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. I.

The preparations for the siege, as well within as without the Town.

WHilst these things were doing in Spain,* 1.1 C. Trebonius the Legate be∣ing left to besiege Marseilles, had begun in two places to raise Mounts, to make Mantelets and Towers a∣gainst the Town: One next unto the Port where the Ships lay; and the other in the way leading from Gallia and Spain into the town, just upon the creek of the sea, near unto the mouth of the Rhosne. For three parts of Marseilles are in a manner washed with the sea: and the fourth is that which giveth passage by land; whereof that part which belongeth to the Castle (by reason of the nature of the place, and fortified with a deep ditch) would require a long and dif∣ficult siege. For the perfecting of those works, Trebonius had commanded out of all the Pro∣vince, great store of horses for carriage, and a multitude of men; requiring them to bring rods to make Hurdles, and other materials for the work: which being prepared & brought together, he raised a Mount of fourscore foot high.

But such was the provision, which of ancient time they had stored up in the town, of all equi∣page and necessaries for the warre, with such pro∣vision of munition and engines, that no Hurdles made of rods or Osiers were able to bear out the force thereof. For out of their great Balistae, they shot beams of twelve foot long, pointed with Iron, with such force, as they would pierce through four courses of Hurdles, and stick in the earth. Whereby they were forced to roof their* 1.2 Gallery with timber of a foot square, and to bring matter that way by hand to make the* 1.3 Mount. A Testudo of sixty foot in length was alwayes carried before, for the levelling of the ground, made of mighty strong timber, co∣vered and armed with all things which might defend it from fire and stones, or what else should be cast upon it. But the greatnesse of the work, the height of the wall, and towers, together with the multitude of Engines, did retard and hinder the proceeding thereof.

Moreover, the Albici did make often sallies out of the town, setting fire to the mounts and to the turrets; which were kept by our souldiers with great facility and ease, forcing such as sal∣lied out to return with great losse.

OBSERVATIONS.

HAving described in the former Commenta∣ries these Engines and works here men∣tioned, the Reader may please (for his better satisfaction) to review those places; as also farther to note,* 1.4 that the word Artillery was brought down to these ages from the use of an∣cient Engines, which consisted of those two primitives, Arcus and Telum. And according as diversity of Art and wit found means to fit these to use and occasions, so had they severall and distinct names; whereof I find chiefly these, Balistae, Catapultae, Tolenones,

Scorpiones, Onagri. Of each of which there are divers and severall sorts; as first, of the Balistae, some were called Centenariae, others Talentariae, according to the weight of the bullet or weapon they shot. Of the rate and proportion whereof Vitruvius, and his learned interpreter Daniel Barbarus,* 1.5 have made accurate description. Again, some were made to shoot stones; as appeareth by that of Tacitus,* 1.6 Magnitudine eximia, quartae∣decimae legionis Balista ingentibus saxis hosti∣lem aciem proruebat; the Balista of the four∣teenth legion being an exceeding great one, beat down the army of the enemy with huge stones: and others, to shoot darts and piles of timber, headed with Iron; as it is manifested by this place. Moreover, the manner of bending of these En∣gines made a difference: some being drawn up with a wrinch or scrue, and some with a wheel; some having long armes, and others having short: but the strings were generally either all of si∣newes, or of womens hair, as strongest and surest of any other kind.* 1.7 Of these Vegetius preferreth the Balistae, and the Onagri, as unresistable when they were skilfully handled. The word Onagri, as Ammianus Marcellinus noteth, was of a later stamp, and imposed upon those Engines which former time called Scorpiones; and was taken from the nature of wilde Asses, that are said to cast stones backward with their feet at the Hunters, with such violence, that oftentimes they dashed out their brains.

In the time of Barbarisme, all these Engines were generally called Mangonella: as appeareth by Vigin••rius, in his Annotations upon Ono∣sander. Which is likewise shewed by that which Mr. Camden hath inserted in the description of Bedfordshire, concerning the siege of Bedford Castle, in the time of Henry the third, out of an Authour that was present;* 1.8 Ex parte orientali fuit una Petraria, & duo Mangonella, quae quotidie turrim infestabant; & ex parte occidentis duo Mangonella, quae turrim veterem contriverunt; & unum Mangonellum ex parte Australi, &c. On the East side was placed one Engine to cast stones, and two Mangonels, which continually plaid upon the tower; and on the West side two Mangonels, which beat down the old tower; and one Mangonel on the South side, &c. But our pow∣der having blown all these out of use, it were to no purpose to insist longer upon them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  C••sar.
• * 1.2

  Porticu••.
• * 1.3

  Agger. Testudo.
• * 1.4

  Artillery derived from Arcu•• and Telum.
• * 1.5

  lib. 10. c. 17.
• * 1.6

  lib. 3. Hist. Balistae Petrariae.
• * 1.7

  lib. 4. c. 29.
• * 1.8

  And of Mangonel∣lum, a bat∣terer or breaker, cometh our English word Mangle.