192 Barbury Castle. 
and completely routing and dispersing it. In the 22nd year of his 
reign A.D. 556, Kynrick with bis son Ceawlin had another battle 
with the Britons, which was after this manner: to avenge the 
defeat which they had sustained five years before, the Britons 
assembled vast numbers of their bravest warriors and drew them up 
near Banbury. Their battle array was formed in nine battalions— 
a convenient number for military tactics—three being posted in the 
van, three in the centre, and three in the rear, with chosen com- 
manders to each; while the archers and slingers and cavalry were 
disposed after the Roman order. But the Saxons advanced to the 
attack in one compact body with such fury, that the standards being 
dashed together and borne down and the spears being broken, it 
became a hand-to-hand fight with the sword. The battle lasted till 
night-fall without either party being able to claim the victory. 
Nor is that wonderful considering that the warriors were men of 
such extraordinary stature, strength and resolution, while in our 
days they are so degenerate, that when armies come into collision 
one or other of them is put to flight at the first outset. Kynrick 
having reigned 26 years, died A.D. 560, and Ceawlin, his son, 
reigned in his stead 30 years.” Such is the account, but the issue 
of the contest is told in the subsequent history of Ceawlin’s conquest. 
If Aurelius Conan had commanded the Welsh there would be an 
additional reason for believing, with Gibbon, at least the outline of 
the story; for Aurelius would have belonged by descent to the 
Romano- Brit faction that represented the portion of the people who 
had inherited something of the culture and, doubtless, some of the 
rules of war from the masters of the world. 
Shall we ask where was the field of battle? Enquiries of this 
kind have an interest where there are data on which to found 
probable answers to them. All that we have to guide us is the 
contour of the ground and the knowledge that Ceawlin’s force 
was marching from the south and might have aproached Barbury 
by one of two routes. But we also may take it for granted 
that, other than was the case at the battle of Old Sarum, the 
fortress on the hill was not the goal of Ceawlin’s march. The 
Briton army was the object of his march, and Barbury could have 
