England.

2

Inhabited by 17 dif. ferent na.

tions.

3

Julius Cæ

to Britain.

England, including the principality of Wales, when firft invaded by the Romans, was divided into 17 petty ftates. 1. The Danmonii, called alfo Dunmoni and Donmonii, inhabiting the counties of Cornwall and Devonshire.

2. The Durotriges, who inhabited the tract now called Dorfetshire. 3. The Belgae poffeffed Somersetshire, Wiltshire, and Hampshire. 4. The Attrebatii, or inhabitants of Berkshire. 5. The Regni, whofe country bordered on that of the Attrebatii, and comprehended Surrey, Suffex, and part of the fea-coaft of Hampshire. 6. The Cantii, inhabiting the county now called Kent. 7. The Dobuni are placed by Ptolemy on the north fide of the Thames, near its head, in the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. 8. The Cattieuchlani, Calyeuchlani, Cattidudani, or Cathic ludani, inhabited Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire. 9. The Trinobantes, who poffeffed the counties of Effex and Middlefex. 10. The Iceni, whofe country comprehended Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, and Huntingdonshire. These are by Ptolemy called Simeni, and by others Tigeni. Camden is of opinion, that they were the fame whom Cæfar calls Cenomagni. 11. The Coritani, whofe country comprehended Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Rutland hire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. 12. The Cornavii poffeffed Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire. 13. The Silures inhabited the counties of Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Glamorganshire, with Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. 14. The Demetæ inhabited part of Caermarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Cardiganthire. 15. The country of the Ordovices comprehended Montgomeryshire, Merionethshire, Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, and Flintshire. 16. The Brigantes poffeffed the counties of Yorkshire, the bishopric of Durham, Lancashire, Weftmoreland, and Cumberland. 17. The county of Northumberland was held by the Ottadini, Ottadeni, or Ottalini. Their country, according to fome, reached from the Tyne to the river Forth; though the most common opinion is, that it reached only to the Tweed.

The above-mentioned names of thefe nations are plainly Roman, but the etymology of them is not eafily afcertained. Some attempt to derive them from words in the old British language; but as this fubject at best must be very obscure and uncertain, we hall not enter into it.

Before the time of Julius Cæfar, the Romans had far under- fearcely any knowledge of Britain; but that conqueror takes an ex-having fubdued moft of the Gallic nations on the oppopedition ifite fide of the channel, began to think of extending his conquefts by the reduction of Britain. The motive for this expedition, afcribed to him by Suetonius, was a defire of enriching himself with the British pearls, which were then very much esteemed. The pretence, however, which he made ufe of in order to justify his invafion was, that the Britons had fent affiftance to the Gauls during his wars with them.

Cæfar undertook his first expedition against Britain when the summer was already far fpent, and therefore he did not expect to finish the conqueft of the country that campaign. He thought, however, that it would be a confiderable advantage to view the island, and learn fomething of the manners and cuftoms of the natives; after which he could more eafily take fuch mea

fures as would enfure a permanent conqueft on his re- England. turn. Having marched all his forces into the country of the Morini, now the province of Picardy, from whence was the shorteft paffage into Britain; he ordered at the fame time all the veffels that lay in the neighbouring ports, and a fleet which he had built the year before for an expedition against the Morini, to attend him. The Britons, alarmed at his preparations, fent ambaffadors with offers of fubmiffion; but Cæfar, though he received them with great kindnefs, did not abandon his intended fcheme of an invafion. He waited till the arrival of C. Volufenus, whom he had fent out with a fingle galley to make difcoveries on the coaft. Volufenus did not think proper to land; but, having made what obfervations he could, returned after five days abfence, and Cæfar immediately fet fail for Britain. His force confifted of two legions, embarked on board 80 tranfports; and he appointed 18 more which lay wind bound about eight miles off, to convey over the cavalry; but thefe laft orders were too flowly executed, which occafioned fome difficulty in his landing.

4

Britons.

The Britons at this time, according to Cæfar and Manners, other Roman hiftorians, were very numerous, and had customs, their country well stocked with cattle. Their houfes &c. of the refembled thofe of the Gauls; and they used copper or iron plates weighed by a certain ftandard instead of money. Their towns were a confused parcel of huts placed at a small distance from one another, generally in the middle of a wood, to which all the avenues were flightly guarded with ramparts of earth, or with trees. All the nations were in a flate of the moft wretched' barbarism, even when compared with the barbarous Gauls on the continent. The ufe of clothes was scarcely known in the ifland. Only the inhabitants of the fouthern coaft covered their nakednefs with the skins of wild beasts; and this rather to avoid giving offence to the ftrangers who came to trade with them, than out of any principle of decency. It was a general cuftom among the Britons to paint their bodies with the juice of woad: but whether this was defigned as ornament, or for any other purpofe, is not known. They fhaved their beards all except their upper lip, and wore long hair. They alfo had their wives in 'common, a custom which made them deteftable to all other nations.

