Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
Brutus, in joy for the victory, enriches his men with the spoils of the
slain, and then, dividing them into several bodies, marches into the
country with a design to lay it waste, and load his fleet with the
spoil. With this view he sets the cities on fire, seizes the riches that
were in them, destroys the fields, and makes dreadful slaughter among
the citizens and common people, being unwilling to leave so much as one
alive of that wretched nation. While he was making this destruction over
all Aquitaine, he came to a place where the city of Tours now stands,
which he afterwards built, as Homer testifies. As soon as he had looked
out a place convenient for the purpose, he pitched his camp there, for a
place of safe retreat, when occasion should require. For he was afraid
on account of Goffarius's approach with the kings and princes of Gaul,
and a very great army, which was now come near the place, ready to give
him battle. Having therefore finished his camp, he expected to engage
with Goffarius in two days' time, placing the utmost confidence in the
conduct and courage of the young men under his command.
CHAP. XV.--_Goffarius's fight with Brutus._
Goffarius, being informed that the Trojans were in those parts, marched
day and night, till he came within a close view of Brutus's camp; and
then with a stern look and disdainful smile, broke out into these
expressions, "Oh wretched fate! Have these base exiles made a camp also
in my kingdom? Arm, arm, soldiers, and march through their thickest
ranks: we shall soon take these pitiful fellows like sheep, and disperse
them throughout our kingdom for slaves." At these words they prepared
their arms, and advanced in twelve bodies towards the enemy. Brutus, on
the other hand, with his forces drawn up in order, went forth boldly to
meet them, and gave his men directions for their conduct, where they
should assault and where they should be upon the defensive. At the
beginning of the attack, the Trojans had the advantage, and made a rapid
slaughter of the enemy, of whom there fell near two thousand, which so
terrified the rest, that they were on the point of running away. But, as
the victory generally falls to that side which has very much the
superiority in numbers, so the Gauls, being three to one in number,
though overpowered at first, yet at last joining in a great body
together, broke in upon the Trojans, and forced them to retire to their
camp with much slaughter. The victory thus gained, they besieged them in
their camp, with a design not to suffer them to stir out until they
should either surrender themselves prisoners, or be cruelly starved to
death with a long famine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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