of condempnation agaynst the father: whiche thyng is not conuenient. But he must vnderstand agayne: that it was necessary that þ^e obedience and humilitie of the children should tempere the pride of the father: least afterward, the hatred of the father might redounde vpon the children. Wherfore, of these premisses your fatherhoode may vnderstand: that the action of this our aduersarie ought to fall downe (as voyde & of none effect) who onely vpon the affection of malice hath proceded thus against vs, hauing no iust cause nor reason to groūd vpō.

And forsomuch as the care and charge of all churches (as ye know) lieth vpon vs: it stādeth vs vpon, to prouide concernyng the state of the churche of Canterbury, by our diligence and circumspection: so that the sayd church of Canterbury through the excesse of his pastor, be not driuen to ruine or decay.

By this Epistle it may appeare to the reader therof, that Becket (beyng absent from England) went about to worke some trouble agaynst certaine of the clergy & of the laity (belike) in excōmunicatyng such as he tooke to be his euill willers.

Now to vnderstand further what his working was, or who they were whom he did excommunicate: this letter (sent to William bishop of Norwige) shall better declare the matter.

MarginaliaA letter of Becket to the byshop of Norwyche.HE bindeth him selfe to the penalty of the crime, who so euer receiuyng power and autoritie of God, vseth and excerciseth not the same with due serueritie, in punyshing vice: but (wincking and dissimulyng) doth minister boldnes to wicked doers, maintaining thē in their sinne. For the bloud of the wicked is required at the hand of þ^e priest, which is negligent or dissembleth. And as þ^e scripture sayth, thornes and brambles grow in the handes of the idle dronkard. Wherfore, least (through our to much sufferaunce and dissemblyng) the trāsgressions of manifest euil doers should also be layd to our charge, and redound to the destruction of the church through our gilty silēce: We therfore (following the autoritie of the popes commaundement) haue layd our sentēce of curse and excommunication, vpon the Earle Hugo: commaundyng you through out all your dioces publickely to denounce the sayd Earle as accursed: so that (accordyng to the discipline of the churche) he be sequestred from the fellowship of all faithfull people. Also, it is not vnknowen to your brotherhoode, how long we haue borne with the transgressions of the byshop of London. MarginaliaThe bishop of London excommunicated.Who (amongst other his factes) I would to God were not a great doer and fautor of this schisme, and subuerter of the ryght & liberties of holy church. Wherfore, we (being supported with the autority of the Apostolike see) haue also excommunicated him, besides also the bishop of Salesbury: because of his disobedience and contempt: MarginaliaThis bishop was excōmunicated because he set in the deane of Salesbury without the licence of him being then beyond the seas.and others lykewise (vpon diuers and sundry causes) whose names here follow subscribed. Hugo Bernardes sonne, Radolph of Brocke, Robert of Brock a clerke, Hugode of S. Cleare and Letardus a clerke of Northfolke, Nigellus of Scachanal, and Richard Chaplein, William of Hasting, & the frier which possesseth my churche of Monchote. We therfore, charge and cōmannde you by the autority Apostolicall and ours, and in the vertue of obedience, and in the perill of saluation, and of your order: that ye cause these openly to be proclaimed excommunicate thoroughout all your diocesse, and to commaunde all the faithfull to auoyde their company. Fare ye well in the Lord. Let not your heart be troubled, nor feare: for we stand sure through the assistaunce of the Apostolike see (God beyng our borow) agaynst the pretensed shiftes of the malignant sorte, and agaynst all their appellations. Furthermore, all such as haue bene solemnly cited of vs: shall sustaine the like sentenceof excommunication (if God wil) in the Ascension day: vnlesse they shall otherwise agree with me. That is to witte: Geffray archdeacon of Can-terbury and Robert his vicare, Ryce of Wilcester, Richard of Lucy, William Gifferd, Adam of Cherynges, with such other mo: whiche either at the commaundement of the Kyng, or vpon their owne proper temerity haue inuaded the goodes and possessions either apperteinyng to vs, or to our clerkes about vs. With these also we do excōmunicate all such as be knowen either with aide or counsel to haue incensed or set forwarde the precedyng of our Kyng agaynst the liberties of the church, & exilyng of the innocentes. And such also as be knowen to impeche or let by any maner of way the messengers (sent either from the pope, or from vs) for the necessities of the church. Fare ye well agayne and euer.

Hetherto hast thou sene (gentle reader) diuers & sundry letters of Thomas Becket, wherby thou maist collect a sufficient history of his doyngs & demaner (though nothing els were sayd further of him) concerning his lusty and hauty stomacke, aboue that beseemed either hys degree and cause which he tooke in hand. And here peradture I may seme in the story of this one man to tary to long, hauing to write of so many others better then it: yet for the weaker sort (which haue counted him, and yet do count him for a sainct, hauyng in themselues little vnderstanding to iudge or discerne in the causes of men) I thought to adde this letter more, wherin he complaineth of hys kyng to a forren power: doing what in him dyd lie, to sturre vp for his owne cause mortall warre to the destruction of many. For, suppose wrong had bene offred him of hys Prince: was it not inough for hym to flye? What cause had he for his owne priuate reuenge, to set potētates in publike discord? Now hauing no iust cause but rather offring iniurie in a false quarel, so to cōplayn of his prince: what is to be sayde of this, let euerye man iudge, which seeth this letter.

MarginaliaA seditious cōplaynt of Becket to the pope against his king.A mantissimo patri & D. Alexandro dei gratia summo pont. Thomas Cant. ecclesiæ humilis minister debitā & deuotam obedientiā. In english thus.

To our most louing father and Lord, Alexander by the grace of God bishop: Thomas the humble minister & seruant of the church of Cant. due and reuerend obedience. Long inough and to long most louing father haue I forborne, stil looking after amendment of the kyng of England. But no fruite haue I reaped of this my long patience. Nay rather, whilest that vnwisly I do thus forbeare: I augment and procure the detriment and deminishing of my autoritie as also of the church of god. For oftentimes haue I by deuout and religious messengers inuited him to make conding satisfaction as also by my letters (the copies wherof I haue sent you) intimate and pronounced, gods seuerity and vengeance against hym vnlesse he repent and amend. But he (that notwithstanding) groweth from euil to worse: oppressing and conculcating the church & sanctuary of God: persecuting both me & those which take parte with me: In so much that with fearefull threatning wordes his purpose is to terrify such, as (for gods cause and myne owne) seeke anye way to relieue and help me. He wrote also his letters vnto the abbot of the Cicisterciā order, that as he fauoured the abbacie of that his order which was in his power said he, that he would not accept me into þ^e fellowship therof, nor do any thing els for me. What should I vse many wordes? So much hath þ^e rigour and seueritie as well of the King as of his officers vnder our patience & sufferaunce shewed it self: that if a great number of mē ye and that of the most religious sort should shewe vnto you the matter as it is in deede (and that vpon their othe taken) I partly doubt whether your holines would geue credite vnto them or not. With heauines of mynd ther-