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.

CHAP. VIII.

Sabinus ouerthroweth the* 1.1 Vnelli, with the manner thereof.

WHILE these things happened in the state of Vannes,* 1.2 L. Titurius Sabinus entereth with his forces, into the con∣fines of the Vnelli, ouer whom Viridouix was made chiefe commander, hauing drawne the* 1.3 Aulerci and the* 1.4 Ebu∣ronices, with a great number of vagabondes and theeues into the same conspiracie: Sabinus incamping himselfe in a conuenient place, kept his souldiers within the rampier. But Viridouix, being lod∣ged within lesse then two miles of Sabinus his campe, brought out his forces daily, and putting them in battell gaue him oportunitie to fight if he would: which Sabinus re∣fused in such sort, that he began not onely to be suspected by the enemie of cowardice, but to be taunted with the reprochfull speeches of his owne souldiers; which opinion of feare being once setled in the mindes of the enemie, he vsed all meanes to increase it, and caried it so wel, that the enemie durst approch the verie rampier of the campe. The colour that he pretended was, that he thought it not the part of a Legate, in the absence of the Generall, to fight with an enemie of that strength, but vpon some good oportunitie, or in a place of aduantage. In this generall perswasion of feare, Sabinus chose out a subtile witted Gall, whom he perswaded with great rewards, and further promises, to flie to the enemie, and there to carrie himselfe, according to the instru∣ctions, which he should giue him. This Gall, comming as a reuolter to the enemy, laide open vnto them the feare of the Romans: the extremitie that Caesar was driuen into by the Veneti; and that the night before, Sabinus was about to withdraw his forces secretly out of his campe, and to make all the haste he could to relieue Caesar. Vpon which aduertisement, they all cried out with one consent, that this oportunity was not to be omitted; but setting apart all other deuises, to go and assault the Roman campe. Many circumstances perswaded the Galles to this resolution; as first the lingering & doubt which Sabinus had made, when he was offered battell: secondly the intelligence which this fugitiue had brought: thirdly the want of victuals, wherein they had bin negligent and vnaduisedly carelesse: fourthly the hope they conceiued of the warre of Vannes; and lastly, for that men willingly beleeue that which they would haue come to passe. The force of these motiues was so strong, that they would not suffer Virido∣uix, nor the rest of the captaines, to dismisse the councell vntill they had permitted them to take Armes, and go to the Roman campe. Which being granted, they gathe∣red rubbish and fagots to fill vp the ditch, and with cheerefull harts, as though the vi∣ctorie were alreadie gotten, they marched to the place where Sabinus was incamped, which was the toppe of a hill rising gently from a leuell, the quantitie of 1000 pa∣ces: hither the Gals hasted with all expedition; and to the intent the Romans might not haue so much time, as to put on their armour, the Galles for haste ran themselues out of breath.

Sabinus incouraging his souldiers, gaue the signe of battell, and sallying out at two seuerall gates of his campe, it fell out that through the oportunitie of the place, the wearines and vnexperience of the enemie, the valour of the Roman soldier and their exercise in former battels, that the Galles could not indure the brunt of the first in∣counter; but presently tooke themselues to flight, of whom verie few escaped. And so it happened that at one time, Sabinus had newes of the ouerthrow at sea; and Caesar of Sabinus victory by land. Vpon these victories, all the cities and states yeelded them∣selues to Titurius: for as the Galles are prompt to vndertake a warre; so are they weake in suffering, and impatient of the consequents and calamities thereof.

OBSERVATIONS.

THis practise of a counterfeit feare was often put in vse by the Roman leaders,* 1.5 as well to disappoint the expectation of an enemie, as to draw them into an inconuenience, & so to defeat them of their grea∣test helpes in time of battell. Caesar comming to succour the campe of Cicero made such vse of this Art, that he put to route a great Armie of the Galles, with a handfull of men: which I will referre vnto the place, where it is particularly set downe by Caesar.

The chiefest thing in this place, which brought them to their ouerthrow, was disappointment: for it is a thing hardly to be digested in businesses of smal consequence, to be frustrated of a setled expectation, when the minde shall dis∣pose her selfe to one only intent, and in the vpshot meete with a counterbuffe to crosse her purposes, and so defeat her of that hope which the strength of her reason hath entertained: how much more then in things of such importance, when we shall proceede in a course of victorie, and humour our conceites with that we wish and would haue to happen; and in the end meete, either with bon∣dage or death; must our best wittes be appauled? hauing neither respite nor means, to thinke how the euill may be best preuented. Which the wise Romans well vnderstood, and counted it no dishonour to be reproched with shamefull cowardice, by such as knew not the secrets of wisedome; while they in the meane time foresaw their good fortunes, shrowded vnder the cloake of a pretended distrust.

Let these examples instruct a leader, so to take the oportunitie of any such fortune, that in the execution he omit not the chiefest points of order and dis∣cipline, as well for the better effecting of the dessigne, as for his owne safety and the securitie of his Armie. For order is as the sinewes and strength of martiall discipline, vniting the particular members into the firme composition of a well proportioned bodie: and so it maketh it more powerfull then any number of disunited partes, how able or infinite soeuer. I might here alleadge infinite ex∣amples to confirme this truth: but let the battell of Drux serue for all; wherein the protestantes ouercharging the catholike Army, followed the retrait so hard, that they quickly became masters of the field: and then neglecting martiall dis∣cipline, fell in confusedly with the broken multitude, to make the victorie more

glorious by slaughter and mortalitie: the Duke of Guise all this while bouged not a foot: but in vnexampled patience kept his regiment close together, and would not suffer them to rescue their general that was taken, vntill the regiment of the Prince of Condie was likewise dispersed and broken; and then perceiuing no difference of order, betweene the Victor Protestant, and the vanquished Ca∣tholike; he dissolued that terrible cloud that had hung so long in suspence, and so changing the fortune of the daie, that he tooke the chiefest of their Princes prisoners, with little or no losse of his owne men: so powerfull is order in the deedes of Armes, and of such consequence in obtaining victorie. And thus we haue first seene the inconueniences, which a counterfet feare well dissembled, may cast vpon a credulous and vnaduised enemie, when pretence and appea∣rance hath brought them into an errour, which their owne credulitie doth after∣ward auouch: and secondly, what strength and safetie consisteth in order; and how powerfull it is to throw downe, and to set vp.

Notes

• * 1.1

  La Perche.
• * 1.2

  Caesar.
• * 1.3

  Rhone.
• * 1.4

  Eureux.
• * 1.5

  The vse which the Romans made of a counter∣feit feare. Lib. 5.