Note 6 — Chapter XX
Edgar Taylor translation
Though the details vary much, all the historians attribute great loss to circumstances of this sort. William of Poitiers distinguishes,—and perhaps Wace also meant to do so,—between the fosse which guarded the English camp, and other fosses into which the Normans fell in the pursuit. The Chronicle of Battle Abbey (MS. Cott. Dom. ii.), speaking of the principal fosse, says 'quod quidem baratrum, sortito ex accidenti vocabulo, Malfossed hodieque nuncupatur.' Benoit attributes great loss to a report of William's fall, whereupon he,
Son chef desarme en la bataille E del heaume e de la ventaille.
Count Eustace is here introduced by Benoit as strongly exhorting the duke to escape from the field, considering the battle as lost beyond recovery. He however rallies his men, and triumphs over the English, whose ranks had broken in the pursuit. No stratagem in this respect is noticed by Benoit.