h at the hands of
the pope--Alexander III.--who, insecure in his own position, and unable
to dispense with the friendship of the King of England, maintained a
vacillating attitude in the quarrel between Becket and Henry. The king
now began a systematic persecution of the archbishop. He was pressed with
various charges, and finally was ordered to account for the moneys which
he had received from the vacant See of Canterbury and other ecclesiastical
properties in his capacity as Chancellor. There seems small reason to
doubt that the charge was an unjust one, and was merely employed by the
king as an instrument of offence against his political adversary. The
archbishop came before the council in all the pomp and panoply of his
office, and bearing his own cross, as he had been deserted by most of his
bishops. After an exciting scene he escaped before any definite judgment
was pronounced, and took refuge in France, where he was hospitably and
honourably received by King Louis VII. Here he continued his struggle
with the King of England. Henry seized upon the revenues of the See of
Canterbury, and banished all Becket's kinsmen, dependants, and friends.
Becket replied by solemnly denouncing the constitution of Clarendon, and
excommunicating all who should enforce them. After further contentions
and fruitless negotiations Henry issued a proclamation withdrawing his
subjects' obedience to the archbishop, enforced by an oath from all
freemen. This oath many of the bishops refused to take. The pope, under
temporary pressure from Becket's enemies, authorized the Archbishop of
York to crown the young prince Henry: and the supremacy of the See of
Canterbury over all England, being thus called in question, became
thenceforward one of the principal subjects of dispute between Becket and
the king. The action of the king was unpopular, and Henry, seeing that he
had gone too far, consented to enter on some sort of reconciliation with
Becket, who ventured to return to England. In spite of the manifest
danger in which he found himself, Becket, on his return to England,
continued his high-handed policy, excommunicating the Archbishop of York
and others of his enemies. On hearing of this conduct Henry's fury got the
better of him, and his famous exclamation led to the departure of the four
knights to Canterbury. They demanded the immediate removal of the
excommunication. Becket was hurried into the cathedral by the monks and
murdered at the alt