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IX.

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Germans.

Such was the fituation, and fuch were the CHA P. manners of the ancient Germans. Their climate, their want of learning, of arts, and of Causes laws, their notions of honour, of gallantry, and which of religion, their fenfe of freedom, impatience the proof peace, and thirft of enterprife, all contributed grefs of the to form a people of military heroes. And yet we find, that, during more than two hundred and fifty years that elapfed from the defeat of Varus to the reign of Decius, thefe formidable barbarians made few confiderable attempts, and not any material impreffion, on the luxurious and enflaved provinces of the empire. Their progrefs was checked by their want of arms and difcipline, and their fury was diverted by the intef tine divifions of ancient Germany.

I. It has been obferved, with ingenuity, and Want of not without truth, that the command of iron arms foon gives a nation the command of gold. But the rude tribes of Germany, alike deftitute of both those valuable metals, were reduced flowly to acquire, by their unaffifted strength, the poffeffion of the one as well as the other. The face of a German army displayed their poverty of iron. Swords, and the longer kind of lances, they could feldom ufe. Their frameæ (as they called them in their own language) were long fpears headed with a fharp but narrow iron point,

Phæacian court, and the ardour infused by Tyrtæus into the fainting Spartans. Yet there is little probability that the Greeks and the Germans were the fame people. Much learned trifling might be fpared, if our antiquarians would condescend to reflect, that similar manners will naturally be produced by fimilar fituations.

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IX.

CHA P. and which, as occafion required, they either darted from a distance, or pushed in close onfet. With this fpear, and with a fhield, their cavalry was contented. A multitude of darts, fcattered "2 with incredible force, were an additional refource of the infantry. Their military drefs, when they wore any, was nothing more than a loose mantle. A variety of colours was the only ornament of their wooden or ofier fhields. Few of the chiefs were diftinguifhed by cuiraffes, fcarce any by helmets. Though the horfes of Germany were neither beautiful, fwift, nor practifed in the fkilful evolutions of the Roman manage, several of the nations obtained renown by their cavalry; but, in general, the principal ftrength of the Germans confifted in their infantry 23, which was drawn up in feveral deep columns, according to the diftinction of tribes and and of dif- families. Impatient of fatigue or delay, these cipline. half-armed warriors rufhed to battle with diffonant fhouts and difordered ranks; and fometimes, by the effort of native valour, prevailed over the conftrained and more artificial bravery of the Roman mercenaries. But as the barbarians poured forth their whole fouls on the firft onfet, they knew not how to rally or to retire. A repulfe was a fure defeat; and a defeat was most commonly total deftruction. When we

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72 Miffilia fpargunt, Tacit. Germ. c. 6.

Either that hiftorian

ufed a vague expreffion, or he meant that they were thrown at

random.

73 It was their principal distinction from the Sarmatians, who generally fought on horseback.

recollect

IX.

recollect the complete armour of the Roman c H A P. foldiers, their difcipline, exercifes, evolutions, fortified camps, and military engines, it appears a juft matter of furprife, how the naked and unaffifted valour of the barbarians could dare to encounter in the field, the ftrength of the legions and the various troops of the auxiliaries, which feconded their operations. The contest was too unequal, till the introduction of luxury had enervated the vigour, and the fpirit of difobedience and fedition had relaxed the difcipline, of the Roman armies. The introduction of barbarian auxiliaries into thofe armies, was a measure attended with very obvious dangers, as it might gradually inftruct the Germans in the arts of war and of policy. Although they were admitted in fmall numbers and with the ftricteft precaution, the example of Civilis was proper to convince the Romans, that the danger was not imaginary, and that their precautions were not always fufficient 24. During the civil wars that followed the death of Nero, that artful and intrepid Batavian, whom his enemies condefcended to compare with Hannibal and Sertorius ", formed a great defign of freedom and ambition. Eight Batavian cohorts, renowned in the wars of Britain and Italy, repaired to his ftandard. He introduced an army of Germans into Gaul, prevailed on

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74 The relation of this enterprise occupies a great part of the fourth and fifth books of the History of Tacitus, and is more remarkable for its eloquence than perfpicuity. Sir Henry Saville has obferved feveral inaccuracies.

75 Tacit. Hift. iv. 13. Like them he had loft an eye.

the

CHAP. the powerful cities of Treves and Langres to IX. embrace his caufe, defeated the legions, deftroyed their fortified camps, and employed against the Romans the military knowledge which he had acquired in their fervice. When

Civil diffenfions of Germany

at length, after an obftinate struggle, he yielded to the power of the empire, Civilis fecured himfelf and his country by an honourable treaty. The Batavians ftill continued to occupy the islands of the Rhine 7, the allies, not the servants, of the Roman monarchy.

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II. The ftrength of ancient Germany appears formidable, when we confider the effects that might have been produced by its united effort. The wide extent of country might very poffibly contain a million of warriors, as all who were of age to bear arms were of a temper to use them. But this fierce multitude, incapable of concerting or executing any plan of national greatness, was agitated by various and often hoftile intentions. Germany was divided into more than forty independent ftates; and, even in each state, the union of the feveral tribes was extremely loofe and precarious. The barbarians were eafily provoked; they knew not how to forgive an injury, much lefs an infult; their refentments were bloody and implacable. The cafual disputes that fo frequently happened in their tumultuous parties of hunting or drinking, were fufficient to

76 It was contained between the two branches of the old Rhine, as they fubfifted before the face of the country was changed by art and nature. See Cluver. German. Antiq. l. iii. c. 30. 37.

inflame

IX.

inflame the minds of whole nations; the pri- C'H A P. vate feud of any confiderable chieftains diffused itself among their followers and allies. To chaftife the infolent, or to plunder the defencelefs, were alike caufes of war. The moft formidable states of Germany affected to encompass their territories with a wide frontier of folitude and devaftation. The awful distance preferved by their neighbours, attefted the terror of their arms, and in fome meafure defended them from the danger of unexpected incurfions".

"The Bruceri (it is Tacitus who now speaks) fomented by the po"were totally exterminated by the neighbour- licy of "ing tribes", provoked by their infolence, Rome. "allured by the hopes of fpoil, and perhaps

cc infpired by the tutelar deities of the empire. "About fixty thousand barbarians were de

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ftroyed; not by the Roman arms, but in our "fight, and for our entertainment. May the "nations, enemies of Rome, ever preferve "this enmity to each other! We have now

attained the utmoft verge of profperity 79, " and have nothing left to demand of fortune, "except the difcord of thefe barbarians "0"

77 Cæfar de Bell. Gall. I. vi. 23.

See

78 They are mentioned, however, in the ivth and vth centuries by Nazarius, Ammianus, Claudian, &c. as a tribe of Franks. Cluver. Germ. Antiq. l. iii. c. 13.

79 Urgentibus is the common reading, but good sense, Lipfius, and fome MSS. declare for Vergentibus.

8 Tacit. Germania, c. 33. The pious Abbé de Bleterie is very angry with Tacitus, talks of the devil who was a murderer from the beginning, &c. &c.

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