart to theym in somuche that they durst set them selues vpon the Rampiers and make a showe of defence In the meane whyle our souldiers that went out for forrage hauing dispatched that they went for in their returne heard the noise whervpon the horsemen came a false gallop before perceyued in how great daunger the matter stode But now was there not any place of defence whereunto they might recouer them selues in thys theyr feare Suche as were but newly reteyned and therfore were not skilfull in matters of war retired backe to the Tribunes and Centurions looking to receyue commaundement at theyr handes what they shuld do There was not any of them so stout of stomack that was not amased at the sodeinnes of the matter The barbarous people perceiuing the banners a far of ceased froÌ„ thassault At the first they beleued that our legioÌ„s had bene returned which thei had learned by their prisoners to haue ben gone a great way further of Afterward disdeining the smal nuÌ„ber of them they set vpoÌ„ them on all sides The varlets ran vp to the next hill from whence being easly driuen downe they thrust theym selues among the souldyers that were vnder their standerds and therby put them in greater feare then they were before Some thought it best to cast theÌ„ selues in a wedge to break through their ennemyes quicklye affirming that forasmuch as their Campe was so nere at hande althoughe some of them were cut of by the way slain yet the rest should saue themselues Other some thoughte it best to get them to the top of the hyll and there to take what soeuer shuld betide theÌ„ all together Thys deuyse liked not the olde souldiers that went out vnder the standerd wyth them as wee told you before Wherupon encouraging themselues and folowinge Capteine C. Trebonius a knight of Rome who had the charge of them they brake throughe the myddes of their enemies and came al sauf into the campe wythout the losse of anye one man The Uarlets and horsmen folowing after them with like force were by the valiantnes of the souldyers likewyse preserued But they which had gotten themselues to the top of the hyl hauing no vnderstanding at al how to demeane themselues had neither the wyt to perseuer in the deuice which they first allowed in standing styll to their defence vppon the hygher grounde nor yet to vse the lyke force and celerity whych they saw doe good to theyr felowes but for desier to recouer to their caÌ„p they caste themselues into a place of disaduauntage The Centurious of whom many for theyr prowesse and manhod had from lower roumes of the other Legions bene promooted to the hygher roumes of this legioÌ„ least they shoulde forgo the honor in armes which they had gotten before feighting most valiantly spent their liues together The enemyes bring by their force driuen aside it came to passe that some contrary to all hope and expectation came saufe into the Campe and some enuironed by the Germanes were vtterly destroyed The Germanes beynge nowe paste hope of winning our caÌ„p by assault forasmuch as they saw our men placed vppon the Rampyres with that pray which they had bestowed in the woodes gaâ—e them selues ouer the Rhine againe Howbeit when oure enemies were â—â—â—ght gone there remained such a feare among our meÌ„ that the same nyght when C. Uolusenus sent thither wyth the horsmeÌ„ came to the camp he could not make them beleue that Cesar was at hand wyth the army in saufgard So sore were al their mindes rauished wyth feare that in maner half beside them selues they said plainlye all the army was put to the sworde and that the horsemen had saued themselues by flyght for it was not lyke that whyle tharmy was in good case the Germanes durst adueture to assault our camp Thys feare the comming of Cesar toke away Uppon hys returne being not ignorant how the world went he found fault at the seÌ„ding out of the Cohorts out of their fort garrison affyrming that there ought no gap though neuer so smal to be opened vnto fortune forasmuch as fortune by the sodein approche of the enemy had bene able to haue done muche yea and muche the more in that thei had repulsed the barbarous people wel
there was recioycinge one wyth another and euery maÌ„s mind was moued to gladnes And thereupon bringyng theyr power forth they placed themselues before the town and casting bardles into the dyche that was nexte vnto them filled it vp wyth turf putting themselues in a redynes to yssue out vppon vs and to abide all hasardes Cesar placing al hys armye on both sides of hys fortifications to th enteÌ„t that if nede should so require euerye man might knowe hys standing and kepe him to it coÌ„maunded hys horsmen to be led foorth and to skirmish wyth them There was from all the Campes whych were pitched vppon the top of the hyll rounde about a prospect downward and al the souldiers setting their mindes vpoÌ„ thencounter were desirous to see what end the skirmishe would come vnto The Galles had myngled here and there amonge their men of armes arâ—hers and nimble footemen light harnessed to succor theyr owne men when they retired and to breake the force of our men when they pursewed Manye of our men being wounded by them drew themselues out of the battell At such time as the Galles were in hope that theyr men shoulde haue had thupper hand and saw our men ouerpressed wyth theyr greate number both they that were wythin our fortifications and those that were come to the rescow of the town wyth a great shout and crye hartned ech of them their fellowes Now forasmuch as the thing was done in the sight of all men and that nothynge whether it were valiaÌ„tly or cowardly done could escape vnsene the desier of prayse and feare of reproche enforced either part to valiantnesse When the battell had continued in doubtful ballance from noone vntil the sun was almost downe the Germanes knitting themselues close together gaue a fresh charge vpoÌ„ their enemies made them lose ground After whose flight the archers were by and by enclosed and slaine Moreouer oure men out of thother partes folowing the chace vpon them euen hard to their camp gaue them no respit to gather theymselues together againe They that were come out of Alexia in manner despayring of all good successe retired wyth heauye heartes into the towne After one daies respit the Galles with a great number of hardles scaling ladders and hookes whych they had made in that littel while setting priuely out of theyr campe wythout any noyse aboute midnyght approched