The commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar of his warres in Gallia, and the civil warres betwixt him and Pompey / translated into English with many excellent and judicious observations thereupon ; as also The art of our modern training, or, Tactick practise, by Clement Edmonds Esquire, ... ; where unto is adjoyned the eighth commentary of the warres in Gallia, with some short observations upon it ; together with the life of Cæsar, and an account of his medalls ; revised, corrected, and enlarged.

CHAP. IV.

The Belgae attempt the surprize of* 1.1 Bibrax: Caesar sendeth succour unto it.

THere was a town called Bibrax, be∣longing to the state of Rhemes, about eight miles from Caesars camp, which the Belgae thought to have surprised as they came along to meet with Caesar; and suddenly assaulted it with such fury, that the townsmen could hardly hold out the first day. The Celtae and Belgae use one and the same man∣ner in assaulting a town: For having beset the whole compasse of the wall with rankes of soul∣diers, they never cease flinging of stones untill they find the wall naked of defendants; and then casting themselves into a Testudo, they approach to the gate and undermine the walls. Which thing was easily effected here; for so great was the number of them that threw stones and darts, that it was impossible for the defendants to abide upon the walls. Assoone as the night had made an end of the assault, Iccius of Rhemes, a man of great birth and authority in his countrey, who at that time was governour of the town, and had been before with Caesar, to treat and conclude a Peace, sent him word by messengers, that if there came not present succour, he was not able to hold out any longer. The same night about midnight (using the same messengers for guides) he sent both Numidian and Cretian Archers, & Sling∣ers of the Iles of Baleares to relieve the town; by meanes whereof the townsmen were put in good hope to make their party strong, and the enemy made hopelesse of winning the town: and there∣fore after a small stay, having depopulated their fields, and burned their villages and out-build∣ings, they marched with all their power towards Caesars Camp, and within lesse then two miles of the Army they incamped their whole host; which, as was gathered by the smoke and fire, took up more ground then eight miles in breadth.

THE FIRST OBSERVATION.

IN the description of their assault, we are to ob∣serve two circumstances. The first is, the man∣ner they used in a sudden surprise: The second is,* 1.2 the form and quality of a Testudo. Although Caesar seemeth to attribute this manner of assault∣ing a town as peculiar to the Galles, yet we may not think but that the Romans used it as often as they had occasion to surprise any city: but be∣cause

the Galles knew no other means to take a town but this, therefore he setteth it down as pe∣culiar unto them. The Romans called this man∣ner of assault Corona; and so we read often∣times this phrase, Cingere urbem corona, foras∣much as the souldiers inclosed the town with a circle, and so resembled a crown or garland. Ammianus speaketh of a triple crown of souldi∣ers which encompassed a town: And Josephus telleth of Jotapata, which the Romans besieged duplici peditum corona, with a double circle of footmen: and besides these, there was a third circle of horsemen outmost of all. There is no fur∣ther matter to be observed but this, that in surpri∣sing a town, they incircled it round about with thick continued ranks of men, and where they found the wall weakest, there they entred as they could.

THE SECOND OBSERVATION.

THe Testudo requireth a larger discourse, and is lively described in Livie after this manner.* 1.3 In the Amphitheatre,* 1.4 where the people did of∣ten assemble to see strange sights and publick shews, were brought in (saith he) sixty lusty young men, who after some motion and seemly march, cast themselves into a square troup, and roofing their heads close with their targets, the first rank which made the front of the Testudo, stood up right on their feet; the second rank bowed it self somewhat lower; the third and fourth ranks did more incline themselves, and so consequently unto the last rank, which knee∣led on the ground: and so they made a body re∣sembling halfe the side of an house, which they called Testudo. Unto this squadron so strongly combined together came two souldiers running some an hundred and fifty foot off, and threat∣ning each other with their weapons, ran nimbly up the side of the roof; and sometimes making as though they would defend it against an enemy that would have entred upon it, sometimes again encountering each other in the midst of it, leaped up and down as steadily as if they had been up∣on firm ground. And which is more strange, the front of a Testudo being applyed to the side of a wall, there ascended many armed men upon the said Testudo, and fought in an equall height with other souldiers that stood upon the said wall to defend it. The dissimilitude in the composition was this, that the souldiers that were in front, and in the sides of the square, carried not their Tar∣gets over their heads as the other did, but covered their bodies with them; and so no weapons ei∣ther cast from the wall, or otherwise thrown a∣gainst it, could any way hurt them; and what∣soever weight fell upon the Testudo, it quickly glyded down by the declivity of the roof, without any hurt or annoiance at all.

