to know whether he would consent with his clergy, that the customes then set forth in the realme (meanyng by þ^e first part of those decrees aboue specified) should be obserued. To which the archb. consultyng together wyth hys brethren, geueth aunswer agayne, that he was contēted the kinges ordinances should be obserued, MarginaliaBeckets addition
Saluo ordine suo.adding thys wythall, Saluo ordine suo: that is, sauyng his order. And so in lyke manner all the other bishops after, beyng demaunded in order aunswered with the same addition, Saluo ordine suo. MarginaliaThe bishop of Chichester.Onely Hillarius bishop of Chichester, perceiuing the kyng to be exasperate wyth that additiō: in stead of Saluo ordine, agreed to obserue them Bona fide. The king hearing them not simply to agree vnto him but with an exceptiō, was mightely offended: who then turning to the archb. and the prelates saide: that he was not wel contented with that clause of theirs, Saluo ordine suo, which he sayd, was captious & deceitfull: hauing some maner of venime lurkyng vnder, and therefore required an absolute graunt of them without any exception to agree to the kinges ordinances. To this þ^e archb. answererh agayne, that they had sworne vnto him their fidelity, both lyfe, body, and earthly honour: Saluo ordine suo: and that in the same earthly honour, also those ordinaunces were comprehended: and to the obseruing they would binde themselues after no other forme, but as they had sworne before. The kyng with this was moued, and all his nobility, not a little. As for the other byshops, there was no doubt but they would easelye haue relented, had not the stoutnes of the archbishop made thē more constant then otherwise they would haue bene. The day being wel spent: the king (when he could get no other answer of them) departed in great anger: geuyng no word of salutatiō to the bishops. And likewise, the bishops euery one to his owne house departed. The bishop of Chichester (amōgst þ^e rest) was greatly rebuked of hys fellowes, for chaunging that exception contrary to the voyce of all the other. The next day following, the king tooke from the archbishop all such honours and Lordships, as he had geuen him afore in the tyme þ^t he was Chauncellor: wherby appeared the great displeasure of the king against him and the clergy. Not long after this, the kyng remouing from London (vnknowing to the bishops) sailed ouer to Normandy. Whither, the bishop of London called Gilbert (not long after) resorted to craue the kinges fauor: & gaue hym councel with all to ioyne some of the bishops on his side, least if all were agaynst him , peraduenture he myght sooner be ouerthrown. And thus the greatest number of the bishoppes were by this meanes reconciled agayne to the kyng: MarginaliaThe stubberne wilfulnes of T. Becket.onely the archbishop with a few other remayned in their stoutnes stil. The king (thinkyng to try all manner of wayes) whē he sawe no fere nor threates coulde turne him: did assaye him with gentlenes, it would not serue. Many of the nobles labored betwixt thē both, exhorting him to relent to þ^e kyng, it would not be. Likewise þ^e archbishop of Yorke with diuers other bishops & abbots (especially þ^e bishop of Chester) did the same. Besides thys his own houshold dailye called vpon him: but no man could persuade him. At length, vnderstandyng (partly by them that came to hym) what daunger might happen not onely to himself, but to all the other cleargy vpon the kings displeasure: partly considering the old loue and kindnes of the kyng towardes hym in tyme paste, was content to geue ouer to the kings request: MarginaliaBecket relenteth to the king.and came to Oxford to hym, reconciling himselfe about the addition, which displeased the king so much. Wherupon, þ^e king (being somwhat mitigate) receyueth him w^t a more cherefull coūtenance: but yet not all so familiarlye as before, saying: þ^t he woulde haue his ordinaunces and procedinges after the forme confirmed in the publike audience and open syght of hys bishops and all his nobles. After this, the kyng (beyng at Clarendowne) there called all his pieres and prelates before him: requiring to haue that performed which they had promised, in consenting to þ^e obseruyng of his graūdfathers ordinaunces and procedinges. The archbishop suspecting (I cannot tel what) in the kings promise drue backward, & now would not þ^t he would before. At last, w^t (much adoo) he was inforced to geue his assent. Fyrst came to him the bishop of Salisbury and of Norwiche, who (for old matters in daūgered to þ^e kyng long before) came wepyng and lamentyng to the archbishop, desyring him to haue some compassion of them, and to remit this pertinacy to the kyng: lest if he so cōtinued (through his stoutnes to exasperate the kings displeasure) haply it might redound to no small daunger, not onely of them which were in ieopardy already: but also of himselfe to be imprisoned, and the whole clergy to be indaungered. Besides these ij. bishops, there went to him other ij. noble pieres of the realme labouring with him to relent & condescend to the kings desire. If not, they should be inforced to vse violence, as neyther would stand w^t the kyngs fame, and much lesse with his quietnes. But yet þ^e stout stomacke of the man would not geue ouer. After thys, came to him. ij. rulers of the tēple called Templars: one Richar. de Hast: an other Costans de Houerio w^t theyr company: lamenting & bewailing the great peril which they declared vnto hym to hange ouer his head: yet neither with their teares nor with their knelings, would he be remoued. At length came the last message from the king, signifieng vnto him with expresse wordes (and also wyth teares) what he should trust to, if he woulde not geue ouer to the kynges request.

MarginaliaBecket yeldeth to the king.By reason of which message, he (either terrefied or els perswaded) was content to submit himself. Wherupon, the king incontinent assembling the states together: the archbishop first before all other begynneth to promise to the kyng obedience and submission vnto his custome, & that cum bona fide MarginaliaSaluo ordine left out in the cōposition.leauyng out his former addition, Saluo ordine, mētioned before: in stede wherof he promised in verbo veritatis, to obserue & kepe the kings customes and sware to the same. After him the other bishops likewyse gaue the like othe. Wherupon, the king commaunded incontinent certain instruments obligatorye to bee drawne: of the which, the kyng should haue one: the arch bishop of Canterbury an other: the archbishop of Yorke þ^e third: requiring also þ^e said archbishop to set to his hād and seale. To the which, the archbishop (although not denying but that he was ready so to do) yet desired respite in þ^e matter, while that he (being but newly come to hys bishoprike) might better peruse with himself þ^e foresayd customes and ordinaunces of the king. This request as it semed but reasonable, so it was lightly graunted: and so the day beyng wel spent, they departed for that seasō and brake vp.

MarginaliaBecket repenteth hys good deede.Alanus one of the 4. writers of the life of this T. Becket, recordeth: that the archbishop in hys viage toward Winchester, began greatly to repente that he had done before, partly through the instigation of certayn about hym: but chiefly of his cros bearer, who goyng before the archbishop, did sharply and ernestly expostulate with him for geuyng ouer to the kyngs request against the priuiledge and liberties of the church: polluting not onely his fame and conscience, but also geuing a pernitious example to them that should come after, with many like wordes. To make the matter shorte: the archbishop was so touched vpon the same with such repentaunce, þ^tkeping himself from al company, lamenting w^t teares, w^t fasting,and with much penance maceratyng & afflicting himself, dyd suspend hymself frō all deuine seruice: & would not receuye cōfort, before þ^t (word beyng sent to his holy graūfather þ^e pope) he should be assoild of him: who tendryng the teares of his deare chicken, directed to him letters agayn by the same messenger which Thomas had sent vp to hym before. In which letters not one