M. ' o ' ' •/ 1 Answer

well how the world is set against me, and hoAv the enemy riseth and to the seeketh my confusion. And although these things be dolorous and '^ °^^' lamentable, yet the thing that grieveth me most of all is tlijs, — the sons of mine owm mother be pricks and thorns against me. And albeit I do hold my peace, yet the posterity to come will know and
(1) " Fery," or feria, a day of the week, in this instance Monday. — Ed. VOL. II. !•
210 PFCKKT UKAKKTU MASS.
Henry 1 1. ropoH, liow c'ow.irdlv von liave turned your liacks, and have left your A £) airhhislioj) and niotropoliUin alone in his conflict, and liow you have U6A. sitten in judunncnt atnunst nie, altliough unguilty of crime, now two
davs toirether ; and not only in the civil and spiritual court, but also
in the temporal court, are ready to do the same. But in general, this I charge and command, by the virtue of pure obedience, and in peril of vour oriler, that ye be present personally in judgment against me. ap^au And that ve shall not fail so to do, I here appeal to our mother, the Kome. refuge of all such as be oppressed, the church of Rome ; and if any secular men shall lay hands upon me, as it is rumoured they will, I straitly enjoin and charge you, in the same virtue of obedience, that you exercise vour censure ecclesiastical upon them, as it becometh you to do for a father and an archbishop. And this I do you to under- stand, that though the world rage, and the enemy be fierce, and the body trembleth, for the flesh is weak, yet, God so favouring me, I will neither cowardly shrink, nor yet vilely forsake my flock com- mitted to my charge," &c. The But the bishop of London, contrary to this commandment of the
London arclibisliop, did incontinent appeal from him ; and thus the bishops [■fh from departed from him to tlie court, save only two, Henry of Winchester, bisho^'^'' ^"*^ Joceline of Salisbury, who returned with him secretly to his chamber, and comforted him. This done, the archbishop, who yes- terday was so sore sick that he could not stir out of his bed, now addresseth himself to his mass of St. Stephen ^^^th all solemnity, as though it had been a high festival-day, with his metropolitan pall, which was not used, but upon holidays, to be worn. The office of the A mass mass began, — " Sederunt principes et adversum me loquebantur ;*" awayVr- that is, " Priuces sat and spake against me," &e. — the king's servants secutors. })q\t^„ j^igQ there, and beholding the matter. For this mass, Gilbert, bishop of London, accused Becket afterwards, both for that it was done, " Per artem magicam, et in contemptum regis," as the words of Hoveden purport, that is, " both by art magic, and in contempt of the king." faTr^eth '^^^& uiass being ended, the archbishop, putting off his pall and with him his mitre, in his other robes proceedeth to the king's court ; but yet ^le^sacra. ^^^^ trustiug, peradvcuturc, so greatly to the strength of his mass, to fhekiug "^^^c the matter more sure, he taketh also the sacrament privily about him, thinking himself thereby sufficiently defended against all bugs. In going to the king's chamber, there to attend the king's coming, as he entered the door, he taketh from Alexander his crosier, the cross with the cross staff, in the sight of all that stood by, and carrieth it in himself, the other bishops following him, and saying, " He did other- wise than became him." Amongst others, Robert, bishop of Hereford, offered himself to bear his cross, rather than he should so do, for that it was not comely ; but the archbishop would not suffer him. Then said the bisliop of London unto him, — " If the king shall see you come armed into his chamber, perchance he will draw out his sword against you, which is stronger than yoiu-s, and then what shall this your annour profit you?"' The archbishop answereth again: " If the king's sword do cut camally, yet my sword cutteth spiritually, and striketh do^Ti to hell. But you, my lord, as you have played
(1) Hoveden referrcth not tliis saying to the bishop of London, but to the archbishop of York.
K
and all his nobles.
