Agricola exhort his Souldiers to Victorie and Glorie; as much the Souldiers by his firm and well grounded Exhortations were all on a fire to the onset. But firft he orders them in this fort. Of 8000 Auxiliar Foot he makes his middle ward, on the wings 3000 Horse, the Legions as a reserve, stood in array before the Camp; either to seise the Victorie won without their own hazard, or to keep up the Battaile if it should need. The British powers on the Hill fide, as might best serve for fhew and terrour, ftood in thir Battalions; the firft on eeven ground, the next rifing behind, as the Hill afcended. The field between rung with the noife of Horfemen and Chariots ranging up and down. Agricola doubting to be over wing'd, stretches out his front, though fomwhat with the thineft, infomuch that many advis'd to bring up the Legions: yet he not altering, alights from his Horfe, and ftands on foot before the Enfignes. The fight began aloof, and the Britans had a certain skill with their broad fwashing Swords and fhort Bucklers either to ftrike afide, or to bear off the Darts of thir Enemies; and withall to send back showers of thir own. Until Agricola difcerning that those little Targets and unweildie Glaves ill pointed, would foon become ridiculous against the thrust and close, commanded three Batavian Cohorts, and two of the Tungrians exercis'd and arm'd for close fight, to draw up, and come to handy-ftrokes. The Batavians, as they were commanded, running in upon them, now with their long Tucks thrusting at the face, now with their piked Targets bearing them down, had made good riddance of them that stood below; and for haft omitting furder Execution, began apace to advance up Hill, feconded now by all the other Cohorts. Mean while the Horfe-men fly, the Charioters mixe themselves to fight among the Foot; where many of thir Horse alfo fall'n in dif orderly, were now more a mischief to thir own, then before a terrour to thir Enemies. The Battaile was a confus'd heap; the ground unequal; men, horses, Chariots crowded pelmel; sometimes in little roome, by and by in large, fighting, rushing, felling, overbearing, over-turning. They on the Hill, which were not yet come to blows, perceaving the fewness of thir Enemies, came down amain; and had enclos'd the Romans unawares behind, but that Agricola with a strong Body of Horse, which he reserv'd for fuch a purpose, repell'd them back as fast: and others drawn off the front, were commanded to wheel about and charge them on the backs. Then were the Romans clearly Maifters; they follow, they wound, they take, and to take more, kill whom they take: the Britans in whole Troops with weapons in thir hands, one while flying the purfuer, anon without weapons desperately running upon the flayer. But all of them, when once they got the Woods to thir shelter, with fresh boldness made head again, and the forwardeft on a sudden they turn'd and flew, the rest so hamper'd, as had not Agricola, who was every where at hand, fent out his readieft Cohorts, with part of his Horse to alight and scowr the Woods, they had receiv'd a foyle in the midst of Victorie; but following with a close and orderly pourfuit, the Britans fled again, and were totally fcatter'd; till night and weariness ended the chafe. And of them that day 10 thousand fell; of the Romans 340, among whom Aulus Atticus the Leader of a Cohort; carried with heat of youth and the firceness of his Horse too far on. The Romans jocond of this Victorie, and the spoile they got, fpent the night; the vanquished wandring about the field, both men and women, fome lamenting, fome calling thir loft friends, or carrying off their wounded; others forfaking, fome burning thir own Houses; and it was certain enough, that all there were who with a ftern compaffion laid violent hands on thir Wives and Children to prevent the more violent hands of hoftile injurie. Next day appearing manifested more plainly the greatness of thir lofs receav'd; every where filence, defolation, houses burning afar off, not a man feen, all fled, and doubtful whether fuch word the scouts bringing in from parts, and the Summer now spent, no fit season to difperfe a Warr, the Roman General leads his Armie among the Horeftians; by whom Hoftages being giv'n, he commands his Admiral with a fufficient Navie to faile round the Coast of Britain: himself with flow marches, that his delay in paffing might serve to awe thofe new conquer'd Nations, bestowes his Armie in their Winter-quarters. The Fleet alfo having fetch't a profperous and speedy compass about the Ile, put in at the Haven Trutulenfis, now Richborrow neer Sandwich, from whence it first