ly ne assoiled him from his trespas: but also with words of great consolation dyd incourage him to be stout in þ^e quarell he tooke in hand. The copy of which letters consolatory sent from the pope to popish Becket, here folow vnder written.

MarginaliaA letter of pope Alexander to T. Becket.Alexander Bishop. &c. Your brotherhood is not ignoraunt that it hath bene aduertised vs, how that vpon the occasion of a certayn transgressiō or exces of yours: you haue determined to cease hencefoorth from saying of Masse, and to abstayne from the consecration of the body and bloud of the Lord. Which thing to doo, howe daungerous it is (especially in such a personage) and also what inconuenience may ryse therof: I wyll you aduisedsy to consider, and discritely also to ponder. Your wysdome ought not to forget what difference ther is betwixt them which aduisedly and willingly doo offende, and those which through ignorance, and for necessitie sake do offende. For as you reade, so muche the more greater is wylful synne: as the same not being voluntarie is lesser synne. Therefore if you remember your self to haue done any thing that your owne conscience doth accuse of you, whatsoeuer it be: we counsel you (as a prudent and wyse Prelate) to acknowledge the same. Which thing done, the mercyfull and pitifull God who hath more respect to the hart of the doer thē to the thing done, wyll remit and forgeue you the same according to his accustomed great mercye. And we (trusting in the merites of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul) do absolue you from the offence committed, and by the authoritie apostolicall we release you vnto your fraternitie: counseling you and commaunding you, that hence forth you abstayne not (for thys cause) from the celebration of the Masse.

Thys letter wyth other mo after lyke sort, the Pope then wrote to him: animating and comforting hym in thys quarel so nearely pertayning to the popes profite. By the occasion whereof, Becket tooke no small harte and consolation. In so much, that therof semeth to me to proceede, all the occasion that made him so stout and malapert against his prince, as hereafter foloweth to be sene by hys doinges. What the other letters were that the Pope wrote vnto him, shortly after (when we come to the appellations made to the Pope) shal appeare God wylling. In the meane season (as he sat thus mourning at home) the kyng hearing of hym, and how he denied to set his seale to those sanctions, which he condescended to before: toke no little displeasure agaynst him. In so much that he (threatning to him and hys, banishment & death) began to call him to reckoninges, and to burden him with paymentes: that al men might vnderstād that the kinges mynde was sore set agaynst him. MarginaliaBecket enterprising agaynst the kings lawes to flye out of the realme.The archbishop hereupon (whether more for the loue of the pope, or dread of his prince) thought to make an escape out of the realme: and so went about in the night (with twoo or three with him stealing out of his house) to take the sea priuely. Nowe, amongst other the kings ordinances and sanctions, this was one: that none of the prelacy or nobility without the kinges lisence (or of hys iustices) shoulde depart out of the realme. So Becket twyse attempted the sea, to flee to þ^e see of Rome: but the weather not seruing, was driuen home agayne, and his deuise for that tyme frustrated. After his departure began to be knowen and noysed abroade: the kinges officers came to Canterbury to season vpon hys goods in the kinges behalfe. But as it chaunced the night before their comming, Becket beyng returned and founde at home, they did not procede in their purpose.

MarginaliaBecket taunted of the king.Vpon this, tharchbishop (vnderstanding the kyng sore bent agaynst hym, and the seas not to serue hym) made hast to the court, lying then at Wodstocke. Where, the king receyued him (after a certeine maner) but nothing so familiarly as he was wont: tauntyng him gestynglyand merely, as though one realme were not able to hold them both. Becket (although he was permitted to go and come at his pleasure to the courte) yet coulde not obtaine the fauour that he would: perceiuyng both in hym selfe, and confessyng no lesse to other, how the matter woulde fall out: so that either he shoulde be constrained to geue ouer with shame: or stoutlye stande, to that whiche he had so boldly taken in hand. Tharchbyshop of Yorke in the meane tyme (goyng betwene the kyng and tharchbishop) laboured to make peace and loue betwene them, but the king in no case would be reconciled, vnles thother would subscribe to his lawes. So that while neither the kyng would otherwise agree, nor yet tharchbyshop in no wise would subscribe: ther was a foul discord. Where the fault was, let the reader here iudge betwene them both. The kyng (for his regall autoritie) thought it much, that any subiect of his, should stand agaynst hym. Tharchbishop again (bearyng him self bould vpō thautority, and especially vpon the letters of the pope lately written to him) thought him strong inough agaynst the kyng and all his realme. Agayne, such was hys quarell for þ^e maintenance of the liberties and glory of þ^e churh: that he could lacke no setters on and fauourers in that behalfe, in so swete a cause amongest the clergy. Wherfore, þ^e archbishop (trusting to these things) would geue no place, but by vertue of hys Apostolike autority gaue censure vpon these lawes and constitutions of the king: condemnyng some, and other some approuyng for good and catholicke, as is before declared. Besides this, there came also to the kyng Rotrodus archbyshop of Rotomage (sent frō the pope) to make peace betwene the king and Canterbury. Wherunto the kyng was well cōtent, so that the pope would agree to ratify hys ordinaunces. But when þ^t could in no wise be obtayned at the Popes hands: then the kyng beyng stopped and frustrate of his purpose by reason of Beckets apostolicke legacy (beyng legatus a Latere) thought good to send vp to the pope: And so did, to obtayn of hym þ^t the same autoritie of thapostolike legacy might be cōferd to another after his appointment, whiche was tharchbishop of Yorke. But the pope denyed. MarginaliaEx Rog. Houed. pri. parte historiæ cōtinuatæ post Bedā.
The king to be the popes legate.Notwithstandyng (at the request of the kynges clergy) the pope was content that the kyng should be legate him selfe: wherat the kyng toke great indignation as Houeden writeth, so that he sent the pope his letters agayne. Here the pope was perplexed on both sides.

If he should haue denyed the kyng: þ^t was to hote for him. For þ^e pope vseth alwayes to hold in w^t kings, how soeuer þ^e world spedeth. Again, if he should haue forsakē such a churchly chaplen (the cause beyng so swete and so gaynful) þ^t should haue ben against him self: what did he then? Here now cōmeth in the old practise of popish prelacy: MarginaliaThe crafty dissimulation of the pope.to play w^t both handes, priuely he conspireth with thone, & openly dissembleth with thother. First he graūteth to the kynges ambassadours their request, to haue the legate remoued and to place in that office tharchbyshop of Yorke after his owne contentation. And yet notwithstandyng (to tender the cause of Thomas Becket) he addeth this promise withall: that the sayd Bec. should receyue no harme or damage therby. Thus þ^e pope craftly conueyeng the matter betwene thē both (glad to further tharchbishop for his own aduauntage, and yet loth to deny the king, for displeasure) writeth to the kyng opēly, and also secretly directeth an other letter to Becket, þ^e contentes wherof here follow.

MarginaliaThe popes secret letters to Becket.ALthough we condescendyng to the kynges request, haue graunted the gift of our legacy after his minde from you: yet let not your mind therby be discomforted nor brought into sighes of dispayre. For before that we had graunted that, or gaue our consent therunto: the kynges ambassadours firmely promised in the word of truth (ready also to be sworne vpon the same, if I would