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king and bifhop-s of England, in iffuing excommunications 

 agaiiift fcvcral ofiicers of tlie crown, and in threat-.ning tvcn 

 to excoinmiinicHltf the king himfclf. Notwithllanding a 

 fpiritf J remotitliancc addrtfled to Bccktt by the En^iilh 

 prelates, he ptrliHid in his piirpofe ; and communicated it 

 to the pope in a Ictttr, which rcprefented Hciu y as a cruel, 

 impious, unrcU-nting perfcculur, who had tried and con- 

 demned Chiiil at Northampton, in his pcrfon. Henry was 

 much alarmed ; and calUd a council of his barons and pie- 

 htes at CM'ion in Tonraiiie, to coniicitr what was to be 

 done for preventing his excommunication, or for guarding 

 agiinft its confefiutnccs. After along deliberation, it was 

 thought the mill exptdient to appeal to the pope. In th.e 

 mean while Henry fent orders to England to guard the fca- 

 coarts, and to lake other meafuics of precaution. AUnough 

 C;cket was prevented by the intcrpofition of the king of 

 France from executing his deligi. of excommunicating Henry, 

 he excommunicated his minillcrs and chief confidents, and de- 

 clared the impious conftitutions of Clarendon null and void, 

 abfolvtd all the bifliops of England from the -.inlcuvful oath 

 they had taken to obey them, and excommnnicated ?ll per- 

 fons who paid any regard to them. Upon thefc prefump- 

 tuous proceedings Henry threatened to expel all the monks 

 of the Cillercian order from his dominions, if they any longer 

 entertained his enemy the avchbilhop of Canterbury at Pon- 

 tigny ; upon which he removed to Sens about Martinmas 

 A.D. 1166, where an honorable afylum was provided for 

 him by the king of France. The pertinacity of Bcoket 

 rendered ineffectual for a long time all the eft'ortS of the Eng- 

 li(h prcfates, of the pope, and of the king of France, for 

 terminating the contention between him and the king of 

 England. At length, however, all preliminaries for a rtcon- 

 ciliation being adjulled by the papal nuncios, the archhilhop 

 wai condncltd in great ftate to an audience of his fovcreign, 

 nly 22. A.D. 1 170, in a meadow near Fretville, where the 

 "rench and Englilh courts, with a prodigious multitude of 

 people of all ranks, were alTembled. The conduft of the 

 king on this occafion was fingularly condefcending ; but 

 Bccket's lofty and refentfid temper was fo little imprcflcd by 

 it, that he returned Henry's civiUty and condcfccnfion with 

 complaints and remoniti-am-es. After a promife extorted 

 from the king to repair all tlie injuries which had been done 

 to the church, t!ie archbidiop dilmountcd in order to throw 

 himfelf at his feet ; but Henry prevented him, and Hooped 

 fo low as to hold his rtirrup, and alTiH him in re mounting. 

 This reconciliation, however, was far from being cordial, on 

 the part either of Henry or Bicket, and it was not hkcly to 

 be permanent. AVhilft the archbifhop was waiting at Whit- 

 fanj, a fea-port in Flanders, prcvioufly to his return to Eng- 

 land, he fent over three bulls, one for fiifpending the arch- 

 billiop of York, who had been employed in crowning the 

 joung king, and two for excommunicating the bilhops of 

 London and Salifhury, who had affilUd at this ceremony. 

 This conduft, v/hich was inexcufable at the moment when 

 he prttci.ded to return in peace, excited againll him univer- 

 fal indignation, and eventually proved the caufe of his ruin. 

