Lieuetenant there toke possessions of that country and reigned therin by the space of twoo hundred and fower yeres vnto the yere of our lord 773. at which time Charles kynge of Fraunce surnamed the great toke Desiderius laste kinge of Lombardes prisoner and annexed his seniory to the dominion of Fraunce Gallia TraÌ„salpina wherof this Historye entreateth hath according to Ptolomies description on the west the Mountaynes Pirenes nowe called Ronnceuall whyche deuyde it frome Spayn and the west Ocean On the East it hath partly the Alpes whiche deuide it from Italy and the Ryuer Rhyne whych parteth it from Germany On the north it hath the Britysh Ocean and on the South it hath a part of the midland Sea called LigusticuÌ„ This is now called FrauÌ„ce and it is deuyded into fower partes Prouince Aquitaine Celticke and Belgycke All that lieth from the riuer Rhone and the mountaines Cemenii now called the mountaines of Auuerne unto the midland Sea betwene the ryuer Uarus whyche runneth out of the Alpes by the city Nicea Of some called the LeuaÌ„t sea and the Riuer Illyberis in the mountains Pirenes beareth the name of the Romane Prouince was also called Braccata of a kinde of short cote which the people of that country did coÌ„moÌ„ly go in It conteyneth Sauoy Delphiuoys Languedocke and Prouince Aquitaiâ—e lyeth betwene the mountaines Pirenes and the ryuer Loyre whiche risinge out of the Mountaines of Auuerne falleth into the west Ocean and is bounded on thoneside wyth the sayd mountaines of Auverne which deuide it from the Prouince and on thotherside wyth the west Ocean It conteyneth Poyters Xanton Lymosin Berrey Auuerne and Angolesme wyth the duchies of Guien and Gascon somtime the inheritance of the kings of England Celtick which was also called Lugdunensis of Lugdunum the chief City of that country now called Lions standyng vppon Soan not farre from the place where it falleth into Rhone runneth throughe the mids of FrauÌ„ce from the west Ocean and the Britysh sea vnto the vpper part of the Rhine is bounded on thoneside with the riuer of Loyre the MouÌ„tain of Auverne and the riuer Rhone whych separate it from Aquitain and Prouince and on thotherside wyth the riuers of Sene and Marne which growyng into one chanel a littell aboue Paris do fall into the Brityshe Ocean and deuide it from Belgick It conteyneth littel Britaine Normandy BurguÌ„dy Swicerland with others Belgicke hath on the South the foresaid riuers of Sene Marne on the East the neyther parte of the Rhyne and on the west and north sides the British or english Ocean It conteyneth Picardy Arthoys FlauÌ„ders Braband Holland GelderlaÌ„d Lorreine c. with al the low country bordering vpon the Rhine and also the I le of Fraunce whose head citye of Paris standeth vppon the Ryuer Sene wherof all the whole country of Gallia toke the name This country hath alwais bene renowmed not only for the fertility of the soile the teÌ„peratenesse of the aire and the abundance of all thynges for mens necessities and pleasure but also and that chieflye for the valiantnesse in armes and practise in Cheualry of thin habiters whereby they both enlarged the boundes of their territorye and also darkened the glory and drowned the name of other Realmes that were neybours vnto them In somuch that the Grekes the chiefe Registerers of worthy actes called all thinhabiters from the riuer of Danow northward by the name of Celtes or Galles Of this countrye were those Galles that vnder the first Brenne who is reported to haue bene a Briton burned Rome the .365 yere after the buildyng therof in the time of the elder DeÌ„nis king of Sicil. Of this countrye were those Galles that vnder the seconde Brenne a hundred and nyne yeares after the foresayde burnyng of Rome slew Ptolomie kyng of Macedonie in thassault of Delphos were oppressed with thunder lightning and tempestes Out of thys countrye issewed those Galles whych beynge called to the aide of the kynge of Bithinia as Trogus reporteth after they had vaÌ„quished hys enemies parted his kingdome with him calling the countrye Gallogrece or Galatia and themselues Gallogrekes or Galatians Of whoÌ„ the prowesse was so redowted that the kinges of the East made not anye warres wherein they hyred not the Galles to serue them and if they were put from their kingdomes thei resorted not to anye other than the Galles for succor And as that marciall ofspring held the kinges of Asia occupied there so their mother countrye in Europe not onelye troubled their neighbours but also vexed and disquietted euen the victorious Romanes vntyll suche time as Iulius Cesar through his greate prowesse good fortune brought theym in subiection to the Romane Empyer FroÌ„ the whyche tyme it receiued both the lawes and laÌ„guage of the Romanes and bare their yoke obediently vntyl the .viii. yere of themperor Honorius whych was the .406 yere after thincarnation of Chryste at the whyche tyme the Frenchmen who as then dwelt vpon the Rhine on the further side being seÌ„t for against one Lucius a Romane president for rauishing a Senators wyfe in the Citye of Triers toke the city and within a while after subdued al Belgicke vnder theÌ„ This was the beginning of the FreÌ„ch dominioÌ„ in Gallia which as it afterward by litle litle came in subiectioÌ„ to theÌ„ toke the name of FrauÌ„ce of theÌ„ For although that mencion be made of them in the liues of diuers Emperors before and that from the reigne of Galien themperours from tyme to time had much a do with them yet notwithstanding they aspyred not to any souereinty before the said reigne of Honorius Of the Original of theÌ„ are diuers opinions Some thinke they inhabited the country by the riuer Sala towards the riuers Mene Rhyne and that in hope of conquest and desier of spoyle at suche tyme as thempier began to decline and wax weak they ioyned vnto them the Almanes and troubled Themperours of the west by whome they were always repressed to their great slaughter and domage Strabo placeth their countrrye betwene the Norikes and Uindelicians Othersome affirme theÌ„ to haue bene a multitude of al sortes of people of Germanye vnited in leage togither defending their liberty against the Empier whereof they tooke their name as frank and free people that wold not be bond or subiect to any maÌ„ But whatsoeuer they were or wheresoeuer theyr dwelling was before they came ouer the Rhine sure it is that since they passed into Gallia they haue with greate good fortune encreased aud pollitiquelye maintained their state vnto this day For after they had laid the foundation of theyr kingdome at Triers vnder Pharamund first ouermatchyng the Almanes their late fellowes and confederates and anon after subduing the Burgonions who somewhat before them entring into Gallia had seised into theyr possession the countryes of the Heduans and Sequans wyth a part of the auncient Romane Prouince whych kepeth their name progenie vnto thys day they
why the Now called Swiszers Heluetians hauing dayly conflict with the Germanes eyther in their owne defence or by the way of inuasion do in prowesse excell the reste of the Galles That parte which is sayde to be possessed of the Celtes a coūtri of Fraūce lying betwen Gascognie the countries of Germany Celtes taketh his beginning at the Riuer of Rhone is enclosed with the water of Gerownd with the Ocean Sea and with the bowndes of the Belgies bordering also vpon the Rhyne in the coūtryes of the Sequanes and Heluetians it bendeth towardes the North. The Belgia the low coūtries of Germany frō Treuorse Mens to Flaūders those partes Aquitane the countries of Gascognie Guien Belgies begynne at the vttermost bowndes of Gallia and extende to the neathermost parte of the Rhyne and they lye North and East Aquitane stretcheth from the ryuer Gerownde to the mountaines Pyrenes and the Spanishe sea betweene the north the west There was among the Heluetians one Orgetorixa man of the greattest nobilitie and wealth in all the countrie Hee in the tyme that Two chiefe honors of the state yerely chaunged Marcus Messala and Marcus Piso were Consuls of Rome blynded with desyre of souerayntie conspired with the nobilitie and perswaded the Citie whereof he was to remoue out of their countrye with all the power they coulde make Alledging that it was an easye matter for thē to conquere all Gallia in asmuch as they excelled al the rest in prowesse It was the easyer for him to brynge them hereunto bicause the Swiszers Heluetians dwell in suche a countrie as on all sides is by nature fortyfied For on the one side they ar enclosed with the riuer of the Rhyne a very broade and deepe water which deuideth thē from the Germanes on an other side with the highe mountayne Mount saint Claude or mount Iou. Bourgomōs Iura whiche is betweene theym and the Mount saint Claude or mount Iou. Bourgomōs Sequanes and on the thirde syde with the lake Leman and the Ryuer Rhone whiche deuydeth them from our prouynce By meanes hereof it came to passe that they cowlde not raunge verye farre abrode nor with their ease make rodes agaynste their neyghboures whiche was a greate griefe vnto them beinge a people desirous of warre For in respecte of their multitude and of the renowne of their puissaunce force in armes they thought them seluis enclosed in a streight as whose Countrie passed not CCxl miles in length and an hūdred foure score miles in bredth Perswaded with theis reasons and moued with the Authoritie of Orgetorix they determyned to make prouysion of all thynges meete for their voyage As namely in byinge of all the cartes and caryage beastes they could come by in employing al their growndes to tyllage to the intent to furnyshe theim selues abundantely with corne in their iourneye and in confirmyng peace and aliaunce with the cities adioynyng For the performance of theis thinges they thought twoo yeeres to be sufficyent decreeinge by lawe to sette forwarde the thirde yeere To brynge theis matters to effect was Orgetorix chosen And he tooke vppon hym to goe in ambassade to the Cities Hee in that iourney perswaded Casticus a A Bourgonion Sequane the sonne of Catamantalis whose father had reigned many yeres amonge the Sequanes and was accompted a frend to the Senate and people of Rome to take vppon him the soueraintie in his own countrie the which his father had helde before him Also be perswaded Dumnorix the Heduan the brother of Diuitiacus who at that time bare chief aucthoritie in his countrie and was in greatest fauoure with the commonaltie to attempt the like and therevpon gaue hym his dawghter in mariage He proued that it was an easie matter for theym to brynge their enterprises to passe for as muche as he shoulde obteyne the gouernement of his owne Citie and it was not to be dowted but that the Swiszers were able to do more than all Fraunce besyde wherfore he shulde be able with his power and with his army to warrant them kyngedomes Perswaded with this Oration they gaue their faith one to an other and confirmed it with an othe Hopynge assuredly that seinge three of the strongest and puissanteste nations of all Fraunce had bent their force together it could none otherwyse come to passe but that they must nedes be Lordes of all the whole countrie When this matter was bewrayed to the reste of the Heluetians accordynge to their custome they commytted Orgetorix to prison to answere to his complaynt If he were caste the lawe condempned hym to be burned with fire At the daye appointed for the pleadinge of his case Orgetorix called to the Sessions all his kynred and alyance to the number of ten thousande men together with all his reteynours and dettours of whom he had a great cōpany By them he so wrought that he came not to aunswere his enditement When the Citie beynge stirred herewithall sowghte to maynteyne th execution of their lawes by the sworde and that the magistrates were raysinge a power of men out of the coūtrie for the same purpose Orgetorix dyed not without suspition as the Heluetians thinke of killing hym selfe After his deathe the Heluetians neuerthelesse proceded with their fore determined purpose of departinge out of their countrie And when they thought them selues in a sufficiente readinesse for the matter they sette on fyre all their Cities to the numbre of twelue and all their villages which were about iiii hundred together with the reste of their priuate buyldinges Likewyse they burned all their corne sauinge that which they ment to cary with them to thintent that al hope of returning home being taken away they shuld more willingly aduenture them selues to abyde all perilles Commaundemente was geuen that euery man should cary with him so much meale as woulde serue hym for three monthes Moreouer they perswaded the People about Basil. Rawracians People about Basil. Tulingians and People about Basil. Latobrigians their nexte neyghboures to followe the same trade in burnyng their townes and villages and to accompany them in this their voiage receiuynge also into league and confederacie the People of Toule in Loraine People of Losanne People of Burbone Bauier or Boeme in Almaine Boyans who not longe ago had inhabyted on the further syde of the Rhyne and were nowe lately come ouer into the coast of Noricum and had there beseeged the Citie Norinberg Noreia There were but onely twoo wayes for theym to passe at oute of their countrie the one by the Burgoniōs Sequanes narrowe and vneasy betweene the mountayne Iura and the riuer of Rhone scarce so broade as that a cart might well be dryuen through it so ouerhanged with the highe mountaine that a verye fewe had bene able to stoppe them of their passage Thother throughe our prouince far more easy and readier bycause that the riuer
¶ The eyght bookes of Caius Iulius Caesar conteyning his martiall exploytes in the Realme of Gallia and the Countries bordering vppon the same translated oute of latin into English by Arthur Goldinge G. ¶ Imprinted at London by Willyam Seres Anno. 1565 ¶ TO THE RYGHTE honourable Syr VVillyam Cecill knight principal Secretorye to the Queenes maiestie and maister of her highnes Courtes of wardes and liueries Arthur Golding wisheth helth and encrease of honor ALBEIT RIGHT HOnorable that the difficultnes of this praesent worke considering mine owne want of experience not only in matters of war but also in diuers other things wherof this history entreateth did dissuade in maner discourage me froÌ„ enterprising the traÌ„slatioÌ„ therof yet notwithstanding forasmuche as I perceiued it to be a worke for the pleasure and profitablenes therof much desired of many and that suche of my simple trauels as I haue heretofore bestowed in like matters haue bene well accepted at your hand as well boldened by youre fauorable encouragement as also remembring that earnest endeuor ouercometh al thinges I Went in hand therewith Not entring at the first beginning of the History but about the middes of the fifth booke where master Brend whose Copie from your honor came to my handes preuented by death did leaue The which latter part at such time as I had finished and was come to perusing it ouer correcting it with my friendes there were of them that counselled me to begin the worke new againe from the first beginning and to put it out wholy in mine owne name wherunto although I could not willingly be persuaded at the first yet afterward when I had somwhat more depelye weyed the reasons that they alledged considering with my selfe how I had sufficient leysure and that I had ouercome a pece of no lesse difficultye alreadye than the former part was least I mighte haue semed to seeke excuse of slouthfulnes or to refuse paines of wilfulnes râ—ther than â—o defend my selfe by vnablenesse I agreed to their aduice And therevpon laying aside maister Brendes copie to vse it rather as a counseller whan the thing was done than as a praesident in doing â–ª I haue begonne the whole worke new againe and accordinge to the first Authors meaning as nere as I could translated it throughout wherin how mi doings may be liked of others I know not This I most humbly desier your honor that you will take my paines trauel in that behalf in good worth For I haue not done it bicause I thoughte my self of more skill and experience than maister Brend which I confesse miyeres geue me not neither bicause I wold in defacing his glorye which were a point of lewdnesse go aboute as the latin prouerb sayth to pricke oute the crowes eyes But I haue done it partly moued by the persuasions aforesaid and partly bicause I was defirous to haue the body of the whole Storye compacted vnyforme and of one stile throughout For so I thought it shuld be both more allowable among such as are of knowledge and also more acceptable to the reader when neither part of the worke might be an eye sore to the other Furthermore forasmuch as it is knowen vnto many that the said Copy was committed vnto mee I haue forborne to build vpon that foundation least I might haue ministred occasion to such as loue cauilling to say I had eyther hatched other birdes egges or els praesumed to finyshe the pycture of Venus that Appelles left vnperfect The whiche my doinges I submit vnder your fauorable protection not doubting but that youre Honour of your accustomed goodnesse and gentelnesse to wardes me will pacientlye beare with myne errours where any happen and so regarde my paynfull trauell as that my boldnesse maye no whit offend you At Powles Belchamp the .xxi. of October Anno. 1565. Your Honours alwais most humbly to commaund Arthur Golding TO THE READER WHEREAS CAESAR in hys descryption of Gallia made in the begynnyng of this work may seeme dysagreable wyth other Authors I thought it expedieÌ„t for the better vnderstanding of thys History as well to set oute a more ample description of Gallia as also to declare what suÌ„dry Nations haue since Cesars tyme possessed the same Neuertheles gentell reader thou shalt not looke for a particuler declaration of the shifting remouing and expulsing of euery seuerall kind of people nor of the alteration of the state of euerye seuerall couÌ„try in that Region for that wold ryse to an infinite volume more tedious than profitable it is more than I were able to performe But I purpose to set before thine eies as briefly and plainly as my sleÌ„der knowledge will geue me leaue the boundes of that noble countrye with thalteration of such states as haue borne chiefe preheminence and souereintye in the same Fyrst and formest therfore it is to be considered that in the 693. yere after the building of Rome as affirmeth Eutropiê° which was the .3905 yere since the creation of the worlde and the eyght and fifteth yere before the byrth of our sauiour Chryst Iulius Cesar the author of thys worke who afterward brought the state of Rome to a monarchie being created Consull was sent by the Senate as Lieuetenant General with an army against the Galles inhabiting on the hyther side of the Alpes whom wyth in ten yeres space he vtterly subdued and brought in peaceable subiection to the Romane empier the whole processe wherof he setteth forth so plainly sincerely and purely in theis CoÌ„mentaries without eyther affectatioÌ„ of vainglorye to himselfe or suppressinge the deserued commendation of others that it is to be doubted whether he atcheued hys affayres wyth more felicity and valiantnesse or reported them with more indifferency faithfulnes And forasmuch as hys entent in thys worke was only to entreate of the matters of that country which he had in commission to conquer he suppresseth in his discription of Gallia not only that part which the Romanes cal Cisalpina bicause it lyeth on the same side of the Alpes that Italy and Rome doth but also the Prouince of Narbon as CouÌ„tries which by comming in subiection to the Romane Empier were nowe rather to be couÌ„ted part of Italy thaÌ„ of Gallia For the auncient Gallia conteyned not onelye â–ª whatsoeuer is included within the mountaine Pirenes the Ocean the Rhine and the Alpes but also extended ouer the Alpes to the riuer Rubicon And therfore by a general diuisioÌ„ it was wont to be deuided into Gallia Cisalpina Gallia TraÌ„salpina Cisalpina was also called Togata bicause thiÌ„habiters therof after the maner of the Romans weÌ„t in gownes It is nowe called Lombardye of the Lombardes a people of Germany dwellyng somtyme about the middes of the riuer Albis on the westside therof where as be now the territories of the Byshoprickes of Magdeburg and Halberstade who in the time of the Emperor Iustine the second in the yere of our Lord 569. beinge called into Italye by Narses themperors