The arms of the Britons were a fword, a fhort lance, and a fhield. Breaft-plates and helmets they looked upon rather to be incumbrances, and therefore made no ufe of them. They ufually fought in chariots, fome of which were armed with feythes at the wheels; they were fierce and cruel, and exceedingly bloodthirsty. When driven to diftrefs, they could fubfift themselves even on the bark and roots of trees; and Dio Caffius tells us, that they had ready, on all occafions, a certain kind of food, of which, if they took but the quantity of a bean, they were not troubled with hunger or thirft for a confiderable time after. The fouthern nations, however, were fomewhat more civilized; and the Cantii, or inhabitants of Kent, more fo than any of the rest.

All the British nations at this time were very brave and refolute, owing to the continual diffenfions among themselves. They proved therefore very formidable enemies to the Romans; but the fame diffenfions which

had

5

They oppole Cæ. far's land ing.

England. had taught them the art of war, alfo prevented them from uniting in the defence of their country. As foon as they perceived Cæfar's fleet approaching, a number of cavalry and chariots were difpatched to oppofe his landing, while a confiderable body of infantry haftened after. What chiefly embarraffed the Romans in their attempt to land, was the largenefs of their fhips, which required a confiderable depth of water. The foldiers, therefore, were obliged to leap into the fea while loaded with their armour; and at the fame time to encounter the enemy, who were quite difengaged, as they either flood on dry ground, or waded but a little way into the water. Caefar perceiving this difadvantage, ordered his galleys to advance, with their broadfides towards the fhore, in order to drive the Britons from the water-fide with their flings and arOn this the Britons, furprifed at the galleys, a fort of fhipping they had never before seen, began to give ground. The fight, however, continued for fome time, greatly to the difadvantage of the Romans; till at laft Cæfar, obferving the diftrefs of his men, caufed feveral boats to be manned, and fent them to the affiftance of those who were moft exposed to the enemy's affault. The Romans then foon got the better of the undifciplined barbarians, however brave, and madegood their landing; but they were unable to pursue the enemy for want of cavalry, which had not yet arrived.

6

They are defeated

and fue for

peace.

Their

7

rows.

The Britons were fo disheartened with this bad fuccefs, that they immediately fent ambaffadors to fue for peace; which was granted, on condition of their delivering a certain number of hostages for their fidelity. Part of these they brought immediately; and promifed to return in a few days with the reft, who, they said, lived at fome diftance. But, in the mean time, the 18 tranfports which carried Cæfar's cavalry, being driven back by a violent ftorm, and the fleet which lay in the road being greatly damaged by the fame, the Britons thought proper to break their engagetreachery. ments. Having therefore privately affembled their forces, they fell unexpectedly on the feventh legion while at a distance from the reft and bufied in foraging. Cæfar being apprifed of their danger, haftened to their affiftance with two cohorts, and at last repulfed the enemy. This, however, proved only a temporary deliverance; for the Britons, thinking it would be poffible for them to cut off all the Romans at once, difpatched meffengers to inform feveral of the neighbouring nations of the weakness of the enemy's forces, and the happy opportunity that offered itself of deftroying all thefe invaders at one blow. On this, they drew together a great body of horfe and foot, which boldly advanced to the Roman entrenchments. But Cæfar came out to meet them; and the undifciplined Britons being by no means able to cope with the Romans, were put to flight with great flaughter. Having burnt feveral towns and villages, the victors returned to their camp, where they were foon followed by new deputies from the Britons. Cæfar being in want of horse, and afraid left another form should deftroy the remainder of his fleet, granted them peace on condition of their fending him double the number of hoftages into Gaul which they had before promised. The fame night he fet fail, and foon arrived fafe in Gaul.

8

The Britons no fooner perceived the Romans gone, England. than, as before, they broke through their engagements. Of all the ftates who had promised to fend hoftages, only two performed their promifes; and this neglect fo provoked Cæfar, that he determined to return the year following with a far greater force. Ha- Cæfar reving, therefore, caufed his old veffels to be refitted, turns. and a great many new ones to be built, he arrived off the coaft of Britain with a fleet of 600 fhips and 28 galleys. The Britons made no oppofition to his landing; but Cæfar, getting intelligence that an army was affembled at no great diftance, marched in quest of them. He found them encamped on the banks of a river, fuppofed to be the Stour, about 12 miles distant from the place where he had landed. They attempted to oppofe his paffage; but being brifkly attacked by the Roman cavalry, they were obliged to retire into a wood, all the avenues of which were blocked up by trees cut down for that purpofe. This fortification, however, proved infufficient to protect them. The feventh le- Defeats the gion having caft themselves into a teftudo, and thrown Britons. up a mount against their works, drove them from their afylum; but as the day was far spent, a pursuit was not thought advisable.

