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.

THE FIRST OBSERVATION.

HE that will examine this expedition of the Heluetians, by the transmigrations and flittings of other nations, shall finde some vn∣exampled particularities in the course of their proceeding: for first it hath neuer beene heard, that any people vtterly abandoned that countrey which nature or prouidence had allotted them; vnlesse they were dri∣uen thereunto by a generall calamity, as the infection of the aire, the cruelty & oppression of a neighbour nation, as were the Sueuians, who thought it great honor to suffer no man to border vpon their confines; or some other vniuersal, which made the place inhabitable and the people willing to vndertake a volun∣tarie exile. But oftentimes we read, that when the inhabitants of a country were so multiplied, that the place was ouer charged with multitudes of ofspring, and like a poore father had more children then it was able to sustaine, the aboūding surplus was sent out to seeke new fortunes in forraine countries, and to possesse themselues of a resting seat; which might recompence the wants of their natiue country, with a plenteous reuenue of necessary supplementes: And in this sort, we read that Rome sent out manie Colonies into diuers parts of her Empire: And in this maner the ancient Galles disburdened themselues of their superflui∣ty,

and sent them into Asia. The Gothes came from the Ilandes of the Balticke sea, and in Sulla his time swarmed ouer Germany: besides many other nations whose transmigrations are particularly described by Lazius. But amongst all these, we find none that so forsooke their country, but there remained some be∣hind to inhabit the same, from whence as frō a fountaine, succeeding ages might deriue the streame of that ouerflowing multitude, and by them take notice of the causes, which moued them vnto it: for their maner was in all such expediti∣ons, and sending out of Colonies, to deuide themselues into two or three parts, equall both in equality and number. For after they had parted their common people into euen companies, they deuided their nobility with as great equali∣ty as they could, among the former partitions; and then casting lots, that part which went out to seeke new aduentures, left their landes and possessions to the rest that remained at home; and so by industrie they supplied that defect which continuance of time had drawen vpon them. And this was the means which the first inhabitants of the earth found out after the floud, to people the vnhabited places, and to keepe off the inconueniences of scarcity and famine.