inundantem epularum opulentiam. Nulla gule,
nulla lascivie, nulla penitus luxurie, videbantur
incitamenta. Revera inter tot et tantas delicias quae ei
apponebantur, in nullo penitus sardanapalum sed solum
episcopum sapiebat," &c. _Vita et processus sancti Thome
Cantuariensis martyris super libertate ecclesiastica_;
Paris, 1495, sign. b. ij. rect. From a yet earlier, and
perhaps the first printed, mention of Becket--and from a
volume of which no perfect copy has yet been found--the
reader is presented with a very curious account of the
murder of the Archbishop, in its original dress. "Than were
there iiij. cursed knyghtes of leuyng yt thoughte to haue
had a grete thanke of the kyng and mad her a vowe to gedir
to sle thomas. And so on childremasse day all moste at
nyghte they come to caunterbury into thomas hall Sire
Reynolde beriston, Sire william tracy, Sire Richard breton,
and sire hewe morley. Thanne Sire Reynolde beriston for he
was bitter of kynde a none he seyde to thomas the king that
is be yonde the see sente us to the and bad that thou
shuldst asoyle the bishoppe that thou cursiddiste than seyde
thomas seris they be not acursed by me but by the Pope and I
may not asoyle that he hathe cursid well seyde Reynolde than
we see thou wolte not do the kynges byddynge and swore a
grete othe by the eyon of God thou shalt be dede. than cryde
the othir knyghtes sle sle and they wente downe to the
courte and armyd hem. Than prestis and clerkis drowe hem to
the church to thomas and spered the dores to hem. But whan
thomas herde the knyghtes armed and wold come into the
churche and myghte not he wente to the dore and un barred it
and toke one of the knyghtes by the honde and seyde hit be
semyth not to make a castell of holy churche, and toke hem
by the honde and seyde come ynne my children in goddis name
Thanne for it was myrke that they myghte not see nor knowe
thomas they seyde where is the traytour nay seyde thomas no
traytour but Archebishoppe. Than one seyde to hym fle fore
thou arte but dede. Nay seyde thomas y come not to fle but
to a byde Ego pro deo mori paratus sum et pro defensione
iusticie et ecclesie libertate I am redy to dye for the loue
of God and for the fredomme and righte of holy churche Than
reynold with his swer