on Telham Hill, another on the intermediate ground near the Windmill ; so that only three divisions were actually engaged , at least in the earlier part of the day. The horse were drawn up in rear of the foot (in this all writers agree ); if we deduct two-fifths of their number for the two divisions in reserve, we may suppose the remaining three divisions drawn up immediately in rear of the foot in two lines each, two deep , this would give a line of 1,500 horsemen in front, neglecting intervals between the divisions.
Now, a writer on Mediaeval Warfare, [1] speaking of the battle of Bouvines, observes that 800 horse would occupy about 1,040 paces. Adopting his calculation we shall find 1,500 horse extend along a line of 1,625 yards, or covering very nearly the same ground as the infantry.
These numbers ( 10,000 foot and 10,000 horse ) have been of course only used hypothetically : but I do not think they can be very far from the truth . If to them we add the camp followers;the artificers, the priests, the garrisons of Hastings and Pevensey, the detachments all along the coast, the Nor man force defeated at Romney , the seamen and the large army still in reserve in Normandy, a portion of which joined the Duke some days after the battle, we shall arrive in the aggregate, at something like the figures of William of Poitou, and Orderic. " Virorum sexaginta milia," 60,000 men is the expression of the Poitevin , which does not necessarily infer that they were all soldiers. He elsewhere speaks of 50,000 "milites," or combatants : implying, as I con-
- ↑ Macmillan's Magazine, December, 1866.
