Farther and besides, the Church also of Canterbury is miserably impayred and blemished, as well in the spirituall as in the temporall estate: much lyke vnto the shyp in the Seas, beyng destitute of her guide, tossed in the floudes, and wrastelyng wyth the windes, while the pastor beyng absent from hys prouince dare not there remayne through the power of the kyng. Who beyng ouer wise, (to the ieoperdy both of hymselfe, hys Church, and vs also) hath brought and intangeled vs likewise with himselfe in the same partaking of his punishmentes and labours: not considering how we ought to forbeare, and not to resist superior powers. And also sheweth himselfe to vs vnkinde, which with all our affections beare the burden with him of his afflictions, not ceasing yet to persecute vs which stand in the same condemnation wyth him. For betwixt him, and our soueraigne prince, kyng of England arose a certaine matter of contention: whervpon they were both agreed that a day should be appoynted, to haue the controuersie discussed by equitie and iustice.

The day being 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 councell was, the more manifest the detection of this stubburne malice shoulde appeare and be espyed.

At the day therfore aboue mentioned, this troubler of the realme and of the Church presenteth himselfe in the sight of our Catholicke Kyng: who not trusting the qualitie and condition of his cause, armeth hym with the armour of the crosse, as one which should be brought to the presence of a tyraunt. By reason wherof, the kings maiesty being something agreaued (yet because he would be deliuered from all suspition) committeth the matter to the hearing of the Bishops. This done, it rested in the bishops to decise and cease this contention, and to set agreement betwene them, remouing all occasiō of dissention. Which thing they going about: commeth in this foresaid archbyshop, forbidding & commaunding, that no man proceede in any sentence of him before the kyng.

This being signified to the kynges hearing, his mynde was greuously prouoked therby to anger: whose anger yet notwithstanding had bene easely swaged, if the other would haue submitted himself, and acknowledged his default. But he adding stubburnesse to his trespasse, through the quantitie and greatnesse of his excesse, was the autor of hys owne punishment: which now by the law ciuill he sustaineth, and yet shameth to craue pardon for his deserts at the kinges hand:MarginaliaBecket a stubburne trespasser. Ergo no martyr.whose anger he feared not to sturre vp in such a troublesome time of the persecutiō of the church, greatly agaynst the profite of the same: augmenting and increasing therby the persecution which now the Church lyeth vnder. Much better it had beene for hym to haue tempered hymselfe wyth the bridle of moderation in the high state of his dignitie: least in exceeding to farre, in strayning the straite pointes of thinges by ouer much presumption (peraduenture through his presumption beyng not in meane and tollerable things) might fall from higher. And if the detriments of the Church would not moue hym: yet the great benefites and prefermentes of riches & honours ought to perswade him, not to be so stubburne agaynst the king. But here peraduenture his frend and our aduersary will obiecte: that his bearing and submitting to the king in this behalfe, were preiudiciall against the autoritie and sea Apostolical: as though he did not or might not vnderstand, that although the dignitie of the Church should suffer a little detriment in that iudgement: yet he might and ought to haue dissimuled (for the time) to obtaine peace into the Church. He will obiect againe alleaging the name of father, that it soundeth like a poynt of arrogancie, for children to proceede in iudgement of condemnation agaynst the father: which thing is not conuenient. But he must vnderstand againe: that it was necessary that the obedience and humilitie of the children should temper the pride of the father: least afterward, the hatred of the father might redounde vpon the children. Wherfore, of these premises your fatherhoode may vnderstand: that the action of this our aduersary ought to fall downe (as voide and of none effect) who onely vpon the affection of malice hath proceded thus against vs, hauing no iust cause nor reason to ground vpon.

And forsomuch as the care and charge of all churches (as ye know) lyeth vpon vs: it standeth vs vpon, to prouide concerning the state of the Church 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 and of the laity (belyke) in excommunicating such as he tooke to be his euill willers.