to oure fortifications that were to ward the champion fieldes where sodeinly geuing a great shout whiche was as a watch word to their fellowes that were beseged to geue theÌ„ vnderstanding of their coÌ„ming they begaÌ„ to throwe in their hurdles and to beate our men from the Rampier wyth slinges shotte of arrowes and casting of stones and to do all other things that appertain to an assault Uercingetorix heryng the shout called his men together by the sound of a Trumpet and the same instant led them out of the towne Our men according as euery mannes place was appointed him a fewe dayes before came to the fortifications There with slinges that went wyth wynches and stakes whych they had pitched in a readinesse wyth pellets they put the Galles in feare And bicause the darkenes toke awaye theyr sight many woundes were receiued on both sides and a great number of artillery was discharged together at auenture with engines But M. Antonius and C. Trebonius Lieuetenantes to whom those partes were allotted to defend toke souldiers out of the further bulwarkes and sent them to the rescow whersoeuer they perceyued oure men to be ouercharged As longe as the Galles were any thyng farre of from our fortifications they had thaduantage by reason of the great number of the darts that they threw but after that they came nerer wythin our daunger eyther they gored themselues vnwares vpon the gaddes or els they slided in to the pits and were thrust through or elles were strycken wyth pykes from the wall and from the Towres and so peryshed When they had taken manye foyles on all sides and coulde breake throughe none of our fortifications and that the day light began to appeare fearynge to be beset on thopen side by suche as might issue out of our hygher camp they retired backe to the rest of theyr company And those that were with in as they were bringing forth such things as had bene prepared by Uercingetorix for theyr issuing â—â—te and were fylling of the vttermost dikes about the whych thynges they were fayne to spende a good piece of the tyme vnderstode that theyr fellowes were departed before that they could come to our fortifications so with out accomplishinge the thynge they came for they retired into the town The Galles hauing twice with great losse ben put to the worse consulted what they might do and called to them suche as were skilfull of the places Of them they learned the situation and fortifiynge of thupper part of our camp There was on the North side a hyll the whych bicause our men for the greate circuit therof coulde not comprehende wythin theyr work they were compelled almost of necessity to pitch theyr tents in an vnhandsome place somwhat a falling ground The keping herof had Ca. Antistius of Rhegium and L. Caninius Regulus two of Cesars Lieuetenants wyth two Legions The Capteynes of our enemies learning the places by theyr spyes chose oute of their whole number three score thousande men of those Cityes that had the reporte of moste prowes and agreed secretly among themselues what and howe euerye thing should be done appoynting a time certayne when to go about it which was euen when it shuld seme to be hygh none Of thys army they committed the leading to Uergasillaunus of Auverne one of the fower principall Capteynes the nere kinsman of Uercingetorix Who setting out of the Campe at the first watch and hauing welnere come to his iorneys end by daylight hid himself behind a hyll and bade hys souldiers rest themselues after theyr nyghtes iorney Now when mid day semed to draw me he made toward the vpper Camp that we spake of before and at the same instant their horsemen began to approche to oure forfications that were toward the playnes and the rest of theyr army began to show themselues before their camp Uercingetorix beholding his coÌ„pany out of the towre of Alexia marched out of the town brought forth with hym hys Rakes Poles Muscules hookes such other things as he had purueied before for to issue out with Thassault was geueÌ„ in all places at ones nothing was left vnattempted Loke what part semed weakest thither was most resorting The fortifications of the Romanes were of suche a copasse that theyr power was disseuered far a suÌ„der and could not easly defeÌ„d many places To put our meÌ„ in feare withal greatly auayled the noyse that was behind their backs as thei fought bicause they saw their peril consist in other mens prowesse For commoÌ„ly those thinges that are not sene do more vehemeÌ„tly trouble mens
minds than those thyngs that are sene Cesar hauing gotten a mete place for the purpose hadde woorde brought him what was done euerye where and seÌ„t succor to such as were in daunger Both partes did set before theyr myndes that that was thonlye time wherein it behoued to shewe most stoutnesse For the Galles knewe that theyr good dayes were past if they brake not through oure fortifications and the Romanes yf they gate thupper hand loked for an ende of all theyr trauels The greatest dauÌ„ger was at our vpper fortifications whyther we told you that Uergasillaunus was sent The grabbednes of the top of a place to a falling grounde hath in it great aduauntage Some threw dartes some cast theyr shieldes ouer their heades and preased vpward freshe men succeded in the roumes of theym that were tyred the Rampier being caste downe by them all into the trench did bothe make waye for the Galles to get vppe and also didde couer suche thinges as the Romanes hadde hidden in the grounde and nowe our men had neyther weapons nor strength to helpe themselues wyth Cesar hauing knowledge herof sent Labienus wyth syxe Cohortes to rescowe suche as were in peryll and commaunded that yf he were not able to susteyne hys ennemyes he shoulde issue out wyth his Cohortes and feyghte wyth theym abroade but he warned hym in any wyse not to doe so onlesse there were none other remedye He him selfe goeth to the reste and hartened theym that they shoulde not faynt in theyr trauell He tolde theym that the frute of all theyr former encounters consisted altogether in that daye and in that one howre Those that were wythin despayryng to do anye good at the champion places bicause of the hougenes of oure fortifications attempted to get vp to the stepe places and thither they caried all theyr prouision There wyth the multitude of dartes they beate the defendantes from the towres thei fil vp the dikes wyth earth and hurdles and wyth theyr hookes rend downe the Rampyer and the Uamure