in hys Realme: the French kyng vtterly denied the kings requeste, takyng parte rather wyth the Archbyshop then with hym.

Besides these quarels and grudges betwixt the kyng and the Archbishop aboue mentioned: there followed yet moreouer another, which was this. MarginaliaAn. 1170.Shortly after this cōmunication recited betwene the kings and Becket: þ^e king of England returnyng againe from Normandy to england (which was the yeare of our Lord. 1170 and the 16. yeare of his raigne) about Midsomer, kept hys court of Parliament at Westminster. In þ^e which Parliament he (through the assent both of the Clergy, and the Lordes temporall) caused hys sonne Henry to be crowned kyng. Which coronation, was done by the handes of Robert Archb. of Yorke with the assistānce of other bishops ministring to the same: as Gilbert of Londō, Goceline of Salisbury, Hugo of Duresme and Gualter of Rochester. By reason wherof, Becket of Cant. beyng there neither mentioned nor called for, tooke no little displeasure: and so dyd Ludouike the French kyng, hearyng that Margaret hys daughter was not also crowned with her husband. Wherupō, he gatheryng a great army forthwith marched into Normandy. But the matter was soone composed by the king of England: who sending hys sonne to hym into Normandy, intreated there and concluded peace with hym: promising that hys sonne should be crowned againe, and then hys daughter to be crowned also. But the Archb. not ceasing his displeasure and emulation, sent vnto the Pope complainyng of these foure bishops, especially of the Archb. of Yorke: who durst be so bold in hys absence and without hys knowledge or his licence, to intermedle to crowne the kyng, beyng a matter proper and peculiar to hys iurisdiction. MarginaliaThe Byshop of London excommunicated with foure other Byshops suspended.At the instance of whom, the pope sent downe the sentence of excommunication against þ^e B. of London. The other 3. bishops with the Archb. of Yorke he suspended: whose sentence and letters therof, for auoyding prolixitie, I here omit.

Besides these foresayd bishops excommunicated, diuers other clerkes also of the court he cited to appeare before him by vertue of hys large commission which he gate from the Pope, to whom they were bound to obey, by reason of their benefices: And some he commaunded in vertue of obediēce, to appeare in paine of forfeting their order and benefices. Of which, when neither sort would appeare, he cursed thē openly. And also some lay mē of the court & the kinges familiars: some as intruders, and violent withholders of church goods, he accursed: as Richard Lucy, and Iocelin Balliot, and Rafe Brocke, which toke bels and goodes that belonged to the Church of Canterbury, and Hugh Sainctclere, and Thomas the sonne of Bernard, and all that should hereafter take any Church goods without hys consent, so that almost all the court was accursed eyther by name, or as partakers.

This beyng done, the Archb. of Yorke wyth the foresaid bishops, resorted to the king with a greuous cōplainte: declaring how miserably their case stode, and what they had susteined, for fulfillyng of his commaundement. The kyng hearing this, was highly moued as no maruell was. MarginaliaThe cause of the kynges wrath agaynst Becket.But what remedy? The tyme of the ruine of the Pope was not yet come? and what Prince then might withstand the iniurious violence of that Romish Potestate?

In the meane season, the French kyng for hys parte, his Clergy, and courtiers, slackt no occasion to incite and sollicite Alexander the Pope against the king of England, to excommunicate hym also: seking therby and thinking to haue some vantage against the realme. Neither was the king ignoraunt of this, which made hym more redy to apply to some agrement of reconciliation. At length commeth downe from the Pope two Legates (the Archb. of Rotomage, and the bishop of Nauerne) with direction & full commission, either to driue the king to be reconciled, or to be interdicted by the Popes censures out of the churche. The kyng vnderstanding himselfe to be in greater straites then he could auoyde: at length (thorough the mediation of the French king, and of other prelates and great princes) was content to yeld to peace and reconciliation with the Archb. whom he receiued both to his fauour, and also permitted & graunted him free returne to hys Church agayne. Concerning his possessions and landes of the Church of Cant. although Becket made great labour therfore: yet the kyng (beyng then in Normandy) would not graunt him, before he should repaire to England, to see how he would there agree with his subiectes.

