BOOK

I.

and conquering Germany; and from that country, of returning through Gaul, into Italy and Rome. 2 That a mind, delighting to contemplate schemes so vast and extravagant, should not have reached the shores of Gaul, and surveyed the British island, then possessing the fame of being a new world, little known even to its Keltic neighbours as to its interior, without feeling the desire to explore it, was a natural event. Cæsar, under this impulse, collected the merchants of Gaul, who had been accustomed to visit the island; and enquired of them its size, what and how many nations inhabited it, their mode of warfare, their customs, and their harbours. Obtaining from those whom he questioned but scanty information, he sent one of his officers, in a vessel, to explore the coast, and collected all the ships, within his command, to make the exploring enterprize.

SOME of the British states, hearing of his intentions from the Keltic merchants, sent envoys of peace.

His first expedition into Britain was to reconnoitre; not to subdue. He was compelled to fight upon his landing, in the vicinity of Dover, because the Kentish Britons immediately opposed him conflicting even amidst the waves, with signal courage; and although Cæsar, observing his troops to be dispirited by the British attacks, ordered up the vessels with his artillery, and poured from their sides stones, arrows, and other missiles, yet the natives stood the unusual discharges with intrepidity, and he made no impression. It was the rushing forward, alone, of the bearer of the eagle of the

2 Plut. Vit. Cæs.

VI.

tenth legion, exclaiming, "Follow me, unless you CHAP. mean to betray your standard to your enemies,' that roused the Roman legions to that desperate and closer battle, which at length forced back the Britons, and secured a landing. The Britons retired; and Cæsar did not pursue. The natives of the locality sent a message of peace; but four days afterwards, a tempest dispersing his fleet, they assaulted the Romans with new attacks. Cæsar repulsed them; but after this success he thought it expedient, without advancing, to quit the island suddenly at midnight. He ascribes his departure to the approach of the autumnal equinox; but he knew of this event before his landing. The truth seems to be that he found his present force, though sufficient to repel the Britons, yet incompetent to subdue them. 3

His next invasion in the ensuing summer, was more formidable. It was made with five well appointed legions, and two thousand cavalry — a force of thirty thousand of the best disciplined troops then known, under the ablest commander. As the Britons did not contest the landing, it was easily effected. On this visit he quitted the coasts, and marched twelve miles into the island. he repulsed an attack. A storm again shattering his fleet, he stopped his advance, and returned to the coast, to provide for the safety of his ships. Ten days afterwards he resumed his former position, and was immediately assaulted by some of

There

3 Cæsar. lib. iv. c. 18-33. On this expedition Dio's observation seems a fair one: - "He obtained from it nothing, either for himself or for his country, but the glory of having fought in it; and as he stated this very strongly, the people of Rome wondered, and extolled him." Lib. xxxix. p. 128.

I.

BOOK the British tribes, who had confederated under the temporary command of Cassivellaun. They were repelled. They attempted hostilities again on the succeeding day; but were again defeated. On these failures, the auxiliary bodies left Cassivellaun; and Cæsar being informed of their desertion, ventured to advance to the Thames, and to the borders of the state of the British prince. The ford had been fortified by sharp stakes, under the water, and on the banks. The Romans passed it up to their necks in water, in the presence of the natives collected in arms on the other side, who, dismayed at the courage of the enemy, hastily retired.

CASSIVELLAUN, keeping only four thousand war chariots with him, confined his efforts to harassing the invaders.

THE civil dissensions of the island, then began to give Cæsar the advantage of his enterprises. The Trinobantes, of whose territories London was the metropolis, desired his aid, for their chief Mandubratius, or Androgorus, against Cassivellaun and five other tribes also sent in their submission. Cæsar was afterwards attacked by four kings of Kent, Cingetorix, Carnilius, Taximagulus, and Segonax, but without success; and Cassivellaun now sending an embassy for peace1, Cæsar immediately granted it, demanded hostages, appointed a tribute, retired with his army to the sea coast, and

4 Cæsar. lib. v. c.7-19. Dio remarks, that it would have been dangerous to him to have wintered in the island, lib. xl. p. 137. Polyænus has preserved a story that Cæsar's success in battle against the Britons was obtained by placing an armed elephant with a tower of soldiers in his front, whose appearance threw the natives into a panic. But Cæsar's force, skill, and discipline, were sufficient to have obtained his victories without this stratagem.