made them selues Lordes of all Gallia In processe of time also theyr kinges became lords of al Germany Pannonie and were inuested wyth the sword of the Empier whiche they held certaine discents froÌ„ Charles the great who receyued the title and diademe imperiall at Rome vpon Christmas day in the yere of our Lord God 800 But worldly things neuer continue at one stay Partly by ciuil dissentioÌ„ and partlye by outwarde warre and partly by composicioÌ„ and gyft of kinges not onelye the name and title of Thempier but also al the Prouinces beyond the Rhine yea and manye on this syde the Rhine to were sequestred from the crowne of Fraunce For in the time of Charâ—es the simple about the yeare of our Lord .886 the Normannes who are supposed to haue bene people eyther of Denmarke or of Norwey inuadinge Fraunce vnder theyr Duke Rollo who afterwarde beynge christened was named Robert partly by force and partly by composition seised into their possessioÌ„ that part of the Realme which vnto thys day beareth of theym the name of Normandy In the which country the posteritye of the saide Rollo reigned as Dukes a longe discent vntill Duke Willyam surnamed the Ballard conqueryng this Realme in the yere of Christes incarnation .1967 brought his ryghte wyth hym into England with the Princes whereof it continued vntill suche time as the Frenchmen recouered it agayne in the reigne of king Henry the sixth The Uandales also inuaded a part of Belgicke to the whyche at theyr departing thence into Spaine they left the name of Flaunders Many other nacions likewise haue settled themselues in Fraunce who being ouermatched by the Frenchmen are growen into the same name with them But no one Nation since their firste commynge thyther hath so often and so sore afflicted theym as our Englishe Nation hath done whose kinges diuers times before but specially from the time of king Edward the thyrd haue contended with theym not so muche for anye one part or Prouince of the country as for the substance of the crowne possession of the whole Realme descended to our kinges by ryghte of inheritance And they haue both gayned and hild it many yeres vntill fortune chaunging her copye hath transferred the possession again to the Frenchmen the right remaynyng styl to the Crowne of EnglaÌ„d In theis oure dayes we see howe not only Flaunders which hath of longe time continewed so but also all the countryes bordering vpon the Rhine and many cities nere vnto the Alpes are alienated from the Crowne of Fraunce Whereof some are vnder the iurisdiction of the Spanysh king some are imperiall and other some are free Thus as fortune of warre disposeth the boundes of thys kingedome haue sometime bene enlarged and sometime streightned the whych who so desireth to know more particulerly I remit him to the reading of such Chronacles and Antiquities as entreat therof I trust this shall suffice for an introduction to thys historye my paynes in translatyng wherof I desier thee to accepte in good part and to vse them to thy behoofe And as for the old names of the cities Townes Countryes Hylles and Ryuers howe they be called at thys daye together wyth a dyscription of certayne Romane Engynes hereafter mentioned in this booke I refer thee partlye to the Notes in the Margent and partlye to the table in the end of thys worke where thou shalt find them or at the least the most of them in order of the Alphabete Farewell ¶ Errours escaped in the printing Fol. 14. b 5. for supersticions read suspicions Fol. 16. a. 21 for emcaÌ„ped read encamped Fol. 16. b. 15. for sarued read serued Fol 18. b. 12. for being read were Fol. 24. b. 1. for mannes read mennes Fol. 25. a. 18. for holding their heades reade holding downe their c Fol. 43. a. 20. for making read leauing Fol. 44. b. 26. for wherof read therof Fol. 51. a. 21. read he led hys army c. Fol. 64. a. 19. for accomt read accompt Fol. 64. b. 18. for Carunes read Carnutes and in al places after for Caruntes read Carnutes Fol. 65. a 14. for to read and. Fol. 69. a. 19. for Uuelâ—es read Uâ—elles and so in all places after Fol. 69. b. 9. for to broyle read the broyle Fol. 70. b. 12. for conueying read comming Fol. 71. a. 15. for Naunets read Nannets Fol. 73. a. 17. put out the before lynnen Fol. 82. b. 10. for Biggerones read Bigerrones Fol. 84. a. 11. for Teucthers read Tencthers and so in all places after Fol. 97. a. 16. for the to read to thee Fol. 105. a. 11. put out that Fol 120. a. 27. for Aucalits read Ancalits Fol. 121. a. 16. read he sent c. Fol. 133. b. 23. for driue read driueÌ„ Fol. 135. b. 13. for redlly read redily Fol. 144. b. the last line for psent read spent Fol. 147. a. 1. for the read them Fol. 153. b. 21. for parter read partes Fol. 160. a. 8. read one of the greatest Fol. 164. a. 9. for Minuitius read Minutius Fol. 177. b. 4. for Lemoniâ—es read Lâ—monikes Fol. 189. b. 14. 25. for Gebenua read Gebenna Fol. 189. b. 26. read inasmuch as Fol. 195. a. 1. for manes read meanes Fol. 196. b. 19. read and both of them c. Fol. 200. b. 13. for lurâ—d read allured Fol. 207. b. 1. read of our souldiers c. Fol. 217. b. in the. 6. 7. 8. lines wheras the sentence is thus all such forasmuche as there were neyther woods nor Mountaynes to hyde them they were as sâ—ain reade thus they were all sâ—aine by cure horsmen sauing such as hâ—d themselues in the woods and mountaines Fol. 219. a. 10. put out the people of Fol. 221. b. 24. for Aleria â—ead Alexia Fol. 226. b. 6 for UellaÌ„niaÌ„s read UellauniaÌ„s Fol. 234. a. 13. for copasie read coÌ„passe Fol. 253. a. 16. put out by Fol. 256. a. 23. for perisisted read persisted Fol. 260. a. 4. put out he Fol. 263. a. 21. read it was astonied c. Fol. 268. a. 8. read did cut of c. FINIS THE FIRST BOOKE of Caius Iulius Caesars CoÌ„mentaries of the warres in Gallia ALL The whole countrey of Fraunce GALLIA IS deuided into thre partes Of the whiche one is inhabited by the Belgies An other by the Aquitanes and the .iii. by them who in their toung are called Celtes and in our Galles All theis dyffer eache from other in Language Customes and Lawes The ryuer of Geronde deuideth the Celtes from the Aquitanes and the riuers of Seane and Marne do deuide them from the Belgies Of all theis the Belgies be moste puissante as they whiche are furthest distant from the delycatenes and ciuilitie of the Prouince and vnto whom is little or no resort of marchauntes to bringe in thynges that might effeminate their mindes Besides that they border vpon the Germanes inhabitinge beyonde the Riuer of Rhyne with whom they be at continuall warre The same thyng also is a cause
of Rhone which runneth betweene the borders of the Heluetians and the Nowe the people of Sauoye Delphinoyes Allobrogians who were lately come vnder the Romaine Empire hath diuerse foordes and shallowe places to passe at The vttermost towne of thAllobrogians and next to the borders of Heluetia is Geneua out of the whiche towne is a bridge into Swiszerlande They thought verely they shuld either entreate the Allobrogians bicause they seemed not as yet to loue the people of Rome from the harte or else they wolde compell them by force to geue them passage throughe their coūtrie When all thinges were in a ful readines for their iorney they appoyneted a daye when their whole numbre shoulde meete all together at the Riuer of Rhone the which day was about the .xxviii. of Marche Lucius Piso and Aulus Gabinius beinge then Consuls of Rome When tydinges hereof was brought vnto Cesar that they wente aboute to passe through our Prouince he made haste to departe from the Citie and with all spede possible went into the The coūtrie of Fraunce at the foote of the Alpes further gallia to Geneua wher he gaue order for the musteryng and leuying of as manye souldyers as coulde be made through all the Prouince for there was but one legiō at that time in the further Gallia and commaunded the bridge at Geneua to be hewē downe Alegion Assoone as the Heluetians were aduertised of his cōming they sente of the greateste princes of their countrie in ambassade to him amōg whom the chiefe were Numeius and Ueredoctius who had in commission to saye vnto hym that the Heluetians were minded to passe through the prouince without any harme doing bicause they had none other way to go desyringe hym to geue theym leaue to passe with his fauour Cesar remembryng how Lucius Cassius the Consull had heretofore by the Heluetians bene slayne and his armie vanquished compelled dishonorably to crepe vnder a yoke thought it not conuenient to graunt their requeste For it coulde not sinke in his head that men bearinge a rooted enmitie in their harts ageinst the people of Rome woulde after libertie ones giuen them to passe through the prouince absteyne from iniurie and euyll doynge Notwithstandynge to thintente to haue respite to assemble his souldiers that he had appointed to be leuied he answered the Ambasssadours that he wold take a further time to brethe vpon the matter and that if they were mynded to cōmune any further with hym they shoulde returne to him agein at the vi day of Aprill next following In the meane whyle with that legion that he had about him and with suche souldyers as were assembled out of Prouince he drewe a diche and made a wall of xvi foote hie ninetene myles longe from the lake Leman whiche falleth into the riuer of Rhone vnto the moūntaine Iura which deuideth the borders of the Borgoniōs frō the Swiszers Assone as this worke was fully fynished he raysed towres vppon the wall and put men of warre in them to the intente the better to resiste the Heluetiās if they attempted to passe ageinst hys wyll When the day appoynted to the Ambassadoures was come and thambassadours returned He made them aunswere that without breaking the custome and exaumple of the people of Rome he coulde not giue any man leaue to passe thorough the Prouince which thing if they attempted by force he told them he woulde withstande theim The Heluetians disapointed of this their hope assaied to get ouer the Ryuer some in barges ioyned together and som in boates wherof they had made great store before hande and othersome at the foordes where the water was shallowest and this dydde they often times by daye but oftener by nighte Howbeit beinge repulsed by the strength of our fortification and the continuall resort of our souldiers whiche helde theim euer at the swordes poīt they left of their enterprise There was yet one waye left by the Bourgoniōs Sequanes the whiche nathelesse they coulde not passe ageinst the Sequanes willes by reason of the streightes Whom when they coulde not of thē selues entreate they sent messengers to Dumnorix the Hedui people of Burgūdie about Autum Heduane that by his intercession they myghte preuaile in their suite Dūnorix was very wel beloued and for his liberalitie was able to do muche with the Sequanes and he bare good wyll to the Heluetians because he had maryed the daughter of Orgetorix out of that countrie Moreouer being led with desyre of soueraintie he sought innouation of thinges endeuoringe by his benefytes to make manye Cities beholden vnto hym And therefore he toke the matter vppon hym and obteined leaue of the Sequanes for the Heluetians to passe throughe their countrie causynge hostages to be gyuen on bothe sydes the Sequanes that they shoulde not trouble the Heluetians in theyr passage and the Heluetians that they should go quietly without offringe iniurie or euyll doinge Anon worde was broughte vnto Cesar that the Heluetiās were minded to passe through the coūtries of the They are nowe bothe namid Burgonious Sequanes They are nowe bothe namid Burgonious Heduanes into the borders of Santow which is not farre from Tholouse a Citie in Prouince If that were suffered he knew well it wolde be greately to the noyaunce of the Prouince to haue suche warrelike people auncient ennemies of the Romaynes so neere neyghbours vnto it in Chāpion and corne countries For theis considerations he lefte his lieuetenaunt Titus Labienus behinde hym to the defence of the fortification alreadye made and he him selfe with all speede returned into Italy where he leuied two Legions a newe drewe out of the garrysons aboute Aquileia three other that wyntered there and with those fiue legyons tooke his neereste waye ouer the Alpes towarde the further Gallia There the People of Tarantaise in Sauoie Centrones the People of Tarantaise in Sauoie Caroceles the People of Tarantaise in Sauoie Caturiges hauing taken the higher places before went about to stoppe hym from passinge with his armye But in many of theise battelles they wente by the worst and so Cesar in seuen dayes marched from Ocelum whiche is the furthest towne of the hithermost prouynce vnto the borders of the * Uocontians whiche are in the further Prouynce From thens he conducted his army among the A people borderinge vpon Tarantaise Delphine Sauoye Allobrogians and from the Allobrogians to the Secusianes whiche are the firste people oute of Prouince beyonde the ryuer Rhone By that tyme had the Heluetians with all theyr hoste passed the streyghtes and the countrie of the People of Sauoye and Daulphine Bourgoniōs Sequanes and beynge entred the borders of the People of Sauoye and Daulphine Bourgoniōs Heduanes wasted their fieldes The Heduanes feeling thē selues to weake to make defence ageinst theym sente messengers to Cesar to desyre succour alledgyngs that their desertes towards the people of Rome had alwaies ben suche
people of Arminacke in Prouince Atrebatians the people of Artoys in Belgick Auaricum the town of Uiarron or Bourges in Berrey in Celticke Auenticum the towne of Auench in the countrye of Uaud or the towne of Wilburg Auâ—erkes people of Celticke sometime reteyners of the Heduanes now called people of Auge or of Roane Aulerkes Cenomannes the people of Mayne in Celticke Aulerkes Diabolites or Diablinthres the people Leonduâ—l Auscians or Auscitanes people about Aux in Aquitaine Axona the name of twoo riuers th one called Disne in Guien and thother in Belgicke in the countrye of Rhemes called Aesne B. Bacenis a forest in Germanye whyche some suppose to be part of the forest Hercinia which runneth through Germany euen to the borders of the Dacers and the tenne of Meotis it is now called Swartswald Baleares are two Ilands in the midland sea nere vnto Spaine wherof th one is called Maiorica and thother Minorica Batauians the Hollanders a people of Belgicke Bellocassians a people of Celtick about Bayews Bellouacanes the people of Beawuoysin in Celtik Bibract the towne of Beawne in the Duchy of Burgundy Bibrax the town of Bray by the riuer Aesne in Belgicke Biturigians the people of Berrey in Celtick Bibrokes people of greate Britaine inhabiting the sea coast whose Englyshe name is yet vnknowen Bigerrones the people of Bierne and Bigor in Aquitaine Boians a people somtime of Germany marching vpon Franconia thalpes of Italy the sowtherne Swoabes the riuer Danow the which country is nowe called Bauier Theis passing the Rhine in the time of Cesar and takinge part with the Heluetians against him being vanquished were placed by him vnder the iurisdiction of the Heduanes whych now with the Sequanes are called Burgonions in the country which now is called Burbon in Celticke Brannouians or BraÌ„nouikes people of Celticke called Moriane nere vnto Burgundy Bratuspantium a town of Beawuoysin C. Cabillon the towne of Chalons in BurguÌ„dy vpon the riuer Soan Cadetes the people of Hipercorentine or as some think of CastlebriaÌ„t in littel Britain Cadurkes the people of Cahors in Celticke Cherusciens people of Germanye inhabiting sometime those countries wheras are nowe the territories of the Princes of Anholt Stolberg Maunsfield and Swartzburg Ceresians a people of Germany Caletanes the people about Calis in Belgick Cantabrians the people of Biscay in Spain Carnutes the people about Charters in Celticke Carcason a city in Prouince called CaracassoÌ„ Catuakes people about Doway Caturigians theis with the Garoceles and Centrones are nowe the people of Tarantayse vnder the dominion of the Duke of Sauoy Cauillon beareth the same name still it is a citye in Prouince Centrones loke Caturigians the chiefe citye of thys country is called Munster Cimbrians people of Germany whyche helde somtime al the coast of Megalburg eueÌ„ vnto Cimbrica Chersonesus Theis passing the Rhine before Cesars time leauing certain to kepe their stuffe baggage which they left in FrauÌ„ce made a viage into Italye of them discende those that are now thinhabiters of Zeland Condrusians the people betwene Utreight Iuliers Creta the Ile of Candy Curiosolites the people of Cornewal in littell Britaine D. Diablinters people aboute Londull in littell Britaine Daces a people beyond the Rhine boundinge vppon the Riuer Danow and the forest of Hartswald who are supposed to haue sometime inhabited a piece of Hungary and from thence remoued to the hither parte of Norwey Danow one of the famousest riuers in Europe which as Soâ—mus affirmeth risinge in the hilles of Germany and receyuing into it lxx riuers all able to beare ships lastlye falleth with seuen mouthes into the sea called Pontus E. Eburones the people of Liege in Belgicke Eburonikes or Eburouikes the people of Eureux in Celticke Elauer a riuer of Celticke now called Allyer running by Cleremount in Auverne Essuans the people of Reteiois beyond Touray F. Flustates the people of the county of Flusse in Aquitaine G. Gaballes the people of Ledesue in Celticke Garites the people of Agenoys in Guien Garumnes people of Aquitaine by the Riuer Gerond wherof they take their name Gerond a riuer that springeth out of the mouÌ„taines Pyrenes and falleth into the weste Ocean accordinge to Cesar it deuideth Aquitaine from Celticke Garocels loke in Caturigians Gebenna the mountaines called also Cemenij nowe named the mountaines of Auverne which seperate Celticke from Prouince according vnto Cesar. Genabuin the city of Orleance vpon the riuer Loyre Geneua a city of Sauoy standing vpoÌ„ Rhone not farre from the Lake Losan oute of the which town there is a bridge into Swicerland Gergobia or Gergouia the Towne of Cleremount in Auverne Gordunes the people of Gaunt in Flaunders Grudians people about Louane H. Harudes people inhabiting vppon the further side of the Rhine about the city Constance Heduanes a people of Celticke who together with the Sequanes are nowe the Burgonions Heluetians the Switzers or Swicers and and as som holde opinion the Quades Heluians people bordering vpoÌ„ Auverne now called Albians Hercinia loke Bacenis I. Iura or Iurassus a Mountaine in Celticke which deuideth Burgundye from Swicerland it is nowe called mount S. Claud. of the Swicers it is called Leuerberg and of the men of Sauoy Iarten Itius portus the towne of Calis Illericke this and Dalmatia are called both by the name of Slauony L. Lacobrigians or Latobrigians or Latouikes the people of Losan vnder the Duke of Sauoy or the people of Ualoys Leman the Lake of Geneua called also Lake Losan Lemouikes the people of Limosins in Celticke Lepontians the people of Graundpunter or as Marlian sayth the people called Switers inhabiting betwene the heade of the riuer Rhone and the Alpes of Rhetia among whome springeth the Riuer Rhine Giles Tschude affirmeth they be now called Rhin walders Leuakes the people of Louane accordinge to Marlian Lewkes the people of the Bishoprick of Tul or Toll in Celticke Lexobians or Lexouians the people of Lysiewx in Celticke in the duchie of NormaÌ„dy Lingones the people of Langres in the sayde Bishopricke of Tull in Celticke Loyre a riuer which springeth in lowe Burgundy and running through Celticke according to Cesar falleth into the west Ocean but according to Ptolomie it deuideth Celticke from Aquitaine Lutetia the Citye of Paris standinge vppon Seane accompted vnto Belgick it is now the head city of Fraunce M. Menapians the people of Gelderlande and Cleueland or as some suppose the people of Iuliers in Belgicke Mandubians a people of Celticke about the Citie Alexia called now Lausoys Marcomannes people of Germanye beyonde the Rhine which came ouer with Ariouistus and afterward inhabited the valey that bordereth vpon Swicerland which is called Marecomana next vnto high Burgundy the mountaine Iura with whom M. Antonius themperour surnamed the Philosopher had long and perillous warre vntyl at length beinge vanquished by the prayers of the Christians they submitted themselues Marne a riuer rising in the borders of Langres whiche runneth throughe Shalons in Campaine
