The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-09-23

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council at Northampton, where he accused
him of higl, treason, and made claim arainst
him. which was not Just one. for an cnor-
NOUS sum of money. Thomas Beckett was
alone against the whole assembly, and the
very bishops advised him to resign his office
and abandon his contest with the King. Ills
great anxiety and agitation stretched him on
sick bed for two DAYS, but he was still un-
daun'cd. He went to the adjourned coun-
ell. carrying great cross in his ri rht hand.
and sat down holding il erect before him.
The King angrilv retired into an inner room.
The whole assembly angrily retired and left
llIm there. But there he sat The B>hors
came out again III body ard rcnounccd him
as traitor. He only sad, Il hear" and sat
there still. They retired again into the in
ncr room. and his trial proceeded without
HIM. Byand-hy, the Earl of Leicester. hca,,
INC the 3'aronS, came out to read his sentence.
lie refused TO hear it, denied the power of the
court, and said he would refer his canSr 10
The Pope. A> he walked out of the Hall
with the cross in his hand. ,onlc Of those pres
cnt picked up ru,lcs y ru>hcs were s,rcwn
upon the iloois IN those laws by way of car
pet = and f!lrcw ticm at him. lie proudly
turned his head an! sad that were he not an
Arrhhi,hop, he would ch!stise those towards
with Tie sword he hal known how 20 use in
'y-onc days. He then mounted his horse.
and rode away. c!.ccrcd am! surrounded bv
Tie common people, TO whom he threw open
h'> house that NIGHT and gave a supper. sup
ping with them himself That same niri,.
he secret, departed! tror. the town: and So.
travelling 'y night and hiding hy dav. and
calling himself " Rro;hcr pcarman," cc,
away. not without difficulty. to Flanders.
The struggle sill went on. The aYcrv
King took Possession O: the revenues Of the
a:.;,li>hoplir. ana i,an,Aei all the relations
and servants OF Thomas i E,.,tct. tn the mum
bcr Ct four hundred The Pope and the
French kin-t both protected Lin. and an ah-
hey was All med ior !li. residence. S.in.u-
lated by this support. Thomas Beckett. on a
;trctt festival day. formally proceeded TO a
great church crowded with people. and noinr
up INTO the rulri; publicly cursed and cxrom-
m"nca'cd all who had sup ortcd the Con>ti-
tUton> of Clarendon: mentioning many Enr-
Nsh no''cnrn l., name. and not di,:antl,
limiting at the kiu. OF England himself
When intc.li4cncc OF this new aIont was
carried to The kinr in his chamber. his r,>-
sion was 50 furious that he tore his clothes.
and lo!.vd Ike a mailman on his bed 81, straw
and ru>'ic>. But he was soon up and dong.
lie o'd"ro'! all tie ports and coa Is of l.nr-
."d to be narrowly watched that no letters
OF ln;cldic, mi@.; he I.ou-h, n,o TIE k;nr-
"om and sent messengers and br:nc> 20 the
f"pc'> palace AT Rome. Mcanwhi.c. Thomas
a itckc, for his part. was :o; idle =, Rome
bat constant. ' employed his utros. arts in his
own behalf. Thus Tie contest stood. until
there was Iracc between France and Eur-
lan'l. (Which had Seen .o.' some time at wary
and until The two children of TIE two kino>
were married IN celebration oft. Then. thc
French King brought about a ncc,nr be-
tween Henry and his old iavori:c, so lone his
enemy.
Even then, Though Thomas a Hcckc, kncl,
before the Ming. he was obstinate and i'm
movable as TO those words a'.out his order
King Louis of France was weak cnouch IN
his >cncraion for Thomas a Beckett and such
E,cn, but this was a little too much for him
He sad that Beckett wanted to Ie greater
than the saints, and better than St. Peter"
and rode away from him with the Kinr of
England. His poor French Majesty asked a
BccketS pardon for 50 doing. however, soon
ailerward; and cut very ptinl figure.
Ut last, and after world of trouble, it came
to this There was another ncctin. on French
o''''' 'N'"N'' NiiiS litIlIn anu lnOl!laS
Bcckct, and it was agreed that Thomas a
Beckett should be Archbishop OF Canterbury.
according to the custom, of former Ar,h!,j>i,-
ops, and that the king should pn: him in pos
session of the revenues of that post. tnl
now, indeed. yo" might suppose the struggle
at an end, and Thomas Beckett at rest. No.
not even yet. For Thomas Beckett hcarino.
by some means, that Kin" Henry. when he
was in dread o! his kingdom being placed un-
der an Intcr,lict, had had his eldest son Prince
Henry secretly crowned, not Only persuaded
the Pope to suspend the Archbishop of York
who had performed that ceremony. and to
excommunca!c the Bishops who had assisted
at it, but sent a messenger of his own into
England in spite Of all the hing precautions
along the coast, who delivered TIE letters of
accommodation into the bishops own hand.
Thomas a ,kct then came over to England
himself. after an absence of seven years He
was privatcl Y warned that it was dangerous
to come, and that an ireful knight. named
Ranulfd de Broc, had threatened that he should
not live to eat a loaf Of bread in England:
but he came
The common people received him WELL and
marched about with him in soldierly way,
armed with such rustic weapons as they could
get. lie tried to see the young prince who
had once been his pupil. but was prevented.