which rendered it useless for his purpose, and indignantly returned it to the Pope." In the mean time the Primate's enemies were not idle. Herbert of Bosham divides them into three species, which he compares respectively to gnats, bees, and scorpions; and to these he afterwards adds "fat bulls of Basan"-the hostile bishops,-with their "calves," or clerks. The gnats and bees buzzed into the royal ears all manner of rumours unfavourable to Becket; and in consequence of these stories, apparently, Henry refused to see him when he presented himself at the gates of Woodstock Palace. The Archbishop then resolved to go to the Pope, in defiance of the King, and in violation of his own solemn promise to observe the Constitutions of Clarendon. He twice embarked from Romney; but the sailors, either in consequence of adverse winds, or from fear of punishment for aiding him to flee the country, put back to the port from which they had started; and on the second occasion his return to Canterbury by night was barely in time to save his effects from seizure by the King's officers, who had intended to take possession of them in the morning. Alex. in Thom. Epp. 198-9 | and in Sicily-see Sylvest. II. in (Feb. 1164); Grim, 33; Roger, Patrol. cxxxvii. 276; Urban. II., 128; Will. Cant., 11; Garnier, ib. cli. 506); but the Pope's letters 74*; Hoveden, 282, b.; Ger- show that it was for the Archvase, 1386. Most writers say that bishop of York. the legation was granted to the King for himself (and for this committal of ecclesiastical power to a lay Sovereign there were 1389. standing examples in Hungary b vii. 133, 140. e Fitzst., 218; Roger, 130; Alan, 342; Garnier, 75-6*; Gervas., He now again sought an interview with Henry at Woodstock, and was received with decorum, but with an evident lack of cordiality. The King, although greatly dissatisfied with his late attempt to break the law against leaving England, affected to treat it lightly by asking with a smile whether one kingdom were not large enough to hold both, and desiring the Archbishop to govern his province without further thought of going abroad. Becket proceeded to fulfil this injunction, but not, it may be presumed, in a manner likely to allay the royal irritation. "The son of the shaken-out," says Herbert, "shook himself out, and with the prophet's mattock plucked up, pulled down, scattered, and rooted out whatsoever he found planted amiss in the garden of the Lord. His hand rested not, his eye spared not; whatsoever was naughty, whatsoever rough, whatsoever crooked, he not only assailed with the prophet's mattock, but with the axe of the Gospel he cut it down. Of the royal and ecclesiastical customs, he observed such as were good; but those which had been brought in for the dishonour of the clergy he pruned away as bastard shoots, that they might not strike their roots deep." b a In such proceedings, and in vain attempts at mediation by Rotrou, Bishop of Evreux, who had been sent into England by the Pope with a view to the restoration a 66 excus "Excussit se filius sorum." See Appendix XVI. b "Sarculo." Isaiah, vii. 25. The next words refer to Jerem. i. 10. e vii. 132. The Pope had somewhat earlier referred with disapprobation to his restless movements. Fraternitati tuæ præcipiendo mandamus, quatenus te in Cantuariensem ecclesiam recipias, et paucis quidem retentis admodum necessariis, ad minus quam poteris per terram illam discurras" (iv. 5). (Oct. 26, 1163.) of peace, the time passed until the beginning of October, 1164, when the Primate was summoned to answer before a council or parliament at Northampton for his behaviour to John the Marshal, an officer of the Royal Exchequer.b a Roger, 128; Hoveden, 252, b. | brated William Earl of Pembroke b Fitzst., 220. The Marshalsea (Dugdale's Baronage, 599; Grifof the Exchequer was a hereditary fiths, n. on Inett, ii. 327), and was office, from which the family de- one of the nobles present at Clarived its name. John was father rendon, or elder brother of the more cele CHAPTER VII. NORTHAMPTON.-OCT. 1164. " a THE national assembly at Northampton was to be of the most solemn character. Citations were addressed to all bishops and abbots, to earls, barons, high officers of the realm, "and to all of every kind who were of any authority or name.' But with regard to the highest in dignity of all, a remarkable exception was made: the Archbishop of Canterbury did not receive the usual summons, as the King, from an unwillingness to use the customary greeting, had for some time ceased to write to him; but his attendance was peremptorily ordered by a precept addressed to the Sheriff of Kent." As he approached the town, on Tuesday, the 6th of October, he was met by some of his servants, who had been sent on before, with the complaint that the lodgings intended for his train had been occupied by the King's people—an affront which was said to have been authorised by Henry himself. On receiving this report, the Archbishop at once halted, and sent a message to the King that he would go no farther unless the lodgings were given up. The King, who was engaged in hawking a Roger, 132; Garnier, 77*. b Fitzst., 219. along the Nene, immediately ordered that his servants should make way for the Primate's household;a and it seems more likely that the intruders had presumed on his known feeling towards Becket than that he had in any way sanctioned their act. The Archbishop himself found hospitality in the Cluniac monastery of St. Andrew.b Wednesday, с On the following morning he proceeded to the castle, where he was detained for some time while October 7. the King was hearing mass. At their meeting, Henry did not offer the usual kiss, although the Archbishop made demonstration of his willingness to receive it. At the Archbishop's request, he ordered that William de Courcy should give up a lodging which he had ventured to retain, notwithstanding the command of the preceding day; but he absolutely refused Becket's petition for leave to carry his complaints against Roger of York to the Pope; neither the Archbishop nor any one else, he declared, should have his license to cross the sea.d The case of John the Marshal was then entered on. This nobleman had brought before the Archbishop's Court a claim to part of the Manor of Pagham, in Sussex, which belonged to the See of Canterbury; and |