Cesar sent thither fyrst yonge Brutus wyth six Cohortes and afterward hys Lieuetenant C. Fabius wyth other vii and last of all When thencounter wared somewhat to whot he himselfe brought fresh men to their succor Whereby renewing the battell and driuing hys enemies backe he went thither as he had sent Labienus He toke wyth him iiii Cohorts out of the next bulwarke and commaunded part of hys horsemen to folowe him and part to fetch a circuit aboute the vttermost fortifications and to set vpon hys enemies behind When Labienus saw that neyther RaÌ„piers nor dikes were able to hold against the violence of hys enemies he assembled nyne thirty Cohortes whych he met by chaunce comming out of the next Bulwarks and sent woorde by a messenger vnto Cesar what he thoughte was to bee done Cesar herevpon made hast to be present at the feight Assone as he was perceyued to be come by the color of hys garment the whiche he vsed in battels as a mark to be knowen by and that the Cohortes and troopes of horsmen which he had commaunded to folow him were sene as they might easlie be perceyued from such highe groundes being so steepe and falling his enemies gaue him battell A greate shoute was raysed on bothe sides and lyke shoutinge was heard agayne from the Campe and from al our fortifications Our men discharginge theyr dartes came to hand strokes Sodeinly appeared our horsmen behind them and other Cohortes came vpon them Then oure enemyes turned theyr backes and our horsmen meting wyth theÌ„ made a great slaughter of them Sedulius Capteine and Prince of the Lemouikes was slaine Uergasillaunus of Auverne was taken aliue in the chase threescore and fowretene banners and antesâ—gnes were brought vnto Cesar few of that great number recouered sauf into their Campe. The Townesmen beholdinge oute of the Towne the flighte and slaughter of theyr companye castinge awaye all hope of welfare wythdrew theyr armye from our fortifications Immediatly vpon the receit of this heauye tidings the Galles fled out of theyr camp insomuch that if our souldiers had not bene fortrauelled wyth rescowing so many sundrye places and wyth the toyle of that daye all the whole power of our enemyes might haue ben distroied vtterly Our horsmen beyng sent out after midnight ouertoke theyr rerewarde and slewe and toke prysoners a great number of them the rest scaped out of the chase into the next Cityes The next daye Uercingetorix calling an assemblye declared vnto them how he had taken that war in hand not for anye necessitye that he was driuen to himselfe but for the liberty of the whole Realme and for asmuche as there was no shift but to geue place vnto fortune he offered himselfe vnto theÌ„ both waies choose whether they would satisfy the Romanes with hys death or yeld him into their handes aliue Hereupon were Commissioners sent vnto Cesar. He commauÌ„ded them to deliuer vp their armor and to bryng forth theyr noblemen He sate vpon the Rampyer before hys Camp and thyther were the Capteynes brought vnto hym Uercingetorix was yelded and the armor caste out before hym Reseruing the Heduanes and the men of Auverne to th eÌ„tent to recouer their countryes by them if it might be al the rest of the prysoners he dystrybuted among hys souldiers euery man one in name of a pray WheÌ„ he had dispatched theis matters he went amonge the Heduanes and recouered theyr Citye agayne Thyther came ambassadours to hym from the men of Auverne proferynge to be at hys commaundement He put them to a great number of hossages and sent hys Legions into garrison He deliuered about twenty thousand prisoners of the Heduanes and menne of Auverne without raunsome T. Labienns he commaunded to take hys iorney wyth twoo Legions and hys horsmen agaynst the Sequanes appointinge M. Sempronius Rutilus to assist hym He placed his Lieuetenant C. Fabius and Lu. Minutius Basilius with two Legions among the men of Rhemes to th enteÌ„t they should not take anye wronge at the handes of the Bellouacanes theyr next neyghbors He sent C. Antistius of Rhegium to the Ambiuarets Titus Sextiê° to the people of Berrey and Caninius Rebilus to the Ruthenes wyth ech of them a Legion He placed Q. Tullius Cicero and P. Sulpitius th one at Cabillon and thother at Matiscone amonge the Heduanes by the riuer of Soan to make prouision of corne and victuals and he hymselfe determined to wynter at Bibracte When theis things were knowen at Rome by hys letters common supplications were proclaymed for twentye dayes FINIS The preface of A. Hircius or Oppius vppon the last booke of the Commentaries of the warres in Gallia COMPELLED BY THY continuall calling vpon me my frend Balbus least through my daily refusal I might seme not so muche to excuse my self by the difficultie of the matter as to seke delaye for slouthfulnesse I haue taken in hand a right difficult matter I haue patched vp the CommeÌ„taries of our Caesar
thabiding of thunreasonable sharpe stormes whych chieflye at that time fell encamped hymself wythin Genabum a town of the Caruntes and housed hys souldiers partlye in the buildings of the Galles and partlye in such buildinges as beynge vnfinyshed they thatched in haste wyth the straw that was brought in to couer theyr tentes and Cabanes Neuertheles he sendeth abrode his horsmen and fotemen straungers into al coastes whyther he heard hys ennemies resorted and that was not in vayne For commonly oure men returned euer wyth a greate bootye The Carunts being oppressed with the hardnes of the wynter and the terror of the daunger beinge driuen out of house and home and daringe not stay any where anye long time the woodes being not able to defend them from the cruelnesse of the stormes were scattred abrode and with the losse of a great part of them dispersed into the next Cities Cesar in that hardest time of the yeare thynking it inough to disperse the powers that were assembling to th entent no beginning of war might spring vp forasmuch as he could not perceyue so far as reason was able to reache that anye great warre of the whole countrye coulde bee rered in the beginning of the next sommer he placed C. Trebonius in garrisō at Genabū wyth those two Legions that he had there about him and for asmuche as he was by often messages certified from the men of Rhemes that the Bellouacanes who excelled all the Galles and the Belgies also in the renowne of cheualrye and the Cities adioyning vnto them by the conduct of Corbey of Beawvoys and Comius of Arras leuied men of