the ground. All this while the body of the English army stood firm upon the declivity, and the Normans had suffered greatly through the disadvantage of the ground. William, finding that the enemy, aided by the advantage of the ground, and animated by the example of their Prince, still made a vigorous resistance, had recourse to a stratagem which was delicate in its management, but which seemed advisable in his desperate situation ; where, if he gained not a decisive victory, he was totally undone. He commanded his troops to make a hasty retreat, and to allure the enemy from their ground, by the appearance of flight. The English fell into the snare. Many of their battalions fetched an half compass about the Normans, and planted themselves at the place which they were to pass through, in order to intercept them.
They were quickly in the plain but before they could form, the Norman horse were upon them, and cut them in pieces. The troops rallied on all sides, and returned to the charge in one compacted column; while the English, who had been decoyed from their station, were now in separate corps, which, -
