_The State of_ Gaul, _after it was reduced into the form
of a_ Province _by the_ Romans.
'Tis very well known to all learned Men, that _Gaul_, after having been
often attempted with various Success, during a ten Years War, and many
Battels, was at last totally subdued by _Cæsar_ and reduced into the
Form of a Province. It was the Misfortune of this most valiant and
warlike People, to submit at length to the _Great Beast_, as it is
called in Scripture, with which however they so strove for Empire for
eight hundred Years, (as _Josephus_ informs us) that no Wars with any
other Nation, so much terrified _Rome_. And _Plutarch_ in his Lives of
_Marcellus_ and _Camillus; Appian_ in his 2d Book of the Civil Wars;
_Livius, lib._ 8. & 10. have recorded, that the _Romans_ were so afraid
of the _Gauls_, that they made a Law, whereby all the Dispensations
(formerly granted to Priests and old Men, from serving in their Armies)
were made void, in Case of any Tumult or Danger arising from the
_Gauls_; which _Cicero_ takes notice of in his 2d _Philippick_. _Cæsar_
himself in his 6th Book, and after him _Tacitus_, lib. _de moribus
Germanorum_, do testify, That there was a time wherein the _Gauls_
excell'd the _Germans_ in Valour, and carried the War into their
Territories, settling Colonies (by reason of their _great_ Multitudes of
People) beyond the _Rhine_.
Now _Tacitus_ in his Life of _Agricola_, attributes, the _Loss_ of this
their so remarkable _Valour_, to the _Loss_ of their Liberty. _"Gallos
in bellis floruisse accepimus, mox segnities cum otio intravit, amissa_
Virtute _pariter ac_ Libertate--." And I hope the Reader will excuse me,
if the Love of my Country makes me add that remarkable Testimony of the
Valour of the _Gauls_, mentioned by _Justin, lib._ 24.--"The _Gauls_
(says he) finding their Multitudes to increase so fast, that their Lands
cou'd not afford them sufficient Sustenance, sent out Three hundred
thousand Souls to seek for new Habitations. Part of these: seated
themselves in _Italy_; who both took and burnt the City of _Rome_.
Another part penetrated as far as the Shores of _Dalmatia_, destroying
infinite Numbers of the _Barbarians_, and settled themselves at last in
_Pannonia_. A hardy bold and warlike Nation; who ventured next after
_Hercules_, (to whom the like Attempt gave a Reputation of extraordinary
Valour, and a Title to Immortality) to cross those almost inaccessible
Rocks of the _Alps_, and Places scarce passable by Reason of the Cold:
Where after having totally subdued the _Pannonians_ they waged War with
the bordering Provinces for many Years.--And afterwards--being
encouraged by their Success, subdivided their Parties; when some took
their Way to _Græcia_ some to _Macedonia_, destroying all before them
with Fire and Sword. And so great was the Terror of the Name of the
_Gauls_, that several Kings (not in the least threatned by them) of
their own accord, purchased their Peace with large Sums of Money--. And
in the following Book, he says,--So great was the Fruitfulness of the
_Gauls_ at that time, that like a Swarm they fill'd all _Asia_. So that
none of the _Eastern_ Kings either ventured to make War without a
mercenary Army of _Gauls_, or fled for Refuge to other than the _Gauls_,
when they were driven out of their Kingdoms." And thus much may suffice
concerning their warlike Praises and Fortitude, which (as _Tacitus_
tells us) was quite _gone, as soon as they lost their Liberty_. Yet some
Cities, or _Commonwealths_, (as _Phnius, lib. 4. cap. 11._ tells us)
were permitted to continue free, after the _Romans_ had reduced _Gallia_
to the Form of a Province. Such were the _Nervii_, _Ulbanesses_,
_Suessiones_ and _Leuci_. Also some of the Confederates: and among these
he reckons the _Lingones_, _Rhemi_, _Carnutes_ and _Ædui_.
But we may easily learn from these Words of _Critegnatus_ the
_Arvernian_, mentioned by _Cæsar, lib. 7._ what the Condition was of
those _Commonwealths_, which had the Misfortune to be reduced into the
Form of a _Province_. "If" (says he) "you are ignorant after what manner
far distant Nations are used by the _Romans_, you have no more to do,
but to look at our neighbouring _Gallia_, now reduced into the Form of a
Province: Which having its Laws and Customs chang'd, and being subjected
to the Power of the _Axes_, is oppress'd with perpetual Slavery."
We are to understand, there were three kinds of Servitude, or Slavery.
