tation of mankind. Interdicts and excommunications, weapons in
themselves so terrible, would, he foresaw, be armed with double force,
when employed in a cause so much calculated to work on the human
passions, and so peculiarly adapted to the eloquence of popular
preachers and declaimers. In vain would he plead his own innocence, and
even his total ignorance of the fact; he was sufficiently guilty, if
the church thought proper to esteem him such; and his concurrence in
Becket's martyrdom, becoming a religious opinion, would be received with
all the implicit credit which belonged to the most established articles
of faith. These considerations gave the king the most unaffected
concern; and as it was extremely his interest to clear himself from all
suspicion, he took no care to conceal the depth of his affliction. He
shut himself up from the light of day, and from all commerce with his
servants; he even refused, during three days, all food and sustenance;
the courtiers, apprehending dangerous effects from his despair were
at last obliged to break in upon his solitude; and they employed every
topic of consolation, induced him to accept of nourishment, and occupied
his leisure in taking precautions against the consequences which he so
justly apprehended from the murder of the primate.

{1171.} The point of chief importance to Henry was to convince the pope
of his innocence; or rather, to persuade him that he would reap greater
advantages from the submissions of England than from proceeding to
extremities against that kingdom. The archbishop of Rouen, the bishops
of Worcester and Evreux, with five persons of inferior quality, were
immediately despatched to Rome, and orders were given them to perform
their journey with the utmost expedition. Though the name and authority
of the court of Rome were so terrible in the remote countries of Europe,
which were sunk in profound ignorance, and were entirely unacquainted
with its character and conduct, the pope was so little revered at home,
that his inveterate enemies surrounded the gates of Rome itself, and
even controlled his government in that city; and the ambassadors, who,
from a distant extremity of Europe, carried to him the humble, or rather
abject submissions of the greatest potentate of the age, found the
utmost difficulty to make their way to him and to throw themselves
at his feet. It was at length agreed that Richard Barre, one of their
number, should leave the rest behind,