charets

Their horssemen and charets skirmished by the waie with the Romans, but so as they were put backe oftentimes into the woods and hills adioining: yet the Britains slue diuers of the Romans as they followed anie thing egerlie in the pursute.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

The Britains perceiuing Cesars intent, with all spéed 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.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

At their first approch togither, Cassibellane sent foorth his horssemen and charets called _Esseda_, by the which he thought to disorder the araie of the enimies.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

The charets oftentimes wanting their guiders were caried awaie with the horsses, that being put in feare with the noise and stur, ran hither and thither, bearing downe one another, and whomsoeuer else they met withall.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (4 of 8) The Fovrth Booke Of The Historie Of England Raphael Holinshed

At length they ioined puissance against puissance, and fought a verie sore and cruell battell, till finally at the sudden comming of the Welshmen and Cornishmen, so huge a noise was raised by the sound of bels hanging at their trappers and charets, that the Romans astonied therewith, were more easilie put to flight.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

_The maner of the Britains fighting in charets, the Romans giue a fresh sallie to the Britains and put them to flight, they sue to

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

The maner of fight with these charets was such, that in the beginning of a battell they would ride about the sides and skirts of the enimies host, and bestow their darts as they sate in those charets, so that oftentimes with the braieng of the horsses, and craking noise of the charet whéeles they disordered their enimies, and after that they had woond themselues in amongst the troops of horssemen, they would leape out of the charets and fight on foot.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

Britains pelted them sore with arrowes and darts on ech side: for sithens there was no forrage left in anie part of the countrie about, but onelie in this place, the Britains iudged that the Romans would come thither for it: therefore hauing lodged themselues within the woods in ambushes the night before; on the morrowe after when they saw the Romans dispersed here & there, and busie to cut downe the corne, they set vpon them on a sudden, and sleaing some few of them, brought the residue out of order, compassing them about with their horssemen and charets, so that they were in great distresse.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

In the meane time those that guided the charets would withdraw them selues out of the battell, placing themselues so, that if their people were ouermatched with the multitude of enimies, they might easilie withdraw to their charets, and mount vpon the same againe, by meanes wherof they were as readie to remooue as the horssemen, and as stedfast to stand in the battell as the footmen, and so to supplie both duties in one.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (3 of 8) Raphael Holinshed

British horssemen fled, their charets ioined themselues with their footmen, and restoring the battell, put the Romans in such feare, that they were at a sudden stay: but the charets being troubled with prease of enimies, & vnéeuennesse of the ground, they could not worke their feat to anie purpose, neither had that fight anie resemblance of a battell of horssemen, when ech one so encumbred other, that they had no roome to stirre themselues.

Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (4 of 8) The Fovrth Booke Of The Historie Of England Raphael Holinshed