Rec’d NOV 3 0 1903 THE LIFE AND MARTYRDOM OF THOMAS BEKET, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, FROM THE SERIES OF LIVES AND LEGENDS NOW PROVED TO HAVE BEEN COMPOSED BY ROBERT OF GLOUCESTER. EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY BLACK, ONE OP THE ASSISTANT KEEFERS OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS. \ \ LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE PERCY SOCIETY, BY T. RICHARDS, 100, ST. MARTIN’S LANE. M.DCCC.XLV. nm T? i.%<\ COUNCIL OP CIk Percy ^octcty* President, The Rt. Hon. LORD BRAYBROOKE, F.S.A. THOMAS AMYOT, Esq. F.R.S. Treas. S.A. WILLIAM HENRY BLACK, Esq WILLIAM CHAPPELL, Esq. F.S.A. J. PAYNE COLLIER, Esq. F.S.A. BOLTON CORNEY, Esq PETER CUNNINGHAM, Esq. JAMES HENRY DIXON, Esq. FREDERICK W. FAIRHOLT, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A. .1. O. HALLIWELL, Esq. F.R S„ F.S.A. WILLIAM JERDAN, Esq. F.S A., M R.S.L. CAPTAIN JOHNS, R.M. T. J. PETTIGREW, Esq. F.R.S., F.S.A. WILLIAM SANDYS, Esq. F.S.A. WILLIAM J. THOMS, Esq. F.S.A. THOMAS WRIGHT, Esq. M A , F.S.A., Secretary and Treasurer. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Duke University Libraries https://archive.org/details/lifemartyrdomoft01unse PREFACE. Of the legends in old English Alexandrine verse, which constitute a complete Liber Festivalis in metre, for the whole year, one has already been presented to the members of the Percy Society, by Mr. Wright, in the publication (No. xlviii) for August 1844 ; namely that of Saint Brandan. That is distinguished above others by the singu¬ larity of its subject-matter: the present is one of those lives of saints, which relate to English history, and is by far the largest in the whole work. Not only does it afford such a view of the life and character of that remarkable prelate Thomas Beket, the far-famed Saint of Canter¬ bury, as was popularly entertained from the time of his death to the Reformation, but it fixes the period of the authorship of these legends, and, above all, enables us to ascertain the name of their author. Numerous copies of the whole, or of detached portions of this work, are extant in manuscript, and extracts from them have been given by vari- VI oil; authors: among whom max be mentioned Ashmole, in whose " Institution of the Order of the Garter"* are given five lines of the Life of Btket. from a valuable MS. in his own collection at Oxford, now marked iN o. 43. That copy con¬ tains no fewer than ninety-five articles, beginning imperfectly with Saint Wolstan, < whose day falls on the Gth of January, and ending with Saints Oswald, Thomas of Canterbury, and Edward the Confessor: they are all in the order of the calen¬ dar exeept these last, whose days are 5th August, 2Sth December, and 5th January respectively. Two of them, therefore, are wrongly placed, and Beket's life is. of all the saints or festivals treated of by this author, the latest in the year. In the Harleian MS. 2177, which begins with Benedict Abbat (this copy bring defective as far as 21st March),-*- the life of Beket is the latest which * 1672, fed. p. 21. + - Its imperfeeti :-n at the '•.•ginning may have deprived us of the author', name, which after much search I cannot u w retrieve: uavmg little reas.n to believe him to be that . Pits 407 is s have compiled Sermonee de Soneti s, and to have flourished a. i - 1330. because it does not appear that he was poetically riven, or that he wrote in the English tongue; and besides, the hanowriting of this MS. seems to be older than that year."—•• Alt! the name of rut old English poet may at this time be difficult to find out. yet the thing itself i, of Vll relates to saints; but legends of Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilatus follow. It is from this latter manuscript that the text of the following pages, as well as that of Saint Brandan’s legend, is printed : both manuscripts are of one age, the latter part of the reign of Edward I., having been written (as nearly as can be conjectured) about the year 1300. The Editor has not found opportunity of using any other manuscript, ex¬ cept some parts of the Arundel MS. Xo. 8, in the Heralds 1 Office, which is as late as the middle of the fifteenth century, and contains only the legends of Michael the archangel, and Thomas Beket, following a copy of the Brute Chronicle, which terminates with the death of King Henry V. In his description of the last mentioned manu¬ script, the Editor first put forth an opinion,in 1829, that these legends “ were evidently written in the time of Edward the First, and very probably by the author of the Chronicle called Eobert of Gloucester's, the style and metre of which bear a considerable value, not only upon account of its rarity, (I not remembering to have met with any other exemplar of it), but also for the purity of its language, its age consi¬ dered, and the correctness of him who wrote it.”—(Wanley, Harleian Catalogue, ii. 637, 639.) There are, however, several MSS. in the Bodleian, especially the Vernon MS., and at Cambridge, beside Harl. 2250 in the British Museum, which last does not contain the life of Beket. VU1 complete resemblance to these compositions.”* In the same year, Sir Frederick Madden avowed the same opinion, in his edition of Havelok the Dane, which passed through the press at the same time as the Editor’s work here quoted. Shortly after, the Editor had the opportunity of confirming that opinion, by perusal (among others) of the poem contained in these pages, which affords demonstrative proof of the identity of authorship between the Chronicle of England and the Lives and Legends. When therefore the Ashmolean MSS. passed under his review, for a critical description of their contents, in 1831 and following years, he hesitated not to intitle the before-mentioned manuscript (No. 43), thus: — “ Lives of Saints and Legends of the Festivals, in the order of the English calendar, composed in Alexandrine verse by Robert of Gloucester, the author of the antient Metrical History of England.”! A scanty acquaintance with our early language is enough to refute the erroneous opinion of Warton, (who has quoted the first lines of * “ Catalogue of the Arundel Manuscripts in the Library of the College of Arms, 1829. Not published.” (London, 8vo.) p. 14. t Catalogue of the Ashmolean MSS. by W. H. Black, (Oxford, 1845, 4to.) col. 64-C8. IX Beket’s Life from a, Bodleian MS.)* that this work was written in the time of Richard I.; the notice of the translation of Beket, from his grave to a costly shrine, which took place in 1220, dis¬ proves it at once. Moreover, there is the life of one English Saint contained in the series, who was the seventh successor of Beket in the see of Canterbury, and died so late as 16th November 1242,-—namely Edmund, commonly called of ‘Pountoney 1 or Pontigny, from his burial-place in France.f This Archbishop was canonized in 1246 : therefore the work could not have been written till the middle of the thirteenth century, about which time Robert of Gloucester flourished. His Chronicle comes down to the year 1270;J and if the last leaf of the Cottonian MS. had been preserved, it would doubtless appear to have terminated with the death of King Henry HI, in 1272, or the coronation of Edward I. Unfortu¬ nately we know nothing certain about the author, except one autobiographical notice in his Chron¬ icle : for the manuscripts of that work are as des¬ titute of title or colophon, as those of the Legends * History of English Poetry, (8vo. ed.) i. 19. t Harl. MS. 2277, f. 155. Askm. MS. 43, f. 177. See also Ilearne’s extracts from Mr. Sheldon’s MS., in his Glossary to Robert Mannyng, (‘ Langtoft’s Chronicle’,) pp. (107-609, and 611. J See p. 570 of the printed copies. are. The only authentic manuscript, which is in the Cottonian Collection, Caligula A. XI., has this modern heading, “ Historia Regum Anglioe ad Henricum Tertium, a Roberto Glocestrensi , qui eodem tempore floruit ,” which is not older than Sir Robert Cotton’s time ; and, whatever evidence might then have existed for that name, certainly none of a direct nature is now r known, although the passage alluded to strongly confirms it. The author describes a great darkness which happened on the day of “the murder of Evesham,” (“for battle it was not,” says he); and adds “ for thirty miles thence , this saw Roberd, who first this book made , and was well sore afeard.”* The event hap¬ pened on the 4th of August, 1265. The distance of Evesham from Gloucester, being about twenty- five miles, well agrees with the supposition, (if it were no more than a supposition,) that this Robert was a man of Gloucester; and the dialect of his work agrees equally well with that of the county. It has already been shown that the exact simi¬ larity of versification, style, phraseology, and dialect, first led the Editor to consider both works to be the production of one and the same author: but the proof of this opinion consists in the identity of considerable portions of the Life * Printed text, p. 560; and Hearne’s Preface, p. lxviii. XI of Beket with the text of the Chronicle. The most remarkable of these is the description of s the murder, where thirty successive lines are alike in both poems; but neither these nor any other passages, which exactly correspond, can be considered as interpolations, but are evidently as genuine portions of the Chronicle as they are of the Legend. For the better manifestation of the fact, all that portion of the Chronicle, which relates to Beket’s life and disputes with the King, his murder and its consequences, and his transla- ^ tion, is given in the Appendix, from the Cottoni¬ an MS.,* and such references are made in the notes, from one text to the other, as will enable the reader easily to find the corresponding pas¬ sages, and to arrive at the inevitable conclusion, that they have both proceeded from one mind and one pen. It might indeed be said that they are inseparably parts of each other, but for the <- fact that the details of Beket’s history are omitted in the great compilation, founded on the basis of Robert of Gloucester’s “ Englysshe geste in ryme,” which was finished on the 6th of August, 1448, and is preserved among the MSS. in the * It will be seen in the Appendix that one whole line, omitted by Hearne, has been restored, by following the MS. rather than the printed text. xn Heralds’ Office.