I haue, sithe my commyng ouer, sustained many iniuries and rebukes, concernyng both my selfe, my men, my cattel, my wynes, and other goodes: notwithstanding, the kyng (writing ouer to his sōne) required him that I should liue in safetie and peace: and now besides all other, you come hether to threaten me. To this Reginald aunswering againe sayd: if there be any that worketh you any iniury otherwise then right is, the law is open: why do you not complaine? To whom, sayd Becket, should I complaine? To the yong king said they. Then sayd Becket, I haue complayned inough if that would helpe, and haue sought for remedy at the kings handes, so longe as I could be suffered to come to hys speeche: but now seyng that I am stopt from that, neyther can finde redresse of so great vexations and iniuries as I haue and do daily sustaine: nor can haue the benefite of þ^e law or reason: Such right and law as an Archb. may haue that will I exercise: and let for no man. At these wordes one of thē bursting out in exclamation, cryed: he threatneth, he threatneth: what, will he interdict the whole realme, & vs altogether? Nay that he shall not sayth another, he hath interdicted to many already. And drawyng more nere to hym, they protested and denounced hym to haue spoken wordes to the ieopardy of hys owne head. And so departing in great fury and with many high wordes, rushed out of the dores: who by the way returning to the Monkes, charged them in the kings name to kepe hym forth commyng, þ^t he should not escape away. MarginaliaThe stoute hart of Becket.What quoth the Archb. thinke ye I wyll flee away? Nay neither for the king, nor for any man aliue, will I stirre one foote from you. No say they, thou shalt not auoide though thou wouldest. And so they departing with many wordes, the Archb. followeth them out of the chamber dore crying after them: here, here, here shall you finde me, laying his hand vpon his crowne.

The names of these foure soldiours aboue mentioned were these. 1. Reginald Bereson. 2. Hugh Morteuil. 3. William Thracy, and 4. Richard Brito: who going to harnesse themselues, returned the same daye agayne. But finding the hall doore of the palace of Canterbury shut agaynst 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 Church: who being perswaded by them, caused his crosse to be borne before him, and so through 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) the Archbishop would not suffer them. Marginalia1171.
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 sworde into the head. Who afterward flying into the North, at length with much ado obtayning their pardon of the pope (through the kinges procurement, as some stories recorde) went to Ierusalem.

Thus you haue heard the life and death of this Tho. Becket: MarginaliaWhat is to be thought or iudged of T. Becketof whom what is to be iudged, let his owne acts and factes declare. And albeit þ^e scripture ought to be onely the rule to vs to iudge all thinges by: yet if any shall require farther testimony (partly to satisfie their mindes therein) ye shall heare the iudgementes of certayne men, in yeares and times almost as auncient as himselfe, what they writ and affirme of him.

And first to beginne with the testimony of one of hys owne religion and also not farre (as it appeareth) from his owne tyme: MarginaliaWhat is to be thought whether T. beck. dyed a sainct or not.who writing of his martyrdome & myracles, thus testifieth of the iudgement and sentence of diuers cōcerning his promotion and behauiour. The chronicle being 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 foloweth in this maner: Nonnullis tamen id circa promotionem eius visum est minus canonicū, 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 locum 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 Latine ensueth, which for the English reader here followeth translated. MarginaliaThe promotion of becket iudged not canonicall.Diuers notwithstanding there be, which as touching his promotion suppose the same not to be canonicall. For that it was wrought rather by the instance of the kyng (thinking him to be a man ready and inclinable to his vtilitie) than by the assent either of þ^e clergie or of the people. Farther, it is noted in him for a point of presumption, and lacke of discretion: for that he beyng MarginaliaBecket charged with presumption and lacke of discretion.scarse worthy to take the Ore in hand and play the boteswane, would take vpon him to sit at the healme, and guide the ship: namely in that Church, where the Couent being in gesture and vesture religious, be wōt to haue their prelate taken out of the same profession. Where as he, scant bearing the habite of a Clerke, and going in his chaunges and softe apparell, is more conuersant amonge the delicate ruflers in the court, sauoring rather of worldly things: MarginaliaAmbition noted in Becket, in not refusing but taking his promotion.not refusing moreouer without any dread, to clime vp to the high preferment of such an holy dignitie, but rather wyllingly of his owne 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 said. Who am I Lord, þ^t I should goe to Pharao: & bring thy people Israell out of Egipt? And againe, I pray thee (saith he) O Lord: I am nothing eloquent, send him whom thou wilt send. Likewise Ieremias also being sent of the lord to prophecie against Ierusalem, was abashed to take the office vpō him, answering againe with much dread of hart, A, a, a, Lord, I cannot vtter my minde, for I am a childe.

