The chronicles of England from Brute vnto this present yeare of Christ. 1580. Collected by Iohn Stow citizen of London.

SVetonius Paulinus was thē sent hither, who at his arriual purposing to subdue Anglesey, whither many Brytains had* 1.1 w^e drawne thēselues, he invessels w^t flat kéeles ferried ouer his footmē, bringing ouer his horsemē by some fourdes, wher as on y^e shores stood closely togither great nūbers of Brytās, & among thē women gadding vp & down frantickly in mour∣ning wéedes, their haire hanging about their ears, & shaking firebrāds: y^e Druydes also casting vp their hāds toward heauē thundred out cruel execrations, w^t which vncomely sightes y^e Romaines at first stoode dismayed, but after encouraged by y^•* 1.2 Generals perswasion▪ they brust in among thē, made greate slaughter, got y^e possession of y^e Ile, & felled down y^e woods▪ cō∣secrated to supersticious vses: two Citties belōging to y^• Ro∣mains wer takē. 80▪000. of their people slaine, & the whole I∣lād reuolted, & to the Romanes reproch, the slaughter was cō∣mitted by a womā, being foretold thē by many strange signes & tokēs. For in y^• court was heard a noise w^t much slaughter.

In the Theatre a greate tumulte and muche wondering, when there was no man ther, that either spake or mourned. Besides, in the riuer of Thames certaine houses or buildings were séen. The Image of the goddesse Victoria in the Tem∣ple of Camulodunum tourned hir backe as though she had yéel∣ded to hyr enimies: the women ranne as madde here and there, saying, and singing, Destruction is at hande.

Finally, betwixt the Iland & Fraunce, the Ocean sea ap∣peared as it flowed with bloud. The occasiō of this war was a cōfiscation of the Brytains goods, which being remitted by Claudius the Emperoure, Decianus Catus then Procurator of the Ile, saide that it ought to haue bene renued. To this cause was added, that wheras (against theyr wils Seneca had lent them fourtie Sestercies vpon great vsurie) he now wyth greate force and all kinde of violence compelled them to paye all the whole summe at one payment, and also persua∣ded them to make warre on the Romaines.

Bunduica of Brytaine, a woman of noble byrth, not onely wyth muche honour ruled amongst them, but also was the soueraigne in theyr wars, & had in déed a stomack more mā∣ly than womanlike: who hauing gotten togyther an armye of 120000. men, gotte hir vpon hyr seate made of Marrishe turues, after the manner of the Romaines, and being a tall woman, of comely shape, and seuere countenāce, sharp voice, with yealowe haire hanging downe to hyr skyrtes, (Ponti∣cus Virunius saith to hir thyghes) she ware a great chayne of* 1.3 golde, and hadde on hyr backe a coate of sundrye colours, & a playted Kirtle. Whē she was thus apparelled, and had in hir hands a gret speare, she spake vnto them to this effect.

First she commended libertie, shewing them, how pouer∣tie wyth libertie, was farre better than great riches in mise∣rie and bondage: on the other side, wyth great eloquence shée declared the mischiefes and calamities they suffered at the handes of the Romaines, who exactyng Tributes of paymentes, so oppressed them, that muche better it were once to dye, than long to lyue in suche extreame slauerie.

Secondly, she reproued them, for not expelling their eni∣mies, as their forefathers had done Iulius Caesar, Claudius, and Caligula: And againe, she praised them for their present readinesse to helpe hir, and recouer their auntient state.

Thirdly, she disabled the Romaines, for that they were fewe, combred with armoure, and so faint of courage, that they had rather fight a far off, than encounter with them by hand strokes: she cōmended the Brytaines, to be more in nū∣ber, of greater valor, and farre more able to abide hunger, colde, thirste, raine, winde, heate, &c. shée added the vantage of the place, as being at home, where the Wooddes and Ry∣uers, Lakes, and all other things were well knowne to e∣uery one of them.

Lastly, she exhorted them to shewe themselues as Dogs and Wolues among fearefull Hares and Foxes: where∣withall, she let out of hir lap a quicke Hare, thereby to learn the euent of hir enterprice. The Hare hauing a prosperous passage, all the multitude gaue a greate showte, and Bun∣duica clapping hir handes, gaue thankes to hir Gods, that she ruled not the Romaines, as did Nero, (who, though hée were a man, yet was in déede but a woman, for that he sang* 1.4 and playde on the Harpe) but the Brytans, who estéemed it better to be Warriours than Ploughmen, who, as they had all things in common, so had they both wiues and children, and that hauing a kingdome amongest suche a kinde of peo∣ple, she prayed their deuine aydes agaynste a spitefull and wicked kinde of men, if they were to be called men, who v∣sed* 1.5 hote bathes, dainty fare, wine, ointmentes, laye in softe beds, and were vassalles to such a wanton Minstrel as their Emperor Nero was.