war and assembled them into one place to th entent with theyr whole power to inuade the marches of Soyssons whych was an appurtenance of the men of Rhemes thynkinge it stoode not only vpon his honor but also vpon hys good successe hereafter to saue hys alies whiche had deserued wel of the common weale from displeasure and domage he called the eleuenth Legion agayn out of garrison Moreouer he wrate to C. Fabius to bring the two Legions that he had into the marches of Soyssons and sent for one of those two Legions that were wyth T. Labienus So according as his garrisons laye for the purpose and as the state of the war required to his owne continual payne he put sometime one sorte of hys Legions and somtime another to make voyages by turnes Wyth thys power that he had assembled he went against the Bellouacanes and pitching hys camp in theyr country sent abroade hys horsemen into all quarters to licke vp some of theym by whose meanes he myght learne what hys enemies purposed to doe His horsemen doynge theyr dutye brought word how few were found in the houses and those not of suche as had abidden behinde to tyll the ground for they were aduisedlye remoued out of al places but of suche as had ben sent backe agian to spie Of whom Cesar enquiring in what place the power of the Bellouacanes were what was theyr intent founde that all the Bellouacanes were gathered together into one place and that the Ambianes Aulerkes Caletanes Uelocassiās and Atrebatians had chosen a very high ground to encamp in enclosed with a troublesome marris and had conueyed all theyr stuffe into woodes that were further of of the whyche war there were many noblemē that were ringleaders but the multitude obeyed Corbey most bicause they vnderstode that he hated most the name of the people of Rome And that Comius of Arras was a fewe dayes before gone to fetch ayd of the Germanes who were their next neighbors and swarmed in multitude of people He learned moreouer at theyr handes that the Bellouacanes by the consent of all the noblemen at the earnest instance of the commons were determined if Cesar came as it was sayd he woulde but wyth thre legions to offer him battel least afterward to more disaduauntage and hinderance they should be compelled to encounter wyth hys whole hoste And yf he brought a greater power wyth him then to kepe themselues styll in the same grounde that they had chosen and to lay ambushes to kepe the Romanes frō forrage whiche by reason of the time of the yeare was scarce and also laye scattering and from corne and other victualles and thinges necessary for theyr host The whych things when Cesar vnderstoode by the agreable reporte of many considering how the deuice of them was full of wysdome and farre from the rashnesse that barbarous people are wont to vse he determyned to take oportunity in al things to th entent his enemies disdayning hys smal company should make the more hast to come into the field For he had three olde practised Legions the vii.viii and .ix. of singuler manhod and prowesse and the .xi. whych was of chosen yonge men of greate hope and towardnes the whych hauinge at that tyme receyued eyghte yeres wages was notwithstanding in comparison of thothers not yet come to the like worshyp of continuance and prowesse Wherefore sommoning an assemblye and there declaring all things that had bene reported vnto him he strengthned the heartes of the common souldiers yf peraduenture wyth the number of three Legions he might tol out hys ennemies to feight wyth him in the field He set his battelles in such order that the vii.viii and .ix. Legions went before al the cariages and that the xi closed in the araye of all the cariages the which notwithstāding was but meane as is wont to be in rodes least the enemies myght thinke they sawe a greater number than they required themselues By thys meanes in a square battell almost he broughte hys hoste in sight of hys enemyes sooner than they loked for him The whych Legions so sodenly set in order whē the Galles behelde marchyng towarde them a measurable pace as it had bene in a pitched field whereas it was reported to Cesar that they had purposed matters before of a stout courage whether it were for the perill of thēcounter or the sodeinnesse of oure comming or that they looked to see what we entended to do they set thē selues in order of battell before their camp and wold not discend from the higher groūd Albeit that Cesar was desyrous to haue fought with them yet bicause he maruelled at the greate number of hys ennemies he pitched hys campe directlye ouer agaynste theirs on thother side of a valley whych was more in depenes downward than in wydenesse any way in the bottome Thys Camp he commaūded to be fortified wyth a Rampier of .xii. foote and an opē gallery to be builded vppon it accordinge to the measure of the same heighth and a double dike to be made of xv foote a peece wyth sides plomme downe and manye turrettes to bee rered of three storyes heyghth and to be ioyned together wyth draw brydges to let downe at pleasure the frontes wherof were fenced wyth grates of wicker ▪ to th entent the enemy might be repulsed with double rowes of defendantes
of the whyche th one from the bridges the more out of daunger they were by reason of the heyghth so much the boldlier and the further of myght they send theyr dartes thother the nearer they were placed to theyr enemy vppon the Rampier so much the better should they be couered aloft frō thartillerye that might fall downe vpon them and ouer the gates he made hyghe towres Thys kind of fortificatiō was to two good purposes for by the greatnesse of his workes and hys pretence of feare he hoped to set the barbarous Galles in a greate pride and whensoeuer he should haue occasion to send out any thynge far for forrage or victuals he sawe that the camp might be defended wyth a smal power the strength of the fortificatiōs was so great In the meane while diuers times a few of bothe sides wold go out and skirmish in the marris that was betwene our two campes the whych oftentimes eyther the Galles Germanes that were of our host wold passe and egrely pursew theyr enemyes or els in like maner our enemyes passyng ouer it did send our men further of It happened in our dayly forraging as there was none other shyft forasmuche as we were fayne to fetche forrage at houses that stoode scattering far a sunder that our forragers being disseuered in vnhandsome places were entrapped The whyche