Thus far Livie goeth; neither do I know what to say further of it: the chiefest use there∣of was in a surprise or sudden attempt against a town, before the townsmen were throughly pre∣pared to defend the same. This invention served them to approach the wall with safety, and so ei∣ther to undermine it, or to climb up: and to that end they oftentimes erected one Testudo upon a∣nother. Tacitus saith that the souldiers climbed upon the wall super iteratam testudinem, by one Testudo made upon another. And this was the ancient form and use of a Testudo in a sudden assault or surprise.

Dio Cassius in the acts of Antony saith,* 1.5 that being galled with the Parthian Archers, he com∣manded his whole Army to put it self into a Te∣studo: which was so strange a sight to the Par∣thians, that they thought the Romans had sunk down for wearinesse and faintnesse; and so forsaking their horses, drew their swords to have made execution: and then the Romans, at a watch-word given, rose again with such a fury, that they put them all to sword and ••light. Dio describeth the same Testudo after this manner: They placed, saith he, their baggage, their light-armed men and their horsemen in the midst; and those heavy-armed footmen that carried long gutter-tiled Targets, were in the utmost cir∣cles next unto the Enemy: the rest (which bare large ovall Targets) were thronged together throughout the whole troup, and so covered with their Targets both themselves and their fellowes, that there was nothing discerned by the Enemy but a roof of Targets, which were so tiled toge∣ther, that men might safely go upon them.

Further, we oftentimes read that the Romans cast themselves into a Testudo, to break through an Enemy, or to rout and disrank a troup. And this use the Romans had of a Testudo in field ser∣vices, and only by the benefit of their Target. It was called a Testudo in regard of the strength, for that it covered and sheltred as a shell covereth a fish. And let this suffice concerning a Te∣studo.

THE THIRD OBSERVATION.

THirdly,* 1.6 we may observe how carefully Caesar provided for the safety of such succours as he sent unto Bibrax: for he commanded the same messengers that came from the town to direct them, as the best and surest guides in that jour∣ney; least peradventure through ignorance of the way, they might fall into inconveniences or dangers. A matter of no small consequence in managing a war; but deserveth an extraordina∣ry importunity to perswade the necessity of this diligence: for a Generall that hath perfectly discovered the nature of the country through which he is to march, and knoweth the true di∣stances of places, the quality of the wayes, the compendiousnesse of turnings, the nature of the

hills, and the course of the rivers, hath all these particularities as main advantages, to give means of so many severall attempts upon an enemy. And in this point Hannibal had a singular dex∣terity, and excelled all the Commanders of his time, in making use of the way by which he was to passe. But he that leadeth an Army by an unknown and undiscovered way, and mar∣cheth blindfold upon uncertain adventures, is subject to as many casualties and disadvantages as the other hath opportunities of good fortune. Let every man therefore perswade himself that good Discoverers are as the eyes of an Army, and serve for lights in the darknesse of igno∣rance, to direct the resolutions of good pro∣vidence, and make the path of safety so mani∣fest, that we need not stumble upon casualties. Caesar in his journey to Ariovistus, used the help of Divitiacus the Heduan, in whom a∣mongst all the Galles he reposed greatest confi∣dence, to discover the way, and acquaint him with the passages: and before he would under∣take his voyage unto* 1.7 Britanie, he well in∣formed himself by Merchants and travailers of the quantity of the Iland, the quality of the peo∣ple, their use of war, and the opportunity of their havens. Neither was he satisfied with their rela∣tions, but he sent Caius Volusenus in a ship of war, to see what he could further discover con∣cerning these points. Suetonius addeth more∣over, that he never carried his Army per insidiosa itinera, through places where they were subject to be way-laid, unlesse he had first well discover∣ed the places.

Concerning the order which skilfull Leaders have observed in discoveries,* 1.8 we are to know that this point consisteth of two parts; the one, in understanding the perfect description of the country; the second, in observing the moti∣ons of the enemy. Touching the first, we find as well by this as other histories, that the Ro∣mans used the inhabitants of the country for Guides, as best acquainted with their native places, that they might not erre in so important a matter; provided alwaies that their own scouts were ever abroad to understand what they could of themselves, that they might not alto∣gether rely upon a strangers direction. The mo∣tions of the Enemy were observed by the horse∣men: and these for the most part were Veterani, well experienced in the matter of warre, and so the Generall received sound advertisements: and yet they were not too forward upon any new motion, unlesse they found it confirmed by divers wayes; for some Espials may erre, either through passion or affection, as it happened in the Hel••••tian war. If therefore the use and be∣nefit which prudent and wise Commanders made of this ••••igence, or the misfortune which the want of this knowledge brought upon the igno∣rant, have any authority to perswade a circum∣spect care herein, this little that hath been spoken may be sufficient for this point.

