Chapter 5

The French king contented therewith, departed homewards, and king Henrie returning came to Uernon, where he fell into so great a sicknesse, that anon it was noised ouer all the countrie. [Sidenote: He made his testament. _Rog. Houed._] Insomuch that he was in such despaire of life, that he made his testament: wherein he assigned his sonne Richard the dutchie of Aquitaine, and all those lands which came by quéene Elianor the mother of the same Richard. And to his sonne Geffrey he bequeathed Britaine (with the daughter of earle Conan) which he had purchased to his vse of the French king. And to his sonne king Henrie he gaue the dutchie of Normandie, and all those lands which came by his father Geffrey earle of Aniou. And to his yoongest sonne John be bequeathed the earledome of Mortaine. And finally appointed where he would haue his bodie to be buried.

[Sidenote: _Polydor._ King Henrie the sonne his misorder.] In the meane time Henrie the sonne remaining at home in England, fell from all good order of measure kéeping, and gaue himselfe to all excessiue riot, spending and wasting his reuenues inordinatelie. Of which behauiour his father being aduertised, returned into England, where he taried not long, but passed ouer againe into Normandie, hauing his said sonne in his companie, [Sidenote: An. Reg. 16. 1170.] meaning thereby to remoue him from the companie of those that were verie like to corrupt this nature, and frame the same to all lewdnesse: for he knew that ---- commercia turpia sanctos Corrumpunt mores: multi hoc periere veneno, Labimur in vitium & facilè ad peiora mouemur.

In this meane while Thomas the archbishop of Canturburie remained in exile almost six yeares, and could not be restored, till partlie by swelling threats of the pope, and partlie at the earnest suit of Lewes the French king, Theobald earle of Blois, and others king Henrie began somewhat to shew himselfe conformable towards an agréement.

[Sidenote: _Ex Quadrilagio._ The king and the arch. Becket met togither in the presence of the French king.] Wherevpon the two kings met diuerse times, and the archbishop Thomas comming with the French king, at one time humbled himselfe so to the king of England, that knéeling downe at his féet, he said: "My souereigne liege lord, I commit the whole cause of the controuersie betwixt your grace and me, vnto your maiesties order, Gods honour onlie reserued."

The king offended with that ambiguous exception, said to the king of France: "Whatsoeuer displeaseth this man, is taken (as he interpreteth it) contrarie to Gods honour, and so by that shift will he chalenge to himselfe all that belongeth vnto me. But bicause you shall not thinke that I go about to resist Gods honour, or him, in any reasonable order, looke what the greatest and most holie of all his ancestors haue doone vnto the meanest of mine ancestours, let him doo the same vnto me, and I am contented therewith."

All the companie present cried, "that the king humbled himselfe enough." "My lord archbishop (said the French king) will you be greater than saints, and better than saint Peter? Wherof stand you in doubt? Behold, your peace is at hand." [Sidenote: The present state of the church in Becket daies.] The archbishop made answer in commendation of the present state of holie church, as thus: "My holie predecessours in their time, although they cut not all things away that extolled it selfe against God, yet did they cut off diuers: but if they had plucked vp all by the hard roots, which might offend, who should now haue raised the fire of temptation against vs? We are in much better case (thanks be to God) and as we haue laboured in their lot and number, so are we partakers of their labour and reward. What if any of them had béene defectiue or excessiue in any point, are we bound to follow the example of their defection or excesse? We blame Peter for his denieng of Christ, but we praise him in reproouing of Neros violence with danger of his life. The church hath risen and increased out of manie dangerous oppressions, our fathers haue suffered manie things, bicause they would not forsake the name of Christ; and ought I to suppresse his honour, to be reconciled vnto any mans fauour? God forbid, God forbid."

[Sidenote: The archb. Becket blamed of arrogancie.] When the Noble men present heard this answer of a subiect against his souereigne, they all held against him, imputing the fault to the archbishops arrogancie, that the peace was not made betweene the king and him, insomuch that there was an erle which openlie said; "Sith he resisteth the will of both the realmes, he is not worthie to be succoured by either of them from henceforth: and therefore being cast out of England, let not France receiue him."

The councell then being broken vp, the kings departed without bidding the archbishop farewell, and such as were mediatours for peace, in departing from this meeting, spake manie reprochfull words to him, [Sidenote: Archb. Becket wilfull in his owne opinion.] alledging that he had béene euer stout and wise in his owne conceit, and a folower of his owne will and opinion: adding that it was a great hinderance to the church, that he was ordeined archbishop, and that by him the church was alreadie in part destroied, and would shortlie be altogither brought to vtter ruine.

But the archbishop setting a watch before his mouth, kept silence (as though he had not heard) and folowed the French king with his people. Manie said by the waie as they iournied, "Behold the archbishop yonder, which in talke the last night would not for the pleasure of the king denie God, nor kéepe his honor in silence."

