[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._ _Will. Malmes._]
All the night before the battell, the Englishmen made great noise
and slept not, but sang and fell to drinking and making of reuell &
pastime, as though there had beene no account to be made of the
next daies trauell. But the Normans behaued themselues warilie and
soberlie, spending all that night in praier and confessing their
sinnes vnto God; and in the morning earelie they receiued the
communion before they went foorth to the battell. Some write, that
when duke William should put on his armour to go to the field, the
backe halfe of his curasses by chance was set on before by such as
holpe to arme him: at which chance he tooke occasion of laughter,
saieng merrilie to them that stood by; "No force, this is good lucke,
for the estate of my dukedome shall be yer night changed into a
kingdome." Beside this, he spake manie comfortable woords vnto his
men, to incourage them to the battell. Neither was Harold forgetfull
in that point on his part. And so at conuenient time when both armies
were readie, they made forward each to incounter with other, on the
foresaid foureteenth day of October, with great force and assurance.
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