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
for their meting and bound theym selues with an othe that they should not any of them disclose the matter sauing vnto such as ought to be soÌ„moned thervnto After that thys couÌ„sel was brokeÌ„ vp the same Princes of the Cities that had ben with him before returned vnto Cesar and desired they myght haue leaue to common with him priuely and in secret of matters concerning the welfare well doyng both of him and of them al. Hauing obteyned theyr peticion they cast them selues at Cesars feet and weepyng tolde him that they sought indeuored no lesse to haue the thyngs kept secret whyche they shoulde speake then to obteyne the thyngs they sewed for bicause that if it shoulde happen to be disclosed they sawe they shoulde run in daunger of their liues for it Diuitiacus the Heduan was speaker for theym He declared how all Gallia was deuided into two factions of one of the whiche the chiefe ringleaders were the Heduanes the men of Auuern of thother Who had contended many yeares wyth tooth and nayle for the souereintye and that at length the men of Auuerne and the Sequanes hadde waged the Germanes on their side of whom at the first there came but fiftene thousand ouer the Rhyne But afterward when those sauage and barbarous people hadde found a sauor in the fertile soyle good fare and plentifull wealth of the Galles they had tolled ouer mo of theyr countreymen in so much as at that tyme there were of them to the number of an hundred and twentye thousande To whom the Heduanes and their confederates had diuerse tymes gyuen battell wherin going by the wors they had receyued great domage for they had lost all theyr nobility all theyr counsell and all theyr men of armes Through the calamities of whiche ouerthrowes they which heretofore both by their owne prowesse and by their aliance and frendshyppe wyth the people of Rome had ben able to do most in al Gallia were now brought to suche an after deele that they were constreyned to geue the noblest men of their countrye in hostage to the Sequanes and to bynd theyr Citye by othe that they shoulde neyther requyre their hostages agayn nor desyre ayde of the Romanes nor yet refuse to be their subiectes vassales for euer He himselfe onely of all the City of the Heduanes was the man that coulde not by anye meanes be brought eyther to be sworne or to geue hys children for pledges And therfore he had bene fayne to fly hys Countrye and to resort to Rome to desyre helpe of the Senate bicause he only was not restrained either by othe or gyuing of hostages How be it the Sequanes that were coÌ„querours were in worse case theÌ„ the Heduanes that were ouercome in that Arionistus king of the Germanes had settled him selfe in their countrey and had seyzed to hys owne behoofe the thirde part of the landes of Sequanie which is the best of all Gallia and had now latelye commaunded them to surreÌ„der one â—ther third part to thintent to prouide a place of habitacioÌ„ and continuance for the The people of CoÌ„stance Harudes of whom fower twenty thousande men were come to hym a few monethes before And wythin few yeres it wold come to passe that all the Galles should be dispossest of their country and al the Germanes come ouer the Rhyne For as the soyle of Gallia was not to be compared with the soyle of Germanye so the vsuall fare of Germanye was not to be compared with the fare of Gallia Now Ariouistus as soone as he had vanquished the power of the Galles whych was done at the battell of Amagetobria began to shew himselfe a proud and cruell conquerour For he demaunded all noble mannes sonnes for hostages against whome he extended to monstruous villany and crueltye if euery thing were not done at hys beck and pleasure He was a man altogether barbarous wrathfull and harebraind so that it was not possible to endure or suffer his gouernment anye lengar Onlesse there were any help in Cesar and the people of Rome al the Galles should be driuen to do as the Heluetians had done that is to say fleete out of their owne countrye to seeke some other dwelling place and some other habitacion further of froÌ„ the Germanes and to take in good worth what fortune so euer shoulde betyde theym If thys geere shoulde come to Ariouistus hearing he was well assured he wold take most grieuous punyshment of al the hostages that were in his handes Thonelye hope that remayned was that Cesar might eyther by hys owne aucthority and thaucthoritye of hys armye or by the fame of hys late victorye or by the name of the people of Rome set a staye that no mo of the Germanes shoulde be brought ouer the Rhine and defend all Gallia froÌ„ thoppression tirany of Ariouistus After that Diuitiacus had made this oracion al that were present beganne wyth abundance of teares to desire succor of Cesar. Cesar marked that of all other only the Sequanes did none of those things that the residue did but looked sadlye vpon the ground wyth theyr heades hanging downe Wonderyng what shoulde be the cause therof he demaunded it of them The Sequanes gaue hym not a word to aunswer but continued styll in the same sadnesse holdyng theyr peaces When he had oftentymes enquired of them and coulde by no meanes cause them to speake the foresayd Diuitiacus the Heduan aunswered that so muche the more miserable and grieuous was the state of the Sequanes thaÌ„ of al the rest in that they alonly durst not euen in secret coÌ„playn of their misfortune nor seke for succour but trembled at the cruelty of Ariouistus being absent asmuche as if he were there present bycause and if the worst shuld happen yet might all others saue them selues by flyght but the Sequanes who hadde receyued Ariouistus into theyr country and put al their walled townes in his hand must abyde all the smart and vexation to thuttermost When Cesar vnderstoode thys he comforted the hearts of the Galles with fayre woordes promysing them that he wold see a redresse in the matter And he was in good hope that what by hys benefites what by hys aucthoritye he shoulde bryng Ariouistus to make an end of hys extorcion Thys oration ended he dysmyssed the counsell Besydes the premysses manye other thyngs perswaded him to thinke vppon the matter and to take vpon hym to redresse it Fyrst and formest bycause he sawe the Heduanes whome the Senate of Rome had oftentymes called theyr brothers and kynsfolk to be held in subiection and bondage of the Germanes and vnderstoode that their hostages were wyth Ariouistus among the Sequanes that whiche thyng consyderyng how greatly the Romayne Empyre was then aduaunced he thought wold redouÌ„d to the great dishonor of himself and of the whole state Moreouer he saw that if the Germanes should take it vppe of custome to passe the Rhyne and to come in great numbers
into Gallia it wold turn to the preiudice of the people of Rome for he thought that such sauage and barbarous meÌ„ as they were woulde not so brydle them selues but that when they had subdued al Gallia they would after the example of the Cimbrians anâ— Duchmen passe into the Prouince â–ª and so take theyr waye into Italy specially seinge there was nothyng betwene the Secusianes our Prouince but the ryuer of Rhone The whych thyngs he thought meete to be preuented wyth all speede Nowe was Ariouistus growen to suche a haultines and such a pryde that he semed intollerable Wherfore he demed it best to send Ambassadors vnto hym to demaunde of him that he should chose some place mydway betwixt them where they might meete to haue communication For he sent hym word that he had to talke with him concerning the common welth other weighty matters touchyng them both Ariouistus aunswered to thys ambassade that if he hymselfe had had any thing to do with Cesar he wold haue come vnto hym that if Cesar had any thyng to doe wyth hym he should come vnto hym Besydes that neyther durst he come into those parts of Gallia that Cesar â—yd possesse wythout an army neyâ—her could he assemble an army into â—ne place wythout greate prouision and charges Moreouer he marueyled what eyther Cesar or the people of Rome had to do to meddle in hys part of Gallia whych he had conquered by the sword Upon the report of thys aunswere vnto Cesar he sent Ambassadors to hym agayne wyth these instructions For asmuch as being benefited so greatly by hym and the people of Rome as that in the tyme of hys Consulshyp the senate had proclaymed hym king and theyr friend he requited him and the people of Rome wyth thys gentylnes that beinge requested he disdayned to come to communication presuming that it was not for him to talk or be made priuie to matters of the common weale these were the things that he demaunded of hym Fyrste that he should not conuey any number of men hereafter ouer the Rhine into Gallia secondly that he should render such hostages as he had of the Heduanes and that he shoulde permit the Sequanes to render such as they had with his fauor And thirdly that he shuld not offer any wrong to the Heduanes nor make any war agaynst theym or theyr adherentes If he so dyd both be the people of Rome wolde continew hys friendes wel wyllers for euer Otherwyse for asmuch as the Senate in the time that Marcus Messala and Marcus Piso were consuls had decreed that whosoeuer had Gallia committed to hym for hys charge shoulde defende the Heduanes and other fryendes of the people of Rome so far foorth as he might do it to the furtherance of the common weale he would not wink at the iniuries of the Heduanes Ariouistus replyed herevnto that it was the lawe of armes that such as were Conquerours shuld in such sort as they thought good reign ouer them that were subdued whiche might be perceiued by the people of Rome them selues who were accustomed to reigne ouer such as they had conquered not at thappointmeÌ„t of others but as they listed themselues Now lyke as he tooke not vppon hym to prescrybe vnto the Romanes howe they shoulde demeane themselues in their right euen so no more ought the people of Rome to trouble hym in hys ryght The Heduanes forasmuch as they had tried the fortune of battel and were ouer come by hym in a pitched field were become tributaries vnto him Wherfore he thought that Cesar dyd hym great wrong to dimynish hys reuenewes by hys comming As for the Hostages of the Heduanes he sayde playnly he wold not delyuer theym Neyther wolde he on thother syde make any warre vpon them or their complyces to do them harme so they kept touch with him in those things that they had couenaunted and paid their tribute from yeare to yeare If they dyd otherwyse the Romaines theyr brothers as they termed theÌ„ should be to farre of to rescow them And whereas Cesar sent hym word he wolde not wynke at the iniuries of the Heduanes he said ageine that neuer man yet encountred with him but to hys owne vndoyng and therfore come when he wold he shoulde be welcome He wold make hym vnderstande what force and puissance was in the vyctoryous Germanes men altogether nouzeled in feates of armes who in .xiiii. yeares together had neuer putte theyr heades vnder house roofe The same time that thys countermessage was brought vnto Cesar came also Ambassadors to hym from the Heduanes and Treuires The Heduanes complayninge that the Harudes whyche were latelye brought ouer into Gallia did forray theyr countrye and that they coulde not purchase peace at Ariouistus hand no not vpoÌ„ sufficient pledges The Treuires that an huÌ„dred town shyps of the Sweuians were come to the further side of the Rhyne and went about to passe the Riuer of whom the Captaines were Nasua Cimberius brothers With the which newes Cesar beynge sore moued thought it stode him in hand to spede hys matters betymes lest if the new power of the Sweuians shuld ioyne wyth the host that Ariouistus hadde before he should haue more a doe to resyst them And therfore furnishing himself of victell with as much hast as he could he made toward Ariouistus by longe iourneyes When he was three dayes iourney onward of hys way woorde was brought hym that Ariouistus wyth all the power he coulde make was goyng to take Besancon whyche is the greateste towne belonging to the Sequanes and that he was now marched three dayes iourney from hys owne borders Cesar thought it stode hym vppon to beware that that happened not For of all things mete for war there was in that towne great scarcity and the situacion therof was so stroÌ„g that whosoeuer had it might prolong the war at hys pleasure by reason that the Ryuer Alduasdubis enuironed in maner the whole towne like a paire of coÌ„passes That roume that the ryuer enclosed not whych was the space of not aboue six hundred foote was fortified wyth a hyll of a great heyghth so that the foote of it on both sydes touched the very brym of the ryuer Thys hyll was compassed wyth a wall in maner of a towre and ioyned to the Towne Hither came Cesar iorneying night and daye wyth as muche speede as might be and taking the towne placed a garryson in it Whyle he rested a fewe dayes at Besaucon to furnyshe hym self of grayne and victuall through the enquirye of oure men and the talke of the Galles and of the Merchauntmen which reported the Germanes to be men of huge stature and bygnes of incredible force and courage and of great practyse and experience in feates of armes whereof they had oftentymes had tryall by encounteryng wyth them and that they were not able to abyde the grymnesse of their countenaunces and the fiercenesse of their lookes sodeinlye there
People oâ— Soyssons Swessions who wer borderers vpoÌ„ the men of Rhemes and after a loÌ„g iorney came to Noyon Nouiodnue Wheras he attempted to haue wonne this towne by assault in his way bicause he hard saye it was vnfurnished of men of warre to defende it the dich was so brode and the wall so highe that although there were but fewe to defend it yet was he dysapoynted of his purpose Wherfore fortifying hys camp he made An instrument of war made of timber hurdles for men to go vnder safelye to the walles of a towne Uines and began to make prouision of thinges meete for the siege In the meane while al the multitude of the Swessions that escaped from the chase came the next night into the Town How beit when the Uines wer with good expedition brought to the town and the Rampyer caste vp and Turrets reered the Galles being abashed at the hugenesse of the workes such as they had neyther sene nor heard of before and the celeritye of the Romanes sent Ambassadors to Cesar offring to yelde vp the towne who at the intreatance of the men of Rhemes obteyned theyr sute Cesar takyng for pledges the chief of the City and two of king Galbas sons vpon deliuery of al the armor out of the towne People of Soyssons receyued the Swessions to mercy and led hys host agaynst the People of Beawvoys Bellouacanes who hauing conueyed them selues and all that they had into the towne of Beawvays Bratuspantium at suche tyme as Cesar was come wythin fyue miles with hys army al the elder sort of them comming out of the towne held vp their hands vnto Cesar and wyth pitious voyce made token to him that they submitted theÌ„ selues to hys pleasure do wyth them what he wold that they wolde not stande in contension with the people of Rome Also when he came nere the town and pytched hys tents there the children and women holding abroade theyr handes from the wall after theyr maner desired peace of the Romanes Diuitiacus for after the departure of the Belgies he had dysmissed the host of the Heduanes and was retourned vnto Cesar spake for theym in thys wyse That the Bellouacanes had at all times continued faythfull and friendlye to the whole state of the Heduanes and that but for the perswasioÌ„ of their noble men who made them beleue that the Heduanes wer brought in bondage by the Romanes and suffered all kinde of villany and despight at theyr handes they hadde neuer withdrawen themselues from the Heduanes nor made warre against the Romanes The authors of thys counsell bycause they perceiued how great calamitie they hadde therby brought vpon theyr country were fled into Britaine Wherefore not only the Bellouacanes but also the Heduanes in their behalfe besought hym to vse hys clemency and gentilnes towards them The which thing if he wold vouchesafe to do he should bryng the Heduanes in further credit and authoritie among all the Belgies than euer they were as by whose ayde and furtherance they were woÌ„t to maintain their warres if any happened Cesar for the honor he bare to Diuitiacus and the Heduanes promysed to receyue them to mercy and to saue them harmlesse And bicause it was a great City excelling amoÌ„g the reste of the Belgies as well in authority as in multitude of people he demaunded six hundred pledges The which being deliuered and all the armor brought out of the town he marched from thence into the coasts of the Ambianes who wythout delay yelded themselues and all that they had vnto hym Upon their Countrye bordered the The peopâ—e â—bout Tournei Neruians of whose nature and condicions Cesar founde thus muche by enquirye That there was no recourse of merchants vnto them That they suffred no wyne nor other suche thyngs as tend to riot to be brought in vnto them bycause they were of opinion that by such things the courage was apalled and the stoutnesse thereof weakened That they were sauage people of great valeantnes often rebuking finding much fault with the residew of the Belgies for yeelding theymselues to the people of Rome and casting away theyr auncient prowesse and stoutly affirming that they wold neither send ambassadors nor take peace vpoÌ„ any condicion WheÌ„ he had iorneyed a thre dais throughe theyr countrye he vnderstood by hys prysoners that the riuer Sambre Sabis was not past ten myles of from hys Camp Beyond the which riuer all the Neruians were gathered together and there abode the comming of the Romanes together with the People of Arras Atrebatians and People of vermandoys Ueromanduanes theyr nexte neighbors For both those people they had perswaded to abyde the lyke fortune of war with them Moreouer they looked for a power of the * People about Bosleduke Aduaticks who were comming towards them The women and suche as by reason of their yeares were vnmete for the fyelde they had bestowed in suche a place as there was no accesse vnto with an army by reason of the fennes When he knew theis things â–ª he sent his skoults and peticapteyns before to chose a ground mete to encampe in Now whereas very manye of the Belgies that had yelded themselues and many of the other Galles that wayted vpon Cesar iorneyed together with him certain of them as it was after knowen by the prisoners markyng the order custome of the marchyng of our army those dayes came by night to the Neruians and shewed vnto theym that betwene euery legion went a great sort of cariages and that it were no matter at all assoone as the first Legion were come into their camp and the rest of the Legions were yet a great waye of to set vppon it vnder theyr burdens the whych beyng put to flight and their stuffe taken from theym it wolde come to passe that the reste shuld be out of hart to stand against them It was a furtherance to the counsell of them that made thys report that the Neruians of auncient tyme being able to make no power of horsemen for euen at thys daye they passe not for it but all theyr strength consysteth in the force of footmen to th entent they might the easlyer trouble the horsmen of their borderers whensoeuer they came for anye bootye within theyr marches cutting yong trees half a sunder and bowyng downe theyr toppes to the ground and plasshing the boughes that growe thicke oute of the sydes wyth bushes and thornes betwene theÌ„ they brought to passe that theis hedges were as good a defence to them as a wâ—l for they were so thick that it was impossyble not onelye to enter but also euen to see throughe theym When by thys meanes the passage of our armye was stopped the Neruians thought the foresayde counsell not to be ouerslipped Thys was the nature of the place that we had chosen to encamp in A hil a like leuell from the top down to the bottom stretched to the
