that Suetonius hauing conceiued an assured hope of good lucke to
follow, caused the trumpets to sound to the battell. The onset was
giuen in the straits, greatlie to the aduantage of the Romans, being
but a handfull in comparison to their enimies. The fight in the
beginning was verie sharpe and cruell, but in the end the Britains
being a let one to another (by reason of the narrownesse of the place)
were not able to susteine the violent force of the Romans their
enimies, so that they were constreind to giue backe, and so being
disordered were put to flight, and vtterlie discomfited.

[Sidenote: 80000 Britains slaine.]
There were slaine of the Britains that day few lesse than 80000
[*_sic_]
thousand*, as Tacitus writeth. For the straits being stopped with
the charrets, staied the flight of the Britains, so as they could
not easilie escape: and the Romans were so set on reuenge, that
they spared neither man nor woman, so that manie were slaine in the
battell, manie amongst the charrets, and a great number at the
woods side, which way they made their flight, and manie were taken
prisoners. Those that escaped, would haue fought a new battell, but
in the meane time Voadicia, or Bonuica deceassed of a naturall
infirmitie, as Dion Cassius writeth, but other say that she poisoned
hir selfe, and so died, because she would not come into the hands of
hir bloodthirstie enimies. There died of the Romans part in this most
notable battell 400, and about the like number were grieuouslie hurt
and most pitifullie wounded.

[Sidenote: Penius Posthumous sleieth himselfe.]
Penius Posthumous maister of the campe of the second legion,
vnderstanding the prosperous successe of the other Romane capteins,