chase: wherevpon the Normans (perceiuing now that all things came to
passe as they desired) spéedilie returned, and casting themselues
togither quicklie into arraie, began to charge them againe afresh, and
[Sidenote: A sore foughten battell. King Harold slaine.]
so hauing them at that aduantage, they slue them downe on euerie
side. The Englishmen on the other part fought sore, and though their
king was beaten downe among them and slaine, yet were they loth to
flée or giue ouer; so sharpe was the battell, that duke William
himselfe had thrée horsses slaine vnder him that day, and not without
great danger of his person.

[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ _Matth. West._]
Some of the Englishmen got them to the height of an hill, and beate
backe the Normans that forced themselues to win the hill of them, so
that it was long yer the Normans could preuaile, being oftentimes
driuen downe into the botome of the vallie beneath. At length the
[Sidenote: The Englishmen put to flight.]
Englishmen, perceiuing themselues to be ouermatched and beaten downe
on euerie side, and therevnto greatlie discouraged with slaughter of
their king, began first to giue ground, and after to scatter and to
run away, so that well was he that might then escape by flight. When
[Sidenote: _Chron. de bello_. _Wil. Geme._ The Normans fall
into a ditch.]
they had fought the most part of all that saturday, the Normans
followed the chase with such eger rashnesse, that a great number
of them falling with their horsses and armour into a blind ditch
(shadowed with reed and sedges which grew therein) were smouldered and
pressed to death, yer they could be succoured or get anie reliefe. The
next day the Normans fell to gathering in the spoile of the field,
burieng also the dead bodies of their people that were slaine at the