[Sidenote: Iulius Agricola lieutenant.]
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tacit. in uit. Agr._]
[Sidenote: The first yéere of Agricola his gouernment.]
After Iulius Frontinus, the emperor Vespasian sent Iulius Agricola to
succéed in the gouernement of Britaine, who comming ouer about the
midst of summer, found the men of warre thorough want of a lieutenant
negligent inough, so those that looking for no trouble, thought
themselues out of all danger, where the enimies neuerthelesse watched
vpon the next occasion to worke some displeasure, and were readie on
ech hand to mooue rebellion. For the people called Ordouices, that
inhabited in the countrie of Chesshire, Lancashire and part of
Shropshire, had latelie before ouerthrowne, and in maner vtterlie
destroied a wing of such horssemen as soiourned in their parties, by
reason whereof all the prouince was brought almost into an assured
hope to recouer libertie.
Agricola vpon his comming ouer, though summer was now halfe past, and
that the souldiers lodging here & there abroad in the countrie, were
more disposed to take rest, than to set forward into the field against
the enimies, determined yet to resist the present danger: and
therewith assembling the men of warre of the Romans, and such other
aids as he might make, he inuaded their countrie that had done this
foresaid displeasure, and slue the most part of all the inhabitants
thereof. Not thus contented (for that he thought good to follow the
steps of fauourable fortune, and knowing that as the begining proued,
so would the whole sequele of his affaires by likelihood come to
[Sidenote: The Ile of Anglesey.]
passe) he purposed to make a full conquest of the Ile of Anglesey,
from the conquest wherof the Romane lieutenant Paulinus was called
backe by the rebellion of other of the Britains, as before ye haue
heard.
But whereas he wanted ships for the furnishing of his enterprise, his
wit and policie found a shift to supplie that defect: for choosing out
a piked number of such Britains as he had there with him in aid, which
knew the foords and shallow places of the streames there, and withall
were verie skilfull in swimming (as the maner of the countrie then
was) he appointed them to passe ouer on the sudden into the Ile,
onelie with their horsses, armor, and weapon: which enterprise they so
spéedilie, and with so good successe atchiued, that the inhabitants
much amazed with that dooing (which looked for a nauie of ships to
haue transported ouer their enimies by sea, and therefore watched on
the coast) began to thinke that nothing was able to be defended
against such kind of warriors that got ouer into the Ile after such
sort and maner.
[Sidenote: Anglesey yéelded to Agricola.]
And therefore making sute for peace, they deliuered the Ile into the
hands of Agricola, whose fame by these victories dailie much
increased, as of one that tooke pleasure in trauell, and attempting to
atchiue dangerous enterprises, in stead whereof his predecessors had
delighted, to shew the maiesties of their office by vaine brags,
statelie ports, and ambitious pomps. For Agricola turned not the
prosperous successe of his procéedings into vanitie, but rather with
neglecting his fame, increased it to the vttermost, among them that
iudged what hope was to be looked for of things by him to be atchiued,
which with silence kept secret these his so woorthie dooings.
Moreouer, perceiuing the nature of the people in this Ile of Britaine,
and sufficientlie taught by other mens example, that armor should
little auaile where iniuries followed to the disquieting of the
people, he thought best to take away and remooue all occasions of
[Sidenote: Agricola his good gouernment.]
warre. And first beginning with himselfe and his souldiers, tooke
order for a reformation to be had in his owne houshold, yéelding
nothing to fauor, but altogither in respect of vertue, accounting them
most faithfull which therein most excelled. He sought to know all
things, but not to doo otherwise than reason mooued, pardoning small
faults, and sharpelie punishing great and heinous offenses, neither
yet deliting alwaies in punishment, but oftentimes in repentance of
the offendor. Exactions and tributes he lessened, qualifieng the same
by reasonable equitie. And thus in reforming the state of things, he
wan him great praise in time of peace, the which either by negligence
or sufferance of the former lieutenants, was euer feared, and
accounted woorse than open warre. This was his practise in the winter
time of his first yéere.
[Sidenote: His diligence.]
But when summer was come, he assembled his armie, and leading foorth
the same, trained his souldiers in all honest warlike discipline,
commending the good, and reforming the bad and vnrulie. He himselfe to
giue example, tooke vpon him all dangers that came to hand, and
suffered not the enimies to liue in rest, but wasted their countries
with sudden inuasions. And when he had sufficientlie chastised them,
and put them in feare by such manner of dealing, he spared them, that
they might againe conceiue some hope of peace. By which meanes manie
countries which vnto those daies had kept themselues out of bondage,
laid rancor aside, and deliuered pledges, and further were contented
to suffer castels to be builded within them, and to be kept with
garrisons, so that no part of Britaine was frée from the Romane power,
but stood still in danger to be brought vnder more and more.
[Sidenote: The second yéere of Agricola his gouernment.]
[Sidenote: The woorthie practises of Agricola to traine the Britains
to ciuilitie.]
In the winter following, Agricola tooke paines to reduce the Britains
from their rude manners and customs, vnto a more ciuill sort and trade
of liuing, that changing their naturall fiercenesse and apt
disposition to warre, they might through tasting pleasures be so
inured therewith, that they should desire to liue in rest and
quietnesse: and therefore he exhorted them priuilie, and holpe them
publikelie to build temples, common halls where plées of law might be
kept, and other houses, commending them that were diligent in such
dooings, and blaming them that were negligent, so that of necessitie
they were driuen to striue who should preuent ech other in ciuilitie.
