[Sidenote:  Will.  Malmes.] Now it fortuned that both armies, as well the kings as the earles, being prepared to battell, diuerse offers were made on each side (before they fell to the conflict) for an vnitie to haue beene had betwixt the two princes:  but when no conditions of agreement could take place, they forthwith prepared themselues to trie the matter by dint of swoord.  And so on the 14 day of October, being saturday, both hosts met in the field, at a place in Sussex not farre from [Sidenote:  The order of the Englishmen.] Hastings, whereas the abbeie of Battell was afterward builded.  The Englishmen were all brought into one entire maine batell on foot, with [Sidenote:  Matth.  West.] huge axes in their hands, and paled a front with paueises, in such wise that it was thought vnpossible for the enimie to breake their arraie.  On the other side, the Normans were diuided into seuerall [Sidenote:  The arraie of the Normans.] battels, as first the footmen that were archers, and also those that bare gleiues and axes were placed in the forefront, and the horssemen diuided into wings stood on the sides in verie good order.

[Sidenote:  Hen.  Hunt. Will.  Malmes.] All the night before the battell, the Englishmen made great noise and slept not, but sang and fell to drinking and making of reuell & pastime, as though there had beene no account to be made of the next daies trauell.  But the Normans behaued themselues warilie and soberlie, spending all that night in praier and confessing their sinnes vnto God; and in the morning earelie they receiued the communion before they went foorth to the battell.  Some write, that when duke William should put on his armour to go to the field, the backe halfe of his curasses by chance was set on before by such as holpe to arme him:  at which chance he tooke occasion of laughter, saieng merrilie to them that stood by; “No force, this is good lucke, for the estate of my dukedome shall be yer night changed into a kingdome.”  Beside this, he spake manie comfortable woords vnto his men, to incourage them to the battell.  Neither was Harold forgetfull in that point on his part.  And so at conuenient time when both armies were readie, they made forward each to incounter with other, on the foresaid foureteenth day of October, with great force and assurance.

[Sidenote:  Polydor.  The battell betwixt king Harold and duke William is begun.] In the beginning of the battell, the arrowes flue abroad freshlie on both sides, till they came to ioine at hand strokes, and then preassed each side vpon his counter part with swoords, axes, and other hand weapons verie egerlie.  Duke William commanded his horssemen to giue the charge on the breasts of his enimies battels:  but the Englishmen keeping themselues close togither without scattering, receiued their enimies vpon the points of their weapons with such fiercenesse and in such stiffe order, that manie of the Norman horssemen were