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.

THE FIRST OBSERVATION.

FIrst, concerning the places here mentioned, the Reader may take notice that Ilerda (now known by the name of Lerida) standeth upon the River Sicoris,* 1.1 in the Province of Catalonia; and being sited upon a hill, is inclosed round with a wall of hewen stone, in a pleasant and fertile Countrey,* 1.2 both for corn, wine, oyl, and fruit: as it is graphically described by Lucan;

Colle tumet modico, levique excrevit in altum Pingue solum tumulo, super hunc sundata vetusta Surgit Ilerda manu; placidis praelabitur undis Hesperios inter Sicoris non ultimus amnes: Saxeus ingenti quem pons amplectitur arcu, Hybernas passurus aquas.— With a light rising to a pretty height The rich ground swels, on which by ancient hand Ilerda's plac'd: with gentle waves slides by The Sicoris, none of Spain's meanest streams▪ O're it a bridge of stone with noble Arch, Subject to suffer by the winter flouds.

It was formerly a University, and at all times famous for salt meats and pickled fish. Whereun∣to Horace alludeth, when he tells his book, That although it fell out that no man would regard it, neverthelesse it might serve at Ilerda to wrap Salt-fish in.

Aut fugies Uticam, aut unctus mittêris I∣lerdam. Either to Utica thou'lt passe, Or to Ilerda in an oily case.

Osca,* 1.3 now called Huesca, a town likewise of Catalonia,* 1.4 in former time surnamed Victrix, where Sertorius kept the sonnes of the Gran∣dees of Spain, as pledges of their loyalty, un∣der pretext of learning the Greek and Latine tongue, which he had there caused to be taught, in form of an Academy.

In this town his hap was to be slain by Per∣penna,* 1.5 as Paterculus recordeth the story; Tum M. Perpenna praetorius, è proscriptis, generis clarioris quam animi, Sertorium inter coenam Aetoscae interemit; Romanisque certam victori∣am, partibus suis excidium, sibi turpissimā mor∣tem,

pessimo auctoravit facinore; Then M. Per∣penna a praetorian, one of the proscribed party, of a more noble stock then mind, slew Sertorius, at Aetosca as he was at supper; occasioning by this wicked deed of his certain victory to the Romans, ruine to his own party, and a shamefull death to himself. Which Aetosca is by all men taken for this Osca.

The inhabitants boast of nothing more at this day, then that S. Laurence was a Citizen of their town.

Calaguris,* 1.6 now Calahorra, is seated upon a hill on the banks of Iberus; the people whereof are famous for their constancie and faithfulnesse to their Commanders, and specially to Sertorius: as appeareth by that of Valerius Maximus;* 1.7 Quo perseverantius interempti Sertorii cineribus, obsidionem Cn. Pompeii frustrantes, fidem prae∣starent; quia nullum jam aliud in urbe eorum supererat animal, uxores suas, natosque, ad u∣sum nefariae dapis verterunt: quoque diutius armata juventus viscera sua visceribus suis aleret, infelices cadaverum reliquias salire non dubitavit. That they might demonstrate their fide∣lity to the ashes of Sertorius, to the very last, by defeating Pompey's siege, in regard there was no live thing elseleft in the City, they most inhumane∣ly made their wives and children serve them for food; and that those which were in armes might so much the longer with their own bowels feed their bowels, they stuck not to salt up the pitifull remainders of the dead carcases.

Neverthelesse Afranius took them in the end by continuall siege; amongst whom that antiquity of Bebricius is very remarkable, which is yet ex∣tant near to Logronno.

DIIS. MANIBUS. Q. SERTORII. ME. BEBRICIUS. CALAGURITANUS. DEVOVI. ARBITRATUS. RELIGIONEM. ESSE. EO. SUBLATO. QUI. OMNIA. CUM. DIIS. IMMORTALIBUS. COMMUNIA. HABEBAT. ME. INCOLUMEN. RETINERE. ANIMAM. VALE VIATOR. QUI. HAEC. LEGIS. ET. MEO. DISCE. EXEMPLO. FIDEM. SERVARE. IPSA. FIDES. ETIAM. MORTUIS. PLACET. CORPORE. HUMANO. EXUTIS.

In English thus: To the D••j Manes (or divine ghost) of Q. Sertorius, I Bebricius of Calagu∣ris devote my self; supposing it a business of con∣science, he being gone, who had all things in common with the immortall Gods, for me to seek to save my own life. Farewell Traveller, who readest this, and learn of me to be faithfull. Faithfulness is a thing pleaseth even the dead, when they have put off their humane bodies.

In memorie of whose fidelity,* 1.8 Augustus Caesar took a band of these people for a guard to his per∣son.* 1.9 In this town was Quintilian the Rhetorician born; and being brought from thence to Rome, in Nero his time, was the first that taught a pub∣lick School for salarie:* 1.10 as witnesseth Saint Hie∣rome; Quintilianus ex Hispania Calagurita∣nus primus Romae publicam Scholam tenuit, & salario cohonestatus publico claruit. Quintilian a Spaniard of Calaguris first taught a publick School at Rome, and had a stipend allowed him.

Celtiberia was the Countrey lying along the River Iberus,* 1.11 inhabited by people coming out of Gallia Celtica: whereupon Lucan saith,

—profugique à gente vetusta Gallorum Celtae,* 1.12 miscentes nomen Iberis. Some Celtick fugitives from Gallia came, And with th' Iberi made a compound name.

Florus calleth them Hispaniae Robur.* 1.13 And Valerius Maximus affirmeth,* 1.14 That they were alwayes glad of warre, as being to end their life in happiness and honour; and lamented their ill fortune to die in their beds, as a miserable and shamefull end.

His pugnacecidisse decus,* 1.15 corpus{que} cremari Tale nefas: calo credunt, superisque referri, Impastus carpat si membra jacentia vultur. —To dy in fight They count great honour, know no funerall rite. Heav'ns their's they think, & the celestial seats, Whose scattered limbs the ravenous Vulture eats.

Their Armes and weapons were of singular ra∣ritie: for besides the water of Bilbo, which gave them an invincible temper, they had also a pecu∣liar fashion of working them,* 1.16 as witnesseth Dio∣dorus Siculus; hiding their plates of Iron in the earth, untill the worst and weakest part were ea∣ten out with rust, and of that which remained, they made very hard swords.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ilerda.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 4.
• * 1.3

  Osca.
• * 1.4

  Victri••.
• * 1.5

  Lib. ••.
• * 1.6

  Calaguris.
• * 1.7

  Lib. 7. cap. 6
• * 1.8

  Suetonius in Augusto.
• * 1.9

  Cohors Ca∣laguritano∣rum.
• * 1.10

  Ad Euse••il C••ronicon.
• * 1.11

  Celtiberia.
• * 1.12

  Lib. 4▪
• * 1.13

  Lib. 2. c. 17
• * 1.14

  Lib. 2. c. 6.
• * 1.15

  Sil. Ital. Lib. 3.
• * 1.16

  lib. 6. cap. ••