the tyme of the kynges beyng in Ireland) the B. of Londō and Ioceline B. of Salisbury, had sent to Rome, and procured their absolution from the Pope. The king returning out of Ireland by Wales into England, and from thence to Normandy: there made hys purgation before the popes legates, as touching the death of the foresayd Becket: to the which he sware he was neither aidyng nor consentyng, but onely that he spake rigorous wordes agaynst hym for þ^t his knights would not auenge hym against the said Thomas. For the which cause, this penance was enioyned him vnder his othe. MarginaliaThe kynges penance for the death of Becket.First, that he should send so much to the holy lande, as would finde two C. knightes or souldiors for the defence of that lande.

Also, that from Christmas day next following, he shold set forth hys owne person to fight for the holy land þe space of 3. yeres together: vnlesse he should be otherwise dispensed withall by the Pope.

Item, that if he would make his iorney into Spain, (as hys present necessitie dyd require) there he to fight against the Sarasens: And as long tyme as he should there abide, so long space might he take in prolongyng his iorney toward Ierusalem.

Item, that he should not hinder nor cause to be hindred by hym, any appellations made to the Pope of Rome.

Item, that neither he nor hys sonne, shoulde depart or disseuer from Pope Alexander, or from hys catholike successors: so long as they should recount hym or his sonne for kings catholike.

Item, that the goodes and possessions taken from the Church of Canterbury, should bee restored agayne (fully and amply) as they stoode the yeare before Thomas Becket departed the Realme, and that free libertie should be graunted to all such as were outlawed for Beckets cause to returne agayne.

Item, that the foresaid customes & decrees by him established against þ^e church, should be extinct and repelled (such only except, that concerned hys owne person) &c. besides other secret fastinges and almes enioyned hym.

All these former conditions, the kyng with his sonne dyd both agree vnto: debasing hymselfe in such sorte of submission before the two Cardinals: by the occasion wherof, the Cardinall toke no little glory, vsing this verse of the psalme: Qui respicit terram, & facit eam tremere: qui tangit montes & fumigant. MarginaliaEx quadritogo.That is, which looketh vpon the earth, and maketh it to tremble: which toucheth the hils, & they smoke &c. Moreouer, it is mentioned in histories of the sayd king: that a little after William kyng of Scots wyth his army had made a rode into the realme, he returning out of Normandy into England, came first to Canterbury: MarginaliaK. Henry the 2. goeth on pilgrimage with bloudy steps to Tho. Becket.
Ex Roger Hovedeno & quadrilogo & alij.who by the way (so soone as he came to the sight of Beckets church) lightyng of hys horse and putting of his shoes, went barefoote to hys tombe: whose steppes were found bloudy through þ^e roughnes of þ^e stones. And not only that, but also receuied farther penaunce by euery mōk of the cloyster certayne discipline of a rod. By which so great deiectiō of the kyng (if it were true) thou mayest see the blynde and lamentable superstition and ignorance of those dayes. If it were pretensed (as might so be in tyme of warre, to get the hartes of the people) yet mayest thou learned Reader see, what slauery kings and princes were brought into at that tyme, vnder the Popes Clergy. MarginaliaAn. 1174.
The citie of Canterbury almost consumed with fire.
Ex Houedeno parte. 1. continuatæ historiæ.The same yere (as Houeden writeth) which was 1174. the whole citie of Canterbury was almost all consumed with fire, & the said minster church cleane burnt.

MarginaliaAn. 1175.
Controuersie betwene the sea of Cant. and the sea of Yorke.The next yeare ensuyng, which was 1175. a conuocatiō of bishops was holdē at Westminster by Richard Archbishop of Cant. In which conuenticle, all the byshops and Abbots of the prouince of Canterbury and of Yorke beyng present, determined (as it had done a litle before in kyng Henry, 1. dayes, an. 1113.) about the obedience that Yorke should do to Canterbury. That is, whether the Archbishop of Yorke might beare hys crosse in the diocesse of Cāterbury or not: wherof somethyng was touched before in the former processe of this history. Also about the bishopricke of Lincolne, of Chichester, of Worcester & of Hereford: whether these churches were vnder the iurisdiction of the see of Yorke or not, &c. MarginaliaArchbyshop of Yorke appealed the Archb. of Cāterbury to the byshop of Rome.Vpon these and other lyke matters: rose such controuersie betwene these ij. seas, that the one appealed the other to the presence of the bishop of Rome.

