MarginaliaBecket cōplayneth of his king to the pope.Becket commeth to the Popes court, where he prostratyng hym selfe at his feete, brought out of his bosome a scrole conteyning the customes and ordinaunces of the kyng, afore mentioned. Fol. 48. The pope receauing the foresayd scrole and readyng it in the open hearing of his cardinals, condemned and cursed the most part of þ^e said decrees of the kyng, whiche he called consuetudines auitas, that is his graundfathers ordinaunces. Besides this: the Pope moreouer blameth Becket, for that he so much yelded to them at the beginning, as he did: MarginaliaRepētance for hys wel doing.yet notwithstāding (because he was repentant for his vnaduised fact) he was content to absoyle him for the same, and the rather because of hys great troubles, whiche he for the liberties of holy church did sustein: and so with great fauour for that daye dimised him.

The next day (Alexander the pope assemblyng his cardinals together in hys secret chamber) appeareth before them archbishop Becket, hauing this oratiō to the pope and hys poplings: which here I thought to set out in our vulgare English tongue (translated out of Latin) to the entent that the posteritye hereafter maye vnderstand, either the vaine superstition or vile slauery of the church men in those dayes: who (beyng not content with theyr owne naturall prince and kyng giuē them of God) must seke further to the pope: thinking no ecclesiastical liuing to be geuē, which is not taken at his hands. The wordes of his oration be storied rightly thus.

FAthers and Lordes, I ought not to lye in any place, much les before God, & in your presence here. Wherfore, with much sighing and sorowe of hart I graūt and cōfesse, þ^t these perturbations of the church of England be raysed through my miserable fault. For I entred into the fold of Christ, but not by the dore of Christ: for that, not the canonicall election did call me lawfully therunto, but terror of publike power droue me in. MarginaliaBeckets argument, the pope brought him not in, but the king Ergo God brought him not in.And albeit I agaynst my will toke this burden vpon me, yet not the will of God, but mans pleasure placed me in the rowm. And therfore, no maruell though al things haue gone contrary and bacward with me. And as for the resigning vp againe therof: if I had so done, and geuen vp to their handes, the priuilege of my byshoply autoritie whiche I had graunted to me at the commaundement of the kyng (so as my fellow Byshops did instantly call vpon me to do) then had I left a pernicious and daungerous example to the whole catholike church. By reason wherof, I thought to deferre þ^t vnto your presence. And now therfore (recognising with my self my ingresse not to be canonicall, and therefore fearyng it to haue the worse end: and agayne ponderyng my strength and abi-bilitie not to be sufficiēt for such a charge) least I should bee founde to susteine that rowme to the ruine of the flocke, to whom I was appointed a pastor vnworthye: I render vp to your fatherly handes the archbishoprike here of Canterbury &c. MarginaliaAnd why myght ye not (M. Becket) resigne it as wel to hys handes of whō ye tooke it.And so putting of his ryng from his finger and offeryng it the pope, desired a Bishop for þ^e church of Canterbury to be prouided: seing he thought not him self mete to fulfil the same, and so (with teares, as the story saith) ended his oration.

This done, the Archbishop was byd to stand a part. MarginaliaA consultatiō betwen the pope & the cardinalls about Beckets matter.The pope cōferring vpon this with his cardinals, about þ^e resignation of Becket what was best to be done: some thought it best to take the occasion offred, thinking therby the kynges wrath might easely be swaged if þ^e church of Canterbury were assigned to some other person, and yet the said Becket otherwise to be prouided for notwithstandyng. Contrary, other agayne thought otherwise, whose reason was: If he (whiche for the liberties of the churche had ventred not onely his goodes, dignitie & autoritie, but also his lyfe) should now at the kyngs pleasure be depriued: like as it might be a president hereafter to others in resisting their kyng in lyke sorte (if his causewere maintained) so contrarywise if it qualed: it shoulde be an example to all other hereafter, none to resist his prince in the like case. And so, might it redound not only to the weakening of the state of the catholik church, but also to the derogation of the popes autority. Briefly, this sentēce at length preuailed: and so Becket receaueth his pastorall office at the popes hand agayn, with commendation & much fauour. But for so much as he could not be wel plased in England: MarginaliaBecket in banishment 7. yeares.in the meane whyle, the pope sendeth him with a monkes habit into the abbay Pontiniak in Fraunce: where he remayned two yeares, from thēce he remoued to Senon where he abode fiue yeares. So the time of his exile cōtinued a seuen yeares in al. &c.

Vpon this, the kyng beyng certified by his ambassadours of the popes aunswere, how hys fauour enclined more to Becket then to him: was moued (and worthely) with wrothfull displeasure. Who vpon the same saylyng from England vnto Normandy, directed ouer certeyne iniunctions agaynst the Pope and the archbishop of Cāterbury, as were recited aboue. Fol. 48. The contentes wherof were declared to be these.

If any person shalbe found to bryng from the pope, or from the archbishop of Canterbury. &c.

Of these and such other iniunctions Becket specifieth partly in a certayn letter, writyng to a frend of his in this maner.

THomas archbishop of Cāterbury, to his welbeloued frend. &c. Be it knowen to your brotherly goodnes, that we withal ours (here by Gods grace) are safe and in good health. Hauing a good hope and trust to your faithfull amitie, I charge you and require you: that either by the bringer hereof or by some other (whō ye know faythful and trusty to your church of Canterbury, and to vs) you write withall spede, what is done. As touching the kynges decrees here set out, these they be: MarginaliaThe kings decreesthat al hauens and portes should be diligently kept: that no letters of þ^e Popes interdict or curse be brought in. And if religious men bring them in, they shall haue their feete cut of: if he be a priest or clerk, he shall lose his priuy mēbers: If he be a lay man, let him be hanged: If he be a leper, let hym be burned. And if any bishop, for feare of þ^e popes interdict, will depart (besides his staffe onely in his hande) let hym haue nothing els. Also the kinges will is: that all scholers and studentes beyond the seas shall repaire home, or els lose their benefites. And if they yet shall remain stil, they shall lose the libertie of all retournyng. Further if any such priestes shalbe found (that for the popes suspense or interdict will refuse to sing) they shall lose their priuy mēbers. In summe, al such priestes as shew them selues rebels to the kyng, let thē be depriued of their benefices. &c.

MarginaliaAn. 1166
Beckets kindred banished.Besides these and such lyke iniunctions, it was also set fourth by the kinges proclamation. an. 1166. that all maner of persons (both men and wemē, whosoeuer wer foūd of the kindred of Thomas Becket) should be exiled without taking any part of their goodes with them and sent to him, where he was: whiche was no litle vexation to Becket to beholde them. Moreouer, for so much as he then was lyeng with Gwarine abbote of Pōtiniack (to whome the Pope as is aforesayd had cōmended him) therfore the kyng writing to the same abbote, required him not to retaine the archbishop of Cāterbury in his house: for if he did, he would driue out of hys realme, all the mōkes of his order.

MarginaliaThese monkes were of the Cistercian order.Wherupon Becket was enforced to remoue frō thence and went to Lewis the Frēch king, by whom he was placed at Senon, and there found of hym the space of. 5. yeares, as is aboue mentioned.In the meane tyme, messengers went dayly with letters betwene the kyng and the pope, betwene the pope agayne and hym, and so betwene the archbishop & other. MarginaliaBecket cōplayneth of hys prince to the pope.Wherof if the reader (peraduenture) shalbe desirous to see the copies: I thought here to expresse certayne of thē, to satisfy hys desire: first begynning with the Epistle of