Now will we returne to the sequele of the matter, as Cesar himselfe
reporteth. After his comming into Gallia, there were but two cities of
all Britaine that sent ouer their hostages according to their
[Sidenote: _Dion Cassius._]
couenant, which gaue occasion to Cesar to picke a new quarrell against
them, which if it had wanted, he would yet (I doubt not) haue found
some other: for his full meaning was to make a more full conquest of
that Ile. Therefore purposing to passe againe thither, as he that had
a great desire to bring the Britains vnder the obedience of the Romane
estate, he caused a great number of ships to be prouided in the winter
season and put in a readinesse, so that against the next spring there
were found to be readie rigged six hundred ships, beside 28 gallies.
[Sidenote: _Cæsar de bello Gal. lib._ 5.]
Héerevpon hauing taken order for the gouernance of Gallia in his
absence, about the beginning of the spring he came to the hauen of
Calice, whither (according to order by him prescribed) all his ships
were come, except 40 which by tempest were driuen backe, and could not
as yet come to him.
After he had staied at Calice (as well for a conuenient wind, as for
other incidents) certeine daies, at length when the weather so changed
that it serued his purpose, he tooke the sea, & hauing with him fiue
legions of souldiers, and about two thousand horssemen, he departed
out of Calice hauen about sun setting with a soft southwest wind,
directing his course forward: about midnight the wind fell, & so by a
calme he was carried alongst with the tide, so that in the morning
when the day appéered, he might behold Britaine vpon his left hand.
Then following the streame as the course of the tide changed, he
forced with oares to fetch the shore vpon that part of the coast,
which he had discouered, and tried the last yeere to be the best
landing place for the armie. The diligence of the souldiers was shewed
héere to be great, who with continuall toile droue foorth the heauie
ships, to kéepe course with the gallies, & so at length they landed in
Britaine about noone on the next day, finding not one to resist his
comming ashore: for as he learned by certeine prisoners which were
taken after his comming to land, the Britains being assembled in
purpose to haue resisted him, through feare striken into their harts,
at the discouering of such an huge number of ships, they forsooke the
shore and got them vnto the mountaines. There were in deed of vessels
one and other, what with vittellers, & those which priuat men had
prouided and furnished foorth for their owne vse, being ioined to the
ordinarie number, at the least eight hundred saile, which appeering in
sight all at one time, made a wonderfull muster, and right terrible in
the eies of the Britains.
But to procéed: Cesar being got to land, incamped his armie in a place
conuenient: and after learning by the prisoners, into what part the
enimies were withdrawne, he appointed one Quintus Atrius to remaine
vpon the safegard of the nauie, with ten companies or cohorts of
footmen, and thrée hundred horssemen: and anon after midnight marched
foorth himselfe with the residue of his people toward the Britains,
and hauing made 12 miles of way, he got sight of his enimies host, who
sending downe their horssemen and charets vnto the riuer side,
skirmished with the Romans, meaning to beate them backe from the
higher ground: but being assailed of the Romane horssemen, they were
repelled, & tooke the woods for their refuge, wherein they had got a
place verie strong, both by nature and helpe of hand, which (as was to
be thought) had béene fortified before, in time of some ciuill warre
amongst them: for all the entries were closed with trées which had
béene cut downe for that purpose. Howbeit the souldiers of the 7
legion casting a trench before them, found meanes to put backe the
Britains from their defenses, and so entring vpon them, droue them out
of the woods. But Cesar would not suffer the Romans to follow the
Britains, bicause the nature of the countrie was not knowne vnto them:
and againe the day was farre spent, so that he would haue the residue
thereof bestowed in fortifieng his campe.
The next day, as he had sent foorth such as should haue pursued the
Britains, word came to him from Quintus Atrius, that his nauie by
rigour of a sore and hideous tempest was gréeuouslie molested, and
throwne vpon the shore, so that the cabels and tackle being broken and
destroied with force of the vnmercifull rage of wind, the maisters and
mariners were not able to helpe the matter. Cesar calling backe those
which he had sent foorth, returned to his ships, and finding them in
such state as he had heard, tooke order for the repairing of those
that were not vtterlie destroied, and caused them so to be drawne vp
to the land, that with a trench he might so compasse in a plot of
ground, that might serue both for defense of his ships, and also for
the incamping of those men of warre, which he should leaue to attend
vpon the safegard of the same. And bicause there were at the least a
fortie ships lost by violence of this tempest, so as there was no hope
of recouerie in them, he saw yet how the rest with great labour and
cost might be repaired: wherefore he chose out wrights among the
legions, sent for other into Gallia, and wrote ouer to such as he had
left there in charge with the gouernment of the countrie, to prouide
so manie ships as they could, and to send them ouer vnto him. He spent
a ten daies about the repairing of his nauie, and in fortifieng the
campe for defense thereof, which done, he left those within it that
were appointed there before, and then returned towards his enimies.
At his comming backe to the place where he had before incamped, he
found them there readie to resist him, hauing their numbers hugelie
increased: for the Britains hearing that he was returned with such a
mightie number of ships assembled out of all parts of the land, and
had by general consent appointed the whole rule and order of all
things touching the warre vnto Cassiuellane or Cassibelane, whose
dominion was diuided from the cities situat néere to the sea coast, by
[Sidenote: Cassibellane as should séeme, ruled in the parties of
Oxfordshire, Barkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire.]
the riuer of Thames, 80 miles distant from the sea coast. This
Cassibellane before time had bin at continuall warre with other
rulers, and cities of the land: but now the Britains moued with the
comming of the Romans, chose him to be chiefe gouernour of all their
armie, permitting the order and rule of all things touching the
defense of their countrie against the Romans onelie to him. Their
horssemen and charets skirmished by the waie with the Romans, but so
as they were put backe oftentimes into the woods and hills adioining:
yet the Britains slue diuers of the Romans as they followed anie thing
egerlie in the pursute.
Also within a while after, as the Romans were busie in fortifieng
their campe, the Britains suddenlie issued out of the woods, and
fierselie assailed these that warded before the campe, vnto whose aid
Cesar sent two of the chiefest cohorts of two legions, the which being
placed but a little distance one from another, when the Romans began
to be discouraged with this kind of fight, the Britains therewith
burst through their enimies, and came backe from thence in safetie.
That daie Quintus Laberius Durus a tribune was slaine. At length Cesar
sending sundrie other cohorts to the succour of his people that were
in fight, and shrewdlie handled as it appéered, the Britains in the
end were put backe. Neuerthelesse, that repulse was but at the
pleasure of fortune; for they quited themselues afterwards like men,
defending their territories with such munition as they had, vntill
such time as either by policie or inequalitie of power they were
vanquished; as you shall sée after in the course of the historie.
Howbeit in fine they were ouer-run and vtterlie subdued, but not
without much bloudshed and slaughter.
* * * * *
_The Romans heauie armor their great hinderance, the maner of the
Britains fighting in warre, their incounter with their enimies, their
discomfiture, the worthie stratagems or martiall exploits of
Cassibellane, the Troinouants submission to Cæsar, and their sute
touching Mandubratius, manie of the Britains are taken and slaine of
the Romans._