3i6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

Chap. celebrates the justice and lenity of Odo’s and Fitziv. Osbern’s administration But other historians,

loGr. with more probability, impute the cause chiefly

to the Normans, who, despising a people that hadso easily submitted to the yoke, envying theirriches, and grudging the restraints imposed upontheir own rapine, were desirous of provokingthem to a rebellion, by which thev expected toacquire new confiscations and forfeitures, and togratify those unbounded hopes, which they hadformed in entering on this enterprise Y

It is evident, that the chief reason of thisalteration in the sentiments of the English, mustbe ascribed to the departure of William, whowas alone able to curb the violence of his captains,and to overawe the mutinies of the people. Nothingindeed appears more strange, than that this prince,in less than three months after the conquest of agreat, warlike, and turbulent nation, should absenthimself, in order to revisit his own country,,which remained in profound tranquillity , andwas not menaced by any of its neighbours; andshould so long leave his jealous subjects at themercy ol an insolent and licentious army. Werewe not assured of the solidity of his genius, andthe good fense displayed in all other circumstancesof his conduct , we might ascribe this measure toa vain ostentation, which rendered him impatientto display his pomp and magnificence among hisancient subjects. It is therefore more natural to

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P. 212.

Order. Vital. v. gor.