Historic%20Yorkshire

THE STORY OF YORK CASTLE.
clear the ground he set fire to some of the adjoining
buildings,but the fire quickly getting out of all control,
destroyed much that was far beyond Malet's original
intention. A great part ofthe city, includingthe Minster
of St. Peter, and with it a valuablelibrary, presented by
Archbishop Egbert in a.d. 300, was destroyed. Under the
cover of the conflagration the hostile forces, which had
come ashore nearFulford,crept up to the walls. Dividing
into two parties, they climbed the walls of the two
fortresses, and carried the whole place by storm, cutting
to pieces not less than 3,000 Normans; Malet, his wife,
and two children, together with Gilbert, and a few others
alone escaping. William, as might be supposed, did not
tarrylongbefore he stood before the walls threateningthe
direst vengeance against the possessorsof the castlesand
city if they did not surrender. Waltheof, who was the
governor,refused, and had it not been for the pangs of
starvation all attacks would have failed, even though
William, by bribery, had induced the Danes to retire,
leaving the Saxons to bear the brunt of the siege. But
famine compelled submission, though the sword failed,
and the garrison capitulatedupon the most honourable
terms, which, however, were totally disregarded by
William, whoput everyoneof the soldiers to death. The
city was razed to the ground, and the whole country for
many thousand acres was laid waste. Peter Langstaff's
Chronicle, as quoted by Twyford,has the following: —
William turned again, andheld whathe hadsworn;
All mad he wasteynpasture, medow, korne,
Andslough both fader and sonne,womenlete their gon,
Hors and houndes their ete uncithis skaped non.
The castles wererepaired and strengthened,and one —
the principal one, that on the left bank — was given in
charge to a trustworthy commander, probably oneofthe
Cliffords. York Castle comes next under our notice in
the reign of William II.,who increased the strength of
the place. In the reign of Stephen its capture was
87
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