with Corcyra. Dyrrachium was almost surprised by the Illyrians, yet was it rescued by the stout citizens. Ind Corcyra the Illyrians landed; wasted the isle, and besieged the town. Hereupon the Etolians and Achæans were called in to help; who came, and were beaten in a fight at sea; losing, besides others of less note, Marcus Carynensis, the first pretor of Achaia, whom Aratus succeeded. The town of Corcyra, dismayed with this overthrow, opened the gates unto Demetrius Pharius; who took possession of it with an Illyrian garrison, sending the rest of his forces to besiege Dyrrachium. In the mean season, Teuta was angry with her captain Demetrius; I know not why, but so as he resolved to try any other course, rather than to trust her.

The Romans were even ready to put to sea, though uncertain which way to take, when advertisement was brought to C. Fulvius the consul, of Demetrius's fear and discontent. Likely it was, that such an occasion might greatly help to advance the business in hand. Wherefore the consul sailed thither; where he found the town of Corcyra so well prepared to his hand by Demetrius, that it not only received him willingly, but delivered into his power the Illyrian garrison, and submitted itself unto the Roman protection.

After this good beginning, the consul sailed along the coast toe Apollonia; accompanied with Demetrius, whom he used thenceforth as his counsellor and guide. To Apollonia came also Posthumus, the other consul, with the landarmy, numbered at twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse. Thence they hasten towards Dyrrachium, which the Illyrians had besieged; but upon news of the Roman army they disperse themselves. From thence the Romans enter Illyria, and take Parthenia; beat the Illyrians by sea, take twenty of their ships, and enforce the queen Teuta to forsake the coast, and to cover herself in Rison, far within the land. In the end, part of the Romans haste them home

a Corcyra, an island of the Adriatic sea, not far from Durazzo; called now Corfu, and in the possession of the Venetians.

Apollonia, a city near Dyrrachium, or Durazzo, upon the seacoast. Pinetus calls it Sissopolis.

ward, and leave the best places of Illyria in the hands of Demetrius; another part stays behind, and prosecutes the war in such sort, that Teuta was forced to beg peace, which she obtained upon miserable conditions; to wit, that she should quit the better part of Illyria, and pay tribute for the rest, and from thenceforth never send any of her ships of war towards the coasts of Greece, beyond the island of Lissa, except it were some one or two vessels unarmed, and by way of trade.

After this Illyrian war, the Romans sent ambassadors into divers parts of Greece, signifying their love to the country, and how, for good-will thereunto, they had made war with good success upon Teuta, and her people. They hoped, belike, that some distressed cities would take this occasion to desire their patronage; which if it happened, they were wise enough to play their own games. But no such matter fell out. The ambassadors were only rewarded with thanks; and a decree made at Corinth, that the Romans thenceforth might be partakers of the Isthmian pastimes. This was an idle courtesy, but well meant by the vain Greeks, and therefore well taken by the Romans; who by this Illyrian expedition got nothing in Greece, save a little acquaintance, that shall be more hereafter.

SECT. VIII.

Of the war between the Romans and Gauls, somewhat before the coming of Hannibal into Italy.

THE Gauls that dwelt in Lombardy were the next against whom the Romans took arms. These were a populous nation, and often molested Rome; sometimes with their own forces, and sometimes with the assistance of those that inhabited France. Once their fortune was good, when they took Rome, and burnt it; though the issue of that war proved not answerable to the beginning, if we may give credit unto Roman historians. In following times their success was variable, and commonly bad. Many overthrows they received; and if they got any victory it yielded them no profit, but was soon extorted out of their hands. They

