CHAP. X.
The Heluetians continue their fight, at the cariages: but at length they left the field, and mar∣ched towardes Langiers.
THE like courage was also shewed on either side at their bag∣gage,* the place being fortified with cartes and wagons in steed of a rampier, which so troubled the Romans that they could not winne it vntill it was late in the night: for the Heluetians being fenced with their cariages, so galled the legions with dartes and tauelins, vnder the chariots and from betweene the wheeles, that the victory was not easily atchieued. At last being able no longer to resist, they left the place and marched all that night, without any intermission; and the fourth day they came into the Confines of the* Lingones, being about 230000 that escaped in the battell.
THE OBSERVATION.
IF we consider the nature of the action, and looke into the true causes of their ouerthrow, as farre as the right sense of the historie shall direct our iudgment, we shall finde valour not to be wanting in the Helueti∣ans, but rather superlatiuely abounding in the Romans. For that vehement opi∣nion Page 30 of their valiancie and manhood, which carried them out of the streights of the country, to seeke larger fortunes in other kingdomes, was not so abated with the losle of the fourth part of their Host at the riuer Arar; nor with the terrible furie of those veteran legions: but it yeelded this effect, which Caesar in his esti∣mate of valour thought memorable, that for fiue houres space or more, there was not one man seene to haue turned his backe. Their manner of imbattai∣ling, had not the Romans beene the enemy, was vnresistable: for being cast into a phalanx, which in the plaines of Asia had made Alexander the great and the Macedonians famous, they did as farre surpasse any other forme of imbat∣tailing (supposing that the conueniencie of the place did fit that disposition) wherein the strength of the whol is deuided into many particulars, as the violēce of a great bodie exceedeth the force and motion of his partes, when it is diui∣ded into smaller cantons. For as in a phalanx, many particular souldiers are by a close and compact order incorporated into one entire bodie: so their seueral vertues are gathered into one head, and are as partes vnited into one generall force, which easily swalloweth vp the ability of many other lesser quantities, into which a greater strength is equally diuided.
The aduantage of the place which they got by retrait, and the double charge wherewith they ingaged the Romans both in front and flanke, was able in an in∣different conflict to haue made fortune fugitiue, and beare armes on their side; or at the least so to haue steemed the swelling tide of victorie, which carried the Romans so violently in the chase, that they might haue beene equall sharers in the honour of the daie: had it not flowed from an Ocean of valour, whose course could not be hindered with any stops and oppositions, vntill it came to that height, which true valour and vnexampled resolution affected. And yet the height of this courage could not so alaie the heate of the Heluetians furie; but it brake foorth into dangerous flames, when they came to the place where their cariages were laide, and cost much bloud and many mens liues before they quitted the place: for they fought with that spirit and industry, as though they meant to make triall whether their fortune would proue no better in the night then it had done in the daie.
The ouerthrow of the Tigurine Canton at the riuer Arar, proceeded rather from want of good directions (which is the lesse to be maruelled at, considering they had no chiefe commander as we read of) then from any defect of valour: for the rules of militarie gouernment require especiall care in passing ouer a water;* for then especially an Armie is in greatest danger, when it is disordered and diuided. And therfore the Romans atchieued this victorie by the horrible vigilancie as Tully calleth it, of their commander: who alwaies watched oportu∣nitates rei bene gerendae, as necessarie and speedie meanes to ouercome in all his warres.
