oever they could fall upon the Normans, or upon the
English who had submitted to the Normans, they fought, despoiled, and
murdered, like the desperate outlaws that they were. Conspiracies were
set on foot for a general massacre of the Normans, like the old massacre
of the Danes. In short, the English were in a murderous mood all through
the kingdom.

King William, fearing he might lose his conquest, came back, and tried to
pacify the London people by soft words. He then set forth to repress the
country people by stern deeds. Among the towns which he besieged, and
where he killed and maimed the inhabitants without any distinction,
sparing none, young or old, armed or unarmed, were Oxford, Warwick,
Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln, York. In all these places, and in
many others, fire and sword worked their utmost horrors, and made the
land dreadful to behold. The streams and rivers were discoloured with
blood; the sky was blackened with smoke; the fields were wastes of ashes;
the waysides were heaped up with dead. Such are the fatal results of
conquest and ambition! Although William was a harsh and angry man, I do
not suppose that he deliberately meant to work this shocking ruin, when
he invaded England. But what he had got by the strong hand, he could
only keep by the strong hand, and in so doing he made England a great
grave.

Two sons of Harold, by name EDMUND and GODWIN, came over from Ireland,
with some ships, against the Normans, but were defeated. This was
scarcely done, when the outlaws in the woods so harassed York, that the
Governor sent to the King for help. The King despatched a general and a
large force to occupy the town of Durham. The Bishop of that place met
the general outside the town, and warned him not to enter, as he would be
in danger there. The general cared nothing for the warning, and went in
with all his men. That night, on every hill within sight of Durham,
signal fires were seen to blaze. When the morning dawned, the English,
who had assembled in great strength, forced the gates, rushed into the
town, and slew the Normans every one. The English afterwards besought
the Danes to come and help them. The Danes came, with two hundred and
forty ships. The outlawed nobles joined them; they captured York, and
drove the Normans out of that city. Then, William bribed the Danes to go
away; and took such vengeance on the English, that all the former fire
and sword, smoke and ashes,