* In that copy, after the eighth line of the portion quoted in the Appendix, no fewer than eight pages and a half of Hearne’s text are left out, and the following lines are inserted in the stead, amongst the prose additions made by compiler of that historical manuscript: — “ And many other thingus mo, of Seynt Thomas dedes, That felle by twixt him and the Kyng, in his Lif may me rede. In the xj. C. yere of grace, this good man, Seynt Thomas, And lxxj. thus imartired was.” (Fol. 246.) Let it not be supposed that these are genuine lines of the original poet, for the compiler of that manuscript has taken the liberty of altering Robert’s text throughout, and of adding or omit¬ ting ad libitum. The variations, at the foot of Hearne’s pages, are a proof of this; although they afford no adequate idea of the extent to which the original work has been altered, by the anony¬ mous historian. It is remarkable that he refers, in the lines here quoted, to the “ Life” of Beket, which in all probability was the poem contained in these pages: for, although numerous Latin his¬ torians are quoted by name, in the prose additions, the only reference to a written testimony occurring in the old ryme, is to the metrical ‘ romance’ of * Fully described in W. H. Black’s Catalogue of the Arundel MSS., No. 58, pp. 104-110. Xlll Richard Coeur de Lion, which is given at full length in the Heralds’ MS., while here, probably by reason of the greater frequency of copies of the Saints’ Lives, he contents himself with refer¬ ring to the Legend of Thomas; and this reference may, perhaps, be regarded as the indication of an acknowledgment that the two works had proceed¬ ed from one author. There are fifteen or sixteen Lives of other English Saints contained in the work from which this of Beket is taken ; among which may be traced some other correspondences with the same author’s Chronicle. These, being short, may occupy the pages of some future publications of the Percy Society, and serve to throw some far¬ ther light on the interesting question of their authorship. Certainly they would greatly con¬ tribute to illustrate an edition of the metrical Chronicle, from the contemporary manuscript in the Cottonian collection, part only of which has been printed by Hearne, and that without the op¬ portunity of collating his printed sheets with the original, by reason of his distance from London. Should the Editor’s time permit, and the Council of the Society approve, he would gladly undertake the performance of what is due to so venerable a writer, and one who has for almost half his life been one of his favoi’ite authors. XIV The text of the following pages is taken from the Harleian MS. beforementioned, written little later than the author’s own time. The Editor has thought proper to preserve, in every line, the colon which marks the caesura, as in that and other antient copies: in the best manuscript of the chronicle a single point occurs, both in the middle and at the end of every line. In addition to a modern punctuation in other respects, he has carefully marked those syllables which need to be peculiarly accented or distinctly expressed, for the completion of the metre, which will be found tolerably regular, and equivalent (if each couplet were divided into four lines) to the later ballad- measure, or the ‘ common metre’ and £ short metre’ of modern psalmody. Hearne’s glossary to the chronicle will serve equally to explain this legend, to those who are unaccustomed to the language of the thirteenth century. The portrait of Beket, prefixed to this work, is copied in facsimile from an antient drawing with pen and ink, among other religious pictures, in the Black Book of the Receipt of the Exchequer, preserved in the Public Record Office, R 0 II 3 House; where it follows a Calendar of Saints’ Days, and extracts from the Gospels, formerly used in the administration of oaths in the Court of Receipt. This pictm’e is not less remarkable XV for its apparent authenticity (being at least as old as Beket’s translation in 1220) than for the singular fact of its escape from the destruction levelled by King Henry VIII against every relic and vestige of the saint that his fury could reach, not excepting his very name. The Society is in¬ debted to the kindness of Mr. Fairholt, for the gratuitous execution of the engraving. W. H. BLACK. Mill Yard, London, ‘27th June, 1845. THE LIFE AND MARTYRDOM OF THOMAS BEIvE T, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. Gilbert was Thomas fader name: that true was and god, Arul lovede God and holi ckurche: siththe lie wit un- derstod. The croice to the holie lond: in his junghede he nom, And mid on Richard, that was his man: to Ierusalem com. There hi dude here pelrynage: in holi stedes faste, So that among the Sarazyns: ynome hi were atte laste, Hi and other Cristene men: and in strong prisoun ido, Inmeseise and in pyne ynouj: of hunger and chile also. In stronge swynche nijt and dai: to ofswynche here mete stronge: In such swyncli and harde lyve: hi bilevede (hem thojte) longe. 10 For ful other half 3 er: greate pyne hi hadde and scliame, B 2 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM In the Princes lious of the lawe: Admiraud was his name. Ac Gilbert of London: best grace hadde there, Of the Prince and alle his: among alle that ther were. For ofte al in feteres: and in othe[r] bende, The Prince he servede atte mete: for him thojte liende. And ofte the Prince al so god: in consail him wolde drawe, And of the manere of Engelond: him eschce, and of the lawe. So that me wolde his felawes: moclie god ofte do, For his love, and hi furde: the bet for him also. 20 And nameliche tliurf a maide: that this Gilbert lovede faste, The Princes doujter Admiraud: that hire hurte al upe him caste; That lovede him in durne love: in gret murnynge and in wo. For thePrinces heir heo was: for he nadde children no mo. Of hire he hadde lute blisse: and lute harm hit was, For heo com to betere ende: as je schulle iliure that cas. This maide that lovede so: this man durneliche, Heo spac tho heo se3 hire tyme: with him priveiliclie; Andeschtehim of Engelonde: and of the manere there, And of the lyf of Cristene men: and what here bile- ve were. 30 The manere of Engelonde: this Gilbert hire toldefore, And the toun het Londone: that he was inne ibore; And the bileve of Cristene men: this blisse withouten ende, OF THOMAS BEICET. 3 In hevene schal here mede beo: whan hi sehulle lienne wende. “ Woldestou,” quath tliis maide tho: “ ho so it wolde bede the,” Tholiedethfor thi Louerdeslove?”thisGilbertseide“3e And that him were switheleof: ho so him therto broujte. Tho this maide him isej so stedefast: heo stod longe in thojte. “Ich wole,” heo seide, “al mi lond: leve for love of the, “ And Cristene womman bicome: if thu wolt spousi me.” 40 Tho Gilbert ihurde this: he stod in grete tho3t, And feignede his word her and ther: and ne grantede no3t. And seide he was al to hire wille: bote he moste bithenche, For he was stronge adrad3ut: of wommanes wrenehe. He drof hire evere biheste: this maide longede sore. And lovede him durneliche: evere the leng the more. Gilbert and his felawes siththe: as God the grace sende, Prisoun breke and byn^te: out of the londe wende. Thereve amorwe that hem scholde: to here labour lede, Nuste he tho he miste hem: what him was to rede, so Faste he suede after hem: he and othere mo, Ac er hi come to Cristene men: me ne m^t hem no3t ofgo. Ac whan hi ne m^te 1103ft] hem oftake: a3en hi turnde tho, And dude here beste a3e the Prince: ac. evereft he b 2 was wo. 4 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM The maide makede deol ynouj: that heo was evere ibore, For al the ioye of thisse lyve: hire tliujte heo hadde forlore. Heo wep and makede so moche deol: that me ne liurde nevere more, He telle of womman that me wiste: that love aboujte so sore. For bi nijte heo wende alone: heo nuste whoderward, And of spense with hire nom: to siche Gilbard. 60 And bilevede al hire grete heritage, and hire cun also, And ne sparede for no sorewe: that mijte come hire to; Ne for siknisse, ne for deth: ne for sorewe, ne for wo, Ne for peryl in the see: na londe nothe mo; Ne that heo scholde among Cristene men: vilere than an hound beo, Ne that hi ne knewe hire speche nojt: ne heo nuste whoderward teo; Ne whar he scholde alyve: this Gilbert fynde ojt, Ne whar he wolde hire spousi: whan heo him hadde al isojt. And natheles heo wende forth: with wel god pas. Hou thinjth thou, nas heo liardi nojt? for gode me thinjtli heo was. 70 Heo nom and eschte to Engelonde: and gret peryl an honde nom, So that in pyne and wo ynou: atte laste heo com. And tho heo was alles thider icome: heo ne couthe Englisch word non, Bote “ Londone, Londone:” to esche whoderward gon. And thertlaurf me tajte hire the wei: so that heo thider com, OF THOMAS BEKET. 5 And jeode aboute as a best: that ne couthe no wysdom, As heo were of another wordle: that folc thicke ynoii3, To biholde such a mopisch best: aboute hire ther drou3. And nameliche 3unge childerne: and wylde boyes also, For the wonder suede hire: and scornede hire therto. 80 So that mid noyse and cri ynou3: attan ende bi cas, Tho heo com a 5<3 thulke lious: ther this Gilbert was, As Seint Thomas was inne ibore: joyful was that cas, Ther is nouth an hospital: arerd of Seint Thomas. As Richard therinne was: the noyse he iliurde there, Out he 5eode forte awaite: what that wonder were, lie stod, tho he hire ikneu: as a man that were forlore, In gret wonder he orn in: and tolde his louerd fore. This Gilbert tho3te wonder gret: ac thencliesoun wel he tho3te; lie het Richard that he hire nome: and amid a god wyf bro3te 90 Ther biside, that faire ynou: and with fair semblant hire nom. Attan ende tho this Gilbert: bifore this maide com. This maide ful upri3t isvvo5e: tho heo him ise3, That deol was among al that folc: that ther was tho ne3. This Gilbert him huld somdel stille: as him nothing nere ; Ac six Bischopes thulke tymc: at Seint Poules were, As hit were at a parlement: for neodes of the londe, 6 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM This Gilbert in this wonder cas: him gan understonde, And 3eode and tolde everechdel: red alto afonge. noo Therof hem wondrede alle: and in consail stode longe. The Bischop furst of Chichestre: his avys seide thanne, That hit was a bitokninge: of God andnojtof mannej And that God wokle that hi were ispoused: and such cas sende therfore, And that ther mijte sum lioli child: bituene hem beon ibore. Therfore alle hi radde: and bituene hem gonne biseo, That this Gilbei’t hire scholde spousi: if heo wolde Cristene beo. So that this rnaide amorwe: tofore this Bischops com. Hi radde hire for Gilbertes love: afongS Cristendom. “Wei fawe,” quath this maidfi tho: “if he me wolde spousi ojt. “ For je mowe alle understonde: if y nadde that itho3t, “ I nadde bileved al mi cun: and so wide him iso3t,t 110 “ Ne mid hunger and other wo: him so deore abo3t.” This maide ibapti3ed was: among the Bischop[s] echon, And he3e men therate of the lond: ther were menion. For reverence of the he3e cunne: and the gentyl blod also, Of wham heo com, and for heo was: semee and fair therto. Of this Bischops hi were anon: ispoused in the place. Ech man mai sigge wel: that ther was Godes grace. For the furste ni3t afterward: bituene hem b^ute was OF THOMAS BEKET. 7 The gode child of wham we speketh: the holi Seint Thomas. 120 This Gilbert amorwe: so gret wille him com to, To wende eft to the holi loud: that he nuste what do. Of his wyf was his mcstC care: hou scholde fram hire beo ibrojt, That was so 3ung, and lieo ne coutlie: of the londes lawe no3t. So moche he carede durneliche: that hit was care to iseo, His wyf was eke in grete tho3te: wherfore hit m^te beo, And draddS that hit were for hire: for hi were is- ponsed so. Ne mai no man cleng telle: of here beire durne wo. This 3imge wyf noldg fyne: on hire louerd to grede, Forte tlienchesoun of his sor: al clenliche he hire sede; 130 And hou his care was al for hire: to theholie londe to wende. “Sire,” seide this gode wyf: “oure Louerd his grace the sende! ‘‘ Lute we habbeth to gadere ibeo: and lute joye afonge, “ And if thu wendest than 6 wey: oute thu worst wel longe. “ Ac no3t for than ic bidd 6 the: if thu haste wille and tli03t, “ In oure Louerdes servise to wende: ne lef hit for me no5t. “ For ich hopie that mi Louerd: that me hath iwist herto, 8 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ The while that y ne kneu him nojt: jut he wole also. “ And eke nou ic am of his: therfore ic bidde the, “ If thu vvolt wende in his servise: ne lef it nojt for me. 140 “ Ac bilef me Richard tlii man: that mi wardeyn mowe beo, “ That knoweth me and mi langage: forte ic the eft iseo.” Gilbert tho lieo hurde this: in gret ioy was ido, He ordeyned wel his lious: and his meyne also; And his wyf hou heo libbe scholde: forte God sende other sonde, And wende forth a Godes name: to the lioli londe. And was oute threo jer and an half: er he aje com. Tho he com he fond his sone: a god goinge groin. Theonige fair and manliclie: as eni child mijte beo, Ech man tolde of him pris: that him mijte iseo. 150 Wel he wax and ithej: and to eche godnisse drouj, 3ung he was to skole iset: and spedde wel ynou3. His moder him wolde aldai rede: and oftg on him crie, To lede cliast lyf and clene: and fleo lecherie. And lovie tofore alle thing: God and Seinte Marie, And servie hem and lioli cliurche: and leve alle folie. This child tlie3 hit were 5ung: wel hit understod, For seli child is sone ilered: ther he wole beo god. Tho this child was bot in elde: of tuo and twenti 3er, His moder wende out of thisse lyve: that so wel him loved er. 160 This child wold leng to scole go: ac his fader him uolde fynde. OF THOMAS BEKET. 