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. V.

Labienus overthroweth the T••eviri by a guile.

WHile Caesar was about these things, the T••eviri having raised great for∣ces both of horse & foot, had a pur∣pose to assault Labienus wintering in their confines with one legion. And as they were within two dayes journey of him they had intelligence of two legions more which Caesar had sent unto him; whereupon they encamped themselves some fifteen miles distant from him, and resolved there to attend the Germans forces. Labienus being adverti∣sed of their resolution, hoping through their rashnesse to find some good opportunity of en∣counter, he left five cohorts for the safety of the carriages, and with five and twenty other co∣horts, besides great forces of horse, he marched towards the enemy, and encamped himself within a mile of them. Between Labienus and the enemy there ran 〈…〉〈…〉, the passage where∣of by re••son of the broken banks was very hard and difficult: 〈…〉〈…〉 purpose to passe himself, and doubted the enemy would not be drawn to do it. They had every day more hopes of fresh 〈◊〉〈◊〉. In the meetings and coun∣cels of war ••e gave out, that forasmuch as the Germans were said to be at hand, he would nei∣ther hazzard himself nor the fortunes of the army, but he would rather remove his camp the next day very early in the morning. This was quickly carried to the enemy, as amongst many of the Galles that were with him, some of them did naturally favour the proceedings of their own nation. Labienus having in the night time called unto him the Tribunes of the souldiers, and the Centurions of the first Or∣ders, acquainted them with his purpose; and to the end he might give greater suspicion of fear to the enemy, he caused the camp to be dis∣lodged with more noise and tumult th••n the Roman discipline had usually observed; and thereby made the retreat not unlike a slight or escape: which before day-light (the two camps being so near one to the other) was by the dis∣coverers brought to the enemy. The last troups of the Romans were scarce gone out of the camp, but the Galles incouraging one another not to lose so hopefull a prey, thinking it long (••pecially the Romans being thus affrighted) to expect the German forces, and that it stood not with their dignity, being so able, and so many in number, not to adventure upon a handfull of men, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from them, and trou∣bled besides with baggage and burden; and therefore they doubted not to passe the river, and to give them battel in a place of disadvan∣tage. Labienus suspecting that which now had happened, to the end he might draw them all o∣ver the river, he made as though he would go on forward. At length sending the carriages a little before, and placing them upon a hill, Ye have now, (said he) fellow souldiers, that opportunity which ye desired, the enemy in a cumbersome and unequall place; only afford me your Leader at this time that valour, which oftentimes heretofore you have shewed to your Generall, imagine him to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and to see this service with his own eyes. And withall be commanded the Ensignes to be carried towards the enemy, and the army to be imbattelled: and leaving a few troups of horse with the car∣riages, he d••sposed the rest in the wings of the army. The Romans taking up a cry and a shout, did speedily cast their pikes at the ene∣my: who when they saw the Romans ready to assault them, whom they had thought had fled from them for fear, they were so discouraged, that even in the first close they betook them∣selves to flight towards the next woods. Labie∣nus pursuing them with his horsemen, killed many of them, and took more prisoners, and within a few dayes took in the whole state of the Treviri: for the Germans which came to their succour understanding of their overthrow, returned home again; and with them went also the kinsmen of Induciomarus, the au∣thours of that defection. The soveraignty and government was given to Cingetorix, who from

the beginning had ever been true and loyall to the Romans.

THE FIRST OBSERVATION.

