Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/159

Rh Boadicea, inspired with implacable hatred against the Romans, put herself at their head, and earnestly exhorted them to take advantage of the absence of the Roman general, then in the Isle of Man, by putting these foreign oppressors all to the sword. They readily embraced the proposal, and, on a sudden, flew with the utmost fury upon the Romans wherever they found them dispersed in their colonies, which were more curiously embellished with fine buildings, than strengthened with fortifications, massacring all, without regard to age or sex; and so violent was the rage of the exasperated people, that the most horrible cruelties were practised on this occasion. Not a single Roman that came within their reach escaped their fury, and no less than 70,000 perished.

Paulinus, in the mean time suddenly returning, marched against the revolted Britons, who had an army of 100,000, or, according to Dion Cassius, 230,000 strong, under the conduct of Boadicea, and Venutius her general. The fine person of Boadicea, large, fair, and dignified, with her undaunted courage, persuaded the people that she must have all the qualities of a good general; and, eager for the engagement with Paulinus, whose army consisted of no more than 10,000 men, she expected to satiate her revenge, by the utter destruction of so inconsiderable an enemy.

Mean while, Paulinus was in great trouble; the ninth legion had been just defeated by the enemy. Pænius Posthumus, at the head of a large detachment of the second, refused to join him; so that he had the choice but of two expedients, either to march with his little army into the open field against his numerous enemies, or shut himself up in some town and wait for them. At first he chose the latter, and staid in London, but soon altered his resolution. And, instead of