9 For child that hath liismoder ilore: his help is moche bi hynde. This child thurf his fader lieste: as man that no red not, Servede aburgeys of the toun: and his accountes wrot, So longe that he com to court: and was in god offiz With the Archebischop of Canterbury: SireThebaud god and wys. He servede him so hendeliche: that in a lut 6 stounde, lie inakede him his consailler: so stedefast he him founde. His Arcedekne he makede him siththe: and dude al bi his rede. Swithe wel gan this Arcedekne: holi churche lede, 170 And stifliche huld up hire rijtes: as meni men iseye, And therof nolde tholie wrong: the3 he scholde ther- fore deye. Wel ofte he wende to Rome: for holi churche also, (Suche prelatj nou an urtlie: tofewe ther beotli ido,) So that the Due of Normandie: ymaked was al in pees, Henri Kyng of Engelond: after Stevene the Belees. He lovede moche wel to do: and gode men to him nom, This Henri the gode Kyng: tholie.to loude com; And fondede to habbe god consail: and wys thurf al his myjte, Forto holde riche and pore: andeclie man torijte. 180 Of the Ardekne Thomas: me tolde him sone ynouj, IIou he stable and wys: and to eclie godnisse drouj. Thurf the Archebischopes grant: he makede him Chanceler, 10 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM For evere me mountej him above: that liavetli mest poer. Tho Seint Thomas was iturnd: fram offij of holichurclie, To a gret oiRj of the wordle: therafter he moste wurche. Alto nobley of the worlde: his contenance he broujte, That me ne liuld non so prout: thej other were in his thojte. With more noblei he rod ynou5: than lie was woned to do; Ilis loreyns weren of golde: stiropes and spores also . 190 The pley he suede of houndes: and of liauekes also ynou3, As men tho5te in eclie poynte: alto prute he drou3. Ac in his hurte hit was another: hou so he him evere bere; [And ever chaste thurghe altkyng: how so ever it were.] And evere lie was for holi churche: and for pore men also, A3en the proutb conteckours: that wolde a3en hem 03t do; To liolde up the r^tes of lioli churche: so moche wo he gan dryve, A5en the litliere conteccours: that nuyede him of his lyve; As the Archebiscliop tolde: wepingg wel sore, And otliere ofte in priveite: that lovede him the more. 200 He wilnede mest of alle thing: and on oure Louerd gan crie, That lie moste with onur: levb thulke baillie, And ech other service of court: bi the Kynges gode wille, OF THOMAS BEKET. 11 For he lie mijte paye his court: bote he schohle his soule spille. Ac the King him fond so stable: and so god consailler, That he nolde maki for no thing: another chanceler. lie ne triste to non so moche: ne tlier nas non so hej, That so moche wistehis priveitez: ne that him was so nej. So moche he caste his hurte on him: that on his warde he gan do His eldeste sone Sire Henri: and hisheire also; 210 That he were his wardeyn: and his ordeynour, To wisse him after hiswille: and to the Kinges lionur. The King wende to Normandie: to seo tourney there, And bilevede his sone with Seint Thomas: that he his wardeyn were. Botlie the fader and the sone: so moche here lovg caste, UpS Seint Thomas the lioli man: the while it wolde ilaste; Ther nas non in Engelonde: that liadde so gret poer, Of the kynedom as Seint Thomas: that was Chanceler. Hit bifid siththe that Sire Tebaud: (as God the grace sende,) Tharcliebiscliop of Canterbure: out of this wordle wende. 220 The crie was sone wide couth: among tliue and freo, That Seint Thomas scholde after him: Archebischop beo. The King also in Normandie: tho me tolde him the cas, Anon bar his hurtC mest: to do ther Seint Thomas. 12 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM The Covent of Canterbury: desirede him also; So as men wolde: ibroujt hit was therto. At Westmynstre be was icliose: to thulkg bcje poer, The vyfte 301' that be was: ymaked Chanceler. Of elde be was thulke tyme: of four and fourti 361-; His owe detb be afeng: and bis owe martirdom ther. For the Kyng was in Normandie: ipresented be t' 230 was To bis 3unge sone in Engelonde: for non other Kyng tber nas. Ac the3 bit were a3en bis wille: he nol debit no5t forsake, Ac be escbte in whiche manere: be scholde the croice take. Me seide him that scholde afonge: holi churche so frco, That bco ne scholde under no man: bote under the Pope beo; Ne nothing tbencbe bote holde up: holi churche lawe. “In tliisse manere,” quatb Seint Thomas: “ic hire afonge fawe.” A Witsonedai this was: that this dede com to ende, This gode man toward Canterbury: anon him gan wende. A 1 the contray with onur: to him com and drou3; t 240 Tber was for him in Canterbury: ioye and blisse ynou3. The dai of the Trinite: isacred he was, And afeng bis dignete: the gode man Seint Thomas. Sire Henri the Kynges sone: was at bis sacringe, And sixtene Biscliops ek: this dede to endefortobringe. Tbo this dede was ido: hi gonne to sende sone, After bis pallioun to Rome: as ryt was to done. The Pope Alisandre: was tbo at Montpaillers, OF THOMAS BEKET. 13 Thider wen do this wise men: that were messagers. 250 The Abbot Adam of Evesham: to here cheveteyn hi nome, To the Pope Alisandre: to Montpaillers hi come. Here erande hi hadde sone: for he hem nothing ne wornde, Hi neme of him here leve: and liamward aje turnde. And this pallioun was: to Seint Thomas ibroujt: This gode man hit afeng: with wel mylde thojt. Tho lie was in his dignete: al clanliche ido, He gan to changi al his ly r f: and his manere also. The here he dude next his liche: his flesches maister to beo, Schurte and brech streit ynouj: adoun to the kneo. For he tliojte he mijte wel: of othere habbe maistrie, If he hadde of his owe flesch: thurfout seignurye. 2,32 If his soule maister were: and his flesch hire byne, Him thojte he mijte his dignete: bringe to god fyne. Above the here siththe: thabyt of monek he nom, And siththe clerkes robe above: as to his stat bicom. So that he was withinne monek: withoute clerk .also, Thurf thabyt that he hadde on him: priveiliche ido. In penance and in fastinge: he was nijt and dai, And in oreisoun bote the while: he aslepe lai. 270 Evere wan he masse song: he wep and sijte sore, Faste he hastede therwith: ne mijte no man more. Faire me fedde him atte mete: with great noble and prute, And of the heste him silve he at: switlie scars and lute. 14 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM Of his ordres he was wel streit: and he was in greete fere, Forto ordeini eni man: bote he the betere were. Idel nolde he nevere beo: bote evere doinge he was, Of eche man ere of betere lyve: nevere bischop nas. Sire Henry the Kingessone: that with him wasibrojt, Levede evere in his warde: fram him he nolde nojt. 280 The love that bituene hem was: such nas nevere iseje, Ne this child nadde of no man: more love ne fairere eye. Siththe that hit biful that the King: fram Norman¬ die com To Engelond, to loke the stat: of his kynedom. Seint Thomas nam with him: Sire Henri his sone, And wende faire ajen him: anon to South Hamptonne. Ther was ioye and blisse ynouj: tho hi togadere come, Hi custen hem faste and elupte: and herede Ood ilome. The King bilevede in Engelond: to loke his kynedom, And to al his privei consail: Seint Thomas he nom; And huld him evere as he dude er: his hejiste t 290 eonsailler, And nolde his thonkes habbe ihaved:non other chanceler. Ac natlieles whan he eni thing: dude ajen r^te, Seint Thomas was therajen: evere bi al his myjte. Siththe hit biful that the Bischop: of Wircestre ded was, And Sire Gilbert Foliot: (as God jaf that cas), That was Bischop of Hereford: ibrojt was jut to more, And ymaked Bischop of Londone: that ne reude him nojt sore. OP THOMAS BEKET. 15 So that botli the bischopriches: fulle botlie in the Kyn ges hond, Of Wircestre and of Hereford: as lawe was of lond. The Kyng ne jaf hem nojt anon: ac he huld hem inne longe, 301 In his hond that he myjte: the more prou afonge. Hit ne likede nojt Seint Thomas: that holi churche so, Scholde for a lute coveitise: in the Ivinges hond beo ido. Him tho3tethat hit was wel mochel: a3en oure Louerdes wille, And that the Kyng my3te so: holi churche spille. In faire manere he bad the Kyng: that he ne scholde bileve, That thulke tuei bischopriches: sum god man he 3eve. The Kyng anon myldeliclie: grantede his bone, And this bischopriches lie3af: tuei gode men wel sone. Six - e Roger he makede a god man: Biscliop of Wircestre, Sire Roberts sone that was: Eorl of Gloucestre. 312 Bischop he makede of Hereford: a good man ynou5, Sire Robert of Mulnes: that to alle godnisse drou3. Ano5t Seint Thomas tho3te wel: that he ne m^te all paye, The King ne his consail, bote he wolde: holi churche bitraye. In care and sorewe he was ynou: hou he m^te beste do, For he ne m^te no3t pae the Kyng: and oure Louerd also. Seint Thomas halewe thulke 3er: the churche of Redinge, Thatifounded was and arerd: thurf Henri oure Kynge; 16 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM That lyth ther faire ibured: Williames sone Bastard. 321 In thulke $er Seint Thomas ek: schrynede Seint Edward, At Westmynstre as he lith: that hifore Kyng Williem was, Bote King Harald him was bituene: for his poer no leng nas. The love was evere gret ynouj: bituene Seint Thomas And the King, forte the devel: hit desturbede, alias! Lute and lute the contek aros: for pore manes rijte, For paye oure Louerde and the King: no man ne mijte. The furste tyme that Seint Thomas: outliche him withsede, Was for pouere men that the Kynge: dude an unrijt dede. 330 The King nom thurf al Engelond: fram jere to jere wide, After his wille a summe of pans: ideld in eche side. And sitlithe he let thurf enqueste: thurf the contray enquere, IIou moch eche man scholde paye: and what here rijt were. So longe that he nom it to taillage: and esclite hit atte laste, Eche 3ur thurf a certeyn rente: thurf al Engelonde faste. What for eye, what for love: non him ne withsede, Ac evere tliojte Seint Thomas: that hit was an unr^t dede. He thojte on God and on his soule: and bilevede man- hede, OF THOMAS BEKET. 17 And to the King wel baldeliche: wende withoute drede. 340 “ Sire,” he seide, “ if hit is thi wille: thu ert riche and hende, “ And Kyngof gret poer ynouj: oure Louerd the more sende! “ A taillage thu hast ech jer: tliurf out al thi londe, “ And eschet hit for a certeyn rente: with unrijt icli understonde. “ For certeyn rente schal beo itake: ech jer at a cer¬ teyn day, “And siththe a certeyn assigned: as thu wost by rijte lay. “Ac this nas nojt certeyn itake: eche jer assigned is, “ Tliurf enqueste of the con tray: as taillage, iwis. “ Whar tliurf me thinjth a certeyn rente: thu ne mijt nojt make, “Ac a taillage and sumdel: with unrijt itake.” 350 “ Thomas, Thomas,” quath the Kyng: “ thu ert mi Clianqeler. “ Thu aujtest bet holds up: than withsigge mi poer.” “ Sire,” quath this lioli man: “ icli habbe ibeo with the, “ And thu hast (God hit the julde): gret god idome; “ Ac another baillie ich habbe afonge: thej hit were &$en mi wille. “ And ynemai nojt botlie wel: bote ich mi soule aspille. “ For ich am alto lute worth: that on forto loke. “ Thanne dude he gret folie: that more me bitoke. “ 1 herfore ich julde the up here: al clene the chan- celerie, c 18 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ And take me to holi churche: to God and Seinte Marie.” 360 Tho was the King wroth ynouj: wrothere than lie evere was; Ac natlieles his hurte bar: evere to Seint Thomas. Tlie thridde thing jut mest of alle: in contek hem broujte. A preost ther was a lither man: that of God nojt ne roujte, That of manslajt was bicliped: and ynome also, And in the Bischopes prisoun was: of Salesbury ido. The manfis freond that was aslawe: suede up him faste, So that the preost to jugement: ibrojt was atte laste. Me acusede him faste. of the dethe: ac he nanswerede nojt therto, And liuld him faste to holi churche: and upe non other nolde hit do. 370 Iloked he was to purgi him: thurf clergie if hemijte, And therof him was dai iset: thurf holi churche rijte. Tho the dai him was icome: he ne mijte him purgi nojt; lie was sone ilad ajen: and in prisoun ibrojt. Thanne was the Bischop in gret doute: what were therof to done, Forto habbe wisere red: to Seint Thomas he sende sone. And he sende wordeajg: that hescholde the preost take, And desordeyni him of his ordre: and a lewed man of him make; And siththe in strong warde him do: that he nevere out ne wende, OF THOMAS BEKET. 