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demand of them your just rights. Do not think that I retired into this city
for fear of engaging with them; but I thought that, as their pursuit of us
was rash and foolish, so we might hence on a sudden intercept them in it,
and by dividing their main body make a great slaughter of them. But
now, since they have altered the measures which we supposed they had
taken, let us also alter ours. Let us go in quest of them and bravely fall
upon them; or if they shall happen to have the advantage in the
beginning of the battle, let us only stand our ground during the fury of
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their first assault, and the victory will undoubtedly be ours; for in many
battles this manner of conduct has been attended with victory.Ó As soon
as he had made an end of speaking these and other things, they all
declared their assent, promised with an oath to stand by him, and
hastened to arm themselves. Which when they had done, they marched
out of Lengriae to the valley where Arthur had drawn out his forces in
order of battle. Then they also began to marshal their army, which they
divided into twelve companies, and according to the Roman manner of
battle, drew out each company into the form of a wedge, consisting of six
thousand six hundred and sixty-six men. Each company also had its
respective leaders, who were to give direction when to advance, or when
to be upon the defensive. One of them was headed by Lucius Catellus the
senator, and Alifantinam, king of Spain; another by Hirtacius, king of the
Parthians, and Marius Lepidus, a senator; a third by Boccus, king of the
Medes, and Caius Metellus, a senator; a fourth by Sertorius, king of
Libya, and Quintus Milvius, a senator. These four companies were placed
in the front of the army. In the rear of these were four others, whereof
one was commanded by Serses, king of the Itureans; another by
Pandrasus, king of Egypt; a third by Polytetes, duke of Bithynia; a fourth
by Teucer, duke of Phrygia. And again behind all these four others,
whereof the commanders were Quintus Carucius, a senator, Laelius
Ostiensis, Sulpitius Subuculus, and Mauricius Sylvanus. As for the general
himself, he was sometimes in one place, sometimes another, to encourage
and direct as there should be occasion. For a standard he ordered a
golden eagle to be firmly set up in the centre, for his men to repair to
whenever they should happen to be separated from their company.
Chapter 9. A battle between Arthur and Lucius Tiberius.
And now the Britons and Romans stood presenting their arms at one
another; when forthwith at the sound of the trumpets, the company that
was headed by the king of Spain and Lucius Catellus, boldly rushed
forward against that which the king of Scotland and duke of Cornwall
led, but were not able to make the least breach in their firm ranks. So
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that while these stood their ground, up came Guerinus and Boso with a
body of horse upon their full speed, broke through the party that began
the assault, and met with another which the king of the Parthians was
leading up against Aschillius, king of Dacia. After this first onset, there
followed a general engagement of both armies with great violence, and
several breaches were made on each side. The shouts, the slaughter, the
quantity of blood spilled, and the agonies of the dying, made a dreadful
scene of horror. At first, the Britons sustained a great loss, by having
Bedver the butler killed, and Caius the sewer mortally wounded. For, as
Bedver met Boccus, king of the Medes, he fell dead by a stab of his lance
amidst the enemiesÕ troops. And Caius, in endeavouring to revenge his
death, was surrounded by the Median troops, and there received a
mortal wound; yet as a brave soldier he opened himself a way with the
wing which he led, killed and dispersed the Medes, and would have
made a safe retreat with all his men, had he not met the king of Libya
with the forces under him, who put his whole company into disorder; yet
not so great, but that he was still able to get off with a few, and flee with
BedverÕs corps to the golden dragon. The Neustrians grievously
lamented at the sight of their leaderÕs mangled body; and so did the
Andegavians, when they beheld their consul wounded. But there was
now no room for complaints, for the furious and bloody shocks of both
armies made it necessary to provide for their own defence. Therefore
Hirelgas, the nephew of Bedver, being extremely enraged at his death,
called up to him three hundred men, and like a wild boar amongst a pack
of dogs, broke through the enemiesÕ ranks with his horse, making
towards the place where he had seen the standard of the king of the
Medes; little regarding what might befall him, if he could but revenge
the loss of his uncle. At length he reached the place, killed the king,
brought off his body to his companions, and laid it by that of his uncle,
where he mangled it in the same manner. Then calling with a loud voice
to his countrymen, he animated their troops, and vehemently pressed
them to exert themselves to the utmost, now that their spirits were
raised, and the enemy disheartened; and especially as they had the
advantage of them in being placed in better order, and so might the
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more grievously annoy them. Encouraged with this exhortation, they
began a general assault upon the enemy, which was attended with a
terrible slaughter on both sides. For on the part of the Romans, besides
many others, fell Alifantinam, king of Spain, Micipsa of Babylon, as also
Quintus Milvius and Marius Lepidus, senators. On the part of the
Britons, Holdin, king of the Ruteni, Leodegarius of Bolonia, and three
consuls of Britain, Cursalem of Caicester, Galluc of Salisbury, and
Urtgennius of Bath. So that the troops which they commanded, being
extremely weakened, retreated till they came to the army of the
Armorican Britons, commanded by Hoel and Walgan. But these, being
inflamed at the retreat of their friends, encouraged them to stand their
ground, and caused them with the help of their own forces to put their
pursuers to flight. While they continued this pursuit, they beat down and
killed several of them, and gave them no respite, till they came to the
generalÕs troop; who, seeing the distress of his companions, hastened to
their assistance.
Chapter 10. Hoel and Walgan signalize their valour in the fight.
And now in this latter encounter the Britons were worsted, with the
loss of Kimarcoc, consul of Trigeria, and two thousand with him; besides
three famous noblemen, Richomarcus, Bloccovius, and Jagivius of
Bodloan, who, had they but enjoyed the dignity of princes, would have
been celebrated for their valour through all succeeding ages. For, during
this assault which they made in conjunction with Hoel and Walgan, there
was not an enemy within their reach that could escape the fury of their
sword or lance. But upon their falling in among LuciusÕs party, they were
surrounded by them, and suffered the same fate with the consul and the
other men. The loss of these men made those matchless heroes, Hoel and
Walgan, much more eager to assault the generalÕs ranks, and to try on all [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]