WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, zzr

Hut William, finding himself entirely master of chapa people, who had given him such sensible proofs iv.of their impotent rage and animosity, now resolved I07 ° -to proceed to extremities against all the nativesof England; and to reduce them to a condition,in which they should no longer be formidable tohis government. The insurrections and conspira-cies in so many parts of the kingdom had involvedthe bulk ot the landed proprietors, more or less,in the guilt of treason; and the king took advan-tage of executing against them , with the utmostrigor, the laws of forfeiture and attainder.

Their lives were indeed commonly spared; buttheir estates were confiscated, and either annexedto the royal demesnes, or conferred with the mostprofuse bounty on the Normans and other foreign-ers 4S . While the king’s declared intention wasto depress or rather entirely extirpate the Englishgentry" 6 , it is easy to believe that scarcely theform osjustice would be observed in those violentproceedings" 7 ; and that any suspicions served asthe most undoubted proofs of guilt against apeople thus devoted to destruction. It was crimesufficient in an Englishman to be opulent ornoble or powerful; and the policy of the king,concurring with the rapacity of foreign adven-turers , produced almost a total revolution in thelanded property of the kingdom. Ancient andhonourable families were reduced to beggary;

4S Malmes. p. 104. 46 H. Hunt. p. 370.

See note [H] at the end of the volume.

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