In these and such cases lyke, how much better had it bene, if the supremacy had remayned more nere in þ^e kinges hands at home, wherby not onely much labour and trauayle had bene saued, but also the great and wastful expenses bestowed at Rome, might with much more fruite and thanke haue bene conuerted to their cures and flockes committedvnto them, and also percase their cause no lesse indifferently heard (at lest more spedely might haue bene decided) but to the purpose agayne. MarginaliaThe clerkes of S. Oswald in Glocester excommunicated.In thys controuersie, dyuers of the bishop of Yorkes Clergy (such as were of Gloucester, belongyng to the Church of S. Oswald) were excommunicate by the Archb. of Cant. because they beyng summoned, refused to appeare before hym, &c. At length the same yeare followyng, which was 1175. There was a Cardinall sent downe from Rome by the kinges procurement: who studied to set peace betwene the two Archbishops. MarginaliaAgrement betwene the Archb. of Cant. and of Yorke.Wherupon, this way of agreement was takē (by the meanes of the kyng) at Winchester: that as touchyng the church of S. Oswald at Glocester, the Archbyshop of Caunterb. should cease of hys clayme therof, molestyng the see of Yorke no more therein. Also should absolue agayne the Clerkes therof, whome he had excommunicated before. And as concernyng the bearyng of the crosse and all other matters: it was referred to the Archbyshop of Rhotomage, and of other Byshops of Fraunce: so that for fiue yeares a league or truce was taken betwixt them, till they should haue a full determination of theyr cause.

Marginalia1176
Iustices of assise deuided into vi. circutes.The next yere followyng, the foresayd king Henry the 2. (deuidyng the realme of England into 6. partes) ordeyned vpon euery part. 3. Iustices of Assise. The circuit or limitation of which Iustices was thus disposed. The first vpon Northfolke, Suffolke, Cantebridgeshire, Huntendunshire, Bedfordshyre, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire. 2. Vpon Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshyre, Derbishyre, Stamfordshyre, Warwickshyre, Northamptōshyre, Leicestershyre. 3. Vpon Kent, Surrey, Southamptonshyre, Southsaxe, Barkeshire, Oxfordshyre. 4. Vpō Herefordshyre, Gloucestershyre, Wircestershyre, Salops shyre. 5. Vpon Wiltshyre, Dorcetshyre, Sommersetshyre, Deuōshyre, Cornwall. 6. Warwickshyre, Richmondshire, Lancaster, Copland, Westmerland, Northumberland, Cumberland.

MarginaliaEx Epitome Math. Parisiensis & aliarum historiarum.In the which yeare also, Richard Archb. of Canterbury made 3. Archdeacons in hys dioces, where as before there was but one. About which tyme also it was graūted by the kyng to the Popes Legate: that a Clearke should not be called before a temporall iudge, except for offence in þ^e forest, or for his lay fee that he holdeth.

Item, that no Archbishoprike or bishoprick, nor abbey should remayne in the kings handes ouer one yeare without great cause. MarginaliaA friuolous contētion betwene the Archb. & the abbot of Canterbury. Where was here the precept of the gospell: he that will be greatest amongst you, let him be an vnderling to other.It chaunced the same yere that this was done: there was at Caunterbury, one elected to be Abbot in the house of saint Austen named Albert: who made great labour and sute vnto the Archb. that he would come to hys Church and there consecrate hym Abbot of S. Austens. To whom the Archb. sent word agayne, that he was not bound to come to hym but rather the other should repayre to the Metropolitane Church of Canterbury, there to receiue hys consecration. Whereupō (controuersie rising betwene them) the foresayd new Elect appealed vp to the audience of the Pope, and so laboured vp hymselfe to Rome. Where, he so handled the matter, (by what meanes I cannot tell, vnles with hys golden bottle wherwith he quenched the popes thirsty soule, for Abbots neuer trauel lightly without fat purses to Rome) that with short dispatche he procured letters from Alexander the Pope, to Roger bishop of Worcester: MarginaliaThe tenor of the popes letter to the byshop of Worcester.Signifieng to hym, that he had geuen in charge and commaundement to the Archb. of Cant. (in the behalfe of his deare sonne Albert) that he should consecrate hym within hys owne monastery: which monasterie properly and solie without mediation, belonged to the iurisdiction of Rome: and so likewise should do to his successors after hym, without any exaction of obedience of thē. Which thyng further he sayd if the Archbish. would refuse to do, within the terme appoynted: that then he the foresayd B. of Worcester (should by the autoritie committed vnto him) execute the same in all maner of appellation or other decree whatsoeuer should come, that notwithstanding. This letter beyng obtayned, the Abbot (that would be,) returneth home supposing with hymselfe all thinges to be sure. The archb. vnderstandyng the case: and seeyng hymselfe so straightly charged, and yet lothe to yeld and stoupe to the Abbot, tooke to him pollicy where autoritie would not serue: and both to saue hymselfe, and yet to disappoint the Abbot, he watcheth a tyme when the Abbot was about businesse of hys house. And commyng the same tyme to the monastery (as he was commaunded to do) with all thinges appointed, þ^t to such a busines appertayned: called for the Abbot, pretendyng no lesse but to geue hym hys consecration. The Abbot beyng called for, was not at home. The Archb. fayning hymselfe not a little agreued at his labour & good will so lost: departed, as one in whom no redy diligence was lac-