fet out: 50 and now likelieft, if not two years before, as was mention'd, the Romans might difcover and fubdue the Iles of Orkney; which others with less reason following51 Eufebius and Orofius, attribute to the deeds of Claudius. These perpetual exploits abroad won him wide fame; with Domitian, under whom great virtue was as punishable as op'n crime, won him hatred.52 For he maligning the renown of these his acts, in fhew decreed him honours, in fecret devis'd his ruin. Agricola [A. D. 86] therefore commanded home for doeing too much, of what he was lent to doe, left the Province to his Succeffor quiet and fecure. Whether he, as is conjectured, were Saluftius Lucullus, or before him fome other, for Suetonius only names him Legat of Britain under Domitian; but furder of him, or ought elfe done here until the time of Hadrian, is no where plainly 52 Dion, 1. 66. 50 Camden. Juvenal, fat. 2. 51 Eutrop.1.7. to be found. Some gather by a Preface in Tacitus to the Book of his Hiftories, that what Agricola won here, was soon after by Domitian either through want of valour loft, or through envy neglected. And Juvenal the Poet fpeaks of Arviragus in these days, and not before, King of Britain: who ftood fo well in his resistance, as not only to be talk'd of at Rome, but to be held matter of a glorious Triumph, if Domitian could take him Captive, or overcome him. Then alfo Claudia Rufina the Daughter of a Britain, and Wife of Pudence a Roman Senator, liv'd at Rome; famous by the Verse of Martial for beauty, wit, and learning. The next we hear of Britain, is that when Trajan was Emperor, it revolted, and was fubdued. Under Adrian,53 Julius Severus, faith Dion, govern'd the Iland, a prime Souldier of that Age, but he being call'd away to fupprefs the Jews then in tumult, left things at such país, as caus'd the Emperor in person to take a journey [A. D. 122] hither; 34 where many things he reform'd, and, as Auguftus, and Tiberius counsel'd to gird the Empire within moderate bounds; he rais'd a Wall with great stakes driv'n in deep, and fastn'd together, in manner of a strong mound, fourscore mile in length, to devide what was Roman from Barbarian: no antient Author names the place, but old inscriptions, and ruin it self yet teftifies where it went along between Solway Frith by Carlile, and the mouth of Tine.55 Hadrian having quieted the Iland, took it for honour to be titl'd on his Coine, the Reftorer of Britain. In his time also Prifcus Licinius, as appears by an old inscription, was Lieutenant heer. Antoninus Pius reigning,56 the Brigantes ever leaft patient of Foren fervitude, breaking in upon Genounia (which Camden gueffes to be Guinethia or NorthWales) part of the Roman Province, were with the 53 Spartianus in vit. Hadrian. 54 Spartianus, Ibid. lofs of much territory driv'n back by Lollius Urbicus, who drew another Wall of Turves; 57 in likelihood much beyond the former [A. D. 144], and as Camden proves, between the Frith of Dunbritton, and of Edinborrow; to hedge out incurfions from the North. And Seius Saturninus, as is collected from the digefts,58 had charge heer of the Roman Navie [A. D. 162]. With like fuccefs did Marcus Aurelius next Emperor by his Legate Calphurnius Agricola finish heer a new Warr:59 Commodus after him obteining the Empire. In his time, as among fo many different accounts may feem moft probable, Lucius 60 a fuppos'd King in fome part of Britain, the first of any King in Europe, that we read of, receav'd the Christian Faith, and this Nation the firft by publick Authority profefs'd it: a high and fingular grace from above, if finceritie and perfeverance went along, otherwise an empty boast, and to be fear'd the verifying of that true fentence, the first shall be last. And indeed the praise of this action is more proper to King Lucius than common to the Nation; whofe first profeffing by publick Authority was no real commendation of their true faith; which had appear'd more fincere and praife-worthy, whether in this or other Nation, first profefs'd without publick Authority or against it, might elfe have bin but outward conformity. Lucius in our Monmouth Storie is made the fecond by defcent from Marius, Marius the Son of Arviragus is there faid to have overthrown the Picts then first coming out of Scythia, flain Roderic their King; and in fign of Victorie to have set up a monument of Stone in the Country fince call'd Westmaria; but these things have no foundation. Coilus the Son of Marius, all his reign, which was just and peaceable, holding great amity with the Romans, left 57 Capitol in. vit. Anton. 59 Digeft. 1. 36. 58 Capitol in. Marc. Ant. Philof. 60 Beda. |