[1] _CAesar perceiuing the ma|ner of this fight, caused his men of warre to enter into boates and other small ves|sels, which he commanded to go to such places where most néed appeared. And relieuing them that fought with new supplies,The Romans get to land. at length the Romans got to land, and as|sembling togither, they assailed the Britains a fresh, and so at last did put them all to flight.The want of horssemen. But the Ro|mans could not follow the Britains farre, because they wanted their horssemen which were yet behind, & through slacking of time could not come to land. And this one thing séemed onelie to disappoint the luckie fortune that was accustomed to follow Ce|sar in all his other enterprises.
[1] The Britains after this flight were no sooner got togither,The Britans send to Cesar. but that with all speed they sent ambassa|dours vnto Cesar to treat with him of peace, offe|ring to deliuer hostages, and further to stand vnto that order that Cesar should take with them in anie reasonable sort. With these ambassadours came al|so Comius,Comius of Arras. whome Cesar (as you haue heard) had sent before into Britaine, whome notwithstanding that he was an ambassadour, and sent from Cesar with commission and instructions sufficientlie fur|nished, yet had they staied him as a prisoner. But now after the battell was ended, they set him at li|bertie, and sent him backe with their ambassadours, who excused the matter, laieng the blame on the peo|ple of the countrie, which had imprisoned him through lacke of vnderstanding what apperteined to the law of armes and nations in that behalfe.
[1] Cesar found great fault with their misdemenor, not onelie for imprisoning his ambassador, but also for that contrarie to their promise made by such as they had sent to him into Gallia to deliuer hostages, in lieu thereof they had receiued him with warre: yet in the end he said he would pardon them, and not séeke anie further reuenge of their follies. And herewith required of them hostages,Cesar deman|deth hostages. of which, part were deliuered out of hand, and made promise that the residue should likewise be sent after, crauing some respit for performance of the same, bicause they were to be fetched farre off within the countrie.
[1] Peace being thus established after the fourth day of the Romans arriuall in Britaine, the 18 ships which (as ye haue heard) were appointed to conuey the horssemen ouer, loosed from the further hauen with a soft wind. Which when they approched so néere the shore of Britaine, that the Romans which were in Cesars campe might see them, suddenlie there a|rose so great a tempest, that none of them was able to kéepe his course, so that they were not onelie dri|uen in sunder (some being caried againe into Gal|lia, and some westward) but also the other ships that lay at anchor, and had brought ouer the armie, were so pitifullie beaten, tossed and shaken, that a great number of them did not onelie lose their tackle, but also were caried by force of wind into the high sea; [page 26] the rest being likewise so filled with water, that they were in danger by sinking to perish and to be quite lost. For the moone in the same night was at the full, & therefore caused a spring tide, which furthered the force of the tempest, to the greater periall of those ships and gallies that lay at anchor. There was no way for the Romans to helpe the matter: wherefore a great number of those ships were so bruised, rent and weather-beaten, that without new reparation they would serue to no vse of sailing. This was a great discomfort to the Romans that had brought ouer no prouision to liue by in the winter season, nor saw anie hope how they should repasse againe in|to Gallia.
[1] In the meane time the British princes that were in the Romane armie, perceiuing how greatlie this mishap had discouraged the Romans, and a|gain by the small circuit of their campe, gessing that they could be no great number, and that lacke of vit|tels sore oppressed them, they stale priuilie away one after another out of the campe, purposing to assem|ble their powers againe, and to forestall the Ro|mans from vittels, and so to driue the matter off till winter: which if they might doo (vanquishing these or closing them from returning) they trusted that none of the Romans from thencefoorth would attempt eftsoones to come into Britaine. Cesar mis|trusting their dealings, because they staid to deliuer the residue of their hostages, commanded vit|tels to be brought out of the parties adioining, and not hauing other stuffe to repaire his ships, he caused 12 of those that were vtterlie past recoue|rie by the hurts receiued through violence of the tempest, to be broken, wherewith the other (in which some recouerie was perceiued) might be repaired and amended.