1.0 In penance and in pyneynouj: his synne forto amende. The Bischop of Salesbury: dude Seint Thomas heste, 381 So that tliis preost was ibrojt: in turmentj with the meste. So that the tethinge therof: to the Kynge com, That a lither theof and a manquellere: hadde so lijt dom. Him thojte that hit nas nojt lawe: ne that hit mijte beo so; And Phelip de Boys a eanoun: him liadde eke misdo. Therfore was ech other clerc: the more ajen his wille, Him thojte sueli lawe scholde: the pays of londe aspille. He wilnede as god Kyng: pays in his londe, And in god entente wel hit do: he dude ech under- stonde. 390 For the pays of the londe: he wolde holde also fawe, As Seint Thomas in his manere; lioli churclie lawe. He seide that the develes lymes: that ycrouned were so, That mijte so al longe dai: ajen his pays do. For the jugement was so lute: the lasse hi wolde doute, And do theofthe and robberie: in al the lond aboute. To AVestmystre he let sumni: theBischopes of his londe, And Clerkes that grettest were ek: and hejist, ich un- derstonde. “ Beaus seignurs,” he seide: “ynot what ye habbeth ithojt: “ If je goth forth mid joure wille: oure pays ne worth rijt nojt. 400 “ If a clerk hath a man aslawe: other gret theofthe ido, 20 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ And lieo mowe be desordeyned: and come to fyne so; “ Misdo lii wolleth al longe day: and theruppg beo wel bolde, “ And so schal the pays of the londe: wol uvele beon iholde. “For lute hi wolds recche: to loose here ordre so, “ Whan for here ordre hi ne sparieth: theofthe forto do. “ Ac evere the hejire here ordre is: me thinjth, bi pur lawe, “ Thestrongere scholdg here dom beo: whan hi wolde to theofthe drawe.” “Sire, sire,” quath Seint Thomas: “(if hit is tlii wille), “Loth ous were do eni thing: -thi pays forto aspille. “ Ac clerkes that beoth yordeyned: thu wost hibereth a signe, 4J1 “ That hi beoth lymes of holi churche: that so worthi is and digne. “ If hi were thanne with thulkg signe: to uvele dethe ido, “ Aviled werg and ischend: holi churche so. “ If hi beoth furst desordeyned: for thulke silvedede, “ And siththe thurf dom to dethe ido: hit nere nojt wel to rede. “ For hit nas nevere lawe ne riyt: doble dom to take, “ For o trespas as thu wost: and sinne hit were to make. “ And unworthere than alewed man :holi churche were so, “ For a lewedman for otrespas: nis bote ojugement ido. “ Therfore thi grace we bisecheth: (if hit is thi wille,) 421 OF THOMAS BEKET. 21 “ That thu ne rere no nue lawe: holi churche to spille. “ For we biddeth nijt and dai: as rijt is that we do, “ For the and for thi children ek: and for thi kyuedom also.” “Beau sire,” quath the King tho: “thu sa'ist wel ynouj: “ Ich liadde loth hi myne concience: do holi churche eni WOU3. “ Ac lawes ther beoth and custumCs: that evere hab- beth ibeo iholde, “ Of bischopes thurf al Engelonde: as oure ancestres habbeth itolde. “ And hi theKyng Henries dai: that oure ancestre was, “ Icoufermed were and iholde ek: that no man ther aje nas. 430 “ Woltou thulke lawes holde? do me to understonde sone.” “ We schulle do, sire,” quath Seint Thomas: “ al that is to done. “ Alle the lawes and custumSs: we woletli holde hi oure mi5te, “That beoth to holde and habbeth ibeo: sii'e, sauve oure ri3te.” “ Sauf 30ure r^tes?” quath the Kyng: “ beau sire, whi saistou so? “Ine scholde nothing hi that word: a3e thi wille do “ That thu noblest sigge that hit were: a3en holi churche ri3te; “ And bringe so al mi lond: in contek and in fi5te. “Ac therwithoute olde lawes: siker ich understonde, 22 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ That hit beo venymous: to the pays of mi londe.” 440 “ Sire, sire,” quath this holi man: “ ne meve je jou rijt nojt: “ Wei thu wost that ech of ous: er we were herto ibrojt, “ Trunisse the swore, as rijt was: and urthlich ouur also, “ Sauve oure ordre and oure rijt: ac that was out ido. “ Hou sckokle we nouthe other do? ne aujte je ous nojt beode. “ For Godes love hold ous to rijte: for je nabbeth non other neode.” “Ich iseo wel, Thomas,” quath the King: “ whai'to thu wolt drawe: “ Thu ert icome to late forth: to bynyme ous oure lawe. “ Thu woldest me make more wrecche: than evere eni kyng was: Thu ert icome therto to late: thu hast icast ambezas.” The Kyng aros mid wraththe ynouj: and let hem sitte eclion, 451 And to his chambre wend forth: and no grette nojton. Fram Londone he wende sone: in wraththe as thej hit were: He ne seide no man of his thojt: ac bilevede hem there. ThoBischopesthojtetho anon: that he was wroth ynou3, Tlier were fewe bote Seint Thomas: that toward him ne drouj. On Seint Thomas hi cride faste: his thojt forto wende, Other he wolde al that lond: with thulke worth aschende. Knyglites and othere eft come: that with the Kinge were, OF THOMAS BEKET. 23 Andbede himententifliche: that liethulke word forbore; And that him were gret folie: the King in wraththe bringe, 461 And desturbi al that lond: for so lute thinge. Seint Thomas in thojte longe: “ Leave bretheren,” he sede, “Nevere aje the Kynges honur: ynelle do no dede. .“Ac ech word icli wole bileve: that aje the Kynges honur is.” Tho were thothere glad ynouj: tho hi iliurde this; And radde him wende to the Kyng: his wraththe for- to stille. “ Leof me were,” quatli Seint Thomas: “ mid rijte do his wille.” To the Kyng he wende to Oxenford: and with him ther he fond 471 Grete Eorles, and Barouns: the hejiste of the lond. The King him welcomede so: mid wel lute chere. Bischopes lie let clipic: and Eorles that ther were. “ Beau sires,” quatli the King: “ ich am Kyng: with rijtes of this londe: “ Custumes ther were bifore: yused ich understonde. “And so moche wrecche nam ynojt: that ynelle the lawes holde, “ Thatoure anc^strcs liulde wyle: asourecounsailou[r]s tolde. “ Therfore ich wole that tliulke lawes: iconfermed beo eclion, “ Of myn Eorles and of myne Knyjtes: that hi ue withsigge nojt on. 24 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ Therfore ich liote 5011 eclione: that ye beo tbulke day, “ At mi maner at Clarendone: witboute ecb delay, 480 “ To confermi tbulke lawes: upe peyne that icli wole sett, “ Icb bote that je beo tber ecbon: that nothing jou ne lette.” Siththe departede this court: to bis inne ecb drouj, And evere was Seint Thomas: in care and sorewe ynouj. The Bischops and theBarouns: come alle to the daye, To Clarendone in Wilteschire: the Ivyng forto paye. The parliament him was iholde: in the ellevethe jere Of the Kynges coronement: that so moclie folc broujte there. And elleve bondred jer: in the furthe and sixti jer rijt, Hit was after that oure Louerd: in bis moder was alijt. Noble was the parliament: of this Clarendone, 491 For tber were, furst and aforeward: the Kyng and bis sone. And the Arcbebiscbop of Canterbury: and Sire Roger also, Tharchebischop of Everwyk: for nere therbote thei tuo. And Sire Gilbert Foliot: Bischop of Londone, And the Bischop of Lincolne: were alle at Clarendone. And Sire Neol, Bischop of Ely: and the Bischop of Wircestre, Sire Roger, and Sire Hillari: Bischop of Circestre. The Bischop William of Nortwich: and the Bischop of WyCnJchestrc, Sire Henri, and Sire Bartlomeu: Bischop of Chichestrc. OF THOMAS BEKF.T. 25 Sire Osbern, and Sire Godefrai: Bischop of Excestre, 501 Sire Austin, and Sire Bias: Bischop of Wircestre. The Bischop of Salesbury: Jocelyn, and Robert, The Bischop of Herford: and also Sire Richard, The Bischop of Chestre: this Bischops eclion, AVere at this parlement: and Eorles meni on. Sire Renald Eorl of Cornwaille: and the Eorl of Leicestre, Sire Robert, and Sire Roger: Eorl of Gloucestre. Sire Conan Eorl of Bretaigne: and the Eorl John of Angeo, Sire Godefrai Eorl de Maundevyle: was ther also. 510 Sire Hughe Eorl of Chestre: and Eorl Williem of Ferers, AVere at this parlement: stout ynou and fers. Barouns ther were meni on: as Sire AVilliem de Lucy, And Sire Renaud de AVareyne: and Sire Renaud de Seint AValry. Sire Roger Bigod also: Sire Richard de Caunvyle, Sire AVilliem de Brewesek: Sire Robert deDunstanvyle. Sire Neel de Mountbray: Sire Umfrai de Booun, Sire Simon de Beauchamp: louerd of meni o toun. Sire Jocelin de Baillolf: Sire AVilliem de Hastinge, Sire Ilughe de Morevyle: that so wel was with the Kynge. 530 Sire A\ r illiem Malet: Sire Johan the Seneschal, Sire Simon le Fiz Peres: gret man thurfout al. Sire AVilliem de Maudut: and Sire Godefrai de Veer; Thus alle grete louerdlings: and 51U mo were ther. Non God helpe Seint Thomas: (for he was alone,) 26 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM That withseide atte laste: this lordlings echone. Tho hi bigonue thisparlement: the King him eschte anon, Whar hi wolde the lawes holde: as his ancestres dude echon. “ Sire,” quath Seint Thomas: “ if hit thi wille is, 529 “ Ecli man mot speke for him silve: and ich for me iwis. “ For my stat, and for holi churche: ich ansuerie tlierto, “That alle the gode old lawes that habbeth ibeo: and jut beotli also, Granti ich woli for holi churche: and for to habbe thin ore, “ Sauf oure rijt and oure ordre: thu ne mijt esclie no more.” For that word the King was wroth: that gan him evere mislike. Seint Thomas wep in his liurte: and sore gan to sike. Alto blodi was that word: and deore hit was iboujt, For tlierfore to dethe he was: atte laste ibroujt. 538 The Bischop of Northwich: and of Salesbure also, Kneulede tofor e him wepinge: that he scholde another do; And habbe reuthe of holi churche: and of hem echone, That hi nere to grounde ibroujt: thurf thulke word alone. Heje men of the Kinges curt: meni on eke wende, And kneulede tofore Seint Thomas: that word to amende. “ Lordlings,” quath Seint Thomas: “ ich am jut jung man, “ And lute while bischop ibeo: and lute theron ich can. “Tlierfore of this olde lawes: transerit he me take, “And ich wole tlier uppe consailli me: which beo to forsake.” OP THOMAS BEKET. 27 The Kyng him let transcrit make: of this custumes echon: Seint Thomas grantede somme: and withseide meni on. The lawes that ich vvole 5011 telle: he grantede wel fawe:— 651 If a bonde man hadde a sone: to clergie idrawe, lie ne scholde withoute his louerdes leve: not icrouned beo, Fortliu man ne mai nojt boutehislouerd: beo ymaked freo. Another lavve he grantede ek: that je mowe nou iseo: If eni man of holi cliurche: holdeth eni laifeo, Persoun, other what he beo: he schal do therfore, Servise that to the kinge faith: that his rijt ne beo forlore. And in plaiding stondein eclie place: and jugement also, .Bote ther man schal beo bylymed: other to detlie ido. He grantede ek if eni man: the kinges traytour were, And eni man his catel: to holi churche bere; 562 That holi churche ne scholde 11031: the catel there lette, That the kyng wel baldeliche: out of the churche hit felte. For al that the feloun hath: the kynges hit is, And eche man mai in holi churche: his owe take iwis. He grantede ek that a churche: as of the kinges ce, In one stede evere and evere: ne scholde ijeve beo, As to lions of religioun: withoute the kinges leve, And that he, other the patroun: furst the jift 3eve. Seint Thomas grantede this: and fele othere mo, 571 Ac this othere he withsede: that dude him wel wo:— 28 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM If bituene tuei lewede men: were eni strivinge, Other bituene a lewede man and a clerc: for holi churche thinge; As for an avoweisoun of churche: whether scholde the churche jyve; The king wolde that in his hond: the plai were idryve: Fora[s]moclie as a lewed man: that o parti was, Clanliche was under the kyng: and under the bischop nas. That other was, that no bischop: ne clerc nothe mo, Ne scliulde withoute the lunges leve: out of Engelonde go, 5S0 And thanne hi schulde swerie here otli: upe the boc, iwis, That hi ne scholde purchaci non uvel: the Kyng, ne non of his. The tliridde was, that if eni man: in mansing were ibi’oujt, And siththe come to amendement: and aje rijte nere nojt; That he ne swore nojt upe the boc: ac borewesfynde scholde, To stonde to al that holi churche: with rijte lokie wolde. The furthe was, that no man: that of the kinge liuld ojt, In chief other in eni servise: in mansinge were ibrojt; Bote the wardeyn of holi churche: that broujtg him therto, 589 The king sende other his baillif: what he hadde misdo; And loke ther wer he wolde: to amendement hit bringe, Andboteliewoldebihere leve: dothanne the mansinge. The vyfte was, that bischopriches: and abbeyes also, OF THOMAS BEKKT. 