house. Beside this, there is no place of the land vnknowne to vs,
neither yet vnfriendlie to succour vs at néed; whereas to the Romans
they are for the most part vnknowne and altogither dangerous, if they
should stand in néed: we can with ease swim ouer euerie riuer both
naked and clad, which they with their great ships are scarse able to
performe. Wherefore with hope and good lucke let vs set vpon them
couragiouslie, and teach them to vnderstand, that since they are no
better than hares and foxes, they attempt a wrong match, when they
indeuour to subdue the grehounds and the woolues." With which words
the quéene let an hare go out of hir lap, as it were thereby to giue
prognostication of hir successe, which comming well to passe, all the
companie showted, and cried out vpon such as not long before had doone
such violence to so noble a personage. Presentlie vpon this action,
Voadicia calling them togither againe, procéeded forward with hir
praier, which she made before them all, holding vp hir hands after
this manner:

"I giue thée thanks O Adraste, and call vpon thee thou woman of women,
which reignest not ouer the burthen-bearing Aegyptians, as Nitocris;
neither ouer their merchants, as dooth Semiramis, for these trifles we
haue learned latelie of the Romans: neither ouer the people of Rome,
as a little héeretofore Messalina, then Agrippina, and now Nero, who
is called by the name of a man, but is in déed a verie woman, as dooth
appéere by his voice, his harpe, and his womans attire: but I call
vpon thee as a goddesse which gouernest the Britains, that haue
learned not to till the field, nor to be handicrafts men, but to lead
their liues in the warres after the best manner: who also as they
haue all other things, so haue they likewise their wiues and children
common, whereby the women haue the like audacitie with the men, and no
lesse boldnesse in the warres than they.