THE FOURTH OBSERVATION.

THe souldiers which Caesar sent to relieve Bi∣brax were Archers of Creta and Numi∣dia,* 1.9 and Slingers of the Iles Baleares, which are now called Majorica and Minorica: which kind of weapon because it seemeth ridiculous to the souldiers of these times, whose conceits are held up with the fury of these fiery engines, I will therefore in brief discover the nature and use thereof.

The Latines (saith Isidore) called this wea∣pon funda, quod ex ea fundantur lapides, be∣cause out of it stones are cast. Plinie attri••uteth the invention thereof to the Islander•• called Ba∣leares. Florus in his 3 book and •• chap. saith that these Baleares used three sorts of slings, and no other weapon besides; and that a boy had never any meat given him before he had first struck it with a sling. Strabo distinguisheth these three sorts of slings which the Baleares used, and saith that they had one sling with long reines, which they used when they would cast afarre off; and another with short reines, which they used near at hand; and the third with reines of a mean sise, to cast a reasonable distance. Lipsius saith that in Columna Antonina at Rome he observed that the Balearean was made with one sling about his head, another about his belly, and the third in his hand; which might be their ordinary manner of carrying them. The mat∣ter whereof they were made was threefold: the first was hemp or cotton, the second hair, and the third sinews; for of either of these stuffs they commonly made them. The form and fashion of a sling resembled a platted rope, somewhat broad in the middest, with an Ovall compasse, and so by little and little decreasing into two thongs or reines. Their manner of slinging was to whirle it twice or thrice about their head, and so to cast out the bullet. Virgil speaking of Mezentius saith,

Ipse ter adducta circum caput egit habera. He fetcht the rein three times about his head,

But Vegetius preferreth that skill which cast the bullet with once turning it about the head. In Suidas we find that these Baleares did com∣monly cast a stone of a pound weight: which agreeth to these names in Caesar, fundas libra∣les. The leaden bullets are mentioned by Salust, in the warre with Jugurth, and by Livie, where he saith that the Consul provided great store of arrows, of bullets, and of small stones to be cast with slings. This weapon was in re∣quest amongst divers nations, as well in regard of the readinesse and easy reiterating of the blow, as also for that the bullet fled very farre, with great violence. The distance which they could

easily reach with their sling, is expressed in this verse,

Fundū Varro vocat,* 1.10 quem possis mittere funda. Fundum according to Varro is so much ground as a man may sling over. Which Vege∣tius interpreteth to be six hundred foot. Their violence was such, as the same authour affirmeth in his first book and sixteenth chap. that neither helmet, gaberdine, nor co••selet could bear out the blow; but he that was hit with a sling, was slain sine invidia sanguinis, as he saith in the same place. Lucrece, Ovid, and Lucan, three of the Latine Poets say, that a bullet skilfully cast out of a sling went with such violence, that it melted as it flew:* 1.11 whereof Seneca giveth this reason, Motion, saith he, doth extenuate the ayre, and that extenuation or subtilty doth inflame; and so a bullet ca•••• out of a sling melteth as it flieth. But howsoever▪ Diodorus Siculus affirmeth that these Balearean slingers brake both target, head-piece, or any other armour whatsoever.

There are also two other sorts of slings, the one mentioned by Livie, and the other by Vegetius. That in Livie is called Cestrophendo, which cast a short arrow with a long thick head: the other in Vegetius is called Fustibalus, which was a sling made of a cord and a staffe. But let this suf∣fice for slings and slingers, which were reckoned amongst their light-armed souldiers, and used chiefly in assaulting, and defending towns and fortresses, where the heavy-armed souldiers could not come to buckle; and present the place of our Harquebusiers, which in their proper nature are levis armatur•• milites light-armed souldiers, although more terrible then those of ancient times.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bray in the county of Re••ell.
• * 1.2

  To take a town by surprise.
• * 1.3

  A Testudo described.
• * 1.4

  Lib. 44.
• * 1.5

  Lib. 4••
• * 1.6

  The neces∣sity of good discovery.
• * 1.7

  Now Eng∣land.
• * 1.8

  The order which is to be observed in disco∣very.
• * 1.9

  Slingers with their art and use.
• * 1.10

  Lib. ••.
• * 1.11

  Lib. 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. quest.