"Un haubergeon aveit vestu De sor une chemise blanche: Lé fut li cors, juste la manche. Sor un cheval tot blanc séeit: Tote la gent le congnoisseit: Un baston teneit en son poing."--_Rom. de Rou_, l. 13254. In the disorders of Stephen's reign, the prelates appear to have been still more frequently trespassers on the canons of the Church; for the author of the _Gesta Stephani_ exclaims, "The bishops, the bishops themselves, I blush to say it,--not all of them, but many, bound in iron, and completely furnished with arms, were accustomed to mount war-horses with the perverters of their country, to participate in their prey." Everyone will remember the answer attributed to Richard Cœur-de-Lion, who, when the pope required him to release from captivity his spiritual "son," the bishop of Beauvais, sent back the hauberk in which the prelate had been taken, adding, in the words of the history of Joseph: "This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no." The monk of St. Edmund's, Jocelin of Brakelond, tells us under the year 1193: "Our abbot, who was styled 'the Magnanimous Abbot,' went to the siege of Windsor, where he appeared in armour, with _other abbots_ of England, having his own banner, and retaining many knights at heavy charges; being more remarkable there for his counsel than for his piety. But we cloister-folks thought this act rather dangerous, fearing the consequence, that some future abbot might be compelled to attend in person on any warlike expedition." On other occasions, however, the clergy fulfilled in the field duties more in harmony with their peaceful calling,--attending the wounded or consoling the dying. At the battle of Hastings, the Norman priests gathered together on a hillock, where, during the contest, they offered up prayers for their companions:-- "Li proveire è li ordené En som un tertre sunt monté, Por Dex préier è por orer."--_Wace_, l. 13081. And frequent injunctions forbade these holy men from joining in military exploits. Among the decrees of the synod of Westminster, promulgated in 1175, we read: "Whoever would appear to belong to the clergy, let them not take up arms, nor yet go about in armour. If they despise this injunction, let them be mulcted with the loss of their proper rank[178]." The TACTICS of this period are pretty clearly exemplified by the proceedings of Duke William at the field of Hastings. The army was divided into three corps:-- "Normanz orent treiz cumpaignies, Por assaillir en treiz parties." The hired troops were placed in the first division, to bear the brunt of the fight:-- "Li Boilogneiz é li Pohiers[179] Aureiz, è _toz mes soldéiers_." The second consisted of the Poitevins and Bretons, "E del Maine toz li Barons." The third corps was the largest:-- "E poiz li tiers ki plus grant tint."