The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-13
BECKETT VAS DEvOUT
 AND RELIGIOUS Archbishop of Canterbury Noted AS Writer Was
 Slain At Service. HAD TROUBLES
 WITH HIS KINGS Canonized By Catholic Church For His Pious
 Life in 1173.

the great actor, Henry Irving, fell
 dead, repeating the murdered Beck
 ett's last words, Unto Thy Hands,
 Q Lord. Into Thy Hands!" He was
 fortunate enough to have seen the late Sir Henry Irving's portrayal of
 the great historic character. Thomas
 4. Beckett, archbishop of Canter-
 bury; he who has stood with rever-
 ence and bowed head on the steps
 of the altar in old Canterbury Cathe-
 draI, England, where Beckett was
 done to death by a band of nobIes-
 murderers, but knights-will enter
 into the spirit of today, Oct. 18th,
 that commemorate the opening Of the solemn Council in Northumber- land Castle, Oct. II, 1164, for the trial of Thomas A. Beckett by whose sentence he was placed at the kings mercy.
 All great assizes are of grave but stirring interest. Witness our crowd ed court-rooms when a man--or wonlan-it put on trial for their life. One would give ten years of ordinary existence to have been a spectator at that notable Council when Beckett entered himself holding on high the archbishop's cross; one would give ten years of flaccid life to have lift cd up a voice for the soldier-prelate and saint, Thomas A. Beckett. It was the Twelfth Century, Titanic forces were at work In church and
 State, Giants were contendtng. A red-blooded, boisterous century, Hen ry PIantag agenet.-TIenry II.-had be-
 como the greatest monarch of the
 age, Most of France was in his
 power, In 1155 he appointed Beckett
 his Chancellor, and Beckett became
 the kings chief minister. But the
 king had his "Fatr Rosamund'' from
 whom he would not sway.
 Beckett was born in HIT. At his
 birth his mother dreamed that twelve
 stars well glittering into her bosom.
 It was interpreted as the fire of the
 twelve apostles descending into the
 child she was to bear, The boy had
 his struggles in his young years, and
 earned his living as Q notary to
 young knight Taken into the house.
 hold of Archbishop TheohaId of Can terbury, he accompanied him to
 Rome, and on hazardous and delicate
 missions to important councils. His
 rise in the church was rapfd-from
 mere orders to Recommendations
 -ChanceIIor to the king. The chan
 celIor Beckett was the author of all
 the reforms introduced by the young
 king He negotiated the marriage
 between Henry's eldest son and the
 daughter of Louis, king of France, And he was the chief justice of Eng land. The purity and Ioftiness of his charac cter were all the more remark able set in the midst of an age of
 cyclopean intrigue and royal despot- ism. Of course, this great light nec-
 essarily cast hadows-ene nenaies gath
 ering around the globe of brilIiance and fearless radiance. When Henry determined to raise Beckett to the
 See of Canterbury, Beckett's consci-
 ence shrank from accepting the hon or, for he knew that Henry's eccIesi- ! as7cicaI polio would clash with his own ideas of an archbishop's duties and that the appointment must lead to a severance of their manly friend ship. But a, Cardinal of Rome pre- vailed upon Beckett to take the ap- pOintment. Beckett stood so high in 1 the favor of the Vatican that upon his conservation the Pope allowed him to send for his palIium, and not personally to fetch it - as was the custom.
 His elevation only made this ear nest soul more earnest, Studious, de Vout, rigorous to duty.
 And now came the test-hour. It comes Into every He, hullfb4e> or 6A- alted- Follow the voice of TRUTH
 and let it lead where it will, for it leads where God wills" In 1163
 Beckett opposed the King in a mat ter of taxation, acting as the cham pion of the people. A lion, he stood
 forth for the rights of the people against royal despotisn, maintaining
 moreover, the rights of the church in spite of the kings eager and open hostility He refused 10 scar the ancient, oppressive laws of taxation
 which Henry presented to him. Beck cit appealed to the Pope, Henry de- clared him a traitor-and Beckett had to flee for his life to France In years Henry capituIated, restored to Beckett his confiscated property, and Beckett returned to England. Again the Lion of Right must roar on his God-appointed heath. But ! the old struggle between king and 1 Drela:te broke out afresh- The king i had had his son crowned, not only | against the laws and customs, but ! against the commands of Beckett and l the Vatican. There was ONE man 1 who chose Gods favor before the 1 kings. That man was Thomas A.
 Beckett. He refused to absoIVe the bishops who had dfsobeyed the Pope, 1 ana WAO were uIWIIdIlS 10 S"6dr IO 1 obey the laws of the land. In De- | cenlber, 1170, four knights went to i Canterbury, in the name of the king 1 demanding from Beckett absolution
 for the bishops, Beckett refused The hour of Vespers was ringing The monks in the cloister of the
 cathedral flee in terror from the roar that burst into the sacred aisle, of
 the followers of the four knigts, arm 1 ed to the teeth Beckett, the lion 1 of Destiny, alone mounted the steps ] of the altar, in his robes and motre. 1 holding high the sacred pectoral | cross, to proceed with the service The four knights fell upon, and hew- l ed him down. He feil-face to the 1 altar, his last wards Unto Thy Hands, l o Lord, Commit my Spirit
 In 1173 he was cononized by the l Pope, Alexander III. and the yearly | festival set apart of Saint Thomas | of Canterbury His tomb became a l shrine of pilgrimage.