90 STATE OF BRITAIN 



and two thousand horse, or about twenty-three 

 thousand men ! Now, is it to be supposed, that 

 Caesar, with the knowlecilge he had obtained in 

 his first expedition, would have brought with 

 him so formidable an army, if he had not had a 

 very high opinion of the intelligence, spirit, re- 

 sources, and numbers of the Britons ? Are we 

 to believe that he, whose master-mind crushed 

 the giant spirits of Rome, who dared to contend 

 for the empire of the world, w^ith only about 

 one half the number of troops his opponent 

 had, though those opposed to him were Romans, 

 and the great Pompey their commander, — are 

 we to believe, 1 say, that this Caesar took with 

 him five legions and two thousand horse to con- 

 quer a few wretched barbarians, ' in the state of 

 the savages of North America?' It is impos- 

 sible to believe this. Caesar knew whom he had 

 to contend with, from the experience he had had 

 in his first expedition ; and he tells us what he 

 knew, by the formidable preparation he thought 

 it necessary to make for his second expedition. 

 And the small extent of his conquest justified 

 the foresight he had exhibited. He commenced 

 his campaign as early as the season would 

 permit, and he found it expedient, at the end 

 of that season, to withdraw from the country, 

 without leaving a single garrison in the Island. 



