538 
ENG 
fenfion and animofity, which kept them at perpetual war 
with each other. At home, to commit violence and de¬ 
predation was a crime of the deepeft dye; but when di¬ 
rected againft a rival nation, though at peace, was a mark 
c¥ valour, and an exprefiion of virtue. To make incur- 
fions upon a neighbouring tribe, to carry off their cattle, 
and lay waffe their territory, were actions of renown and 
greatnefs. Thefe adventures roufed the'ambition of the 
valorous, and were enterprifes in which they acquired re¬ 
putation, and qualified themfelves for fcenes of greater 
danger and glory; 
The Britifh nations were therefore brave and refolute, 
owing to the continual diffenfions among themfelves. 
They confequently proved very formidable to the Ro¬ 
mans; but the fame diffenfions which had taught them 
to be refolute in war, alfo prevented them from uniting 
in one common caufe, the defence of their country. Yet 
when Csefar arrived on the coaft near Dover, he law the 
“white cliffs of Albion” covered with aimed men to 
oppofe his landing. But finding it impracticable to gain 
the fhore where he firft intended, he refolved to choofe a 
place of greater fecurity. The place where he made good 
liis landing, which was in the year before Chrift 55, was 
about eight miles farther on, Tome fuppofe at Deal, where 
an inclining fhore and a level country invited his attempts. 
Here, however, he alfo found the Britifh chariots and 
cavalry drawn up to oppofe his landing, and a material 
difficulty proceeded from the conftruiStion of his veflels, 
which required a confiderable depth of water, fo that the 
foldiers, encumbered as they were with heavy armour, 
were obliged to leap into the fea, and wade, with ex¬ 
treme difficulty, toward the enemy, who, (landing on the 
beach, or advancing forward, fecurely threw their darts, 
and repulfed their affailants with great facility. This 
difadvantage operated fb powerfully on the fpirits of the 
Romans, that they feemed unwilling to continue the en¬ 
gagement ; but on Casfar’s catiling his galleys to advance 
with their broadfides toward the fhore, whereby his le¬ 
gions were enabled to come to aftion with their javelins 
and arms, the Britons began to give ground ; and the 
llandard-bearer of the tenth legion leaping boldly into 
the fea, and calling aloud upon his comrades to defend 
their enfign, the Romans preffed forward, and began the 
fight with their accuftomed fury. The Britons fuflained 
the attack, for feme time, with undaunted bravery, and 
even threw their auiiilants into great confufion ; but 1 they 
were at length overpowered, and compelled to elude de- 
ftruction by a precipitate retreat. 
Upon this defeat the Britons thought-proper to appeafe 
thq enemy by timely fubmiflions, and accordingly fent a 
deputation to fue for peace. Csefar, anxious to return to 
the continent, agreed to pardon them on condition they 
delivered a certain number ofhoftages. But, in the mean¬ 
while, the tranfports containing the Roman cavalry, were 
driven back, to the ports of Gaul by a tremendous (form ; 
and the fleet which lay in the road was greatly damaged, 
feverul velfels being dafhed to pieces, and others rendered 
totally ufelefs by the lofs of their anchors, cables, and 
rigging. The fame night, alfo, the tide rofe fo high, 
that the galleys which had been drawn afliore were all 
filled with water. Thefe difafters excited a general joy 
in the Britifh camp, and itifpired the Britons with the 
hope of dcflroying an enemy who was evidently in want 
of cavalry, fliips, and provifions. Accordingly the chiefs, 
who had alfembled to perform their agreement with Cse¬ 
far, began to (teal out of the camp, and to collect their 
troops with fucli diligence, that they were foon enabled 
to attack the feventh legion, vs I10 had been fent out in 
qtied of forage, and to revenge their late defeat by put¬ 
ting numbers of them to death. However, Csefar having 
battened to the relief of his countrymen with all his other 
troops, the Britons were obliged to retire without com¬ 
pleting their defign. After this aCtion a heavy fall of 
rain, which continued for feveral days, kept the Romans 
inactive in their camp. 
.AND. 
