VII. That

218 THE OUATIOX OF THOMAS BECKET.
y/^nrj,//. liccket, having; this oration to the pope and his popclings, whicli ^ J) here I thmi^ht to set ovit in our vulgar English tongue (translated 1165! out of Latin), to the intent that the posterity hereafter may under- stand cither the vain superstition or vile slavery of the churchnicn in those (lavs, who, being not content with their own natural prince and king given them of God, must seek further to the pope ; thinking no ecclesiastical living to be given, which is not taken at his hands. The M-ords of his oration be storied rightly thus.
The Oration of Becket on resigning his Bishopric to the Pope.'
Fathers and lords, I ought not to lie in any place, niucli less before God, and in your presence here. Wherefore, with much sighing and sorrow of heart, Becket't I grant and confess, that these perturbations of the cluirch of England be •f?"- raised througli my miserable fault. For I entered into the fold of Christ, but *"*"'■ not by tlie door of Christ; for tliat not the canonical election did call me law- fully thereunto, but terror of public power drove me in. And albeit I against my will took this burden upon me, yet not the will of God but man's pleasure induced me hereimto ; and therefore no marvel thougli all things have gone And why contrary and backward with me. But as for the resigning up again, at the miRiit ye threats of the king, the privilege of my bishoply authority which I had granted J5ecket,' to me (so as my fellow-bishops did instantly call upon me to do), had I so done resicii it (agreeably also to the wishes of the nobles), then had I left a pernicious and hls^hands dangerous example to the whole catholic church ; by reason whereof I thought of whom to defer that unto your presence. And now, recognising with myself my in- jetookit? gress not to have been canonical, and therefore fearing it to have the worse end ; and again pondering my strength and ability not to be sufficient for such a charge ; lest I should be found to sustain that room to the ruin of the flock, to which I was appointed (however improperly) a pastor, I here render up into your hand the archbishopric of Canterbury.
And so putting off his ring from his finger, and ofForing it to the pope, he desired a bishop for the cliurch of Canterbury to be pro- vided, seeing he thought not himself meet to fulfil the same, and so (with tears, as the story saith) ended his oration.
This done, the archbishop Avas bid to stand apart. The pope conferring upon this \vith his cardinals about the resignation of Becket, what was best to be done, some thought it best to take the occasion offered, thinking thereby the king"'s Avrath might easily be assuaged, if the church of Canterbury ^vere assigned to some other person ; and yet the said Becket otherwise to be provided for, notwithstanding. Contrary, other again thought otherwise, whose reason was, if he, who for the liberties of the church had ven- tured not only his goods, dignity, and authority, but also his life,