4.22. The ambitious mind of the old empe|rour Seuerus, he arriueth in Britaine with a mightie power to suppresse the rebellious Britains, the emperours politike prouision for his souldiers in the fens and bogs: the agilitie of the Bri|tains, their nimblenesse, the painting of their bodies with di|uerse colours, their furniture, their great sufferance of hunger, cold, &c: diuerse conflicts betweene the Romans and the Bri|tains, their subtile traines to deceiue their enimies, the Ro|mans pitifullie distressed, Seuerus constreineth the Caledo|nians to conclude a league with him; he falleth sicke, his owne sonne practiseth to make him away: the Britains begin a new rebellion, the cruell commandement of Seuerus to kill and slea all that came to hand without exception, his age, his death, and sepulchte: Bassianus ambitiouslie vsur|peth the whole regiment, he killeth his bro|ther Geta, and is slaine himselfe by one of his owne soul|diers. The xxij. Chapter.

The ambitious mind of the old empe|rour Seuerus, he arriueth in Britaine with a mightie power to suppresse the rebellious Britains, the emperours politike prouision for his souldiers in the fens and bogs: the agilitie of the Bri|tains, their nimblenesse, the painting of their bodies with di|uerse colours, their furniture, their great sufferance of hunger, cold, &c: diuerse conflicts betweene the Romans and the Bri|tains, their subtile traines to deceiue their enimies, the Ro|mans pitifullie distressed, Seuerus constreineth the Caledo|nians to conclude a league with him; he falleth sicke, his owne sonne practiseth to make him away: the Britains begin a new rebellion, the cruell commandement of Seuerus to kill and slea all that came to hand without exception, his age, his death, and sepulchte: Bassianus ambitiouslie vsur|peth the whole regiment, he killeth his bro|ther Geta, and is slaine himselfe by one of his owne soul|diers. The xxij. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _THe emperour Seuerus receiuing aduertisment from the lieutenant of Britaine, that the people there mooued rebellion, & wasted the coun|trie with roads and forraies, so that it was néedful to haue the prince himselfe to come thither within great power to resist the enimies, he of an ambitions mind re [...]oised not a little for those newes, bicause he saw occasion offered to aduance his renow [...]e and fame with increase of new victo|ries now in the west, after so manie triumphs pur|chased and got by him in the east and north parts of the world: Héerevpon though he was of great age, EEBO page image 55 yet the desire that he had still to win honour, caused him to take in hand to make a iournie into this land, and so being furnished of all things necessarie, he set forwards, being carried for the more part in a litter for his more ease: for that beside his féeblenesse of age, he was also troubled with the gout. He tooke with him his two sonnes,Antoninus and Geta. Antoninus Bassianus and Geta, vpon purpose as was thought, to auoid occa|sions of such inconuenience as he perceiued might grow by discord mooued betwixt them through flat|terers and malicious sycophants, which sought to set them at variance: which to bring to passe, he percei|ued there should want no meane whilest they conti|nued in Rome, amidst such pleasures & idle pastimes as were dailie there frequented: and therefore he caused them to attend him in this iournie into Bri|taine, that they might learne to liue soberlie, and af|ter the manner of men of warre.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Seuerus being thus on his iournie towards Bri|taine, staied not by the waie,The empe|rour Seue|rus arriueth in Britaine. but with all diligence sped him foorth, and passing the sea verie swiftlie, en|tred this Ile, and assembled a mightie power togi|ther, meaning to assaile his enimies, and to pursue the warre against them to the vttermost. The Bri|tains greatlie amazed with this sudden arriuall of the emperour, and hearing that such preparation was made against them, sent ambassadours to him to intreat of peace, and to excuse their rebellious doo|ings. But Seuerus delaieng time for answere, as he that was desirous to atchiue some high enterprise against the Britains, for the which he might deserue the surname of Britannicus, which he greatlie coue|ted, still was busie to prepare all things necessarie for the warre; and namelie, caused a great number of bridges to be made to lay ouer the bogs and ma|reshes, so that his souldiers might haue place to stand vpon, and not to be incumbered for lacke of firme ground when they should cope with their enimies: for the more part of Britaine in those daies (as He|rodianus Herodianus. writeth) was full of fens & maresh ground, by reason of the often flowings and washings of the sea tides: by the which maresh grounds the enimies being thereto accustomed, would run and swim in the waters,He meaneth of the north Britains or sauage Bri|tains as we may call them. and wade vp to the middle at their plea|sure, going for the more part naked, so that they pas|sed not on the mud and mires, for they knew not the vse of wearing cloths, but ware hoopes of iron about their middles and necks, esteeming the same as an ornament and token of riches, as other barbarous people did gold.