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. XXXIIII.

The Galles do set upon Caesars camp, both from the town and the field side.

THe Mandubii,* 1.1 who had received the army into the town, were themselves thrust out with their wives and chil∣dren. They coming to the Roman works, did with weeping tears be∣seech them to receive them into bondage, and re∣lieve them with food. Caesar gave order they should not be received, and set a guard on the rampier to keep them out. In the mean time Co∣mius, and the rest of the Captains, that had the chief command given them, came to Alesia with all their forces, and having taken a hill on the out-side, they sate down not above half a mile from our works. The next day bringing their cavalrie out of their camp, they filled all that plain, which, as I have already said, extended three miles in length before the town, setting their foot-forces a little distant from that place, and hiding them upon higher ground. The prospect lay open out of the town into the field: and upon the sight of these succours they ran together, and congratulated each other, and all their minds were filled with gladnesse. And thereupon the next day they brought their forces and placed them before the town, and began to cover the next ditch unto them with hurdles, and to fill it up with earth, and to provide them∣selves to sally out, and to endure all chances. Caesar having disposed of all his army on each side of the works, that if there were occasion, every man might both know and keep his place, he commanded the cavalrie to be carried out of the camp, and to charge the enemy. There was a fair view out of all the camps, which were seated round about upon the ridge of the hill, and all mens minds were bent upon the expecta∣tion of the event of the fight. The Galles had mingled amongst their horse some few archers and light-armed souldiers, which might relieve their fellows being overcharged, and sustain the force and assault of our horse. By these were many hurt upon a suddain, and forsook the fight. The Galles being perswaded that their men had the better of the fight, perceiving our men to be overcharged with multitude on all sides, as well those that were besieged, as the other that came to relieve them, they took up a shout and a how∣ling to encourage their people. And forasmuch as the matter was carried in the sight of all men, so that nothing could be hid whether it were well or ill done; the desire of honour and the fear of ignominie did stirre up both sides to prowesse and valour. And having fought with a doubtfull fortune from noon-tide untill almost Sun-setting, the Germans on the one side with thick-thronged troups gave a fierce charge upon the enemy, and put them to flight whereby it happened that the archers were cir¦cumvented and slain. In like manner on the other side, our mea finding them to give ground, did follow them even to their camps, and gave them no time to recover themselves. Such as were come out of Alesia, returned back sad into the town despairing of victory. One day being intermitted, in which time they made provision of great store of hurdles, ladders and hooks, about midnight they marched silently out of their camp, and came to the works on the field side; and taking up a suddain shout, to give notice of their coming to them of the town, they cast their hurdles upon the ditches, and with slings, arrows, and stones they began to put our men from the rampier, and to put in practise such things as belong to a siege. At the same time the shout being heard, Vercingetorix sounded the trumpet, and brought his men out of the town. Our men betook themselves to the fortifications, according as every mans place was allotted him the day before; and with slings and bullets which they had laid ready upon the works, they did beat down the Galles, their sight being taken away through the darknesse of the night. Many wounds were received on both sides, and many weapons were cast out of en∣gines. M. Antonius, and C. Trebonius, Le∣gates, who had the charge of those parts where our men were most laid to, caused men to be taken out of the further Castles, and to be brought to second them. The Galles being a good way distant from the works, did much hurt with multitude of weapons: but approching nearer, either they struck themselves unwit∣tingly upon the galthrops, or falling into the holes, were struck through the bodies with the sharp stakes, or died with murall piles, being cast from the rampier and the towers. Many wounds being received on all sides, as the day appeared, the Galles fearing lest they should be charged on the open side by a sallie from the upper camp, retired back again to their fellows. On the inner side, whilst they brought out such things as were prepared beforehand by Vercin∣getorix, and were filling up the first ditches, be∣ing somewhat long in the execution of these things, they understood that the other Galles were departed before they themselves could come near the works: and thereupon they returned in∣to the town without doing any thing.

OBSERVATIONS.

THe Galles committed the command of this great army to four Generalls,* 1.2 contrary to practise of warlike nations, and the order which nature observeth throughout all the severall kinds of creatures: amongst whom there was never body found of many heads, but one Hydra, be∣ing

made as it seemeth, or rather feigned to be made, to the end that Hercules might have a task answerable to himself, and make it one of his twelve labours to kill the beast. The serpent Amphisibaena is said to have two heads,* 1.3 whereby she either looseth the use of locall motion, or at the least moveth so imperfectly, one head taking one way and the other another way, as there is no certain or direct passage in her creeping.

These many-headed armies do resemble these serpents, being carried according to the sense of their severall heads, and distracted by the diver∣sity of their many Leaders. The government of Rome consisting of severall magistrates having sovereign authority, gave occasion oftentimes to make two heads to one body, but with such suc∣cesse, as they were forced in the end to create one head for the repairing of that losse, which the multiplicity of leaders had brought upon their State; as it happened in the war against the Fidenates revolted, which nothing but their re∣course to a Dictator could make happy to their Empire. Whereupon Livie saith; Tres Tri∣buni, potestate consulari, documento fuere quam plurium imperium bello inutile esset; tentando ad sua quisque consilia, cum ali•• aliud v••deret••r, aperuerunt ad occasionem locum hosti: The three Tribunes with consular power, clearly shewed how inconvenient a thing it is to have more then one commander in chief: for while every one adheres to his own advice and judgement, one man thinking this thing con∣venient, another that, they open a way to the e∣nemy to make advantage against them. In the time of their Consuls, Quintius and Agrippa being sent against the Aequi, Agrippa referred the businesse wholly to his collegue, concluding as Livie saith: Saluberrimum in administra∣tione magnarum rerum est summum imperii ad unum esse; It is the safest way in the ma∣naging of great affairs to have one man bear the chief sway. And therefore as one body requi∣reth but one head, so one businesse would have but one directour,* 1.4 forasmuch as Aemulatio inter pares, & ex eo impedimentum; Aemulation, and consequently hinderance, will be amongst equalls.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Caesar.
• * 1.2

  One army would have one Gene∣ral.
• * 1.3

  Et gravis in geminum caput Am∣phisibaena.
• * 1.4

  Tacit••s.