29 That vacantz were of prelatz: in hinges bond were ido; And the king scholde al that lond: in his hond take, Forte attg laste that him lustfi: eni prelat ther make; And thulke prelat thanne sholde: in his chapel ieliose [beo], Of his clerkes which he wolde: to prelat biseo; And thanne whan he were ichose: in his chapel rijt there, Homage he scholde him do: er he confermed were . 600 The sixte was, if eni play: to chapitre were idrawe, And eni makede his appel: that me dude him unlawe; To the bischop fram arcedekne: his appel he scholde make, And from bischop to archebischop: and siththe non hejere take; And bote the archebischopes curt: to r^te him woldg bringe, That he scholde fram thulke curt: biclipie to the kynge; And fram kingeno hejere mo: and siththe attan ende, Plaidingefram holi churche: to the kynge scholde wende; And the king amendi scholde: the archebischopes dede, And beo in the popes stede: that Seint Thomas witli- sede. 610 The sovethe is, that plaiding: that of dette were, To juldg wel with truthe iplijt: and nojt ijulde nere. Al thej thurf truthe were the play: hit scholde beon ibroujt, Bifore the king and his baillifs: and to holi churche noi^t. The eijtethewas, that in thelonde: citacioun non nere, so LIFE AND MARTYRDOM Thurf bulle of the pope of Rome: ac al clene ileved were. The neojethe was, that Peteres pans: that me gadereth meni on, To the pope nere not on isend: ac to the king echon. The teothe was, if eni clerk: as feloun were itake, And for feloun iproved: and ne m^te hit nojt forsake; That me scliolde him furst desordeyny: and sithtlie thurf pur lawe, 021 And pur jugement of the lond: bringe him out of dawe. The King thuse custumes pulte forth: and meni other anon, And het tliurfout al Engelond: holde hem echon. This was bifore the Candelmasse: the furthe dai ido: The King het tho Seint Thomas: and other Bis- chopes also, On this cliartre sette here seles: that non aftertale nere, Ac tliurfout al Engelond: that this custumes iholde were. “ Sire, sire,” quath Seint Thomas: “for Godes love thin ore! “ To consailli ous bet 3if ous furst: er we speke more.” So that respit was ijyve: and ech wende in his side: Seint Thomas nom his transcrit: and nolde no leng abide.. To Winchestre he wende thanne: with sorwe and care ynouj, 633 IIou he myjte holi churche: schulde fram his W0115. Whan other men were faste aslepe: he wep and sijte sore, OF THOMAS BEKET. 31 And bad God helpe holi churche: and cride him milce and ore. He sej ther nas hot o wei: otlier he moste stif beo, Other holi churche was bynethe: mid rijte that was so freo. Carful lie was and sori: that he toe on so, Forto entri in answare: ther ne scholde non do; 040 That he itfeng the transcrit: and furst hadde ibede, For him thojte al holi churche: he misdude in the stede. For holi churche ne scholde nojt: in none stede stonde to dome, Ne answere to kyng ne prince: bote the pope of Rome. The deol that Seint Thomas makede: no tonge telle ne may: “ Louerd!” lie seide, “ alias, alias: that ich evere ise3 this day! “ That ich, the warde of holi churche: so folliclie scholde take, “ So freo as lieo was er: so theu nou hire make! “ Heo that was so freo and hej: hi myn ancestres daye, “ That ich scholde hire bynethe bringe: (alias) and so bitraye! 650 “ For this martirs that fele were: for hire to dethe ido, “And heo is thu tliurf me ymaked: alias! wlii dude ich evere so? “Unworth ich am of holi churche: wardeyn forto beo, “ And of unworthe therto ynome: as meni man mai iseo. “ For ynam (as rijt were): fram non ordre ynome, 32 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “Ac fram Kinged court to holi churche: uvele wolde hit bicome! “ Of houndes icli was and liauekes: wardeyn with the Kyng; “ And wardeyn am of soules nouthe: that ne vietli nothing. “ Ich, that forsoc myn owe soule: the while ich was Chanceler, “ So meni soulen habbe to loke: alias what do ich her! “ Ich doute that God me habbe forsake: hou tok ich on? alias!” 66 l The deol that makede this holi man: withoute ende evere hit was. He wep and sijte nijt and dai: he huld him silve for- lore; And if he mijte asoilled beo: to the Pope he wolthe therfore. So he wende toward Canterbury: sone the Kyng me tolde, That tharchebischop nolde: nojt his statutz holde. To the see he wende: toward Rome: that no man hit nuste, Bote tueye that he tok with him: that of his consail mest wiste. Siththe whan his men him miste: and nuste whar he bicom, Andsejethathi were louerdles: ech of hem his red nom. Forto do everech his beste: to wende ech in his side, As men that were louerdles: and nuste nojt wher abide. 672 OF THOMAS BEKF.T. S3 This lioli man wende forth: and dude him into schip sone, And wende forthward in the see: as he tliojte to done. The wynd com, as oure Louerd liit wolde: and drof hem aje to londe, Siththe he wende him eft into the see: passage forto fonde. The wynd him drof eft aje: and jut in he wende, And evere he was ajen idryve: as oure Louerd the grace sende. Tho isej wel this lioli man: that hit nas nojt Godes wille, That he the jut of londe wende: he turnde aje wel stille. 680 On of his serjantz sat anijt: the while that men woke, In his in at Canterbury: the cliambre forto loke. In theveninge he bad his knave: the dore to steke faste, The knave wende toward the dore: and his ejen aboute caste. Tho sej he Seint Thomas: in an liurne stonde, He orn and tolde his maister fore: and thonkede Godes sonde. The serjant ne leovede hit nojt: ac natheles up he aros, And fon Seint Thomas in an liurne: sumdel him agros. Then was sone joye and blisse: that folc to him drouj, And wolcome him and makede feste: with joye and blisse ynouj. 690 Hi leidebord and spradde cloth: and gonne to sopi faste. Seint Thomas wel myldeliche: tolde hem atte laste, D 34 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM Wlioder lie tliojte habbe iwende: and what cas God him sende, And hou bit nas nojtGodes wille: that he the jut wende. Tethinges to the Kynge come: hou this gode man Seint Thomas, Ajen the statutz of Clarendone: of londe iwende was. For the statut was, that no bischop: scholde for non ende, Withoute leve of the Kynge: out of londe wende. The King sende anon his men: to seisi al his Iond, Andtharchebischopriche also: as traitours, in his lioud. The baillifs come to Canterbury: as hi ihote were; Tho hi wende habbe here wille: hi fonde Seint Thomas there. 700 Nothing ne mijten hi seisi tho: thane wei hi hadde forlore, As hi come hi wende aje: and tolde the Kinge fore. jut Seint Thomas tliojte eft: forto fondi more, If he mijte habbe of the Kinge: betere milce and ore. He jarkede him wel myldeliclie: and to him thane wei nom, He fond him at 'NVodestoke: and to him tliider he com. As his urliche louerd: he grette him faire ynouj, TheKyng bihuldhim al anhoker: and scornliche som- del louj. 710 “ Thomas,” he seide, “ hou goth this: beo we so grete fon, “ That we ne mowe beo in one londe: Thomas, hou schal this gon?” “ Sire, sire,” quath Seint Thomas: “ so ne schal hit nevere beo, OP THOMAS BEICET. 35 “Ac God sende lioli churclie: betere grace to the. “And sende the wille to loven liix-e bet: and God for his mijte. “ Ne lete me nevere ajen tlii wille: do thing mid unrijte.” This Archebischop of Canterbure: fondede forto bringe Acord and love, hi bis poer: bituene him and theKynge. The King swor anon his oth: that non other acord he nolde, Bote the statutz of Clarendone: ecli bischop holds scholde; 720 And nameliche theo for alle other: if a-clerk hadde misdo, And forfeloun iproved were: and for theof also, That me scholde him anon desordeynen: and siththe, tliurf lawe, The Kinges baillyf delyvri him: to anhonge other to drawe. Seint Thomas isej wel tho: that ther nas weibote on; Other he moste withstonde: other his rijtes forgon. He thojt that holi churche: he nolde nevere bitraye, And that he nolde nevere in suche servage: bringe hire bi his daye. Rathere he wolde, as othere were: to martirdom beo ido, Than holi churche were to bynethe: iredi he was tlierto. Nevere ne mijte the King and he: nothing acordi there, 731 Ac departede al in wratlithe: as hi dude ofte ere. The King him makede wroth ynouj: that so ofte in baret was, 36 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM For o man that him withsede: and non other ajenhim nas. In grete wraththe he swor his oth: that lie wolde of him beo awreke, If he moste abide the dai: and with tunge speke. He let somni Seint Thomas: the nexte Thursdai that ther were, Before Seint Lukes dai, at Norhamptone: to jeve him ansuere there. Andalle the Biscliops of the loud: and the Barouns also, lie liet to beo ther thulke dai: al his lieste to do. 740 Seint Thomas londes ek: in his bond hi nome, As to distreigny him: that to his court he come. Nou God lielpe Seint Thomas: for other help nadde he non, Among so meni tirantz to come: that alle were his fon! Bodi and soule he bitok: Iesus Godes Sone, And at his dai isumned: he wende to Norhamptone. In the castel sat the curt: bifore the tirantz eclioue, This holi man a Godes name: wende among hem one. “ Sire King,” he seide, “ God the loke: and sauve thi dignete! “ Isumned ich am to this dai: to answere to tl e. 7 ®o “ Arcliebiscliop of Canterbure: nas nevere isumned so; “ Ne distreigned of nothing: ynot what thu thenjst do. “Inot what is thi nue lawe: that thu gynst forth to drawe, “Bote hit beo on of Clarendone: that thu the^st bringe to lawe. OF THOMAS BHKET. - o7 “ On me nastou poer non: such distresce to do, “ Imaked icli am wardeyn of holi churche: thej yne heo nojt wortki tlierto. “ Thi gostlicli fader ich am: thej thu of me lute lete; “ Hit nas nevere ordre that the sone: the fader scliulde bete, “ Ne that the disciple beote his maister: al this were aje lawe. “ Al this (ho so rijt bihalth): thu gynnest forth to drawe. 760 “And the Bischops also god: that wardeyns beoth mid me, “ To holde thonur of holi churche: and the lieje dignete, “ Beoth aboute hire to schende: and bringe to vylte, “ Nou God jyve holi churche: betere grace to the! “If thu wolt oujt toward me: thu wost wel ynemai nojt fijte, “ Iredi ich am the deth to afonge: for holi churche rijte.” “ Inele no man,” quatli the King: “for holi churche quelle. “Beau sire, thu spext as a fol: another thu most telle. “Com to morwe to speche tyme: that thu thane dai ne breke; “ And ich wole of other thinges: thanne to the speke.” Thus ther departede the court: amorwe thane Fridai, Seint Thomas wende thider aje: tho he thane tyme isay. 772 The King sat anhej on his cee: and acopede himfaste. 88 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ Thu were,” he seide, “ mi Chanceler: alto longe hit ilaste. “ Ich the lende vyf hondred pound: and thu ne jolde no3t on: “ Sete me tlierof a schort dai: and thu me schalt paye echon.” “ Sire,” quath Seint Thomas: “ God sende ous bet thin ore! “ Ine wende not of thulke pans: 5ulde acountes no more. “ For ich hadde thulke tyme: betere grace of ynouj, “ Of the, than ich habbS nou: and that me thinjtli is wouj. 780 “Gode grace ich hadde to the: thu me lovedest ynou tlio; “ And thulke pans thu 5ev6 me: and 3ut thu woldest wel mo. “ Wel ich am therof iknowe: that ich hem feng of the; “ And of thi 5ifte with gode hurte: for sikere thu 5ave hem me. “And so he3 man as thu ert: hit m^te wel beo stille, “ To axi a thing that thu 3eve er: with thi gode wille.” The King him esclite if eni man: thulke 5ifte isay, And whar he m^te the 5ifte prove: “ Sire,” he seide, “ nay.” “Kou lordlings,” quath the King: “wel 50 hureth this. “ Of the gareisounhe is iknowe: that ich him bitok,iwis: “ Ac the 5ifte ne mai he provi no5t: as 5e mowe alle 701 iseo. OF THOMAS BEKET. 