After this, when the archbishop was come to Sens, and aduised with himselfe whether it should be best for him to go, at length he said, "God is able in the last point of miserie and distresse, to helpe those that be his." Herewith came a messenger from the French king to bring him to the court, for the French king (as one that had béene better instructed in the matter) repented himselfe that he had iudged euill of his answers at the last meeting, and herevpon receiued him againe into his fauour, and rested not to trauell so much in his cause, that at length another méeting was assigned at a certeine place neere the confines of Normandie, [Sidenote: The French K. receiueth the archbishop Becket againe into fauour.] whither king Henrie came, and there found Lewes, the archbishop of Rouen, and diuerse other bishops together, with the foresaid archbishop, who after they had reasoned of the matter throughlie as they saw cause, [Sidenote: The archb. is reconciled to the king.] king Henrie receiued the archbishop into his fauour againe, and promised to redresse all that had béene doone amisse, and pardon all those that had followed him out of the realme. Wherevpon the king and the archbishop being reconciled, the archbishop the same day came before the king, and talked with him.

Now among other things he required of the K. that it might be lawfull for him (without offending of his maiestie) to punish (according to the censures of the church) the iniurie doone vnto him by the archbishop of Yorke, and other bishops in the coronation of his sonne. The king granted this, and shewed himselfe so courteous at that time, that (as it is said) he held his stirrup whiles he mounted on horssebacke.

¶ Notwithstanding which obsequiousnes of the king, it is to be presumed that all inward repining could not be so abolished, as that no fragments remained: but that the archbishop for his part, for the maintenance of his great title, & the K. for the supportation of his souereigntie, when opportunitie serued, sought to get aduantage one of another, & acquit their harts with a new reuenge of an old grudge: for [Sidenote: _Iuuen. sat._ 15.] Immortale odium & nunquam sanabile vulnus.

[Sidenote: The king would not kisse the pax with the archbishop.] But whereas twise within a few daies after, the king and the said archbishop met at masse, the king refused to kisse the pax with him. This was marked as a signe of a fained reconciliation, though in déed he afterwards interteined him verie courteouslie, and at his departure ouer into England, tooke leaue of him in fréendlie manner, and directed letters vnder his sele to his sonne the new king in forme as followeth. [Sidenote: _Matt. Paris._]

A letter of the king touching the pacification betweene him and Thomas Becket.

Know ye that Thomas the archbishop of Canturburie hath made his peace with me at my will and pleasure; and therefore I command you, that both he and his may remaine in peace; and that he and al those which for his cause departed out of the realme, may haue all their goods restored, and in such quiet estate be now possessed of them as at any time within three moneths before their departure from thence. [Sidenote: The honor of Saltwood.] And further, cause to come before vs of the best and most ancient knights of the honor of Saltwood, that vpon their oths they may find what fee the archbishop ought to haue within that honor, and that which shall appeare to apperteine vnto him, as in fee, let him inioy the same. And thus farewell.

The archbishop (before he tooke his iournie into England) went to visit the French king, and to giue him thanks for his great paines and trauell susteined in his cause, [Sidenote: The French kings aduise to the archbish. Becket.] who aduised him in no wise as yet to commit himselfe to present danger amongst his new reconciled enimies, but rather to staie till their malice were somewhat assuaged. For he perceiued by king Henries words & countenance such a deepe rooted displeasure in his hart, that he agréed to receiue him into fauour rather by compulsion and against his will than otherwise.

But when the archbishop would needs depart & go ouer into England, the French K. suffered him so to doo, dooing him all the honor he could at his leaue taking. [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._ The archbishop Becket returneth into England.] Then the archbishop departing out of France, came into England, and landed at Sandwich about the first of December, in the seuenth yeare after his first departure out of the realme. Shortlie after his arriuall, Roger the archbishop of Yorke, Gilbert bishop of London, and Jocelin bishop of Salisburie, with diuerse other, came vnto him as to the popes legat, and required that it might please him to restore them to the ministration of their offices againe; whose request be granted, but yet vpon condition, that they should vndertake to stand to his iudgement and order in all things, which (by the counsell of the archbishop of Yorke) they vtterlie refused.

¶ Here authors agrée not (as Polydor trulie saith) for some write that archbishop Thomas (immediatlie vpon his returne into England) denounced the archbishop of Yorke with the bishops of Salisburie and London accurssed, whereas before they were depriued of the vse and administration of the sacraments. Some others write, that now at his comming ouer into England from his exile, he depriued them onlie of the ministration of the sacraments, togither with the bishops of Excester, Chester, Rochester, S. Asaph, & Landaff, which had personallie béene present at the coronation of king Henrie the sonne, to the derogation of the dignitie of their primat the archbishop of Canturburie (as before you haue heard.) It shuld seeme yet by Ger. Dorober. that the archbishop of Yorke, and the bishop of Durham were suspended, and the bishops of London, Salisburie, and diuerse other excommunicated.

