s had
reached the King that Becket had excommunicated certain bishops who
had taken part in his son's coronation. In a fit of exasperation the
King uttered some hasty words of anger against the Archbishop. Acting
upon these, four of Henry's knights--Hugh de Morville, Reginald
FitzUrse, William de Tracy, and Richard Brito--crossed to England,
taking with them Ranulf de Broc and a band of men, and murdered the
Archbishop in Canterbury Cathedral. In the altercation which took
place before the consummation of the terrible deed, the Primate was
asked to absolve the bishops whom he had excommunicated, but he
refused in a defiant and insulting manner. "Then die," exclaimed
FitzUrse, striking at Becket's head with his weapon; but the devoted
cross-bearer warded off the blow with his own arm, which was badly
cut, so that the Archbishop was but slightly injured. One of the
attacking party then called out, "Fly, or thou diest!" The Archbishop,
however, clasped his hands, and, with the blood streaming down his
face, fervently exclaimed, "To God, to St. Mary, to the holy patrons
of this Church, and to St. Denis I commend my soul and the Church's
cause." He was then struck down by a second blow, and the third
completed the tragedy; whereupon one of the murderers, putting his
foot on the dead prelate's neck, cried, "Thus dies a traitor!" In 1173
the Archbishop was canonised, and his festival was appointed for the
day of his martyrdom; and for three centuries after his death the
shrine of St. Thomas at Canterbury was a favourite place of
pilgrimage, so great was the impression that his martyrdom made on the
minds of the English people. As early as the Easter of 1171 Becket's
sepulchre was the scene of many miracles, if Matthew Paris, the
historian, is to be believed. What must have been the credulity of the
people in an age when an historian could gravely write, as Matthew
Paris did in 1171? "In this year, about Easter, it pleased the Lord
Jesus Christ to irradiate his glorious martyr Thomas Becket with many
miracles, that it might appear to all the world he had obtained a
victory suitable to his merits. None who approached his sepulchre in
faith returned without a cure. For strength was restored to the lame,
hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, health to
the lepers, and life to the dead. Nay, not only men and women, but
even birds and beasts were raised from death to life."

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