trust in you) should thus as the reporte is rebell and stir his people against him. Ye and further, that (asmuch as in you lieth) you went about to disherite hym, & depryue him of his crowne. Vpon the occasion werof, I send vnto you our trusty and familier seruaunt Laurēce archdeacon, by whom I pray you that I maye vnderstande your mind herein, and good will toward my sonne: and how you meane to behaue your selfe (if my prayer and petition may be heard of him in your behalfe) towarde his grace. But this one thing I assure you of, that vnles it be through your great humility and moderation (euidently in you appearing) you cannot obtayne the fauor of the kyng. Herein what you meane to do, I pray you send me worde by your proper letters and messengers.

JF the kyng of Englād had bene an idolater, couetous an adulterer, an incest, a murderer, wyth such like: thā the zeale of this Archbishop (threatnyng the kyng & such as tooke hys part) had deserued prayse in this epistle, & the scripture would haue borne him out therin. For these and such causes, should bishops prosecute the autority of the Gospel against all persons. But the matter standing onely vpon church goods, libertye (or rather licentiousnes of priestes) makyng of Deanes, titles of churches, superioritie of crowning the king, with such other: to stand so stiffe in these, is not to defend the church: but to rebell against the kyng. Againe, if the principles which he groūdeth here vpon were true: to wytte that the pope were to be obeyed before princes: that the libertie of the churche standeth vpon the immunitie of priestes exempted from princes lawes: or vpon ample possessions of the churche: or that the popes law ought to preuaile in all forren coūtreys: and to binde all princes in their owne dominions: or that the sentence of the pope and his popelings (how, or by what affection soeuer it is pronounced) may stande by the vndoubted sentence of God: Then all the arguments of this epistle doo procede and conclude wel. But if they stand not ratified vpon gods worde: but shakyng vpon mans traditions: Then whatsoeuer he inferreth or concludeth therupon (his assumpt being false) can not be true, accordyng to the schoole saying: One inconuenience beyng graunted in the beginnyng, innumerable follow therupō. So in this epistle it happeneth as is aboue noted, that the Maior of this man is true, but the Minor is cleane false, and to be denied.

MarginaliaAn. 1169But to proceede farther in the order of the historye: After these letters sent to and fro (the yere of the Lorde 1169) which was the. 15. of the raigne of Henry the second: The kyng misdoubting and fearyng with himself that the archbishop would proceede (or exceede rather) in his excommunication against his own person (to preuēt the mischief) made his appeale to the presēce of the pope: requiring to haue certain legates sent downe frō Rome from the popes side, to take vp the matter beewene the archbishop and him: requiring moreouer þ^t they mighte also be absolued, that were interdicted. Wherupon, two Cardinals (beyng sent from Alexāder the pope w^t letters to þ^e kyng) came into Normandie: where they appointed þ^e archbishop to mete thē before þ^e kyng vpon s. Martins day. But the archbishop (neither agreeing with the day nor place) delaid hys commyng to the eight day after: nether would any further goe thē to Grisorsiū. Where (þ^e two Cardinals and the Archbishop w^t other byshops conuenting together) had a certayne intreatye of peace and reconciliation, but came to no conclusion. The contents of which intreatie or action (because it is sufficiently cōteyned in the Cardinals letters, who were called Gulielnius and Otho, writen to the pope) it shal require no further labour, but to shew out the words of þ^e letter, where the summe of the whole may appeare. The wordes of þ^e letter be these.

WIlliam, and Otho, Cardinals of the church of Rome, to Alexander the pope, &c. Commyng to the land of the kyng of Englād, we found the controuersie betwixt him and the archbishop of Cant. more sharpe and vehement thā we would. MarginaliaBecket styrring vp the French king agaīt the king of England.For the kyng and the greater parte of thē about him said, that þ^e archbishop had sturred vp þ^e French kyng greuouslye against hym. And also, the erle of Flaunders his kinsman (who bare no displeasure to hym before) he made his open aduersary ready to warre against him, as is by diuers euidences moste certaine. Thus whē we came to Cadomus first to þ^e kings speach, we gaue the letters of your fatherhoode to his handes: which after that he had receiued & considered (bringyng forth withal other letters receiued from you before, somthing diuers and alteryng from these which he receuyed of vs) was moued and stirred with no litle indignation, saying: that the Archbishop after our departure frō you, had receiued of you other contrary letters, by the vertue wherof he was exempted from our iudgement: so that he shoulde not be compelled to aunswere vs. Moreouer the said kyng to vs added and affirmed (and so dyd þ^e bishops there present testifieng the same) that cōcerning the old and auncient customes of his progenitors. (wherof complaint was made to you) all that, for þ^e most parte was false and vntrue which was intimate to you. Offring farther to vs, that if there were any such customs or lawes in hys time that semed preiudiciall or disagreble to the statutes of the church: he would willinglye bee content to reuoke and disanul the same. Wherupō, we with other archbishops, bishops, and Abbots of the land (hearing the king so reasonable) laboured by all means we might that the kyng should not vtterly breake from vs, but rather shoulde incline to vs to haue the matter brought before vs betwixt him and the forenamed archbishop: By reason wherof, we directed out our owne chaplens with letters vnto hym, appointing him bothe tyme and place where safely he might meete wyth vs in the feast of S. Martin. Neuertheless, he pretendyng certaine excuses made his dilatories, driuyng of the tyme from the daye of S. Martine to the octaues followyng: which thyng sturred the kynges hart more then is to be thought.

Thus, although we offred to the archbishop safe cōming, yet when he refused to meete vs in þ^e borders of the kyng: we to satisfy his minde, condescended to mete him within the land of the Frēch kyng, in the place where he hym selfe appoynted: bycause there should be not let in vs wherby to stoppe his profit. MarginaliaA communication betwene Bec. and the Cardinals.After we had entred communication, we began to exhort hym (all that we could) to submit and humble hym selfe to hys soueraigne and kyng, who had heaped him with such benefites and dignities: wherby matter might be geuen vs to further occasion of reconciling them together. He being thus moued and exhorted by vs, departed aside to consult with hys counsel vpon the matter. At length after counsel taken, he cōmeth agayn aunsweryng in this maner. That he would submit and humble him self to the kyng. MarginaliaBeckets additions.Saluo honore dei, & ecclesiæ libertate, salua etiam honestate personæ suæ, & possessionibus ecclesiarum: & amplius, sua & suorum in omnibus salua iusticia. That is sauyng the honour of God and the liberty of the church: sauyng also the honesty of my person, and the possessions of churches: and moreouer, sauyng the iustice of hym and of all his in all things. &c. After which communication had among vs: we moued and required hym more instantly, þ^t he would come to the speciallities: when as yet he had brought nothing in, either whiche was certaine or particuler. Likewise we demaūded of him, if he would in all such things conteined and comprehended in our letters, stand & submit him selfe to our letters, so as the kyng & the byshops before were contented to do. To the whiche he aunsweryng agayne sayd, that he had receiued from you a com