guise themselves, and mingle, without attracting attention, among the
thousands of workmen and camp followers that were going and coming
continually around the grounds which William's army occupied. They did
this so effectually, that they penetrated within the encampment without
difficulty, examined every thing, and, in due time, returned to Harold
with their report. They gave a formidable account of the numbers and
condition of William's troops. There was a large corps of bowmen in the
army, which had adopted a fashion of being shaven and shorn in such a
manner that the spies mistook them for priests. They told Harold,
accordingly, on their return, that there were more _priests_ in
William's camp than there were soldiers in all his army.

During this eventful day, William too sent a body of horsemen across the
country which separated the two encampments, though his emissaries were
not spies, but embassadors, with propositions for peace. William had no
wish to fight a battle, if what he considered as rightfully his kingdom
could be delivered to him without it; and he determined to make one
final effort to obtain a peaceable surrender of it, before coming to the
dreadful resort of an appeal to arms. He accordingly sent his embassy
with _three_ propositions to make to the English king. The principal
messenger in this company was a monk, whose name was Maigrot. He rode,
with a proper escort and a flag of truce, to Harold's lines. The
propositions were these, by accepting either of which the monk said that
Harold might avoid a battle. 1. That Harold should surrender the kingdom
to William, as he had solemnly sworn to do over the sacred relics in
Normandy. 2. That they should both agree to refer the whole subject of
controversy between them to the pope, and abide by his decision. 3.
That they should settle the dispute by single combat, the two claimants
to the crown to fight a duel on the plain, in presence of their
respective armies.

It is obvious that Harold could not accept either of these propositions.
The first was to give up the whole point at issue. As for the second,
the pope had already prejudged the case, and if it were to be referred
to him, there could be no doubt that he would simply reaffirm his former
decision. And in respect to single combat, the disadvantage on Harold's
part would be as great in such a contest as it would be in the proposed
arbitration. He was himself a man of comparatively slender form and