When Voadicia had made an end of hir praier, she set forward against
hir enimies, who at that time were destitute in déed of their
lieutenant Paulinus Suetonius, being as then in Anglesey (as before ye
haue heard.) Wherefore the Romans that were in Camelodunum sent for
[Sidenote: _Corn. Tacit._]
[Sidenote: Catus Decianus procurator.]
aid vnto Catus Decianus the procurator, that is, the emperours agent,
treasurer, or receiuer, for in that citie (although it were inhabited
by Romans) there was no great garrison of able men. Wherevpon the
procurator sent them such aid as he thought he might well spare, which
was not past two hundred men, and those not sufficientlie furnished
either with weapon or armour.
The citie was not compassed with anie rampire or ditch for defense,
such as happilie were priuie to the conspiracie, hauing put into the
heads of the Romans that no fortification néeded: neither were the
aged men nor women sent awaie, whereby the yoong able personages might
without trouble of them the better attend to the defense of the citie:
but euen as they had béene in all suertie of peace, and frée from
suspicion of anie warre, they were suddenlie beset with the huge armie
of the Britains, and so all went to spoile and fire that could be
found without the inclosure of the temple, into the which the Romane
souldiers (striken with sudden feare by this sudden comming of the
enimies) had thronged themselues. Where being assieged by the
Britains, within the space of two daies the place was woonne, and they
that were found within it, slaine euerie mothers sonne.
After this, the Britains incouraged with this victorie, went to méet
with Petus Cerealis lieutenant of the legion, surnamed the ninth, and
boldlie incountering with the same legion, gaue the Romans the
ouerthrow and slue all the footmen, so that Cerealis with much adoo
escaped with his horssemen, and got him backe to the campe, and saued
himselfe within the trenches. Catus the procurator being put in feare
with this ouerthrow, and perceiuing what hatred the Britains bare
towards him, hauing with his couetousnesse thus brought the warre vpon
the head of the Romans, got him ouer into Gallia.
But Suetonius aduertised of these dooings, came backe out of Anglesey,
and with maruellous constancie marched through the middest of his
enimies to London, being as then not greatlie peopled with Romans,
though there was a colonie of them, but full of merchants, and well
prouided of vittels: he was in great doubt at his comming thither,
whether he might best staie there as in a place most conuenient, or
rather séeke some other more easie to be defended. At length
considering the small number of his men of warre, and remembring how
Cerealis had sped by his too much rashnesse, he thought better with
the losing of one towne to saue the whole, than to put all in danger
of irrecouerable losse. And therewith nothing mooued at the praier &
teares of them which besought him of aid and succour, he departed, and
those that would go with him he receiued into his armie, those that
taried behind were oppressed by the enimies: and the like destruction
happened to them of Verolanium, a towne in those daies of great fame,
situat néere to the place where the towne of Saint Albons now
standeth.
The Britains leauing the castels and fortresses vnassaulted, followed
their game in spoiling of those places which were easie to get, and
where great plentie of riches was to be found, vsing their victorie
with such crueltie, that they slue (as the report went) to the number
[Sidenote: 80000, saith _Dion._]
of 70 thousand Romans, and such as tooke their part in the said places
by the Britains thus woon and conquered. For there was nothing with
the Britains but slaughter, fire, gallowes, and such like, so
earnestlie were they set on reuenge. They spared neither age nor sex:
women of great nobilitie and woorthie fame they tooke and hanged vp
naked, and cutting off their paps, sowed them to their mouthes, that
they might séeme as if they sucked and fed on them, and some of their
bodies they stretched out in length, and thrust them on sharpe stakes.
All these things they did in great despite whilest they sacrificed in
their temples, and made feasts, namelie in the wood consecrated to the
honour of Andates, for so they called the goddesse of victorie whom
they worshipped most reuerentlie.
* * * * *
_P. Suetonius the Romane with a fresh power assalteth the Britains,
whose armie consisted as well of women as men: queene Voadicia
incourageth hir souldiers, so dooth Suetonius his warriors, both
armies haue a sharpe conflict, the Britains are discomfited and
miserablie slaine, the queene dieth, Penius Posthumus killeth
himselfe, the Britains are persecuted with fire, swoord, and famine,
the grudge betweene Cassicianus and Suetonius, whome Polycletus is
sent to reconcile, of his traine, and how the Britains repined at
him._