thinge as it was some losse to vs of our beastes of cariage and slaues so it kindled the foolish courages of the barbarous Galles and that so much the more bicause Comius of Arras whome we declared before to haue bene gone to fetche ayde of the Germanes was come wyth horsemen of whom although there was not aboue the number of fiue hundred yet the Galles were puffed vp at the cōming of the Germanes When Cesar perceyued howe hys enemies held themselues manye dayes together wythin theyr camp whyche was fortified bothe wyth a marris and also with aduauntage of the ground and that he coulde neyther assault them wythout manifest peryll nor inclose the place where they were wyth anye fortifications wythout a greater army he directed hys letters to Trebonius that he shoulde wyth all haste possible sende for the xiii Legion whyche wintred in Berrey vnder T. Sextius hys Lieuetenant and so with thre Legions make longe iorneyes to come to him In the meane season he sent out euer by turnes the horsmen of Rhemes and Langres and of other Cityes of whom he had called foorth a great number to saufconduct the forragers and to wythstande the sodein assaultes of the enemy The whyche being done day by day and our men takinge nowe lesse hede bicause it was an ordinary matter with them whiche thing for the most part commeth to passe by dailye custome the Bellouacanes wyth a band of chosē fotemen knowing the places where our horsemen dailye kept theyr standinges layd ambushes in woody places and the next day they sēt thither their horsemen first to toll out oure men into the daunger of theyr bushmentes and than to assayle them as they were enclosed The lot of thys euill lucke lighted vpon the men of Rhemes whose turne it was to supply that roume that daye For they when they had espied the horsmen of theyr enemyes vpon the sodein dyspising them bicause they were not of like number to them folowed them ouer gredelye and were enclosed by the fotemen Wherby being put out of araye they retired more hastelye than horsmen are accustomed to doe in battell wyth the losse of Uertisco the Prince of their Citye and Captayne of theyr horsmen Who being scarce able to sit vpon a horse by reason of hys age would notwythstanding according to the custome of the Galles neyther seeke to disburden hymself of the Capteinship by excuse of hys age nor suffer thencounter to be fought wythout hym Wyth this luckye battell wherein they slew the Prince and Capteyne of the men of Rhemes the courages of our ennemyes were inflamed and quickened and our men were taught by theyr owne harme to serch the places better where they shoulde kepe theyr standinges and to folowe theyr enemye more aduisedly when he fled In the meane while ceased not the daily skirmishes in the sight of both our campes which were made at the foordes and passages of the marris In the whych kind of exercise when as the Germanes whom Cesar had for the same purpose fet ouer the Rhine that they should feyght intermedled wyth hys horsemen in the battell had al stoutly passed the marris and sleaing a fewe in making resistence folowed egrely vppon the rest of the multitude not onlye they that were ouerthrowen at hand or wounded aloof but also they that were wonte to succor a farre of were so strycken wyth feare that they ranne awaye shamefullye and neuer left fliynge from higher ground to higher which they oftentimes lost before they eyther recouered into theyr Campe or as some did for very shame fled further of Wyth the daunger of whom the rest of the host was so sore troubled that it can scarslye he iudged whether good successe were it neuer so smal wold make them more arrogant or a misfortune were it neuer so meane would make theym more fearefull After they had lurked many dais in the same Campe when the Capteynes of the Bellouacanes vnderstode that C. Trebonius one of Cesars Lieuetenants was at hād with mo Legions fearinge the like siege as was at Alexia they sent away in the night all suche as by reason of yeres or otherwise wanted strength and all such as wanted armor amōg them and with them thei sent away also theyr cariages of whom whyle they were setting forth the troubled and confused cōpany for the Galles euen whē they go lightest are wont to haue a great multitude of Cartes folowing them daylight came vpon them and therfore they set theyr mē in battel ray in theyr camp least the Romanes should pursewe them before the companye of their cariages could get any thyng forwarde But Cesar thought it not good to assaile them being ready at defence hauing so hygh a hyl to mount vp vnto thē and yet he thoughte to come so nere them wyth hys host as that our enemies might not departe oute of the place where they were wythout daūger our men being hard at hand redye to fall vppon them Wherefore wheras he perceiued that the troublesome marris parted Camp frō camp the vnhandsome passage whereof might hynder the spedye pursewt of our enemies and that the same ridge of the hyll which went from the further side of the marris almost to the Camp of hys enemyes was parted from theyr sayd Camp wyth a mean valley He made bridges ouer the marris and passing ouer his armye gate quicklye into the plaine of the saide ridge the whych on two sydes was fortified wyth a stepe fallinge There settinge hys men in aray he came to the furthest end of the ridge and ordered hys battelles in suche a place from whence wyth an engine artillery
might haue bene shotte among the thyckest of hys ennemyes The Galles trustyng to thaduauntage of the place when they woulde neyther haue refused thencounter yf perchauÌ„ce the Romanes wold haue aduentured vp the hil against them nor yet durst by lyttell and littel diminish theyr battel by seuering them selues least when they had bene out of aray they might hap to haue ben troubled kept themselues still in order of battell Whose wilfulnes Cesar perceiuing kept .xx. Cohortes in a readinesse and pytching hys tents in the same place commaunded hys Camp should be fortified Assone as the workes were finished he set hys Legions in araye before the Rampier and appointed the horsemen to theyr standinges wyth theyr horses redy bridled When the Bellouacanes sawe the Romanes in a readynes to pursew them and that them selues coulde not wythout peryll eyther lodge that night or continue anye lengar in the same place where they were they deuised thys shift to recouer themselues In the place where they were set together for it is declared in