IS ACCOUNTED A TRAITOI!. 211
the fool in this matter, so you will not yet leave off your folly for any Hcnryii. thing I can see ;" and so he came into the chamber. The king ^ ^y hearing of his coming, and of the manner thereof, tarried not long, iig4. but came where Becket was set in a place by himself, with his other bishops about him. First, the crier called the prelates and all the lords of the temporalty together. That being done, and every one placed in his seat according to his degree, the king beginneth Avith a great complaint against the archbishop for his manner of entering into court, not as, saitli he, a subject into a king''s court, but as a traitor, showing himself in such sort as hath not been seen before in any christian king"'s court, professing christian faith. To this all there present gave witness Avith the king, affirming Becket always to have been a vain and proud man, and that the shame of his deed did not only redound against the prince himself, but also against his whole realm. Moreover, they said, that this had so happened to the king, Caiied for that he had done so much for such a beast, advancing him so uTe' vm ^ highly to such a place and room next under himself. And so alto- gether with one cry, they called him traitor, on every side, as one that refused to give terrene honour to the king, in keeping, as he had sworn, his laws and ordinances, at whose hands also he had received such honour and great preferments ; and therefore he was well worthy, said they, to be handled like a perjured traitor and rebel. Upon this, great doubt and fear was, what should befal him. The archbishop of York, coming down to his chaplains, said, he could not abide to see what the archbishop of Canterbury was like to suffer. Likewise, the tipstaves and other ministers of the assembly coming down with an outcry against him, all who were in the house crossed themselves to see his haughty stubbornness and the business there was about him. Certain there were of his disciples sitting at his feet, comforting him softly, and bidding him to lay his curse upon them ; others, contrary, bidding him not to curse, but to pray and to forgive them, and if he lost his life in the quarrel of the church and the liberty thereof, he should be happy. Afterwards, one of them, named William Fitz-Stephen, desired to speak something in his ear, but could not be suffered by the king's marshal, who forbad that no man should have any talk with him. Then he, because he could not otherwise speak to him, wTought ]?r"!^g^^' by signs, making a cross, and looking up with his eyes, and Avagging his proud lips, meaning that he should pray and manfully stand to the cross. oVthe"^^ In the mean time cometh to him Bartholomew, bishop of Exeter, '^''"'^ desiring him to have regard and compassion of himself, and also of them, or else they were all like to perish for the hatred of him ; " for there cometh out," saith he, "• a precept from the king that he shall be AVhoso taken, and suffer for an open rebel, Avho hereafter taketh your part." seckct's It Avas said, moreover, that Joceline, bishop of Salisbury, and William, Pq^^J^j bishop of Norwich, Avere to suffer mutilation for their resisting, Avho a "bei. consequently for their own sakes implored the archbishop of Canter- bury. The archbishop, notAvithstanding, looking upon the said bisiiop of Exeter, " Avoid hence from me," saith he, " thou under- standest not neither dost savour those things that be of God."
The bishops and prelates then going aside by themselves from the other nobles, the king so permitting them to do, took counsel together what Avas to be done. Here the matter stood in a doubtful perplexity,
p2
roil itemiied
SIS BKCKKT IS CONDEMNED.
Uenryii. for citlicr iiuist tlicv incuF the dangerous indignation of tlie king, or ^ j^ else, with the nobles, they must ])roeeed in condemnation against the 1164. arehl)isho)), for resisting the king's sanctions; which thing they thcm- selves neitlicr tlid favour. In tliis strict necessity, they, devising wluit way to take, at length agreed upon this : that they with a common necket ai'sent should cite tlie archbishop to the see of Rome on perjury ; and citid to that they should oblige and bind tliemselves to the king with a sure ui^tt" promise to work their diligence in deposing the archbishop ; upon this I'trji'o- condition, that the king should promise their safety, and discharge them from the peril of that judgment which was directed towards them. So all the bishops, obliging themselves thus to the king, went forth to the archbishop ; of whom one speaking for the rest, who was Hilary, bishop of Chichester, had these words : — '" Once you have been our archbishop, and so long we were bound to your obedience ; but now, forasmuch as you, once swearing your fidelity to the king, do resist him, neglecting his injunctions and ordinances, concerning and Becket appertaining to his terrene honour and dignity, we here pronounce you perjured ; neither be we bound to give obedience to an arch- bishop thus being perjured ; but, putting ourselves and all ours under the pope's protection, we do cite you up to his presence." And upon the same, they assigned liim his day and time to appear. The arch- bishop answering again, said he heard liim well enougli ; and upon this sendeth in all haste to the pope in France, signifying to him by letters the whole matter, how, and M-herefore, and by whom, he was cited ; to whom the pope directed again his letters of comfort, as he had done divers before, the copy whereof here ensueth.
