lands and offices in city and shire. At Leicester and Northampton,
and in their shires, the wide confiscations and great destruction
of houses point to a stout resistance. And though Durham was still
untouched, and though William had assuredly no present purpose of
attacking Scotland, he found it expedient to receive with all
favour a nominal submission brought from the King of Scots by the
hands of the Bishop of Durham.

If William's policy ever seems less prudent than usual, it was at
the beginning of the next year, 1069. The extreme North still
stood out. William had twice commissioned English earls of
Northumberland to take possession if they could. He now risked the
dangerous step of sending a stranger. Robert of Comines was
appointed to the earldom forfeited by the flight of Gospatric.
While it was still winter, he went with his force to Durham. By
help of the Bishop, he was admitted into the city, but he and his
whole force were cut off by the people of Durham and its
neighbourhood. Robert's expedition in short led only to a revolt
of York, where Edgar was received and siege was laid to the castle.
William marched in person with all speed; he relieved the castle;
he recovered the city and strengthened it by a second castle on the
other side of the river. Still he thought it prudent to take no
present steps against Durham. Soon after this came the second
attempt of Harold's sons in the West.

Later in this year William's final warfare for the kingdom began.
In August, 1069 the long-promised help from Denmark came. Swegen
sent his brother Osbeorn and his sons Harold and Cnut, at the head
of the whole strength of Denmark and of other Northern lands. If
the two enterprises of Harold's sons had been planned in concert