substance.

Thus were the Englishmen generallie in danger to lose life, lands and
goods, without knowledge, or orderlie proceeding in iudgement, so that
no greater miserie in the earth could be imagined, than that whereinto
our nation was now fallen. [Sidenote: Priuileges and fréedoms
revoked.] He tooke from the townes and cities, from the bishops sées
and abbeies all their ancient priuileges and freedoms, to the end they
should not onely be cut short and made weaker, but also that they (for
the obteinment of their quietnesse) might redeeme the same of him for
such summes of monie as pleased him to exact. [Sidenote: _Matth.
Paris._] Among other things, he ordeined that in time of warre they
should aide him with armor, horsse and monie, according to that order
which he should then prescribe: all which he caused to be registred,
inrolled, and laid vp in his treasurie. But diuerse of the spirituall
persons would not obey this ordinance, whom he banished without
remorse.

[Sidenote: Stigand. Alexander bishop of Lincolne. _Polydor._ The hard
deling of K. William against the Englishmen.] About this time the
archbishop Stigand, and Alexander bishop of Lincolne fled to Scotland,
where they kept themselues close for a season. But the king still
continued in his hard procéeding against the Englishmen, insomuch that
now protesting how he came to the gouernance of the realme only by
plaine conquest, he seized into his hands most part of euery mans
possessions, causing them to redeeme the same at his hands againe, and
yet reteined a propertie in the most part of them; so that those that
should afterwards enioy them, should acknowledge themselues to hold
them of him, in yéelding a yéerlie rent to him and his successors for
euer, with certeine other prouisions, whereby in cases of forfeiture