were indeed more fierce than well advised; lightly stirred up to war, and lightly giving over. At the first brunt they were said to be more than men; but when that was past, less than women, The Romans were acquainted with their temper by long experience, and knew how to handle them; yet gave always careful heed to their approach, were it only bruited. For the danger of them was sudden and uncertain, by reason of their neighbourhood, and want of intelligence among them. Few of their attempts upon Rome were called wars, but tumultus Gallici; " tumults of the "Gauls;" and rightly. For they gave many alarms to Italy, and used to rise with great armies; but after a few days' march, and sometimes before their setting forth, any small occasion served to disperse them. Having received an overthrow, they would rest ten or twelve years, sometimes twenty or thirty; till they were stirred up again by younger heads, unacquainted with the danger. Whilst they rested, the state of Rome, that against these made only defensive war, had leisure to grow by setting upon others. Herein God provided well for that monarchy, which he intended to raise, that the Gauls never fell upon Italy, with a mighty power, in the time of any other great and dangerous war. Had they attempted to conquer it whilst Pyrrhus was travailing in the same enterprise, or in either of the two former Punic wars, it may be doubted what would have become of this imperious city. But it seems that the Gauls had no better intelligence in the affairs of Italy, than strangers had in Gaul. At least they knew not how to use their times; and were therefore like to smart, whensoever the enemies, whom they had much provoked and little hurt, should find leisure to visit them at their own home; which was now after the first Punic war. Once before this, the Romans had been bold to set upon the Gauls in their own country; and that was three years before the coming of Pyrrhus into Italy. At that time the Senones, a tribe of the Gauls, invading Hetruria and besieging Arretium, had won a great battle, and slain L. Cæcilius with the most of his army. Manius Curius, the new consul, sent ambassa

dors to them, to treat about ransom of prisoners: but these ambassadors they slew. Therefore when fortune turned to the better, the Romans followed it so well, that they expelled these Senones out of their country, and sent a colony of their own to inhabit it. This caused the f Boii, another people of Gaul, to fear the like measure; who thereupon took arms, and drew the Hetrurians to their side. But the Romans overthrew them in two great battles; and thereby made them sue for peace, which lasted until this end of the Illyrian war.

It vexed the Gauls to see a Roman colony planted in their country, who had been accustomed to enlarge their bounds, by driving out their neighbours perforce. Wherefore they laboured with the Transalpines (so the Romans called those in France, as lying from them beyond the Alps, though to us they are nearer; like as they called Cisalpines, or by-hither the Alps, those who dwelt between them and the mountains) to draw them to their party; reasonably presuming, that as their disjunction had caused their loss, so their union might recompense it with large amends. But the business was so foolishly carried, that the Cisalpines and Transalpines fell together by the ears; putting the Romans only to a tumult, without further trouble of Soon after, they were urged by a greater indignity to go more substantially to work: for C. Flaminius, a popular man in Rome, proposed a decree, which was ratified by the people, that besides one colony already planted in the territory of the Senones, as many more should be carried thither, as would serve to people the whole country between Ancona and Ariminum, exterminating utterly those Gauls. Such an offer, were it made in England, concerning either Virginia or Guiana itself, would not overjoy the multitude : but the commonalty of Rome took this in so good part, notwithstanding all danger joined with the benefit, that Flaminius had ever after their good-will.

war.

f There were divers nations of the Boii, as in Pannonia, Illyria, Germany, in Bourbonois, in France, and in Aquitane; but these Boii were

of the French race, and dwelt at this time about the mouth of the river of Po.

This dreadful precedent extremely displeased the Boii; who being neighbours to Ariminum, feared the like displantation. And because all the rest of the Gauls had reason to resolve, that themselves also should be rooted out by degrees; the great nation of the Insubrians, which inhabited the duchy of Milan, joined with the Boii, and upon a common purse entertained the Gessates, nations about Rhodanus, wageable as the Switzers in these times. The Gessates having received a great imprest, come to the field under the conduct of their kings, Concolitanus and Aneroestus; who with the Boii and Insubrians compound an army of fifty thousand foot and twenty thousand horse, and those of the best men, and best appointed, that ever invaded the Roman territory; to whom the Senogalli, that had been beaten out of their possessions, gave a great increase of strength. On the contrary side, the Venetians and the h Cenomanni adhered to the Romans, as better believing in their prosperity and rising fortune. For fear of whose incursions, therefore, the Gauls were forced to leave a good part of their army on the frontier of Milan: with the rest of their forces they entered into Tuscany. The Romans, hearing of this danger, send Æmilius to Rimine, to stop their passage; and in the place of C. Attilius their other consul, who then was in Sardinia, they employ one of their pretors for the defence of Tuscany.

Being at this time greatly troubled with the consideration of this powerful army which the Gauls had assembled, they caused a view to be taken, as well of all their own forces as of those of their allies, who were no less willing than themselves to oppose the incursions of the barbarous people; fearing, as they had cause, that their own destruction could not be prevented otherwise than by the good fortune of Rome. The numbers found in this muster deserve to be recorded, because they set out the power of the Romans in those days. With the consuls they sent forth to the war

h Cenomanni are the people about Bergamo, on the north side of the river Po in Italy. There were also

of these Cenomanni in France, and inhabited the county of Main.