[Sidenote: The archbish. of Yorke and other go ouer to the king to complaine of the archbishop Becket. _Ger. Dor._] But how soeuer he vsed them, the archbishop of Yorke, the two bishops London and Salisburie, being offended with his dooings, sailed ouer into Normandie, and there complained to king Henrie of iniuries doone to them by archbishop Thomas, gréeuouslie accusing him that he went about to take awaie their libertie of priesthood, to destroie, corrupt, and finallie to abolish both the lawes of God and man, togither with the ancient decrées and statutes of their elders; in somuch that he tooke vpon him to exclude bishops at his pleasure from the companie of christian men, and so being excluded, to banish them for euer: to derogat things meerelie preiudiciall to the kings roiall prerogatiue; and finallie to take awaie from all men the equitie of laws and ciuill orders.

The king giuing eare to their complaint, was so displeased in his mind against archbishop Thomas, that in open audience of his lords, knights, and gentlemen, [Sidenote: The occasion of the kings words that cost bish. Becket his life.] he said these or the like words: "In what miserable state am I, that can not be in rest within mine owne realme, by reason of one onelie préest? Neither is there any of my folkes that will helpe to deliuer me out of such troubles."

There were some that stood about the king, which gessed by these words, that his mind was to signifie how he would haue some man to dispatch the archbishop out of the waie. The kings displeasure against the archbishop was knowne well inough, which caused men to haue him in no reuerence at all, so that (as it was said) it chanced on a time, that he came to Strowd in Kent, where the inhabitants meaning to doo somewhat to his infamie, being thus out of the kings fauour, and despised of the world, cut off his horsses taile.

[Sidenote: The knights that slue the archbishop Becket.] There were some also of the kings seruants, that thought after an other maner of sort to reuenge the displeasure doone to the kings maiestie, as sir Hugh Moreuille, sir William Tracie, sir Richard Britaine, and sir Reignold Fitz Urse, knights, who taking aduice togither, and agréeing in one mind and will, tooke shipping, & sailed ouer into England, landing at a place called Dogs hauen, néere Douer.

Now the first night they lodged in the castell of Saltwood, which Randulfe de Broc had in keeping. The next morning (being the 29. of December, and fift daie of Christmasse, which as that yeare came about fell vpon a tuesdaie) hauing gotten togither certeine souldiers in the countrie thereabouts, came to Canturburie, and first entring into the court of the abbeie of S. Augustine, they talked with Clarenbald the elect abbat of that place: and after conference had with him, they proceeded in their businesse as followeth.

[Sidenote: Reignold Fitz Urse. That is betwéene 4. and 5. in the euening.] The first knight sir Reignold Fitz Urse came to him about the eleuenth houre of the daie, as the archbishop sat in his chamber, and sitting downe at his feet vpon the ground without any manner of greeting or salutation, at length began with him thus: "Being sent of our souereigne lord the king from beyond the seas, we doo here present vnto you his Graces commandements, to wit, that you should go to his sonne the king, to doo vnto him that which apperteineth vnto you to doo vnto your souereigne lord, and to do your fealtie vnto him in taking an oth, and further to amend that wherein you haue offended his maiestie." Wherevnto the archbishop answered: "For what cause ought I to confirme my fealtie vnto him by oth? or wherein am I giltie in offending the kings Maiestie?" [Sidenote: An oth required of him for his baronie.] Sir Reignold said: "For your baronie, fealtie is demanded of you with an oth, and an other oth is required of those clerkes, which you haue brought with you, if they meane to continue within the land." The archbishop answered: "For my baronie I am readie to do to the king whatsoeuer law or reason shall allow: but let him for certeine hold, that he shall not get any oth either of me or of my clerks." "We knew that (said the knight) that you would not doo any of these things which we proponed vnto you. Moreouer the king commandeth you to absolue those bishops that are excommunicated by you without his licence." Wherevnto he said: "The bishops are excommunicated not by me, but by the pope, who hath therto authoritie from the Lord. If in déed he hath reuenged the inurie doone to my church, I confesse that I am not displeased therwith." Then said the knight: "Sith that such things in despite of the king doo please you, it is to be thought that you would take from him his crowne, and be called and taken for king your selfe, but you shall misse of your purpose surelie therein." The archbishop answered: "I do not aspire to the name of a king, rather would I knit three crownes vnto his crowne if it lay in my power."

