than 20,000 combatants were present in the field, especially as we must deduct the very numerous crowd of artificers, menial servants, and camp followers of every description,
who we know were brought over in great numbers,and who would fill the place of an equal number of armed men on board ship : but are probably included by those who reckon the array as high as 60,000.
We now resorted to the hill overlooking the Asten and the powder mills, and mounted on a pile of wood, I had the gratification of reading the paper contained in the following chapter, to a most attentive audience. My remarks were illustrated by an excellent model of the battle field , kindly executed by Mr. J . C. SAVERY.
On the conclusion of the paper, the party wended their way to the Abbey, descending from the hill by a long narrow lane, on the left of which is a wood covering the slope down to the water side. The ground is overgrown with brushwood, and in one of the retreats it would have been quite possible for the Normans if they bore at all to the westward to come unexpectedly on the banks of the river Asten, which would be hidden from them until they reached it. In some parts the banks are quite precipitous enough to have caused such a catastrophe as that already alluded to, but then it must be remembered that it would be impossible for the " varlets" to have seen it, unless posted on the Camp Hill, and this is so remote from the principal line of march and difficult of access that hardly any of the requisite conditions seem to be satisfied.
