per apostolica scripta rogamus, monemus, et exhortamur in domino: nec non in remissionem peccatorum ex parte dei omnipotentis, et beati Petri principis Apostolorum autoritate nostra iniungimus, vt memoratum archiepiscopū pro deo & ecclesia sua & honore tua, nec non et totius regni tui in gratiam et fauorem tuum recipias. &c. That is: therfore we desire you, monish and exhort your honour by these our Apostolicall writings, and also inioyne you vpon the remission of your sinnes in the behalfe of almighty God, and of S. Peter prince of the Apostles by our autoritie, that you wil receaue againe the foresayde Archbishop into your fauor and grace, for the honour of God, his church, and of your own realme. &c. Thus you haue heard the Popes intreating letter: nowe here is an other letter sent vnto the foresaid King, wherein he doth manasse him, as in the tenor therof here foloweth.

HOw fatherly and gently we haue oft times entreated and exhorted both by Legates and letters your princely honour, to be reconciled againe with our reuerend brother Thomas Archbishop of Canterburye, so that he and his maye be restored agayne to their churches, and other possessions to them appertaining: your wysdome is not ignorant, seing it is notified and spread almost throughout all Christendome. Forsomuch therfore, as hetherto we could not preuayle with you, neyther moue nor stirre your minde with fayre and gentle wordes: it lamenteth vs not a litle, so to be frustrat and deceiued of the hope & expectation which we had conceyued of you. Especially seing we loue you so dearely, as our own dearely beloued sonne in the Lord, and vnderstanding so great ieopardy to hang ouer you.

But for as much as it is wrytte: Cry out and cease not, lift vp thy voyce like a trumpe, and declare to my people their wickednes, and their sinnes to the house of Iacob. Also, for as much as in Salomon it is commaunded, that the sluggishe person shoulde be stoned with the doung of Oxen: we haue thought good therefore, not to forbeare or support your stubbernes any lōger agaynst iustice and saluation. Neither that the mouth of the foresaid archbishop should be stopped from henceforth anye more: but that he may freely prosecute the charge of his office and duty, to reuenge with the sword of ecclesiasticall discipline, the iniuries both of himselfe, and of hys church committed to his charge.

And here I haue sent vnto you two legates, Petrus deponte dei, and Bernardus de Corilio, to admonishe you of the same. But if ye wil neither by vs be aduertised, nor geue eare to them in obeying: it is to be feared (doutles) least such things as they shall declare to you from vs in our behalfe, may happen and fall vpon you. Dated at Beneuent, the. ix. day before the Kalends of Iune.

To answer these letters agayne: there was an other certayne writing drawen out and directed to the Pope, made by some of the clergy, as it seemeth: but not without the consent of the king, as by title may appeare: inueighing and disprouing the misbehauiour of tharchbishop. The tenor wherof here foloweth, & beginneth thus

MarginaliaAnswere to the popes letter.>Time now requireth more to seke helpe then to make complaintes. For so it is now, that the holy mother church (our sinnes deseruing the same) lyeth in a daungerous case of great decay, whiche is like to ensue, except the present mercy of the Lord supporte her.

Such is the wickednes now of schismatikes: that the father of fathers Pope Alexander (for the defence of hys faith, and for the loue of ryghteousnesse) is banished out of his countrey: MarginaliaNay rather for false treason agaynst the Emperour hys prince.not able to kepe fre residence in his own proper see, by reason of the indurate hart of Fridericke the Pharao.MarginaliaFrederik falsely cōpared to Pharao, but thys was to clawe the pope withall.

Further and besides, the church also of Canterbury is miserably impaired and blemished, as wel in the spirituall as in the temporall estate: much like vnto the shyp in the Seas, beyng destitute of her guide, tossed in the floudes, and wrastelyng with the windes, while the pastor beyng absent from hys prouince dare not there remayne through the power of the king. Who beyng ouer wise, (to the ieoperdy both of him selfe, his churche, and vs also) hath brought and intangeled vs likewyse w^t him selfe in the same partakyng of his punishmentes and labours: not consideryng how we ought to forbeare, and not to resist superior powers. And also sheweth him selfe to vs vnkynd, which withall our affections beare the burden with him of hys afflictions, not ceasing yet to persecute vs whiche stande in the same condemnation with him. For betwixt hym, and our soueraigne prince, kyng of Englād a rose a certeine matter of contention: where vpon they were both agreed that a day should be appoynted, to haue the controuersy discussed by equity and iustice.

The day beyng come, the Kyng commaunded all the archbishops, bishops, and other prelates of the church to be called, in a great and solemne frequency: so that the greater and more generall this councel was, the more manifest the detection of thys stubburne malice should appeare and be espied.

At the day therfore aboue mentioned, this troubler of the realme and of the churche presenteth him selfe in þ^e sight of our Catholicke Kyng: who not trustyng the qualitie and condition of his cause, armeth hym with the armor of the crosse, as one whiche should be brought to the presence of a tyraunt. By reasō wherof þ^e Kings maiesty beyng some thyng a greaued (yet because he would be deliuered from all suspition) committeth the matter to þ^e hearing of the bishops. This done, it rested in the bishops to decise and cease this contention, and to set agreement betwene thē, remouyng all occasion of dissētion. Which thyng they goyng about: commeth in this foresayd archbishop, forbiddyng and cōmaundyng, that no man procede in any sentence of him before the Kyng.

This beyng signified to the kings hearyng, his minde was greuously prouoked ther by to anger: whose anger yet notwithstandyng had bene easely swaged, if the other would haue submitted him self, and acknowledged his default. But he addyng stubburnesse to his trepasse, through the quantitie and greatnesse of his exces, was þ^e autor of hys owne punishment: whiche now by the law ciuill he sustaineth, and yet shameth to craue pardon for his desertes at the Kynges hand: MarginaliaBecket a stubburn trespasser. Ergo no martyr.whose anger he feared not to sturre vp in such a troublesome time of the persecution of the churche, greatly agaynst the profite of the same: augmentyng and increasing therby the persecution whiche nowe the churche lyeth vnder. Much better it had bene for him to haue tempered hym selfe with the bridle of moderatiō in the high state of his dignitie: least in excedyng to farre, in straynyng the straite pointes of things by ouer much presūption (peraduenture through hys presumption beyng not in meane and tollerable thynges) might fall from higher. And if the detriments of the churche would not moue hym: yet the great benefites and prefermentes of richesse and honours ought to perswade him, not to be so stubburne agaynst the King. But here peraduenture hys frende & our aduersary will obiecte: that hys bearyng and submittyng to the Kyng in this behalfe, were preiudiciall agaynst the autoritie and see apostolicall: as though he did not or might not vnderstande, that although the dignitye of the church shoulde suffer a little detriment in that iudgement: yet he might and ought to haue dissimuled (for the time) to obtaine peace into the churche. He will obiect agayne alledgyng the name of a father, that it soundeth lyke a pointe of arrogancy, for children to procede in iudgemēt