it appeareth wel by your own wordes, that it pleaseth you right wel (in contempt and contumely of the kings maiesty) to sequester his bishops from their ministerye, who at the commaundement of the king did seruice in the coronation of his sonne. And seing ye haue so presumed this to stand against the exaltation of this our souerayne, our new king: it semeth likely that you aspired to take his crowne from him, and to bee exalted kyng your selfe. I aspire not, sayd he, to the crowne and name of the king: but rather if I had 4. crownes (to geue him more) I would set them all vpon him: such good wyll I do beare him, that onelye (his father the king excepted) there is none, whose honour I more tēder and loue. And as concerning the sequestring of those Bishops, thys I geue you to vnderstand: that nothing was done in that behalfe, without the knowledge and assent of the kyng himselfe. To whom when I had made my complaynt, at the feast of Mary Magdalen, of the wrong and iniurye done to me and my churche therein: he gaue me hys good leaue to obtayne at the Popes hand suche remedy therein as I could, promising moreouer his helpe to me in the same. What is this, ф they, that thou sayest? Makest thou the king a traytor, and bewrayer of the kyng his own sonne? that when he had commaunded the Byshops to crowne hys sonne, he would geue thee leaue afterwarde to suspende them for so doing? Certes it had been better for you not to haue accused so the kyng of this prodition. The archb. said to Reginald, that he was there present at that tyme, and hearde it him selfe. But that he denied, and swore it was not so: and thinke you (say they) that we the kinges subiectes will or ought to suffer this? And so approching nearer to him, sayde: he had spoken inough against his own head. Whereupon followed great exclamation & many threatning words. Then sayd the archb. I haue, sithe my comming ouer, sustained many iniuries and rebukes, concerning both my selfe, my men, my cattel, my wynes, & other goods: notwithstanding, the king (writing ouer to his sonne) required him that I should lyue in safety and peace: & now besides all other, you come hether to threaten me. To this Reginald answering againe sayde: if there be anye that worketh you any iniurye otherwyse then right is, the law is open: why do you not complaine? To whom, sayd Becket, should I complayne? To the young kyng sayd they. Thē said Becket, I haue complayned inough if that would helpe, and haue sought for remedye at the kinges handes, so longe as I coulde be suffered to come vnto his speeche: but nowe seyng I am stopt from that, neyther can finde redres of so great vexations and iniuries as I haue and do dayly sustaine: nor can haue the benefit of the law or reason: Such right and lawe as an archb. may haue, that will I exercise: and let for no man. At these wordes one of them bursting out in exclamation, cryed: he threatneth, he threatneth: what, wyll he enterdict the whole realm, & vs altogether? Nay that he shal not saith another, he hath interdicted to many already. And drawing more nere to him, they protested & denounced him to haue spoken wordes to the ieopardye of his owne head. And so departing in greate furie and with many hygh wordes, rushed out of the doores: who by the way returning to the Monkes, charged them in the kinges name to keepe him foorth comming, that he should not escape away. MarginaliaThe stoute hart of Becket.What ф archbishop, thinke ye I will flee away? Nay neither for the king, nor for anye man aliue, will I styr one foote from you. No say they, thou shalt not auoyd though thou wouldest. And so they departing with many wordes, the archbishop foloweth them out of the chamber doore crying after them: here, here, here shall you finde me, laying his hand vpon hys crowne.

The names of these foure soldiours aboue mencioned were these. 1. Reginald Bereson. 2. Hugh Morteuil3. William Thracy, and 4. Richard Brito: who going to harnes them selues, returned the same daye agayne. But finding the hall doore of the palace of Canterbury shut against them: they went to an inward backe doore leading into the Orcharde: there brake they vp a wyndow and opened the doore, and so insued into the place. The Monkes (being about Euensong time) had got the archbishop into the churche: who beyng perswaded by them, caused his crosse to be borne before him, and so throughe the cloyster (by a doore which was broke vp for him) proceeded into the quire. The harnest men following after, at length came to the church doore: which doore the Monkes would haue shut against them, but (as the story saith) tharchbishop would not suffer them. MarginaliaAn. 1171
The death of Tho. Becket.So they approching into the church, and the bishop meeting them vpon the stayres, there was slayne: euery one of the foure soldiours striking him with his sword into the head. Who afterward flyeng into þ^e North, at lēgth with muche ado obtayning their pardon of the Pope (through the kinges procurement, as some stories recorde) went to Ierusalem.

Thus you haue heard the lyfe and death of thys T. Becket: MarginaliaWhat is to be thought or iudged of T. Becketof whom what is to be iudged, let his own acts and factes declare. And albeit the scripture ought to bee onely the rule to vs to iudge all thinges by: yet if anye shall require farther testimony (partlye to satisfie theyr mindes therein) ye shall heare the iudgementes of certayne men, in yeares and tymes almost as auncient as hymselfe, what they write and affirme of him.

And fyrst, to beginne with the testimony of one of his owne religion and also not farre (as it appeareth) from his owne tyme: MarginaliaWhat is to be thought whether T. becket died a sainct or not.who writing of his martyrdom and miracles, thus testifieth of the iudgement and sentence of dyuers concerning his promotion & behauor. The chronicle beyng written in Latine, and hauing the name of the autor cut out, thus beginneth: Quoniam vero multi, &c. And in the first booke, cap. 8. it followeth in this maner: Nonnullis tamen id circa promotionem eius visum est minus canonicum, quod ad eam magis operata est regis instantia, quam cleri vel populi vota. Præsumptionis quoq̀ vel indiscretionis fuisse notatum est, quod qui remum tenere vix idoneus videbatur, primum gubernaculi locū suscepit, &c. & mox: magis etiam secularia tum sapiens, tam sanctum tantæ dignitatis fastigium non horrens renuisse, sed vltroneus ascendisse creditus. Aliter dei amicus Moses, &c. With much more as in Latin ensueth, which for the english reader here followeth translated. MarginaliaThe promotion of becket iudged not canonicall.Dyuers notwithstāding there be, which as touching his promotion suppose the same not to be canonicall. For þ^t it was wrought rather by the instance of the kyng (thynkyng him to be a man ready and inclinable to his vtilitie) thā by the assent eyther of the cleargy or of the people. MarginaliaBecket charged with presumption and lacke of discretion.Farther, it is noted in him for a pointe of presumption, and lacke of discretion: for þ^t he beyng scarse worthy to take the Ore in hand and play the boteswane, would take vpon him to sit at the healme, and guide þ^e ship: namely in that church, where the couent being in gesture and vesture religious, be wont to haue their prelate taken out of the same profession. Where as he, scant bearing þ^e habite of a clerke, and goyng in his chaunges and softe apparell, is more conuersant among the delicate ruflers in the court, sauoryng rather of worldly thinges: MarginaliaAmbition noted in Becket in not refusing but taking hys promotion.not refusyng moreouer w^tout any dread, to clyme vp to þ^e high prefermēt of such an holy dignitie, but rather willingly of his own accorde to aspire vnto it. Moses, we read, did otherwise, who being the frende of God and sent of him to conducte his people Israell out of Egipt, trembled at the message, and sayd. Who am I Lord, þ^t I shoulde go to Pharao, & bring thy people Israell out of Egipt? And agayn, I pray thee (saith he) O Lord: I am nothing eloquent, send him whom thou wilt send. Likewise Ieremias also beyng sent of the lord to prophecy against Ie-