The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-21
HISTORY OF BATTLE ABBEY.
Founded By William the Conqueror
In Memory of His lead.

Pail Mall Gazette: The great Benedic-
tine Abbey of La Belle-''the token
and pledge OF the royal crOwn"-was
founded by William thu ConCuerOr soon
after his accession. in fulfllment OF a
VOW. When. on his march from Hastings.
he first caught sight, from the crest of
Telham hill. of the Saxon army en-
trenched on the opposite heights. he
raised his hand to heaven, and swore that
if God granted him victory he would
there raise splendid chantry for the
souls OF the slain.
1t was over yonder high hill. crossed by
the road to Hastings. that the conqUeTOr
came. There, he vowed to build mis- abbey
whence. it is said, is derived its name Of
ed by Roger de Montg omeri afterWard
Earl of Shrewsbury. Chicestsr. and
Arundel, and the founder of q great Eng
lish house, was composed chiefly of SOL
deiers (merceneries) from Picardy, Bol-
logne and Paix. and charged uD the
steepeSt part of the hill. where the houses
of the Lower Lake now stand. and the
road leads down to the station. The left
wing. formed by the men of Brittany. and
led by the son OF their count, Alain l.
RouX, the future Earl of Richmond. at
tucked farther away to the west where
the slope is easier. and the little stream
of the ASten. rising near the gateway.
falls into d deep gorge on the farther side
of the hill The center. under the Duke
of the invading army. There. under Neel
de st. Sauveur. were arrayed the men of
the Cotentin. descended from the Danes
of Harold Blaatand; with the archer1 of
Evreux and Louviers: tho Danes of
BayeuX. and the great company of va
vassors of Normandy, who. to save their
lord. would have put their own bodies
between him and the enemies blows" He
directed the assault against the center of
Harolds position; and it must have been
over the ground Immediately below us
that he led his men, and thar ensued the
fierce melee WHERE he was twice endorsed
and the OminOuS cry. The duke is down
the duke is down. sounded over the bat
tlefield He WAS here confronted b. the
vanguard of the Saxon army. where the
men of Kent
A merveille Sc combattaient
claiming the post of honors as their birth
right. for, Whenever the king goes to
battle the first blow belongs TO them. -
They bore on their banner then. as now.
Hengist: but their proud motto of In
vic,a was not earned on that day. To the
right. but hidden by the tree. a mound
on some rising ground in the park marks
the outposts. so obstinately defended by
the SaSons. that the Bretous thsre way
cred ard gave way, and the hillside be-
yord - SO holly contested that the
ravine of the Asten was completely
choked and bridged over with the dead.
IL was from this point that the position
they had failed TO storm was successfully
turned. md the NormanS entered the
Saxon lines. On the north side OF the
town, GROWING the highest point of the
hill. stands the Watch Oak. from whence
It is said. Harold looked out day after
day. for the coming of the invaders The
present tree can. however. only be its
successor and representative. as il is bS-
no means old. The famous Malfcsse or
deep swamp. partly conceded by BRAN
hles, into which so MANY Norman ho-se-
men plunged and lost their lives in taeir
haadiong pursuit Of the enemy. lies be-
hind tho parish church. but is no longer
a swamp