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. II.

The Bellovaci and other States under the leading of Corbeus and Comius invade the Suessiones: Caesar marcheth against them.

CAesar at that hard time of the year, thinking it enough to disperse the powers that were assembling, to the intent no beginning of warre might spring up, and weighing how much it concerned him, to prevent any open warre from breaking out the beginning of the next summer; he placed G. Trebonius in garri∣son at Genabum with those two Legions that he had there about him: and forasmuch as he was by often messages certified from the men of Rhemes, that the Bellovaci (who excelled all Galles and the Belgae also in military fame) and the States adjoyning unto them, under the con∣duct of Corbeus of Beanvoys and Comius of Arras, levied men of warre, and assembled them into one place, to the intent with their whole power to invade the borders of the Sues∣siones, which were appertaining to the men of Rhemes; thinking it stood not only upon his honour, but also tended to his own security for the future, to save his allies, which had deserved well of the Commonweal, from displeasure and damage, he called the eleventh legion again out of garrison. Moreover he wrote to C. Fa∣bius to bring the two legions that he had, into the confines of the Suessiones; and sent for one of those two legions that were with T. Labi∣enus. So according as his garrisons lay for the purpose, and as the slate of the warre required, to his own continuall trouble, he put sometimes one of his legions and sometimes another, to march from their quarters.

With this power that he had assembled he went against the Bellovaci: and encamping himself in their countrey, sent abroad his horse∣men into all quarters to glean up some of them, by whose means he might learn what his enemies purposed to do. His horsemen doing their du∣ty, brought word how few were found in the houses, and those not such as had stayed behind to till the ground, (for they were purposely re∣moved out of all places) but such as had been sent back again to spie. Of whom Caesar en∣quiring in what place the forces of the Bellova∣ci were, and what was their intent; found that all the Bellovaci were gathered together into one place: and that the Ambiani, Aulerci, Caletes, Velocasses, and Attrebates had chosen a very high ground to encamp in, enclosed with a troublesome marish, and had conveyed all their stuff into woods that were farther off: Of the which warre there were many Noblemen that were ringleaders, but the multitude obeyed Corbeus chiefly, because they understood that he hated most the name of the people of Rome: And that Comius of Arras was a few dayes before gone to fetch aid of the Germans, who were their next neighbours, and swarmed in multitude of people. He learned moreover at their hands, that the Bellovaci by the consent of all the Noblemen, at the earnest instance of the Commons, were determined, if Caesar came (as it was said he would) but with three legi∣ons, to offer him battell, lest afterward to more

disadvantage and hinderance they should be compelled to encounter with his whole host: And if he brought a greater power with him, then to keep themselves still in the same ground that they had chosen, and by ambushes to keep the Romans from forrage (which by reason of the time of the year was scarce, and also lay scattering) and from corn, and other victuals and things necessary for their army.

The which things when Caesar understood by the concurring report of many, considering how still of wisdome this project was, and how farre from the rashnesse that the barbarous peo∣ple are wont to use, he determined to make the best advantage of all things, to the intent his enemies disdaining his small company, should make the more haste to come into the field. For he had three old practised legions, the seventh, eighth, and ninth, of singular valour and prow∣esse; and the eleventh, which was of chosen young men of great hope and towardnesse, which having at that time received eight yeares wages, was notwithstanding look'd upon as not comparable to the other three either for standing, or for valour and courage.

Wherefore summoning an assembly, and there declaring all things that had been reported unto him, he confirmed the hearts of the common souldiers, if peradventure with the number of three legions he might draw out his enemies to fight with him in the field. He set his battel in this order: the seventh, eighth, and ninth legi∣ons went before the carriages, and the eleventh closed in the rere thereof; the which notwith∣standing was but small, as it is wont to be in such expeditions: and this he did, lest the ene∣mies should find a greater number then they ex∣pected. By this means, in a square battel al∣most, he brought his host in sight of his enemies sooner then they looked for him.

When the Galles beheld these legions, so sud∣denly set in order, marching toward them apace, as it had been in a pitched field (whereas it was reported to Caesar that they intended to car∣ry on their businesse with confident boldnesse,) whether it were for the perill of the encounter, or the suddennesse of our coming, or that they look∣ed to see what we intended to do, they set them∣selves in order of battel before their camp, and would not descend from the higher ground. Albeit that Caesar was desirous to have fought with them, yet wondering at the great number of his enemies, he pitched his camp directly o∣ver against theirs, on the other side of a valley, which was more in deepnesse downward, then in widenesse any way at the bottom. This camp he commanded to be fortified with a ram∣pier of twelve foot, and an open gallery to be builded upon it according to the measure of the same height, and a double ditch to be made of fifteen foot apiece, with sides plumme down, and many turrets to be reared of three stories high, and to be joyned together with draw-Bridges to let down at pleasure, the fronts where∣of were fenced with grates of wicker; to the intent the enemy might be repulsed with double rows of defendants: of which the one from the Bridges, the more out of danger they were by reason of the height, so much the boldlier and the farther off might they send their darts; the other the nearer they were placed to their enemy upon the Rampier, so much the better should they be covered from the artillery that might fall down upon them: and over the gates he made high towers. This kind of fortification was to two good purposes: for by the greatnesse of his works and his pretence of fear, he hoped to put the barbarous Galles into a great confidence; and whensoever he should have occasion to send out farre for forrage or victuals, he saw that the camp might be defended with a small power, the strength of the fortifications was so great. In the mean while, parties on both sides would se∣verall times go out and skirmish in the marish that was between our two camps: the which of∣tentimes either the Galles and Germans that were of our host would passe, and eagerly pur∣sue their enemies; or else in like manner our enemies passing over it, did send our men far∣ther off.

It happened in our daily forraging (as there was no other shift, forasmuch as we were fain to fetch forrage at houses that stood scattering farre a sunder) that our forrages being dissevered in disadvantageous places, were entrapped. The which thing as it was some losse to us of our beasts of carriage, and slaves, so it heightened the foolish courages of the barbarous Galles: and that so much the more, because Comius of Arras (who we said before was gone to fetch aid of the Germans) was returned with some horse; of whom although there was not above the number of five hundred, yet the Galles were puffed up at the coming of the Germans.