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.

Caesar thinketh of a voiage into Britanie: he enqui∣reth of marchants, concerning the nature of that people.

ALTHOVGH the sommer was almost spent,* 1.1 and that in those partes the winter hasteneth on a pace, inasmuch as all Gallia in∣clineth to the North; notwithstanding he resolued to go ouer into Britanie; forasmuch as he vnderstood, that in all the for∣mer wars of Gallia, the enemie had receiued most of their supply from thence. And although the time of the yeare would not suf∣fer him to finish that warre; yet he thought it would be to good purpose, if he went only to view the Iland, to vnderstand the qualitie of the inhabi∣tants, and to know their coast, their portes, and their landing places; whereof the Galles were altogether ignorant: for seldome any man, but marchants, did trauell vnto them. Neither was there any thing discouered but the sea-coast, and those regi∣ons which were opposite vnto Gallia: And therefore calling marchants together from all quarters, he neither could vnderstand of what quantitie the Iland was, what na∣tions, or of what power they were that inhabited it; what vse or experience of warre they had; what lawes or customes they vsed; nor what hauens they had to receiue a nauie of great shipping.

OBSERVATIONS.

AS the Germans had oftentimes stirred vp motions of rebellion a∣mongst the Galles, by sending their superfluous multitudes into their kingdome; so the Britaines had vpheld most of their warres, by furnishing them with such supplies, as from time to time they stood in neede of. So that if Caesar, or the Roman people, would rest secure of their quiet and peaceable gouernment in Gallia, as they had chastised the inso∣lencie

of the Germans, & sent them backe againe, with greater losse then gaine; so was it necessarie to make the Britains know, that their assistance in the warre of Gallia would draw more businesses vpon them, then they were well able to manage. For as I haue noted in my former discourses, the causes of an vnpeace∣able gouernment are as well externall and forraine, as internall and bred in the bodie; which neede the helpe of a Phisition, to continue the bodie in a perfect state of health, and require as great a diligence to qualifie their malicious ope∣rations, as any internall sicknesse whatsoeuer.

In the second Commentarie, I briefely touched the commoditie of good discouerie; but because it is a matter of great consequence, in the fortunate ca∣riage of a warre, I will once againe by this example of Caesar, remember a Ge∣nerall not to be negligent in this dutie. Suetonius in the life of our Caesar re∣porteth, that he neuer vndertooke any expedition, but he first receiued true in∣telligence of the particular site, and nature of the country, as also of the maners and qualitie of the people; and that he would not vndertake the voiage into Bri∣tanie, vntill he had made perfect discouerie by himselfe, of the magnitude and situation of the Iland. Which Suetonius might vnderstand by this first voiage, which Caesar would needes vndertake in the latter end of a sommer, although it were as he himselfe saith, but to discouer.

It is recorded by auncient writers, that those demigods that gouerned the world in their time, gaue great honor to the exercise of hunting, as the perfect image of warre in the resemblance of all parts, and namely in the discouerie and knowledge of a country; without which all enterprises, either of sport in hunting, or earnest in warres were friuolous and of no effect. And therefore Zenophon in the life of Cyrus, sheweth that his expedition against the king of Armenia, was nothing but a repetition of such sportes, as he had vsed in hunting. Howso∣euer, if the infinite examples registred in historie, how by the dexteritie of some leaders it hath gained great victories, & through the negligence of others, irre∣couerable ouerthrowes; are not sufficient motiues to perswade thē to this duty: let their owne experience in matters of small moment, manifest the weakenesse of their proceedings, when they are ignorant of the chiefest circumstances of the matter they haue in hand. But let this suffice in the second place, to proue the necessitie of good discouerie; and let vs learne of Caesar, what is principally to be inquired after in the discouerie of an vnknowne country; as first the quan∣titie of the land: secondly, what nations inhabite it: thirdly, their vse of warre: fourthly, their ciuill gouernment: and lastly, what hauens they had to receiue a nauie of great shipping. All which circumstances are such principall Arteries in the bodie of a state, that the discouerie of any one of these demaundes would haue giuen great light, concerning the motion of the whole bodie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Caesar.