I Have already handled this practice of a pre∣tended fear, which the History doth so often recommend to our consideration, and have shewed the inconvenience of over-light credu∣lity, leading such easy weeners to a disappoint∣ment of their hopes, and consequently to the hazzard of their fortune. I will now proceed to that which is further implyed in this relation, and respecteth the chiefest duty of a chief commander: and that is, what specially is re∣quired of a Generall in the carriage and directi∣on of a battel. Concerning which point, as there is nothing more materiall to the effecting of any businesse then opportunity of time, con∣veniency of place, and an orderly disposition of the means according to time and place: so in question of encounter or waging battel, the du∣ty of a Leader may be included in these three circumstances. Concerning the quality of the place, as the chiefest and first respected in the choice of a judiciall directour, the whole scope of the Roman discipline, from the time of their first Kings even to the last of their Emperours, did alwayes aim at the advantage of place, as a necessary help for the obtaining of victory: which I have already noted in the Helvetian a∣ction. Yet forasmuch as the wisdome and expe∣rience of those times did deem it a circumstance of such importance, give me leave once again to inforce the use thereof by these examples. Habe∣tis, milites, (saith Labienus in this place) quam petiistis facultatem, hostem iniquo atque impedito loco tenetis, praes••are eandem nobis ducibus virtutem, quam saepenumero Impe∣ratori praestitistis, Ye have, fellow-souldiers, that opportunity which ye desired, &c. Where∣by he cleareth himself of all imputation of ill di∣rection, as having performed the uttermost duty of a Commander, and given such helps by the advantage of the place as are requisite to an easy victory, leaving the rest to the execution of the souldiers. Caesar at the losse he received at Dyr∣rachium cleared himself to his souldiers in this sort: Quod esset acceptum detrimenti, cuivis potius quam suae culpae debere tribui, locum se∣curum ad dimicandum dedisse, &c. the da∣mage that was received was to be attributed to any body rather then him, he had chosen them a safe place of fighting, &c. And as it follow∣eth in the seventh Commentary, being imbattel∣led upon the side of a hill right over against the army of the Galles, which stood likewise in a readinesse to entertain the Roman valour, he would not suffer his men to hazzard themselves in the passage of a bogge of fifty foot in breadth lying between both the armies, but rather per∣swaded his souldiers, disdaining the confront∣ment of the enemy, to endure their contumely, rather then to buy a victory with the danger of so many worthy men, and patiently to attend some further opportunity. Which passage of Caesar, even in the said terms as it is there rela∣ted, was urged to good purpose by Sir Francis Vere in the year one thousand six hundred at a consultation before the battel of Newport. For the army of the Netherlanders being possest of the Downs, which are small swelling hils rising unevenly along the sea shore upon the coast of Flanders, and the enemy making a stand up∣on the sands at the foot of those hils, and so cut∣ting off the passage to Os••end, it was disputed by the Commanders, whether they should leave the Downes, and go charge the enemy where he stood imbattelled upon the sands, or attend him in the fastnesse of the Downes whereof they were possest. The whole Councell of war were earnestly bent to forsake the Downes, and to hazzard the fight on equall terms, as impatient that their passage and retreat to Ostend should be cut off. But Sir Francis Vere well knowing how much it imported the businesse of that day to hold a place of such gain and advantage, per∣swaded Count Maurice by many reasons, and specially by this of Caesar which I last alledg∣ed, not to forgo the help of the Downs, but to expect the enemy in that place, and so make use of that benefit upon the first encounter, rather then to adventure the successe of the battel in worse terms, in hope of clearing the passage: and shewing also many probable conjectures, that the enemy would not continue long in that gaze. Wherein as his opinion then prevailed, so all that were present were eye-witnesses both of the truth of his conjecture, and the sound∣nesse of his judgement. For the enemy within a while after coming on to charge the troups of the States, was received with such a counterbuffe from the hils, and were violently beaten back in such rude manner, as our men had the execution of them for the space of a quarter of a mile or more, which was no small advantage to the fortune of that day. Touching the opportunity of time, which Pindarus calleth the Mother of worthy exploits, and oftentimes dependeth upon the circumstance of place, a Generall ought care∣fully to advise that he neither precipitate nor foreslow the occasion, which is well expressed in this particular service of Labienus. For where his purpose was to draw the enemy over a river that had steep and uneasy banks, and thereby of a hard and difficult passage, he would not shew his resolution untill he had drawn them all over the river: for he was well assured that the Ro∣man legions would so charge the enemy upon their first encounter with the unresistable weight of their piles, that in their giving back they could not escape the danger of the river. And therefore to make the victory more absolute and

compleat, he suffered them all to come over the water, that all might be endangered in their passage back again. And this is the benefit which opportunity bringeth, which is the rather to be attended with all carefulnesse, forasmuch as Non saepe, ac d••u, eadem occasio est, a man hath neither often nor long the same opportunity.