and settle themselues in And at the fyrst comming thither of our armye they made often salyes out of the towne skyrmished wyth our men Afterward being enuironed wyth a Rampyre of twelue foote of fiftene myles compasse about beset with castels as thycke as one could stande by another they helde themselues wythin the towne When they saw the Uines framed the mount raysed and a turret a buylding a farre of at the first they began to laugh at it to make a continuall seoffyng at it froÌ„ the wall that so huge an engine should be rered so great a distaunce of demaunding in maner of scorne wyth what handes or wyth what strength specially men of so small a stature for in respect of theyr owne taâ—nes and goodly personages al the Galles for the most part accompt vs but dwarfs hoped to place a towre of such workmanshyp vpon the wall of the towne But when they saw it remoued and approchyng nere the walles abashed at the straunge and vnaccustomed sight therof they sent ambassadors to Cesar for peace who spake to this effect That they beleued the Romanes did not make way without the assistens of the Goddes whych coulde with suche expedicion set forwarde engines of so greate a heighth and bring theim to encounter at hande Wherefore they sayde they submytted theym selues and all that they had vnto theyr curtesy desyring and humbly beseching that if of his mere clemency and gentilnes which by report he had extended towards other he could vouchesafe to saue the Aduaticks he wolde not bereue them of theyr armor For almost al their neybors were enemyes vnto theym and had spight at theyr valeant dooings from whom they were not able to defend themselues yf they shuld deliuer vp theyr armor So that it were better for theym yf they shuld be put to that extremity to suffer ani displeasure whatsoeuer at the hands of the people of Rome than to be butcherlye murthered by theym among whom they had bene wont to reigne like lordes Cesar made aunswer herunto that he wold saue their Citye rather of hys owne accustomed gentilnesse then for any desart of theirs so that they yeelded before the battell Ram touched the wal but no condicion of yelding should be accepted wythout deliuery of their armor For he wold do by theÌ„ as he had done by the Neruians and geue commaundement to their neighbors that they shoulde not offer any kinde of wrong to such as had submitted them selues to the people of Rome When word herof was brought to the Citye they sayd they were contented to do whatsoeuer shoulde be commaunded theym Herupon casting a great quantity of armor ouer the wall into the diche that was before the town insomuch that the heapes of armor dydde ryse welnere to the top of the wall and the rampier and yet as afterwarde was found concealing and kepyng styll wythin the towne aboute the third part they set open their gates and for that daye vsed theym selues peaceably Toward night Cesar coÌ„maunded the gates to be shet hys souldiors to get theÌ„ out of the town that the townesmen shoulde not receyue any displeasure by them in the night tyme. But they hauing layde theyr heads together before as afterward was vnderstood forasmuch as they beleued that our meÌ„ vpon their submission wold eyther set no watch nor ward at all or at leastwyse kepe it more slightly partlye with suche armor as they had reteyned and concealed and partly with tergats made of bark or wrought of wicker which vppon the sodeine they had couered ouer wyth leather as the shortnes of the time required in the third watch wheras the ground was least steepe to come vp the hill to our fortifications yssued sodeinly out of the town wyth al their power But sygnification was soone made hereof by fyres as Cesar had commaunded before and spedye resort was made thither from the bulwarkes Neuerthelesse oure enemyes stood stoutly to theyr tacklyng as became valeant men to do in the last hope of theyr welfare feightyng in a place of disaduauntage agaynst such as threw darts at them from the towres and mounts consideryng there was none other shyft to saue theÌ„ selues then by their manhode In conclusion wyth the slaughter of a fower thousand men the rest were dryuen backe into the towne The next daye after when Cesar came to break open the gates and no man stood at defence he sent in our souldiors sold all the spoile of the town Such as had bought it made an accomt to hym of the nuÌ„ber of thre fifty thousand folk by the pol. The same time P. Crassus whoÌ„ he had sent with one legion to the Uenets People of Uannes Uuels People of Perche Osisines People of Landriguer Curiosolits People of Cornewall Sesuvians People of Roane Aulerks People about Renes Al peoeple of Britaine and Normandye and Rhedones which are hauen townes stand vpon the Ocean sea aduertised hym that all those Cities had yelded wer brought in subiection to the people of Rome After that theis things were dispatched al Gallia brought in peaceable obedience ther went such a report and estimatioÌ„ of thys warre among other barbarous people that from such natioÌ„s as inhabited beyond the Rhine were sent Ambassadors vnto Cesar profering to geue him hostages and do what so euer he shuld commaund them The which ambassades Cesar for asmuch as he had then hast into Italy A part of a country now called Sclauony Illyricum commaunded to repaire to hym agayne in the beginning of the next sommer And so when he had distributed hys legions into garrisons for the winter season among the The country about Charters Carunes The country of Aniow AndiaÌ„s The couÌ„tri about towres beneth the ryuer of Loyre Turones which wer cities nere to those places where he had made war be toke his way in to Italy And for theis things vpon the sight of Cesars letters general supplycation was proclaymed in Rome for fiftene days whych thyng before that time had hapned to no man FINIS THE THIRD BOKE of C. Iulius Caesars Commentaries of his warres in Gallia AT SVCH TYME AS Cesar tooke his iorney into Italy he sent Seruius Galba wyth the twelueth Legion and part of hys horsemen against the People betwene Geneua and S. Mawryce Antuats The country about S. Mawrice Ueragrines The country about Sion in Ualoys Being al people in about the Alpes and Sedunes which inhabit al the countryes froÌ„ the borders of the Allobrogians to the lake Leman and the riuer Rhone vnto the top of the Alpes The cause of his sending thither was that he wold haue the ways ouer the Alpes whych Merchaunts could not passe without great daunger and great 〈◊〉 paying hereafter set open By gaue him leaue to place one Legion there in garrison if he thought good so Galba hauing foughte certayn prosperous battels and
beginning of wynter was gone into Illyricum for that he had a desyre to vsit those Nations also and to knowe those countryes there arose a sodein war throughout Gallia The cause of that war was this A yong gentilmaÌ„ called P. Crassus lay in garryson wyth the seuenth legion nere vnto the Ocean sea amoÌ„g the Andians The peple of Aniow He bycause in those quarters was small store of grayne sent out diuers of hys chyef offycers and Tribunes into the Cities therabouts to fetch corne and vyctuals of the whych number were T. Terrasidius sent to the Uuelles M. Trebius Gallus sent to the Curiosolits Q. Uelanius and T. Silius sent to the Uenets This City bereth great authority ouer all these countries on the Sea coast bothe bicause the Uenets haue manye shyppes where wyth they are wont to sayle into Britaine and also bycause they excell all the residewe in knoweledge and experyence of Sea matters and moreouer bycause those fewe hauous as many as be of them in that ragyng and mayne sea be all in theyr possessyon whych is a cause that all they that are accustomed to sayle those seas do paye custome to them Theis Uenets began to broile in deteyning of Silius and Uelanius bicause they thought that by theyr meanes they should recouer the hostages that they had geuen to Crassus Their next neibors moued with thautority of theyr example as the Galies wyll in deede attempt thinges sodeinlye and vppon a heade for the same cause deteyned Trebonius and Terasidius and oute of hande dyspatchyng Ambassadours confedered them selues together by theyr noblemen to do nothyng but by common aduyre to abyde thuttermost what fortune so euer shulde followe perswading wyth the rest of the Cities to chose rather to continew in the lyberty which they had receyued from theyr auncetors than to coÌ„tinue in bondage vnder the Romanes When they had quicklye allured all the Seacoast to be of theyr mynde they sent a generall ambassade to P. Crassus theffect whereof was that if he wold haue his men agayn he shuld reÌ„der vnto them their hostages Cesar being certifyed of theis procedings by Crassus bicause he was at that time somwhat far of commaunded Galleyes to be builded in the meane season vpon the Riuer of Loyre whych falleth into the Ocean Sea rowers to be fetched out of Prouince and maryners and ship masters to be takeÌ„ vp Theis things being spedelye brought to passe he hym selfe as soone as the time of the yere would suffer hym came to hys army The Uenets the rest of the coÌ„federate cities hauing knowledge of Cesars coming therwithal weiyng what an heinous offeÌ„ce thei had committed against him in deteining and castyng in pryson hys ambassadors which name had alwais heretofore ben accompted hollye and inviolable amoÌ„g al nations according to the greatnesse of the daunger determyned to lay for the war before hand and specially to prouyde thinges necessary for shyps the whyche they did with so much the better hope bycause they had greate trust in the strentgh of the place from whence they knew all accesse wyth an army by land was cut of by salt marshes conueying thyther by water wold be very combersome bycause the Romanes were vnacquainted wyth those countryes and there were few hauons to harbrough in by the way and also they beleued verelye that our army should not be able to tarye any long time among them bycause there was so small store of grayne Yea though all theis things shuld fal out contrary to their expectation yet notwythstanding they were able to do much wyth theyr shyps wheras the Romanes had not any power of shyppes nor yet knowledge of the shallowes hauons and Ilands that were in those places where they weÌ„t about to make war And they knew ryght wel it was another maner of matter to sayle in the narrowe seas then in the mayne and open Ocâ—an When they had thus taken aduyce they fortifyed theyr townes they coÌ„ueyed theyr corne out of the country into the townes they gathered together as many ships as they could vnto Uannes where it was knowen that Cesar wold first begin the wars they alyed vnto them for theyr more assistence in that war the People of Landriguer Osisines the The country about Liseaux Lexobians the The country about NauÌ„ts Naunets the The country about Auranches Ambiliats the The country about Torowan Morines the Diablinters and the The country of Leondulâ— The Guâ—â—ders and Cleues Menapians and they sent for succor out of Britaine whych is situate ouer agaynst those countryes Theis thyngs aboue meÌ„cioned were such as myght greatlye trouble and set back the war Howe beit there were manye thyngs that enforced Cesar vnto thys warre As namely the wrongfull deteyning of the Romane knights the rebellion after submission the going back froÌ„ promys after pledges delyuered the confederacy of so many cities and in especially least through hys neglygence in this behalfe the rest of the country myght take courage to doo the lyke Therfore forasmuch as he perceyued howe all the Galles in a maner wer geueÌ„ to newfanglenes and stirred vp to make war vpon euery lyght occasion and that al men of nature are desyrous of libertye and hate the state of bondage he thought it conuenient to deuide hys host and send them farther abroade before anye mo cities were confederate together And therupon he sent hys Lieuetenant T. Labienns with a band of horsmen agaynst the Treuires whych are next the riuer Rhine geuing hym in charge to goe to the men of Rhemes and the rest of the Belgies and to kepe them in theyr duty and to prohibit the Germanes who were reported to be sent for to ayde the Belgies from passyng the ryuer if they attempted to ferry ouer by force P. Crassus wyth twelue Legionary Cohorts and a great coÌ„pany of horsemen he commaunded to take his iorney into Aquitaine to th entent there shuld not out of those countryes be sente anye ayde to the Celts and so puissant Nations bee ioyned together He sent hys Lieuetenant Q. Titurius Sabinus with thre Legions agaynst the * Uuels * Curiosolyts Lexobians to kepe that power from ioyning wyth the rest He made Decius Brutus a noble yong gentilman admyrall of his Nauie and of the French fleete whiche he had assembled from amonge the The people of Poyters Pictones The people of Xanton Santones and the rest of the Nations vnder the Romane iurisdiction coÌ„maundyng him to set forwarde agaynst the Uenets assone as might be and he himselfe marched thitherward with his army by land The situacioÌ„ of the townes for the most part was such that being set in thuttermost nookes and mountaines reaching into the sea there was no comming to theym on foote by reason of the rysyng of the tydes which euer happened twice in twelue houres space nor yet wyth shyppes bycause that at the fallyng of the tyde the shyps were
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
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
and mistrusting the infirmity of the Galles bicause in taking of counsel they be variable for the most part are desyrous of alteration thought it not expedient to put them in trust with any thing Thys is a common custome among the Galles to compell euen wayfairyng menne to stay whether they will or no and to enquire what euery of them hath hard or knoweth of euery matter And for the common people to come flocking about merchantmen in Cities and to constreine them to tel out of what countryes they come what things they know of there And being moued with theis light reports and here sayes they fal to counsel oftentimes euen of most weighty matters wher of they must nedes repent them by and by after seing they are so fondly led by vncertaine rumors and that diuers persons tell theÌ„ forged newes to fede their fancyes wythall The whych custome when Cesar vnderstood to thintent he might not mete with some worse match than he had made alredy he went sooner to hys army than he was wont When he came thither those things that he mystrusted wolde come to passe he found done in dede That is howe ambassades were sent from manye Cities to the Germanes that they were entreated with to depart from the Rhine the which don they shuld haue at their hands whatsoeuer thei wold demaund With hope whereof the Germanes being moued raunged now further abrode were come into the borders of the People of Liege or Lukeland Eburones and People about Aix betwene Utreight and Iuliers Condrusians whyche are reteiners to the Treuires Cesar calling before him the Princes of Gallia thought it conuenient to dissemble those things that he knew and therupon appeasyng theyr courages wyth fayre language and quickning their spirits wyth comfortable wordes he commaunded theym to finde hym a number of men of armes in purpose to make war wyth the Germanes When he had made prouision of corne and taken muster of hys horsemen he marched toward those places in the which he heard that the Germanes were Assone as he came wythin a few dayes iorney of them there came ambassadors from them theffect of whose oration was That the Germanes wolde neyther begin to quarrell first wyth the people of Rome nor yet refuse to cope wyth them if they were assayled It was the custome of the Germanes deliuered froÌ„ theyr auncesors that who soeuer made war vpon them to make resistence by force and not by entretance Neuerthelesse they had thus much to say for theÌ„ selues that they were come agaynst theyr wils as meÌ„ cast out of house and home If the Romanes wold take theim inâ—o fauor they might be profitable frends vnto them wherefore they required either to assigne them laÌ„ds or els to suffer them to enioy such as they had alreadye gotten by conquest to the Sweuians onelye they gaue place whom not euen the Goddes immortall were able to match For in all the earth besyde there was not anye maÌ„ whom they could not ouercome Cesar replyed hereunto as he thought good But the conclusion of his oration was That there coulde be no frendshippe betwene him and them as long as they abode in Gallia And that it coulde not be trew that they which were not able to defend their owne country should kepe possession of an other mannes and though they coulde yet were there not in Gallia any lands that coulde be geuen specially to such a multitude wythout doing wrong vnto others But it shoulde be lawfull for them if they woulde to settle them selues in the borders of the Ubians whose ambassadors were then wyth hym to complayne of the iniuries done by the Sweuians and to desyre help of him the which thing he promysed to obteyne of the Ubians for them Thambassadors said they wold make report herof to their company and vpon good aduyce taken in the matter returne againe to him after the thyrd day desiring that he wold not in the meane tyme approch any nerer to them with hys camp Cesar aunswered that they myght not obtaine so muche as that at hys hand For he knewe that they had sent a great part of their horsmen certaine daies afore ouer the Maze to the Brabanderâ— Ambiuarits to fetch in prayes forage The returne of which horsmen they loked for therfore as he thought sought to haue delayes in the matter The ryuer Maze spryngeth oute of the mountâ—ine People of Langres Uosegus whych is in the borders of the People of Langres Lingones and receyuing an arine of the Rhine to it whych is called walin Uacalos maketh the Iland of the Hollanders Batauians and not passing lxxx myles fro theÌ„ce runneth into the Ocean Now the Rhyne ryseth among the People of Granpunter Lepontians who inhabit the Alpes and from thence runneth swift a long race by the borders of the People of Uawd Nantuats HelnetiaÌ„s Sequanes People of Meâ—z Mediomatrikâ— People of Strawsoorg Triboks and Treuires and when it commeth nere the Ocean it deuydeth it self into many streames making many great Ilands whereof a great sort are inhabited by wyld and sauage peoples of the which some are thought to liue by fyshe and birdes egges and lastly falleth wyth many heads into the Ocean At such time as Cesar was come wythin twelue myles of hys ennemyes thambassadors according to appointment returned vnto hym Who meting hym in hys iorney entreated him verye earnestlye that he shoulde procede no further When they coulde not get graunt thereof they requested hym to sende out of hand to hys horsmen that were the foreryders of hys host to commaund them that they shuld not seight and that he wold geue them leaue to send ambassadors to the Ubians whose Noblemen couÌ„sellers if they made them assurance by othe vpon suche condicion as Cesar should prescribe they were contented to stand to it To bring theis things to passe they desyred three dayes respit All theis things Cesar thought tended to this one end that by dryuing of of those three days theyr horsmen that were then absent might returne Notwithstandyng he promysed to go no further forward but fower myles that day to haue fresh water for hys Camp willing theym to repayre to him the next Morning betymes to knowe further of hys pleasure touchyng theyr demaunds In the mean time he sent to the Capteines of his horsmen that were rydden before to warne them that they shoulde not make any assault vpon theyr enemies and that if any assault wer made vpon them that they should forbeare them vntill he might come nerer to theym wyth his whole power But our enemies assoone as oure horsemen came wythin theyr syght of whom there was the number of fiue thousaÌ„d wheras they had not aboue eyght hundred horsemen in all bycause those that were gone ouer the Maze for forrage were not yet returned whyle our men feared nothing bycause theyr ambassadors were but newly before departed from
