s landing on the southern coast, set out on his return to the
southward, to meet the more formidable enemy that menaced him there.

His army, though victorious, was weakened by the fatigues of the march,
and by the losses suffered in the battle. Harold himself had been
wounded, though not so severely as to prevent his continuing to exercise
the command. He pressed on toward the south with great energy, sending
messages on every side, into the surrounding country, on his line of
march, calling upon the chieftains to arm themselves and their
followers, and to come on with all possible dispatch, and join him. He
hoped to advance so rapidly to the southern coast as to surprise
William before he should have fully intrenched himself in his camp, and
without his being aware of his enemy's approach. But William, in order
to guard effectually against surprise, had sent out small reconnoitering
parties of horsemen on all the roads leading northward, that they might
bring him in intelligence of the first approach of the enemy. Harold's
advanced guard met these parties, and saw them as they drove rapidly
back to the camp to give the alarm. Thus the hope of surprising William
was disappointed. Harold found, too, by his spies, as he drew near, to
his utter dismay, that William's forces were four times as numerous as
his own. It would, of course, be madness for him to think of attacking
an enemy in his intrenchments with such an inferior force. The only
alternative left him was either to retreat, or else to take some strong
position and fortify himself there, in the hope of being able to resist
the invaders and arrest their advance, though he was not strong enough
to attack them.

Some of his counselors advised him not to hazard a battle at all, but
to fall back toward London, carrying with him or destroying every thing
which could afford sustenance to William's army from the whole breadth
of the land. This would soon, they said, reduce William's army to great
distress for want of food, since it would be impossible for him to
transport supplies across the Channel for so vast a multitude. Besides,
they said, this plan would compel William, in the extremity to which
he would be reduced, to make so many predatory excursions among the more
distant villages and towns, as would exasperate the inhabitants,
and induce them to join Harold's army in great numbers to repel
the invasion. Harold listened to these counsels, but said, after
conside