THE

HISTORY OF BRITAIN.

IAM

THE SECOND BOOK.

AM now to write of what befel the Britains from fifty and three years before the birth of our Saviour, when first the Romans came in, till the decay and ceafing of that empire; a ftory of much truth, and for the first hundred years and fomewhat more, collected without much labour. So many and fo prudent were the writers, which thofe two, the civilest and the wifeft of European nations, both Italy and Greece, afforded to the actions of that puiffant city. For worthy deeds are not often destitute of worthy relaters: as by a certain fate, great acts. and great eloquence have moft commonly gone hand in hand, equalling and honouring each other in the fame ages. It is true, that in,obfcureft times, by fhallow and unfkilful writers, the indiftinct noife of many battles and devastations of many kingdoms, overrun and loft, hath come to our ears. For what wonder, if in all ages arnbition and the love of rapine hath ftirred up greedy and violent men to bold attempts in wafting and ruining wars, which to pofterity have left the work of wild beafts and deftroyers, rather than the deeds and monuments of men and conquerors? But he whose just and true valour ufes the neceffity of war and dominion not to destroy, but to prevent deftruction, to bring in liberty against tyrants, law and civility among barbarous nations, knowing that when he conquers all things elfe, he cannot conquer Time or Detraction, wifely confcious of this his want as well as of his worth not to be forgotten or concealed, honours and hath recourse to the aid of eloquence, his friendliest and best supply; by whose immortal record his noble deeds, which elfe were tranfitory, become fixed and durable against the force of years and generations, he fails not to continue through all pof

terity,

terity, over Envy, Death, and Time alfo victorious. Therefore when the efteem of fcience and liberal ftudy waxes low in the commonwealth, we may prefume that alfo there all civil virtue, and worthy action is grown as low to a decline: and then eloquence as it were conforted in the fame deftiny, with the decrease and fall of virtue, corrupts also and fades; at least resigns her office of relating to illiterate and frivolous hiftorians, fuch as the perfons themselves both deferve, and are best pleafed with; whilft they want either the understanding to choose better, or the innocence to dare invite the examining, and fearching ftyle of an intelligent and faithful writer to the furvey of their unfound exploits, better befriended by obfcurity than fame. As for these, the only authors we have of British matters, while the power of Rome reached hither, (for Gildas affirms that of the Roman times no British writer was in his days extant, or if any were, either burnt by enemies or tranfported with fuch as fled the Pictish and Saxon invasions) these therefore only Roman authors there be, who in the Latin tongue have laid together as much, and perhaps more than was requifite to a hiftory of Britain. So that were it not for leaving an unfightly gap fo near to the beginning, I fhould have judged this labour, wherein fo little seems to be required above tranfcription, almost fuperfluous. Notwithstanding fince I must through it, if aught by diligence may be added or omitted, or by other difpofing may be more explained or more expreffed, I fhall affay.

Julius Cæfar (of whom, and of the Roman free state more than what appertains, is not here to be difcourfed) having fubdued molt part of Gallia, which by a potent faction he had obtained of the fenate as his province for many years, ftirred up with a defire of adding ftill more glory to his name, and the whole Roman empire to his ambition; fome* fay, with a far meaner and ignobler, the defire of British pearls, whofe bignefs he delighted to balance in his hand; determines, and that upon no unjust pretended occafion, to try his force in the conqueft alfa of Britain. For he understood that the Britains in most *Suet. vit. Cæf.

of

of his Gallian wars had fent fupplies against him; had received fugitives of the Bellovaci his enemies; and were called over to aid the cities of Armorica, which had the year before confpired all in a new rebellion. Therefore Cæfar*, though now the fummer well nigh ending, and the feafon unagreeable to tranfport a war, yet judged it would be great advantage, only to get entrance into the ifle, knowledge of men, the places, the ports, the acceffes; which then, it feems, were even to the Gauls our neighbours almost unknown. For except merchants and traders, it is not oft †, faith he, that any ufe to travel thither; and to those that do, befides the feacoaft, and the ports next to Gallia, nothing elfe is known. But here I muft require, as Pollio did, the diligence, at least the memory of Cæfar: for if it were true, as they of Rhemes told him, that Divitiacus, not long before a puiffant king of the Soiffons, had Britain alfo under his command, befides the Belgian colonies which he affirms to have named, and peopled many provinces there; if alfo the Britains had fo frequently given them aid in all their wars; if laftly, the Druid learning honoured fo much among them, were first taught them out of Britain, and they who fooneft would attain that discipline, fent hither to learn §; it appears not how Britain at that time should be fo utterly unknown in Gallia, or only known to merchants, yea to them fo little, that being called together from all parts, none could be found to inform Cæfar of what bigness the ifle, what nations, how great, what use of war they had, what laws, or fo much as what commodious heavens for bigger veffels. Of all which things as it were then firft to make difcovery, he fends Caius Volufenus, in a long galley, with command to return as foon as this could be effected. He in the mean time with his whole power draws nigh to the Morine coaft, whence the fhorteft paffage was into Britain. Hither his navy, which he ufed against the Armoricans, and what elfe of fhipping can be provided, he draws together. This known in Britain, the embas fadors are fent from many of the ftates there, who promife hoftages and obedience to the Roman empire. Year before Christ 53. + Cæf. Com. 1. 1. § Caf. Com. 1. 4. Them,

