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.
