¶ Notwithstanding all which honor of the pope then exhibited to his saint, as his canonization, with other solemnities procured for the maintenance of his memoriall in all ages, succeeding; what remembrance is there now of Thomas Becket? Where be the shrines that were erected in this church and that chappell for perpetuities of his name and fame? Are they not all defaced? are they not all ruinated? are they not all conuerted to powder and dust? And although the pope ment by causing such ikons to be erected, to prefer Thomas as a perpetuall saint to all posterities, and thought as he that said of his poems,
Exegi monumentum ære perennius,
Regalíque situ pyramidum altius,
Quod non imber edax non aquilo impotens
Possit diruere aut innumerabilis
Annorum series & fuga temporum,
Yet is he growne not into renowne, but infamie and shame in England, as our chronicles declare, which haue published that Romish rakehels ambitious and traitorous heart to all successions. Naie, whereas in times past he was reckoned in the popes rubricke for a saint and a martyr, now it is come to passe (by the meanes belike of other saints whose merits haue surpassed Beckets) that he is growne in obliuion euen M. Vaghan at Spitle the tuesdaie in Easter wéeke 1565. at Rome, and his name raced out of the pope's calendar (as a learned man preached in a solemne audience at a high festiuall time) by whome he was so magnified. In which kind of discontinuing his fauour to his sworne children, he sheweth himselfe verie ingratefull, and not worthie of the dutifulnesse wherewith (like buzzards as they be) they ouercharge their hellish (holie I would saie) father.
Ger. Dor. The archbishops consecratiō disturbed by the yoong king. This yeare the sister of the said archbishop Richard was made abbesse of Berking. But now touching the new elected archbishop Richard, we find that comming to Canturburie on the saturdaie after his election, in hope to be there consecrated, he was disappointed by letters that came from king Henrie the sonne, in forme as followeth.
A letter of yoong king Henrie touching the disappointment of archbishop Richards consecration.
Henrie by the grace of God king of England, duke of Normandie, and earle of Aniou, sonne of king Henrie; to our deere and faithfull freend Odo, prior of the Church of Canturburie, and to all the conuent there, sendeth greeting. By the assured report of some we vnderstand, that in your church and in other churches also, my father goeth about to institute certein persons not verie meet for such calling: and bicause (without our consent) it ought not so to be doone, who by reason of our kinglie annointing haue taken vpon vs the kingdome and charge of the whole realme: hervpon we haue in the presence of many persons appealed to the see of Rome, and haue signified our appeale in that behalfe, made vnto our reuerend fathers and freends Albert and Theodorike, cardinals and legats of the apostolike see, by our writing and messenger, who like wise and discreet personages haue assented therevnto. We haue likewise signified the same our appeale to our faithfull freends the bishops of London, Excester, and Worcester, and as we haue appealed, so likewise we do appeale vnder your testimonie.
After the perusall of this letter, and the due consideration of the substance and summe of the same, (albeit no such afterclaps were suspected before) the bishops were altogither driuen to their shifts, some of them desiring to go forward with the consecration, and some supposing it better to yéeld vnto the appeale. The elect archbishop therefore first sent messengers to Rome with letters, not written onelie by himselfe, but also by all the bishops and conuent of Canturburie. After this he followed himselfe in person, and comming to the popes court, found there diuers aduersaries to his cause. For some were there that tooke part with the king the father, and some with the king the sonne, and so his businesse could haue no spéedie dispatch. In the meane time the rancor which king Henrie the sonne had concerned against his father was so ripened, that it could not but burst out, and shew itselfe to the breach of all dutifull obedience which nature requireth of a sonne towards his father.
You haue heard how king Henrie promised the earledome of Morienne, when the marriage was concluded betwixt his son John and the said earles daughter, to giue vnto the said John certeine townes in Normandie, for the better mainteining of his estate and his wiues. This gift of the fathers caused his eldest sonne the yong king Henrie, the sooner to powre out his poison which he had sucked before at his being with his Wil. Paruus. father in law king Lewes. For conceiuing an offense, that his father should giue away any portion of his inheritance, he would not condescend to any such gifts, but alledged that sithens he was king of England, and that all belonged to him, his father could not now haue any title to giue awaie that which did in no wise apperteine vnto him.
There was another cause that troubled his mind also, and mooued him to grudge at his father, which was; for that the proportion of his allowance for maintenance of his houshold and port was verie slender, and yet more slenderlie paied. Also his father remooued from him Astulfe de S. Hilarie a counsellor, or rather corrupter of king Henrie the sonne. Polydor. certeine of his seruants, as Astulfe de S. Hilarie, and other whome he suspected to giue him euill counsell. Wherefore those that were procurers of him to attempt the seizing of the gouernement into his hands, vpon this occasion slept not, but put into his head such matter, that at length he openlie demanded to haue the whole rule committed to him: which when he saw would not be obteined of his father by quiet King Henrie the sonne fled to the French king. meanes, he fled secretlie awaie vnto his father in law king Lewes, requiring aid of him to recouer his right, which king Henrie the elder vniustlie deteined from him.
The French king comforted him, and bad him be of good cheare, for he ment to doo for him all that in him laie. Herewith he proclaimed him duke of Normandie, and receiued homage of him for the same. King Henrie the father vnderstanding that his sonne was thus tied to the French king, sent ambassadours foorthwith to the same king, requiring him to giue his son some good & wholesome counsell, that he might repent, and not follow such wilfulnesse of mind in swaruing from his fathers freendship, but rather with spéed to returne home againe; & to promise in his name, that if any thing were otherwise than well, he would be contented the same should be reformed by his order and correction. But so farre was king Lewes from meaning to set a quietnesse betwixt the father and the sonne, that he would not heare the ambassadors declare W. Paruus. their message, bicause they named the father, king, to the derogation of the sonnes right, to whome he said he offered manifest wrong in vsurping the gouernement, which he had alreadie giuen ouer and resigned. Insomuch that when the ambassadours had declared some part of their message, he asked them what he was that willed such things of him: and when they answered that the king of England had sent them with that message, "That is a false lie (saith he) for behold here is the king of England, who hath giuen you no commission to declare any message from him vnto me at all."