The Britains perceiuing Cesars intent, with all speed caused their horssemen and charets or wagons, which Cesar calleth Esseda, out of the which in those daies they vsed to fight, to march forth toward the place whither they saw Cesar drew, and after followed with their maine armie.  Wherefore Cesar being thus preuented, inforced yet to land with his people, though he saw that he should haue much a doo.  For as the Britains were in redinesse to resist him, so his great and huge ships could not come neere the shore, but were forced to keepe the deepe, [Sidenote:  The Romans put to their shifts.] so that the Romane soldiers were put to verie hard shift; to wit, both to leape forth of their ships, and being pestered with their heauie armour and weapons, to fight in the water with their enimies, who knowing the flats and shelues, stood either vpon the drie ground, or else but a little waie in the shallow places of the water; and being not otherwise encumbred either with armour or weapon, but so as they might bestir themselues at will, they laid load vpon the Romans with their arrowes and darts, and forced their horsses (being thereto inured) to enter the water the more easilie, so to annoy and distresse the Romans, who wanting experience in such kind of fight, were not well able to helpe themselues, nor to keepe order as they vsed to doo on land:  wherfore they fought nothing so lustilie as they were woont to doo.  Cesar perceiuing this, commanded the gallies to depart from the great ships, and to row hard to the shore, that being placed ouer against the open sides of the Britains, they might with their shot of arrows, darts, and slings, remoue the Britains, and cause them to withdraw further off from the water side.

[Sidenote:  The Britans astonied.] This thing being put in execution (according to his commandement) the Britains were not a little astonied at the strange sight of those gallies, for that they were driuen with ores, which earst they had not seene, and shrewdlie were they galled also with the artillerie which the Romans discharged vpon them, so that they began to shrinke and [Sidenote:  The valiant courage of an ensigne bearer.] retire somewhat backe.  Herewith one that bare the ensigne of the legion surnamed Decima, wherein the eagle was figured, as in that which was the chiefe ensigne of the legion, when he saw his fellowes nothing eager to make forward, first beseeching the gods that his enterprise might turne to the weale, profit, and honor of the legion, he spake with a lowd voice these words to his fellowes that were about him; “Leape forth now euen you woorthie souldiers (saith he) if you will not betraie your ensigne to the enimies:  for surelie I will acquit my selfe according to my duetie both towards the common wealth, and my generall:”  and therewith leaping forth into the water, he marched with his ensigne streight vpon the enimies.  The Romans douting to lose their ensigne, which should haue turned them to great reproch, leapt out of their ships so fast as they might, and followed their standard, so that there ensued a sore re-encounter:  and that which troubled the Romans most, was because they could not keepe their order, neither find anie sure footing, nor yet follow euerie man his owne ensigne, but to put themselues vnder that ensigne which he first met withall after their first comming forth of the ship.