Nero Cæsar, or Monarchie depraued An historicall worke. Dedicated, with leaue, to the Duke of Buckingham, Lord Admirall. By the translator of Lucius Florus.

§. III. The causes of the grand reuolt. Boadicia's quar∣rel the chiefe.

THe reasons which drewe the BRITANNS to rise, and attempt the massacre of the RO∣MANS were great and many. Profound contempt of NERO was the first. For that did chieflie embolden the ROMANS to doe wrong, and draue the sufferers to despaire of an orderlie re∣dresse. To gouerne with the opinion of iustice, keepes officers from presuming, and the rest of sub∣iects from ruin by rysing. DIO (a man of a most honourable place, and a like minde) assignes two principal causes which prepared the BRITANNS for an open hostilitie. The confiscation of goods, and (I blush to write it) Seneca's cruel vsuries. For whereas CLAVDIVS CAESAR (which concernes the first point of the two) had graciously forgiuen such for∣feitures and seisures as belonged to him in right of his conquering sword (NENNIVS, the ancient BRITANN, writes, that they were the tributes themselues) or had otherwise bestowed large summes vpon the chiefe among them; and for that, as for an act of celestiall bounty; was honourd as a god, while as yet aliue, CATVS DECIANVS, NERO'S Procurator in BRITANN, contended, that extremity ought to be pursued, notwithstan∣ding

any showe of discharge, or plea of pardon, and notwithstanding good CLAVDIVS had caused a Decree of the SENATE to passe for strengthning the fauours hee had done: thereby to inuite the more to yeeld themselues. A solemne wise custome of the ROMANS, to winn vpon the first with fauour, and humanitie, as they did of old in GALLIA, where they styled the AEDVI, their fellowes, co∣sens, and brothers. On the other side ANNAEVS SENECA (NERO'S chiefe counsellour) hauing a stocke going here at vse, of about two hundred and fiftie thousand pounds sterling, sodeinlie calls in his moneyes, (the loan whereof had been thrust vpon the BRITANNS, whether they would or no) where a rebellion would sooner discharge debts, then exhausted meanes could. Yet this is hee (ô strange) who cryed out, when hee was at ritchest; How vnknowne a good is pouertie! But DIO is su∣spected by some of the most noble clarks of our age, as somewhat too vnequall to the honour, and me∣morie of famous SENECA, the sharpest witt of ROME. There are other iniuries named, which concerned the commons, and the rest in generall; which toucht by TACITVS in his AGRICOLA, did principallie consist in the abusiue assignation of rates, and the carriage of corne for the armies. But if one onely iniurie had beene forborne, the com∣mon grieuances (now the blathers of rebellion, and euermore vsed to bee blowne-out with words to their vttermost widenesse, when the discontented meete) might perhaps haue sighed-out themselues without any Champion, to wage a warre on their behalfe. But in the person of a Prince al the nation is strucken; and wrongs done to a chiefe are interpre∣ted by friends and followers as their owne. Among

all the BRITANNS there was not any of this time so eminent as the Dowager of PRA∣SVTAGVS, late king of the ICENI. Her name in antiquitie is very variouslie written. One and the same woman being in TACITVS, BO∣ODICIA, BOVDICEA, and VOADICA, who is in DIO, BOVNDVICA, and perhaps in CAMDENS BRITISH monies, BODVO. Her husband while hee liued, remained in amity with the ROMANS, as a social king: and hauing first deuised his kingdome ioinctly to NERO, and his daughters, he deceased. The BRITANNS ex∣cluded neither sex from the crowne, and it was the testators meaning, that his daughters, hauing CAE∣SAR for their guardian, and hee for his fauour ha∣uing a childes part, should either bee Queenes of their owne shares, or in coparcenerie after their mother. For both by her owne words in her orati∣on in TACITVS, it seemes that shee reputed the kingdome hers, and in DIO it is expresly said, that shee gouerned in chiefe as souereign, at the time of her taking the field; and (as farre as can be gathered by all the marks of her spirit) euen then also when the king her husband liued. But the daughters (poore sillie ladies) found a sorrie partner-ship, where the lion was to make the partition For NERO'S cap∣taines, and officers, exercised intollerable licence; the pallace of PRASVTAGVS their father, as also his ritches (which were great and long in gathe∣ring) together with his whole realme, not receiued into custodie for the good of the orphans, nor NE∣RO'S part laid out as a bequest or legacie, but that which was theirs ransackt and spoild as bootie. They also of the bloud roial, the kinsmen of the king, were no better accounted of then as prisoners

taken in warre, in the nature of bondmen, or slaues. A most grieuous poinct, and yet still worler was feared. Princes (by the fortuné of their souereigne function) doe oftentimes beare the name of the crimes which others commit. These foule ones pressing for the first place, were out-gone by other more villanous. For the princelie sisters (whether by force or fraud) were irreparablie dishonoured in their bodies, and BOADICIA her selfe (their most vnfortunate mother) full of most iust griefe, and wrath, and full of all the tempestuous passions which nobilitie embased, or nature violated can suggest, did bleed & smart vnderwhips, and cutting lashes. This the CORNELIAN ANNALS sig∣nifie; worthie of beliefe against the writers nation. But DIO (who is thought but to haue paraphrased vpon TACITVS in this storie) hath no such par∣ticular, neither touching the Dowager, nor her daughters. GILDAS certainlie who was himselfe a BRITANN, and liued in BRITAIN when his miserable countreymen had reason to wish the RO∣MANS here againe, is highlie displeased, calling her (for of BOODICIA hee is thought to mean) a craftie deceitfull lionesse, guilty of the murther of those who were left to gouerne her. She her selfe in her speech to her army complaines, that euen old age was not free from the lust of the lasciuious ROMANS; as if her selfe had beene that way wronged also. But she would not haue concealed it; and in DIO she doth not appeare old, or decayd, but a strong and perfect woman. Her picture hangs vp there in such words as showe the person of some martial Bosse, or A∣MAZONIAN Giantesse.