as vnnumerable chaf amōg a few good grane & yet how few do we see these many yeares in England depriued of their office? For why? the Bishops while they labor more to maintayn þ^e liberties and dignities of church men, thē to correct their vices, think they do God & the church great seruice, if they reskew & defend the enormities of churchmen against publike discipline whō they ought to punish by the vertue of the censure ecclesiastical. Wherupō the churchmē, such as be sorted peculiarly to the lord, & ought lyke starres to shine in earth by worde, and example, taking licence and liberty to doo what they lust, neyther reuerence God, (whose iudgement semeth to tary) nether mē set in autoritie, when as both the Bishops are slacke in their charge doing: & also the prerogatiue of their order exempteth thē frō the secular iurisdiction. &c. And thus much out of Nuburgensis. MarginaliaEx Cæsario Monacho. li. 8. dialo. Capit. 69To thys matter also pertayne the wordes of Cesarius the Monke in his. 8. boke of Dialogues. Cap. 69 about the. 48. yere after the death of Thomas Becket, which was the yere and coūt of þ^e lord 1220. whose wordes in sūme come to this effect. MarginaliaWhether T. Becket be saued or damned.Questio Parisijs inter magistros ventilata fuit, vtrū damnatus an saluatus esset ille Thomas. Dixerat Rogerius tune Normanus, fuiße illum morte ac damnatione dignum, quod contumax esset in dei ministrum regem. Protulit econtra Petrus Cantor Parisiensis quod signa saluationis, & magnæ sanctitatis essent eius miracula: et quod martyrium probasset ecclesiæ causa, pro qua mortem subierat &c. That is. There was a question moued emong the maysters of Paris, whether Tho. Becket wer saued or damned. To this question answereth Roger a Norman, þ^t he was worthy death and damnation, for þ^t he was so obstinate against Goddes minister his king. Cōtrary Peter Cātor a Parisian disputed, sayinge and affirmyng þ^t hys miracles were great signes and tokens of saluation, and also of great holynesse in that mā, affyrming moreouer that þ^e cause of þ^echurche dyd allowe and confyrme his martyrdome, for the which church he dyed. &c. MarginaliaIf God in these latter dayes geueth no myracles to glorify the glory of his own sonne: much lesse wil he geue miracles to glorify, T. Becket.

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But howsoeuer the testimony of these auncient tymes went with him or against him, Marginalia

The blasphemous antheme of T. Becket

Tu Per Thomæ sāguinē, quē pro te impendit, fac nos Christi scandere quo Thomas ascēdit

certain it is that this antheme or collect lately collected and primered in his praise, is blasphemous, and derogateth from the prayse of hym, to whom al praise only and honor is due, wher it is sayd: Tu per Thomæ sanguinem quem pro te impendit, fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit. That is.

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For the bloud of Thomas, which he for thee dyd spēd
Graunt vs (Christ) to climbe, where Tho. did ascend.

Wherein is a double lye conteyned: Fyrst that he dyed for Christ. Secondly that if he had so done, yet that his bloud could purchase heauen. which neither Paule nor any of the Apostles durst euer chalenge to themselues. For if any mannes bloude could bring vs to heauen, then the bloud of Christ was shed in vayn.

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And thus muche touching the testimonye or censure of certayn auncient tymes concerning the cause of Thomas Becket. In the explication of whose historye I haue stande nowe the longer, exceading peraduenture in ouermuch prolixitie, to the intent that his cause beynge fully opened to the worlde, and duely weyed on euery part, mennes mindes thereby long deceiued by ignoraunce, might come vnto the more perfect certaintie of the truthe therof, and thereby to iudge more surely what is to be receiued, and what to be refused.

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After the death of Thomas Becket, 

þ^e king fearing the Popes wrathe and curse to be layd vppon him, (wherunto Lodouike the Frenche king also helped, what he could to set the matter forwarde) sent to Rome the Archebishoppe of Rotomage with certain other Bishops and Archdeacons vnto the Pope, with his excuse which the Pope would in no wise heare. MarginaliaEx libro annotationū historicarū manuscripto i. SkeniiAnd after second messengers, which some of þ^e Cardinals receiued, shewing them that on good Friday (being then nye at hande) the Pope of custome was vsed to assoile or to curse, and that it was noised, that the king of Englande with his Bishops should be cursed by name, and his land interdicted, and hereupon the kings messengers were put in prison. Wherupō certayn of the Cardinals shewed the Pope that þ^e messengers had power to sweare to the Pope, that the king should obey to his punishment and penaunce. Which was taken both for the kyng, and the Archbishop of York. So that in þ^e same day the Pope cursed the dededoers, with suche as were of their consent, either that ayded, or barbred them. Concerning these dededoers, it is touched briefly before, how they fled vnto Yorkshire lying in Gnarsborough. MarginaliaThe penāce of the 4. kinghtsWho after had in penaunce to go in theyr linnen clothes barefote, in fasting, and praier to Hierusalem, which by reason of this hard penaunce are saide to dye in few yeares after.

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The kinges Ambassadours lying as is saide in Rome, coulde finde no grace nor fauoure a long time at the Popes hande. At length with much a doe it was agreed that two Cardinals should be sent downe, to enquire out the matter concerning them that were consentyng to Beckets death. MarginaliaEx HouedenoThe king perceiuing what was preparing at Rome, neither being yet certain, wherto the intent of the Pope, and commyng downe of the Cardinals woulde tende, in the meane tyme addressed himselfe wyth a great power to enter into Irelande, geuing in charge and commaundemente (as Houedenus wryteth) that no brynger of any brieffe or anye letter should com ouer to England or passe out of the Realm, of what degree or condition so euer he were, without speciall licence, and assuraunce, to bring nothing that shoulde bee preiudiciall to the Realme.

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