The Britons, in the mean time, were not idle; for, hav¬ 
ing difpatched meffengers into all parts of the ifland to 
invite their countrymen to force the enemy’s camp, they 
aftembled a numerous army, and boldly advanced to the 
Roman intrenchments ; but Csefar drew up his legions fo 
advantageoufly, and attacked the undifciplined Britons fo 
vigoroufiy, that they were overthrown with great (laugh¬ 
ter, and purfeted through feveral of their towns and vil¬ 
lages, which were facrificed to the vengeance of the Ro¬ 
mans, till at length the conqueror returned to his camp, 
and the vanquifhed Britons confented to purchafe a peace, 
by fending double the number of hoftages which had been 
required by the former treaty. Caefaiy having obtained 
this conceffion, and refitted the greateft part of his veflels, 
deemed it advifable to batten his departure, left if he re¬ 
mained till the equinox his fleet might be again expofed 
to the fury of a ftorm, and his troops involved in fome 
more feriousembarraflments. The fame night, therefore, 
he weighed anchor, and patted over to Gaul, whence he 
wrote to inform the fenate at Rome of his fuccefs ; for 
whicli a general thankfgiving was appointed for twenty 
days. 
Provoked foon after at the neglect of the Britifli fiates, 
of whom two only fent him hoftages, Ccefar determined 
to make another defeent, the following fpring, with a 
more powerful fleet and army. Accordingly, during his 
winterrefidence at Rome, his lieutenants refitted all the 
old veflels, and built fo great a number of tranfports, that 
on.his return he found fix hundred fliips and twenty-eight 
galleys ready to launch. With this formidable fleet he 
repuired to the Portus Ttius, now Witfand, between Ca¬ 
lais'and Boulogne, and weighing anchor about fun-fet, 
arrived with his whole fleet the next day, by noon, at 
the fame place where he had landed the year before. 
The Britons, aftoniflied at the fight of fo numerous an ar¬ 
mament, abandoned the fhore, and retired to the hills, 
whence they were driven by the Roman cavalry with 
confiderable lofs; but, as the day was far (pent, Csefar 
gave up the purfuit of the fugitives, and returned to for¬ 
tify his camp. 
Next morning Cnefar refolved to march in queft of the 
enemy ; but when he was come within fight of their rear, 
lie received the mortifying intelligence that mod of his 
fliips were ftranded or dafhed to pieces by a violent ftorm. 
This difafter cheeked his progreis, and obliged him to re¬ 
turn to the fea-fide. However, he fet all the carpenters 
in .the fleet and army to work; drew all his fliips, that 
had efcaped the tempeft, on (bore ; and enclofed them 
within the fortifications of his camp. This extraordinary 
work being completed, by the diligence of the foldiers, 
in ten days, Csefar left a fufficient body of men to defend 
the intrenchments, and battened with the refidue of his 
forces to the place where he had laft feen the enemy. 
Upon his arrival lie found their army greatly augmented, 
under the conduct of Caffibelan, king of the Trinobantes, 
to whom the Britons had unanimoufly committed the ma¬ 
nagement of the war. Whilft the Romans were on their 
march they were attacked by the Britifli chariots and ca¬ 
valry, but the affailants were repulfed with great (laugh¬ 
ter, and compelled to retire to the woods. An unex¬ 
pected Tally was alfo made whilft the Romans were butted 
in fortifying their camp ; and three legions were vigo¬ 
roufiy attacked whilft in queft of forage, but the affailants 
were eventually overthrown, and difperfed with confide- 
rable lofs. Encouraged by this fuccefs, Csefar led his 
troops toward the Thames, in order to crofs that river, 
and carry the war into the territories of Caflibelan ; but 
when he came to the only place where the river could 
be folded, he perceived that the enemy had fortified the 
oppofite bank with (harp flakes, and drawn up a nume¬ 
rous body of forces to oppofe liis landing. However, the 
enterprifing general ordered both his cavalry and the le¬ 
gions to advance to the attack. Thefe orders were im¬ 
mediately executed with fuch alacrity and refolution, 
that, though the infantry were up to the chin in water, 