hys army When he came thyther as he went about all hys winter garrysons he found that through the singuler diligence of his souldiers wanting in maner al thinges that should haue furthered theÌ„ about syx hundred ships of the facion afore declared and eight and twenty oâ—her galieyes were finished and as good as at the poynt to be set a flote wythin fewe dayes after Wherfore commending his souldyers and such as had ben the ouersears of the workes he told them what he wold haue done and wylled them all to assemble at the hauen of Caâ—ice froÌ„ wheÌ„ce he vnderstoode to be the handsomest passage into Britaine as the which was not distant past a thirtye myles from that place For that doing hereof he left such a number of souldiers as semed suffycient and him selfe wyth fowre well appoynted Legions and eyght hundred horsemen went into the country of the Treuires bicause they neither came to the Parliamentes nor did him homage were reported to rayse the Germanes on thotherside of the Rhine Thys City is able to make mo horsemen than all Gallia besides and hath also a great power of footemen as we shewed hertofore bordreth vpon the Rhine In that Citye two were at stryfe for the souereintye Induciomarus and Cingetorix Of whoÌ„ the one as sone as it was knowen that Cesar wolde come thyther wyth hys army repaired vnto hym makyng faythful promyse that he all his should become his liegemen coÌ„tinue faithful frendes to the people of Rome for euer aduertising him what was done amoÌ„g the men of Triers But Induciomarus leuyed both horsemen and footemeÌ„ and bestowing saufly such as for theyr yeares were not able to beare armor in the forest of Ardeine which from the Riuer of Rhine kepeth on styl of great wydenesse throughe the middle of the countrye of the Treuires vnto the entrance of the borders of Rhemes determyned to laye for warre Notwithstanding after that diuers of the noble men of that couÌ„trie partly moued wyth thauthority of Cingetorix and partly afrayde at the comming of oure armye had repayred vnto Cesar and made sute to hym for theyr owne peculier cases bycause they coulde not prouyde for theyr whole Countrye Induciomarus fearyng least he should be abandoned of all men sent Ambassadors to Cesar certifying him that the cause why he woulde not depart from hys men come vnto hym was to th entent he myght the easâ—yer keepe hys country in obedience least by the departure of al the noblemen the common people might for lacke of good counsel do amisse Wherfore the Citye was at his pleasure and if Cesar wold geue him leaue he woulde come to him into his Camp there put into hys hands both himself and hys City Albeit that Cesar knewe welinough the very truth of the matter what thynges feared him froÌ„ his determined purpose yet notwitstandyng bicause he wold not be compelled to spend the Sommer about the Treuires seyng he had all thynges in a readines for his warres in Britayne he commaunded Induciomarus to come to him with two huÌ„dred hostages the whych being brought and amoÌ„gst them hys son and al his kinsfolk whom he had called out by name he comforted Induciomarus and exhorted him to continue in hys allegeance And yet neuertherles he called the noble men of Tryers vnto hym and reconciled them one by one vâ—to Cingetorix The whych thyng partly he thought he was bounde to do of dewe deserte and speciallye he thought it shoulde be muche for hys owne behofe to set such a one in authority and estymacion in hys countrye whose syngulâ—r good wyll towardes hym he had had tryall of before Induciomarus tooke thys matter to heart that hys owne estimacion should be diminished among hys countrymen and therefore whereas he hated vs in hys hearte before the griefe hereof made hym to hate vs much more deadly Cesar hauing set theis matters at a stay came with his army to Calyce There he vnderstode howe forty of hys shyppes whych were made about Meawlr could not kepe theyr course by reason of a reÌ„pest but were driuen backe agayne to the place froÌ„ whence they set forth All the rest he found redye to sayle and throughlye furnyshed of all thynges Thyther came the horsmen of all Gallia to the number of iiii thousand and the noblemen of all the Cities of whom a very few of whose trustynes towardes hym he had had proofe before he determined to leaue in Gallia to carye the rest wyth him for pledges bicause be feared least in his absence they should make any broile in Gallia There was together wyth others Dumnorix the Heduan of whom we haue spoken before Him in especiallye Cesar determined to haue with him bicause he knew him to be a man desyrous of alteration desirous of souereinty of great courage and of great authority amonge the Galles Besides this the sayde Dumnorix in an open assemblye of the Heduanes had sayde that Cesar had put the gouernment of the City into his handes the whych woordes the Heduans tooke in great displeasure and yet they durst not send Ambassadors to Cesar eyther to refuse it or to entreate him to the contrarye Thys fact Cesar learned by suche in whose houses he had lodged when he was in that countrye At the fyrst he made verye earnest sute and entreatance that he might be left behind in Gallia partlye bicause as he alledged being vnaccustomed to sayle he feared the saltwater and partly bycause he sayd he was letted by vow Afterward when he sawe that Cesar stode stifflye in deniall of hys request al hope of preuayling being vtterly taken away he fell to perswading with the princes of Gallia calling them backe one by one and exhorting theÌ„ to tary still in the maine lande and putting them in feare it was done for some further fetch that Gallia was thus robbed of all her nobilitye at ones for it was Cesars dryft to thys end that whom he was ashamed to put to death in the open syght of Gallia he myght cary them ouer into Britaine and there choppe of al theyr heads Wherfore he plighted his faith vnto them and demauÌ„ded theim to be sworne to hym that what so euer they should perceiue to befor the profyt of their couÌ„try they should do it by coÌ„mon aduice Theis thynges were reported to Cesar by diuers persones Whervpon Cesar for asmuche as he made so great accompt of the Heduans determyned by some meanes or other to brydle Dumnorix and to fear him from his pretensed purpose bycause he sawe there was no end of hys madnes he thought it stode him in hand to foresee that he hurted not the common weale and him And therfore abiding there about a .xxv. dayes bicause his sayling was hindered by the Northwest wynde whyche customablye in those coastes bloweth at all times he dyd hys good wyll to haue kepte Dumnorix in obedience and yet neuertheles layd to know all his deuises and practises At leÌ„gth
obteining a mete season he commanded all his power both of horsmen and fotemen to go a boord Whyle all mens mindes were busyed heraboutes Dumnorix wyth the Heduan horsmen began to depart homewarde out of the camp wythout Cesars leaue When Cesar heard tidinges therof staying hys vyage and setting al other thinges asyde he sent a great part of his horsemen after him to pursew hym cōmaunding to fet him backe again and if he made any resistence wold not be ruled he bade kyll him for he thought he would not deale like an aduysed person in hys absence that durste disobey hym in hys presence Dumnorix being called backe made resistence and began to defende himselfe wyth hys sword callyng vppon his men for helpe and crying oftentimes out that he was a free man of a free Citye Notwythstandinge they as was commaunded them beset hym about and slew him and so all the Heduan men of armes returned vnto Cesar. After that this matter was dispatched leauynge Labienus in the maine land wyth thre Legions and twoo thousand horsmen to kepe the hauēs and prouyde graine to learn what was done in Gallia and to deale aduisedly as tyme and occasion should require Cesar hymselfe with fyue Legions like number of horsemen as he left in the mayne land at the sunne going downe loosened frō the shore and beinge dryuen wyth a soft Southwest wind the which also about midnight fell could not kepe hys course but beyng caryed further wyth the tyde about the dawnynge of the day beheld Britaine left a litle on the left hand Then folowing again the chaunge of the tyde he endeuoured by force of Ores to attaine to that part of the Ilande where he had found to be best landing the last sommer before Wherin the courage of our souldyers was much to be cōmended in that wyth their shyps of burthen being heauy loden through continual rowyng without ceasing they made away as fast as the Galleyes So wee arryued in Britayne wyth all our ships euen about hygh noone neither was there any enemy sene in that place Howbeit as Cesar vnderstode afterward by hys prisoners there was a great power assembled thither the whych beyng abashed at the number of oure shyps wherof together with the victailers shyppes and suche as euery man had made for hys owne occupying were aboue eyght hundred in syght all at one tyme withdrew them selues frō the riuage and hid them in the higher groundes Cesar after he had set his army a lande and taken a place mete to encamp in whē he had learned of hys prisoners in what place the power of his enemies abode left ten Cohortes thre hūdred horsmen at the seas side to kepe his ships and immediatly after the thyrde watche marched to warde hys ennemyes so much the lesse fearing hys shyps bicause he had left them ryding at anchor in an woosye and opē shore and he appoynted Q. Atrius to see to the sauf keping of his ships Himself after he had gone about a twelue miles in the nyght time discouered the host of his enemyes They comming with theyr horsmen chariots to a ryuers side began to beat vs backe frō the hygher ground and to encounter with vs. But in the end being put to repulse by our horsmen they hyd thē selues in the woods where they had gotten a plot excellently wel fortified both by nature and mans hande the which place as it should appere they had prepared before hande as a hold for their own ciuil warres For by cutting downe the trees euerye where they had foreclosed al the entrances in and they themselues issuing out of the woodes here some and there some a few in a cōpany made defēce and wold not suffer our men to come wythin theyr fortifications Neuertheles the souldiers of the vii legion making a shed and casting vp a banke to theyr fortifications won the place and draue theim out of the woodes wyth the receyte of a fewe wounds Howbeit Cesar forbade his men to pursue them ouer farre both bycause he knewe not the nature of the place also bicause the greater part of the day beyng now spent he wold haue some time left for the fortifying of hys camp The next day folowing early in the morning he sent hys horsmen fotemen forth in thre battels to pursue them that were fled They had not gone but a littel way insomuch y◠the hindermost were yet in fight whē certaine horsmen came from Q. Atrius to Cesar bringing him word that the last night there arose a marueylous tempest whyche had shaken almost all hys ships and cast them a land so that neyther anchor nor Cable could holde nor the shipmen gouernors endure against the violens of the storme by meanes of the whych beating together of his shyps much hurt was done When Cesar heard theis newes he whylled hys Legions and horsmen to be called back and to cease of their iorney and he himself returned to his ships where he sawe as muche in manner wyth hys eyes as was reported to him by messages and letters so that wyth the losse of a forty shyppes the rest might with much a doe be mended And therefore he chose suche as were Shypwryghtes out of his Legions and cōmaunded others to bee sent for out of the mayne lande Also he wrate vnto Labienus that he should make as many shyppes as he could wyth the help of those Legiōs that he had Moreouer althoughe it were a worke of great toyle and labor yet notwithstanding he thought it most for hys behoofe to haue all hys ships drawen a land and ioyned in one fortification with hys Camp In doyng herof he spent ten dayes not respityng hys souldiers frō their labour so muche as the nyght tyme. When he had drawen hys shippes a land throughly fortified his camp he left the same power to garde hys ships that was there before and returned himselfe to the place he came fro At hys comming thither a greater power of the Britons was assembled out of all coastes into the same place The chief gouernement of the Realme and ordering of the warres was by common aduyce commytted to Cassibelan whose Seniorie is seuered from the Cityes towarde the sea coast by a ryuer whyche is called Tems about fowerscore miles of frō the Sea Thys Cassibelan in tymes past had contynuall warre wyth the Cities adioyninge but the Britons being moued wyth our coming had chosen him to be their souereine and made him General of the warres The inner part of Britaine is inhabited of suche as by wytnesse of their auncient recordes were borne and bred in the I le and the sea coast by such as haue passed thither out of Belgicke to fetch bootyes to make war Al the whych wel nere are called by the same names that the Cities are where they were borne and from whence they first came remayning there styl when the warre was done and tillinge the grounde The country
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
out such of the Centurions and Tribunes of the souldiers seuerally by name as he had learned by the report of Cicero to haue behaued themselues most valiantlye As concerninge the myschaunce of Corta and Sabinus he learned the trueth more exactlye by hys prisoners The next day in an open assembly he declareth the whole matter as it was done and comforted and encouraged his souldiers He told them that the losse whych was receâ—ued throughe the faulte and rashnesse of the Lieuetenant was so much the lesser to bee made accoÌ„pt of in asmuch as the displesure being by the fauor of the Goddes immortal and through theyr prowesse recouered neyther theyr enemies had anye long continuance of their ioye nor themselues long coÌ„tinuance of their sorow In the meane while the men of Rhemes with incredible swiftnes caryed tydings to Labienus of Cesars victory insomuch that whereas he was about threescore miles from the place where Cicero wintred and that Cesar came thyther after the nyneth howre of the day before the next midnyght there arose a noyse before the gates of his camp wherby the men of Rhemes gaue vnderstanding to Labienus of the victory with great reioycing for the same When newes hereof was brought to the Treuires Induciomarus who was fully minded to haue assaulted Labienus in his camp the next day fled away in the night conueyed home all his army againe Cesar sent back Fabius wyth hys Legion into hys wintring place and himself determined to winter about Samarobrina with thre legions in thre seueral garrisons And forasmuch as all Gallia was in such an vprore he determined to tary with his army al the winter For after the time that the displeasure which we had receiued by the death of Sabinus was blowen abrode almoste all the Cities of Gallia began to consult of war sending messsengers and ambassadours into all partes laying wayte to know what others purposed and deliberatinge where it were best to begin the war They held night counsels in places far from resort Neither passed there anye part of al the whole winter almost but that Cesar was continually troubled with tidings of the metinges conspyracies and insurrections of the Galles AmoÌ„g other thinges he was aduertised from L. Roscius Thresorer of the host whom he had made captaine of the .xiii. Legion that a great power was asseÌ„bled out of the Cityes of littel Britayne to assaile him and that thei were not past an eyght myles from the place where he wyntred but as soone as they heard newes of Cesars victory they departed in suche sorte as that theyr departure myght seme to be a running away But Cesar sommonyng before him the noble men of euery citie partly by putting them in feare in declaryng that he knewe of their doings partly by entreating them gentlye kept the greater part of Gallia in dew obedience quietnes Notwithstanding the Senones whych is a citie verye stronge and of much authority among the Galles laid wayt by commoÌ„ consent to haue slayne Cauarine whom Cesar had made kyng ouer theÌ„ whose brother Moritasgus held the kingdome at the coming of Cesar into Gallia as many of his auncestors had done before The which thing when he foreseing had fled vnto Cesar they pursewed hym to the vttermost borders of theyr territory and vtterlye expulsed him both froÌ„ hys kingdome and country and therwythall sending Ambassadours vnto Cesar to excuse the matter when as he commauÌ„ded al their counsell to come before him they refused to obey him So much it auayled among those barbarous people that there were some found whyche durst geue thaduenture to rebel For herevpon ensued suche an alteration of mindes throughe all Gallia that setting aside the Heduanes and the men of Rhemes whom Cesar had euer in chief estimacioÌ„ th one for their continual faithfulnes toward the people of Rome froÌ„ of olde time thother for their late frendship in theis wars of Gallia there was in maner no citye whych we had not cause to suspect And I do not thynke that thys their doing is a matter so much to be wondred at partly for manye other causes but inespecially considering howe great a corsye it was to theyr hartes for them which bare awaye the renowne of cheualry and feates of warre from all other nations to haue lost so much of that theyr estymacion that they should be brought in subiection and bondage to the people of Rome the Treuires and Induciomarus let passe no part of all the whole winter wythout sending Ambassadors ouer the Rhine styrring the Cities to war and promosing monye affirming that a great part of our army was slain and that the remnant was verye small How beit they were not able to persuade anye of the Germanes to passe the Rhine who aunswered that they had learned twyse alredy by experyence namelye in the war of Ariouistus and the passynge ouer of the Teuctheres that it was not for theÌ„ to trye the courtsye of fortune anye more Albeit that Induciomarus were disappointed of thys hope yet notwtstanding he nothing forslowed to muster souldiers to train them before hand to get horses of hys neighbors and to allure to him with promis of great rewards the outlawes condeÌ„ned persons of al Gallia By meanes wherof he gate himself such estimacion through all Gallia that Ambassades resorted to hym from al places sekyng hys fauor and frendshyp as wel in publyque affayres as pryuate matters When he sawe such voluntary resort vnto hym and that on th one side the Senones and Caruntes were prycked forward with remorce of conscience for theyr heynous offens and that on thotherside the Neruians and Aduatickes prepared war agaynst the Romanes so that he should haue ynow that wold be glad to assyst hym of theyr owne accorde whensoeuer he began to set forward he sommoned a counsell in armour This is the manner of the Galles when they begin any wars wherin by a common law al the yong stryplinges are wont to come together in armor and he that commeth last of theym is in the open syght of the rest with all kinde of most cruell torments put to death In thys counsell he condemned his sonne in lawe Cingetorix a Prince of the contrarye faction whom wee declared before to haue forsakeÌ„ him and yelded vnto Cesar for a traitor and did confiscate hys goods When thys was done he declared in the counsel that he was sent for by the Senones and Caruntes and diuers other cityes of Gallia He sayd he wolde go thyther through the Countrye of the men of Rhemes and wast theyr fieldes and ere euer he so dyd that he wolde assault the Camp of Labienus therwythall he gaue commaundement what he wold haue done Labienus forasmuch as he had encamped hymselfe in a place bothe by nature and mannes hand very strong and defenfible feared not anye daunger that could happen to hym to hys Legion Neuertheles he minded not to let slyp any occasion that might turn to hys
