Now Voadicia being prepared (as you heare) set foorth with such
maiestie, that she greatlie incouraged the Britains; vnto whome for
their better animating and emboldening, she vttered this gallant
oration in manner and forme following.
[Sidenote: The oration of Voadicia.]
"I doo suppose (my louers and friends) that there is no man here but
dooth well vnderstand how much libertie and fréedome is to be
preferred before thraldome and bondage. But if there haue bene anie of
you so deceiued with the Romane persuasions, that ye did not for a
time see a difference betwéene them, and iudged whether of both is
most to be desired: now I hope that hauing tried what it is to be
vnder both, ye will with me reforme your iudgement, and by the harmes
alreadie taken, acknowledge your ouersight, and forsake your former
error. Againe, in that a number of you haue rashlie preferred an
externall souereigntie before the customes and lawes of your owne
countrie, you doo at this time (I doubt not) perfectlie vnderstand how
much free pouertie is to be preferred before great riches, wherevnto
seruitude is annexed; and much wealth in respect of captiuitie vnder
forren magistrats, wherevpon slauerie attendeth. For what thing (I
beséech you) can there be so vile & grieuous vnto the nature of man,
that hath not happened vnto vs, sithens the time that the Romans haue
bene acquainted with this Iland?
"Are we not all in manner bereaued of our riches & possessions? Doo
not we (beside other things that we giue, and the land that we till
for their onelie profit) paie them all kinds of tributs, yea for our
owne carcases? How much better is it to be once aloft and fortunate in
deed, than vnder the forged and false title of libertie, continuallie
to paie for our redemption a fréedome? How much is it more commendable
to lose our liues in defense of our countrie, than to carie about not
so much as our heads toll frée, but dailie oppressed & laden with
innumerable exactions? But to what end doo I remember and speake of
these things, since they will not suffer by death to become frée? For
what and how much we paie for them that are dead, there is not one
here but he dooth well vnderstand. Among other nations such as are
brought into seruitude, are alwaies by death discharged of their
bondage: onelie to the Romans the dead doo still liue, and all to
increase their commoditie and gaine.
"If anie of vs be without monie (as I know not well how and which way
we should come by anie) then are we left naked, & spoiled of that
which remaineth in our houses, & we our selues as men left desolate &
dead. How shall we looke for better dealing at their hands hereafter,
that in the beginning deale so vncourteouslie with vs: since there is
no man that taketh so much as a wild beast, but at the first he will
cherish it, and with some gentlenesse win it to familiaritie? But we
ourselues (to saie the trueth) are authors of our owne mischiefe,
which suffered them at the first to set foot within our Iland, and did
not by and by driue them backe as we did Cesar, or slue them with our
swords when they were yet farre off, and that the aduenturing hither
was dangerous: as we did sometime to Augustus and Caligula.
"We therefore that inhabit this Iland, which for the quantitie thereof
maie well be called a maine, although it be inuironed about with the
Ocean sea, diuiding vs from other nations, so that we séeme to liue
vpon an other earth, & vnder a seuerall heauen: we, euen we (I saie)
whose name hath béene long kept hid from the wisest of them all, are
now contemned and troden vnder foot, of them who studie nothings else
but how to become lords & haue rule of other men. Wherefore my
welbeloued citizens, friendes, and kinsfolkes (for I thinke we are all
of kin, since we were borne and dwell in this Ile, and haue one name
common to vs all) let vs now, euen now (I saie, because we haue not
doone it heretofore, and whilest the remembrance of our ancient
libertie remaineth) sticke togither, and performe that thing which
dooth perteine to valiant and hardie courages, to the end we maie
inioie, not onelie the name of libertie, but also fréedome it selfe,
and thereby leaue our force and valiant acts for an example to our
posteritie: for if we which haue béene liberallie and in honest maner
brought vp, should vtterlie forget our pristinate felicitie: what may
we hope for in those that shall sucéed vs, and are like to be brought
vp in miserie and thraldome?
"I doo not make rehearsall of these things vnto you, to the end I
would prouoke you to mislike of this present estate of things (for
well I know you abhorre it sufficientlie alreadie) neither to put you
in feare of those things that are likelie to fall hereafter (because
you doo feare and sée them verie well before hand) but to the end I
maie giue you heartie thankes and woorthie commendations, for that of
your owne accord and meanes you determine so well to prouide for
things necessarie (thereby to helpe both me and your selues with
willing minds) as men that are nothing in doubt of all the Romane
puissance.
