600 



ENGLAND. 



Miayofthe 

 Nomuui 

 dttcn re- 

 turn to their 

 tin 



Newinsur- 



A. D. 1070. 



WilIiinTs 



I !>.,K T . 



tx.n of the 



Ma people on whom he could place no dependence; and 

 forth he was determined, to treat them with the 

 utmost rigour. All offices of trust and confidence w ere 

 consequently l>estowed U|*>n the Normans, who com- 

 mitted continual insults and depr. 



Finding no redress for such injurie* from their go- 

 vernors, the English took vengeance with their own 

 hands, and assassinated Normans were daily found in 

 the woods ami highways, without any possibility of 

 bringing the perpetrators to justice. Many of the Nor- 

 man chiefs finding themselves continually exposed to 

 the fury of an incensed people, and under constant ap- 

 prehensions of danger, longed for the peace and s-ccu- 

 rity of their native country. They desired to be dis- 

 missed from the service, which William granted, hut 

 at the same time resented, by confiscating all their pns- 

 niiionn in England. New insurrections were followed 

 by new forfeitures and attainders ; and the Normans 

 found it their interest to instigate rebellion, as they 

 were sure to be benefited by its suppression. 



The three sons of Harold, Godwin, Edmund, and 

 Magnus, who, after the battle of Hastings, hud retired 

 land, encouraged by the general dissatisfaction 

 of the English, made a descent with a considerable 

 force on the coast of Devonshire ; but, being defeated 

 in several actions, they were compelled to return to 

 their ships. About the same time, the Northumbrians 

 again took up arms, who, being joined by Edgar Athe- 

 nd the chief of the English exiles from Scotland, 

 and assisted by a body of Danes, attacked the Norman 

 garrisons of Durham and York, and put every man to 

 the sword. The inhabitants of the southern counties 

 had also risen, and a general effort seemed now to be 

 made for the recovery of their liberties ; but it proved 

 only the means of rivetting their chains more closely. 

 William having bought off the Danes, and encouraged 

 his followers with the hope of plunder, inflicted a sig- 

 nal punishment on the restless Northumbrians. He 

 laid his desolating hand upon their fertile country be- 

 tween the Tees and the H umber, for the extent of 

 about 60 miles ; burned their habitations ; destroyed 

 their implements of husbandry ; and drove away their 

 cattle. The inhabitants were compelled to seek for 

 subsistence in the southern counties of Scotland ; but 

 alwut 100,000 are said to have perished miserably in 

 the woods, of cold and hunger. The other malcon- 

 tents had submitted to the conqueror, except Here- 

 ward, a nobleman in East Anglia, who took shelter in 

 the isle of Ely, and continued his inroads into the 

 neighbouring country. 



William, however, to prevent any repetition of such 

 disturbances in future, transferred almost the whole of 

 the landed property in England into the hands of his 

 Normans ; and for this injustice he considered it a suf- 

 ficient pretence, that most of the ancient proprietors 

 had been involved in conspiracies and insurrections 

 against his government, tuny noble families were 

 thus reduced to beggary, and liad the mortification of 

 seeing the meanest and lowest of their enemies p, 

 sing their castles and demesne*. He next divided the 

 kingdom into baronies, which he exclusively conferred 

 upon the most considerable of his followers, with the 

 reservation of stated services and payments. These 

 amounted to about 700, who again parcelled out their 

 lands, with similar conditions, among their vassals or 

 knights; of which there were 60,21. r ). As the : 

 lish were totally excluded from the first rank, those 

 who still retained any property were glad to be re- 

 ceived as knights, under the protection of some power- 



ful Norman. The clergy also felt the effect* of his re. History. 

 ;ent. All Englishmen were exjH-lled from the ""-V* 

 higher olfices of the cliunh, which were immediate! v 

 filled by foreigners ; and the Bishop of Wort-ester wa'* 

 :!y F.nglih prelate that was permitted to retain 

 .uitv. I le even extended the feudal laws to them; 

 and all bishops and ablx>ts were obliged to furnish, du- 

 ring war, a number ot' knights proportioned to the 

 i-xti-iit of the projK'ity possessed by each see or abbey. 



William, s he had' exthtfoiched the very *cmbl . 

 of liberty among the English, now attempted to obli- 

 terate their name, by the destruction of their langunge. 

 He ordered, that, in all tile schools throughout tin- 

 kingdom, the youth should be instructed in the French 

 language. This was the language of the court, and ot' 

 all fashionable company; and all laws and deeds . 

 composed in that idiom. The English now saw them- 

 selves beyond the reach of deliverance: they v en- 

 treated with every mark of insolence and indignity by 

 their conquerors ; and the plans of oppression which 

 the king formed, were wantonly executed by his fol- 

 lowers. 



The two great earls, Morcar and Edwin, finding 

 themselves despised, and without authority in the 

 resolved to make another effort to recover their inde- 

 pendence. The former took shelter in the Isle of Ely 

 with the brave Hereward, while Edwin proceeded to 

 organize an insurrection in the north. Hut Willinm 

 frustrated their plans, by the capture of the Isle of Ely. 

 He surrounded it with flat-bottomed boats, and com- 

 pelled the rebels to surrender at discretion. Hereward 

 alone forced his way through the enemy; and the king 

 was so charmed with his bravery, that h- ; him 



into favour. Morcar was thrown into prison. Ed\\ in, 

 in attempting to escape into Scotland, was betrayed, 

 and killed by a party of Normans ; and many of the 

 prisoners were punished with the loss of their hmuU 

 or their eyes, and were dispersed throughout the coun- 

 try as monuments of the king's resentment. 



A more formidable rebellion, however, soon follow- A. D. 107*. 

 ed. The Norman barons had also felt the arrogance of Intmrivtiun 

 William's temper, and disdained to stoop to his arbi- of tlu ' 



_ .* ' _ . - , - ..* man hti 



trary authority. At the head ot the discontents were 

 the Earls of Hereford and Norfolk, and Walthcof, Karl 

 of Northumberland, the only Englishman that retained 

 any power in the kingdom. They embraced the op- 

 portunity of William's absence in Normandy, to throw 

 off' their allegiance ; and entered into a secret 

 spondence with the king of Denmark, to assist them in 

 their designs. Walthcof. however, who had warned 

 Judith, the king's niece, reflecting on the improba- 

 bility of a successful overthrow of W r illinm's power, 

 and fearing that, by changing one tyrant for many, it 

 would be the means of increasing, rather than of al- 

 leviating the miseries of his countrymen, revealed the 

 conspiracy to his wife. Judith had fixed her affec- 

 tions upon another, and viewing this as a favourable 

 opportunity of getting rid of her husband, conveyed 

 the intelligence, with every exaggeration, to her uncle. 

 Waltheof, immediately after, passed over to Norman- 

 dy, to inform William of every circumstance, and to 

 make some atonement for his treason, by an early con- 

 i. His departure was no sooner known, than 

 the conspirators flew to arms, before their plans were 

 sufficiently matured, and before the promised . 

 aiu-i from Denmark had arrived. They were conse- 

 quently soon suppressed; and the king, on his arrival. 

 found order and tranquillity again restored. Many of 

 the rebels were hanged ; others were punished with the 



mail baron* 