 On his reaching the Englilh Ihore, attempts were made to 

 prevent his landing, and he was infnltcd by fome pcrfons in 

 arms, who commanded him in a threatening tone to .nbfolve 

 the cxcofnnuunicated bilhops. In his way to Canterbury he 

 was accompanied by a great multitude of peiple, and enter- 

 ed the city in a kuid of triumph amidit the acclam.ations of 

 his attendants. Soon after his arrival, application v/as made 

 to him for abfolving the bilhops whom he had l;fpetided and 

 excommunicated ; and the young king, who concurred in 

 t'le appluration, and who had ifTued an order for this piirpofe, 

 4ica« much. incc|ifcd at his refuLl, maic cfpcciully as die 



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ctnfures which he had inflifted on tliofe prelates who had' 

 affiled at his coro: ation fecmed to call in queftion its vali- 

 dity. In his progrefs from Cantcrbsvy to Woodftock, where 

 the young king relided, he was attended on his approach to 

 Lcn'don by prodigious crowds of people, and conduittd to his 

 lodgings in Southwark with loud acclamations ; in return 

 for which he fcattcrtd among the populace both money 

 and epifcopal benediflions. Here his vanity was mortified 

 by a mefTagc from the young king, forbidding him to 

 proceed any fui ther, or to enter any roy ;il town or caftl-, and 

 commarding him to return im.mediately to Canterbury, 

 and to confine himfelf within the precinfts of hU chinch. 

 After his return to this city, he found himfelf defertcd by 

 many of his friends, and received vcpoitr. of the infults they 

 fuifcred, and the depredations that were committed upon 

 his ciiates, fo that lie indulged gloomy apprihenfi.ms, and 

 faid to one of his chief confidents, " that he was now con- 

 vinccd this quarrel would not end without blood, but that 

 he was determined to die for the liberties of the church." 

 When the excommunicnted prelates arrived in Normandy, 

 and implored the prottftion of the king from the difgrace 

 and ruin with which they were threatened by the prinate, 

 the indignation of Henry was roufed, and in the moment of 

 intemperate paffion, he exclaimed, " ihall this fellow, who 

 came to court on a lame horfe, with all his eftate in a wal- 

 let behind him, tramp)e upon his king, the royal fam.ily, and 

 the whole kingdom ? Will none of all thole lazy cowardly 

 knights, whom I maintain, deliver me from this turbulent 

 prie'.l; :" This pnflionate exclamation made too deep an im- 

 preflion on thofe who heard it ; and particularly on four bo- 

 rons, who formed a refolution, either to terrify the archbi- 

 fliop into fubmiffion, or to ptithim to death. Accordingly, 

 having concerted their plan, they fet out for Canterbury by 

 different routes and arrived at a caftle about 6 miles from 

 the city on the iSth of December, A.D. 1 170; and on 

 the following day tliey proceeded to the city, and getting 

 admilnon into the archbilhop's apartment, they told Iwrn, 

 that tt'.ey were fent by the king with a command that he 

 fliould abfolve the prelates, and others whom he had ex- 

 communicated, and then go to Winchefttr, and make latif- 

 fadlion to the young king, whom he had endeavoured to de- 

 throne. Becket, after a violent altercation, in the courle of 

 which hints were given that his life was in danger if he did, 

 not comply, perfiiled in his refufal. Upon the departure 

 of the barons, one of them charged his fervants not to let 

 him flee ; to which Becket, who overheard them, replied with 

 great vehemence ; " flee ! I will never flee from any m.an. 

 living. I am not come to flee, but to defy the rage of im- 

 pious aff;iflins." Th.e barons, with their accomplices, finding 

 their threats ineffeftual, pnt cm their coats of mail ; and 

 taking each a fword in his right hand, and an ax in his left,, 

 returned to the palace, but found the gate fluit. When 

 they were preparing to break it open, Robert de Broc con- 

 dui^ted them up a back ftair-cafe, and let them in through a 

 window. A cry then arofe, " rhey are armed I thev are 

 armed I" on v.hich the clergy hurried the archbifhop almoft 

 by force into the church, hoping that the facrcdncfs of the 

 place would proteft him frcim violence. They would alfo 

 have flvut the door ; but he exclaimed " begone, vc cowards : 

 I charge you on your obcdier.ce, do not !hut the door. 

 What, make a caflle of a church !" The confpirators hav- 

 ing fearched the palace, came to the church, and one of 

 them exclaim.ing " Where is that traitor '. where is the arch- 

 bidiop?" Becket advanced boldly, and replied, " here I am, 

 an arclibifliop, but ' no traitor 1 — I am ready to fuffcr in the 

 name of him who redeemed me with h:S blood. God for- 

 l»;d shat> I foould fly for fear of ycur fwords, or recede 

 i. from 