Pope Alexander to Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury.^
' Your brotherly letters, which you directed to us, and such other matters which your messenger byword of mouth liath signified unto us, we have diligently heard the reading thereof, and thereby fully understand the grievous vexations and dolorous griefs wherewith your mind is daily encumbered : by reason whereof, we, hearing and understanding, are not a little disquieted in our spirit for \our sake, in whose prosperities we do both gladly rejoice, and no less do sorrow in your adversities, as for our most dear brother. You, therefore, as a constant and wise man, remember with yourself that which is written : " The apostles departed away, rejoicing, from the face of the council," &'c. With like patience do you also sustain that man's molestations, and let not your spirit be troubled therein more than needeth, but receive in yourself consolation ; that we also, together with you, may be comforted in the Lord, who hath preserved you to the corroboration of his catholic and christian verity, in this distress of necessity ; and from whom also it hath pleased him to wipe away the blot of those things which have been imorderly of you committed, and here to punish the same through sundry afflictions : whereby, in the strict judgment of God, they might not be called to account hereafter. But, henceforth, let not this much grieve you, neither let your heart be so deject or timorous in the matter, for that you are cited up to the apostolic see; which to us is both grateful and accepted. And this we will you, that if they who have cited you shall chance to come, draw not you back, but follow the appeal, if you please, and spare not ; all doubt and delay set apart : for the autliority of the church, tendering this your constancy, may not do that which may put you in fear or doubt. But oin- dili- gence sliall be, with all labour and study, to conserve the riglit and pre-emi- nence (God willing) of that church conmiitted to you, so nuich as in us heth, (saving our justice and eqiuty), as to one whom, in working for the church, we find to be both a constant and a vahant champion. Further, this I brotherly
(1) The Latin copy of this is in the Edition of 15G3, p. 52.— Ed.
BECKET APPEALS TO THE POPE.
213
require you, to repair unto the cluirch of Canterbury; and, retaining but a few Henry II. clerks about you, such only as serve your necessity, make excursions out as little — — — as you can, in that country. But in this especially I thought to prenionish you, A. D, that in no case, neither for fear nor any adversity, whatsoever may happen, you >^'^Q^- be brought to renounce and give up the right and dignity of your church.
Written at Sens, the seventh before the Kalends of November. [October- 2Gth.]