MarginaliaByshops against their wils thrust into their byshoprickes.After like maner we read of the sainctes of the newe testament, wherof many were preferred oftē times to their bishoprickes, and functions of the Church by mere forcement and compulsion rather of other, then by theyr owne willes. So was blessed Gregory after his flight, and goyng away, brought backe agayne, and placed in the sea and chayre of Rome. Likewise S. Ambrose sore agaynst hys mynde, who also of purpose accusing and confessing hys owne defectes, because he would be repealed: yet by the cōmandement of Valentinian the Emperour was inforced to take the burden vpon him, which he could by no wise shake of. S. Martin in like sorte vnknowyng of any such matter: was circumuented by a certaine godly trayne and wile of the Citizens, before he could be brought to his consecration: which he did not so much take, as he was thrust into it, with much pensiuenes and sorrow of hart. By these and such other examples this Chauncellour likewise should haue rather excused himselfe as vnworthy and vnmeete for that rowme, shewyng himselfe more willing to refuse, then to take it. To the which, this Archbishop is iudged to do cleane cōtrary, &c. Hæc ex Chronico. Cui titulus. De passione & miraculis beatæ Thomæ.

And although scarcely any testimony is to be taken of that age (beyng all blinded & corrupt with superstition) yet let vs heare what Neuburgensis an aūcient historiographer sayth: who in þ^e dayes of þ^e sonne of this K. Hēry þ^e ij. prosecuting his history vnto kyng Richard the first, hath these woordes, writing of Thomas Becket: MarginaliaEx Chronico Neuburgēsis.Sane cum pleriq; soleant in his quos amant & laudant affectu quodam propensiori, sed prudentia parciori, quicquid ab eis geritur, approbare: plane ego in viro illo venerabili ea que ita ab ipso acta sunt, quum nulla exinde proueniret vtilitas sed feruor tantum accenderetur regius, ex quo tot mala postmodum pullulasse noscuntur, laudanda nequaquam censuerim, licet ex laudabili zelo processerint. MarginaliaActa Becketi improbata.Sicut in beatiss. apostolorū principe, quod gentes suo exemplo iudaizare coegit: in quo eum doctor gentium reprehensibilem declarat fuisse, licet eum constet laudabili hoc pietate fecisse. &c. That is in English.

Wheras many be wont, in them whom they loue or prayse (iudging them more by affectiō, then prudence) to allow and approue, whatsoeuer they do: yet for me to iudge vpon this reuerend man: verely I thinke not his doynges & actes to be prayse worthy, or to be allowed. For as much as therof came no vtilitie but only the anger and the styrring vp of the kyng, wherupon afterward sprong so great mischiefes (although the thing that he did might proceede of a certaine laudable zeale) lyke as in the blessed Prince of the Apostles, in that he taught the Gentiles by his example to play the Iewes: Paul the Doctour of the Gentiles, did declare him therin to be rebukeable: albeit it cannot be denied, but that he did it of a good affection &c. And in the same author, in an other place it followeth to the like effect, in these wordes: Litteras has in Angliam ad suspensionem Episcoporum præmissas ipse sequebatur, zelo iustitiæ feruidus, verum an plene secundum scientiam nouit deus: Nostræ enim paruitati nequaquā conceditur de tanti viri actibus temere iudicare. Puto enī quòd in molli adhuc teneraque regis concordia minus prouide egisset, & ea quæ sine fidei Christianæ periculo tolerari potuissent, ratione temporis & compensatione pacis dissimulanda dixisset, iuxta illud propheticum: prudens in tempore illo tacebit, quia tempus malum est. Itaque, quod a venerabili pontifice tunc actum est, nec laudandum esse iudico, nec vituperare præsumo: sed dico si vel modice in huiusmodi a sancto viro per zeli immoderatiorem impetum est excessum, hoc ipsum est sacræ, quæ consecuta nosci-