Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 8, ELE-FOR

6
They are
defeated
and fue for
peace.
ENG [46
England, had taught them the art of war, alfo prevented them
v from uniting in the defence of their country. As foon
They op- as they perceived Ca^far’s fleet approaching, a number
pofe G:c- of cavalry and chariots were difpatched to oppofe his
far’s land- landing, while a confiderable body of infantry haften-
11)S- ed after. What chiefly embarralfed the Romans in
their attempt to land, was the largenefs of their flops,
which required a conflderable depth of water. The
foldiers, therefore, were obliged to leap into the f°a
while loaded with their armour ; and at the iaitie time
to encounter the enemy, who were quite difen gaged,
as they either Rood on dry ground, or waded but
a little way into the water. Csefar perceiving this
difadvantage, ordered his galleys to advance, with their
broadfides towards the ftiore, in order to drive the
Britons from the water-lide with their flings and ar¬
rows. On this the Britons, furprifed at the galleys, a
fort of {hipping they had never beiTre feen, began to
give ground. The fight, however, continued for fome
time, greatly to the difadvantage of the Romans j till
at laid Ctefar,• obfcrving the diftrcfs ef his men, caufed
feveral boats to be manned, and fent them to the af-
fiftance of thofe who were moft expofed to the enemy’s
affault. The Romans then foon got the better of the
undifciplined barbarians, however brave, and made
good their landing; but they were unable to purfue
the enemy for want of cavalry, which had not yet ar¬
rived.
The Britons were fo difheartened with this bad fuc-
cefs, that they immediately fent ambaffadors to fue for
peace j which was granted, on condition of their deli¬
vering a cettain number of hoftages for. their fidelity.
Part of thefe they brought immediately } and promifed
to return in a few days with the reft, who, they faid,
lived at fome diftance. But, in the mean time, the
18 tranfports which carried Caefar’s cavalry, being
driven back by a violent ftorm, and the fleet which
lay in the road being greatly damaged by the fame,
the Britons thought proper to break their engage¬
ments. ' Having therefore privately aflemblefl their
forces, they fell unexpectedly on the feventh legion
while at a diftance from the reft and bufied in fora¬
ging. Caefar being apprifed of their danger, haften-
ed to their afliftance with two cohorts, and at laft re-
pulfed the enemy. This, however, proved only a
temporary deliverance •, for the Britons, thinking it
would be poflible for them to cut off all the Romans
at once, difpatched meffengers to inform feveral of the
neighbouring nations of the weaknefs of the enemy’s
forces, and the happy opportunity that offered itfelf
of deftroying all thefe invaders at one blow. On this,
they drew together a great body of horfe and foot,
which boldly advanced to the Roman entrenchments.
But Csefar came out to meet them ; and the undifei-
piined Britons being by no means able to cope with
the Romani, were put to flight with great {laughter.
Having burnt feveral towns and villages, the victors
returned to their camp, where they were foon follow¬
ed, by new deputies from the Britons, Ceefar being
in want of horfe, and afraid left another ftorm fhould
deftroy the remainder of his fleet, granted them peace
on condition of their fending him double the number
of hoftages into Gaul which they had before promifed.
The fame night he fet fail, and foon arrived fafe in
Gaul.
5
T
Their
treachery.
] ENG
The Britons no fooner perceived the Romans gone, Englanfl.
than, as before, they broke through their engage-1 1 v
ments. Of all the ftates who had promifed to fend
hoftages, only two performed their promxfes j and this
negleCt fo provoked Csefar, thafhe determined to re- g
turn the year following with a far greater force. Ha-Cjefur re-
ving, therefore, caufed his old veffels to be refitted, turns,
and a great many new ones to be built, he arrived off
the coaft of Britain with a fleet of 600 {hips and 28
galleys. The Britons made no oppofition to his land¬
ing , but Caefar, getting intelligence that an army was
affembled at no great diftance, marched in queft of
them. He found them encamped on the banks of a
river, fuppefed to be the Slour, about 12 miles diftant
from the place where he had landed. They attempted
to oppofe his paftage ; but being briikly attacked by the
Roman cavalry, they were obliged to retire into a wood,
all the avenues of which were blocked up by trees cut
down for that purpofe. This fortification, however, ^
proved infufficient to protect them. The feventh le- Defeats the
gion having caft themfelves into a teftudo, and thrown Britons,
up a mount againft their ivories, drove them from their
afylum ; but as the day was far fpent, a purfuit was not
thought advifable.
Next morning CaTar, with the greateft part of his
army, which he divided into three bodies, marched
out in queft of the enemy. But when he was already
come in fight of their rear, he was overtaken by mef¬
fengers, who informed him, that his fleet was greatly •
damaged by a violent ftorm which had happened the
preceding night. This put an end to the purfuit for
that time j but Caefar having employed all the carpen¬
ters he had with him, and fent for others from Gaul, in
order to repair the damage, refolved to prevent misfor¬
tunes of this kind for the future. He therefore drew
all his {hips aflaore, and enclofed them within the forti¬
fications of his camp. This arduous undertaking em¬
ployed his whole army for 10 days j after which he
again fet out in queft of the enemy.
The Britons had made the belt ufe they could of
the refpite afforded them by the ftorm. They were
headed by Caflibelaunus king of the Trinobantes. He
had formerly made war upon his neighbours } and ha¬
ving rendered himfelf terrible to them, was looked up¬
on to be the moft proper perfon for leading them on
againft the common enemy *, and as feveral ftates had
now joined their forces, the Britiih army was very nu¬
merous. Their cavalry and chariots attacked the Ro¬
man army while on their march j but were repulfed with
lofs, and driven into the woods. The Romans purfued
them too eagerly, and thus loft fome of their own men ;
which encouraged the Britons to make another fierce
attack j but in this alfo they were finally unfuccefsful,
and obliged to retire, though their lofs feems not to
have been great.
Next day the Britons fuddenly attacked the Roman
legions as they were foraging ; but meeting with a vi¬
gorous refiftance, they foon betook themfelves to flight.
The Romans purfued them fo clofely, that having nei¬
ther time to rally nor get down from their chariots ac¬
cording to cuftom, great numbers of them were cut in
pieces : and this overthrow had fueh an effeft upon the
auxiliaries of Caflibelaunus, that all of them abandon¬
ed him •, nor did the Britons ever afterwards engage
Ceefar with united forces. Caefar, purfuing his victory,
marched