n lions, bears, tigers, and wild
asses, which are made to fight together; as well as birds. There is no
such sight to be seen in all the world." At Constantinople, on the
marriage of the Emperor Manuel with Mary, daughter of the Prince of
Antioch, on Christmas Day, 1161, there were great rejoicings, and
similar spectacular entertainments to those described by Benjamin of
Tudela.

AN ARCHBISHOP MURDERED AT CHRISTMASTIDE.

During the Christmas festival of 1170 (December 29th) occurred an
event memorable in ecclesiastical history--the murder of Thomas
Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1162 Becket (who had previously
been Chancellor to Henry II.) was made Archbishop, in succession to
Archbishop Theobald. The King soon found that he who had served him
faithfully as Chancellor would oppose him doggedly as Archbishop.
Henry determined to subject the Church as well as the State to the
supremacy of the law; and Becket determined to resist the King to the
end, thus manifesting his desire for martyrdom in the cause of the
Church. Henry had greatly offended the Archbishop by causing his
eldest son to be crowned by the Archbishop of York. For this violation
of the rights of Canterbury Becket threatened to lay the country under
an interdict, which he had the power from the Pope to pronounce. A
sort of reconciliation was effected between the King and the
Archbishop at Freteval on July 21, 1170, but a further dispute arose
on Becket delaying his return to England, the King being anxious to
get him out of France. The Archbishop was full of complaints against
Henry for the injuries he had done to his see, and the King stood upon
his dignity, regardless of the threatened interdiction. The Archbishop
returned to England on the 1st of December, and was joyfully received
by the people. His enemies, however, and especially the family of De
Broc, did all they could to annoy him; and on Christmas Day he uttered
a violent anathema against them. He preached from the text, "I come to
die among you," evidently anticipating what might be the personal
consequences of his action. He told his congregation that one of the
archbishops had been a martyr, and they would probably soon see
another; but before he departed home he would avenge some of the
wrongs the Church had suffered during the previous seven years. Then
he thundered forth his sentence of excommunication against Ranulph and
Robert de Broc, and Nigellus, rector of Harrow. Meanwhile new