[Sidenote: The knights command the moonks to sée the archbishop kept safe.] At length after these and such words, the knights turning them to the moonks, said: "In the behalfe of our souereigne lord the king, we command you, that in any wise ye keepe this man safe, and present him to the king when it shall please his grace to send for him." The archbishop said: "Doo ye thinke that I will run away? I came not to run away, but looke for the outrage and malice of wicked men." "Truelie (said they) you shall not runne away," and herewith went out with noise and threatnings. [Sidenote: John de Salisburie the archb. Beckets chancellor.] Then maister John of Salisburie his chancellor said vnto him: "My lord, this is a woonderfull matter that you will take no mans counsell: had it not beene méet to haue giuen them a more méeke and gentle answer?" [Sidenote: The archbishops resolution.] But the archbishop said: "Surelie I haue alreadie taken all the counsell that I will take, I know what I ought to doo." Then said Salisburie, "I pray God it may be good." Now the knights departing out of the place, [Sidenote: The knights put on their armor.] and going about to put on their armour, certeine came to the archbishop, & said; "My lord, they arme themselues." "What forceth it? said he, let them arme themselues."

Now when they were armed, and manie other about them, they entred into the archbishops palace. Those that were about the archbishop cried vpon him to flée; but he sat still and would not once remoue, till the moonks brought him euen by force & against his will into the church. The comming of the armed men being knowne; [Sidenote: The moonks with force bring the archbishop into the church.] some of the moonks continued singing of euensong, and some sought places where to hide themselues, other came to the archbishop, who was loth to haue entred into the church, and when he was within, he would not yet suffer them to make fast the doores, so that there was a great stur among them, but cheeflie when they perceiued that the armed men went about to séeke for the archbishop, by meane whereof their euensong was left vnfinished.

At length the knights with their seruants hauing sought the palace, [Sidenote: The knights enter the church.] came rushing into the church by the cloister doore with their swords drawne, some of them asking for the traitor, and some of them for the archbishop, who came and met them, saieng; "Here am I, no traitor, but the archbishop." [Sidenote: As though archbishops can be no traitors.] The formost of the knights said vnto him: "Flee; thou art but dead," To whome the archbishop said, "I will not flée." The knight stept to him taking him by the sléeue, and with his sword cast his cap besides his head, and said, "Come hither, for thou art a prisoner." "I will not (said the archbishop) doo with me here what thou wilt:" and plucked his sleeue with a mightie strength out of the knights hand. Wherewith the knight stepped backe two or thrée paces. [Sidenote: The courage of the archb.] Then the archbishop turning to one of the knights, said to him, "What meaneth this, Reignold? I haue doone vnto thée manie great pleasures, and commest thou now vnto me into the church armed?" Unto whome the knight presentlie answered and said; "Thou shalt know anon what is ment, thou art but dead: it is not possible for thee any longer to liue." Unto whom the archbishop answered: "I am readie to die for my God, and for the defense of his iustice and the libertie of the church; gladlie doo I imbrace death, so that the church may purchase peace and libertie by the shedding of my blood." And herewith taking on other of the knights by the habergeon, he floong him from him with such violence, that he had almost throwne him downe to the ground. This was sir Will. Tracie, as he after confessed.

Then the archbishop inclined his head after the maner of one that would praie, pronouncing these his last words: "To God, to saint Marie, and to the saints that are patrones of this church, and to saint Denise, I commend my selfe and the churches cause." Therewith sir Reignold FitzUrse striking a full blow at his head, [Sidenote: Edward of Cambridge.] chanced to light vpon the arme of a clerke named Edward of Cambridge, who cast vp his arme to saue the archbishop: but when he was not able to beare the weight of the blow, he plucked his arme backe, and so the stroke staied vpon the archbishops head, in such wise that the bloud ran downe by his face. [Sidenote: The archbish. is slaine.] Then they stroke at him one after an other, and though he fell to the ground at the second blow, yet they left him not till they had cut and pashed out his braines, and dashed them about vpon the church pauement. All this being doone, they rifled his house, spoiled his goods, and tooke them to their owne vses, supposing it lawfull for them being the kings seruants so to doo.

But doubting how the matter would be taken, after they had wrought their feat, they got them into the bishoprike of Duresme, there to remaine till they might heare how the king would take this their vnlawfull enterprise: though (as they alledged) they had lustilie defended his cause, and reuenged his quarell as faithfull seruants ought to doo. Howbeit, it chanced otherwise than they looked it should haue doone: for king Henrie gaue them so litle thankes for their presumptuous act, sounding to the euill example of other in breach of his lawes, [Sidenote: The murtherers come to an euill end. _Matth. Paris._ _W. Paruus._] that they despairing vtterlie of pardon, fled one into one place, and another into another, so that within foure yeares they all died an euill death (as it hath béene reported.) Some write, that they went to Rome by the kings commandement, and there presented themselues before the pope, to receiue such penance for their wicked act as he should enioine them. Herevpon the pope appointed them to go vnto Jerusalem, their to do their penance, where they remained certeine yeares, applieng themselues verie diligentlie to performe the satisfaction of their offense, according to the maner prescribed to them by the pope, and so at length died.