B E C 



888 



BEC 



Heecles, 

 lieckct. 



BECCLES, a market town in the county of Suf- 

 folk, situated on the river Waveney. As Beccles 

 has neither the advantage of the mail nor of turnpike 

 roads, uo trade of any importance is carried on in this 

 place. The town consists of severs] stre\ ts, which 

 converge into a spacious area, and is adorned with an 

 elegant Gothic church, which commands a delightful 

 view of the windings of the river Waveney. Population 

 2788, of whom 453 were returned as employed in trade. 

 Number of houses 601. (j ) 



BECKET, Thomas a, archbishop of Canterbury, 

 was the son of Gilbert Becket, sheriff of London, 

 and was born in that city A. D. 1119. Being des- 

 tined for the church, he prosecuted his studies at 

 Oxford with great assiduity and success ; from thence 

 he was removed to Paris, and then went to study the 

 civil and canon law at Bologna. Endowed with great 

 natural abilities, and possessing industry sufficient to 

 bring them into exercise, he had attracted the regard 

 of Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, who, pleased 

 with his great proficiency in knowledge, and his grace- 

 ful appearance, received him into his confidence, and 

 gave him early testimonies of his affection and friend- 

 ship. He conferred upon him the prebends of Lon- 

 don and Lincoln, and afterwards promoted him to the 

 archdeaconry of Canterbury. Becket had been em- 

 ployed by his patron in some important negociations 

 at the court of Rome, which he conducted with such 

 dexterity and success, that Theobald recommended 

 him in the strongest terms to the protection and fa- 

 vour of Henry II. That monarch, already prepos- 

 sessed in his favour, from his having been instrumen- 

 tal in procuring from the pope those prohibitory let- 

 ters against the coronation of prince Eustace, which 

 tended so much to his advancement, listened with sa- 

 tisfaction to the recommendation of the archbishop ; 

 and scarcely was Henry seated on the throne, than 

 Becket was raised to the chancellorship of England, 

 the first civil office in the kingdom. This sudden ex- 

 altation was only a prelude to farther honours. Be- 

 sides a number of ecclesiastical benefices, he had se- 

 veral baronies, which had been escheated to the 

 crown ; he was made provost of Beverley, dean of 

 Hastings, and constable of the Tower ; and, to com- 

 plete his grandeur, he was entrusted with the educa- 

 tion of prince Henry, the heir-apparent to the throne. 

 The whole weight of public affairs had devolved up- 

 on Becket, and he executed them entirely to the sa- 

 tisfaction of Henry. His extraordinary merit had 

 gained him the confidence of his sovereign, and, by 

 his lively conversation and agreeable manners, he had 

 insinuated himself into his affection and esteem. In 

 all his actions he appeared to have his master's in- 

 terest at heart ; and during his relaxation from busi- 

 ness, he was in general the companion of his amuse- 

 ment?. Becket had laid aside almost entirely the ha- 

 bit and manners of an ecclesiastic. He lived in the 

 most sumptuous and luxurious stile. His house was 

 daily crowded with the chief nobility of the kingdom ; 

 and his magnificent entertainments, and pompous re- 

 tinue, had never been equalled by any subject. The 

 greatest barons were proud of his attention and friend- 

 ship, and the king himself was frequently found at 

 the table of the chancellor. He entered with spirit 

 into all the exercises which were practised by the 



6 



most accomplished cavaliers. Horsemanship and hunt- 

 ing were his frequent amusements, and he even de- 

 lighted in military fame. He attended the king in 

 In, wars at Thoulouse with 700 knights at his own 

 charge, and acquired considerable renown in the va- 

 rious actions in which he was engaged. In short, 

 Becket was regarded as the gayest courtier of his 

 time, the chief favourite of his prince, and the second 

 peraea m the kingdom. 



Henry had observed, with a jealous eye, the usur- 

 pations of the clergy, and from th" commencement of 

 his reign, had shewed a fixed determination to main- 

 tain his authority, and to repress every encroachment. 

 The death of Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, 

 appeared a favourable opportunity for setting bounds 

 to their power, by appointing to that high dignity a 

 creature of his own, upon whose devotion he could 

 depend, and from whom he might fear no opposition 

 to his measures. The eyes of Henry were immediate- 

 ly turned upon Becket, from whom he had received 

 many proofs of attachment ; from whose gratitude he 

 expected the most entire submission ; from whose abi- 

 lities he looked for assistance and support ; and whose 

 freedom from superstition pointed him out as the 

 fittest person for governing the church in tranquillity. 

 Becket was accordingly nominated to the vacant see, 

 and was consecrated at Canterbury, June 6th 1162. 

 But the flattering prospects of Henry received thci 1 ' 

 death-blow from the very hands by which he expect- 

 ed they were to be realised. The ambition of Becket 

 had risen with his fortunes ; his high spirit had es- 

 caped from the controul of civil authority ; and from 

 being the dependant of his sovereign, and the creature 

 of his will, he now arrogated to himself the powers 

 of an equal. His accession to the primacy was im- 

 mediately followed by a complete change in his de- 

 meanour and conduct. The luxurious dainties of h:s 

 table were excluded for the meagre diet of a recluse ;. 

 bread and water with unsavoury herbs ; his splendid 

 apparel was replaced by sackcloth and vermin ; and 

 the gay exercises and sports of a cavalier, were ex- 

 changed for the conversation of monks, and the fla- 

 gellations of pennance. In imitation of our Saviour, 

 he daily, on his knees, washed the feet of thirteen 

 beggars, whom he afterwards dismissed with pre- 

 sents ; and the vulgar were excited to reverence and 

 admiration by the numerous charities, and the abste- 

 mious severity of the holy primate. His first step 

 was to break off all connection with Henry, by re- 

 turning into his hands the commission of chancellor ; 

 and he entered upon the functions, of his sacred office, 

 with the fixed purpose of defending its prerogatives, 

 and of resisting every measure which appeared dero. 

 gatory to his dignity, or subversive of his power. 

 Not content, however, with acting upon the defensive, 

 he was the first who provoked hostilities, by his ar- 

 bitrary conduct, and illegal persecutions. The most 

 scandalous irregularities prevailed among the lower 

 order of ecclesiastics. Crimes of the deepest dye* wen- 

 daily committed with impunity ; and even in cases of 

 rape and murder, the offenders were screened by the 

 archbishop from the' punishment of the civil law. He 

 would suffer no interference with the privileges of 

 the church ; and when commanded by Henry to re- 

 voke a bull of excommunication, he insolently re- 



BecVct. 