"If you consider the number of your enimies, it is not greater than
yours: if you regard their strength, they are no stronger than you:
and all this dooth easilie appéere by the bassinets, habergeons, &
greiues wherewith you be armed; and also by the walls, ditches and
trenches that you haue made for your own defense, to kéepe off their
excursions, who had rather fight with vs a farre off, than cope &
deale with vs at hand strokes, as our custome of the warres and
martiall discipline dooth require. Wherefore we doo so farre exceed
them in force, that in mine opinion, our armie is more strong than
stone walls, and one of our targets woorth all the armour that they
doo beare vpon them: by meanes whereof, if the victorie be ours, we
shall soone make them captiues: or if we lose the field, we shall
easilie escape the danger.
"Furthermore, if after the flight we shall indeuour to méet anie
where, we haue the marishes héere beneath to hide vs in, and the hils
round about to kéepe them off, so that by no meanes they shall haue
their purpose of vs, whereas they being ouercharged with heavie
armour, shall neither be able to follow, if we flée; nor escape out of
our danger, if they be put to flight: if they happen to breake out at
anie time as desirous to make a rode, they returne by and by to their
appointed places, where we maie take them as birds alreadie in cage.
In all which things, as they are farre inferior to vs, so most of all
in this, that they can not indure hunger, thirst, cold, heat, and
sunneshine, as we can doo.
"In their houses also and tents, they make much account of their baked
meates, wine, oile, and abroad of the shadow, that if anie of these
doo faile them, they either die foorthwith, or else in time they
languish and consume: whereas to vs euerie hearbe and root is meat,
euerie iuice an oile, all water pleasant wine, and euerie trée an
house. Beside this, there is no place of the land vnknowne to vs,
neither yet vnfriendlie to succour vs at néed; whereas to the Romans
they are for the most part vnknowne and altogither dangerous, if they
should stand in néed: we can with ease swim ouer euerie riuer both
naked and clad, which they with their great ships are scarse able to
performe. Wherefore with hope and good lucke let vs set vpon them
couragiouslie, and teach them to vnderstand, that since they are no
better than hares and foxes, they attempt a wrong match, when they
indeuour to subdue the grehounds and the woolues." With which words
the quéene let an hare go out of hir lap, as it were thereby to giue
prognostication of hir successe, which comming well to passe, all the
companie showted, and cried out vpon such as not long before had doone
such violence to so noble a personage. Presentlie vpon this action,
Voadicia calling them togither againe, procéeded forward with hir
praier, which she made before them all, holding vp hir hands after
this manner:
"I giue thée thanks O Adraste, and call vpon thee thou woman of women,
which reignest not ouer the burthen-bearing Aegyptians, as Nitocris;
neither ouer their merchants, as dooth Semiramis, for these trifles we
haue learned latelie of the Romans: neither ouer the people of Rome,
as a little héeretofore Messalina, then Agrippina, and now Nero, who
is called by the name of a man, but is in déed a verie woman, as dooth
appéere by his voice, his harpe, and his womans attire: but I call
vpon thee as a goddesse which gouernest the Britains, that haue
learned not to till the field, nor to be handicrafts men, but to lead
their liues in the warres after the best manner: who also as they haue
all other things, so haue they likewise their wiues and children
common, whereby the women haue the like audacitie with the men, and no
lesse boldnesse in the warres than they.
"Therefore sithens I haue obteined a kingdome among such a mightie
people, I beséech thée to grant them victorie, health, and libertie,
against these contentious, wicked, and vnsatiable men (if they maie be
called men, which vse warme bathings, delicate fare, hot wines, swéet
oiles, soft beds, fine musicke, and so vnkindlie lusts) who are
altogither giuen to couetousnesse and crueltie, as their dooings doo
declare. Let not I beséech thée, the Neronian or Domitian tyrannie
anie more preuaile vpon me, or (to saie truth) vpon thée, but let them
rather serue thée, whose heauie oppression thou hast borne withall a
long season, and that thou wilt still be our helper onlie, our
defender, our fauourer, and our furtherer, O noble ladie, I hartilie
beséech thée."
* * * * *
_Queene Voadicia marcheth against the Romans, to whom she giueth a
shamefull and bloudie ouerthrow without anie motion of mercie,
dredfull examples of the Britains crueltie indifferentlie executed
without exception of age or sex._