Next morning Cæfar, with the greatest part of his army, which he divided into three bodies, marched out in queft of the enemy. But when he was already come in fight of their rear, he was overtaken by meffengers, who informed him, that his fleet was greatly damaged by a violent form which had happened the preceding night. This put an end to the purfuit for that time; but Cæfar having employed all the carpenters he had with him, and fent for others from Gaul, in order to repair the damage, refolved to prevent misfortunes of this kind for the future. He therefore drew all his fhips afhore, and enclofed them within the fortifications of his camp. This arduous undertaking employed his whole camp for 10 days; after which he again fet out in queft of the enemy.

The Britons had made the beft ufe they could of the refpite afforded them by the form. They were headed by Caffibelaunus king of the Trinobantes. He had formerly made war upon his neighbours; and having rendered himfelf terrible to them, was looked upon to be the most proper perfon for leading them on against the common enemy; and as several states had now joined their forces, the British army was very numerous. Their cavalry and chariots attacked the Roman army while on their march; but were repulfed with lofs, and driven into the woods. The Romans pursued them too eagerly, and thus loft fome of their own men; which encouraged the Britons to make another fierce attack; but in this alfo they were finally unsuccessful, and obliged to retire, though their lofs feems not to have been great.

Next day the Britons fuddenly attacked the Roman legions as they were foraging; but meeting with a vigorous refiftance, they foon betook themfelves to flight. The Romans purfued them fo closely, that having nei. ther time to rally nor get down from their chariots according to custom, great numbers of them were cut in pieces; and this overthrow had such an e an effect upon the auxiliaries of Caffibelaunus, that all of them abandoned him; nor did the Britons ever afterwards engage Cæfar with united forces. Cæfar, purfuing his victory,

marched

England.

Cæfar croffes the Thames.

II Gives the

marched towards the Thames, with a defign to cross that river, and enter the territories of the Trinobantes. The river was fordable only at one place, and that not without great difficulty; but when he came to it, he found the enemy's forces drawn up in a confiderable body on the oppofite bank, which was fortified with fharp takes. They had likewife driven many flakes of the fame kind into the bottom of the river, the tops of which were covered with water. These stakes are vifible to this day at a place called Walton in Surry. They are made of oak; and though they have been fo long in the water, are as hard as Brazil, and as black as jet; and have fometimes been pulled out in order to make knife handles of them.

Cæfar was not at all difmayed at thefe difficulties, Britons fre- which he had intelligence of by prifoners and defertquent over. ers. He ordered the cavalry to enter firft, and the

brows.

foot to follow. His orders were obeyed, and the foldiers advanced with fuch refolution, that though the infantry were up to the chin in water, the enemy, unable to fuftain their affault, abandoned the bank and fled. After this defeat, Caflibelaunus himself despaired of fuccefs, and therefore difmiffed all his forces except about 4000 chariots, with which he obferved the motions of the Romans, haraffing them by cutting off. ftraggling parties, &c. This, however, was not fufficient to keep up the fpirits of his countrymen. On the contrary, they depofed him from the kingdom, and chofe Mandubratius, whofe father had been murdered by Caffibelaunus, who thereupon ufurped the kingdom. The young prince had fled to Cæfar, who gave him protection; and the Trinobantes now offered to fubmit to the conqueror, provided he would give them Mandubratius for their king.

Cæfar readily complied with the request of the Trinobantes upon their fending him 40 hostages; and the fubmiffion of the Trinobantes was foon followed by that of other states and tribes; for each of the 17 nations already mentioned was compofed of feveral different tribes, of which no particular account can be given. -Cæfar next marched to Verulamium, or Canterbury, which was Caffibelaunus's capital, and which he ftill kept poffeffion of; but though the place was ftrongly fortified both by nature and art, the Britons were unable to bear the affault of the Romans, and therefore foon fled out at one of the avenues. Many were taken as they attempted to make their escape, and many more cut in pieces.

