Backed (_sic_) by the disorderly There the house carles of King masses of the fyrd, and by the Harold, backed (_sic_) by the thegns of the home counties, thegnhood of all southern the house carles of King Harold England and the disorderly stood (‘Art of War,’ p. 24). masses of the fyrd of the home counties, drew themselves out (‘Social England,’ p. 229). In perfect agreement with these passages, I hold that “the well-armed house carles,” as Mr. Oman terms them, formed the English front, and were “backed” by the rest of the host.[101] Mr. Oman’s later view involves a tactical absurdity, as I have maintained throughout.[102] But here again Mr. Oman finds it the safest plan to ignore an argument he cannot face. Let me, however, part from his narrative of the great struggle with an expression of honest satisfaction that, even in his latest work, he treats “the English host” as ranged “in one great solid mass” (p. 154). This is the essential point on which I have insisted throughout.[103] “No feature of the great battle is more absolutely beyond dispute”;[104] and it absolutely cuts the ground from under Mr. Archer’s feet.[105] I may add that the denseness of the English host is similarly grasped by Sir James Ramsay, who has made an independent examination of the battle, and has set forth his interesting and original conclusions in his recently-published ‘Foundations of England.’ The ground plan of the battle in his work should be carefully compared with that which is found in Mr. Freeman’s History. For the two differ so hopelessly that the wholly conjectural character of Mr. Freeman’s views on the matter will at once be vividly shown. The bold conclusion of Sir James Ramsay that the English host held only the little plateau at the summit of the Battle hill, is at least in harmony with their dense array, and is very possibly correct.[106] * * * * * I now turn from battles to castles--those castles which played so prominent a part in Anglo-Norman warfare.