This done, and hauing conceiued good hope of victorie, he alighted on
foot, and putting his horsse from him, he stood before the standards
as one not caring for anie danger that might happen. At the first they
bestowed their shot and darts freelie on both sides. The Britains
aswell with constant manhood, as skilfull practise, with broad swords
and little round bucklers auoided and beat from them the arrowes and
darts that came from their enimies, and therewithall paid them home
againe with their shot and darts, so that the Romans were neere hand
oppressed therewith, bicause they came so thicke in their faces,
[Sidenote: Betaui. Congri.]
till at length Agricola caused three cohorts of Hollanders, & two of
Lukeners to presse forward, & ioine with them at hand-strokes, so as
the matter might come to be tried with the edge of the swoord, which
thing as to them (being inured with that kind of fight) it stood
greatlie with their aduantage, so to the Britains it was verie
dangerous, that were to defend themselues with their mightie huge
swoords and small bucklers. Also by reason their swoords were broad
at the ends, and pointlesse, they auailed little to hurt the armed
enimie. Wherevpon when the Hollanders came to ioine with them, they
made fowle worke in sleaing and wounding them in most horrible wise.
The horssemen also that made resistance they pulled from their
horsses, and began to clime the hill vpon the Britains.
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