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
Cesar lykyng well thys place for other considerations and also in that the fortificatiōs made there the yere before remayned yet whole and vndefaced to th entent to ease hys souldiers of theyr toyle left here al their stuffe and appointed for defēce therof the .xiiii. Legion which was one of the three that he had lastly leuied and brought with him out of Italy Ouer this legion and camp he made Captein Quintus Tullius Cicero assigned vnto him CC. horsmē Hauing thus parted hys army he commaunded T. Labienus to set foorth wyth three Legions toward the Ocean into those coastes that border vpō the Menapians He sent C. Trebonius wyth like number of legions to wast that country that lyeth vpō the Aduatickes And he himself with thother thre determined to go to the Riuer Sambre Sabis whych runneth into Maze and to the further parts of the forest of Ardeine whyther he hearde that Ambiorix was fled wyth a few horsmen At his departure he promised to returne agayne wythin seuen days after at the whych time he knew that corne was to be deliuered to the legion that was left in garrison He requested Labienus and Trebonius that if they might do it to the behofe of the common weale they shuld also returne at the same daye to th entent that laying theyr heades again together vpō serch made what their ennemyes went aboute they might take some other counsel how to procede in the warres There was not as we shewed before anye hoste of men nor anye garrison nor anye towne that was able to defend it self by battell But the common people being dispersed wheresoeuer was any blind valley or any wilde wood or anye vnhandsome maryshe where they hoped to find any defēce or saufgard conueyed themselues thither Theis places were knowen to the borderers and the matter required greate circumspectnes not so muche for the sauinge of the whole armye for there could not happen any peril to the whole power together by men amazed and dyspersed as for preseruation of euery souldier seuerallye And yet this thing also in part made to the saufgard of our army For as the desyer of spoile egged foorth many a great way from the Campe so the woodes with their blind and vncerteine pathes was a let that they could not come at them in any great companies If they were desirous to haue the matter dyspatched oute of hand and to haue the stocke of suche wicked people vtterlye rooted vp it behoued them to sende foorth manye armies and to let the souldiers deuide themselues into manye companyes Againe if according to the ordinances and custome of the Romain army the bandes were to be kept to theyr standerds the place it self was a defence to the barbarous people who wanted no boldnes at al to lay ambushes priuilye and to entrappe them being dyspersed Wherefore in such distresses as much as mans policy was able to reach was foresene that albeit their hearts burned with in them to be reuēged yet somwhat should rather be omitted in doynge displeasure to the ennemyes than so to displease them as should redound to the hurt of oure souldiers Cesar sent messengers to al the cityes nere abouts to allure them foorth to the spoyle of the Eburones promisinge thē that all that they could get shuld be their own to th entent that in the forests he might rather put the Galles themselues than hys own souldiers in hazard of their liues and also to th entent that being enuironed with a great number for thaccomplishing of such an act the ofspring name of the country might vtterly be destroyed Hervpō a great nūber assembled quickly frō al coastes Theis things were a doyng in all quarters of the Eburones and nowe approched the vii day at the whych day Cesar had promised to returne to his cariages and the legion that he left wyth thē Here it may be perceiued how great a stroke fortune maye beare in the warres and howe greate casualties she may moue Oure ennemies as I haue shewed were scattered and amased in suche wyse that there was not any host of men to put vs in any feare at all The report was spred ouer the Rhine amōg the Germanes that the Eburones were put to hauocke and that euery man was called to the spoyle come who woulde Hervpō the Sicambres whych dwel vpō the Rhine whō we haue declared before to haue receiued the Teuchthers and Usipites after theyr dyscomfiture raised two thousand horsmē and passed the Rhine in Craers and Barges a thirty miles beneath the place where the vnfinished Bridge was at the which Cesar had left his garrison They inuade the vttermost boūdes of the Eburones where they recountred many as they fled scattered here and there and gate a great bootie of cattell whereof the barbarous people are most gredye wherewithal being more allured they proceded further Neyther maris groūd nor forrest was able to stay theis felowes which were trayned vp from their birthe in war robbing They enquired of their prysoners in what place Cesar was by whom they vnderstode that he was gone far of and that al the army was departed And one of the prisoners said what meane you to hunt after this miserable and slender bootye whych now yf ye lyst maye bee moste fortunate In three houres yee maye come to Uaruta where the Romaine armye hath bestowed al their goodes The garrison is so thynne that they be not able to single man the wals neither dare any man put hys head out of the trēch Upon the hope of thys offer the Germanes leauynge the praye that they had gotten in a secret place made towarde Uaruta vsinge him for theyr guide by whose declaratiō thei were informed of the matter Cicero who all thother dayes before hadde according to the commaundement of Cesar with great aduisednesse kept hys souldyers wythin his camp and had not suffred so much as a Uarlet or a Bage to passe out of the fortifycation the .vii. daye dystrusting that Cesar wold kepe promis with hym bicause he hard he was gone further of and no tidinges came to hym of hys returne and moreouer moued wyth the wordes of such as termed hys pacience in maner a siege if they might not haue liberty to passe out of their camp loking for no such aduenture after the dyspersinge and almost vtter destroying of hys ennemyes agaynst whō were gone forth nine Legions as to finde any thyng wythin thre miles space that myght anoye him sent out fiue Cohortes into the next cornfieldes to fetche in grayne betwene the whych and hys camp there was no more but one littel hil only There were in the camp many that had bene left behynd out of thother Legiōs bicause they were hurt and diseased Of the which sort such as within theis few dayes were recouered beyng to the number of a CCC were sent forth vnder the bāner wyth the rest Moreouer a great multitude of Uarlettes and a great sort of beasts for
nere from the very Rampier and from the gates of the camp Of all the whiche thynges this was most to be wondred al that the Germanes whyche had passed the Rhine of none other purpose but to waste the countrye of Ambiorix bendinge theym selues agaynst the Romane camp profered thereby vnto Ambiorix the greatest good turn that could haue ben wished him Cesar making another voyage to disquiet hys enemies assembled a great power out of the Cities nere at hand and sent theÌ„ abrode into al quarters Al the townes and all the buildinges that came in any mans sight were set on fier botyes were dryuen out of all places corne was not only by such a multitude of men and cattel coÌ„sumed but also was throughe thunseasonable tyme of the yers and through continual rayne beaten out or rotten vppon the ground Insomuch that if anye had hyd them selues oute of the way for the time yet were they lyke afterward when tharmy was departed to perysh for want of foode And oftentymes it was come to the point by reason of so greate a number of horsmeÌ„ sent abrode into al quarters that the prysoners sayde expresselye not only that none of them saw Ambiorix flye away but also constantly affyrmed that he was not gone oute of sighte Insomuche that vppon hope of ouertakinge him suche as thought to haue purchased greateste fauor at Cesars hande endured infinite laboure yea more than nature could well haue borne but for theyr earnest desier whych surmounted all things beleuing alwayes that they were at the very point to haue obteined the happynesse that they sought for And yet he wound hymself from them continually into woodes or forestes and hiding himself in the night time wythdrew him out of one coast into another garded with no mo thaÌ„ fower horsmen whom only of al meÌ„ he durste put in trust wyth hys lyfe When Cesar had in this sort wasted the countryes wyth the losse of two Cohorts he reduced the rest to Rhemes in Champanie Durocort amonge the men of Rhemes and sommoning thyther a parlameÌ„t of al Gallia he determined to make streight examinacion coÌ„cerning the conspiracy of the Senones and Carunts and ther geuing sharp iudgement vpon Acco chyef ryngleader of that enterpryse he punished him accordinge to the auncient custome of the country Many fearing to staÌ„d to the triall of the matter in iudgemeÌ„t fled awaye whom when he had proclaymed traitors he placed two LegioÌ„s in the borders of the Treuires two amonge the Lingones and the other six in the borders of the Senones at Agendicum to wynter there and hauing made prouision of graine for hys army he went into Italy to holde a Parlament as he was determined before FINIS THE SEVENTH BOKE of C. Iulius Caesars Commentaries of his warres in Gallia AFTER THAT GALlia was thus quieted Cesar as he was determined before went into Italy to hold a Parlament There he hard newes of the murther of Clodius and vpon Certificat froÌ„ the Senate how all the youth of Italye did conspyre together he purposed to take musters of all the whole Prouince Theis things were quickly reported into Gallia beyond the Alpes More ouer as the matter semed to require the Galles forged besides theis rumors that Cesar was deteyned by meanes of the Mutinies in the city and that the dissentioÌ„s were so great as that he could not come to hys armye Taking occasion herupon such as before found themselues grieued to bee in subiection to the Romane Empier began more freely boldly to consult of warre The Princes of Gallia calling secret counsels in forests and places far from resort fouÌ„d fault wyth the death of Acco alledging that the like mischaunce might also light in theyr neckes They bewailed the miserable state of al Gallia promysing and profering any reward that could be deuysed to them that wold adueÌ„ture to begyn the war and wyth the hazarde of theyr liues wold assaye to set Gallia agayne in liberty And thys matter they sayd ought to bee put in practise before theyr secrete deuyses were disclosed to th entent that Cesar might be excluded from hys army The whyche thyng was easy to bryng to passe in that neyther the legions durst in the absence of theyr Graundcaptein styr out of their wintring places neither could the Graundcapteine withoute saufconduct come vnto hys army In conclusion they said it was better to be slain in the field than not to recouer theyr auncient renowne of cheualry the liberty whych they had receiued froÌ„ their auncestors When theis matters had bene sufficientlye debated The Caruntes profered to refuse no peril for the common wealthes sake promising to become the chyf Ringleaders in thys war And forasmuch as the matter coulde not as than be assured by hostages least it should be published they demaunded assurance by othe and fidelitye whyche was by layinge their Antesignes banners together for that is the solemnest ceremony that they vse in suche cases leaste when they shoulde haue begon the war the rest should forsake them Than geuyng great prayses to the Caruntes and taking an othe of as manye as were present after time prefixed for the performance of the matter they brake vp theyr counsell when the daye appoynted was come the Caruntes vnder the conduct of Cotuat and Coâ—etodune desperate persones at a watch word geuen came together to Genabum and there slew the citizeÌ„s of Rome that abode there in the waye of traffique and merchandise amoÌ„g whom was one C. Fusius Cotta a worshipful knight of Rome who by the commaundement of Cesar was master of the Storehouse and riffled al their goods The fame herof was sone blowen through al the cities of Gallia For when any great or notable thynge happeneth they geue knowledge of it bi shouting through all the fieldes and countries about Others receiuing the noyse at theyr hande send it in likewyse to theyr neighbors so it happened at that time For those things whych were done at Genabum by the sun rising before the firste watche was ended were heard of in the country of Auverne whyche is distant the space of Clr. miles By like meanes Uercingetorix the son of Celtillus a yonge Gentilman of great authority amoÌ„g the people of Auverne whose father had held the souereinty of al Gallia and was for that consideration slain of his countrymen bicause he sought meanes to make himselfe king calling together his reteiners did easly set them on fier For assone as they knew of hys purpose they ranne to weapon Uercingetorix was wythstoode by hys vncle Gobanition and the rest of the Princes which thought it not good to try the courtesy of fortune in that behalf and was driuen out of the town of Cleremount in Auverne Gergobia Neuerthelesse he ceased not from his enterpryse but in the couÌ„try toke musters of beggars naughty packes When he had raised this power he met not any of the City but he drew hym to his opinion He exhorted them
hand or put them beside their cariages the whyche beinge ones lost thei could in no wise be able to make war Furthermore all such townes ought to be set on fier as eyther by fortifiyng or situacion of the place were not of sufficient strength to defend themselues from all daunger to th entent they shoulde not eyther be lurking holes for such of their people as cowardlye slipt aside from the wars or els be as things of set purpose appointed for the Romanes to sacke and vittaile themselues withall If theis thinges semed greiuous and bitter much more greuous and bitter were the consequentes to bee estemed as namely the drawyng into captiuity of their wiues and children the slaughter of themselues which miseries must of necessity happen to them that be vanquished By the consent of all men this counsell was alowed and in one daye were burnt mo than xx cities of the countrye of Berrey The lyke also was done in the rest of the Cityes In all partes were fiers sene the which although it were a great grief to them al to endure yet notwythstandinge this cōfort they set before their eies that in getting thupper hande they trusted to recouer quickly the things they had lost There was much debating in the common counsel concerning Auaricum whether it were better to burne it or to defende it The men of Bourges fell downe at the feete of al thother Galles beseching them that they might not be compelled to sette on fier wyth theyr owne handes the goodlyest citye almost of al Gallia which might be both a defence and a beawtye to the common weale Alledging that they mighte easly defende it bicause of the situacion of the place by reason that wel neere on all sides it was enuironed with the riuer with marisground and had but onelye one way to come to it whych was verye narrowe At their sute pardon was graūted Uercingetorix at the first persuading the contrarye but afterwarde relenting vnto them vppon their earnest entretance and for pitye of the people Hereuppon were mete persons appointed for the defence of the towne Uercingetorix by easy and small iorneies folowed after Cesar and chose a place to encampe in fortified wyth woodes and marisgroundes aboute xv miles distante from Auaricum There he vnderstode by hys spyes euerye howre of the day from time to time what was done at Auaricum and likewise sent them word againe what he would haue done He watched vs continuallye when we went out for forrage or for corne and sodenly assayled our men scattered as they had occasion to go anye thynge far and did vs great displeasure Albeit as much as could be foresene by reason our men preuented them by goyng forth diuers wayes at times vncertayn Cesar planting his siege agaynst that part of the town where as was the narrow passage as wee shewed before betwene the riuer and the marris began to cast vp a moūt to make Uines and to builde twoo Towres for the nature of the place would not suffer him to entrench thē round about For victuall he ceased not to call vppon the Boyans and Heduanes of whom th one bycause they did it more then halfe against theyr wils dyd not greatly help vs and thother bicause they were of no great abilitie inasmuch as their city was but small and weake had sone consumed that whych they had Albeit that our army were brought in greate distresse for want of corne through the pouerty of the Boyans on thoneside and the slacknes of the Heduanes on thother side together wyth the burning of the houses inso much that manye dayes together the souldyers wanted bread were fayne to appease their extreme hungar wyth fleshe of beastes onlye the whych also they fet out of villages a great way of Yet notwythstanding there was not heard amongst theym any talke vnsemely for the maiestye of the people of Rome or theyr former victoryes But rather when Cesar as they were at their work wold speake vnto them and tell them that yf they toke thys famine grieuouslye he wold breake vp hys siege they all be sought him he should not so do for they had serued vnder him now many yeres together in suche sort that they neuer yet tooke anye foyle nor neuer departed from any place wyth out accomplishing theyr pourpose Wherfore it should tourne to theyr great shame and reproch if they left theyr siege which they had begon it were better for them to abide all the sorowes that could be deuised than not to reuenge the deathes of their countrymen that were murdered at Genabum through the treasō of the Galles The same things also dydde they talke to their Capteynes and the Marshals of the host to th entēt they should make report therof vnto Cesar At such time as our towres were now nere vnto the walles Cesar vnderstode by hys prysoners that Uercingetorix hauing spent al hys forrage had remoued his Camp nerer vnto Auaricum and that he himself wyth hys horsmen and the lyght armed fotemen that were wōt to feight among the horsmen was gone forth to lye in Ambush in that place whither he thought our men shuld come the next day for forrage Upō knowledge whereof Cesar setting foorth softly about midnyght came in the morning to the camp of hys enemies They hauing speedy warning by their skoutes of his coming bestowed their caryages and stuffe in close woodes and set al theyr army in order of battel in an high and an open ground When tidinges herof came vnto Cesar he commaūded that his men should out of hand lay all their fardels on a heap together and take them to their weapōs The hil was somwhat rysing by littel and littell from the fote and was enuironed almost on all sides wyth a Lake verye harde and troublesome to passe not aboue fiyftye foote broade On thys same hyll hauing first broken all the bridges the Frenchmen trusting to the strength of the place kept them selues and deuiding themselues into companyes euery city by himself kept all the shallowes and passages of the lake wyth a good gard fullye purposed in mind to assayle from the hygher groūd the Romanes sticking in the mier if they attempted to get ouer by force So that whosoeuer had sene howe nere they stode together would haue thought they had ben almost redy to haue come to hād strokes he that had knowen thaduauntage of th one part and the disaduauntage of thother might well haue thought it to haue bene but a coūterfet brag Cesar perceiuing his souldiers greatly offended that their enemies should be able to loke vpon thē hauing no greater space betwixt them and thervpō desiring earnestly a tokē of battel declared vnto thē how great losse how great slaughter of valiant men that victory wold of necessity cost him And when he saw them neuertheles so affectioned that they wold refuse no peril for hys honor he thought himself worthye to haue ben cōdemned of to much wyckednes if
