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
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
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