Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 7

aduantage of place better prouided than the Romans: so in
power of souldiers he was ouermatched. [Sidenote: _Hu. Lhoyd_.] And
therefore he remoued the battell into the parts of that countrie where the
Ordouices inhabited, which are thought to haue dwelled in the borders
of Shropshire, Cheshire, and Lancashire, which people together with
other that misliked of the Romane gouernment, he ioined in one, and
chose a plot of ground for his aduantage, determining there to trie the
vttermost hazard of battell.
The place which he thus chose was such, as the entries, the backwaies,
and the whole situation thereof made for the Britains aduantage, and
cleane contrarie to the Romans, as inclosed among high hils. And if
there were anie easie passage to enter it vpon anie side, the same was

shut vp with mightie huge stones in manner of a rampire, and afore it
there ran a riuer without anie certeine foord to passe ouer it. This place
is supposed to lie in the confines of Shropshire aloft vpon the top of an
high hill there, enuironed with a triple rampire and ditch of great depth,
hauing thrée entries into it, not directlie one against an other, but aslope.
It is also (they saie) compassed about with two riuers, to wit, on the left
hand with the riuer called Clun, & on the right hand with an other
called Teuid. On thrée sides thereof the clime is verie stéepe and
headlong, and no waie easie to come or reach vnto it, but onelie one.
Caratac hauing thus fortified himselfe within this place, and brought his
armie into it: to encourage his people, he exhorted them to shew their
manhood, affirming that to be the day, and that armie to be the same
wherein should appeare the beginning either of libertie then to be
recouered, or else of perpetuall bondage for euer to be susteined. He
rehersed also speciallie by name those their elders, which had resisted
Iulius Cesar, by whose high valiancie they liued free from the bloudie
thraldome and tributes of the Romans, and enioied their wiues and
children safe and vndefiled. Thus discoursing of manie things with
them, in such hope of assured victorie, that they began to raise their
cries, each one for him selfe, declaring that he was bound by the dutie
he owght to the gods of his countrie, not to shrinke for feare of anie
wounds or hurts that might chance vnto them by the enimies weapon.
This chéerefulnesse of the Britains greatlie astonished the Romane
lieutenant. The hideous course also of the riuer before his face, the
fortifications and craggie higth of the hils, all set full of enimies readie
to beat him backe, put him in great feare: for nothing he saw afore him,
but that which séemed dreadfull to those that should assaile. But the
souldiers yet séemed to be verie desirous of battell, requesting him to
bring them to it, protesting that nothing was able to resist the force of
noble prowes. Herewith the capteins and tribunes discoursing the like,
pricked forward the earnest willes which their souldiers had to fight.
Ostorius perceiuing such courage and readie wils in the men of warre,
as well souldiers as capteins, began to bestirre himselfe, and left
nothing vndone that might serue to set forward their earnest desire to

battell. And hauing aduisedlie considered which waies were hard and
[Sidenote: Cornelius Tacitus Annal. lib. 12.] vnpossible to be entered
vpon, and which were most easie for his people to find passage by, he
led them foorth, being most earnestlie bent to cope with the enimie.
Now hauing passed the water without any great difficultie, but
comming to the rampire, he lost manie of his people, so long as the
fight was continued with shot and casting of darts: but after that the
Romans couering themselues with their targets, came once close
togither, and approched vnder the rampire, they remooued away the
stones which the Britains had roughlie couched togither, and so came to
ioine with them at handblowes. The Britains being vnarmed, and not
able to abide the force of the armed men, withdrew to the top of the
hilles, but as well their enimies that were light armed, as the other with
heauie armour, followed and brake in among them, so as the Britains
could not turne them anie way to escape, for the light armed men with
shot a farre off, and the heauie armed with weapons at hand, sought to
make slaughter and wracke of them on ech side, so that this was a verie
dolefull day to the Britains.
The wife and daughter of Caratake were taken prisoners, and his
brethren also yéelded themselues. He himselfe escaped, and
committing his person vnto the assurance & trust of Cartemandua
queene