39 “ Jugement icli axi of this curt: liou hit mai therof beo.” Tl le court him lokede, as he was: iknowe of the tliinge, That he schulde al the catel: julde to tlie Kinge. The King him het the j)ans jelde: other sikernisse him make; Other his marschal scholde his hodi: into prisoun take. Seint Thomas of his bischopriche: liadde wel lute god: As helples man among his fon: withoute consail he stod. The marschals iredi were: to prisoun him lede anon: Hi heten him sikernissS fynde: otlier he scholde with hem gon. 800 This lioli man nuste other red: bote suffrede alle here W0U3. Somme godg men that ther stode: hadde of him ruthe ynouj. Vyf Kny3tes nome hem to rede: and wende to the Kynge; And nome anhond for Seint Thomas: al that ilke thinge, Ech of hem an hondred pound: for this holi man to paye. Tho was lie al quyt ynouj: as to thulke daye. Amonve thane Saterdai: a5en to court he wende, Forto hure the Ivynges wille: if his liurte wolde amende. The King sat adoun in his see: Seint Thomas tofore him stod. “Belami! thu hast,” (quath the King): “istole me mochS god. sto 40 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ To longe thu were mi Chanceler: and liaddest in thiii honde “ Abbeves and bischopriches: and the more del of mi londe; “ And ne julde me noneaccountes: tlierof merueth sore, “That of thritti thousend pound: thu schalt me and more. “ Therfore make the jare inouj anon: thine accountes to julde, “ For siker thu beo, thu schalt hit do: if ich mai the welde.” Alle that iliurde this demande: in gret wonder hi stode there; And seide among hem ech to other: that hi ne hurde hit never ere, And that Seint Thomas was albynetlie: and that he upe the poynte was, To beo icast in prisoun: and non other wei ther nas. Seint Thomas stod in tho3te longe: of that the King him hadde ised, 821 And bad he moste him conseilli: and tlierof nyme his red. The Bischopes he nom to consail: the Kingne wornde him no5t: In a chambre faste iloke: alle hi were ibroi^t, That hi ne scholde ascapie no3t: er hi respounse sede. “Non lordlings,” quath Seint Thomas: “ herof je mote me rede. “For so God bringe me out of care: ynabbe tlierof gult non; OP THOMAS BEKET. 41 “ Ac me to schendehe axeth hem: mid unrijte eclion. “For ich was er mid him wel 7110113: and that me bringeth non in teone; “ Therfore ne tok ich no witnisse: of that ous was bituene.” 830 The Bischop Henri of Wynchestre: furst higan him rede. “Sire,” he seide, “thus me thinjth: thu mijt do of this dede. “ Thu mijt sigge that thulkfi tyme: that thu were mid the Kynge, “Ne tlio thu wendest of his baillie: he ne axede the no thinge; “ And thu afonge the biscliopriche: so clene and so freo, “ That tliu of non other thing: ne sclioldest icharged beo; “ And quath the quit al clenliche: eche other cure tlier. “And the neschte nothing of node: that thu haddest ido er. “ Wliar tliurf me thinjth that of nothing: thu ne sclialt ansuere nojt, “ Bote to wardi holi cliurche: of alle othere thu ert ihrojt.” 840 The Bischop Gilbert of Londone: seide tlio his avys. “ Sire,” he seide, “ if thu theinjst: as god man and wys, “What god the King the hath ido: and to what poer ihrojt, “ And hou lute god tlier wole come: of such wonder tliojt. 42 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ And in which wo tliu bringest ous alle: and lioli cliurche also, “ And peryl of thyn owe bodi: bote thu his wille do; “If thu al this understode: me thencheth, iwis, “ That thu scholdest fondi him to paye: elles thu dost amis.” Tho seide the Bischop of Wircestre: “ Sire Gilbert, beo stille! “ We suspendietli such consail: for hit nis nojt worth a spille.” 850 The Bischop Hillari of Chichestre: bigan to speke tho: “ Sire,” he seide, “ mi consail is: lion so hit evere go, “ In faire manere to fonde: to paye this Kinges wille, “ With faire bilieste forte eftsone: that hit were stille. “ Thanne we mijte, whan we were: of this destresce ibrojt, “ The bet clieve of oure consail: for nou ne do we nojt.” The Bischop Robert of Lincolne: radde wel therto: “ Sire Archebiscliop,” he seide: “ for Gode thu must do so. “ Other thu lust thi bischopriche: other peraventure thi lyf; “ And thanne thu bijetest lute: (me tliinyth) with thi strif.” sso The Bischop Bartholomeu: bigan to sigge his thojt: “In sonve of the wordle: and care we beoth ibrojt. “ Betere hit were that on heved: in peryl him brojte, “ Than lioli cliurche were bynethe: and ibrojt to nojte.” OP TIIOMAS BEKET. 43 The Bischop Roger of Wircestre: longe in tliojte stod: “ Inele” he seide “ sigge on no other: for ynot what is god. “ If ich rede forto ahowe: to the Kynges wille, “Mi owe mouth mi soule demetli: al lioli ehurche to spille. “ Ac if ich rede ajen him heo: in this place som is, “ That wole telle the Kingefore: and make him mi fo, iwis.” 870 Bi the Bischop of Londone: thulke word he sede, That ajen Seint Thomas was: midword and middede. Therfore he seide “ on no other: ynelle sigge, -iwis: “ God consail God ous jeve: for al neod hit is.” Hi alle ne couthe this consail: bringe to god ende; Ne devise hi mijth best: out of chambre wende. Atte last this consail al: moste upe Seint Thomas gon: Tuei Eoi’les of the Kinges lions: he let clipie anon. “We habbeth,” he seide, “lordlings: ispeke of this thinge; “And as furforth as we mowe: we wolleth paye the Ivinge. 880 “ And for we nabbeth al iredi her: oure consail clene, “ Forte uextfi dai we biddeth furst: that je granti ous nou ene.” Tho that furst was igranted: and ech wende in his weye, Meni of Seint Thomas men: levede him for eye; And lvnijtes that were ek with him: al framward him drowe. Seint Thomas nom bi the wei: pore men ynowe, 44 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM And laddc hem bom to his in: and to the mete hem sette, And servede hem his owe bodi: and mete ynouj hem fette. “This beoth,” he seide “gode knyjtes: other men me habbeth forsake; “ Tliuse knijtes icli lovie more: to hem ich wole take.” The Sonedai there nas no court iholde: for the lieje day: 891 The Monedai Seint Thomas: sore sik lay. The the uvel of mandeflanc: that ofte to him com; And for the care that he was inne: wel the worse him nom. Me seide him makede him sek: for he ne therste forth wende: The King in gret wraththe ynouj: after him let sende. “ Wel je seoth,” quath Seint Thomas: “ that ynemai come nojt: “ Ac certes tomorwe ich wole: hou so ich beo thider ibrojt. “ Thej ich scholde beo thider ibore: in barewe other in here, “ Thider ich wole, tliurf Godfis grace: God me helpe there!” 900 Amorwe thane Tuesdai: oure Louerd him gan arere, Thane morwe after Seint Lukes dai: as hit ful in the 3ere. Tliulke dai he aujte understonde: and meni another also; For hi custume al his anuy: bi Tuesdai com him to. OF THOMAS BEKET. 45 Alle the Bischopes thaneTuesdai: erliche to him wende: “ Sire,” hi seide, “ in feble poynt thu ert: God thi stat amende! “ We habbeth therof with one mouthe: oure red ynome echon; “ We redetli the to paye the King: hou so hit evere gon; “Other Ave wolleth the here anhond: that thu ert his traitour, “ And forswore, whan thu swore: to don him urthlich honur, 910 “ And dost him nou a tricherie: as he th£ wole bere anhonde, “ And bynyme thi stat bicas: and bringe the of thi londe.” “Mi leovg bretheren,” quatli Seint Thomas: “ je sig- geth wel echon, “ That al the Avordle gret on me one: and alle beoth myne fon; “And, that is mest reuthe -jut of alle: $e that myne bretheren beoth, “And me (thej ich sinful beo): joure fadere in tur- ment iseoth, “ And beoth myne meste fon of alle: and also beoth aljare, “ In seculer court me to deme: and that nele nojt wel fare. “ For 3e habbeth among 311, this tuei dayes: bispeke that ilome. 919 “ Nou God helpe holi churche: and nymg thertogome! “ Ac in obedience ich 311 hote: that 3c ther ne5 ne beo, 46 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ If ich am ibroujt to jugbment: ac rathere that je fleo. And if eni man hond on me set: ich jou hote also, “ That je sentence of holi churche: for suche vio¬ lence do; “And holdeth up the rijtes of holi churche: that 5011 beoth bitake, “For yne sclial for no drede of detli: hire rijtes forsake.” Tho Bischopes were tho wroth ynouj: and wende to court echone. Nou God helpe Seint Thomas: for he was alone! Bote the Bischop of Wynchestre: tlier ne bilevede with him not on, And the Bischop of Salesbury: that nere frarn him agon. 930 Seint Thomas triste al to God: and greithede him anon, And song a masse of Seinte Stevene: er he com among his fon. He song ofte thulke massei for, as lieo doth bigynne, The furste office is propre ynou: to the stat that he was inne. The bigynning of thulke masse: in Anglisch is this, “ For whan princes habbe isete: and aje me ispeke, iwis, “And lithere men pursuede me: Louerd, myn help thu beo!” Meni seide that this ihurde: lierbi me mai iseo, Tha't he singeth the masse for than one: for the King and for his; OF THOMAS BEKET. 47 For lie halth hem alle litheremen: that ajen him spek- eth, iwis. 940 This word com to court sone: wher tliurf hi were echon, In the more angusse ajen him: and the more his foil. Andsomme of theKingfis conseillers: to him ofte wende, And seide, bote he hulde him stif: al his lond he schende. Tf lie grantede Seint Thomas: at thulke tyme his wille, Ilis poer in his londe were: nevereft worth a fille; Bote lete the clergie al iworthe: and holde him silve stille, And clerkes dijte al his lond: and al hisreaume aspille; And atte laste hi here owe wille: maki kinges and cheose, And so schulde ech king after him: his franchise leose: Therfor he moste him wel bithenche: and ne flecchi nojt. 951 Suchfi wordes and meni other: apeirede moclie his tliojt. Tlio Seint Thomas liadde his masse ido: his cheisible he gan of weve, And alle thother vestimentz: lie let on him bileve. Other armure nadde he none: for lioli churche to fijte: God almijti beo his help: hi daye and hi nyjte! Forth wende this gode kn^t: among alle his fon: Nou swete Iesu beo his help: for other help nadde he non! 48 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM The eroice he bar on his liond: and arerde up his baner: The Biscliop Robert of Herforde: anon wende him ner. “Sire,” he seide, “ icii crie thin ore: thi chapeleyn make thu me! 961 “ Bifore the let me bare thi croice: for hit ne falletli nojt to th6.” “ The while ich hire here,” quath Seint Thomas: “ and tofore me iseo, Ine doutie of no man: the hardiere ymai beo.” Tho seide the Biscliop of Londone: that evere was his fo, “ Ine rede nojt that thu: tofore the Kinge so go. “ For wratlithe he wolde anon: awreke him in the place.” “Ich bitake me,” quath Seint Thomas: “al to Godes grace.” “ je, al thi lyf,” quath this other: “ a fol thu hast ibeo, “ And that neltou nevere bileve: as me mai nou iseo.” 970 Seint Thomas thus, with his croiz: into court gan gon: Tho he se3 him come so: he wrathtliede him anon. “ Lordlings,” he seide, “ her je seotli: liou this man me schent; “In wliiche manere is he in this court: among ous iwent, “As yne bileovede nojt in Cristendom: ne in oure Louerdes name. “Ne mot icli nede awreke beo: whan he me doth such schame?” OF TIIOMAS BEKF.T. 4.9 Tho seide al tlie court anon: “ Sire, mowe iseo, “ That lie is prout and conteckour: and evere hath iheo. “ And in despyt of the and thyne: this dede lie hath ido; “ And, if thu wolt, thu mijt beo war: eft to take on so, “ To bringe in so gret pohr: such on as he is, 981 “ To the hejiste of thi londe: as thu makesthim, iwis. “ Tlierfore we ne bymeneth th6 nojt: for thu noblest heo iwar bifore, “ That we sigge alle hi him: that he is purliche for¬ swore. “ As bi a such man, dobi him: and as hi on of thi fon; “ For he swor the urthlich onur: and he ne doth the non.” The bedeles and other schrewen: on him grenede faste; And ibide the Kinges heste: in prisoun him to caste. I he King let crie anon aboute: if eni so wod w T ere, That Seint Thomas consaillede: and cumpaignye here; Ac as the Kinges traitour: me scholde him nyme anon. Nou swete Jesus beo his help: among alle his fon! 993 The Bischop of Excestre: to Seint Thomas ful akneo, “ Merci,” lie seide, “ for Godes love: for sorewe thu mijt iseo. “ Have reuthe of the and of ous: other thu wolt ous alle schende. “ We wortheth alle ibroujt to nojt: bote thu thi thojt wende.” “ Sire Bischop,” quath Seint Thomas: “ thu m^t as wel beo stille; F. 50 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ Go hunnes; of the ne kepc ynojt: do ecli man his wille.” The Bischops wende to gadere alle: and here consail nome, And tho he hadde here forme iset: to the Kinge hi come. 1000 “ Sire,” hi seide, “ anuyed thu ert: and ous hit oftliink- eth sore: “ Forjif ous that 3e ous bereth anhond: and we ne schulle misdo nomore. “ Wei we witeth hit is a wrecche: that scholde oure chief beo: “ Fals lie is, and forswore: and that eeh man mai iseo. “For he swor to holde the urthliche onur: and hath ibroke his oth, “ And that we schulle proven wel: ne beo he nojt so wroth. “ Forjif ousthi wraththe, we the biddeth: and to Rome we woletli wende, “ To bynyme him his bischopriche: and as a wrecche him schende. “ Forswore we woletli him provi: sire, hi joure rede.” The King bihet hem gret lionur: for do tliulke dede. To Seint Thomas, tlier as he was: hi wende alle anon; 1011 The Bischop Hillari of Chichestre: tolde for hem eclion. “ Sire,” lie seide, “oure gostliche fader: thu were her bifore; OF THOMAS BEKET. 