Bunduica hauing spoken these and suche like amongst hir people, with all hir hoste she sette forward agaynste the Ro∣mains, who at that time were without head or gouernor, for that Paulinus was gone with his army into Anglesey, (as is before rehersed,) which is an Iland nere Brytaine, by meanes whereof Bunduica tooke two of their Cities, and committed

the notable slaughter before remembred.

She exercised all kinde of crueltie on suche men as shée tooke. As for the noble women that she gat, she hanged them vppe, and cutte off their paps, and sewed them to their mou∣thes: besides this, she stretching their bodies oute at length, thruste sharpe stakes cleane throughe them: al which things were done in despighte, when they sacrificed and feasted in their Templas, but specially in the woodde called Andates.

Paulinus, who had now subdued Anglesey, hearyng of the foresaide slaughter, returned to Brytaine, yet woulde hée not aduenture the fortune of battaile with them, fearing theyr number, but when he wanted victual, and that his enimies approched, he was compelled to abide the battell Bunduica▪ who had in hir army 230000. men, was hir selfe placed in a Chariot, and ordered hir men at length: but Paulinus coulde not stretche his company so long, for that they were not of any suche number, but at length he deuided his army into thrée partes, so that at one time they mighte fighte in sundry places, exhorting them not to be abashed at the mul∣titude of their enimies, for bothe they and their forefathers, hadde wyth lesse number atchieued greater matters, and gotten greater victories. Adding, that now was the time to play the men, to enioy that in quiet, which before their aun∣cestours had woon, and recouer that whiche they had loste, or else to liue for euer in misery and shame. Againe, he shewed what crueltie their eyes had séene, by those barbarous peo∣ple, to suche as they had ouercome, exhorting them in re∣uenge thereof to fighte manfully, and there was no doubte but the Gods (who were alwayes fauourable to such as had suffered crueltie) woulde helpe them: and better it were to die fighting valiantly, than with reproche to be taken, and die in their enimies handes like Dogges. Finally, (sayeth he) whether we liue or dye, Brytaine shal be ours, for, though the other Romaines lose it, yet shall our bones continually kéep it. When he hadde thus spoken, the signe of the battel was giuen, and ech part prepareth himselfe: the Brytaines

with great and strange noise, the Romaines in silence came to neare, that they might throwe their dartes to them: and perceiuing their enimies to approche, with greate violence, rushed in amongest them, and brake their āraye: but after being compassed with the multitude of their enimies, the battel waxed doubtfull. The lighte harnessed men beganne to smite eache other, and those of heauy armoure togither with the horsemen encountred, and the Romaine Ar∣chers foughte againste the Britishe Chariots. They whiche foughte withoute breast-plates, were slaine with Dartes. This encounter was made in thrée seueral places, and was foughte with greate courage on bothe sides. At the laste the Romaines departed Conquerours, many were slaine in the battaile, and many were taken. Greate numbers whych es∣caped, prepared to fight againe, but in the meane space Bun∣duica died of a dissease which she had, and they mourned, and buried hir verye honorablye. After, those that remayned were easily ouercome and dispersed.

Tacitus saith, that Prasutagus King of the Iceni, a Prince* 1.6 of greate wealth, appointed, that Caesar and his owne twoo daughters shoulde inherite his landes, hereby thinking all his life to be more quiet: and being deceassed, his wife and daughters shoulde be the more safer by meanes of such pro∣tection, but it fell oute farre otherwise, for the Centurions gat his Realme, theyr seruauntes spoyled hys house, beat hys wife, and deflowred his daughters: besides, the chiefest men of his lande were displaced of their inheritaunces, and handled extremely. In reuenge whereof, Bunduica ray∣sed the warre, and committed the slaughter before remem∣bred, and at laste hir army once ouerthrowne by Paulinus, being afraid to fall into hir enimies hands, she poisoned hir selfe.

Policletus then a seruannt of Nero, was sente hither to suruey the state of Brytaine, who discharged Paulinus Sueto∣nius of the gouernement.

Notes

• * 1.1

  62
• * 1.2

  Dion. Casstus.
• * 1.3

  Ponticus Virunius
• * 1.4

  VVhat the Brytaines vvere∣giuen to.
• * 1.5

  Nicenesse of the Romaine••.
• * 1.6

  Corneli•••• Tacitu••.