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. XII.

The Romans take their journey towards the next legion; and are set upon by the Galles.

AS soon as the day-light appeared,* 1.1 they set forth of their Camp (like men perswaded that the counsel had been given them not by an Enemy, but by Ambiorix an especiall friend) with a long-tailed march, and as much bag∣gage as they were able to carry. The Galles understanding of their journey by their noise and watching in the night, secretly in the woods some two miles off layed an Ambuscado in two severall places of advantage, and there atten∣ded the coming of the Romans: and when the greatest part of the troups were entred into a valley, suddenly they shewed themselves on both sides the vale, pressing hard up∣on the rereward, and hindering the foremost from going up the hill, and so began to charge upon the Romans in a place of as great disad∣vantage for them as could be. Then at length Titurius, as one that had provided for nothing beforehand, began to tremble, ranne up and down, and disposed his cohorts, but so fearfully and after such a fashion, as if all things had gone against him; as it happeneth for the most part to such as are forced to consult in the in∣stant of execution.

OBSERVATION.

IT now plainly appeareth by this negligent and ill-ordered march, and the unlooked for in∣counter which the Galles gave them, that fear had ratified in the judgement of Sabinus the smooth suggestion of Ambiorix, with an appro∣bation of a certain truth; and layed that for a principle, which a discourse free from passion would have discerned to be but weak, and of no probability: which so much the more amazed Titurius, by how much his apprehension had erred from the truth, and betrayed good coun∣sell to a course full of danger; which, as Caesar noteth, must needs fall upon such, as are then to seek for direction when the businesse requireth execution. I have handled already the inconve∣niences of disappointment, and therefore at this time will but bring it only into remembrance, that we may take the greater care to prevent an accident of that nature: wherein as the best re∣medy for an evil is to foresee it, according to the saying, Praevisa pereunt mala, evils foreseen fall of themselves; so the greatest mischief in an e∣vil is when it cometh unthought of, and besides our expectation, for then it falleth upon us with a supernaturall weight, and affrighteth the mind with a superstitious astonishment, as though the divine powers had prevented our designments

with an irremediable calamity, and cut off our appointment with a contrary decree: although peradventure the thing it self carry no such im∣portance, but might be remedied, if we were but prepared with an opinion that such a thing might happen.

It were no ill counsell therefore, what resolu∣tion soever be taken, to make as full account of that which may fall out to crosse our intentions, as that which is likely to happen from the di∣rection of our chiefest projects; and so we shall be sure to have a present mind in the midst of our occasions, and feel no further danger then that which the nature of the thing inforceth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