51 “ Ac for fader nou we forsaketh the: for thu ert fals and forswore. “ For thu swore him urthlich honur: and nelt him do non, “ Therfore to the court of Rome: we biclipieth hit echon.” Nou, swete Iesus, beo his help: whan alle othere were fon! The King let clipie faste: that he come forth anon. The Eorl Robert of Leicestre: and othere menion. Come after him, and hete him sone: bifore the Kinge gon. 1020 “ Lordlings,” quatli Seint Thomas: “ $e witetli wel echon, “ Hou wel ich was w[i]th the Kinge: thej ich have nou litlier iwon. “ Archebischop he makede me: to sothe, mi wille: “ For ich dradde for unconnjnge: mi soule to aspille. “ Tho eschte ich tofore al that folc: in whiche manere hi hit me toke, “The maistrie of holi cliurche: to wardi and to loke. “ He me tok holi churche: in eche manere so freo, “ To beo quit of al other court: and mid rijte scholde so beo. “And whan holi churche is so freo: ynele answere the Kinge, “ Ne non other of his court: of non urthlich thinge. “ For gold ne passetli nojt in bounte: so moche leode, i wis, “ As dignete of prcostliod: passetli the lewed man that is. 1032 52 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM “ And his gostliche fader ich am: if he wolde nyme 3eme; “ And hit nere nojt that the sone: his fader scholde deme. “ Therfore ich sigge, at o word: ynele me nothing take, “ To jugement of Kinges court: ac outliche hit for¬ sake; “ And take me alto holi churche: and to non other dome, “ And biclipie tofore 30U alle: to the court of Home. “ Sauf the stat of holi churche: and mi dignete, “ That Jesu Crist hit sauvi: whan hit ne mai no3t thurf me. 1040 “ And 30U bischops ich biclipie: to the court of Rome also, “ That 3e honuryeth more an urthlich king: than 50 God almi3ti do.” And so thurf r^t of holi churche: out of this court gan wende, To bringe this cause of holi churche: tofore the Pope to ende. This holi man out of this court: wel myldeliche gan gon, That King and alle that with him were: wraththede him anon, With also gretenoyse, as al the toun: biset were with here fon; This holi man him wende forth: as stille as eni ston. OF THOMAS BEKET. 53 Hi ne m^te makie more cri: tliej al the toun were afure, Than hi dude upe this holi man: that reuthe hit was to hure. 1050 Nou God beo this holi manes help: for he hadde tlier lute rewe; For in al his lyf he hadde: gode dawes fewe. Forth him wende Seint Thomas: as him nothing ne rojte: For more me schende Iesu Crist: tho me him to dethS brojte. He weitli upe his palefrai: and to his inne wende so: Unethe he m^te mid his hond; this three thinges do, Blesci that folc, and here his croice: and his bridel wisse. The simple folc orn him aboute: with joye ynou and blisse. For hi wende wel he hadde ibeo: at court faste ynome: Hi herede moche Iesu Crist: that he mijte among hem come. 3060 To his in, to Seint Andreues: he suede him faste ynoiu; Alle the pore men with him: to the mete he drouj; And seide, “ Cometh forth mid me: for mine freond 30 beoth: “Inabbe non other freond than 50U: of alle men 3c seoth.” He let hem fede eclione wel: ful his hous ne3, And him silve the gladdere was: that he ham ise3. As Seint Thomas sat atte mete: the3 lie no wille nadde, 54 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM This word that oure Louerd bet: his redere biforehim radde:— “ If me pursueth jou in o toun: into another 3e fleo.” This holi man thojte bi him: this word mijte wel beo: And that hit was Godes wille: into another toun to gon, 1071 Anon as the godspel saith: to fleo alle his fon. The hardiere he was tho: of londe forto wende, Whan lie mijt ascapie wel: that God wolde the tyme sende. Tho hit was toward eve: tuei serjantz ther come frain tlie Kinge, And sore wepinge warnede him that me wolde: to stronge dethe him bringe. For tlie Kinges men liadde iswore: thurf lieste of the Kinge, Wh ar so hi mijte fynde him: to stronge dethe him bringe. Seint Thomas thojte another: he let makie his bed anijt, In the heje cliurche: bituene tuei wevedes rijt. 1080 Tho other men were alle aslepe: and uoman him nas nej. He ros him up and bihuld: on than ymage anhej. He ful adoun before the weved: and on oure Louerd gan crie; And seide furst the set sames: and siththe the letanye. And wepinge ech halewe bad: his help forto beo, And at ech halwe up aros: and sat siththe adoun akneo. OF THOMAS BEKET. 55 Nou Crist in lievene beo liis help: for neode he hadde therto ynouj! For him was to cominge sorwe ynouj: as 3c scliulle ihure with wouj. Tlio he hadde ido his priere: stilliche he gan gon, Alute biforethe cockes crowe: out of the churclie anon; And wende him out of Engelonde: that noman with him nas, 1091 Bote o frere of Sympringham: that wel privei with him was. This gode man flej al Engelond: for holi cliurche rijte. For al his wo ne jaf he nojt: if he hit amende myjte. % The nijt that fram Norliamptone: Seint Thomas thane wei nom, To on of his clerkes: in avisioun tlier com A cler voiz, that seide: of the sauter this:*— As hit were a sparewe: oure soule ibrojt is “ Out of the hunteres bonde: and the bond is undo, “ And al defouled, and we: beoth delyvred so.” 1100 Of wham was this avisioun: bote of Seint Thomas, That out of the bendes of his fon: tlio delyvred was? That word com of Seint Thomas: to the Kinge sone: The heje men nome therof red: what hem were to done. The King and al his Baronie: and his Bischops echon, * “ Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laquco venantium. Laqueus contritiis cst et nos liberati sumus ."—(Psalm cxxiv.) This Latin quotation is in the margin of the Harleian MS. 56 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM That aujte with Seint Thomas beo: and were mest his fon, To his consail everechone: assentede attan ende, That the King scholde of his hejiste men: to the court of Rome sende, Ajen him whan he thider com: and the Pope do understonde, That he is fals and forswore: and desturbour of the londe 111 ° And to do this grete neode: the wiseste men forth nome, And that the King were al in pees: forte he come. The Archebiscliop of Everwyk: and the Bischop of Exeestre, To home wende for thisse neode: and the Bischop of Cicestre. The Bischop ek of Londone: and of Wircestre also, And grete Eorlos and Barouns: and clerkes tlicrto, To here witnisse of this falshede: whan hi to courte come. Noble jiftes and gewels: mid hem also hi nome: For thcrwith me mai ofte at court: the rijte bringe to wouj. 1119 Nou Crist helpe this pore man: for he was pore ynouj! None 5iftes he nadde to 3yve: to holde up his ri3te: Fram Norhamptone bar he 5eode: for holi cliurclie to fi5te. Fram Seint Andreues in Norhamptone; this holi man forth wende, With a frere of Simpringham: as oure Louerd the grace sende. OP THOMAS BEKET. 57 Vyf and tuenti mile he wende: to the toun of Gra[nt]- ham, Er he stinte meni stede: with the frere of Simpringham. A 1 northward he drouj him forth: and fraimvard the see, That theKinges men ne founde him M051: to nyme lie to sle. Siththe lie wende train Gra[nt]ham: fyve and tuenti myle also, 1129 To the cite of Lincolne: er he wohle him to reste do. The morwe upe Seint Lukes dai: Tuesdai hit was tho, He departede fram the Kinges court: in suclie sorwe and wo. Thane Wendesdai anijt: out of the toun he nom; Sone amorwe thane Thursdai: to Lincolne he com. At a walkeres lious: his in he nom there; Alle gate lie nom his wei: bi nijtc that he awaited nere. In watere he dude him at Lincolne: er God thane dai sende; And thane Fridai fourti myle: al bi water he wende, To an hermitage of Simpringham: that amidde the watere is: Ther he levede hardiliche: tlirco dayes, iwis. mo To Seint Botolf siththe he wende: that thannes was ten myle; And ther he dude him eft in watere: and com, in a lute while, To the hous of Haverolt: that of Simpringham ek is. The frere him ladde bi thulke hous: the sikerer to beo, iwis. 58 LIFE AND MARTYRDOM Therhanne lie wende to Eystrie: liis owe manure mid ri3te, The Archebischop of Canterbury: if he were of mijte; That was ne3 the see ynou5: he abod wel there; Lokede forto passi: whan best tyme were. Soven^t he bilevede ther: forto Alle Soulen day, In chambre r^t bi the churche: dai and n^t he lay; That noman ne scholde him undelete: ne war of him beo. list Thurf the churche wal he makede an hoi: the sacringe forto seo; And forto liure ther his masse: that hi, that to churche come, Nuste no5t that he wassone3: ne toketherof no gome. Such an anker he was bicome: Louerd, that him was wo, Archebischop of Canterbury: that ne therste among none men go! An Alle Soulen dai, thane Tuesdai: er God thane dai sende, He bitok God al holi churche: and into the see wende. Hi rewe forth al thane dai: forte a5en theveninge, A myle hi aryvede: fram the havene of Graveninge. Oye me clipeth the stede: as he com to londe, 1161 In the loud of Flandres: as ich understonde. Forth he moste, this holi man: hors nadde he non; For al his bischopriche: afote he moste gon. And that noman him ne knewe: tliabit of frere he nom, And as a frere forth he 5eode: tho he to Flandres com. OF THOMAS BEKET. 59 Blak was his cope above: liis curtel whit blanket; Upe his rug his cope he bar: forto go the bet. The reyn was gret and swithe strong: the wei was deope yno 115: So wei'i was this holi man: that unethe his lymes he drouj. 11/0 So weri he was of the wei: and of the see bifore, That he sat adoun and ne miyte no fur: bote he were ibore. Tho jeode forth on of his men: and liurede him a mure, For an Englisch peni, with an halter: this holi man to bere. This holi man his clothes 110m: and upe this mure hem caste, And werth upe above his clothes: and rod forth wcl faste. A! weilawai! such a man: moche is Godes mijte! So febliche wende over lond: for uvele was hit his rijte. Uvele bicom him to gon afote: other upe a suchebest to ride. 117!) Iloli churehe he aboute dure: that me tijth on wide. With this haltere upe this mure: forth rod this holi man. As a frere, and let him clipen: frere Cristian. For he noble lie nojt: Cristene he was; And he was adrad to beon iknowe: if me clipede him Thomas. • At a god manes hous: his in a nijt he nom, Tic sat atte hordes ende: as him nojt wei bicom; CO LIFE AND MARTYRDOM And his men sete alle withinne: as he the loweste were: The oste nom wel gode 3eme: hou hi hem alle here. He nom jeme of this lioli man: atte hordes ende, Hou mylde he was atte horde: and curteys and hende. Hou curteisliehe he delde his mete: to hem that tofore him stode, H . 132 APPENDIX. That the king there, other is: as is owene, is ne vette: Yor al that the felon hath: the kinges it is, And echmanmai, in lioli churche: is owene take, ywis . 