de Warrenne, the two justiciaries. The prisoners taken in this
action had their right foot cut off, as a punishment of their treason
the earl himself escaped to Norwich, thence to Denmark where the
Danish fleet, which had made an unsuccessful attempt upon the coast of
England,[*] soon after arrived, and brought him intelligence, that all
his confederates were suppressed, and were either killed, banished,
or taken prisoners.[**] Ralph retired in despair to Brittany, where he
possessed a large estate and extensive jurisdictions.

[* Chron. Sax. p. 183. M. Paris, p. 7.]

[** Many of the fugitive Normans are supposed to
have fled into Scotland, where they were protected, as well
as the fugitive English, by Malcolm; whence come the many
French and Norman families which are found at present in
that country.]

The king, who hastened over to England in order to suppress the
insurrection, found that nothing remained but the punishment of the
criminals, which he executed with great severity. Many of the rebels
were hanged; some had their eyes put out; others their hands cut off.
But William, agreeably to his usual maxims, showed more lenity to their
leader, the earl of Hereford, who was only condemned to a forfeiture of
his estate, and to imprisonment during pleasure. The king seemed even
disposed to remit this last part of the punishment; had not Roger, by
a fresh insolence, provoked him to render his confinement perpetual.
{1075.} But Waltheof, being an Englishman, was not treated with so much
humanity; though his guilt, always much inferior to that of the other
conspirators, was atoned for by an early repentance and return to his
duty. William, instigated by his niece, as well as by his rapacious
courtiers, who longed for so rich a forfeiture, ordered him to be tried,
condemned, and executed. The English, who considered this nobleman as
the last resource of their nation, grievously lamented his fate, and
fancied that miracles were wrought by his relics, as a testimony of his
innocence and sanctity. The infamous Judith, falling soon after under
the king's displeasure, was abandoned by all the world, and passed the
rest of her life in contempt, remorse, and misery.

Nothing remained to complete William's satisfaction but the punishment
of Ralph de Guader; and he hastened over to Normandy, in order to
gratify his vengeance on that criminal. But though the contest seemed
very unequal between a pri