[ XIX] THe Suisses haue alwaies been valiant and good souldiers as we may see by the oppo∣sition which they made against Caesar, who fearing them whenas they demaunded passage to••••crosse the Romane Prouince, and to go into Xaintonge, ther to settle their aboad, he caused a wall to be made to hinder the execution of their disseigne, remem∣b••ing that this people had vanquished the Consul L. Cassius, and defeated the Romane armie. They did not care much to manure their ground, so as they found not sufficient in their countrie to maint••ine them, for want of husbandrie, not through any defect of the [ C] so••le, the which at this day they haue made yeelding, and profitable in all places. It is also most certaine that in Caesars time they were diuided into Cantons, as they are at this day, but they had but foure, whereof the chiefe was that of Zurich. They were the Suisses that first defeated the Romanes, and they were also the first that repented it. We may iudge of their resolution and the confidence they had in their forces, for that they burnt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 houses and left all things desolate whenas they resolued to seeke a new dwelling: but this was an act full of inconsideration and barbarisme. As for their quicknesse of wit •••• was not great, yet in Caesars time they found letters written in Greeke in their campe, and tables which contained the number of them which came out of their houses, and who were to beare armes, neither had they forgotten the number of their women and [ D] children, which amounted to three hundred three score eight thousand persons. This may shew that they were not so barbarous as they were held, and that they were giuen to studie the Greeke as well as the Gaules. As touching their vulgar tongue, there are many learned men hold that is was rather priuat to the countrie, than of Germanie, and that it hath beene corrupted since that straungers came from diuers places and vsurped Gaul. If I should produce all that desend the one, and maintaine the contrarie, I should trouble the reader as much as my selfe; it sufficeth to send the cou••ious to them that haue made whole discourses, who hauing labored much to proue the one and the other, haue in the end preuailed in a manner as much as if they had written nothing, like vnto those which seeke hidden reasons to fortifie their coniectures. [ E]
We must not doubt but that these people for the most part haue followed the manners of the Gauls, of whose number they were for a long time held: but afterwards it was filled with multitudes of Cimbrians, who being forced to abandon the countrie by an inaundation of the sea, ouerran Germanie, and held a part of Gaule Belgick: but this countrie not being able to maintain them, they came vnto the riuer of Rhosne, & deman∣ded lands of the Romanes, who hauing refused them, one part past into Italie, where they were defeated by the Romane armie: and the other which staied on this side the moun∣taines, remained in Suisserland in the countries of Suitz and Vry.
Some others write that, in the time of Sigishert king of Sueden, these Northern people did so abound, as part of them were constrained to seeke new countries. These hauing [ F] past the Rhin defeated the Gaules; whereat other countries being amased, sent ambassa∣dors vnto them, of whom they demaunded no other thing, but that they would suffer them to liue and till their land, without any preiudice to others: by reason whereof the Suisses suffered them to dwell in the inner part of the countrie, which is full of moun∣taines