CHAP. VII.
Caesar giueth the Britains two seuerall ouerthrowes.
THE next daie, the enemie made a stand vpon the hils a far off from the campe,* and shewed themselues not so often; neither were they so busie with our horsemen, as they were the day be∣fore: but about noone, when Caesar sent out three legions, and al his Caualry to get forrage, vnder the conduction of the Cai∣us Trebonius a legate, they made a sodaine assault vpon the for∣ragers, and fell in close with the Ensignes, and the legions. The Romans charged very fiercely vpon them, and beate them backe; neither did they make an end of following them, vntill the horsemen trusting to the succour of the legions which were behinde them, put them all to flight, with the slaughter of a great number of them; neither did they giue them respite either to make head, to make a stand, or to forsake their chariots. After this ouerthrow, all their Auxili∣arie forces departed from them; neither did they afterward contend with the Ro∣mans with any great power. Caesar vnderstanding their determination, caried his armie to the riuer Thames, and so to the confines of Cassiuellaunus, which riuer was passable by foot but in one place only, and that very hardly; at his comming hee found a great power of the enemy to be imbattailed on the other side, and the banck fortified with many sharpe stakes, and many other also were planted couertly vnder the water. These things being discouered to the Romans by the Captiues and fugi∣tiues; Caesar putting his horse before, caused the legions to followe sodainlie after, who notwithstanding they had but their heades cleere aboue the water, went with that violence, that the enemy was not able to endure the charge, but left the bancke and betooke themselues to flight.
THE OBSERVATION.
THis attempt of Caesar seemeth so strange to Brancatio, that hee runneth into as strange conclusions, concerning this matter, as first that he that imitateth Caesar, may doubt of his good fortunes: for his proceeding in this point, was not directed by any order of war; and that a great commander hath nothing common with other leaders: but es∣pecially, he crieth out at the basenesse of the Britains, that woulde suffer them∣selues so cowardly to be beaten. But if wee looke into the circumstances of the action, we shal find both Art & good direction therein; for being assured by the fugitiues, that the riuer was passable in that place, & in that place onlie, he knew that he must either aduēture ouer there, or leaue Cassiuellaunus for an other sū∣mer, which was a very strong inducement to vrge him to that enterprise. The Page 173 difficultie wherof was much relieued by good direction, which consisted of two pointes, first, by sending ouer the horsemen in the front of the legions, who might better indure the charge of the enemie, then the footmen coulde, that were vppe to the necke in water; and withall, to shelter the footmen from the furie of the enemie. Secondly, he sent them ouer with that speede, that they were on the other side of the water, before the enemie coulde tell what they at∣tempted: for if he had lingered in the seruice, and giuen the enemie leaue to find the aduantage which he had by experience, his men had neuer bin able to haue indured the hazard of so dangerous a seruice. It is hard to coniecture at the place, where this seruice was performed; for since the building of London bridge, manie foordes haue beene scoured with the current, and fall of the wa∣ter, which before that time carried not such a depth as now they doe.
