Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 6

out of danger. Wherevpon he marched straight to their
campe and giuing them battell, vanquished them: and vsing the victorie
as reason moued him, he lead his armie against those that inhabited the
inner parts of Wales, spoiling the countrie on euerie side. And thus
sharplie pursuing the rebels, he approched néere vnto the sea side,
which lieth ouer against Ireland. While this Romane capteine was thus
occupied, he was called backe by the rebellion of the Yorkshire men,
whome forthwith vpon his comming vnto them, he appeased, punishing
the first authors of that tumult with death.
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tacitus. lib_. 12] In the meane time, the people called
Silures, being a verie fierce kind of men, and valiant, prepared to make
warre against the Romans, for they might not be bowed neither with
roughnesse, nor yet with any courteous handling, so that they were to
be tamed by an armie of legionarie souldiers to be brought among
them.
Therefore to restraine the furious rage of those people and their
neighbours, Ostorious peopled a towne néere to their borders, called
Camelodunum with certeine bands of old souldiers, there to inhabit
with their wiues and children, according to such maner as was vsed in
like cases of placing naturall Romans in anie towne or citie, for the
more suertie and defense of the same. Here also was a temple builded

in the honor of Claudius the emperour, where were two images erected,
one of the goddesse Victoria, and an other of Claudius himselfe.
* * * * *

_The coniectures of writers touching the situation of Camelodunum
supposed to be Colchester, of the Silures a people spoken of in the
former chapter, a foughten field betwene Caratacus the British prince,
and Ostorius the Romaine, in the confines of Shropshire; the Britains
go miserablie to wracke, Caratacus is deliuered to the Romans, his wife
and daughter are taken prisoners, his brethren yeeld themselues to their
enimies_.
THE SIXT CHAPTER.
But now there resteth a great doubt among writers, where this citie or
towne called Camelodunum did stand, of some (and not without good
ground of probable coniectures gathered vpon the aduised
consideration of the circumstances of that which in old authors is found
written [Sidenote: Camelodunum, Colchester.] of this place) it is
thought to be Colchester. But verelie by this place of Tacitus it maie
rather seeme to be some other towne, situat more westward than
Colchester, sith a colonie of Romane souldiers were planted there to be
at hand, for the repressing of the vnquiet [Sidenote: Silures where they
inhabited.] Silures, which by consent of most writers inhabited in
Southwales, or néere the Welsh marshes.
There was a castell of great fame in times past that hight Camaletum, or
in British Caermalet, which stood in the marshes of Summersetshire;
but sith there is none that hath so written before this time, I will not saie
that happilie some error hath growne by mistaking the name of
Camelodunum for this Camaletum, by such as haue copied out the
booke of Cornelius Tacitus; and yet so it might be doon by such as
found it short or vnperfectlie written, namelie, by such strangers or
others, to whom onelie the name of Camelodunum was onelie knowne,
and Camaletum peraduenture neuer séene nor heard of. As for example,

an Englishman that hath heard of Waterford in Ireland, and not of
Wexford, might in taking foorth a copie of some writing easilie commit
a fault in noting the one for the other. We find in Ptolomie Camedolon
to be a citie belonging to the Trinobants, and he maketh mention also of
Camelodunum, but Humfrey Lhoyd thinketh that he meaneth all one
citie.
Notwithstanding Polydor Virgil is of a contrarie opinion, supposing the
one to be Colchester in déed, and the other that is Camelodunum to be
Doncaster or Pontfret. Leland esteeming it to be certeinelie Colchester
taketh the Iceni men also to be the Northfolke men. But howsoeuer we
shall take this place of Tacitus, it is euident inough that Camelodunum
stood not farre from the Thames. And therefore to séeke it with Hector
Boetius in Scotland, or with Polydor Virgil so far as Doncaster or
Pontfret, it maie be thought a plaine error.
But to leaue each man to his owne iudgement in a matter so doubtfull,
we will procéed with the historie as touching the warres betwixt the
Romans and the Silurians, against whome (trusting not onelie vpon
their owne manhood, but also vpon the high prowesse & valiancie of
[Sidenote: _Cornelius Tacitus lib. Anna. 12_.] Caratacus) Ostorius set
forward. Caratacus excelled in fame aboue all other the princes of
Britaine, aduanced thereto by manie doubtfull aduentures and manie
prosperous exploits, which in his time he had atchiued: but as he was in
policie and