Obseruations vpon the fiue first bookes of Cæsars commentaries setting fourth the practise of the art military in the time of the Roman Empire : wherein are handled all the chiefest point of their discipline, with the true reason of euery part, together with such instructions as may be drawn from their proceedings, for the better direction of our moderne warres / by Clement Edmunds.

OBSERVATIONS.

IN the descriptions of the ancient Britains, we may first obserue their pedegree, according to the Haraldry of that time: wherein we must vnderstand that in those ages, the Ntiaons of the worlde thought it no small honor, to deriue their descent from a certaine beginning, and to make either some of their Gods, or some man of a famous memorie, the father of that progenie, and founder of their state; that so they might promise a fortunate continuance to their gouernment, being first laide and established by so powerfull a meanes. But if this failed, they then bragged of antiquitie, and cast all their glory vpon the fertility of their soile, being so strong and fruit∣ful, that it yeelded of it selfe such a people, as they were: and so we read howe the Athenians, for as much as they were ignoraunt from whence they came,

ware an Oaken leafe, in token that they were bred of the earth where they dwel∣led. And hereupon also grew the controuersie, betweene the Egyptians and the Scythians, concerning antiquity: wherein the Egyptians seemed to haue great aduantage, because of the fertility and heat of their countrey; whereas the Scy∣thians inhabited a colde climate, vnfruitfull and an enemy to generation. Of this sort were the Britains, that inhabited the mediterranean part of the Ilande: who not knowing from whence they came; nor who first brought them thither, satisfied themselues with that common receiued opinion, that they were borne and bred of the earth. The sea coast was possest by such as came out of the con∣tinent and retained the names of the cities from whence they came, as a memo∣riall of their progenitors.

The forme of the Iland is very well described, and measured out, according to the scale of our moderne Geographers. For concerning the difference of longitude between the Easterne angel of Kent, and the furthest point of Corne∣wal, they make it eight degrees; which in a maner iumpeth with Caesars dimen∣suration: the other sides are somewhat longer; and therefore. Tacitus in the life of Agricola, compareth it to a Carpenters Axe, making that side which bor∣dereth vpon France to resemble the Edge; and the other two sides to incline by little and little, one towardes an other; and so make the Ilande narrower at the top, according to the forme of that instrument. Hee setteth downe the whole compasse of the Iland, according to the manner of the ancient Geographers, who by the quantity of the circuit, did vsually iudge of the content, not consi∣dering that the Area of euery figure dependeth as well of the quantity of the angle, as the length of the side. Concerning the temperature of Britanie, in regard of the colde winters in France, we must vnderstand that Britanie hath e∣uer beene found of a more temperate constitution, in regarde of sharpe and colde winters, then any other countrey lying vnder the same parallell: whether the cause thereof may bee imputed to the continuall motion of the sea about the Iland, which begetteth heat, as some haue imagined; or to the site thereof, in regard of other Continents from whence the winde alwaies riseth, and cari∣eth with it the nature of the countrey by which it passeth; and so the Ilande ha∣uing no other continent lying North to it, from whence the winde may rise, but all for the most part vpon the South, hath no such colde windes to distemper it, as other parts of Germany, which are vnder the same parallel; but the Southern wind, which is so frequent in Britany, tēpereth the ayre, with a mild disposition, and so keepeth it warme; or whether it be some other vnknowne cause, our Phi∣losophers rest vnsatisfied. But as touching Gallia, it may bee saide, that foras∣much as it beareth more to the South, then this Iland doth, the aire thereof by reason of the continuall heate, is of a farre purer disposition; and so pierceth more then this grosser aire of Britany, & carieth the cold further into the pores; and so seemeth sharper and of a far colder disposition.

This Iland, which Caesar nameth Mona, is known at this time by the name of Man, and lieth betweene Cumberland and Ireland. Ptolemie calleth it Monaeda, Tacitus calleth Anglesey by the name of Mona, peraduenture from the nomina∣tion of the Britains, who calleth it Tyr mon, the land of Mon.

Concerning those places, where the night continueth in the midst of winter for 30. daies together, they must be sited 6. degrees beyond the circle Articke, and haue a day in summer of like continuance, according to the rules of Astro∣nomy. In that he found the nights in Britanie shorter then in the continent, we must vnderstand it to be only in summer: for the more oblique the horizon is, the more vneuen are the portions of the diurnall circles which it cutteth; and the neerer it commeth to a right horizon, the neerer it commeth to an equality of daie and night: and hence it happeneth, that in summer time, the nights in France are longer then here in England; and in winter shorter. The like wee must vnderstand of all Sotherne and Northerne countries.

To conclude, I may not omit the ciuility of the Kentish men, and their curte∣ous disposition, aboue the rest of the Britains, which must be imputed to that ordinarie course which brought ciuility vnto all other nations: of whom such as were first seated in their possessions, and entertained societie, were the first that brought in ciuill conuersation, and by little and little were purified, and so attained to the perfection of ciuill gouernment. So we find that first Assirians and Babilonians (as neerest to the mountaines of Armenia where the Arke re∣sted, and people first inhabited) reduced their states into common weales, of monarchies of exquisite gouernment, florishing with al maner of learning and knowledge; when as yet other countries laie either waste, or ouerwhelmed with Barbarisme. From thence it flowed into Egypt; out of Egypt into Greece; out of Greece into Italie; out of Italie into Gallia; and from thence into England: where our Kentishmen first entertained it, as bordering vpon France; and fre∣quented with marchants of those countries.