A .D. 1067.] EXETE R BESIEGED. 335 superior skill ; but after a time having received the faith of Christ, by degrees giving their attention to religion, they neglected the warlike exercises ; for the kings, changing their habits, some at Rome, some in their own country, striving for a celestial kingdom, sought the eternal in exchange for the temporal one ; and many founded churches and monasteries, bestowed money on the poor, and fulfilled all the works of charity. The island was so full of martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins, that scarcely a village could be passed in which the celebrated name of some new saint was not heard of; but after a while charity beginning to cool, the golden age was turned into the age of clay, and they gave up the pursuit of religion. A s formerly on the incursion of the Danes, so now on the expulsion of the English by the Normans, the extermination of the inhabitants was for the punishment of their sins ; for the aristocracy becoming slaves to debauchery and the luxuries of the table, did not according to Christian custom seek the church of a morning, but lying a-bed with their wives only listened to the solemnities and masses of matins as they were spoken by a hurrying priest. The clergy too, and others in orders, were so deficient in learning, that one who had learnt grammar was a subject of admiration to the rest ; all classes were alike given to drinking, and in this pursuit they spent days as well as nights, bringing on themselves surfeits by their food, and sickness by their drink. However these bad reports are not to be understood as referring to all, since it is evident that there were many men in the same nation of every rank and station who were pleasing to the Lord. How king William besieged and took Exeter. About the same time king William laid close siege to the city of Exeter, which had revolted from him, where a certain man baring himself broke wind, in contempt of the Normans; on which William, being driven to anger, easily subdued the city. Thence he marched to York and entirely destroyed that city and its inhabitants with fire and sword. Those who could escape from the massacre fled into Scotland to king Malcolm, who willingly received all English exiles and afforded protection to one and all, as far as lay in his power, on account of Eadgar's sister Margaret whom he had taken