Between the two armies he rode
singing the Song of Roland, and high into the air he flung his lance
and caught it three times e'er he hurled it at last into the amazed
English, to fall at last, slain by a hundred javelins as he rode back
into the Norman front.
Thus was begun the most famous battle ever fought in England. It
endured without advantage either way for some six hours till the
Norman horse, flung back from the charge, fell into the Malfosse in
utter confusion, and the day seemed lost to the Normans. But Odo,
Bishop of Bayeux, retrieved it and from that time, about three
o'clock, the Normans began to have the advantage. The battle seems to
have been decided at last by two clever devices attributed to William
himself. He determined to break Harold's line, and since he had not
been able to do this by repeated charges, he determined to try a
stratagem. Therefore he ordered his men to feign flight, and thus to
draw the English after them in pursuit. This was successfully done, and
when the English followed they were easily surrounded and slain.
William's other device is said to have been that of shooting high into
the air so that the arrows might turn and fall as from the sky upon
the foe.
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