Moreouer, the
said Edricke calling to his aid the kings of the Welshmen, Bleothgent
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 k?epe 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.
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