our, how shall they seek it of others?" In reply to this speech the Saxons cried out that the Normans had come on an evil day, and had embarked on a foolish matter, and then rushed off to make ready for to-morrow's fight, or the night's carousal.

The numbers of the contending forces have been vari- Number

of con

Hastings.

ously estimated by the chroniclers. William and Harold tending are said1 to have had 60,000 troops each, but that the forces at Norman duke had more barons and better men than the Saxon king; the same writer states that Harold boasted he had 400,000 followers. Another writer states that William had 50,000 troops in his own pay,2 and that Harold's army was a more numerous one. A Norman contemporary says that Harold had 1,200,000 followers, and William 150,000. A Saxon contemporary* emphatically asserts that the Normans were four times more numerous than the Saxons. Other writers state that Harold fought with "a very small army," “before all his army had come up,' "6" before a third of his army was in fighting order," and that he had "very few forces."8

Though his forces were fewer than those of his powerful antagonist, Harold was so confident of victory that he sent a fleet of 700 vessels to cut off the escape of the Normans by sea. He also determined to attack the enemy suddenly 10 but he was unable to carry out his intentions.

1 Wace.

2 William of Poitiers: from the above assertion we should conclude that William had other forces in the pay of his barons. 3 Guy of Amiens. De Inventione Sanctæ Crucis. 5 Matt. of Westminster. 7 Flor. of Worcester. 8 Will. of Malmesbury.

• Saxon Chronicle.

• William of Poitiers: Wace gives the number as 500.

10 De Inventione Sanctæ Crucis: William of Poitiers states that Harold intended to attack the Normans suddenly by night: Guy states that, instead of surprising the Normans, he was himself surprised: and the Saxon Chronicle has it that William came against Harold "unawares."

The night

before the

It has been stated that the Saxons passed the night battle. before the battle of Hastings without sleep, and that they whiled away the time in singing and drinking; but that the Normans, religiously disposed, spent the whole night in confessing their sins, and that, in the early morning, they received the Sacrament.1 On the day before the battle Harold retired to the abbey of Waltham: there he vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said that if victory attended his arms he would enrich the church and supply it with clerks to serve Him, and that he himself would serve his God; then, stretching himself upon the earth in the form of a cross, he prayed, lying on his face."

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS.

AT length the day—the fourteenth1 of October, 1066– The Battle on which the fate of England, and that of Europe, was of to be decided, dawned.

Before the battle began the hearts of the Saxons beat quick in anticipation of victory and of immense spoil: they recollected that their king had been successful in every undertaking, and that his head had planned and his arm had accomplished the complete overthrow of every foe-Celt, Norman, Norwegian, Fleming, and traitorous Saxon. The Normans had also every confidence in the skill and daring of their duke; moreover, his mother's dream, the blessing of the Head of the Church, omens, and the appearance of a comet,3 increased their confidence in him; and their enthusiasm was aroused by the spirited address of their leader, who said "if I conquer, you will conquer; if I win lands, you shall have lands:" he concluded with the words—" strike hard at the beginning; stay not to take

2

1 On the festival of St. Calixtus-Sanctæ Crucis, and Henry of Huntingdon, &c.; Wace states that this Battle was fought upon Harold's birthday, the 1st of October: other days are mentioned by various writers.

2 William of Malmesbury: at the duke's birth he grasped the rushes that strewed his mother's chamber, whereupon the midwife declared the boy would become a king; William fell, as he stepped upon the soil of England, whereupon a soldier exclaimed, "My lord, you grasp England, its future king;" when he was being armed for battle the hind part of his hauberk was placed upon his breast, this incident was looked upon as a sign that his "dukedom would be changed into a kingdom."

3 Saxon Chronicle

Hastings.

The position

of the Saxons.

spoil, all booty shall be in common, and there will be plenty for everyone. There will be no safety in peace or flight: the English will neither love nor spare Normans; villians they were and are, false they were, and false they will be." We are assured that the Duke's words so aroused his listeners that they rushed upon the foe, and left him speaking to himself!

The last command given by Harold was that no one was to move from his post under any pretence or provocation whatsoever. The Saxons occupied a rising ground, and a valley separated them from the Norman camp. On all sides save one they were defended by barricades: a fosse guarded one side of their army. The Saxon army has been likened to a boar baited by dogs foaming at the mouth.3

The men of Kent were entitled, according to an ancient custom, to strike the first blow, and to compose the van; the men of London to guard the king's body, to place themselves around him, and to guard his Standard. All were on foot, and carried themselves right boldly. Had they remained steady behind their barricades they would not have been conquered that day. From 9 a.m.5 till 3 p.m. the majority obeyed the

Wace.

2 Henry of Huntingdon: this chronicler puts a very long speech into William's mouth, in which he alluded to that "most valiant of men, my predecessor, Hastings," to Rollo, to Richard II., to his own victories, to Harold's (supposed) perjury, to the death of Alfred the Atheling, and concluded thus-"Let the lightning of your glory flash, and the thunders of your charge be heard from east to west, and be ye the avengers of the noble blood which has been spilt !"

3 Guy of Amiens.

• William of Malmesbury: Sir F. Palgrave placed Harold on horseback: Florence of Worcester says that the Saxons were not in the habit of fighting on horseback: William of Poitiers states that the Saxons left their horses behind them: and Guy says that they despised the use of cavalry.

5 Wace.

earnest command of the king to fight at their posts;
and to repel the oft repeated attacks of the Normans.
In vain did their heavy armed knights rush up to the
Saxon defences: they fell like corn before the glittering
and ponderous battle-axes of the sturdy islanders: the
horse and its rider fell crushed, once and for ever
Their arrows were received upon the shield. The
Saxons fought in so close order that their dead bodies
were left standing as though alive. Three times1 did
the Normans retreat: on the first occasion they pre-
tended to run away, in order to entice the Saxons from
their vantage ground. This stratagem caused a body
of the Saxons to pursue the foe, whereupon the
Normans faced about and compelled them to fly; but
the Saxons made a stand upon a rising ground, and
hurling darts and rolling down stones upon their
pursuers, they destroyed such as were beneath them
to a man; they then made their way to the main body
of their countrymen by means of a short cut, and thus
they avoided a deep ditch; here they trod under foot
such a number of their enemies that they made the
hollow level with the plain with their dead bodies.2
The Saxons now pressed the contest with greater alac-
rity, and thought nothing of those who were taken
from them whereupon the invaders began to flee in
reality, and the pursuing Saxons shouted after them in the
derision "Cowards, it is of little use to run back, un-
less you can cross the sea at a leap, or drink it dry.'
The duke, when he saw the flight of his men, made
great efforts to stop them. He asked them where they
would flee to. He entreated them to stop, pointed out
their difficulties, reminded them of their valour, and
'Guy of Amiens: William of Poitiers. "William of Malmesbury. 3 Wace.

Flight of

Normans.