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
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
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
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