After this lofs, Caffibelaunus, as his laft refource, found means to draw into confederacy with him four kings of the Cantii. But though Cæfar gives them the title of kings, it is probable that they were only petty princes, tributary to the king of that nation. Their names were Cingetorix, Corvilius, Taximagulus, and Segonax. Thefe, having raifed what forces they could, attacked the camp where the fhips were laid up but the Romans having made a fally, repulfed them with great flaughter, and then returned to their trenches without any lofs; after which, Caffibelaunus thought proper to fubmit to the conqueror. As the fummer was already far spent, Cæfar hearkened to his propofals. A peace was concluded on the following terms, viz. that the Britons fhould pay an annual tribute to the Romans, that Caffibelaunus fhould leave

Mandubratius in peaceable poffeffion of his dominions, England. that he should not moleft the Trinobantes, and that he fhould deliver a certain number of hoftages. These terms being agreed to, Cæfar fet fail with his whole He leaves the island fleet from Britain, to which he never returned. altogether.

Such is the account given by Cæfar himself of his two expeditions into Britain; but other authors have fpoken very doubtfully of his victories in this ifland. Dio Caffius tells us, that the Britons utterly defeated the Roman infantry, but were at last put in diforder by their cavalry. Horace and Tibullus, in many parts of their works, fpeak of the Britons as a people not yet conquered. Tacitus fays, that Cæfar rather showed the Romans the way to Britain, than put them in poffeffion of it; and Lucan tells us plainly, that Cæfar turned his back to the Britons and fled. This last, however, confidering the confummate military genius of Cæfar, is by no means probable. That he left. Britain, during the winter, was, in all probability, to prevent infurrections among the Gauls, which might very readily have happened: and that he did not return to finish his conqueft can be no wonder, feeing his ambition would certainly be more gratified by being called emperor of Rome, than conqueror of Britain.

12

13

the Romans

Was renew

The departure of Julius Caefar, which happened about 53 years before Chrift, left the Britons without any fear of a foreign enemy. We are not, therefore, to imagine, that they would regard their promifes of paying tribute; nor was it probably demanded for a good number of years afterwards. Auguftus, however, when he had got himself fully established on the throne, had twice a defign of invading Britain and forcing the inhabitants to pay the tribute promised to Julius Cæfar. Both times, however, he was prevented by revolts in different provinces in the empire, fo that the Britons ftill continued to enjoy their liberty. They thought proper, however, to court the favour of the Romans as much as they could by pretended fubmiffions; but, in the reign of Claudius, the Romans fet about reducing them to fubjection in good earnest. The occafion of this war is related by Dio Caffius as follows. "Cu- Why the nobellinus, the third in fucceffion from Caffibelaunus, war with being dead, his two fons, Togodumnus and Caractacus, fucceeded to the throne; but whether they ed. reigned jointly or feparately, is not known. In their reign one Bercius, of whom we also know very little, being driven out of the island for attempting to raise a fedition, fled with fome of his partifans to Rome, and perfuaded Claudius to make war on his countrymen. The Britons, on the other hand, refented the behaviour of Claudius in receiving thefe vagabonds, and therefore prohibited all intercourfe with the Romans.. A much fmaller offence than this would have been fufficient at any time to provoke that haughty nation to declare war. An army was therefore immediately ordered into Britain, under the command of Plautius prætor in Gaul. The foldiers at first refused to embark, from a fuperftitious notion, that they were going to be fent without the compafs of the world; and this mutiny being related to the Britons, they did not make the neceffary preparations for their own defence. Roman foldiers were foon brought to a fenfe of their duty; and fet out from three different ports, in order to land in three different places of Britain at once..

The

afterwards emperor, is faid to have fought 30 battles England. with them; and the exploits of Titus his fon are alfo much celebrated by the Roman hiftorians.

England. Being driven back by contrary winds, their fears began to return; but they refumed their courage on the appearance of a meteor fhooting from the eaft, which they imagined was fent from heaven to direct their courfe. They landed without oppofition; and the Britons, not having drawn together a fufficient army, kept in fmall bodies behind their marshes, and in woods, in order to fpin out the war till winter; which they thought Plautius, as Cæfar had done, would pafs in Gaul.

14 The Bri¿tons defeated.

15 Claudius

arrives in Britain,

1

The Roman general marched first in quest of the two kings Togodumnus and Caractacus; both of whom he found out, and defeated one after another. He then reduced part of the Dobuni, at that time subject to the Cattieuchlani; and leaving a garrifon to keep them in awe, he advanced to a river where the Britons lay carelessly encamped, fuppofing that the Romans could not pass it without a bridge. But the Germans in the Roman army had been accustomed to fwim across the ftrongest currents with their heavy armour. They therefore paffed the river firft; and having, according to their orders, fallen only upon the enemy's horfes which drew their chariots, these formidable machines were rendered entirely useless; and the Britons were put to flight as foon as another part of the forces could pafs

the river.