Cesars former commentaries how the Galles are wont to sit downe in the battel they receiued from hand to hande one of another bundels of strawe and fagots whereof there was greate store in their Camp and cast it all on a heap before theyr battell and in the latter end of the day by a watchword that was geuen they set it on fire all at one instant by meanes whereof the continual flame sodeinly toke away the sight of all their armye from the Romanes and therwithall the sauage Galles fledde awaye as fast as theyr legges could beare them Albeit that Cesar could not perceyue the departing of hys enemies by reason of the flame that was betwyxt theym yet notwythstandinge forasmuch as â—e suspected it to be a practise wrought by them that they might the sauflier flye away he remoued hys footemen forwarde and sent hys horsemen to pursue theym Howbeit for feare of treason least perhaps hys ennemies should stay styl in the same place and egge vs foorth into a ground of disaduauntage he weÌ„t the slower pace His horsemen fearyng to enter into the smoke and thicke flame and if anye were so earnest as to enter in they could scarce see the formest partes of their owne horses for doubt to be betrapped gaue the Bellouacanes free libertye to recouer themselues whither they wold Thus our ennemies through their flight which was full both of feare and wilynesse escaping without any losse went but ten miles of and encamped themselues in a very strong grounde From whence by laying bushments oftentimes both of horsemen and fotemen in diuers places they did the Romanes great displeasures as they went a forraging After it had happened so many and sundry times Cesar learned of a certayne prisoner that Corbey Capteyne of the Bellouacanes had chosen out of hys whole host six thousand of the valeantest fotemen and a thousand horsmen the whyche he had laide in ambushe in the same place whither for the plentye of forrage and corne that was there he iudged the Romanes wolde send for forrage The whyche purpose beynge knowen Cesar brought forth mo legions than he was wont and sendeth before hys horsemen after the same maner he was wont to sende theym to saufconduct hys forragers Among theÌ„ he intermedled for their assistence a number of lighte armed footemen and himself wyth hys Legions foloweth as nere theym as he can His enemies that were layd in ambush hauing chosen a fielde for their purpose not passynge a myle wide accompting euery waye enuironed round about eyther wyth coÌ„bersome woodes or els a verye depe ryuer beset it with theyr bushment as it had bene wyth a toyle Our meÌ„ forasmuch as they were priuie to the deuise of their enemies before hand being readye both with heart hand to feight seing their Legions followed hard after them wold refuse no encounter but went ranke by ranke downe into the said place At the coÌ„ming of whom â–ª Corbey thinking an occasion of good lucke to be falne into hys handes is one of the first that showeth himselfe wyth a fewe and geueth charge vpoÌ„ the next troopes Our men stoutly withstaÌ„d the brunt of those that lay in wayt for theym and flocke not manye into one place at ones that which thing in skirmishes on horsbacke is wont commonlye to happen vppon some feare and theyr clustringe together turneth to their owne losse At suche time as setting themselues in seueral places bi their troopes they fought a fewe at ones by turnes and wold not suffer their fellowes to be assaulted on the sides the rest brake out of the woodes while Corbey was feighting Then was thencounter whote and diuers After it had continued indifferent a good space by littel and littell came their fotemen in aray out of the woodes whiche compelled oure horsemen to geue backe They were quickly resâ—owed agayne by the lyght armed fotemen which I told you were sent before our Legions who beinge intermedled amoÌ„g the horsmen fought boldlye Thencounter continued a good while indifferent Afterwarde as thorder of battell required they that had withstode the fyrst brunt of them that lay in ambush for theym had herby thaduauÌ„tage bicause they receiued not vnwares anye foyle at their hands that lay in wait for theÌ„ In the meane whyle oure Legions drew nerer hand and diuers messengers brought word both to our men and to our enemies at one time that the Graundcaptein was at haÌ„d with his hoste in battell ray The whyche thing being knowen oure horsemen trustyng to the help of the Cohorts layd their handes about them verye egerly least if they shoulde haue forslowed the matter they mighte seme to haue made the fotemen partakers of thonor of the victory Therwithal our enemies hartes began to quaile and they soughte to flye by diuers wayes but all was in vaine For by the disaduauntage of the same places in whych they wolde haue inclosed the Romanes were they themselues taken tardy and could not get out Notwythstandinge being vanquished and altogether discouraged when they had lost the greatest part of their companye like men amazed they gaue themselues to flight and some made toward the woodes and some towardes the riuer the whiche beyng ouertaken by oure men that folowed egerly vpon them were all slain when in the meane time Corbey whose heart could by no misfortune be ouercome neuer departed out of the battell nor made towarde the woodes neyther coulde by thentreatance of oure men be persuaded to yeld himselfe but that feightinge most valiantly and hurting many of our men he set the coÌ„querors in such an anger that he enforced theym to throw dartes at him When the matter was dispatched in thys wise Cesar entring into the place immediatlye after the battel was ended for asmuche as he thought that his enemies being discouraged wyth so greate a mysfortune would immediatlye vppon the newes therof forsake the place where they were encamped which was said to be not aboue eight miles
