William makes his first assault on London at Southwark (pronounced - Suthark). The main obstacle to taking London was the crossing of the River Thames. The only bridge across the river at this time was at Southwark. Unfortunately William’s troops were unable to cross the bridge and gain access to the town. The men of Southwark staved off the attack but in retaliation the town was burned to the ground by the Norman soldiers. Southwark is commonly referred to as "London's first suburb." Two Centaurs appear in the upper border and the fable of ‘The Mouse and the Bull’ appears in the lower border. The moral to this fable is ‘The battle is not always to the strong’.