[Footnote 3: 'Gisarmes.' "Wace mentions the gisarme as an exceedingly destructive weapon, used by the Saxons at the battle of Hastings: but by the Gisarme he evidently means the 'byl,' to which he gives a Norman name:"--see _Hist. of British costume_, 1834, page 33. The Saxons used also the bipennis, or 'twy-byl.' The bill was an axe with long handle. Benoit mentions 'haches Danoises,' which probably were the double axes. See also Maseres's note on _William of Poitiers_, 129. Wace afterwards says of the hache of an English knight: Hache noresche out mult bele, Plus de plain pié out l'alemele.] [Footnote 4: 'Geldon.'] [Footnote 5: 'Haches.'] [Footnote 6: 'Gisarmes.'] [Footnote 7: Even down to the fifteenth century the Normans are said to have called the English 'courts vestus.' See the songs at the end of the _Vaux-de-vires_ of Olivier Basselin.] [Footnote 8: This seems further explained afterwards by the description of the English knight's helmet: Un helme aveit tot fait de fust, Ke colp el chief ne réceust; A sez dras l'aveit atachié, Et environ son col lacié. But the text is often so imperfect, and at such variance from the ordinary rules of Norman French grammar, that it is frequently hard to be certain as to the fidelity of a translation.] [Footnote 9: _Ordericus Vitalis_ states that the spot where the battle was fought was _anciently_ called SENLAC. That word certainly sounds very like French, and as originating in the blood which flowed there: but his expression has been thought to carry the antiquity of the name, in his opinion at least, much earlier than the date of the battle. We think it right to subjoin Wace's original record of the privileges of the men of Kent and London; as to which see Palgrave's _Rise and progress of the English Common-wealth_, I. ccclxxii. Kar ço dient ke cil de Kent Deivent ferir primierement; U ke li reis auge en estor, Li premier colp deit estre lor. Cil de Lundres, par dreite fei, Deivent garder li cors li rei; Tut entur li deivent ester, E l'estandart deivent garder.] [Illustration] CHAPTER XIX. HOW THE THREE NORMAN COMPANIES MOVED ON TO ATTACK THE ENGLISH. Meanwhile the Normans appeared, advancing over the ridge of a rising ground; and the first division of their troops moved onwards along the hill and across a valley. As they advanced king Harold saw them afar off, and calling to Gurth, said, "Brother, which way are you looking? See you the duke coining yonder? Our people will have no mischief from the force I see yonder. There are not men enough there to conquer the great force we have in this land. I have four times a hundred thousand armed men, knights and peasants."