and al such as came thither to bye and sell they parted the horses and threasure among them thei caused the hostages of the Cityes to be conueyed to the Magistrate to Bibracte the town it self bicause thei thought themselues not able to kepe it they set on fier to th enteÌ„t the Romanes shuld haue no good of it asmuch of the grain as could be shipped vpon the sodeine they caried a way the rest they either threw into the Riuer or els burned it they themselues leuied men out of the next Prouinces and set garrisons and wardes alonge the Riuer of Loyre and sent forth horsmen to raunge ouer all the coast to th entent to cause vs to be afraid if peraduenture they might kepe the Romanes from victuals or els bring them to so low an ebbe throughe penurye as that they might be able to driue theym out of the Countrye The whiche hope of theirs was greatly furthered in that the riuer of Loyre was rysen so high wyth snow that there was not any foord to passe at When Cesar knew of theis thinges he thought it mete to make spede to attempt to make Bridges to th entent he might encounter with them before any greater power were thyther assembled For as to alter hys purpose and to turne hys iorney into Prouince he thoght it behoued him not at the time so to do partlye bicause the infamye and dishonor of the dede the mountayne Gebenua whych was betwixt him and the couÌ„try and the crabbednes of the wayes were a let to hym but inespecially for that he was sore afraid for Labienus who was disseuered from him and for the Legions that he had sent foorth vnder hym Wherefore takynge vnmeasurable great iourneyes night and day contrary to thopinion of all meÌ„ he came to the riuer of Loyre finding there a foord by hys horsmen such a one as wold serue the turne in such a tyme of necessitye for they could haue no more but theyr shoulders and armes free aboue the water to wielde their harnesse and weapons wythall placing his horsmeÌ„ on ech side to breake the force of the streame he so abasshed hys ennemies at the firste sight that he passed hys army sauflye and finding plenty of corne and cattel in the fieldes he furnyshed hys armye therewyth and tooke hys iorney toward the Senones While theis thinges were in doyng wyth Cesar Labienus leauinge at Agendicum the supplement of Souldiers that came lately out of Italy to th entent they should be a defence to the caryages went wyth fowre Legions to Lutetia whych is a towne of the Parisians situate in an Iland of the Riuer of Seane Whos 's comminge beinge knoweÌ„ to the enemy a great power resorted thither out of the Cities therabout The gouernment of the whole host was committed to Camulogenus an Aulerk who albeit he were almost wythered for age yet for his singuler knowledge in feats of war he was called to that honor He perceiuing that the Lake which falleth into Seane was neuer drye but kept alwayes at one heighth and that it greatly anoied al that quarter setled himself there intending to kepe our men from passing ouer At the fyrst Labienus weÌ„t about to make Uinets to fil vp the lake with hurdles and turfe to force away to passe saufly ouer but wheÌ„ he perceyued it was to difficult a matter to bring to passe he went secretly out of hys camp in the thyrde watche and came to Melune the same way that he had gone thence It is a town of the People of Sens. Senones staÌ„ding in an Iland of Seane as we sayde a littell before of Lutetia There taking about fiftye Barges and fastening them quickly together and putting his souldiers in theym he so amazed the Townesmen wyth the straungenes of the matter of whom the greater part had bene alredy called out to the warres that he tooke the Towne wythout resistence and repayring the bridge which hys enemies had broken certayne dayes before conueyed ouer hys â—â—my kept on his iorney downe the streame toward Lutetia His enemies hauyng knowledge of the matter by such as fled from Melune commaunded Lutetia to be burned and the brydges of the towne to be cut downe they themselues remouing from the lake that was vpon the bank of the riuer of Seane encamped directly ouer agaynst Lutetia in the face of Labienus Camp By this time they heard that Cesar was dislodged from Gergouia and rumors were brought of the rebelling of the Heduanes and of the prosperous insurrectioÌ„ of Gallia And nowe the Galles in theyr talke assured themselues for a troth that Cesar beinge stopped of his iorney and of passage ouer Loyre was driuen for want of corne to make towarde Prouynce The people of Beawuoys also who of themselues had before times bene disloyall hearynge that the Heduanes had rebelled began to rayse men and prepare for the war openly Then Labienus in so great alteration of things perceyued that it behoued hym to work far otherwyse thaÌ„ he had heretofore done Neyther studied he nowe anye more how to conquer anye thing or howe he might egge his enemies to encounter but how he might conuey again hys army sauf to Agendicum For on th one side the meÌ„ of Beawnoys which City is reputed in Gallia to be of very great force were redy to sit on hys skyrtes and agayne Camulogenus held thotherside with â—ys army redye and well furnyshed Moreouer there was a great Ryuer betwene him and home so that hys army could neyther recouer to theyr garrisoÌ„ nor come by their stuffe and cariages Being beset vppon the sodein with so many distresses he saw there was no helpe to be sought but by valiantnes of courage Hereupon he called a counsel toward the Euening and exhorting theym to put in execution diligently and polletiquely suche thynges as he shoulde commaund them he appoynted the Romane horsemen to take the Barges single that he had brought from Melune and assoone as the first watche were ended to go theyr wayes wyth them a fowre miles down the streame wythout any noyse and there to abide hys comming Fiue Cohortes which he thought lest able to endure the bruÌ„t of battel he left behind him to kepe his Campe. Thother fiue of the same legion he commaunded to go vp the streame about midnight wyth al the stuffe and cariages with a great noyse Also he gate together botes and caused them to be rowed vp the streame wyth muche noyse of beating wyth the ores He hymself a littel while after went forth secretly wyth thre Legions toward the same place where hee commaunded the Barges to ariue WheÌ„ he came thither it fortuned by means of a great storme whych rose sodenlye that the scoult watch of our enemyes as they were placed aloÌ„g the bankes on both sides of the Riuer were surprysed vnwares by our men and both oure fotemen and horsmen by the seruyce of the Romane horsemen whom he had appointed to haue
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
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
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
parts and made three Camps vpon a very high ground from the whych by littel littel as much as hys host was able he determined to cast a Rāpier round about the town The townes men perceyuinge that and remembringe the miserable case of Alexia feared the like chaunce and that aboue all others Lucterius who had tasted the smarte of that misfortune warned them to lay for corne before hande they determined by generall consent that leauing a part of tharmy there for the defence of the town Lucterius and Drapes wyth the best furnished should go forth to fetch in corne Thys counsel being allowed the next nyght Drapes and Lucterius leauing two thousand armed mē behind theym led the rest out of the towne They after a fewe dayes tariaunce brought in a great masse of grayne out of the country of the Cadurkes who partly were wylling to help them therwith and partly durst not gainsaye theyr takinge of it bycause they were not able to make their part good against them Often times also they wold make rodes in the night and assault the castles of our camp For the whych consideration C. Caninius stayed in making fortifications roūd about the towne for doubt lest he shuld not be able either to defend the whole work whē it was finished or els shuld make him selfe weake by settinge his men towarde in so manye places at ones When they had brought together a great masse of grayne Drapes and Lucterius tooke vp theyr standinges not passing tenne miles from the towne to th entent by littell littell to conuey it in and they parted the charge betwene them Drapes taryed behinde wyth parte of tharmye to kepe the Camp Lucterius draue the beastes wyth theyr cariages toward the towne and settinge stales there for his defēce about ten of the clocke in the nyght purposed by narrowe wayes through the woodes to conuey the corne into the Towne The trampling of whose feete the watch men of our Campe hearyng and the scoultes beinge sent out reportinge what was a doynge Caninius caused his Cohorts to arme them quickly and about the breake of day made assault out of the next castles vppon the forragers Who beynge feared wyth the sodeinnesse of the mischief fled to theyr stales The whyche assone as our men perceiued they flew more fiercely vppon the armed men and suffered none to be taken aliue Luccerius fledde from thence wyth a few but he returned not to his Cāp After thys good successe Caninius vnderstoode by hys prisoners that part of the army was behinde in the Camp wyth Drapes not past a xii miles of The whych thing when he had learned by many to be of truth perceyuinge that one of the Capteynes being alredye put to flyght the remnant of the companye aflighted might easly be oppressed he thought it a token of great good lucke that none escaped from the slaughter into the Campe to carye tidinges of the mishap vnto Drapes And forasmuche as he saw there was no daunger in puttinge the matter in proofe he sent all hys horsemen and the Germane fotemen swyft and nimble fellowes before to the Campe of hys enemies One of hys Legions he distributed in hys campe and thother disburdened of all cariages he tooke wyth hym When he came nere hys enemies hys scoultes that he had sēt before him brought him worde that as the custome of the barbarous nations commonlye is they had abandoned the hygher ground and encāped themselues by the Riuer side that our horsmē and the Germanes had flewen vppon them sodenly ere they were aware and geuen charge vpon them Assone as he knew that he hasted forward wyth hys Legion well armed and well appointed and so geuing sodeinly a token on all sides the higher places were taken At the doing wherof the Germanes and our men of armes seing the standerdes of our Legiō fought very vehemently and by and by all our Cohortes gaue charge vpon them roūd about so that in conclusion al were eyther staine or caught prisoners a great booty taken Drapes himself was also taken in the same conflict Caninius hauing accomplished hys matter most luckely wythout almost any hurt at al to his souldiers returned to besiege the townes men and now hauing destroied his forreine enemye for feare of whō he durst not heretofore deuide hys garrisons nor enuiron the towne wyth fortifications he commaundeth the workes to be gone forwarde wyth round about the town The next day came thither C. Fabius with his power and toke another part of the town to besiege In the meane time Cesar left M. Antonius hys Threasorer wyth xv Cohortes amonge the Bellouanes to th entent the Belgies shoulde not haue any liberty to practise new deuises agayne and he himself went vnto thother Cities and there chargeth them with mo hostages with comfortable words healeth the fearfull hartes of thē al. When he came among the Caruntes in whose coūtrye as Cesar hath declared in hys former treatise the war first of al begon forasmuche as he perceyued thē to be chiefly afrayd for remembrance of theyr cryme to th entent he might the more spedely deliuer the country from feare he required to haue Guturnate the chief worker of that mischief raiser of the rebellion deliuered vnto him to be punished who albeit he betoke not himself euē to hys owne country men yet al men made so diligēt search for him that he was soone found out and brought to the camp Cesar contrarye to hys owne nature was compelled to punnishe him whether he would or no by the importunatenesse of hys souldyers who imputed al the perils and losses that they toke by this war vnto Guturnate insomuch that hys body after it astonied wyth whipping was beheaded There by many letters frō Caninius he was aduertised what was done about Drapes and Lucterius and in what minde the townes men perseuered the smal number of whō although he despised yet he demed their wilfulnesse worthye grieuous punishment leaste they might geue occasion to all Gallia to think that they wanted not strength but constancie to withstand the Romanes or least by their example other cities of Gallia trusting to thopportunity of the places shoulde attempt to set themselues at liberty specially seing he was sure that all the Galles knew howe his commission lasted but one sommer longar the whyche if they could holde out they should nede to feare no daūger hereafter And therfore leauing his Lieuetenant C. Calenus behind with hys footemen to folowe leysurely after him by reasonable iorneyes he himselfe with all hys men of armes went in al hast to Caninius When Cesar cōtrary to al mens expectacion was come to Uxellodunum and saw the towne enuironed with fortifications perceyuing that it was not for him to breake vp his siege for any condicion and lerning moreouer by runneawayes that the townes men had great abundance of victuals he assayed to cut of the water from his enemy Now there was a riuer that
of horsmen sent his fotemen into their wintering places by his LieuetenaÌ„ts Fower Legions he placed in Belgica vnder hys Lieuetenants M. Antonius C. Trebonius P. Uatinius Q. Tullius Two he set ouer the Heduans whoÌ„ he knewe to be of greatest authority in all Gallia Two mo he set ouer the Turones in the borders of the Caruntes to be a stay to al that country that lay vpon the sea coast The other two he placed in the borders of the Lemouikes not far froÌ„ Auverne to th eÌ„teÌ„t there shuld not be any part of Gallia without an army After he had taried a few days in Prouince there with spede perused al their Courtes sitting vpon publike controuersies awarding recompence to such as had deserued wel for he had great desier to vnderstaÌ„d how euery man had ben minded toward the coÌ„mon weale in the time of the general rebellioÌ„ of al Gallia the which he had born out through the faithfulnes assistence of the said Prouince assone as he had dispatched theis things he returned to his Legions into Belgicke wintred at Nemetocerna There he had knowledge geuen him how Comiê° of Arras had encountred with his men of armes For after that Anâ—ony was come into his wintergarrison that the city of Arras continued in obedience Comius who after his wouÌ„ding that we spake of before was wont euer to be ready at hand to his country men at euerye stir to th enteÌ„t that if they wold practise any new denâ—ses they should not want a head a captein for the wars as long as the city obeied the Romanes he with his horsmen found hym self his retinew by theuing and for laying the wayes cut of manye conueyes that were going wyth prouisioÌ„ to the Romane garrisoÌ„s There was appointed to Antony for LieuetenaÌ„t of his horsmeÌ„ C. Uolusenus Quadratus to winter in garrison with him him did Antony send to pursue yâ— horsmen of his enemies Uolusenus besides the singuler prowesse that was in him did also beare a great hatred toward Comiê° which was a cause that he so much the more willingly executed the thing that was commaunded him Wherfore laying diuers ambushes he oftentimes set vpon Comius horsemen and put them to the worse Last of al when the contencion grew more vehement that Uolusenus for desier to cut of Comius himself folowed him somwhat more egerly wyth a few that Comius on thother side fled the faster away to th eÌ„tent to draw him further froÌ„ his coÌ„pany at length espying his aduantage Comius sodeÌ„ly cried out vpon all his men that as they were true vnto him they should ayd him not suffer the wound that was geueÌ„ him vnder colour of frendship to be vnreuenged therwithall turning his hors soÌ„what vnaduisedly he letteth him run froÌ„ the rest of his coÌ„pany vpon Uolusenus Al his horsmeÌ„ did the like bicause there were but a few of our men they made them turn head pursued them Comiê° putting spurs to his horse encouÌ„tred the horse of Quadratus with his speare redy charged in the rest thrust Uolusenê° by great violence through the thigh WheÌ„ our horsmeÌ„ saw their captein wouÌ„ded they bestirred themselues turning their horses put their enemies backe After the which chauns many of our ennemies being amazed at the great force of oure men were wounded of whoÌ„ some were ouerthrowen in the chase some were taken prisoners The which misaduenture like as Comius escaped by the swiftnesse of hys horse so our capteine being by him in this prosperous battell sore wouÌ„ded was caried into the caÌ„p in such case as it was not likely he shuld haue liued And Comius whether it were that he thought his grief sufficiently reueÌ„ged or bicause he had lost a great part of his company sent messengers to Antony assuring him by hostages that he wold continue where it shuld please him to appoint do whatsoeuer he shuld coÌ„maund him Only one request he made wherin he besought him to bear with his fearfulnes that he might not come in the sight of any Romane The whiche request for asmuch as Antony iudged it to procede of feare in deede not without good cause he pardoned him accordinge to his desier and receiued hys hostages I know that Cesar made of euery yere by it self a seueral treatise the which thing I thought was not nede full for me to do bicause the yere folowing when L. Paulus C. Marcellus were Consuls there were no notable feates done in Gallia Neuertheles to th entent men may know in what places Cesar his armies were at the same time I haue thought good to wright yet a littel more and to annex it to this treatise During the time that Cesar wintred in Belgicke this one thing was hys chiefe purpose to kepe the Cities together in amitye to minister no hope nor cause of war for he mynded nothing lesse than to deale in such wise as he shuld he constreyned to haue warre at the tyme of his departure least when he wold wtdraw hys army there shuld be left any war behind the which all Gallia could willingly find in hart to enterpryse so it might be without present peril And therfore by entreating the Cities honorablye by rewarding the noble men highlye by burdening the country with no new impositions he easly kept in quiet vnder a better state of obedience all Gallia which nowe was wearied wyth so many vnfortunate battels WheÌ„ winter time was expired coÌ„trary to his custome he goeth into Italy with asmuch eâ—peditioÌ„ as might be to talke with the fraunchised newe inhabited townes and to commeÌ„d vnto them the sute of his Threasorer M. Antonius for the high Priesthod For he made al the frendship he could both gladly bicause the same Antony whoÌ„ he had sent before to sew for that promotioÌ„ was his very dere frend and also earnestly as in despight of the partaking and forcible working of a few meÌ„ who by serting Antonye beside his purpose sought meanes to disgrace Cesar now going oute of his offyce Albeit he had tydings by the way before he came nere Italye that Antonye was made Augur yet he thought he hadde as good cause as before to go vnto the fraunchised newe townes to th entent to geue them thankes for making theyr appearance and for theyr gentilnesse shewed in the behalfe of Antony and also to commend vnto them his own case for the honorable rouâ—â—e whiche he purposed to sew for the next yeare foâ—lowinge that the rather bicause hys aduersaryes proudly made theyr boast that L. Lentulus C. Marcellus were created Consuls to bereue Cesar of al honor and authority and that the Consulshyp was wrested froÌ„ Sergius Galba when he had more fauourable voyces on hys side bycause he had bene alyed to Cesar by familiarity frendship and had bene bound vnto hym as his Lieuetenant Cesar at his comming among the fraunchised newe townes was enterteyned
