taking their enimies at some aduantage in woods and bogs, as hap or
force ministred occasion vpon malice conceiued, or in hope of prey,
sometimes by commandement, and sometimes without either commandement
or knowledge of capteine or officer.

At one time the Britains surprised two bands of footmen that were with
the Romans in aid, and sent foorth to forreie abroad vnaduisedlie,
through couetousnesse of the capteins. This feat was atchiued by the
Silures also, the which in bestowing prisoners and part of the spoile
vpon other of their neighbours, procured them likewise to rebell
against the Romans, and to take part with them. The Silures were the
more earnestlie set against the Romans, by occasion of words which the
emperor Claudius had vttered in their disfauour, as thus: that euen
as the Sicambres were destroied and remooued into Gallia, so likewise
must the Silures be dealt with, and the whole nation of them
extinguished. These words being blowne abroad, and knowne ouer all,
caused the Silures to conceiue a woonderfull hatred against the
Romans, so that they were fullie bent, either to reteine their
libertie, or to die in defense thereof vpon the enimies swoord.

In the meane time Ostorius Scapula departed this life, a right noble
warrior, and one who by litle & litle insuing the steps of Aulus
Plautius his predecessor, did what he could to bring the Ile into the
forme of a prouince, which in part he accomplished.

[Sidenote: W.H. in his chronologie.]
There be some led by coniecture grounded vpon good aduised
considerations, that suppose this Ostorius Scapula began to build the
citie of Chester after the ouerthrow of Caratacus: for in those parties
he fortified sundrie holds, and placed a number of old souldiers either