n the civil and spiritual powers, a contest which he
himself had first roused, but which he had endeavored, by all his late
negotiations and concessions, to appease, must come to an immediate
and decisive issue; and he was thence thrown into the most violent
commotion. The archbishop of York remarked to him, that so long as
Becket lived, he could never expect to enjoy peace or tranquillity. The
king himself, being vehemently agitated, burst forth into an exclamation
against his servants, whose want of zeal, he said, had so long left him
exposed to the enterprises of that ungrateful and imperious prelate.
Four gentlemen of his household, Reginald Fitz-Urse, William de
Traci, Hugh de Moreville, and Richard Brito, taking these passionate
expressions to be a hint for Becket's death, immediately communicated
their thoughts to each other; and swearing to avenge their prince's
quarrel secretly withdrew from court. Some menacing expressions which
they had dropped, gave a suspicion of their design; and the king
despatched a messenger after them, charging them to attempt nothing
against the person of the primate; but these orders arrived too late
to prevent their fatal purpose. The four assassins, though they took
different roads to England, arrived nearly about the same time at
Saltwoode, near Canterbury; and being there joined by some assistants,
they proceeded in a great haste to the archiepiscopal palace. They found
the primate, who trusted entirely to the sacredness of his character,
very slenderly attended; and though they threw out many menaces and
reproaches against him, he was so incapable of fear, that, without
using any precautions against their violence, he immediately went to St.
Benedict's church, to hear vespers. They followed him thither, attacked
him before the altar, and having cloven his head with many blows,
retired without meeting any opposition. This was the tragical end of
Thomas a Becket, a prelate of the most lofty, intrepid, and inflexible
spirit, who was able to cover to the world, and probably to himself, the
enterprises of pride and ambition, under the disguise of sanctity,
and of zeal for the interests of religion; an extraordinary personage,
surely, had he been allowed to remain in his first station, and had
directed the vehemence of his character to the support of law and
justice; instead of being engaged, by the prejudices of the times, to
sacrifice all private duties and public connections to ties