B E C 



year ty the oppofition of the emprefs Maud, the king's mo- 

 ther, and of the clergy and bifhops of England. But Hen- 

 ry's rL-fohition was fixed, and his fondnefs for his favourite 

 overcame all remonftrancts ; fo that Beckct, being tirft or- 

 dained prieft, was confecrattd at Canterbury, June 6, 1 162. 

 As foon as Becket found himfelf firmly feated in the archi- 

 cpifcopal chair of Canterbury, lie fuddenly changed his whole 

 mode of life, and from being the gayelt and moll luxurious 

 courtier, he became the moll aullere and fulemn monk. 

 Without the king's previous knowledge of his intention, and 

 vei7 much to his fuipnfe and dilTatii>fa;tion, lie i\"figncd the 

 office of chancellor. Before the king's return to England in 

 1 16^, he had received fo many complaints of the ftventies of 

 the new primate, that he became fenfible, when it was too 

 late, that he h*ad made a wrong choice. In his interview 

 with Beckct at Southampton, it was obferved by the whole 

 court that his affection was cooled ; and he foon after 

 manifelled his diffatisfaction with the conduct of the primate, 

 by obliging him, much againll his inclination, to relign 

 the archdeaconry of Canterbury. In 1163, Becket at- 

 tended a council, fummoned at Tours by pope Alex- 

 ander III., where he v/as treated by the pope and car- 

 dinals with particular refpeA ; and where, it is probable, he 

 was animated by the pope in his defign of becoming the cham- 

 pion of the liberties of the church, and the immunities of the 

 clergy. It is, however, certain, that foon after his return lie 

 began to profecute this delign without his former referve ; 

 and the zeal which he manifelled produced an open breach 

 between him and his fovereign. Henry was determined to 

 be the fovereign of all his fubjefts, clergy as well as laity ; 

 to oblige them to obey his laws, or to anlwer for their difo- 

 bcdience in his courts of juftice. Becket, on the other hand, 

 maintained, that the clergy were fubjeftonly to the laws of the 

 church, and were to be judged only in fpiritual courts, and to 

 punilhed only by ecclellalhcal cenfures. In order to bring 

 this queftion to a fpeedy ilTue, which the licentioufnefsof the 

 olergy, and the atrocious crimes committed by fomeof them 

 at this time, rendered abfolutely neceffary, a council of the 

 clergy and nobility was fummoned at Weftminllcr ; and at 

 this council the king required that the archbifhop and other 

 bifliops would confent to deliver to his officers a clerk, who 

 was degraded for any crime, in order to his being punilh- 

 ed for it according to the laws of the land. This re- 

 queft was reafonable ; but the primate's influence refilled 

 the demand ; aad the council broke up in confufion. Al- 

 though Becket folemnly promifed and fwore, in the words 

 of truth, and without referve, to obey the laws and cuf- 

 toms, commonly called the "conllitutions of Clarendon," 

