4.17. The Britains of Calenderwood assalt the Romans vpon aduantage, bloudie bat|tels fought betwixt them, great numbers slaine on both sides, the villanous dealing of certeine Dutch souldiers against their capteins and fellowes in armes, the miserie that they were driuen vnto by famine to eate one another, a sharpe conflict betweene the Ro|mans and Britains, with the losse of manie a mans life, and effusion of much bloud. The xvij. Chapter.

The Britains of Calenderwood assalt the Romans vpon aduantage, bloudie bat|tels fought betwixt them, great numbers slaine on both sides, the villanous dealing of certeine Dutch souldiers against their capteins and fellowes in armes, the miserie that they were driuen vnto by famine to eate one another, a sharpe conflict betweene the Ro|mans and Britains, with the losse of manie a mans life, and effusion of much bloud. The xvij. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _THe Britains that inhabi|ted in those daies about the parts of Calenderwood,Calender|wood. per|ceiuing in what danger they were to be vtterlie subdued, assembled themselues togi|ther, in purpose to trie the for|tune of battell: whereof Agri|cola being aduertised, marched foorth with his armie diuided in three battels, so that the enimies doubting to trie the matter in open field, espied their time in the night, and with all their whole puissance set vpon one of the Romane legions, which they knew to be most féeble and weake, trusting by a camisado to di|stresse the same: and first sleaing the watch, they en|tred the campe, where the said legion laie, and finding the souldiers in great disorder, betwixt sléepe and feare, began the fight euen within the campe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Agricola had knowledge of their purposed intent, and therefore with all spéed hasted foorth to come to the succours of his people, sending first his light horssemen, and certeine light armed footmen to as|saile the enimies on their backs, and shortlie after approched with his whole puissance, so that the Ro|mane standards beginning to appéere in sight by the light of the daie that then began to spring, the Bri|tains were sore discouraged, and the Romans renew|ing their force, fiercelie preassed vpon them, so that e|uen in the entrie of the campe, there was a sore con|flict, till at length the Britains were put to flight and chased, so that if the mareshes and woods had not sa|ued them from the pursute of the Romans, there had beene an end made of the whole warre euen by that one daies worke. But the Britains escaping as well as they might, and reputing the victorie to haue chan|ced not by the valiancie of the Romane soldiers, but by occasion, and the prudent policie of their capteine, were nothing abashed with that their present losse, but prepared to put their youth againe into armour: and therevpon they remooued their wiues and chil|dren into safe places, and then assembling the chiefest gouernours togither, concluded a league amongst themselues, ech to aid other, confirming their articles with dooing of sacrifice (as the manner in those daies was.)

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The same summer,The seuenth yéere. a band of such Dutch or Ger|maine souldiers as had béene leuied in Germanie & sent ouer into Britaine to the aid of the Romans, attempted a great and woonderfull act, in sleaing their capteine, and such other of the Romane souldi|ers which were appointed to haue the training and leading of them, as officers and instructors to them in the feats of warre: and when they had committed that murther, they got into thrée pinesses, and became rouers on the coasts of Britaine, and incountring with diuerse of the Britains that were readie to de|fend their countrie from spoile, oftentimes they got the vpper hand of them, and now and then they were chased awaie, insomuch that in the end they were brought to such extremitie for want of vittels, that they did eate such amongst them as were the wea|kest, and after, such as the lot touched, being indiffe|rentlie cast amongst them: and so being caried about the coasts of Britaine, & losing their vessels through want of skill to gouerne them, they were reputed for robbers, and therevpon were apprehended, first by the Suabeners, and shortlie after by the Frizers, the which sold diuerse of them to the Romans and other, whereby the true vnderstanding of their aduentures came certeinlie to light.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 In summer next following,The eight yéere of Agri|cola his go|uernment. Agricola with his ar|mie came to the mounteine of Granziben, where he vnderstood that his enimies were incamped, to the number of 30 thousand and aboue, and dailie there came to them more companie of the British youth, and such aged persons also as were lustie and in strength, able to weld weapon and beare armour. A|mongst the capteins the chiefest was one Galgagus whom the Scotish chronicles name Gald.Galgagus whome the Scots name Gald and will néeds haue him a Scotish man. This man as chiefteine and head capteine of all the Britains there assembled, made to them a pithie oration, to in|courage them to fight manfullie, and likewise did A|gricola to his people: which being ended, the armies on both sides were put in order of battell. Agricola placed 8 thousand footmen of strangers which he had there in aid with him in the most, appointing three thousand horssemen to stand on the sides of them as wings. The Romane legions stood at their [...] in stéed of a bulworke. The Britains were imbattelled in such order, that their fore ward stood in the plaine ground, and the other on the side of an hill, as though they had risen on heigth one ranke aboue another. The midst of the field was couered with their char|rets EEBO page image 50 and horssemen. Agricola doubting by the huge multitude of enimies,Corn. Tacit. least his people should be as|sailed not onlie afront, but also vpon euerie side the battels, he caused the ranks so to place themselues, as their battels might stretch farre further in bredth than otherwise the order of warre required: but he tooke this to be a good remedie against such inconue|nience as might haue followed, if the enimie by the narrownesse of the fronts of his battels should haue bemmed them in on ech side.