Them, after audience given, Cæfar as largely promifing and exhorting to continue in that mind, fends home, and with them Comius of Arras, whom he had made king of that country, and now fecretly employed to gain a Roman party among the Britains, in as many cities as he found inclinable, and to tell them that he himself was speeding thither. Volufenus, with what discovery of the ifland he could make from aboard his ship, not daring to venture on the fhore, within five days returns to Cæfar. Who foon after, with two legions, ordinarily amounting, of Romans and their allies, to about 25000 foot, and 4500 horie, the foot in 80 fhips of burden, the horfe in 18, befides what galleys were appointed for his chief commanders, fets off, about the third watch of night, with a good gale to fea; leaving behind him Sulpitius Rufus to make good the port with a fufficient ftrength. But the horle, whofe appointed shipping lay windbound eight mile upward in another haven, had much trouble to embark. Cæfar, now within fight of Britain, beholds on every hill multitudes of armed men ready to forbid his landing; and * Cicero writes to his friend Atticus, that the acceffes of the ifland were wonderously fortified with ftrong works or moles. Here from the fourth to the ninth hour of day he awaits at anchor the coming up of his whole fleet. Mean while, with his legates and tribunes, confulting and giving order to fit all things for what might happen in fuch a various and floating water-fight as was to be expected. This place, which was a narrow bay, close environed with hills, appearing no way commodious, he removes to a plain and open fhore eight miles diftant; commonly fuppofed about Deal in Kent. Which when the Britains perceived, their horfe and chariots, as then they used in fight fcowering before, their main power speeding after, fome thick upon the fhore, others not tarrying to be affailed, ride in among the waves to encounter, and affault the Romans even under their, fhips, with fuch a bold and free hardihood, that Cæfar himself between confeffing and excufing that his foldiers were to come down from their fhips, to ftand in water heavy armed, and to fight Cic. Att. 1. 4, Ep. 17. + Camden.

at

at once, denies not but that the terror of fuch new and refolute oppofition made them forget their wonted valour. To fuccour which he commands his galleys, a fight unufual to the Britains, and more apt for motion, drawn from the bigger veffels, to row against the open fide of the enemy, and thence with flings, engines and darts, to beat them back. But neither yet, though amazed at the ftrangeness of thofe new feacaftles, bearing up fo near, and fo fwiftly as almost to overwhelm them, the hurtling of oars, the battering of fierce engines against their bodies barely expofed, did the Britains give much ground, or the Romans gain; till he who bore the eagle of the tenth legion, yet in the galleys, firft befeeching his gods, faid thus aloud, "Leap down foldiers, unlefs you mean to betray your enfign; I for my part will perform what I owe to the commonwealth and my general." This uttered, overboard he leaps, and with his eagle fiercely advanced runs upon the enemy; the reft heartening one another not to admit the difhonour of fo nigh lofing their chief ftandard, follow him refolutely. Now was fought eagerly on both fides. Ours who well knew their own advantages, and expertly ufed them, now in the fhallows, now on the fand, ftill as the Romans went trooping to their enfigns, received them, difpatched them, and with the help of their horfe, put them every where to great diforder. But Cæfar caufing all his boats and fhallops to be filled with foldiers, commanded to ply up and down continually with relief where they faw need; whereby at length all the foot now difembarked, and got together in fome order on firm ground, with a more steady charge put the Britains to flight: but wanting all their horfe, whom the winds yet withheld from failing, they were not able to make purfuit. In this confufed fight *, Scæva a Roman foldier having preffed too far among the Britains, and befet round, after incredible valour fhown, fingle against a multitude, (wam back fafe to his general; and in the place that rung with his praifes, earnestly befought pardon for his rafh adventure againft difcipline: which modeft confeffing after no bad event, for fuch a deed wherein valour and ingenuity fo much outweighed

Valer. Max. Plutarch.

tranfgreffion,