4.11. The oration of queene Voadicia full of prudence and spirit to the Britains, for their encouragement against the Romans, wherein she rippeth vp the vile seruitude and shamefull wrongs which their enimies inflic|ted vpon them, with other matters verie motiue, both concerning themselues and their eni|mies, hir supplication and praier for victorie. The eleuenth Chapter.

The oration of queene Voadicia full of prudence and spirit to the Britains, for their encouragement against the Romans, wherein she rippeth vp the vile seruitude and shamefull wrongs which their enimies inflic|ted vpon them, with other matters verie motiue, both concerning themselues and their eni|mies, hir supplication and praier for victorie. The eleuenth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _NOw Uoadicia being pre|pared (as you heare) set foorth with such maiestie, that she greatlie incouraged the Bri|tains; vnto whome for their better animating and embol|dening, she vttered this gal|lant oration in manner and forme following.

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I doo suppose (my louers and friends) that there is no man here but dooth well vnderstand how muchThe oration of Uoadicia. libertie and fréedome is to be preferred before thral|dome and bondage. But if there haue bene anie of you so deceiued with the Romane persuasions, that ye did not for a time see a difference betwéene them, and iudged whether of both is most to be desired: now I hope that hauing tried what it is to be vnder both, ye will with me reforme your iudgement, and by the harmes alreadie taken, acknowledge your ouersight, and forsake your former error. Againe, in that a number of you haue rashlie preferred an ex|ternall souereigntie before the customes and lawes of your owne countrie, you doo at this time (I doubt not) perfectlie vnderstand how much free pouertie is to be prefered before great riches, wherevnto serui|tude is annexed; and much wealth in respect of cap|tiuitie vnder forren magistrats, wherevpon slaue|rie attendeth. For what thing (I beséech you) can there be so vile & grieuous vnto the nature of man, that hath not happened vnto vs, sithens the time that the Romans haue bene acquainted with this Iland?

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Are we not all in manner bereaued of our riches & possessions? Doo not we (beside other things that we giue, and the land that we till for their onelie profit) paie them all kinds of tributs, ye [...] for our owne carcases? How much better is it to be once alost and fortunate in deed, than vnder the forged and false title of libertie, continuallie to paie for our redemption a fréedome? How much is it more com|mendable to lose our liues in defense of our coun|trie, than to carie about not so much as our heads toll free, but dailie oppressed & laden with innumera|ble exactions? But to what end doo I remember and speake of these things, since they will not suffer by death to become frée? For what and how much we paie for them that are dead, there is not one here but he dooth well vnderstand. Among other nations such as are brought into seruitude, are alwaies by death discharged of their bondage: onelie to the Ro|mans the dead doo still liue, and all to increase their commoditie and gaine.

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If anie of vs be without monie (as I know not well how and which way we should come by anie) then are we left naked, & spoiled of that which remai|neth in our houses, & we our selues as men left deso|late & dead. How shall we looke for better dealing at their hands hereafter, that in the beginning deale so vncourteousie with vs: since there is no man that taketh so much as a wild beast, but at the first he will cherish it, and with some gentlenesse win it to fami|liaritie? But we our selues (to saie the trueth) are authors of our owne mischiefe, which suffered them at the first to set foot within our Iland, and did not by and by driue them backe as we did Cesar, or slue them with our swords when they were yet farre off, and that the aduenturing hither was dangerous: as we did sometime to Augustus and Caligula.

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We therefore that inhabit this Iland, which for the quantitie thereof maie well be called a maine, although it be inuironed about with the Ocean sea, diuiding vs from other nations, so that we séeme to liue vpon an other earth, & vnder a seuerall heauen: we, euen we (I saie) whose name hath béene long kept hid from the wisest of them all, are now con|temned and troden vnder foot, of them who studie no|things else but how to become lords & haue rule of other men. Wherefore my welbeloued citizens, friendes, and kinsfolkes (for I thinke we are all of kin, since we were borne and dwell in this Ile, and haue one name common to vs all) let vs now, euen now (I saie, because we haue not doone it heretofore, and whilest the remembrance of our ancient libertie remaineth) sticke togither, and performe that thing which dooth perteine to valiant and hardie courages, to the end we maie inioie, not onelie the name of libertie, but also fréedome it selfe, and thereby leaue our force and valiant acts for an example to our po|steritie: for if we which haue béene liberallie and in honest maner brought vp, should vtterlie forget our pristinate felicitie: what may we hope for in those that shall sucéed vs, and are like to be brought vp in miserie and thraldome?