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 This done, and hauing conceiued good hope of vic|torie, he alighted on foot, and putting his horsse from him, he stood before the standards as one not caring for anie danger that might happen. At the first they bestowed their shot and darts fréelie on both sides. The Britains aswell with constant manhood, as skilfull practise, with broad swords and little round bucklers auoided and beat from them the arrowes and darts that came from their enimies, and there|withall paid them home againe with their shot and darts, so that the Romans were néere hand oppressed therewith, bicause they came so thicke in their faces, till at length Agricola caused thrée cohorts of Hol|landers, & two of Lukeners to presse forward, [...]. & ioine with them at hand-strokes,Congri. so as the matter might come to be tried with the edge of the swoord, which thing as to them (being inured with that kind of fight) it stood greatlie with their aduantage, so to the Britains it was verie dangerous, that were to de|fend themselues with their mightie huge swoords and small bucklers. Also by reason their swoords were broad at the ends, and pointlesse, they auailed little to hurt the armed enimie. Wherevpon when the Hollanders came to ioine with them, they made fowle worke in sleaing and wounding them in most horrible wise.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The horssemen also that made resistance they pulled from their horsses, and began to clime the hill vpon the Britains. The other bands desirous to match their fellowes in helping to atchiue the victo|rie, followed the Hollanders,Hollanders. and beat downe the Britains where they might approch to them: manie were ouerrun and left halfe dead, and some not once touched with anie weapon, were likewise ouerpres|sed, such hast the Romans made to follow vpon the Britains. Whilest the British horssemen fled, their charets ioined themselues with their footmen, and restoring the battell, put the Romans in such feare, that they were at a sudden stay: but the charets be|ing troubled with prease of enimies, & vnéeuennesse of the ground, they could not worke their feat to a|nie purpose, neither had that fight anie resemblance of a battell of horssemen, when ech one so encumbred other, that they had no roome to stirre themselues. The charets oftentimes wanting their guiders were caried awaie with the horsses, that being put in feare with the noise and stur, ran hither and thither, bearing downe one another, and whomsoeuer else they met withall.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Now the Britains that kept the top of the hils, and had not yet fought at all, despising the small number of the Romans, began to come downe|wards and to cast about, that they might set vpon the backs of their enimies, in hope so to make an end of the battell, and to win the victorie: but Agricola doubting no lesse, but that some such thing would come to passe, had aforehand foreséene the danger, and hauing reserued foure wings of horssemen for such sudden chances, sent them foorth against those Britains, the which horssemen with full randon charging vpon them as they rashlie came forwards, quicklie disordered them and put them all to flight, and so that purposed deuise and policie of the Bri|tains turned to their owne hinderance. For their horssemen by their capteins appointment trauersing ouerthwart by the fronts of them that fought, set vpon that battell of the Britains which they found before them. Then in those open and plaine places a greeuous & heauie sight it was to behold, how they pursued, wounded, and tooke their enimies: and as they were aduised of other to slea those that they had before taken, to the end they might ouertake the o|ther, there was nothing but fléeing, taking, and cha|sing, slaughter, spilling of bloud, scattering of wea|pons, grunting and groning of men and horsses that lay on the ground, gasping for breath, & readie to die.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The Britains now and then as they saw their aduantage, namelie when they approched néere to the woods, gathered themselues togither, and set vpon the Romans as they followed vnaduisedlie, and fur|ther (through ignorance of the places) than stood with their suertie, insomuch that if Agricola had not pro|uided remedie, and sent foorth mightie bands of light armed men both on foot and horssebacke to close in the enimies, and also to beat the wood, some greater losse would haue followed through too much boldnes of them that too rashlie pursued vpon the Britains: who when they beheld the Romans thus to follow them in whole troops and good order of battell, they slipt awaie and tooke them to flight, ech one seeking to saue himselfe, and kept not togither in plumps as before they had doone. The night made an end of the chase which the Romans had followed till they were throughlie wearied.Ten thousand Britains slaine. There were slaine of the Bri|tains that day 10000, and of the Romans 340, a|mong whom Aulus Atticus a capteine of one of the cohorts or bands of footmen was one,Aulus Atti|cus slaine. who being mounted on horssebacke (through his owne too much youthfull courage, and fierce vnrulines of his horsse) was caried into the middle throng of his enimies, and there slaine.