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

MarginaliaA letter of Becket to the byshop of Norwyche.HE byndeth himselfe to the penalty of the crime, who soeuer receiuyng power and autoritie of God, vseth and excerciseth not the same with due seruerity, in punishing vice: but (winckyng and dissimulyng) doth minister boldnes to wicked doers, maintayning them in their sinne. For the bloud of the wicked is required at the hand of the Priest, which is negligent or dissembleth. And as the scripture sayth, thornes and brambles grow in the handes of the idle dronkard. Wherfore, least (through our to much sufferaūce and dissemblyng) the transgressions of manifest euill doers should also be layd to our charge, and redounde to the destruction of the Church through our gilty silence: We therfore (followyng the autoritie of the Popes commaundement) haue layd our sentence of curse and excommunicatiō, vpon the Earle Hugo: commaundyng you through out all your Dioces publickely to denounce the said Earle as accursed: so that (accordyng to the discipline of the Church) he be sequestred from the fellowshyp of all faythfull people. Also, it is not vnknowen to your brotherhode, how lōg we haue borne with the transgressions of the Byshop of London. MarginaliaThe byshop of London excommunicated.Who (amongest other his factes) I would to God were not a great doer and fautor of this schisme, and subuerter of the right and liberties of holy Church. Wherfore, we (being supported with the autoritie of the Apostolike sea) haue also excommunicated him, besides also the bishop of Salesbury: because of his disobedience and contempt: MarginaliaThis bishop was excommunicated because he set in the Deane of Salesbury wythout the licence of him beyng then beyond the seas.and others likewise (vpon diuers and sundry causes) whose names here follow subscribed. Hugo Bernardes sonne, Radolph of Brocke, Robert of Brocke a clerke, Hugode of S. Cleare and Letardus a clerke of Northfolke, Nigellus of Scachanal, and Richard Chaplein, William of Hasting, and the Frier which possesseth my Church of Monchote. We therfore, charge & cōmannde you by the autoritie Apostolicall and ours, and in the vertue of obedience, and in the perill of saluatiō, and of your order: that ye cause these openly to be proclaymed excommunicate thoroughout all your Diocesse, and to commaunde all the faythfull to auoyde their company. Fare ye well in the Lord. Let not your hart be troubled, nor feare: for we stand sure through the assistaunce of the Apostolike sea (God beyng our borow) agaynst the pretensed shiftes of the malignaunt sorte, and agaynst all their appellatiōs. Furthermore, all such as haue bene solemnely cited of vs: shall sustaine the like sentence of excommunication (if God wil) in the Ascēsion day: vnlesse they shal otherwise agree with me. That is to witte: Geffray Archdeacō of Canterbury and Robert his vicare, Ryce of Wilcester, Richard of Lucy, William Gifferd, Adā of Cheringes, with such other mo: which either at the commaundement of the kyng, or vpon their owne proper temerity haue inuaded the goods and possessions either apperteinyng to vs, or to our Clerkes about vs. With these also we do excommunicate all such as be knowen either with ayde or counsell to haue incensed or set forward the proceedyng of our Kyng agaynst the liberties of the Church, and 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 you well agayne and euer.

Hetherto hast thou seene (gentle reader) diuers and sundry letters of Thomas Becket, wherby thou mayst collect a sufficient history of his doynges and demeanour (though nothyng els were sayd further of hym) concerning his lusty and hauty stomacke, aboue that beseemed either his degree or cause which he tooke in hand. And here peradventure I may seeme in the story of this one man to tary to long, hauyng to write of so many others better then it: yet for the weaker sort (which haue coūted him, and yet do count him for a saint, hauyng in themselues litle vnderstandyng to iudge or discerne in the causes of men) I thought to adde this letter more, wherin he complaineth of his kyng to a forren power: doyng what in him did lye, to styrre vp for his own cause mortall warre to the destruction of many. For sup