After he had spent many dayes therein and had lost many of hys people yet could not breake down any part of their fortificatioÌ„s he returned againe to besiege LemouicuÌ„ The same time C. Fabius receiueth many cities by composition and byndeth theym wyth hostages and is aduertised by Caninius letters of those things that were done among the Pictones Upon the knowlege wherof he setteth foorth to rescow Durace But DuÌ„nacus hauing vnderstanding of Fabius comming forasmuch as he thought he shoulde be in hazarde to lose all if at one instant he should be compelled both to abide the Romanes hys forrein enemies and also to haue an eye stand in feare of the townes men retyred sodeinlye wyth all hys power out of the same place he could not thinke himself to be sufficieÌ„tly in saufty before he had passed his army ouer the riuer Loyre which bicause of the greatnesse thereof was to be passed by a bridge and not otherwyse Although that Fabius was not yet come with in sight of hys enemies nor had ioyned himself wyth Caninius yet forasmuch as he was throughlie enformed by such as knew the coast of the countrye he beleued verely that hys enemies wold not goe to that place towarde the which they made theyr iorney Therfore he marcheth wyth his army too the same bridge where his enemies had passed and commaunded his horsemen to go no further before the battell of his fotemeÌ„ than they might when they were at the furthest retire into the same caÌ„p wythout tiring of their horses Our men of armes as was commaunded them ouertoke the hoste of Dumnacus and set vppon theÌ„ and assayling them flying and amazed vnder their fardelles as they iorneyed slewe a great nuÌ„ber and tooke a great pray and so wyth good successe retired into theyr camp The next nyght folowyng Fabius sent his horsmen before so furnished as that they might encounter and stay al the whole army vntill he might ouertake them Q. Titatius Uarus the LieuetenaÌ„t of the horsemen a man of singular courage and wisdome exhorted his company to follow thys hys couÌ„sel who ouertaking the host of hys enemies disposed certain of his troopes in places conuenient and wyth the rest of his horsmen gaue charge vpoÌ„ hys enemies The horsemen of the enemy fought wyth them so muche the more boldly bicause the fotemeÌ„ serued them by turnes who through the whole battell as often as theyr horsemen had occasion to staye did succor them against our men Thencounter was verye sharpe For our men despising theyr enemies whom they had vanquished the day before and remembring that the battell of their footemen folowed at hand for shame to geue grounde and for desier to dyspatche the battell before theyr comming fought verye valiantly against the footmen On thother side oure ennemies beleuinge that no greater power more had folowed after accordinge as they had sene the day before thought a meete opportunitye had bene offred them to destroye oure horsemen vtterlye When they hadde foughte a good whyle very egerly DuÌ„nacus made a battel to rescow his men of armes by turne But sodeinly our enemies espied our Legions come close together at the sight of whoÌ„ theyr horsmen were stricken in such a feare the footemen were so amazed that breaking through the aray of theyr cariages with a greate noyse and trampling they gaue themselues euery where to flight Then our men of armes who a littell before hadde theyr handes full being heartned with ioy of the victory raised a great shout on all sides and castinge them selues about theÌ„ as they gaue way made slaughter of them as farre as theyr horses breathes wold serue to pursue them and theyr armes wold serue to strike them Insomuch that hauing slayne aboue twelue thousaÌ„d of armed men and of such as for fear had cast away their armor they toke all theyr cariages as many as were of them Out of the whych chase for asmuch as it was certainly knoweÌ„ that there escaped Drapes the Senon who assone as Gallia fyrste began to râ—bell gathering to him the ruffions out of al places calling the bondmen to libertye and enterteyning the outlawes of all countryes had like a thief cut of the cariages victuals of the Romanes was going towarde the Prouince wyth a fyue thousand men and not aboue which he had gathered out of the chace and that Lucterius of Cahors alied hym selfe wyth him who in the former treatyse is knowen to haue made a voyage into Prouince at the first insurrection of Gallia Caninius the Lieuetenant with two LegioÌ„s pursued after them least to the disquietnesse and losse of the Prouince some great dishonor might be receiued by the theuery of those lewd vnthrifts C. Fabins with the rest of tharmy went agaynst the Caruntes and thother Cytyes whose power he knewe to be abated in the same battell that was fought agaynst Dumnacus For he doubted not but he should find theym more treatable to deale with by reasoÌ„ of the late ouerthrow wheras if he should geue theÌ„ time of respit by thinstigation of the sayd Dumnacus they might be raysed agayn In the whych enterprise Fabius had maruelous good lucke and spede to recouer the Cities For the Caruntes who had bene disquietted ofteÌ„times before and yet wold neuer make mention of peace nowe geâ—ing hostages came in subiection And the rest of the Cities whych are situate in the furthest partes of Gallia borderyng vpon the sea whyche are called Armorike folowing thexample of the Caruntes at the comming of Fabius wyth his Legions condescended to hys commaundemeÌ„tes without delay Dumnacus being driuen out of his owne country waÌ„dring and lurking in corners alone was compelled to seeke thuttermost countryes of al Gallia But Drapes and Lucterius wheÌ„ they vnderstode that Caninius approched wyth hys army perceyuing they could not wtout manifest peryll enter wythin the bounds of the Prouince considering how the army pursewed theÌ„ nor yet raunge abroade and go a theuinge at theyr pleasure stayed together in the country of the Cadurkes There Lucterius who in times past whyle he was in his prosperitye was able to wey greatlye wyth hys countrye men and had gotten great estimation amonge the rude people as one that was euer a practiser of new deuises he toke wyth hys owne power and the power of Drapes a Towne called Urellodunum whych had ben in hys tuicion a place excelleÌ„tly wel fortified by the situacion therof and causeth the townesmen to take part wyth him Unto the whyche towne when Caninius oute of hande was come perceyuinge that all partes of the same were fortified with cragged clyffes insomuch that though no maÌ„ were there to defend it yet were it a harde matter for men in harnesse to get vp and seing that the mouables of the townes men were great the whych if they shoulde goe about to steale priuely away wyth they could not only not escape theyr horsemen but also not escape theyr fotâ—men he deuided his Cohorts into thre