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Moreouer they marked, or (as it were) painted their bodies in diuerse sorts and with sundrie shapes and figures of beasts and fowles, and therefore they vsed not to weare anie garments, that such painting of their bodies might the more apparantlie be séene, which they estéemed a great brauerie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 They were as the same Herodianus writeth, a people giuen much to war, and delighted in slaugh|ter and bloudshed, vsing none other weapons or ar|mour but a slender buckler,The furni|ture of the sa|uage Bri|tains. a iaueline, and a swoord tied to their naked bodies: as for headpéece or ha|bergeon, they estéemed not, bicause they thought the same should be an hinderance to them when they should passe ouer anie maresh, or be driuen to swim anie waters, or flée to the bogs.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Moreouer, to suffer hunger, cold, and trauell, they were so vsed and inured therewith, that they would not passe to lie in the bogs and mires couered vp to the chin, without caring for meate for the space of di|uerse daies togither: and in the woods they would liue vpon roots and barks of trées. Also they vsed to prepare for themselues a certeine kind of meate, of the which if they receiued but so much as amounted to the quantitie of a bea [...]e, they would thinke them|selues satisfied, and féele neither hunger nor thirst. The one halfe of the Ile or little lesse was subiect vn|to the Romans, the other was gouerned of them|selues, the people for the most part hauing the rule in their hands.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Seuerus therefore meaning to subdue the whole, and vnderstanding their nature, and the manner of their making warre, prouided him selfe of all things expedient for the annoiance of them and helpe of his owne souldiers, and appointing his sonne Geta to remaine in that part of the Ile which was subiect to the Romans, he tooke with him his other sonne An|toninus, and with his armie marched foorth, and en|tred into the confines of the enimies, and there be|gan to waste and forrey the countrie, whereby there insued diuerse conflicts and skirmishes betwixt the Romans and the inhabitants, the victorie still re|maining on the Romans side: but the enimies ea|silie escaped without anie great losse vnto the woods, mountains, bogs, and such other places of refuge as they knew to be at hand, whither the Romans durst not follow, nor once approch, for feare to be intrapped and inclosed by the Britains that were readie to re|turne and assaile their enimies vpon euerie occasion of aduantage that might be offered.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This maner of dealing sore troubled the Romans, and so hindered them in their procéedings, that no spéedie end could be made of that warre.Dion Cassius. The Bri|tains would oftentimes of purpose laie their cattell, as oxen, kine, shéepe, and such like, in places conue|nient, to be as a stale to the Romans; and when the Romans should make to them to fetch the same a|waie, being distant from the residue of the armie a good space, they would fall vpon them and distresse them. Beside this, the Romans were much annoied with the vnwholesomnesse of the waters which they were forced to drinke, and if they chanced to straie abroad, they were snapped vp by ambushes which the Caledonians laid for them, and when they were so féeble that they could not through want of strength kéepe pace with their fellowes as they marched in or|der of battell, they were slaine by their owne fel|lowes, least they should be left behind for a prey to the enimies. Héereby there died in this iournie of the Romane armie, at the point of fiftie thousand men: but yet would not Seuerus returne, till he had gone through the whole Ile, and so came to the vttermost parts of all the countrie now called Scotland, and at last backe againe to the other part of the Ile sub|iect to the Romans, the inhabitants whereof are na|med (by Dion Cassius) Meatae. But first he forced the other, whom the same Dion nameth Caledontj, to conclude a league with him, vpon such conditions, as they were compelled to depart with no small porti|on of the countrie, and to deliuer vnto him their ar|mour and weapons.