70 He grantede ek, that a churche: of the kinges fe, In none stede eve* and evere: ne ssolde ijive be, As to hous of religion: withoute the kinges leve; And that he, other the patron: the jifte verst jeve. Seint Tomas grantede wel: thes and other mo: Ac this othere he withsede: that dude him wel wo:— juf bituene tueie lewede men: were eni striving, Other bituene a lewede and a clerc: vor liolichurche thing, As vor voweson of churche: wether ssolde the churche 3ive, The king wolde that in is court: the pie ssolde be drive, 80 Vor as muclie as a lewed man: that the o partie was, Clanliche was under the king: and under no bissop nas. Another was, that no bissop: ne clerc nathemo, Ne ssolde withoute [the] kinges leve: out of this londgo; And thanne hii ssolde suerie: upe the bok, ywis, That hii ne ssolde purcliasy non uvel: the king, ne non of his. The thridde was, juf eni man: in mansinge were ibroujt, And suththe come to amendement: neajerijtenerenojt, That he ne suore noujt upe the hoc: ac borewes finde solde, To stonde to that holichirche: tlier of him loky wolde. 90 * Hearne has ene : perhaps it ought to read cvere in both places. APPENDIX. 133 The verthe was, that no man: that of the kinge hulde oujt, In chef, other in eni servise: in mansinge were ibrojt, Bote the wardeins of holichirche: that brojte him therto, The king sede, other is bailifs: wat he adde misdo ; And lokede verst wer hii wolde: to amendement it bringe, And bote hii wolde be hor leve: do the mansinge. The vifte was, that bissop riches: and abbeies also, That vacauns were of prelas : in the kinges bond were ido; And that the king ssolde al the lond: as is owe take, Vort atte laste that him luste: eni prelat ther make, 100 And thanne thulke prelat ssolde: in is chapele ichose be, Of is clerkes, wuche he wolde: to such prelat hi se; And thanne wan he were ichose: in is chapele rijt there, Homage he ssolde him do: ar he confermed were. The sixte was, juf eni play: to cliapitle were idrawe, And eni man made is apel: juf me dude him unlawe, That to the bissop fram ercedekne: is apel ssolde make, And fram bissop to erchebissop : and suthtlie non herre take; And bote the erchebissopes court: to rijte him wolde bringe, That he ssolde fram him: biclupe bivore the kinge; 110 And fram the king non herre mo: so that, atten ende, Plaininge* of holichirche: to the king solde wende, So in the MS, but differently in v. 115. 134 APPENDIX. Anil the king amenili ssolde: the erchebissopes dede, And he as in the popes stude: ac Sein Tomas it with sede. The sevethe was, that plaidinge: that of dette were, To jelde wel thorn treuthe iplijt: and nojt iholde nere; A 1 thei thoru treuthe it were: that pie ssolde be ibrojt, Bivore the king and is bailifs: and to holi churche nojt. The eijtethe was, that in the londe: citacion non nere, Thoru bulle of the pope of Rome: ac clene bileved were. The nithe was, that Petres panes: that me gadereth manion, 121 The popg nere noujt on isend: ac the king echon. The tethe was, juf eni clerc: as felon were itake, And vor felon iproved: and ne rnijte it nojt vorsake; That me ssolde him verst desordeini: and suththe thoru pur lawe, And thoru jugement of the loud: honge him, other to drawe. Vor thes, and vor other mo: the godemon, Seint Tomas, Fleu verst out of Engeloud: and suththe ymartred was. Vor he sei tlier nas bote o wey: other he rnoste stif be, Other holichurche was issent: that mid rijte was so fre. 130 Endleve hundred jer of grace: and foure and sixti therto, It was, that Sein Tomas: of londe wende so. The nexte 5er ther after: the Amperesse Mold Wende out of this live: as the boc ath itold. The King let erouni to Ivinge: an vif jer after this, Henri is eldoste sone: at Westmunstre, ywis, As endleve hundred jer of grace: and sixti and tene; APPENDIX. 135 And sixtene jer he was old: tho he was icrouned, icli wene. The Erchebissop of Everwik: and the Bissop of Londone, And of Salesbury, him crounede: ajen rijt and wone. HO Yor the Erchebissop of Canterburi: mid rijte it ssolde do. Tho Sein Tomas it wuste: gret deol he nom him to. That the churclie of Kanterbury: in such unrijt was ibrojt, He nolde, vor to tliolie detli: leng tholieit nojt. He drou him towarde Engelond: to is martirdom: As Godes knijt, he bigan: tho he hider com. He amansede alle tliulke: that such unrijt adde ido, To the churche of Canterbury: and the King icrouned so. The tlire bissopes worthe* were: and nome hom to rede, And wende vortli to Normandie: and the olde King it sede. iso The King was nei, vor wraththe, wod: and sed 6 , “ juf that he “ Amanseth alle tliulke men: thanne amanseth he me.” He acorsede alle tliulke men: that he hadde vorth ibroujt, That of an false preste: ne abbe eke him noujt.f That word he sede ofte: in hastinesse, ywis: Foure of the Develes limes: is Knijtes, liurde this; Sire Reinaud Le Fizours: Sire Roger Brut al so, Sire Hue de Morvile: Sir Wiliam Traci ther to; * So, for wrothe. f That had not avenged him of a false priest. See Life, v. 1940. 136 APPENDIX. Hii nome horn to rede: and vor to paye is wille, Wendg vortli to Engelond: hasteliclie and stille. 160 Tho the King com to is mete: and is Knijtes mid him were, lie bihuld and miste: thulke foure there. Is herte him jef anon: wuderward hii wende: In anguisse and sor ynou: after liom he sende, Toward the se, hasteliclie: that hii come aje. Ar the messager come: hii were in the se. Ilii wende horn vorth to Kanterburi: and in the churche rijt, Hii martreden Sein Tomas: an Tiwesday at nijt. This godeman sat adoun akne: and is heved buyede adoun, And wel softe, as some hurde: sede this orison:— 170 “ God and Seinte Marie: and Sein Denis al so, “ And alle the avowSs of this churche: in was oreich am ido,* “ Ich bitake min soule: and holi churche rijte!” jut he bed vor holi churche: tho he nadde other mijte. Sir Reinaud Le Fizours: mest ssrewe of echon, Vor to smite this holi man: is suerd drou anon. Ac Edward Grim, that was is clerc: of Grantebrugge ibore, To lielpe is louerd, juf he mijte: pulte is arm bivore. He wounde his arm suithe sore: tliut blod orn adoun: Mid thulke dunt ek he smot: Sein Tomas upe the croun, 180 * And all the patron-saints of this church, in whose favor I am placed.—Ilearne reads aboives. APPENDIX. 137 That thut blod orn bi is face: in the rijt half of the wounde. Loude gradde the lather Ivnijt: “ Smiteth alle to grounde!” In thulke salve wounde: an other him smot tho, That he abuyde is face adoun: vort ther come mo. The thridde in tliulke sulve stede: ther after smot anon, And made him aloute al adoun: is face vpe on the ston. In thulke stede the verthe smot: that the otliere adde er ydo; And the point of is suerd brec: in the marbreston a tuo. 3ut thulke point at Canterbury: the monekes lateth wite, Yor honour of the lioli man: that therwith was ismite. With tliulke stroc he smot al of: the scolle and ek the croune, i91 That the brain orn al abrod: in the paviment ther doune. Tho this holiman imartred was: the Knijtcs gradde eclion, “ This traitor is to detlie ibro3t: wende we lienne anon. “ Sywetli us* the Kinges men: and alle that mid him both. “ Of this traitor we beth awrcke: as 3e nou iseth. * In tlie MS. nou was the original reading, corrected into vs, which Hearue misprinted vi. 138 APPENDIX. “ He thoujte be herre than the King: and binime him is eroune, “ And to nou5te bringe al Engelond: and nou he lith ther doune!” In endleve hundred jer of grace: this godeman, Sein Tomas, And sixti and endlevene: thus imartred was. 200 Tlio the King it wuste: he made deol ynou, So that vor anguisse: nei him sulve he slou. In the castel of Argentein: vourty dawes he was, In a chaumbre al one: withoute eni solas. In wop and sorwe and deol inou: and confort non him nas, Ac evere on the holiman: criede, Sein Tomas. So that tueie Cardinals: the Pope him sende, iwis; And liii him asoilede: of that was ido amis. And he undude the luther lawes: and grauntede alle the gode, That Sein Tomas esste: as hii understode. 210 Of forest and of other thing: that is elderne norne amis, He undude, and ther to: is cliartre made, iwis. Ac after is daye iholde: febliche it was, Of King Jon, and of othere: and natlieles ther nas, Non of bom, that some time: (mid wille thei it nere,) Ne grauntede and confermede it: thei it lute wurth were: Vor mani is the gode bodi: that aslawe is thervore. To betere ende God it bringe: that vor us was ibore!* * Here ends the portion of the metrical text, omitted in the Heralds’ MS. APPENDIX. 139 After Sein Tomas dethe: aboute an jeres to, Ther sprong contek suithe strong: (thei it lutlier were ido,) 220 Bituene King Henri the olde: and the 5onge, mid won: Vor the sone aims aje the fader: and dude him ssame ynou, Thoru the King of France: was dojter was is wif; Vor thoru a vowe of him: the sone bigan that strif. Vor the King of Fraunce: and the Erl of Flaundres ther to, And Sir Roberd Erl of Leicestre: and Sire Hue Bigod also, And the King of Scotlond ek: and manie other knijt, With the sone aje [the] fader: hulde with unrijt. Hii destruede and robbede: the fader londes, mid wou: Tlie father was in Normandie: and deol made ynou. He liuld it al wreclie of God: vor Sein Tomas mar- tirdom, 231 And natheles with gret poer: to Engelond he com.* The Erl Wiliam of Gloucestere: liuld mid him vaste, And mani other trewe kn^t: so that atte laste,f (Ac the olde King at Canterbury: midgode herte and wille, * This line is omitted in Ilearne’s copy, but supplied in his notes from the Heralds' MS- with a slight transposition of the words. It exists, however, in the Cottonian text, as above. f This clause, in all propability, is erroneous, and left so by the author; for though the next four lines, (which are here printed within parentheses, as by Hearne,) are needful to complete the narrative, they are omitted in the Heralds’ MS., and v. 239 is construed with this verse, in the stead of v. 238. 140 APPENDIX. Hurde is masse of Sein Tomas: and cride him merci, stille. Is ost, and is sone ost: the wule masse ilaste, Smite an stronge bataile: so that atte laste,) Thoru grace of Sein Tomas: is men overcome Hor fon, and the King: of Scotlondg nome. And Sir Hue Bigod ek: and the Erl of Leicetre, 210 Inome was thoru Wiliam: Erl of Gloucestre. Manion ther was aslawe: so that this vair cas, The King it thonkede everidel: the godeman Sein Tomas. So that the fader and the sone: acorded were tho, Ac the sones herte aje the fader: was ever mo; And the bretheren hulde al so: ajen hor fader vaste, Vorte the jonge King Henri: deide atte laste. A Sein Barnabes day: and (as it wolde be) Endleve hundred jerof grace: and eijteti and thre ; 250 In Norm an dye he deyde: and tliulke 3er al so, Seint Egwine at Evesham: in ssrine was verst ido: Glastingburi was ther after: and to jer, ibrojt to grounde, Yorbarnd, and of King Artliure: the bones verst ifounde. (Ibid. pp. 517-518, ff. I45 b -HG.) Ther after at Westmunstre: ar the Baronie bi sai,* Ilii crounede the King arijt: a Witesoneday.j" * Hearne vi sai. f This coronation of King Ilenry III. took place on tlie 17th APPENDIX. 141 It was as in the 3er of grace: a* * tuelf hundred and tuenti jer, And as in the verthe 3er: that he verst croune her. The newe wore of Westm[unstre]: the King bigan tho anon, After is crouninge: and leide the verste ston. 260 The King wende tho to Canterbury: and the heiemen also. To nime+ up Sein Tomas body: and in to ssrine do: Arst he adde ileye an erthe: unssrined vifti 3er. Of Engelond and of France: so muche folc ther com tlier, That alle contreye aboute: unnethe avonge it m^te; Ther vore liii nome him up: priveliche hi ni3te. of May, 1220, and the inshrining of Beket on the 7th of July following; which latter day is marked in calendars prior to the Reformation thus :—Translatio snneti Tliomcs Martyris, to distin¬ guish it from the day of his death, the 29 th of December, where the first of these words is omitted. * So Ilearne: the MS. has + So the MS., but Ilearne reads mine. Cf. Life, vv. 2358, 2.3GO, 2377. j- t , 2 ft SO'SS 'unmov 821.13 ' R639 19274 University Libraries D00982863