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I doo not make rehearsall of these things vnto you, to the end I would prouoke you to mislike of this present estate of things (for well I know you abhorre it sufficientlie alreadie) neither to put you in feare of those things that are likelie to fall here|after (because you doo feare and sée them verie well before hand) but to the end I maie giue you heartie thankes and woorthie commendations, for that of your owne accord and meanes you determine so well to prouide for things necessarie (thereby to helpe both me and your selues with willing minds) as men that are nothing in doubt of all the Romane puissance.

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If you consider the number of your enimies, it is not greater than yours: if you regard their strength, they are no stronger than you: and all this dooth ea|silie appéere by the bassinets, habergeons, & greiues wherewith you be armed; and also by the walls, dit|ches and trenches that you haue made for your own defense, to kéepe off their excursions, who had rather fight with vs a farre off, than cope & deale with vs at hand strokes, as our custome of the warres and martiall discipline dooth require. Wherefore we doo so farre exceed them in force, that in mine opinion, our armie is more strong than stone walls, and one of our targets woorth all the armour that they doo beare vpon them: by meanes whereof, if the victorie be ours, we shall soone make them captiues: or if we lose the field, we shall easilie escape the danger.

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Furthermore, if after the flight we shall indeuour to méet anie where, we haue the marishes héere be|neath to hide vs in, and the hils round about to kéepe them off, so that by no meanes they shall haue their purpose of vs, whereas they being ouercharged with heauie armour, shall neither be able to follow, if we flée; nor escape out of our danger, if they be put to flight: if they happen to breake out at anie time as desirous to make a rode, they returne by and by to their appointed places, where we maie take them as birds alreadie in cage. In all which things, as they are farre inferior to vs, so most of all in this, that they can not indure hunger, thirst, cold, heat, and sunne|shine, as we can doo.

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In their houses also and tents, they make much ac|count of their baked meates, wine, oile, and abroad of the shadow, that if anie of these doo faile them, they either die foorthwith, or else in time they lan|guish and consume: whereas to vs euerie hearbe and root is meat, euerie iuice an oile, all water plea|sant wine, and euerie trée an house. Beside this, there is no place of the land vnknowne to vs, neither yet vnfriendlie to succour vs at néed; whereas to the Romans they are for the most part vnknowne and altogither dangerous, if they should stand in néed: we can with ease swim ouer euerie riuer both naked and clad, which they with their great ships are scarse able to performe. Wherefore with hope and good lucke let vs set vpon them couragiouslie, and teach them to vnderstand, that since they are no better than hares and foxes, they attempt a wrong match, when they indeuour to subdue the grehounds and the woolues.

With which words the quéene let an hare go out of hir lap, as it were thereby to giue pro|gnostication of hir successe, which comming well to passe, all the companie showted, and cried out vpon such as not long before had doone such violence to so noble a personage. Presentlie vpon this action, Uo|adicia calling them togither againe, procéeded for|ward with hir praier, which she made before them all, holding vp hir hands after this manner:

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I giue thée thanks O Adraste, and call vpon shee thou woman of women, which reignest not ouer the burthen-bearing Aegyptians, as Nitocris; neither ouer their merchants, as dooth Semiramis, for these trifles we haue learned latelie of the Romans: nei|ther ouer the people of Rome, as a litle héeretofore Messalina, then Agrippina, and now Nero, who is called by the name of a man, but is in déed a verie woman, as dooth appéere by his voice, his harpe, and his womans attire: but I call vpon thee as a god|desse which gouernest the Britains, that haue lear|ned not to till the field, nor to be handicrafts men, but to lead their liues in the warres after the best manner: who also as they haue all other things, so haue they likewise their wiues and children com|mon, whereby the women haue the like audacitie with the men, and no lesse boldnesse in the warres than they.

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Therefore sithens I haue obteined a kingdome a|mong such a mightie people, I beséech thée to grant them victorie, health, and libertie, against these con|tentious, wicked, and vnsatiable men (if they maie be called men, which vse warme bathings, delicate fare, hot wines, swéet oiles, soft beds, fine musicke, and so vnkindlie lusts) who are altogither giuen to couetousnesse and crueltie, as their dooings doo de|clare. Let not I beséech thée, the Neronian or Domi|tian tyrannie anie more preuaile vpon me, or (to saie truth) vpon thée, but let them rather serue thée, whose heauie oppression thou hast borne withall a long season, and that thou wilt still be our helper on|lie, our defender, our fauourer, and our furtherer, O noble ladie, I hartilie beséech thee.