The Britons were not disheartened with this defeat, but engaged the Romans next day with great bravery. Victory continued long doubtful; but at length the Romans prevailed, and the Britons were forced to betake themselves to flight. This battle is thought to have been fought on the banks of the Severn. From thence the Britons led to the mouth of the Thames. They were clofely purfued by the Romans; but the latter being unacquainted with the flats and fhallows of the river, were often in great danger. The Germans, however, croffed by fwimming as before, and the reft on a bridge fomewhat farther up the river; fo that the Britons were in a fhort time furrounded on all fides, and great numbers of them cut in pieces. Many of the Romans, alfo, pursuing the fugitives with too great eagerness, were loft in the marshes. In one of thefe battles Togodumnus was killed; but the Britons were fo far from being disheartened, that they fhowed more eagerness than ever to oppofe the Romans, in order to revenge his death. Plautius, therefore, did not think proper to penetrate farther into the country, but contented himself with putting garrifons in the places he had already conquered. He then wrote to the emperor himself; who no fooner received an account of bis fuccefs, than he fet out for Britain; where, having landed after a short voyage, he joined Plautius on the banks of the Thames.

Soon after the arrival of Claudius, the Romans paffed the Thames, attacked the British army, and totally defeated it. The confequence of this was the taking of Cunobelinus's capital, and the fubmiffion of feveral of the neighbouring ftates. The emperor, however, did not make a long ftay in the island, but Jeft Plautius to purfue his conquefts. This he did with fuch fuccefs, that on his return to Rome, he was met without the gates by the emperor himself, who, at his folemn entry, gave him the right hand-The Britons feem to have made a very obftinate refiftance to the Roman arms about this time. Vefpafian, who was

16

In the ninth year of Claudius, P. Oftorius Scapula was fent into Britain. By far the greater part of the 17 nations formerly mentioned were at this time unconquered. Some of these had broken into the Roman territories; but Oftorius falling unexpectedly upon them, put great numbers to the fword, and difperfed the rest. To prevent them for the future from making inroads into the territories of the Romans or their allies, he built feveral forts on the Severn, the Avon, and the Nen, reducing the country fouth of thefe ri vers to a Roman province. This fo highly offended the Iceni, that, being joined by the neighbouring nations, they raised a confiderable army, and encamped in an advantageous fituation, in order to prevent the Romans from penetrating farther into the island. O. ftorius, however, foon advanced against them. The Romans, as ufual, got the victory, and the enemy were purfued with great flaughter. The Roman general then, having quelled an infurrection among the Brigantes, led his army against the Silures. They were Caractacus headed by their king Caractacus, a most renowned defeated warrior. He fhowed his military talants by choofing and taken a very advantageous place for engaging the enemy. Ta prifoner. citus tells us, "it was on the ridge of an exceeding fteep mountain and where the fides of it were inclining and acceffible, he reared walls of ftone for a rampart. At the foot of the mountain flowed a river dangerous to be forded, and an army of men guarded his entrenchments. This hill is thought to be one called Caer-Caradoc in Shropshire, fituated near the conflux of the rivers Colun and Teme, and where the remains of ancient entrenchments are still vifible. On the approach of the enemy, Cara&tacus drew up his troops in order of battle, animating them with the following fpeech, according to Tacitus. "That from this day, and this battle, they muft date their liberty rescued, or their flavery for ever eftablished. He then invoked the fhades of thofe heroes who had expelled Cæfar the dictator; thofe brave men by whofe valour they ftill enjoyed freedom from Roman tribute and taxes, and by which their wives and children were as yet preferved from proftitution." The whole army then took a folemn oath either to conquer or die, and prepared for the charge with the most terrible fhouts. Oftorius was fomewhat difmayed when he confidered the uncommon fiercenefs of the enemy, and the other difficulties which he had to encounter. He led on his men, however, to the charge; and the Romans were attended with their ufual good fortune. The Britons were put to flight. Vaft numbers fell on the field of battle and in the purfuit, and many more were taken prifoners. Among the latter were the wife, the daugh ter, and the brothers of Caractacus. The unfortunate prince himfelf fled to Cartifmundua queen of the Brigantes, by whom he was delivered up to the Roman general, who fent him in chains to Rome. Caractacus bore his misfortunes with magnanimity; and when he came before the emperor, addreffed him in the following terms. "If my moderation in profperity, O. 17 Claudius! had been as confpicuous as my birth and to the Rofortune, I fhould now have entered this city as a friend, man empeand not as a prifoner; nor would you have difdained ror. the

His fpeech