and Rithwall, about the feast of the assumption of our Ladie, wasted
the countrie of Hereford, [Sidenote: The riuer of Wye.] euen to
the bridge of the riuer of Wye, and obteined out of those quarters a
maruellous great spoile. [Sidenote: King William returneth into
England.] In the winter also following, and after king William had
disposed his busines in Normandie, he returned into England, and euen
then began to handle the Englishmen somewhat sharpelie, supposing
thereby to kéepe them the more easilie vnder his obedience. He also
took awaie from diuerse of the Nobilitie, and others of the better
sort, all their liuings, and gaue the same to his Normans. [Sidenote:
_H. Hunt._] Moreouer, he raised great taxes and subsidies through the
realme: nor any thing regarded th' English Nobilitie, so that they who
before thought themselues to be made for euer by bringing a stranger
into the realme, doo now see themselues troden vnder foot, to be
despised, and to be mocked on all sides, [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._]
insomuch that many of them were constreined (as it were for a further
testimonie of seruitude and bondage) to shaue their beards, to round
their heare, and to frame themselues as well in apparell as in seruice
and diet at their tables after the Norman manner, verie strange and
farre differing from the ancient customes and old vsages of their
countrie. [Sidenote: Englishmen withdraw them to the woods as out
lawes.] Others vtterlie refusing to susteine such an intolerable yoke
of thraldome as was dailie laid vpon them by the Normans, chose rather
to leaue all both goods & lands, & after the maner of outlawes got
them to the woods, with their wiues, children, and seruants, meaning
from thencefoorth wholie to liue vpon the spoile of the countries
adioining, and to take whatsoeuer came next to hand: wherevpon it came
to passe within a while that noe man might trauell in safetie from his
owne house or towne to his next neighbors, and euery quiet and honest
mans house became as it were an hold and fortresse furnished for