and the truth on their side, would not vse their sworde: but standing in awe of the Popes vayne curse, and reuerencing his seate for S. Peters sake: durst lay no hād vpon him, though he were neuer so abhominable & traiterous a malefactour. The popes perceauing that, tooke so much vpon them (not as the scripture woulde geue) but as much as the supersticious feare of Emperours & kings would suffer thē to take: which was so much, þ^t it past all order, rule, and measure. And all because the superiour powers (either woulde not, or durst not) practise that autoritie geuen to them of the Lord, vpon their inferiours, but suffered them to be their maisters.

But as touching Thomas Becket, what so euer is to be thought of them that did the act: the example therof yet bringeth this profit with it, to teach all Romishe prelates not to be so stubberne in such matters not pertayning to them) against their prince, vnto whom God had subiected them.

MarginaliaHerbertus de boseham.
Ioā. Charnot.
Alanus abbot of Teuchsburye.
Gulielmus Cātuariensis.
T. Becket described.Now to the story, which if it be true that is set forth in Quadrilogo, by those foure who tooke vppon them to expresse the life and processe of Thhomas Becket: it appeareth by all coniectures, that he was a man of a stout nature, seuere, and inflexible. What perswasiō or opiniō he had once conceiued: from that he woulde in no wyse be remoued, or very hardlye. Threatninges and flatteringes, were to hym both one. In this poynt singular, following no mans counsel so much as his owne. Great helpes of nature were in him (if he could haue vsed them wel) rather then of learning. Albeit, somewhat skilful he was of the ciuil law, which he studied at Bonomy. In memory excellently good, & also wel broken in courtly & in worldly matters. Besides this, he was of a chaste & a strayte life, if þ^e histories be true. Although in þ^e first part of his life (being yet archdeacon of Cant. & after Lord Chauncelor) he was very ciuil, courtlike, pleasant, geuē much both to hunting and hauking, according to the gise of the court. And highly fauoured he was of his prince, who not onely had thus promoted him: but also had committed hys sonne and heire to his institution & gouernance. But, in this his first beginning he was not so well beloued: but afterward he was agayn as much hated (and deseruedly) both of the king, & also of þ^e most part of his subiects: saue onelye of certayn Monkes and priestes, & such other as were perswaded by them: who magnified hym not a litle, for vpholding the liberties of the church (that is) the licentious lyfe & exces of churchmen. Amongest all other, these vices he had most notable, and to be rebuked. Full of deuotion, but without all true religion. Zealous, but cleane wythout knowledge. MarginaliaWhat cōmeth of blind zeale destitute of ryght knowledge.And therfore as he was styffe and stubburne of nature, so (A blind conscience beyng ioyned withall) it turned to playne rebellion. So supersticious he was to the obedience of the Pope, that he forgot hys obedience to his naturall and most beneficial king. And in maintayning (so contentiously) the vaine constitutions & decrees of men: he neglected þ^e cōmaundements of God. But herin most of all to be reprehended, that not onely (contrarye to the kynges knowledge) he sought to conuey him self out of the realme (beyng in that place and calling) but also (being out of the realme) set matter of discord betwene the Pope and hys kyng, and also betwene the French king and hym: contrary to all honestye, good order, naturall subiection, and true christianity. Whereupon followed no litle disquietnes after, both to the king and damage of the realme, as here (in processe and in order folowing by the grace of Christ) we wyll declare. First begynning wyth the first rising vp of hym, and so consequently to prosecute in order hys story as foloweth.

MarginaliaThe lyfe of T. Becket.
Polydorus mystaketh the mother of Becket.And fyrst here to omitte the progenie of hym and of his mother, whom Polyd. Virgilius falsely nameth to be a Saracene: when in deede she came out of the partes bordering nere to Normandie. To omitte also the fa-MarginaliaEx Robert Crikeladensi.
Ex Florilego.bulous vision of hys mother, mentioned in Robert. Crikeladensis, of a burning torche issuing out of her bodye & reaching vp to heauen: hys fyrst preferment was to the church of Branfield, whiche he hadde by the gifte of S. Albons. After þ^t, he entred in þ^e seruice of þ^e archb. of Cant. by whō he was thē preferred to be his archdecon. And after by the said Theobald was put (as a man most metest for his purpose) to king Henry, to bridel the yong kyng that he should not be fearce agaynst þ^e clergy: whō in proces of tyme, the kyng made lorde Chaūcelor. And thē he left playeng the archdeacō, and began to play the Chauncelor. He facioned his condicions like to þ^e kinges both in wayghty matters and trifles. He would hunt w^t him, and watch the tyme when the kyng dined and slept. Furthermore, he began to loue the mery gestings of the court, to delite him selfe with the great laud of men, and prayse of the people. And that I maye passe ouer hys houshold stuffe, he had his bridell of siluer, & the bosses of his bridell were worth a great treasure. At his table & other expences, he passed any erle: That on þ^e one side, mē would iudge him litle to cōsider þ^e office of an archdecō: & on þ^e other side would iudge him to vse wicked doings. He plaied also þ^e good souldiour vnder þ^e king in Gascō, & both wāne & kept townes. Whē þ^e kyng sent Tho. being Chauncelor home into England (ambassador with other nobles after þ^e death of tharchbishop) he willed Ri. Luci (one of þ^e chiefest) to commēd in his name, this Thomas to þ^e couent at Cant. þ^t they might chose him archbyshop whiche thyng he did diligently. The monkes sayd, it was not mete to chuse a Courtier and a soldiour to bee head of so holye a companye, for he woulde spend (sayd they) all þ^t they had. Other had this surmise also, because he was in so great fauour w^t the prince, þ^e kings sonne, & was so sodeulye discharged of the chauncelorship which he had borne. v. yeares. In the. 44. yeare of his age (on the saturday in þ^e Whytson weke) he was made priest, and the next day consecrated bishop.

MarginaliaDifference in chronicles.As touching the priesthoode of thys man, I find the histories to vary in them selues. for if he were beneficed, and chaplene to Theobald, & afterward archdeacon (as some saye) it is no other like but þ^t he was priest before, and not (as our most englishe storyes say) made priest in the one day, and archbishop the next.

But how so euer this matter passeth, here is in the meane tyme to be seene, what great benefites the kyng had done for hym, and what greate loue had been betwene them both. Nowe after that Becket was thus promoted, what variaunce & discord happened betwene them, remayneth to be shewed: The causes of which variaunce were diuerse and sondry.

MarginaliaThe causes of variance recited betwene the king and the archb.As fyrst whē (according to þ^e custome) þ^e kings officers gathered, of euery one, hide money through the realme, for þ^e defēce of their own coūtry: the king would haue taken it to his cofers. But the bishop sayd, þ^t whych euery mā gaue willingly, he shuld not coūt as his proper rēt.

An other cause was, that where a priest was accused of murther: and the kings officers and the friends of the dead accused the priest earnestly afore the bishop of Salisbury his Diocesan to whom he was sent, desiring iustice to be done on him: the priest was put to his purgacion. But when he was not able to defende him self, the bishop sent to the Archbishop to aske what he should do. The archbishop commaunded he shoulde be depriued of of all ecclesiasticall benefices, and shut vp in an abbey to do perpetuall penance. After the same sorte was diuers other handled for like causes, but none put to death, nor lost ioynt, nor burned in the hand, or the like payne.

The third cause was, that where a Chanon of Bruis did reuile the kinges iustices: the king was offēded with the whole clergy. For these and such like, the archbishop (to pacify the kings anger) commaunded the chanon to be whipped, and depriued of his benefices for certayne