Concerning the last circumstance, of the apt and fit disposition of the forces according to time and place, which is necessarily required in the duty of a General; it is referred to this end on∣ly, that they may be ranged in such manner, that as one man is assistant to another in their severall files and ranks, so one troup may be in subsidiis, assistant to another, to the end that no part may stand naked, or fall in the singlenesse of its own strength, but that one may second another from the first to the last. C. Sempron••us a Roman Consul having fought unadvisedly, and recei∣ved an overthrow, Julius the Tribune of the people caused Tempanius a horseman that was present at the battel to be called, and as Livie reporteth it, Coram eis, Sexte Tempani, inquit, arbitreris ne C. Sempronium Consulem, aut in tempore pugnam intisse, aut firmasse subsidi∣is aciem? he said thus before them, Sextus Tempanius, do you believe that C. Sempronius the Consul chose a good time to fight, or that he took order for assistant supplies to his army? for Livie saith, he fought incaute inconsulteque, non subsidiis firmata acie, non equite apte lo∣cato, heedlesly and without good advice, neither strengthening his army with supplies, nor well placing his cavalry. And of these three circum∣stances consisteth the duty and office of a Gene∣rall, touching the direction of a battel; wherein whosoever faileth, doth hazzard the prerogative of his command over that army whic he lea∣deth, according to that of Caesar in the first of his Commentaries, Se scire, quibuscunque ex∣ercitus dicto audiens non fuerit, aut male re gesta fortunam defuisse, aut aliquo facinore comperto, avaritiae esse convictum, that he knew well, whensoever an army refused to be obedient to their Commander, it was either be∣cause upon some ill successe they saw he was un∣fortunate, or that by the discovery of some noto∣rious matter they found him convict of avarice. Which Caesar himself needed not to fear, if we may believe Plutarch, who writeth that he was indowed by nature with an excellent prompti∣tude and aptnesse to take opportunity in any bu∣sinesse.

THE SECOND OBSERVATION.

I May not omit to insist a little upon this noise or shout which the souldiers took up in the in∣stant of the charge, and is related in this place as a materiall point in their carriage at this ser∣vice. A matter ancient and usuall in the Ro∣man armies, as well in the time of their first Kings, as their first Consuls. Fusi primo impe∣tu & clamore hostes, the enemies were over∣thrown at the first onset and shout, saith Livie concerning Romulus. And not long after, Consul nec promovit aciem, nec clamorem reddi passus, the Consul neither marched his army forward, nor suffered them at all to shout. Caesar in the censure which he g••ve concerning Pompey his direction for the battel at Pharsalia, doth expresse a double use of this clamour or shouting: first the terrour of the enemy, and se∣condly the encouragement or assurance of them∣selves: Est quaedam animi incitatio (saith he) atque alacritas naturaliter innata omnibus, quae stud••o pugnae incenditur; hanc non re∣primere sed augere impera••ores debent: ne∣que 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ant qu tus institutum est ut si∣gna und que concinerent, clamorem universi tollerent, quibus rebus & hostes terreri & su∣os incitari existimaverunt. There is a certain raising and chearfulnesse of the mind imbred naturally in all, which is stirred up by an eager∣nesse to fight: this a Generall should not crush but cherish. So that it was not without cause that in old times they had a custome that the whole army should make a noise and raise a ge∣nerall shout, whereby they supposed as the ene∣mies were affrighted, so their own men were in∣couraged. Two contrary effects proceeding from a cause, which to common sense carrieth no shew of any such efficacy: Vox & praeterea nihil, a bare voice and nothing more; as one said of the Nightingale in another sense. But such as do seriously look into the reasons there∣of, shall find the saying true which is ascribed to the elder and wiser Cato, Verba plus quam gladium, & voces quam manum hostes terri∣tare, & in fugam vertere; Words will do more then Swords, and Voices sooner then Hands may affright the enemy and put him to flight. The ear, as I have already noted, will sooner betray the soul to the distresse of fear, then any other of the five senses. Which Jose∣phus well understood, although peradventure he applyed not so fit a remedy, when he com∣manded his men to stop their ears at the accla∣mations of the Roman legions, lest they might be daunted and amazed thereat. The reason may be, for that our discourse (diligently atten∣ding upon a matter of that consequence which calleth the lives of both parties in question, and valuing every circumstance at the utmost) doth alwayes presuppose a cause answerable to such an effect of joy and assurance. For these shouts and acclamations are properly the consequents of joy, and are so availeable that they deceive both parties: for such as take up the shout by way of anticipation, do seem to conclude of that which is yet in question; and the enemy thereupon apprehendeth danger when there is

