Orderic-Chibnall

On hearing these words Harold flew into a violent rage. He rejected the counsel that seemed wise to his friends, answered his brother who was advising him for the best with reproofs, and, when his mother clung to him to hold him back, insolently spurned her with his foot. Then for six days he sent far and wide to summon the populace to war, gathered a huge multitude of Englishmen around him, and hastened to battle against the enemy.
His plan was to catch them unawares and overwhelm them by an unexpected or night attack; and to prevent them escaping in flight he kept seventy heavily anned ships at sea. But Duke William heard of his hasty preparations, and on the Saturday morning commanded all his men to prepare for battle. He himself heard Mass, fortified his body and soul with the holy sacraments, and humbly hung the sacred relics on which Harold had sworn round his neck. Several men of religion had come with the warriors from Normandy. There were present two bishops, Odo of Bayeux and Geoffrey of Coutances, with many monks and clerks, whose duty ,vas to support the fight with their prayers and counsel. Battle was joined on 14 October at the third hour, and was bitterly contended all day long with heavy slaughter on both sides.' The duke of Normandy placed foot-soldiers armed with arrows and cross-bows in the front rank, foot-soldiers with hauberks in the second, and finally squadrons of mounted knights; he himself, surrounded by the best fighting men, took his place in the centre, so that he could be heard and seen by all as he directed operations.

To oppose him a great multitude of English flocked together from all sides to the place whose early name was Senlac, some desiring to support Harold's cause, but all wishing to defend their country against invasion. Reaching the spot they all dismounted from their horses and stood close together in a dense formation on foot. Thurstan son of Rollo carried the standard of the Normans. The harsh bray of trumpets sounded the alarm for battle on both sides. The Normans swiftly and boldly took the initiative in the fray. For the Norman foot-soldiers closed to attack the English, and killed and wounded many under a shower of missiles. They resisted bravely by any means they could devise; and for a long time both sides fought with all their might. The ferocious resolu­tion of the English struck terror into the foot-soldiers and knights of the Bretons and other auxiliaries on the left wing; they turned to flee, and almost the whole of the duke's battle line fell back, for the rumour spread that he had been killed. But the duke, seeing a great part of the opposing army springing forwards to pursue his men, met them as they fled, threatening and striking them with his spear. Baring his head and lifting his helmet he cried, 'Look at me: I am alive and with the aid of God I will gain the victory.' No sooner had the duke spoken these brave words than their failing courage was restored, and surrounding several thousand of their pursuers they mowed them down almost at once. Twice more the Normans feigned flight' in a similar way, and then suddenly wheeling round their horses cut off the pursuing English and slaughtered them. So they deceived the English by this hazardous stratagem, and then when their ranks were broken destroyed them piecemeal, slaying thousands and attacking the survivors yet more fiercely. The men of Maine, France, Brittany, and Aquitaine supported the Normans, and the English fell, to perish miserably.

Among those who took part in this battle were Eustace count of Boulogne, William son of Richard count of Evreux, Geoffrey son of Rotrou count of Mortagne, William fitzOsbem, Robert the newly knighted son of Roger of Beaumont, Aymcr, vicomte of Thouars, Hugh the constable, Walter Giffard and Ralph of Tosny, Hugh of Grandmesnil and William of Warenne, and many others of military distinction and great renown, whose names deserve to be remembered in the annals of history amongst the very greatest warriors. But William their duke surpassed them all in courage and wisdom. For he led his army brilliantly, checking their flight and giving them courage; in the thick of danger he more often called to them to follow him than commanded them to advance. During the battle three horses were killed under him; thrice, undaunted, he sprang to the ground and speedily avenged the death of his steed. Shields, helmets,and hauberks were shattered by his angry blade; tirelessly his shield smote against the enemy; he brought help and encouragement to countless of his followers and death and destruction to the enemy.

So the battle raged fro1n the third hour, and Harold the king was slain in the first assault. Earl Leofwine his brother and many thousand others later suffered the same fate. At last as the sun was setting the English realized that their king had perished with the chief nobles of the kingdorn and many of their troops, whilst the Normans grimly held their ground and dealt out destruction to all who attacked them; their ranks broke and they fled with all speed, to suffer divers fates. Some tried to escape on horses they had managed to catch, others on foot either on the roads or through the untrodden wastes. When the Normans saw the English flying they pursued them relentlessly through the whole night till Sunday, to their own harm. For by chance long grasses concealed an ancient rampart, and as the Normans came gallop­ing up they fell, one on top of the other, in a struggling mass of horses and arms. At this courage returned to the fleeing English. Seeing that they could be sheltered by the broken rampart and labyrinth of ditches they re-formed their ranks and unexpectedly made a stand, inflicting heavy slaughter on the Normans. There Engenulf castellan of Laigle and many others fell; and as sur­vivors relate about fifteen thousand Normans met their doom. So on that fourteenth of October almighty God punished countless sinners in both armies in divers ways. For the Norman fury became uncontrollable, and on that Saturday they massacred many thousands of English who long before had unjustly murdered the innocent Alfred with his servants, and only a week earlier had slaughtered without mercy King Harold, Earl Tostig, and many others. The same just judge avenged the English on the eve of Sunday, and plunged the fierce Normans into the abyss of destruc­tion. For they had been guilty of coveting the goods of other men, contrary to the precept of the law, and as the psalmist says, 'Their feet were swift to shed blood', and so they encountered 'sorrow and ,wretchedness in their ways' .

When Duke William saw that the English forces had un­expectedly massed again he did not check his advance, but called out loudly to Count Eustace, who had turned tail with fifty knights and wished to sound the retreat, forbidding him to fly from battle. Count Eustace, however, whispered privately to the duke that he ought to turn back, prophes ying speedy death for him if he advanced any further. Whilst he was urging this Eustace received a resounding blow between the shoulders; so gravely was he wounded that blood poured from his nose and mouth and he was helped, as if dying, from the field by his companions. meanwhile the duke had finally routed the enemy and returned to the battle­field, where he gazed on a scene of destruction so terrible that it must have moved any beholder to pity. For the mangled bodies that had been the flower of the English nobility and youth covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Harold was recognized by some tokens, not by his face, and brought to the duke's camp; the conqueror commanded William Malet to bury the body near to the sea-shore, which in life he had defended so long with his armed forces.