The Roman cavalry had sailed from Gaul the same day that this truce was concluded ; but were driven back to the continent by a storm, which also destroyed many of the gallics and transports that had arrived.
The native chiefs, drawing hopes from this circum stance, retired from Cmsar's camp under various pre texts, and prepared to renew the war. While the ith legion was gathering in the harvest, they were assault ed by surprise from the adjacent woods, by the British cavalry and chariots, and would have been cut in pieces, if Cxsar had not arrived with a reinforcement. Cxsar himself acknowledges, that he only put the Britons to a stand. lie kept his forces lacing the enemy for a time, and then led them back to the camp. Upon the whole, by the victor's own account, the laurels which he gained in Britain, were both scanty and hardly earn ed.* Within a few days the Britons were emboldened to approach the Roman camp ; they were repulsed, in deed, with great slaughter ; but so far was the victory from securing even a corner of the island to its inva ders, that peace was again granted, on condition of the British hostages being doubled. These hostages were to be sent after the conqueror into Gaul Alter staying little more than three weeks, Cxsar embarked his whole army, and returned to Gaul.
At a much earlier period of the next year, Cxsar embarked from Calais to renew the invasion of Britain, with an army of five legions, and 2000 horse, on board a fleet of more than 800 ships. The sight of so pro digious a fleet, made the Britons despair of resisting his landing, which took place at the same spot as before. Leaving a small force behind him to defend his fleet, Cesar pursued the Britons, and overtaking them, after twelve hours march, at a river (supposed to be the Stour,) where they attempted to oppose him, drove them before him. They made another attempt to de fend themselves in a woody fastness ; but their rude entrenchments were forced by the Romans, and they again retreated. Next morning, as the victors had come in sight of the British rear, accounts were brought of a storm, such as had happened in the preceding year, having damaged, and almost destroyed the Roman fleet. The pursuit was stopped till Cxsar had repaired to the coast, and secured his remaining ships in fortifications within the camp.
In the mean time, the British confederates had chosen Cassibelanus, king of the Cassi, for their commander in chief, and waited the return of the Romans, with con fidence in themselves and their commander. Several skirmishes took place, in one of which they defeated two choice cohorts of the invaders ; but in their next attack, after this slight victory, they were entirely rout ed, and Cassibelanus suffering Cxsar to pass the Thames, at a place supposed to be Conway Stakes, dismissed all his infantry, and retained only his 4000 war chariots, to watch and harass the Roman army. The British states,
as Cxsar advanced, made their submissions, and gave him hostages and corn ; thus facilitating his progress to the principal fastness of the British commander, which Cxsar forced, and took a great number of pri soners and cattle. Cassibelanus did not yet despair, but formed the bold design of cutting off Cxsar from his fleet, and sent orders to the leaders of the Cantii (the people of Kent), to fall upon the naval camp of the Romans, which was not strongly guarded. Its defence, however, was sufficient to repulse the assailants ; and the British leader, seeing no hope in further resis tance, sought and obtained a peace trom Cxsar, through the mediation of Comius the Atrebatian. Cassibelanu§ was bound to offer no injury to the British states, which had deserted his alliance for that of Rome. Britain was to give a tribute and hostages to the Romans, but neither the quantity or number is mentioned by Cxsar. At ten at night, on the 25th of September, 54 years A. C. Cxsar sailed with the last embarkation of his army from our coast ; and for 97 years from that period, the Britains had no real disturbance, and but few alarms from foreign enemies.
Augustus only threatened them with invasion. He extorted presents and tributes from the princes, and derived a revenue from certain imposts on the mutual traffic between the island and the continent. In the mean time, the natives improved in civilization by their foreign connection, and the merchants of Italy settled in their towns. Tiberius exacted the same tribute, but lived on peaceable terms with them. Caligula's absurd visit to gather the cockle shells on the sea shore, does not deserve the name of an invasion ; but in the reign of Claudius, an expedition was prepared in good ear nest, with an army of 50,000 men, and Aulus Plautius at the head of it. At first the soldiers murmured at being sent, as they said, beyond the limits of the world; but at last were persuaded to embark, from confidence in their leader. Vespasian, the future emperor, had the second command in this enterprize, which was held so important in the eyes of the Romans, that every suc cessive emperor had been predicted by his poets to be the conqueror of Britain.