and had begon to fortify hys camp and that no enemy in the while appered as oure men were dispersed aboute their work sodenly they came flying out of all parts of the wood gaue charge vpon our men Our men taking weapon quicklye draue theym back into the woods and after they had slayne a great number of them they folowed them so farre in somewhat vnhandsome places that they lost a few of their company The rest of the dayes ensuyng Cesar began to fell the woods and to th entent no assault shoulde sodenlye be made vpon our men vnwares from eyther syde as they were workiÌ„g vnarmed all the wood that was cut downe he caused to be layd wyth the â—ops turned to the ennemy and stacked it vp on both sides like a rampire When with wonderful spede we had in few dayes ryd a great deale of grounde so that we had nowe gayned theyr cattel and hyndermost cariages and yet they withdrewe theym still into thicker woods such tempests ensued that of necessity we were constreyned to leaue of our woorke and the rayne contynued so long that oure men were not able to lie any lengar in the fields And therfore when Cesar had wasted all their country and burnt vp theyr townes buildings he led backe hys armye agayne and placed them in garrison among the * Aulerks and * Lexobians and thother cities that had made this last warre FINIS THE FOVVRTH BOKE of C. Iulius Caesars Commentaries of his warres in Gallia THE WINTER THAT folowed whiche was the same yeare that Cneus Pompeius M. Crassus were CoÌ„sulles the * Usipits Germanes and lykewise the * Teuetheres wyth a greate multitude of men passed the Ryuer of Rhine not farre from the place where it falleth into the sea The cause of theyr fleetyng was for that they hadde manye yeares together bene vexed and oppressed with war by the Sweuians and could not be suffred to tyll theyr lande in quiet The Nation of the Sweuians is of all the Germanes greatest and most warlike They are reported to haue a hundred shyres from eche of the whych they yearlye take a thousand armed men and send them out of their country a warfare they that tary at home doe find both them and themselues Theis againe ordinarily the next yere after go to the warres and thother remayne at home So neither the tillage of their land nor the discipline and practise of war is decayed Howbeit among them there is not any pece of priuate or seueral ground Neither is it lawful for theÌ„ to abide aboue one yere in a place to dwel neyther do they liue much by corne but for the most part by mylke and cattell and they vse huÌ„ting very much The which thing for the kind of meat and daily exercise and lyberty of lyfe inasmuche as froÌ„ their childhod being acquainted with no duety nor nurture they are not in any thyng broken of their willes doeth bothe nouryshe theyr strength and maketh theym men of vnmeasurable big bodies And now they haue brought theÌ„ selues to such a custome that euen in most cold places they haue none other rayment than leather Ierkins whych are so short that a great part of theyr bodies are left bare and that they washe them selues in the runnyng waters They suffer merchants to resort vnto them but that is rather bycause they wolde haue chapmen to vtter such things vnto as they haue gotten in the warres than for any nede they haue of ought to be brought in vnto theym Moreouer the beastes which the Galles do most delight in and whych they pay for excessiuely the Germanes occupy not if they be brought to theÌ„ out of any other country but such as are bred among them though they be littel tittes yll shapen they make by dailye exercise to be very good of labor In encountres of horsemen oftentimes they lyght from their horses and feight a foote accustoming their horses to keepe a standinge vnto whome they retyre quickly again when nede requireth Neyther in their maner is any thing counted more shameful or cowardly than to vse saddels And therefore a very few of them dare aduenture against saddled horses be there neuer so great a number of them In anye wyse they suffer no Wyne to bee brought in vnto them bycause they thinke that thereby men are weakened and disabled to endure paynes As touchyng theyr publyke estate they count it the greatest praise that can be for the fieldes to lye waste a great waye of from the marches of their country For that is as muche to say that a great number of cities were not able to withstand their puyssance And therfore from one syde of Sweueland it is reported that the fields lye wast sixhundred miles of together On another syde dwel iust by theym the People of the countrye about Colon on thother 〈◊〉 of Rhyne Ubians whose Citie was sometyme both large and florishing according to the maner of the Germanes they be somwhat more ciuill than other people of the same nation and sort bycause they border vpon the Rhyne and merchants resort much vnto them and they them selues by reasoÌ„ of their nerenesse vnto Gallia are inured wyth theyr maners Albeit that the Swenians many times and in many battels put them to theyr shyftes and coulde not dryue them out of theyr countrye by reason of the largenes and puissance of their Citie yet notwythstandyng they made theym tributaries and brought them lower and made them weaker In the same cace were the Usipits Teucthers whom we spake of before who when they had many yeres withstood the force of the Sweuians were for all that at the laste put out of their possessions and after three yeres wandering in many places of Germany came to the Rhine wheras the Menapians did inhabit Theis Menapians had lands houses and townes on bothe sydes the Riuer Howbeit being striken wyth feare at the commyng of so great a multitude they remoued out of their â—ouses that they had beyond the ryuer and dysposing garrisons on this side the Rhine prohibited the Germanes to passe ouer They hauing tryed al meanes when as they durst neyther attempt to passe by force for want of ships nor could get ouer by stelth for the Menapians which watched theÌ„ made as though they wold haue returned home into their own countrye and going back three days iorney returned againe and coming all that waye on horsebacke in one night surprised the Menapians nothing at al knowing or mystrusting any such matter who being aduertised by their skoults of the departure of the Germanes had wythout feare retourned into theyr dwellings on thothersyde of the Rhine Theis being slaine they tooke their shyppes and passyng the streame before that part of the Menapians whych were quietlye at home in their houses on this side the Rhine could be certified of theyr doings tooke all their houses and kept theym selues the rest of the winter wyth theyr prouision Cesar being aduertised herof