faults, his extreme indolence
and facility, were not disagreeable to those haughty barons, who
affected independence, and submitted with reluctance to a vigorous
administration in their sovereign. The king, though equally brave, was
violent, haughty, tyrannical; and seemed disposed to govern more by
the fear than by the love of his subjects. Odo, bishop of Baieux, and
Robert, earl of Mortaigne, maternal brothers of the Conqueror, envying
the great credit of Lanfranc, which was increased by his late services
enforced all these motives with their partisans, and engaged them in a
formal conspiracy to dethrone the king. They communicated their design
to Eustace, count of Boulogne Roger, earl of Shrewsbury and Arundel,
Robert de Belesme, his eldest son, William, bishop of Durham, Robert de
Moubray, Roger Bigod, Hugh de Grentmesnil; and they easily procured the
assent of these potent noblemen. The conspirators, retiring to their
castles, hastened to put themselves in a military posture; and expecting
to be soon supported by a powerful army from Normandy, they had already
begun hostilities in many places.

The king, sensible of his perilous situation, endeavored to engage the
affections of the native English, As that people were now so thoroughly
subdued that they no longer aspired to the recovery of their ancient
liberties, and were content with the prospect of some mitigation in ihe
tyranny of the Norman princes, they zealously embraced William's cause,
upon receiving general promises of good treatment, and of enjoying
the license of hunting in the royal forests. The king was soon in a
situation to take the field; and as he knew the danger of delay, he
suddenly marched into Kent, where his uncles had already seized the
fortresses of Pevensey and Rochester. These places he successively
reduced by famine; and though he was prevailed on by the earl of
Chester, William de Warrenne, and Robert Fitz-Hammon, who had embraced
his cause, to spare the lives of the rebels, he confiscated all their
estates, and banished them the kingdom.[*] This success gave authority
to his negotiations with Roger, earl of Shewsbury, whom he detached
from the confederates; and as his powerful fleet, joined to the indolent
conduct of Robert, prevented the arrival of the Norman succors, all the
other rebels found no resource but in flight or submission. Some of them
received a pardon; but the greater part were attainted; and the king
bestowed their estat