Northumberland, that he wasted all the land betwixt Yorke and Durham,
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malms._] so that for the space of threescore miles,
there was left in maner no habitation for the people, by reason
whereof it laie wast and desert for the space of nine or ten yeares. ¶
The goodlie cities with their towers and steeples set vp on a statelie
height, and reaching as it were into the aire: the beautifull fields
and pastures, watered with the course of sweet and pleasant riuers, if
a stranger should then haue beheld, and also knowne before they were
thus defaced, he would surely haue lamented: or if any old inhabitant
had béene long absent, & newly returned thither, had séene this
pitifull face of the countrie, he would not haue knowne it, such
destruction was made through out all those quarters, whereof Yorke it
selfe felt not the smallest portion. [Sidenote: _Simon Dun._] The
bishop of Durham Egelwinus with his cleargie fled into holy Iland with
S. Cuthberts bodie, and other iewels of the church of Durham, where
they tarried three moneths and od daies, before they returned to
Durham againe. The kings armie comming into the countrie that lieth
betwixt the riuers Theise and Tine, found nothing but void feelds and
bare walles; the people with their goods and cattell being fled and
withdrawne into the woods and mountaines, if any thing were forgotten
behind, these new gests were diligent inough to find it out.

[Sidenote: _Anno Reg._ 4. 1070.] [Sidenote: _Polydor._] In the
beginning of the spring, king William returned to London, and now
after all these troubles, began to conceiue greater hatred against the
Englishmen than euer before; so as doubting that hee should neuer by
gentlenesse win their good willes, he now determined by a harder
measure to meete with them; insomuch that he banished a great number,
other some also (not a few) he spoiled of their goods, those
especiallie of whom he was in hope to gaine any great portion of