As the archbishop was thus cited before the pope, sitting with his cross waiting in the court, neither giving place to the king^s request, nor abashed with the clamour of the whole court against him, calling him traitor on every side, neither following the advertisement of his fellow-bishops, at length the king, by certain earls and barons, sent commandment to him (Robert, earl of Leicester, doing the message), caiied to that he shoidd without delay come and render a full account of all ^count. things that he had received, as the profits and revenues of the realm, in the time he was chancellor, and especially for the thirty thousand marks, for the which he was accountable to the king.^ To whom the archbishop answereth again, the king knew how oft he had made his reckoning of those things "which now were required of him. Further and besides, Henry, his son and heir of his realm, with all his barons, and also Richard Lucy, chief justice of England, told him, that he was free and quit to God and to holy church, from all receipts and computations, and fi-om all secular exactions on the king's behalf. And so he, taking thus his discharge at their hands, entered into his office ; and therefore other account besides this he would make none. When this word was brought to the king, he Judged to required his barons to do the law upon him ; who, so doing, judged pnson. him to be apprehended and laid in prison. This done, the king sendeth to him Reginald, earl of Cornwall and Devonshire, and Robert, earl of Leicester, to declare to him what was his judgment. To whom the archbishop answereth, — " Hear, my son, and good earl, what I say unto you : how much more precious the soid is than the body, so much more ought you to obey me in the Lord, rather than your terrene king; neither doth any law^ or reason permit the children to judge or condemn their father. Wherefore, to avoid both the judgment of the king, of you, and of all others, I put myself only to the arbitrement of the pope, under God alone to be judged of him, and of no other ; to whose presence, here before you all, I do appeal, committing the ordering of the church of Canterbury, Appeaieth
iiT' ~ o^^ i*to the
my dignity, with all other things appertammg to the same, under pope.
the protection of God and him. And as for you, my brethren and Thinketh
fellow-bishops, who rather obey man than God, you also I call and protecHon
cite to the audience and judgment of the popo, and so by the "^^^f^^j
authority of the catholic church and of the apostolic see I depart Y-thout 1 n 2 '^^ rope-
hence.
While the barons returned with this answer to the king, the arch- bishop, passing through the throng, taketh unto him his palfrey, holding his cross in one hand, and his bridle in the other, the courtiers following after, and crying, " Traitor ! traitor ! tarry and hear thv judgment." But he passed on till he came to the ^^^ter- Fiieth ^^^ most gate of "the court, which being fast locked, there he had been court staid, had not one of his servants, called Peter, siirnamed Demunc-
(1) Ex Rogero Hovedcno. >2) Ex Quadripartita Hist. lib. i. c. 33.
214 DKCKKT KMES THE KINGDOM.
Henry II. torio, findin? tlierc a bundi of keys hanging by, first proved one key, ^ J) then ancjtlicT, till at last, finding the true key, he had opened the lies', giite, and let him out. The archbishop went straight to the house of canons, where he did lie, calling unto hiin the poor where they could l)e I'ounil. When supper was done, making as though lie would go to bed, which lie caused to be made between two altars, privily, while the king was at supper, he prepareth his journey secretly to escape ; and changing his garment and his name, being riianRcth called Derman, first went to Lincoln, and from thence to Sandwicli, ai'id?^""^' wlicre he took ship, and sailed into Flanders, and from thence jom- i>^rman n^vcd into France, as Hoveden saith. Albeit Alanus, differing something in the order of liis flight, saith, " That he departed not that night ; but at supper-time came to him the bishops of London and Chichester, declaring to liim, that if he would surrender up to tiic king his two manors of Otford and Wingcliam, there were hope to recover the king''s favour, and to have all remitted.*''' But when the ai'chbishop would not agree thereunto, forasmuch as those manors were belonging to the church of Canterbury, the king hearing thereof, great displeasure was taken, insomuch that the next day Becket was fain to send to the king two bishops and his chaplain for leave to depart the realm. To this message tlie king answered, that he would take pause thereof till the next day, and then he should have an answer. But Becket, not tarrying his answer, the same day conveyed himself away secretly, as is aforesaid, to Louis, the French king ; but before he came to the king, Gilbert, the bishop of London, and William, the earl of Arundel, sent from the king of England to France, prevented him ; requiring the said French king, in the behalf of the king of England, that he would not receive, nor retain in his dominion, the archbishop of Canterbury : moreover, that at his instance lie would be a means to the pope, not to show any familiarity unto him. But the king of England, in this point, seemed to have more confidence in the French king, than knowledge of his disposition ; for thinking that the French king would have been a good neighbour to him, in trusting him too much, he was deceived. Neither considered he with himself enough the manner and nature of the Frenchmen at that time against the realm of England ; who then were glad to seek and take all manner of occasion to do some act against England. The And therefore Louis, the French king, vmderstanding the matter,