He also procured that noble mens sonnes should learne the liberall
sciences, and praised the nature of the Britains more than the people
of Gallia, bicause they studied to atteine to the knowledge of the
Romane eloquence. By which meanes the Britains in short time were
brought to the vse of good and commendable manners, and sorted
themselues to go in comelie apparell after the Romane fashion, and by
little and little fell to accustome themselues to fine fare and
delicate pleasures, the readie prouokers of vices, as to walke in
galleries, to wash themselues in bathes, to vse banketting, and such
like, which amongst the vnskilfull was called humanitie or courtesie,
but in verie deed it might be accounted a part of thraldome and
seruitude, namelie being too excessiuelie vsed.
[Sidenote: The third yéere.]
In the third yéere of Agricola his gouernment in Britaine, he inuaded
the north parts thereof (vnknowne till those daies of the Romans)
being the same where the Scots now inhabit: for he wasted the countrie
[Sidenote: The water of Tay.]
vnto the water of Tay, in such wise putting the inhabitants in feare,
that they durst not once set vpon his armie, though it were so that
the same was verie sore disquieted and vexed by tempest and rage of
weather. Wherevpon finding no great let or hinderance by the enimies,
he builded certeine castels and fortresses, which he placed in such
conuenient stéeds, that they greatlie annoied his aduersaries, and
were so able to be defended, that there was none of those castels
which he builded, either woon by force out of the Romans hands, or
giuen ouer by composition, for feare to be taken: so that the same
beeing furnished with competent numbers of men of warre, were safelie
kept from the enimies, the which were dailie vexed by the often issues
made foorth by the souldiers that laie thus in garrison within them:
so that where in times past the said enimies would recouer their
losses susteined in summer by the winters aduantage, now they were put
to the woorse, and kept backe as well in the winter as in the summer.
[Sidenote: The fourth yéere of Agricola his gouernment.]
[Sidenote: Clota Bodotria.]
In the fourth summer, after that Agricola was appointed vnto the rule
of this land, he went about to bring vnder subiection those people,
the which before time he had by incursions and forreies sore vexed and
disquieted: and therevpon comming to the waters of Clide and
Loughleuen, he built certeine fortresses to defend the passages and
entries there, driuing the enimies beyond the same waters, as it had
béene into a new Iland.
[Sidenote: The fift yéere.]
In the fift summer, Agricola causing his ships to be brought about,
and appointing them to arriue on the north coasts of Scotland, he
passed with his armie ouer the riuer of Clide; and subdued such people
as inhabited those further parts of Scotland, which till those daies
had not beene discouered by the Romans. And bicause he thought it
should serue well to purpose, for some conquest to be made of Ireland,
if that part of Scotland which bordereth on the Irish seas might be
kept in due obedience, he placed garrisons of souldiers in those
parties, in hope verelie vpon occasion to passe ouer into Ireland, and
for the more easie aduancement of his purpose therein, he interteined
[Sidenote: An Irish king expelled out of his countrie.]
with honourable prouision one of the kings of Ireland, which by ciuill
discord was expelled and driuen out of his countrie. In déed Agricola
perceiued, that with one legion of souldiers, and a small aid of other
men of warre it should be an easie matter to conquer Ireland, and to
bring it vnder the dominion of the Romans: which enterprise he iudged
verie necessarie to be exploited, for better kéeping of the Britains
in obedience, if they should sée the iurisdiction of the Romans euerie
where extended, and the libertie of their neighbours suppressed.
[Sidenote: The sixt yéere of Agricola his government.]
In the sixt summer of Agricola his gouernment, he proceeded in
subduing the furthermost parts of Scotland northwards, causing his
nauie to kéepe course against him by the coast as he marched foorth by
land, so that the Britains perceiuing how the secret hauens and
créekes of their countries were now discouered, and that all hope of
refuge was in maner cut off from them, were in maruellous feare. On
the other part the Romans were sore troubled with the rough mounteins
and craggie rocks, by the which they were constreined to passe beside
the dangerous riuers, lakes, woods, streicts, and other combersome
waies and passages.
The danger also of them that were in the ships by sea was not small,
by reason of winds and tempests, and high spring tides, which tossed
and turmoiled their vessels verie cruellie: but by the painfull
diligence of them that had béene brought vp and inured with continuall
trauell and hardnesse, all those discommodities were ouercome to their
great reioising, when they met and fell in talke of their passed
perils. For oftentimes the armie by land incamped so by the shore,
that those which kept the sea came on land to make merrie in the
campe, and then ech one would recount to others the aduentures that
had happened, as the manner is in semblable cases.
* * * * *
_The Britains of Calenderwood assalt the Romans upon aduantage,
bloudie battels fought betwixt them, great numbers slaine on both
sides, the villanous dealing of certeine Dutch souldiers against their
capteins and fellowes in armes, the miserie that they were driven vnto
by famine to eate one another, a sharpe conflict betweene the Romans
and Britains, with the losse of manie a mans life, and effusion of
much bloud._