On the second day after this scene, the Bishop of London, having returned from his manor of Stebonheth (or Stepney), assembled his clergy and read the Archbishop's letters before them. He protested against the sentence on many and various grounds, citing the Old Testament and the New, Fathers and Councils, the Civil Law and the False Decretals. He insisted on his appeal and on the informality of pronouncing sentence without citation and trial-an informality, he said, which could not be excused by the difficulty of serving a citation on him, since the Archbishop had found means of conveying the letters of excommunication, which was a far more difficult and dangerous matter. He declared that he owed no obedience to the see of Canterbury, inasmuch as he had not at his translation taken any oath to the Archbishop, and because, moreover, London was of right an independent archiepiscopal see, as it had been until the ancient British Christianity was overwhelmed by a heathen invasion. It is said by Becket and his partisans that the Bishop even went so far as to boast that he would get the Primacy transferred from Canterbury to London.a By the advice of his friends, however, he resolved to yield a formal obedience to the sentence, and refrained from taking part in the offices of the Church." The London clergy, in general, joined with the Bishop in a ii. 223; iii. 125, 203, 339; iv. | episcopari non potest, archiflam225; vi. 236; Fitzst., i. 256. John inis saltem nomen et titulum asseof Salisbury here amuses himself quatur" (ii. 212, ed. Giles). Becket with the archflamen theory (see in vain tried to stir up the Canterp. 94). "Fortasse vir prudens bury monks against the Bishop of et religiosus Jovis cultum instaur- London's pretensions. are disponit, ut, si alio modo archi b Fitzst., i. 258; Diceto, 550. appealing against his excommunication, but the members of his own order excused themselves from supporting him. The King wrote letters in his behalf to the Pope, as did also the Bishop of Lisieux, the Abbots of Westminster, Romsey, and Reading, with other ecclesiastics, representing his merits and vindicating his conduct,b and, having obtained the royal licence, he set out for Rome, in order to sue for a reversal of his sentence; while Becket, on his part, endeavoured to create a rival interest by procuring letters from the French bishops, in which the Pope was requested to sanction the sentence against "the author and instigator of schism." c On the same day on which the letters of excommunication were delivered in St. Paul's, Becket himself was busy elsewhere in adding to the list of the excommunicate. The Archdeacon of Canterbury ("archidiabolus noster") was again denounced on this occasion.a The Pope was much annoyed on hearing of Foliot's excommunication. Before the tidings reached March 10. him, he had (chiefly by way of staving off the importunities of opposite parties) appointed Gratian, a subdeacon, nephew of Pope Eugenius III., and Vivian, Archdeacon of Orvieto, a learned canonist, to go into France as his commissioners; and he now sent Becket a letter, expressive of regret that he had resorted to excom a iv. 227. b Epp. 337, 341-3, 348, 350, 353, 363, 450, 477, &c. Arnulf., Ep. 55. Fol. Epp. 443, 447, 461, &c. C d In Epp. 36, 56, Becket begs two cardinals, if Foliot and Ridel should find their way to the Papal Court, to treat them " as limbs of f See Morris, 257 and note. munication while negotiations were in progress, and advising that further proceedings should be deferred until the result of the commission were known." C Early in August, the envoys arrived in France; for, says Herbert, as they were less encumbered with dignity and with baggage than the Cardinals, they were able to travel more expeditiously. With Becket's party, Gratian was the favourite. He is described by Herbert as "truly gracious, according to his name, and, moreover, more vivacious than Vivian;" nay, the biographer considers him a very prodigy, inasmuch as "although a Roman, yet he went not after gold;"" while the Archbishop speaks of him as the only Roman ecclesiastic whom Henry found incorruptible, or whose exertions were of any service in the case. These commissioners, it is said, were bound by oath not to accept any present, even so much as their expenses, from the King, unless they should succeed in establishing an accommodation. After having seen the King of France, and having waited some time at Sens, as Henry was then in Gascony, the legates, on hearing of his return, proceeded into Normandy, and had several conferences with him, most of which ended in some outbreak of passion on the King's part. At the first consultation Henry rushed out of the room, complaining bitterly that the Pope had never paid any regard to him, and swearing "By God's eyes, I will take another way. "Do not threaten, my Lord," said Gratian calmly; "for we are of a Court which is accustomed to give commands to emperors and kings." At another meeting Henry exclaimed "Do what you like, for I don't care one egg for you or your excommunications;" and mounted his horse with the intention of riding away. At the entreaties of his bishops, who represented the impropriety of such a speech, he remained, but in the course of the further conversation he repeatedly burst forth into fresh explosions of anger. The bishops implored him to consider the extent of the powers with which the legates were invested. "I know it," he exclaimed; "I know that they will interdict my lands. But if I can take one of the strongest castles every day, shall I not be able to take one clerk who interdicts my lands?" a There were offers of conciliation from both sides: it was agreed that such of the excommunicates as were present should be absolved at once, and that Vivian should go into England for the absolution of the others; and at length the long quarrel appeared to be on the point of settlement. But in the arrangement of terms, the old differences broke out afresh, as Henry insisted on the words "saving the dignity of the kingdom," while Becket and the commissioners were equally earnest for the reservation of "the dignity of the Church;" and neither party would give way. It was b a Thom., Ep. 383. b The word dignities had now been substituted for customs (iii. 155); but John of Salisbury strongly declares the identity of what was meant. (Ep. 291.) c Vivian represents himself, his colleague, and the Archbishop as willing to admit the King's phrase, provided that the King would evident that in these phrases the whole grounds of the original quarrel were involved; and after a further attempt to treat with the King by means of Peter, Archdeacon of Pavia, who was driven from the Court with threats of personal violence, Gratian, in despair of an accommodation, returned to Rome, declaring himself (it is said) to be utterly disgusted at Henry's faithless and untrustworthy character.b Vivian, who was supposed to have substantial reasons for being more favourable to the King, remained behind, and entered into fresh negotiations, for which the Archbishop was but little disposed to thank him. The commissioner and King Louis, however, persuaded Becket to admit the other, and thus throws | imus plurimum," he adds, “præthe odium of preventing an accom- sertim quum constet nobis pro modation on Henry. (Ap. Thom., certo, quod in observatione regiæ Ep. 360.) But Becket himself says dignitatis libertas aut dignitas that Gratian persuaded the King ecclesiastica, nullatenus prægraveto admit the ecclesiastical reser- tur. Siquidem dignitas ecclesiasvation, which his "grammarians" tica regiam provehit potius quam had told him that he might allow adimit dignitatem, et regalis digwithout giving up the power of nitas ecclesiasticam potius conrestraining the clergy from ap- servare quam tollere consuevit pealing to the Pope, or obeying libertatem; etenim quasi quibuspapal citations (Ep. 138); and if dam sibi invicem complexibus digso, the obstacle must have been on nitas ecclesiastica et regalis octhe Archbishop's side. The Arch- currunt, quum nec reges sine ecbishop of Rouen (who is com- clesia nec ecclesia pacem sine promended by Becket's informant as tectione regia consequatur." (iv. having at the conference studied 150-1; comp. a letter from the to please God and the Pope, while Bishop of Nevers to the Pope, Arnulf of Lisieux strove to flatter S. T. C., vi. 227; Diceto, 551.) Henry, iv. 281) tells the Pope that he and others had in vain laboured to obtain the admission of the royal dignities. "Dolu a S. T. C., iv. 58, 220; Gervas., 1407. b Herb., vii. 283. с Ep. 173. |