wonderfull louingly and honorably For that was the firste time that he came froÌ„ the general warres in Gallia Nothing was omitted that could be deuised for the decking and garnisshing of the gates wayes places where Cesar shuld passe Al the commons came forth wyth their children to mete him by the way sacrifices were euery where offred the temples and market places were hanged with clothes of Tapisrie Arras that a man wold haue thought by their gladnes there had bene some greate triumphe loked for and laid for before So great costlines was among the richer sort and so earnest desier was amonge the meaner sort When Cesar had lightly passed through all the Countryes of Gallia Now called Lumbardye Togata he returned wyth all spede to hys armye at Nemetocerna calling al his Legions out of their wintering places into the country of the Treuires he went thither and there tooke musters of them T. Labienus he made gouernor of Gallia Togata to th eÌ„tent therby to get him the more fauor and estimation toward his sute for the Consulship He himself made so many iorneyes as he thought sufficient for chaunge of the places for healthsomnesse There albeit he hard ofteÌ„times that Labienus was moued by his enemies and was also aduertised how it was done by thaduise of a fewe to th entent that by the commaundement of the Senate he might be spoiled of part of his army yet not withstanding he neyther gaue credit to any thing that was reported of Labienus no nor would be moued to do any thing contrary to the authoritye of the Senate For he beleued that if the Senatours might geue their verdits freely he should easly obtein hys purpose For C. Curio Protector of the commonalty who had taken vpoÌ„ him to defend Cesars cause and dignity had oftentimes profered that yf the feare of Cesars power hindred any maÌ„ and seing that the Lordlynes power of Pompey did put the Court in no smal feare let both of them lay downe theyr weapons and dysmysse their armies and so shuld the City be at liberty to vse her own right as she listed And he not onely profered thys thing but began of hymself to wythdraw hys power whyche thynge the Consuls the frendes of Pompey coÌ„maunded shuld not be done and so ruling the matter as they listed they departed Thys was a great wytnes of the whole Senate agreable to the former act For Marcellus the nexte yere after wheÌ„ he impugned Cesars estimation coÌ„trary to the law of Pompey and Crassus had put vp a bill to the Senate for the charge of Cesar before the time of his coÌ„mission was expired when the sentences were pronouÌ„ced Marcellus who sought al his estimatioÌ„ by working spight against Cesar departed aside â–ª and the Senate fel al of theÌ„ by by to other matters Wherby the courages of Cesars ennemies were no whitte appalled but rather styrred vp to make mo frends therby to compel the Senate to alow that which thei had determined Hervpon was made a decree that Cneus Pompeius shuld send one LegioÌ„ and Cesar another to the warre agaynst the Parthians But it was easy to be sene that both theis LegioÌ„s were taken from Cesar. For the first Legion which Cneus Pompeius had sent vnto Cesar leuied in the musters of the Prouince he gaue vnto Cesar as one of hys own number Neuertheles albeit that no man neede to doubt that Cesar was spoyled at the pleasure of his enemies yet he sent Pompey hys Legion again and in his owne name he willed the .xv. Legion whyche he had in the hyther Gallia to be delyuered to him by the decree of the Senate In stead therof he sent the .xiii. Legion into Italy to lye in garrison in the same place from wheÌ„ce the .xv. was set TheÌ„ he distributed his army into garrisons C. Trebonius wyth iiii legioÌ„s he placed in Belgicke C. Fabius with as many he coÌ„ueieth to the Heduanes For so he thought Gallia shuld be in most saufty if the Belgies who were of most prowesse the Heduans who were of most authoritye had armies among them to kepe theÌ„ in obedience This done he tooke hys way into Italye When he came thither he vnderstode by Caius Marcellus the Consul that the two Legions which he had dismissed which by the decree of the Senate should haue ben led to the ParthiaÌ„ war were deliuered to Pompey kept stil in Italy Although by thys dealing it was euideÌ„t to al the world what was purposed against Cesar yet Cesar determined to suffer al things as long as he had any hope left to decide his controuersies rather by the lawe than by the sworde FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by VVilliam Seres AN EXPOSITION OF the old names of the Countries Cities Townes Hilles and Riuers mencioned in this booke together with a description of certaine Engines of warre vsed in those dayes by the Romanes ADVATICKES PEOple of Belgicke betwene Louan and Aldenburg in Braband nowe called people of Bosleduke Agendicum a Towne of the Senons in Celticke called Sens or Prouince Alduasdubis or after Ptolome Alduasdusius a Riuer of Celticke rising about the mount S. Claud and deuidinge Burgundye from Swicerland whiche falleth into the ryuer Soan not far from the Citie Cabillon it is now called in Latin Dubius and in FreÌ„ch Doux Alexia a Towne of Celticke in Burgundye not far from Langres nowe called Alseâ— or Lausoys or Alyse as RaymuÌ„d Marlian affirmeth in his Annotacions vppon Cesars Commentaries But according to thopinion of Ioseph Molet in his Commentaries vpon Ptolomies Geographie it is a town of Artoys in Belgicke called Arras Allobrogians people of Prouince conteyning the Countries of Sauoy and Delphinoys Alpes the high hilles which deuide Fraunce and Italy a sunder Ambarrrians people of Celticke supposed of some to be the people of Burbon of some the people of Niuers Iucundus calleth theÌ„ the people of Semar and Montar Amagetobria a place in Celticke where Ariouistus kinge of the Germanes vanquished the power of the Galles not far from the Rhine supposed to be called Toaâ—t Ambians a people of Picardy about the citye Amiens it is in Belgicke Ambibarets people also adioyning to the citie Amiens Ambibarians a people of littell Britaine in Celticke Ambiliares the people of Auranches in littell Britaine Ambiuarits the people of Braband in Belgick Andians the people of Aniow in Celticke Antuates the people of Uawd in Sauoy Aquileia a towne of Italy at the Gulf of Uenice vpon the riuer Natisone Armoricke the country of littell Britaine Ardeine a forest in Belgicke beginning at the Rhine and so runninge by the space of more than fiue hundred miles throughe the territory of Triers to the enâ—raÌ„ce of the boundes of Rhemes Arar a riuer of Celticke nowe called Soan which springeth in the borders of Burgundy and Loreyn not far from the mountayne Uosegus and falleth into Rhone at Lions Arâ—comikes or Aremikes or Artomikes
and deuiding partlye the Celtes froÌ„ the Belgies falleth into Seane a littell about Paris Matiscon a city of Celticke by the riuer Soan in the borders of low BurguÌ„dy betwene the townes of Lions and CauilloÌ„ it is now called Mascon or Macon Maze or meuse a riuer which springeth out of the mountaine Uogesus in Celticke in the borders of Langres not far from the heades of Marne and Soan and takinge into it an arme of the Rhine called walis aboute fowerscore miles from the sea it maketh an Iland which is called Holland Mediomatrikes the people of Lorein aboute Mets. Meldians people of Meaulx Melodunum a towne in an Iland of the riuer Seane nere vnto Parris called Melune Metiosedum or Iosedum a towne vppon the riuer Seane called Corbeil Morines the people of Tirwin in Belgicke or as Ioseph Molet sayth the Flemings N. Nannets people of NauÌ„tes in Britaine Britonant Nantuates or Antuates people of Germanie on thys syde the Rhyne about Constance called the people of Uawd Narbone the chief Cytie of Prouince wherof all the Prouynce was called Narbonensis Nemets the people about Spire Nitiobriges or NitiobrigiaÌ„s people of MouÌ„t pelyer in Celticke Uzes Neruians the people aboute Tornay in Belgycke Noreia the city of Norimberg in Germanye Noricum the country about the sayd city Nouiodunum the name of thre cities wherof one is in Belgicke not far from Paris and is called Noyon thother twoo are in Celtycke th one in the countrye of Berrey nere vnto Bourges and thother in lowe Burgundy at the ryuer Loyre Numidians people of Affrycke O. Ocelum whyche also is called Oscelium a towne in Piemount by the ryuer Duria Octodure the city Martanach in lower Ualoys Orcinia loke Bacenis Osissines the people of Landgriguer in Brytayne P. Parthians a people of Asia Petrocorians the people of Perrygort in Aquitayne Pictones the people of Poyters in Aquitain Pleumosians the Flemynges Precianes people of Aquitayne nere vnto Bierne Pirustes people of Dalmatia whych now is a part of Slauony Po the chyef ryuer of Italy whych ryseth at the foote of the mountayne Uesulus and afterward receyuing xxx ryuers into him falleth wyth seuen chanelles into the Adriatike sea Pyrenes the Mountaynes whyche deuyde Fraunce from Spayne they are now called the mountaynes of Foyes and Rounceual R. Rauracians people of Celticke about Basill Rhedones people about Rhenes in Britaine Rhegium a towe in Italye on the sea coast ouer agaynst the promontary of Sicill called Pelorus Rhemes a towne in Champaine in Belgycke and the people of the country therabout Rhone a ryuer rysing out of thalpes whyche deuydeth the Romane Prouynce from the Swycers and then turning into the south cutteth through the myds of the Prouince and lastly falleth into the mydland sea Ruthenes a people of the Prouynce called Rhodes S. Sabis the ryuer Sambre in Belgyck which runneth into Maze by the Towne of Namures Samarobrina the town of Cambray in Belgycke Santones the people of Santon in Aquitain Scaldis the riuer Skeld in Belgycke it runneth through Cornay falleth into Maze Seane a Ryuer rysinge nere the borders of Langres and lowe Burgundy in the country of Alâ—et It runneth through Paris deuidynge Celticke from Belgicke falleth into the Britysh Ocean by Newhauen Sebusians Secusians or Segusians people of Celticke nere vnto Sauoy and Burgundy betwene the dyocesses of Lausan and Lions whych by coniecture shoulde be aboute the Citye Bizâ—nce or the people of Bresse Sedunes or Sedusians the people about Sion in Ualoys Senons the people of Sens in Celticke Sequanes looke Heduans Sycambers the people of Gelderland Swessions the people of Soysons in Belgick Swevians people on the furthersyde of the Rhyne nowe called the Swoabes or as Melancthon affirmeth the Pomeranes Soan loke Arar T. Tarbelles the people about Tarb or Bayon in Guyen Tarusats people about Turse in Guyen Tectosages the people of Languedock in Prouince Teucthers somtyme a people of Germany beyond the Rhyne now thought to be the people of Iulyers on thys syde the Rhyne Tiguryne the Canton of Zurich in Swicerland Tolous a citye in Prouynce Tolosatians people of the couÌ„try about the city Treuires people of Tryers and the countrye thereabouts Triwkes the people about Strawsbrough Turones the people aboute Towres vppon Loyre in Celticke Tulingians the people of Loreyne U. Uangions the people of wormbes and thereaboutes Uatuca Uaruta or Ratuca as some suppose was a Castell wheras is now the towne of Iulyers Uacalos an arme of the Rhyne called walis whych falleth into the ryuer Maze Ubians the people about Colon on the other side of the Rhyne Uellaunians the people of Uellay about S. Flowre in Celticke Uellaunodunum Uilleneuf in Loreine Uenets the people of Uannes in Britaine Ueragrians people of lower Ualoys aboute Martanach Ueromanduans the people of Uermandoys in Picardy Uesontio the City Besanson in Burgundy Uienna the citye of Uien in Delphynoys Uuelles the people of Perche Uocontians loke in Centrones Uogesus or Uosegus a Mountayne in the marches of Langres out of the whyche the Maze spryngeth Uolces Tectosages are the people of LaÌ„gnedocke about Avinion Uolces Arecomickes loke Arecomikes Urellodunum the Citie Cadenacke in Quercye in Celticke FINIS OF the battell Ram Uegetius in hys iiii booke of cheualry maketh a shorte dyscription Battel Ram. lykenyng it to the engine called a Tortoyse in these words Of â—ymber and wordes is framed the Tortoyse whych bycause it shuld not be hurt wyth fier is couered wyth rawe hydes or wyth hayres and course cloth Thys inwardly receyueth a traine whych is armed before wyth a hooked piece of yron called a Sythe bycause it boweth inwarde to pull stones out of the wall wyth Or elles is the head thereof clad wyth steele and it is called a Ram eyther bicause it hath a very hard front whych pusheth vp the wals or els bicause after the manner of Rammes it goeth baske to th entent to stryke wyth greater violence Nowe the Tortoyse hathe hys name of his lykenesse to the true Tortoyse bicause that as the Tortoyse sometyme putteth forth her head sometyme draweth it into her shell agayne so the engyâ—e doth one whyle put backe the beame and another whyle thruste it forward agayn to th entent it may stryke with greater vyolence theis are the wordes of Uegetius Iosephus in hys booke of the warres in Iewry descrybeth it in thys wyse The maner of the yron Ram sayth he is thus Fyrste they take a great long thycke beame vpon the forepart wherof they put a great strong heade made lyke vnto a Rammes head with hornes all of pryncipal strong yron the weight wherof is asmuche as halfe the beame and couereth the beame also to the â—yds Then fasten they into the ground against the place that they intend to batter two great trees lyke masâ—es of shyppes betwene whych they hang the beame that is called the Ram wyth stronge ropes of hemp and yron wyer twysted together At the hynder part
to put on armor for the liberty of their couÌ„trye and so hauinge gotten a great power he dryueth hys aduersaries out of the city by whom he had bene driuen out a littel before Then they proclaimed him king and he sending foorth Ambassadors euery waye besought them to continue faythful in that they had promysed It was not long ere he had alied vnto him the Senones the Parisians the Pictones the Cadurkes the Turones the Aulerkes the Lemonikes the Andies and all the residewe that lye vppon the Ocean By generall consent the gouernement was put into hys handes vpon the offer of which authority he demaunded hostages of all the sayd Cities and commaunded a certayne number of men of warre to be leuyed and brought vnto him out of haÌ„d He appointed how much armor euery Citye should haue in a readynes at home and what they shoulde do before the time Chieflye he made prouision for horsmeÌ„ And as he was very diligent in laying for thynges before hand so did he wyth great seuerity execute hys authority with extremity of punishment compelled such as were newters For if there were any offence committed he put them to death wyth fier and all kindes of tormentes and for light faultes he sent them home agayne wyth theyr eares cutte of or wyth one of theyr eyes put out to th entent they should be an example to the rest and make them afrayd wyth the greatnes of their punishment Hauing by meanes of theis punishments soone gathered a great power he sent one Lucterius of Cahors a man of synguler audacitie with part of hys army amoÌ„g the Ruthenes and he him self went agaynst the people of Bourges At his coming the meÌ„ of Bourges sent messengers to the Heduans vnder whose tuicion they were to desier succor to thintent they might be the better able to wythstande the power of theyr enemies The Heduanes by thaduice of the Liuetenants which Cesar had left with the army sent succor both of horsmen and fotemen to the men of Bourges who when they came to the ryuer of Loyre whych deuideth the Heduanes from them of Bourges taried there a few dais and bicause they durst not passe the riuer returned home agayne declaring to theyr Lieuetenantes that the cause why they did so was by reason they feared that the meÌ„ of Bourges wolde betraye them whom they knewe to haue fullye determined among theÌ„selues that if they had passed the Riuer they themselues shuld haue beset them on th one side the men of Auverne on thother Whether they told our Lieuetenants this tale bicause it was so in deede or of trechery and falshod for asmuche as the trueth is not knowen I can not affirme it for a certeinty Immediatly after their departure the men of Bourges ioyned them selues wyth the menne of Auverne When theis things were reported to Cesar in Italye after the time he vnderstoode that the matters about the city were through the wise valiant demeanor of Cn. Pompeius brought to a good poynt he toke hys iorney into Gallia beyond the Alpes At suche tyme as he was come thyther he was in great distresse by what meanes he might come to hys armye For if he should sende for hys Legions to him into Prouince he was assured that they shoulde be encountred wyth by the way and he could not be thereto assyst them And if he should aduenture to go to his army he saw manifestly that it was not wythout peryl for hym to commyt his life into the hands no not euen of such as semed to bee at that time most in quiet In the meane whyle Lucterius of Cahors who was sent agaynst the Ruthenes reconciled that Citye to the men of Auverne From thens continuing his voyage against the Nitiobriges and Gabales he tooke hostages of them bothe and assembling a greate power purposed to make a rode into Prouince towarde Narbone When Cesar hearde tidinges therof all other deuises set a side he thought it most expedient to preuent him in going to Narbone When he came thither he chered such as were fearefull set garrisons amonge the Ruthenes in Prouince the Uolces the Arecomikes the men of Tholous and about Narbone whyche places bordered vpon our enemies and commauÌ„ded part of hys power that was in Prouince and the supplye whiche he had brought with him out of Italy to assemble in the countrye of the Heluians whych borders vppon the country of Auverne Theis thinges being thus set in order and hauyng repressed Lucterius yea and remoued him as who thought it to daungerous an enterprise for him to enter among oure garrisons he tooke hys iorney against the Heluians Nowe albeit that vpon the mountain The mountaine of Geneua or of Auverne Gebenua which disseuereth the men of Auverne from the Heluians the snow lay so deepe in that dead time of the wynter that it was hard for him to passe yet notwythstanding casting a side the snowe sixe foote depe and so making waye wyth great paine of his souldiers he came to the borders of Auverne and oppressing them vnbewares bicause they thought them selues as surelye defended with the mountaine Gebenua as if it had ben wyth a wal in asmuch neuer erst any one man alone had found passage ouer it at that time of the yeare he commaunded hys horsmen that they shuld dispers theÌ„selues as far abrode as they could put their enemies in asmuch feare as might be Quyckâ—y were theis things by fame and messengers brought vnto Uercingetorix about whom flocked all the men of Auverne amazed beseching him to prouide some remedie agaynst theyr misfortune and not to suffer them to be spoyled of their enemye specially seing he perceiued that all the brunt of the war was turned vppon theyr necks Moued with their entreataÌ„ce he remoued his camp from Bourges towards Auverne But Cesar after he had taryed twoo dayes in those quarters forasmuche as hys minde mysgaue him before that Uercingetorix wold do some such thynge vppon excuse to rayse a newe supplement and to get mo horsmen he departed from hys armye and left a yonge Gentylman named Brutus to be Capteine in his stead Him he warned to let the horsemen scowre the Countrye euerye waye as farre as might be promising so to vse the matter that he wold not be past thre dayes from the camp When he had ordered theis thinges in thys wise none of hys meÌ„ witting whereabout he went by as greate iorneyes as could be he came to Uienna There hauing gotten a fresh crew of horsemen which he had sent thither many dayes before wythout ceasing hys trauel day or night he went through the countrye of the Heduanes vnto the Lingones where two of hys Legions wintered to th entent that yf the Heduanes also shoulde conspyre anye thing otherwyse than well against him he might by celerity preuent them When he came thyther he sent to thother Legions and assembled them all together into one place before that any tidings of hys