k[nK"sup- '"'^^ thinking, perchance, thereby to have some vantage against ucckct ^^^^ ^^'"o ^"^^ realm of England, by the occasion hereof, contrary to aifaiiist the king's letters and request, not only harboureth and cherisheth i,(\il^- this Derman, but also, writing to the pope by his almoner and land. brother, entreateth him, upon all loves, as ever he would have his favour, to tender the cause of the Archbishop Becket. Thus the Ambassa- king's ambassadors, repulsed of the French kinij, returned ; at which
dors to the . " , '1 , i , ^ » i i
pope. time lie sent another ambassage, upon the like cause, to Alexander, the pope, then being at Sens, in France. The ambassadors sent on this message were Roger, archbishop of York ; Gilbert, bishop of London ; Henry, bishop of Winchester ; Hilary, bishop of Chi- chester ; Bartholomew, bishop of Exeter ; with other doctors and clerks : also ^Villiam, earl of Arundel, with certain more lords and
PROCEEDINGS OF THE POPE"'s COURT AT SENS. 215
barons, who, coming to the pope"'s court, were friendly accepted of Henry ii. certain of the cardinals ; amongst the which cardinals rose also ^ j) dissension about the same cause, some judging that the bishop of 1165. Canterbury, in the defence of the liberties of the church, (as in a good cause,) was to be maintained ; some thinking again, that he, being a perturber of peace and unity, was rather to be bridled for his pre- sumption, than to be fostered and encouraged therein. But the pope, partly bearing with his cause, which only tended to his exaltation and magnificence, partly again incensed with the letters of the French king, did wholly incline to Becket, as no marvel was. Wherefore the day following, the pope sitting in consistory with his cardinals, the ambassadors were called for, to the hearing of Bccket''s matter ; and first beginneth the bishop of London ; next, the arch- bishop of York ; then Exeter ; and then the other bishops, every one in his order, began to speak : whose orations being not well accepted of the pope, and some of them also disdained, the earl of Arundel, perceiving that, and somewhat to qualify and temper the matter to the pope''s ears, began after this manner : —
The Oration of the Earl of Arundel to the Pope.
Although to me it is unknown, (saith he,) who am both unlettered and ignorant, what it is that these bishops here have said, neither am I, in that tongue, so able to express my mind as they have done : yet being sent and charged thereunto of my prince, neither can nor ought I but to declare, as well as I may, what the cause is of our sending hither : not, truly, to contend or stiive with any person, nor to offer any injury or harm unto any man, especially in this place, and in the presence here of such an one, unto whose beck and authority, all the world doth stoop and yield. But for this time is our legacy hither directed: to present here before you, and in the presence of the whole church of Rome, the devotion and love of our king and master, which ever he hath had, and yet hath still, toward you. And, that the same might the better appear to your excellency, he hath assigned and appointed to the fiirniture of this legacy, not the least, but the greatest ; not the worst, but the best and cliiefest of all his subjects ; both archbishops, bishops, earls, barons, with other potentates more, of such worthiness and parentage, that if he could have found greater in all his realm, he would have sent them, both for the reverence of your person, and of the holy church of Rome. Over and besides this, I might add more, wliicli your sanctitude hath sufficiently tried and proved already, namel)-, the tnie and hearty fidelity of this our king and sovereign toward you, who, in his first entrance to his kingdom, wholly submitted himself, with all that is his besides, to your will and pleasure. And tmly, to testify of his majesty how he is disposed to the unity of the catholic faith, we believe there is none more faithful in Christ than he, nor more devout to God, nor yet more moderate in keeping the unity of peace whereunto he is called. And as I may be bold this to protest for our king and master, so neither do I affirm the archbishop of Canterbury to be a man destitute or unfurnished with gifts and ornaments in his kind of calling, but to be a man both sage and discreet in such things as to him appertain, save only that he seemeth to some, more quick and sharp than needeth. This blot alone if it were not, and if the breach between our king and him had not so happened, both the regiments together (of the temporally and spiritualty) might quietly have flourished one with the other in much peace and concord, both imder a prince so worthy, and a pastor so virtuous. Wherefore, the case so standing as it doth, our message hither, and our supplication to your vigilant prudence is, that through your favour and wisdom, the neck of this dissension may be broken, and that reformation of imity and love, by some good means, may be sought.