VI.

relanded it in Gaul. The Romans appeared no CHAP. more in Britain, nor attempted to molest it, for several years.

AUGUSTUS afterwards talked of an expedition to Britain, and entered France, as if beginning it. But the Britons met him there with peaceful embassies; and custom-duties were imposed on the commodities that were objects of trade between Gaul and Britain; as ivory, bridles, amber, and glass vessels. Strabo well remarks, that to have raised a tribute from the island, he must have established a military force there, but the expence of these troops would have consumed the contribution; and when violent courses are pursued, he adds, danger begins."

TIBERIUS was content to leave Britain unmolested. Caligula was flattered in Gaul, by one of the British princes seeking an asylum in his court; and drawing up his army on the sea shore, he sounded a charge and commanded them to gather cockle-shells, as indications of a conquest. With

5 From Cæsar's own account, as thus abstracted, we perceive the propriety of Horace applying the epithet of intactus to Britain, as also of the invictus of Propertius. Tacitus has justly given the amount of his successes, when he states, that he did not subdue the island, but only showed it to the Romans. This correct intimation keeps clear of Lucan's extreme, that he showed his affrighted back to the Britons; and of that of Paterculus, that he twice passed through the island. His successes, however, astonished and delighted his countrymen. He offered to Venus, whom he once stated to be the ancestor of one of his aunts (Suet. c. 6.), a breast-plate of British pearls. Pliny. The victories over the Britons were painted on purple hangings; and some of the natives were given to the theatre. See Virgil, Georg. 3., and Servius on the passage, p. 126.

6 Horace. Strabo. In the following year Augustus resumed his project of an invasion, because the natives broke their treaty; but the insurrection of the Cantabri in Spain prevented it. The "adjectis Britannis imperio," of Horace, is therefore rather a poetical figure, than an achieved fact.

I.

BOOK this bloodless triumph, and the erection of a watchtower to commemorate it, his ambition was satisfied. He left Britain to the continuation of those internal wars which all uncivilised nations pursue; and which at last occasioned some to sacrifice their patriotism to their revenge, and to incite Claudius, his successor, to order Aulus Plautus to lead an army into the island.' This general landed with a powerful force, comprising German auxiliaries and some elephants; and with Vespasian for one of his officers. He had the usual successes of the Roman discipline and skill. The emperor Claudius came himself to partake the triumph. He took Camalodunum or Malden, the capital of Cunobellin's dominion; and, after a residence of sixteen days in the island, returned to Rome, leaving Plautus to govern Britain. Games, triumphal arches, dramatic representations, horse-races, bear-combats, pyrrhic dances, gladiators, rewards to his officers, and a splendid triumph to himself, with the surname of Britannicus, attested his own and the national exultations at his successes in Britain.

VESPASIAN distinguished himself in Britain at this period. He fought thirty battles with the natives, took twenty towns, and subdued the Isle of Wight': exertions which imply corresponding

7 Dio mentions Bericus as one of this description, lib. Ix. p. 779. His remark on the political state of the Britons is, "that they were not avrovou, but were subject to several kings." Ibid. Of these, Plautus first defeated Kataratakos, and afterwards Togodoumnos, the two sons of Kunobellin. Ibid.

8 Dio, lib. lx. p. 781, 782. Tacitus's account of this invasion has perished in his last books. That elephants were used by the Romans in England, appears from the bones of an elephant having been found, on digging for gravel, in a field near Battle Bridge. 1 Lel. Collect. P. lxiv.

9 Sueton. Vesp. c. 4.