An Account of Denmark

3 The State of Gaul, after it was reduced into the Form of a Province by the Romans

220 CHAPTER III The State of Gaul, after it was reduced into the Form of a Province by the Romans  ’Tis very well known to all learned Men, that Gaul, after having been often attempted with various Success, during a ten Years War, and many Battles, was at last totally subdued by Caesar, and reduced into the Form of a Province. It was the Misfortune of this most valiant and warlike People, to submit at length to the Great Beast, as it is called in Scripture, with which however they so strove for Empire for eight hundred Years, (as Josephus informs us) that no Wars with any other Nation, so much terri- fied Rome. And Plutarch in his Lives of Marcellus and Camillus; Appian in his 2nd Book of the Civil Wars; Livius, lib. 8. & 10. have recorded, that the Romans were so afraid of the Gauls, that they made a Law, whereby all the Dispensations (formerly granted to Priests and old Men, from serving in their Armies) were made void, in Case of any Tumult or Danger arising from the Gauls: which Cicero takes notice of in his 2nd Philippick, Caesar himself in his 6th Book, and after him Tacitus, lib. de moribus Germanorum , do testify, That there was a time wherein the Gauls excell’d the Ger- Chapter III  221 mans in Valour, and carried the War into their Territories, settling Colonies (by reason of their great Multitudes of People) beyond the Rhine. Now Tacitus in his Life of Agricola, attributes the Loss of this their so remarkable Valour, to the Loss of their Liberty; “Gallos in bellis floruisse accepimus, mox segnities [segnitia] cum otio intravit, amissa Virtute pariter ac Libertate.”54 And I hope the Reader will excuse me, if the Love of my Country makes me add that remarkable Testimony of the Valour of the Gauls, mentioned by Justin, lib. 24. “The Gauls (says he) finding their Multitudes to increase so fast, that their Lands could not afford them sufficient Sustenance, sent out Three hundred thousand Souls to seek for new Habitations. Part of these seated themselves in Italy; who both took and burnt the City of Rome. Another part penetrated as far as the Shores of Dalmatia, destroying infinite Numbers of the Barbarians, and settled themselves at last in Pannonia. A hardy bold and warlike Nation; who ventured next after Hercules, (to whom the like Attempt gave a Reputation of extraordinary Valour, and a Title to Immortality) to cross those almost inaccessible Rocks of the Alps, and Places scarce passable by Reason of the Cold: Where after having totally subdued the Pannonians they waged War with the bordering Provinces for many Years. And afterwards being encouraged by their Success, subdivided their Parties; when some took their Way to Graecia, some to Macedonia, destroying all before them with Fire and Sword. And so great was the Terror of the Name of the Gauls, that several Kings (not in the least threatened by them) of their own accord, purchased their Peace with large Sums of Money.” And in the following Book, he says, “So great was the Fruitfulness of the Gauls at that time, that like a Swarm they fill’d all Asia. So that none of the Eastern Kings either ventured to make War without a mercenary Army of Gauls, or fled for Refuge to other than the Gauls, when they were driven out of their Kingdoms.” And thus much may suffice concerning their warlike Praise and Fortitude, which (as Tacitus tells us) was quite gone, as soon as they lost their Liberty. Yet some Cities, or Commonwealths, (as Plinius, [54.] GS Franc. (p. 172) identify this as Agricola, chap. 11. “We accept the fact, that the Gauls distinguished themselves in warfare; but after a time indolence was the consequence of leisure, for they lost their manliness with their liberty” (Loeb translation, 188). Note that Hotman’s Latin has segnitia; Molesworth’s has segnities. 222  Francogallia lib. 4. cap. 11. tells us) were permitted to continue free, after the Romans had reduced Gallia to the Form of a Province. Such were the Nervii, Ulbanesses , Suessiones and Leuci. Also some of the Confederates: and among these he reckons the Lingones, Rhemi, Carnutes and Aedui. But we may easily learn from these Words of Critognatus the Arvernian, mentioned by Caesar, lib. 7. what the Condition was of those Commonwealths , which had the Misfortune...