According to Peter Edbury and John Rowe, the obscurity of William's life during these years shows that he did not play a large political role, but concentrated on ecclesiastical affairs and the writing of his history.
根据彼得·艾德布里和约翰·罗（John Rowe）的说法，威廉这几年的生活默默无闻，表明了他没有扮演一个十分重要的政治角色，而是致力于教会事务和书写历史。