[1] _THe night insuing the fore|said ouerthrow of the Bri|tains was spent of the Ro|mans in great ioy & gladnes for the victorie atchiued. But among the Britains thereBritains [...] Scots, nei|ther yet Picts. was nothing else heard but mourning and lamentation, both of men and women that were mingled togi|ther, some busie to beare away the wounded, to bind and dresse their hurts; other calling for their sonnes, kinsfolkes and friends that were wanting. Manie of them forsooke their houses, and in their desperate mood set them on fire, and choosing foorth places for their better refuge and safegard, foorthwith misli|king of the same, left them and sought others: here|with diuerse of them tooke counsell togither what they were best to doo, one while they were in hope, an other while they fainted, as people cast into vtter despaire: the beholding of their wiues and children oftentimes mooued them to attempt some new en|terprise for the preseruation of their countrie and li|berties. And certeine it is that some of them slue their wiues and children, as mooued thereto with a [page 51] certeine fond regard of pitie to rid them out of fur|ther miserie and danger of thraldome.
[1] The next day the certeintie of the victorie more plainlie was disclosed, for all was quiet about, and no noise heard anie where: the houses appeared bur|ning on ech side, and such as were sent foorth to disco|uer the countrie into euerie part thereof, saw not a creature stirring, for all the people were auoided and withdrawne a farre off.
[1] [2] When Agricola had thus ouerthrowne his enimies in a pitcht field at the mountaine of Granziben, and that the countrie was quite rid of all appearance of enimies: bicause the summer of this eight yéere of his gouernement was now almost spent, he brought his armie into the confines of the Horrestians,Hector Bo [...]t. which inhabited the countries now called Angus & Merne, and there intended to winter,Cot. Tacitus. and tooke hostages of the people for assurance of their loialtie and subiecti|on. This doone, he appointed the admirall of the na|uie to saile about the Ile, which accordinglie to his commission in that point receiued,An hauen cal|led Trutulen|s [...]s, perad|uenture Ru|tupensis. luckilie accom|plished his enterprise, and brought the nauie about againe into an hauen called Trutulensts.
[1] In this meane time, whiles Iulius Agricola was thus occupied in Britaine, both the emperour Ues|pasianus, and also his brother Titus that succéeded him, departed this life, and Domitianus was elected emperor, who hearing of such prosperous successe as Agricola had against the Britains, did not so much reioise for the thing well doone, as he enuied to con|sider what glorie and renowme should redound to A|gricola thereby, which he perceiued should much dar|ken the glasse of his same, hauing a priuate person vnder him, who in woorthinesse of noble exploits at|chiued, farre excelled his dooings.
[1] [2] To find remedie therefore herein, he thought not good to vtter his malice as yet, whilest Agricola remained in Britaine with an armie, which so much fauoured him, and that with so good cause, sith by his policie and noble conduct the same had obteined so manie victories, so much honor, and such plentie of spoiles and booties. Wherevpon to dissemble his in|tent, he appointed to reuoke him foorth of Britaine, as it were to honor him, not onelie with deserued triumphs, but also with the lieutenantship of Syria, which as then was void by the death of Atilius Ru|fus. Thus Agricola being countermanded home to Rome,Cneus Tre|bellius alias Salustius Lu|cullus as some thinke. deliuered his prouince vnto his successor Cneus Trebellius, appointed thereto by the em|perour Domitianus, in good quiet and safegard.
[1] [2] ¶Thus may you sée in what state Britaine stood in the daies of king Marius, of whome Tacitus ma|keth no mention at all. Some haue written, that the citie of Chester was builded by this Marius, though other (as before I haue said) thinke rather that it was the worke of Ostorius Scapula theirFabian. legat. Touching other the dooings of Agricola, in the Scotish chronicle you maie find more at large set foorth: for that which I haue written héere, is but to shew what in effect Cornelius Tacitus writeth of that which Agricola did here in Britaine, without making mention either of Scots or Picts, onelie naming them Britains, Horrestians, and Calido|neans, who inhabited in those daies a part of this Ile which now we call Scotland, the originall of which countrie, and the inhabitants of the same, is great|lie controuersed among writers; diuerse diuerslie descanting therevpon, some fetching their reason from the etymon of the word which is Gréeke, some from the opening of their ancestors as they find the same remaining in records; other some from com|paring antiquities togither, and aptlie collecting the truth as néere as they can. But to omit them, and returne to the continuation of our owne historie.