THE NORMAN ARMAMENT:--William decides to invade England in August, 1066--William's treatment of the Saxon spy--The weather not being favourable, the Normans are filled with superstitious fears--William's strategy to calm their apprehensions--The Normans set sail--William's ship sails away from the rest--The landing--William burns his fleet--Overruns the county of Sussex--Receives intelligence of the Saxons' approach CHAPTER XVII. HAROLD'S HOST:--Harold arrives in London--His ill-timed rashness--Not being able to attack William unawares, Harold halts at Epiton, and fortifies his position--The Saxon chiefs advise a retreat--Harold refuses to listen to them--William denounces Harold as a perjurer and liar--The effect of William's message on the Saxons--Gurth advises Harold to quit the army--The night before the battle CHAPTER XVIII. THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS:--Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, blesses the Norman army--Arrangement of the Norman army--William in 1066--Superstitious fears of the Normans--William's address to his soldiers--Taillefer, the Norman minstrel--The attack--The Norman first division is repulsed--They renew the charge--Obstinate resistance of the Saxons--William's strategy--Its success--Harold and Leofwine are slain--Gurth's courageous resistance--Gurth is slain--Rout of the Saxons--William pitches his camp for the night CHAPTER XIX. THE BODY OF HAROLD:--William returns thanks for his victory--Calls over the muster-roll--The Saxons seek to bury their dead--William refuses to allow the body of Harold to be buried--At the intercession of the monks of Waltham he relents--The search for the body--Harold's burial CHAPTER XX. THE CONQUEROR AND THE KENTISHMEN:--William finding no allegiance paid him, takes Dover and marches towards London--Is opposed by a large body of Kentishmen--The advancing wood--Parley with the Kentishmen--William turns towards the west, and crosses the Thames at Wallingford--The Saxon Wigod's treachery--Berkhampstead is taken CHAPTER XXI. EDGAR ATHELING:--The Londoners determine upon crowning Edgar Atheling--Edgar's birth and parentage--His popularity with the people--Harold, afraid of Edgar's popularity, treats him with great respect and honour--Edgar is proclaimed king--Ansgar, the standard-bearer of the City of London, excites the people to deliver the keys of London to the Conqueror--Edgar Atheling, the archbishops, and chief citizens pay homage to William CHAPTER XXII.