282 The Arch-Druid-: [SEPT. 



An instant and the foremost ranks of the Britons had borne down 

 like an avalanche on the legion. Such was the impetuosity of their 

 charge, that the flower of the Roman army wavered, till Sergius, 

 snatching a standard from one of the centurions near him, waved it 

 aloft, and shouting at the very top of his voice, " Soldiers ! stand firm ; 

 will you fly before a handful of barbarians ?" dashed into the thickest of 

 the fight, followed close by the legion, and the Illyrian cohorts. En- 

 raged at this desperate opposition, the Druids, who, on the advance of 

 their front ranks, had retired towards the chariots at either wing, now 

 commanded these reserves to advance. Their orders were no sooner 

 issued than obeyed. Up came the dreaded cavalry with a shock that 

 nothing could resist. The sharp scythes mowed a passage right and 

 left before them ; the horses, goaded to their utmost speed, threw the 

 Roman infantry into complete disorder, while the charioteers increased 

 the confusion by the cloud of lances which they hurled forward with 

 unerring precision. The moment was a critical one. for the imperial 

 troops. On every side they saw their infantry drop in hundreds, each 

 soldier at his post, cool and collected even in the hour of death ; and 

 the majority of them would at once have retreated, in order to gain time 

 for rallying, had not a timely charge by the main body of the cavalry, 

 restored them in some degree to order and to confidence. 



In this manner the battle had continued the greater part of the day, 

 inclining at one period to the Silures, and at another to their invaders, 

 both of whom had sustained immense losses ; when, suddenly, on the 

 outskirts of the plain, a tremendous shout was heard ; immense masses 

 of troops appeared to be issuing from the British village ; and the 

 exhausted Romans were thunderstruck by the approach of, what seemed 

 to them, a fresh army of barbarians. Manlius was the first to perceive 

 this reinforcement, and paralyzed at the sight, cried, " A second army 

 is advancing to our destruction !" cast away his arms, and fled with 

 the speed of an arrow across the plain. This was the signal for retreat. 

 An uncontrollable panic seized the whole Roman army. In vain Ser- 

 gius did his best to stop them. In vain he. rode from cohort to cohort, 

 and galloped about the plain like a madman, imploring threatening 

 encouraging his troops to return. Nothing could restore their con- 

 fidence. They threw down their arms, and rushed in confused masses 

 from the field, bearing the Dacian himself along with them in their 

 flight. 



Evening was now drawing on : the Silures, having returned from a 

 hot pursuit of their enemies, had already recrossed the mountain-passes ; 

 and all was gloom and silence on Carrick-Sawthy. Now and then, the 

 groans of some dying wretch, or the screams of the ravens, who 

 hovered delighted above their feast, broke the stillness of the scene ; but 

 even these at last ceased : and the sun went down on a noiseless plain, 

 where death had anticipated the work of years. But where was Ser- 

 gius? Where was he who, at day-break, had summoned his troops 

 to arms in all the pride of confidence and glory ? Dejected, almost 

 broken-hearted, mind and body alike sunk in abject torpor, he made 

 no further efforts, but resigned himself sullenly to despair. At the 

 extremity of the plain, he encountered Manlius. Stung with a recol- 

 lection of the youth's cowardice, " Rash, infatuated fool !" he ex- 

 claimed, " your timidity has ruined all ; the emperor shall be informed 

 of your conduct." 



