While the Normans were laying waste England, in Northumberland and other districts in the preceding year, but in the present and following year throughout the whole of England and especially in Northumberland and the neighbouring provinces, so great a famine prevailed that men, compelled by hunger, ate human flesh, and horses, dogs and cats, and anything whatsoever that is loathsome to experience; some sold themselves into perpetual slavery, so long as they could somehow support a miserable existence; others leaving the country as exiles gave up the ghost in the middle of their journey. It was horrible to behold human corpses rotting in the houses and streets and highways, swarming with worms and reeking with putrefaction. For there was none left to bury them, all were cut off either by the sword or by famine, or for hunger had abandoned their native land. And so for nine years the land was destitute of tillers, and far and wide there extended a barren waste. Between York and Durham never a town was inhabited; there were only dens of wild beasts and robbers to terrify the heart of the traveller. THE RESISTANCE IN THE FENS (1070). =Source.=--_The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_, ed. Thorpe, vol. i., p. 345. (Rolls Series.) 1070. In this year earl Waltheof made peace with the king; and in Lent the king caused all the monasteries that were in England to be plundered. Then in the same year came Sweyn, king of Denmark, into the Humber, and the country folk came to meet him and made peace with him, deeming that he should overcome that country. Then came to Ely Christian, the Danish bishop, and Osbarn the earl, and the Danish housecarles with them; and the English folk from all the fenlands came to them, deeming that they should win all the country. Then the monks of Peterborough heard say that their own men would plunder the monastery; that was Hereward and his company. That was because they had heard say that the king had given the abbacy to a French abbot named Turold and that he was a very stern man, and was then come to Stamford with all his Frenchmen. Now there was a church-warden there named Yware, who took by night all that he could, to wit, gospels, mass-mantles, cantor copes and vestments, and such little things as he could, and went forthwith, ere day, to the abbot Turold, and told him that he sought his protection, and informed him how that the outlaws were coming to Peterborough, and that he did all by the advice of the monks. Then forthwith on the morrow came all the outlaws with many ships, and would have entered the monastery; and the monks withstood them, that they might not come in. Then they set fire thereto and burned all the monks’ houses, and all the town but one house. Then they came in through the fire at Bolhithe gate, and the monks came to meet them, praying them peace. But they recked nothing thereof, went into the monastery, climbed up to the holy rood, and then took the