A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



first act of the battle ; rapidly the archers of Lisieux and Evreux 

 swarmed forward, and with the aid of the cavalry drove the enemy's 

 skirmishers back behind their shield-wall. Till that wall should be 

 broken the cavalry could do nothing, so the archers continued to pour 

 their shafts into the opposing mass, the English light-armed troops 

 dashing out to drive their assailants back.' At last, maddened by the 

 constant rain of arrows, to which with their smaller force of bowmen 

 and slingers they could make little reply, the heavy-armed infantry on 

 the English right ^ broke their line and joined in the charge upon their 

 adversaries. For a moment success crowned their efforts ; the archers 

 and their cavalry supports fled, and even some of the Norman 

 knights were seized with panic and turned their backs, crying that their 

 Duke was slain and all lost. Count Eustace of Boulogne also turned 

 craven and urged William to fly, but he, riding up from his position in 

 the rear, where he had been watching the progress of the battle with 

 his reserves, uncovered his head to show that he still lived, and soon 

 checked the fugitives, while the war-like Bishop of Bayeux, wielding a 

 great mace, helped to rally the disordered troops. Turning now upon 

 their pursuers the cavalry rapidly drove them back,^ following so hard 

 upon them that English and French alike plunged into the fosse in front 

 of Harold's line and filled it with their bodies.* Meanwhile William, 

 taking advantage of the disorder in the shield wall, dashed forward with 

 his picked knights against the English centre. As he reached it his 

 horse fell, pierced by Gurth's javelin ; but springing to his feet he 

 struck Gurth to the ground, and seizing another charger from one of 

 his knights, pressed on. Again his horse fell, and again he revenged its 

 death upon its slayer ; this time Count Eustace gave up his mount to 

 his lord, and the attack was renewed. Leofwine, and many others, fell, 

 but the English axes were not idle, and Harold above all was pre- 

 eminent, striking horse and man to the ground with one blow.° The 

 Norman attack was repulsed, and the disaster at the fosse, combined 

 with the gallant defence of the centre, enabled the defenders to re-form 

 their shield-wall. 



Once more the attacking cavalry were faced by a barrier against 

 which they could only surge uselessly. Again the archers poured in 

 their shafts, but William had received a hint from the earlier accident 

 and now laid a trap for the defenders. Again the English rushed upon 

 the foe, and again the Norman host seemed to waver; all along the line 

 the heavy infantry broke their ranks and charged down the hill. At first 

 the Normans fled before them, but suddenly they wheeled round to the 

 attack " ; hastily the English tried to retreat to their position, but only 



' Round, op. cit. 371-2. 



2 Freeman, op. cit. 482. Mr. Round says ' the whole host ' (op. cit. 373). 



' Ibid. 482-4. 



< Round, op. cit. 374-80. The question of the position of this incident in the battle is a very 

 difficult one ; it seems to have been in connection with the Norman flight, but may have been either 

 at the beginning or during the rally. The latter theory is perhaps the more probable. 



6 Freeman, op. cit. 484-8. " Ibid. 488-90. 