MarginaliaBecket returneth out of banishment.Thus, peace after a sort concluded betwene the king & him, the Archb. after sixe yeares of his banishment, returned to England: where he was right ioyfully receiued of the Church of Cant. albeit, of Henry the yong king he was not so greatlye welcomed. In so muche that comming vp to London to the kyng, he was returned back to Canterburye and there byd to keepe his house. Roger Houeden maketh mention in his Chronicle, that the archbyshop (vpon Christenmas day) did excōmunicate Robert de Broke, for cutting of the tayle of a certaine horse of his the day before. MarginaliaEx Rogerio Houedeno.In the meane time, the four byshops before mentioned, whom the archbyshop had excōmnicate, sent to him hūbly desiring to be released of their censure. To whom, when þ^e archbyshop would not graunt clearlye and simplye, without cautels and exceptions: they went ouer to the kyng, declaring to hym and complayning of their miserable state, and vncurteous handling of the archbyshop. Wherupon þ^e king conceyued great sorrowe in his mynde, and displeasure toward the party. Insomuche, that he lamented oft & sundry times to thē about hym, MarginaliaThe wordes of the king: which were the cause of Beckets death.that (amōg so many þ^t he had done for) there was none that would reuenge him of his enemie: by the occasion of which wordes, certaine that were about the kyng (to the number of foure) hearing him thus to cōplaine and lament: addrest themselues in great heate of hast, to satisfie the agreeued mynde and quarel of their prince. Who within foure dayes after the sayd Christenmas day (sayling ouer to England, and hauing a forward and a prosperous wynde in their iorney, being in the deepe of winter) came to Caunterbury, where Becket was commaunded to keepe. MarginaliaIf the Papistes wyll needes measure the successe of thinges by seasons & wether: then must they by that reason condemne the cause of Becket, hys aduersaries hauing such forwardnes of wether, in doyng their feate.After certayne aduisement and consultation had among themselues: they preased at length into the palace where the Archbyshop was sitting with his company about him: first to assay hym with wordes, to see whether he would relent to the kynges minde, and come to some conformitie. They brought to hym (sayd they) commaundement from the kyng: which whether he had rather openly there in presēce, or secretly to be declared to him, they bad hym chuse. Then the company being byd to auoyde, as he sat alone, they sayd: you are commaunded from the kyng beyond the sea, to repayre to the kyng here his sonne, and to do your duty to hym: aunswering to him your fidelitle, for your baronage and other thynges, and to amend those thynges wherein you haue trespassed agaynst hym. Whereupon, the archbyshop denying to sweare, and perceiuing their intent, called in his company agayn: and in multiplyng of wordes to and fro, MarginaliaThe talke betwene the foure souldiers and Tho. Becketat length they came to the Byshops which were excommunicate for the Coronation of the kyng: whom they commaunded in the kynges name, he should absolue and set free agayne. The archbyshop answered, that he neither suspended nor excommunicated them, but the Pope: wherfore, if that were the matter that greued them, they should resort to the Pope, he had nothing to doe with the matter. Then sayd Reignald, one of the foure: although you in your owne person did not excommunicate them, yet through your instigation it was done. To whome the archbyshop sayd agayne: and if the Pope (sayd he) tendring the iniuries done to me and to my Church, wrought this reuenge for me: I confesse it offendeth me nothing. Thus then (sayd they) it appeareth well by your owne wordes, that it pleaseth you right well (in contempt and contumely of the kinges maiesty) to sequester his byshops from their ministery, who at the commaundement of the kyng did seruice in the coronation of his sōne. And seing ye haue so presumed this to stād agaynst the exaltation of this our soueraigne, our new king: it semeth likely that you aspired to take his crowne frō him, and to be exalted kyng your selfe. I aspire not, sayd he, to þ^e crowne & name of þ^e kyng: but rather if I had 4. crownes (to geue him more) I would sett them all vpon hym: such good will I do beare hym, that onely (his father the kyng excepted) there is none, whose honour I more tender and loue. And as concerning the sequestring of those Byshops, this 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 complaint, at the feast of Mary Magdalen, of the wrong and iniury done to me & my church therein: he gaue me his 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, quoth they, that thou sayest? Makest thou the kyng a traytor, & betrayer of the king his owne sonne? that when he had cōmaunded þ^e bishops to crowne hys sonne, he would geue thee leaue afterward to suspend thē for so doing? Certes it had been better for you not to haue accused so the kyng of this prodition. The archb. sayd to Reginald, that he was there present at that tyme, and hard it himselfe. But that he denyed, and swore it was not so: and thinke you (say they) that we þ^e kings subiectes will or ought to suffer this. And so approching nearer to him, sayd: he had spoken inough agaynst hys owne head. Whereupon followed great exclamation and many threatning wordes. Thē sayd the archb.