This oration of his, although it was liked of them for the softness and moderation thereof, yet it could not persuade the Romish bishop
216 COXSTITUTIOXS OF CLARENDON CONDEMNED BY THE POPE.
Henry II. to condcsccnd to thcif suit ami request ; which suit was, to have two
A.u. legates or arbiters to be sent trom liis popish side into England, to
llCo! examine and take up the controversy between the king and the
Ti,e pope archbishop. But the pope, incensed, as is said before, would not
ij.it"r"' S™"*- ^''^'''' Pt'tition : forasmuch as it should be (saith he) prejudicial,
ca'isc " and tending to the oppression of the archbishop, to grant it, he being
t'hckhig. not ])resent ; and therefore he willed them to tarry his coming up ;
otherwise he being absent, he would not, he said, in any case proceed
against him. But they alleging the time to be expired appointed
to them of the king, having besides other lets and causes as they
alleged, said that they could not there wait for the coming of Becket,
but must return back, their cause frustrated, without the pope's
Bcckct blessing to the king. Within four days after, Becket cometli to the
et"" of the pope's COU1I, whcrc he, prostrating himself at his feet, brought out of
the^o "e ^'^^ bosom a scroll containing the customs and ordinances of the king,
before mentioned. ^ The pope, receiving the aforesaid scroll, and
reading it in the open hearing of his cardinals, condemned and
accursed the most part of the said decrees of the king, which he
called ' consuetudines avitas, ' that is, ' his grandfather's ordinances.'
Besides this, the pope moreover blameth Becket, for that he so
much yielded to them at the beginning, as he did : yet notwith-
Repent- standing, because he was repentant for his unadvised fact, he was
hu'^teli- content to absolve him for the same, and the rather, because of his
doing. gicaX troubles, Avhich he for the liberties of holy church did sustain;
and so with great favour for that day dismissed him.
(\) A translation of this document, as given in Dr. Brady's Appendi.x, here follows: it is the " instrument" mentioned supra p. 202.
In the year from our Lord's incarnation 1164, the fourth of pope Alexander, the tenth of the most illustrious king of the English, Henry IL, in presence of the said king, was made a nmem- brance and recognition of a certain part of the customs, liberties, and prerogatives of his prede- cessors, viz. of king Henry, his grandfather, and others, which ought to he observed and maintained in the realm. And because of the dissensions and disagreements wliich have arisen between the clergy and the justices of the lord king and the barons of the realm touching customs and prerogatives, the said recognition was made in presence of the archbishops, bishops, and clergy, and the earls, barons, and great men of the realm ; and the said customs^ — so recognised by the archbishops and bisliops, the earls and barons, the great men and ancients of the realm — Thomas archbishop of Canterbury, Roger archbishop of York, Gilbert bishop of London, &:c., [eleven other bishops are then named], allowed, and on the word of truth, viva voce, firmly promised they should be kept and observed to tlie lord king and his heirs, with good faith, and without grudge, there being present Robert earl of Leicester, kc. (here follow thirty-seven more names), and many other chief men and nobles of the realm, cleric as well as lay. But of the customs and prerogatives of the realm so recognised a certain part is contained in the present writing : of which part the following are the chief heads : —
L If any controversy concerning the advowson and presentation of churches arise between laics, or between laics and clerics, or between clerics only, it is to be tried and determined in the king's court. {Condemned by the church of Rome under pope Alexander III.)
U. Churches belonging to the king's fee cannot be granted in perpetuity without his assent and consent. (A Unwed.)