to be dug – i.e. earthworks thrown up for the defence of his troops. He then marched the whole body thither on the 3rd of October. Mr. Lower, the antiquarian (who has paid great attention to all connected with the battle) fancies that the fields near Bohemia and the Priory were the sites of this encampment; and, certainly, there are the ridges of of an extensive camp, which render this supposition probable. Mr. Savery here exhibited a plan in which the camp might have been placed, and to have extended from the hillocks shown in the Step Meadow, and at the rear of the railway station , across Mr. Brisco’s lands near the Catholic convent. Access to the sea would be gained in the eastern part by means of the Priory Valley [or Priory water]. Harold had been informed of the landing of the Normans; and, hurrying from the north, he approached the Sussex coast with but little more than 20,000 men. He probably arrived at Battle on Wednesday or Thursday, the 11th or 12th of October. William had numerous outposts, which brought him intelligence of Harold’s approach. On Friday night, William informed his army that the battle would take place next day. The night was spent by the Normans in prayer; and according to Norman accounts, by the Saxons in feasting and riot. But, we must remember it is only a Norman account. The Saxon chroniclers are silent on this point. Referring to the tapestry, we see the Normans marching out of Hastings, after having burnt a portion of the town. Their path lay along the southern slope of the hills towards Battle; and we have the scouts coming in and informing William of his approach to the enemy. Harold’s outposts also warn him of William’s advance. The chronicle of Battle Abbey says that William marched to Hetheland (Telham Hill), where he completed his arming and harangued his troops, calling on them to fight manfully and skilfully, shewing that Harold was perjured and under the ban of the Church. He disposed his troops in three columns of attack. In the first were the warriors of Boulogne, Ponthem and the mercenaries; in the second were the troops of Maine, the Bretons and men of Poiteers; while William, himself, led the third, composed of his own subjects, the chosen chivalry of Normandy. Harold’s army was drawn up on the side of a hill opposite to that on which the troops of William were formed, and separated from them by a wide valley. The ground sloped away on both sides and the edge of the ridge was fortified with hastily thrown-up entrenchments formed of beams and willows, and faced by the shields of the soldiery. Harold’s banner stood -
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From Historical Hastings
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