alreadie gotten, beside the building of certeine castels (as before ye haue heard) neither his successor Verannius, beating and forreieng the woods, could atchiue anie further enterprise, for he was by death preuented, so as he could not proceed forward with his purpose touching the warres which he had ment to haue folowed, whose last words (in his testament expressed) detected him of manifest ambition:  for adding manie things by way of flatterie to content Neros mind, he wished to haue liued but two yeeres longer, in which space he might haue subdued prouinces vnto his dominion, meaning therby the whole Ile of Britaine.  But this was a Romans brag, sauouring rather of ambition than of truth or likelihood.

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The gouernment of P. Suetonius in this Iland, he inuadeth Anglesey, and winneth it, a strange kind of women, of the Druides, the Britains lament their miserie and seruitude, and take aduise by weapon to redresse it against the Romans their enimies.

THE NINTH CHAPTER.

[Sidenote:  P. Suetonius lieutenant.] But now when this great losse chanced to the Romans Paulinus Suetonius did gouerne here as lieutenant, a man most plentifullie furnished with all gifts of fortune and vertue, and therewith a right skilfull warrior.  This Suetonius therefore wishing to tame such of [Sidenote:  Anglesey inuaded.] the Britains as kept out, prepared to assaile the Ile of Anglesey, a countrie full of inhabitants, and a place of refuge for all outlawes and rebels.  He builded certeine brigantins with flat keeles to serue for the ebbes and shallow shelues here and there, lieng vncerteinlie in the straits which he had to passe.  The footmen ferried ouer in those vessels, the horssemen following by the foords, and swimming when they came into the deepe, got likewise to the shore, where stood in order of battell and huge number of armed men close togither, redie to beat backe the Romans, and to staie them from comming to land. [Sidenote:  A strange maner of women.] Amongst the men, a number of women were also running vp and downe as they had beene out of their wits, in garments like to wild roges, with their haire hanging downe about their shoulders, and bearing firebrands in their hands.  There was also a companie of their priests [Sidenote:  The Druids.] or philosophers called Druides, who with stretched forth hands towards heauen, thundered out curssings against the Romans in most bitter wise.

The souldiers were so amazed with the strangenesse of this sight, that (as men benummed of their lims and senses) they suffred themselues to be wounded and slaine like senselesse creatures, till by the calling vpon of their generall, and ech one incouraging other in no wise to feare a sort of mad & distract women, they preassed forward vnder their ensignes, bearing downe such as stood in their way, and with their owne fire smooldered and burnt them to ashes.