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the meane time, the emperour Seuerus being worne with age fell sicke, so that he was constreined to abide at home within that part of the Ile which o|beied the Romans, and to appoint his sonne Antoni|nus to take charge of the armie abroad. But Antoni|nus not regarding the enimies, attempted little or nothing against them, but sought waies how to win the fauour of the souldiers and men of warre, that after his fathers death (for which he dailie looked) he might haue their aid and assistance to be admitted emperour in his place. Now when he saw that his father bare out his sicknesse longer time than he would haue wished, he practised with physicians and other of his fathers seruants to dispatch him by one meane or other.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Whilest Antoninus thus negligentlie looked to his charge, the Britains began a new rebellion, not on|lie those that were latelie ioined in league with the EEBO page image 56 emperour, but the other also which were subiects to the Romane empire. Seuerus tooke such displeasure, that he called togither the souldiers, and comman|ded them to inuade the countrie, and to kill all such as they might méet within anie place without re|spect, and that his cruell commandement he expres|sed in these verses taken out of Homer:

Nemo manus fugiat vestras,Iliados. 3. caedémque cruentam,

Non foetus grauida mater quem gessit in aluo

Horrendam effugiat caedem.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But while he was thus disquieted with the rebel|lion of the Britains, and the disloiall practises of his sonne Antoninus, which to him were not vnknowne, (for the wicked sonne had by diuers attempts dis|couered his traitorous and vnnaturall, meanings) at length, rather through sorrow and griefe, than by force of sicknesse,Herodianus. Dion Cassius. Eutropius. Dion Cassius. he wasted awaie, and departed this life at Yorke, the third daie before the nones of Februarie, after he had gouerned the empire by the space of 17 yeares, 8 moneths, & 33 daies. He liued 65 yeres, 9 moneths, & 13 daies: he was borne the third ides of April. By that which before is recited out of Herodian and Dion Cassius, of the maners & vsa|ges of those people, against whome Seuerus held warre here in Britaine, it maie be coniectured, that they were the Picts, the which possessed in those daies a great part of Scotland, and with continu|all incursions and rodes wasted and destroied to the borders of those countries which were subiect to the Romans. To kéepe them backe therefore and to re|presse their inuasions,Eurropius. Orosius. Seuerus (as some write) ei|ther restored the former wall made by Adrian, or else newlie built an other ouerthwart the Ile,Dion Cassius. from the east sea to the west, conteining in length 232 miles. This wall was not made of stone, but of turfe and earth supported with stakes and piles of wood,Beda. and defended on the backe with a déepe trench or ditch, and also fortified with diuerse towers and turrets built & erected vpon the same wall or ram|pire so néere togither,Hector Boe| [...]ius. that the sound of trumpets being placed in the same, might be heard betwixt, and so warning giuen from one to another vpon the first descrieng of the enimies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Seuerus being departed out of this life in the yere of our Lord 211,Polydorus. Herodianus. 211 his son Antoninus otherwise called also Bassianus, would faine haue vsurped the whole gouernment into his owne hands, at|tempting with bribes and large promises to corrupt the minds of the souldiers: but when he perceiued that his purpose would not forward as he wished in that behalfe, he concluded a league with the enimies, and making peace with them, returned backe to|wards Yorke, and came to his mother and brother Geta, with whome he tooke order for the buriall of his father. And first his bodie being burnt (as the maner was) the ashes were put into a vessell of gold, and so conueied to Rome by the two brethren and the empresse Iulia, who was mother to Geta the yonger brother, and mother in law to the elder, An|toninus Bassianus, & by all meanes possible sought to maintaine loue and concord betwixt the brethren, which now at the first tooke vpon them to rule the empire equallie togither. But the ambition of Bas|sianus was such, that finallie vpon desire to haue the whole rule himselfe, he found meanes to dispatch his brother Geta, breaking one daie into his cham|ber, and slaieng him euen in his mothers lap, and so possessed the gouernment alone, till at length he was slaine at Edessa a citie in Mesopotamia by one of his owne souldiers, as he was about to vntruffe his points to doo the office of nature,Sextus Aure|lius. after he had reig|ned the space of 6 yeares, as is aforesaid. Where we are to note Gods iudgment, prouiding that he which had shed mans bloud, should also die by the sword.