none at all, whereby it happeneth, Hostes terre∣ri, & suos incitari, that the enemies are af∣frighted, and our own men encouraged, as Cae∣sar noteth. Besides these examples I might al∣ledge the authority of Holy Writ, but that it might seem both unsavoury and unseasonable to make a commixture of such diversities. I will therefore content my self with a practice of our time at the battel of Newport, where after di∣vers retreats and pursuits, either side chasing the other as it were by turn and mutuall appoint∣ment, and as it often falleth out in such confrontments; at last commandement was given to the English to make head again, and after some pause to charge the enemy with a shout: which being accordingly performed, a man might have seen the enemy startle before they came to the stroak; and being charged home, were so routed, that they made not head again that day. For the prevention of such a disadvantage, there can be no better president then that which Plutarch noteth, touching the battel between the Romans and the Ambrons, a part of that deluge of people which came down into Italy with the Cimbri and Teutones; for these Ambrons coming out to give battel, to the end they might strike fear into the Romans, made an often repetition of their own name with a lowd sounding voice, Ambrons, Ambrons, Ambrons. The Italians on the other side that first came down to fight were the Ligurians, inhabiting the coast of Genoa, who hearing this noise, and plainly understanding them, made answer with the like cry, sounding out their own name, Ligurii, Ligurii, Ligurii. Where∣upon the Captains of both sides made their soul∣diers cry out altogether, contending for envy one against another who should cry it loudest: and so both sides were encouraged, and neither of them disadvantaged, Clamore utrinque sub∣lato, whilst both sides continued the cry.

THE THIRD OBSERVATION.

THis Labienus was a great souldier, and well acquainted with Caesars manner in leading an army, and made many good fights while he continued under his command: but after he be∣took himself to Pompeys part, and joyned with a faction against his first master, he never at∣chieved any thing but losse and dishonour.

—Dux fortis in armis Caesareis Labienus erat, nunc transfuga vilis. Once Labienus was a Captain stout On Caesars side, now a base Turn-about.

And upon that occasion he is often mentio∣ned as a memoriall of his disloyalty, to prove that good successe in matter of war doth follow the Generall rather then any inferiour Captain. For it is observed of divers, whose fortune hath been great under the conduction of some com∣manders, and as unlucky under other leaders: like plants or trees that thrive well in some grounds, and bear store of fruit, but being trans∣planted do either dye or become barren. And doubtlesse there may be observed the like sympa∣thy or contrariety in the particular courses of mans life, wherein they are carried upon the stream of their fortunes, according to the course of their first imbarking. And therefore such as happen in a way that leadeth to successfull ends, shall much wrong themselves either to turn back again, or to seek by-paths, whose ends are both unknown and uncertain: and herein the French saying may serve to some purpose,

Si vous estes bien, tenez vous la,

If you find your self well, hold your self there.

Notes

• Caesar.
• Com. 3. cap. 8.
• The duty of a Generall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 battel.
• Lib. 1. cap. 6.
• Battel of Newport.
• In the life of Caesar.
• The use and benefit of a sho••t took up in a charge or assault.
• Lib. 1.
• Lib. 2.
• Lib. 3.
• Civil.
• Lib. 1.
• Lib. 3. cap. 18.
• In Marius life.