CHAP,

IV,

T074*

Insurrectionot the ICor-!H4n barons.

344 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

troops levied in Normandy, he entered the revokedprovince. The English appeared ambitious ofdistinguishing themselves on this occasion, and ofretrieving that character of valour, which hadlong been national among them; but which theirlate easy subjection under the Normans hadsomewhat degraded and obscured. Perhaps toothey hoped that, by their real and activity, theymight recover the confidence of their sovereign,as their ancestors had formerly, by like means,gained the affections of Canute ; and might con.quer his inveterate prejudices in favour of hisown countrymen. The king’s military conduct,seconded by these brave troops, soon overcameall opposkion in Maine : The inhabitants wereobliged to submit , and the count of Anjourelinquished his pretensions.

Bu r during these transactions, the governmentof England was greatly disturbed; and that tooby those very foreigners, who owed every thingto the king’s bounty , and who \vere the soleobject of his friendship and regard. The Normanbarons, who had engaged with their duke in theconquest of England , were men of the mostindependent spirit; and though they obeyed theirleader in the field, they would have regardedwith disdain the richest acquisitions, had theybeen required, in return, to submit , in theircivil government , to the arbitrary will of oneman. But the imperious character of William,encouraged by his absolute dominion over theEnglish , and often impelled by the necessity <?f