| Two of William's new Earls plotted against him. Roger, Earl of Hereford and his half-brother Ralf, Earl of East Anglia. |
According to Orderic Vitalis, the Earls began saying that:
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"... the king is unworthy ... all men hate him and his death would cause great rejoicing." |
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Chibnall, M. Orderic Vitalis (1969) Vol. II, p.318 |
These were King William's men, not Saxon rebels. Most Saxons had been scared to stand up to William after the Harrying of the North. But if two Normans were leading a rebellion, everything would be different.
The Earls could have united all the rebels in England, both Saxons and Normans - anyone upset with King William. This would have been difficult for William to stop!