The Britains that were inured with the shelues and shallow places of the water, when they saw the Romans thus disorderlie come out of their [Sidenote:  The fiercenesse of the Britains.] ships, ran vpon them with their horsses, and fiercelie assailed them, and now and then a great multitude of the Britains would compasse in and inclose some one companie of them:  and other also from the most open places of the shore bestowed great plentie of darts vpon the whole number of the Romans, and so troubled them verie sore.

* * * * *

The Romans get to land on the English coast, the Britains send to Caesar for a treatie of peace, they staie the Romane ambassadour as prisoner, Caesar demandeth hostages of the Britains, the Romane nauie is driuen diuers waies in a great tempest, the British princes steale out of Caesars campe and gather a fresh power against the Romans, their two armies haue a sharpe encounter.

THE TWELFE CHAPTER.

Caesar perceiuing the maner of this fight, caused his men of warre to enter into boates and other small vessels, which he commanded to go to such places where most need appeared.  And relieuing them that [Sidenote:  The Romans get to land.] fought with new supplies, at length the Romans got to land, and assembling togither, they assailed the Britains a fresh, and so at last did put them all to flight.  But the Romans could not follow [Sidenote:  The want of horssemen.] the Britains farre, because they wanted their horssemen which were yet behind, & through slacking of time could not come to land.  And this one thing seemed onelie to disappoint the luckie fortune that was accustomed to follow Cesar in all his other enterprises.

[Sidenote:  The Britans send to Cesar.] The Britains after this flight were no sooner got togither, but that with all speed they sent ambassadours vnto Cesar to treat with him of peace, offering to deliuer hostages, and further to stand vnto that order that Cesar should take with them in anie reasonable sort. [Sidenote:  Comius of Arras.] With these ambassadours came also Comius, whome Cesar (as you haue heard) had sent before into Britaine, whome notwithstanding that he was an ambassadour, and sent from Cesar with commission and instructions sufficientlie furnished, yet had they staied him as a prisoner.  But now after the battell was ended, they set him at libertie, and sent him backe with their ambassadours, who excused the matter, laieng the blame on the people of the countrie; which had imprisoned him through lacke of vnderstanding what apperteined to the law of armes and nations in that behalfe.

Cesar found great fault with their misdemenor, not onelie for imprisoning his ambassador, but also for that contrarie to their promise made by such as they had sent to him into Gallia to deliuer hostages, in lieu thereof they had receiued him with warre:  yet in the end he said he would pardon them, and not seeke anie further [Sidenote:  Cesar demandeth hostages.] reuenge of their follies.  And herewith required of them hostages, of which, part were deliuered out of hand, and made promise that the residue should likewise be sent after, crauing some respit for performance of the same, bicause they were to be fetched farre off within the countrie.