First, _To have a Garison of Soldiers imposed upon them, to keep them in
Awe_; yet such Provinces as seemed peaceable and quiet, had no great
Armies maintained in them. For _Josephus_ writes in his 2d Book of the
Hist. of the _Jews_, "That in the Emperor _Titus's_ time, the _Romans_
had but 1200 Soldiers in Garison in all _Gaul_, altho'" (says he) "they
had fought with the _Romans_ for their Liberty, almost 800 Years, and
had near as many Cities, as the _Romans_ had Garison-Soldiers." A Second
Sort of Servitude was, when any Province was made Tributary, and
compelled to pay Taxes; and to that End were forced to endure a Number
of Tax-gatherers, that is, _Harpies_ and _Leeches_, which suck'd out the
very Blood of the _Provincials_. _Eutropius_ tells us, in his 6th Book,
That _Cæsar_, as soon as he had subdued _Gaul_, impos'd a Tax upon it,
by the Name of a Tribute, which amounted to _H. S. Quadringenties:_
which is about a Million of our Crowns. A Third Sort of Servitude was,
when the Provinces were not permitted to be govern'd by their _own
Laws_; but had Magistrates and Judges, with full Power and Authority
(_cum imperio & securibus_) over Life and Estate, sent them by the
People of _Rome_. This Threefold Slavery not only our _Gallia_, but all
the other Provinces, took most bitterly to heart; and therefore in
_Tiberius's_ Reign, not long after _Cæsar's_ Conquest, _Tacitus_ tells
us, That the Cities of _Gaul_ rebell'd, because of the Continuance of
Taxes, the Extortions of Usurers, and Insolence of the Soldiery. And
afterwards in _Nero's_ Reign, _Suetonius_ writes, "That the _Gauls_
being weary of his Tyranny, revolted. The World" (says he) "having for
near 13 Years, endured such a Sort of Prince, at last shook him off: The
_Gauls_ beginning the Defection." Now all _Gallia_ was divided by the
_Romans_ into 16 Provinces, _viz. Viennensis, Narbonensis prima,
Narbonensis secunda, Aquitania prima, Aquitania secunda, Novempopulana,
Alpes maritimæ, Belgica prima, Belgica secunda, Germania prima,
Germania secunda, Lugdunensis prima, Lugdunensis secunda, Lugdunensis
tertia, Maxima Sequanorum, & Alpes Græcas_, as _Antoninus_ in his
_Itinerary_, and _Sextus Rufus_, give an Account of them. But _Ammianus
Marcellinus_ treats of them more particularly.
But to return to what we were speaking of: 'Tis not to be imagined how
grievously, and with what Indignation the _Gauls_ bore the Indecencies
and Plunderings of the _Romans_; nor how frequently they revolted upon
that Account and because they were not strong enough of themselves to
shake off the _Roman_ Tyranny, 'twas common Custom with them, to hire
_German_ Auxiliaries. These were the first beginnings of the Colonies of
the _Franks_; For those _Germans_, whether they were beaten by the
_Romans_, or (which is more likely) were bought off by them, began by
little and little, to settle themselves in the borders of _Gallia_. This
gave to _Suetonius_, in his Life of _Augustus_, to say,--"He drove the
_Germans_ beyond the River _Elb_; but the _Suevi_ and _Sicambri_
(submitting themselves); he transplanted into _Gallia_ where he assign'd
them Lands near the river _Rhine_."--Also in his Life of _Therius_,--"He
brought (says he) forty thousand of those that had surrendred themselves
in the _German_ War, over into _Gallia_, and allotted them Settlements
upon the Banks of the _Rhine_."--Neither must we omit what _Flavius
Vepiseus_ records, concerning the Reign of _Probus_ the Emperor; in
whose time almost all _Gallia_, that is, sixty Cities, revolted from the
_Romans_; and with common Consent, took up Arms for the Recovery of'
their Liberty:--"Having done these things (says he) he march'd with a
vast Army into _Gaul_, which after _Posthumus's_ Death was all in
Commotion, and when _Aurelianus_ was kill'd, was In a Manner possessed
by the _Germans_; there he gain'd so many Victories, that he recover'd
from the _Barbarians_ sixty of the most noble Cities of _Gallia_: And
whereas they had overspread all _Gallia_ without Controul, he slew near
four hundred thousand of those that had seated themselves within the
_Roman_ Territories, and transplanted the Remainders of them beyond the
Rivers _Neckar_, and _Elb_."
But how cruel and inhuman the Domination of the _Romans_ was in
_Gallia_: How intolerable their Exactions were: What horrible and wicked
Lives they led; and with how great Inveteracy and Bitterness they were
hated upon that Account by the _Gauls_, (especially by the _Christians_)
may best be learn'd from the Works of _Salvianus_, Bishop of
_Marseilles_, which treat of Providence: Therefore 'tis incredible to
tell, what Multitudes of _Germans_ pour'd themselves into _Gallia_; the
_Gauls_ not only not hindring, but even favouring and calling them in.
_Latinus Pacatus_, in his Speech to _Theodesius_, has this Passage;
"From whence shou'd I begin my Discourse, but from thy Mischiefs, O
_Gallia_! who may'st justly challenge a Superiority in Sufferings, above
all the Nations of the Earth, that have been vexed with this
Plague?"--Now 'tis most plain both from _Sidonius Apollinaris_, and
especially from the above-mentioned _Salvianus_, in many Places of his
Writings, that our _Franks_ were a Part of those _German_ Nations, who
thus entred into _Gallia_.
* * * * *