 which reduced ecclefialHcsof all denominations to a due fub- 

 jeftion to the laws of their country, and rellricled the immuni- 

 ties of the clergy; he foon began to exhibit figns of repentance, 

 by extraordinary adls of mortification, and by difcontinuing 

 the performance of the facred offices of his function ; and he 

 obtained from the pope a bull, releafing him from the 

 obligation of his oath, and enjoining him to refume the 

 duties of his facred office. Fearful however of the king's 

 indignation, he determined to retire privately out of the 

 kingdom ; but being prevented from making his efcape by 

 contrary winds, he returned to Canterbury ; and aftcr- 

 tvards waited upon the king at Woodllock, to fipphcate 

 forgivenefs for attempting to leave the kingdom without 

 his permiffion. The king received him without any other 

 expreffion of difpleafure, befides afliing him, " if he had left 

 England becaufc he thought it too little to contain them 

 both?" This interview was foon fucceededby frelh aggref- 

 fions on the part of Becket, which induced the king to ium- 

 mon a parliament at Northampton, OiSt. 17, 11641 which 



EEC 



unanimoufiy found the primate guilty of contumacy, in re- 

 fufing to attend the king's court when he was fummoned, 

 and fentenced him to forfeit all his goods and chattels. He 

 was alfo required to rcftore a fum of 50c/. which the king 

 had lent to him, when he was chancellor, and to render an 

 account of 250,000 matks, which he had received from va- 

 cant benefices. Thefe demands were of fo ferious a na- 

 ture, that, though he appealed to the pope, many of Ivis 

 cpifcopal brethren deferted him through fear, and urged 

 him to refign lis office, afluring him that if he did not 

 he would be tried for perjury and high treafon. The ba- 

 rons llkewife became loud and vehement in their claaiours 

 againll him, fo that Becket thought it mod prudent to leave 

 the kingdom. Accordingly he left Northampton at mid- 

 night, accompanied only by two rronks, and travelling on 

 foot and by night, he arrived at Lincoln, ^nd from thence 

 he palled by water to a folitary ifiand, where he remain- 

 ed till an opportunity offered of paffing over to Flanders. 

 Some fay that he travelled to Sandwich, and hi'ed a filh- 

 iiig boat to convey him to Boulogne. However that be, 

 he retired to the monaftery of Saint Bertin. Upon his 

 retreat, the king confifcated the revenues of the archbi- 

 fhopric, and fent ambalTadors to the king of France, and 

 the carl of Flanders, dilTuading thefe princes from afford- 

 ing Becket flielter in their dominions. The ambafladors 

 met with a cold reception at the French court at Com- 

 peigne, and were told by Lewis, who was a fuperftitious 

 bigot, and a great admirer of Becket, that he would pro- 

 tect the perfecuted prelate with all his power. They then 

 proceeded to Sen?, where the pope rcfided, who aftei admit- 

 ting them to an audience, and confulling his cardinals, in- 

 formed them, that no anfwer could be given to their peti- 

 tion till the archbilhop had been heard. Becket, as foon as 

 he was allured of the favour and proteftion of the king of 

 France, paid him a vifit at SoilTons, where he was affeftion- 

 ately received, and urged to accept an order on the royal 

 treafuiy for evei-y thing he needed during his flay in France. 

 From SoilTons he proceeded with a numerous retinue for 

 Sens, which he entered in a kind of triumph, and here the 

 pope treated him with the greattll refpefl and kindnefs. 

 At a folemn council of all the cardinals and prelates, he was 

 feated at the pope's right hand, and allowed to keep his feat 

 while he explained his caufe. Having produced, in the 

 courfe of an artful fpeech, a copy of the conllitutions of 

 Clarendon, fcvcral of which were direftly calculated toabridge 

 the power of the pope and cardinals, the whole alTeiKbly ex- 

 preffed their abhorrence of them in the ftrongeft terms, and 

 at the fame time paffing the highell encomiums on the arch- 

 bilhop, declared that his caufe was the caufe of God and the 

 church, and that he ought to be fupportcd. Becket, with 

 a view of farther ingratiating himfelf with the pope, refigned 

 his archbhhopric into his hands, wrhich, however, the pope, 

 with the advice of his cardinals, immediately reftored to 

 him, appointing him a refidence in the abbey of Pontigny in 

 Burgundy. 



When the ambalTadors returned to England, and made 

 their report, Henry was highly offended both with the pope 

 and the archbilhop ; and in token of his refentment prohi- 

 bited the payment of peter-pence, and commanded ail clerks 

 who prefumed to appeal to the pope to be imprifoned. Ht 

 alfo commanded all the goods and revenues of the archbi- 

 fhop, and of all the clergy who adhered to him, to be fciz- 

 ed ; and proceeded to confifcate the eftates, and to banifh 

 the perfons of all the primate's friends, retainers, and rela- 

 tions, to the number of about 400. Becket, during his 

 refidence at Pontigny, employed himfelf in exercifes of 

 devotion, and alfo in writing expofiulatory letters to the 



M 2 king 



