256 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. accompanied by his two valiant brothers, GurthHi. and Leofwin , dismounting;, placed himself at thehead os his infantry, and expressed his resolutionto conquer or to perish in the action. The firstattack of the Normans was desperate, but wasreceived with equal valour by the English ; andafter a furious combat, which remained longundecided , the former, overcome by the difficultyof the ground, and hard pressed by the enemy,began first to relax their vigour, then to retreat ;and confusion was spreading among the ranks;when William, who found himself on the brinkof destruction , hastened with a select band . tothe relief of his dismayed forces. His presencerestored the action ; the English were obliged toretire with loss; and the duke ordering his secondline to advance, renewed the attack with freshforces and with redoubled courage. Finding,that the enemy, aided by the advantage of ground,and animated by the example of their prince ,still made a vigorous resistance , he tried astratagem , which was very delicate in its ma-nagement , but which seemed advisable in hisdesperate situation, where, if he gained not adecisive victory, he was totally undone : He com-manded his troops to make a hasty retreat, andto allure the enemy from their ground by theappearance of slight. The artifice succeeded againstthose unexperienced soldiers , who, heated by theaction and sanguine in their hopes, precipitatelyfollowed the Normans into the plain. William gaveorders , that at once the infantry should face about

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