tion, and began already to experience those insults and injuries
which a nation must always expect, that allows itself to be reduced to
that abject situation. A secret conspiracy was entered into to
perpetrate, in one day, a general massacre of the Normans, like that
which had formerly been executed upon the Danes; and the quarrel was
become so general and national, that the vassals of Earl Coxo, having
desired him to head them in an insurrection, and finding him resolute
in maintaining his fidelity to William, put him to death as a traitor
to his country.
[FN [w] Gul. Gemet. p. 289. Order. Vital. p. 508. Anglia Sacra, vol.
i. p. 245. [x] Hoveden, p. 450. M. West. p. 226. Sim. Dunelm. p.
197.]

[MN Dec. 6.]
The king, informed of these dangerous discontents, hastened over to
England; and by his presence, and the vigorous measures which he
pursued, disconcerted all the schemes of the conspirators. Such of
them as had been more violent in their mutiny, betrayed their guilt by
flying or concealing themselves; and the confiscation of their
estates, while it increased the number of malecontents, both enabled
William to gratify farther the rapacity of his Norman captains, and
gave them the prospect of new forfeitures and attainders. The king
began to regard all his English subjects as inveterate and
irreclaimable enemies; and thenceforth either embraced, or was more
fully confirmed in the resolution of seizing their possessions, and of
reducing them to the most abject slavery. Though the natural violence
and severity of his temper made him incapable of feeling any remorse
in the execution of this tyrannical purpose, he had art enough to
conceal his intention, and to preserve still some appearance of
justice in his oppressions. He ordered all the English, who had been
arbitrarily expelled by the Normans during his absence, to be restored
to their estates [y]: but at the same time he imposed a general tax on
the people, that of Danegelt, which had been abolished by the
Confessor, and which had always been extremely odious to the nation
[z].
[FN [y] Chron. Sax. p. 173. This fact is a full proof that the
Normans had committed great injustice, and were the real cause of the
insurrections of the English. [z] Hoveden, p. 450. Sim. Dunelm. p
197. Alur. Beverl. p. 127.]

[MN 1068.] As the vigilance of William overawed the malecontents,
their insurrections were more the result of an impatient humour in the
people, th