Medieval Sourcebook:
The Golden Legend: St. Thomas Becket
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Here followeth the Life of S. Thomas, martyr, of
Canterbury, and first the exposition of his name.
Thomas is as much to say as abisme or double, or trenched and hewn, he was an abisme
profound in humility, as it appeared in the hair that he wore, and in washing of the feet
of the poor people, double in prelation that was in word and in ensample, and hewn and
trenched in his passion. S. Thomas the martyr was son to Gilbert Beckett, a burgess of the
city of London, and was born in the place where as now standeth the church called S.
Thomas of Acre. And this Gilbert was a good devout man, and took the cross upon him, and
went on pilgrimage into the Holy Land, and had a servant with his knees. And on a Trinity
Sunday received he his dignity, and there was at that time the king with many a great lord
and sixteen bishops. And from thence was sent the abbot of Evesham to the pope with other
clerks for the pall which he gave and brought to him, and he full meekly received it. And
under his habit he ware the habit of a monk, and so was he under within forth a monk, and
outward a clerk, and did great abstinence making his body lean and his soul fat. And he
used to be well served at his table, and took but little refection thereof, and lived
holily in giving good ensample.
After this, many times the king went over into Normandy, and in his absence always S.
Thomas had the rule of his son and of the realm, which was governed so well that the king
could him great thanks, and then abode long in this realm. And when so was that the king
did any thing against the franchise and liberties of holy church, S. Thomas would ever
withstand it to his power. And on a time when the sees of London and of Winchester were
vacant and void, the king kept them both long in his hand for to have the profits of them;
wherefore S. Thomas was heavy, and came to the king and desired him to give those two
bishopricks to some virtuous men. And anon the king granted to him his desire and ordained
one master Roger, bishop of Winchester, and the Earl of Gloucester's son, bishop of
London, named Sir Robert. And anon after S. Thomas hallowed the abbey of Reading, which
the first Henry founded. And that same year he translated S. Edward, king and confessor at
Westminster, where he was laid in a rich shrine. And in some short time after, by the
enticement of the devil, fell great debate, variance, and strife, between the king and S.
Thomas, and the king sent for all the bishops to appear tofore him at Westminster at a
certain day, at which day they assembled tofore him, whom he welcomed, and after said to
them how that the archbishop would destroy his law, and not suffer him to enjoy such
things as his predecessors had used tofore him. Whereto S. Thomas answered that he never
intended to do thing that should displease the king as far as it touched not the franchise
and liberties of holy church. Then the king rehearsed how he would not suffer clerks that
were thieves to have the execution of the law; to which S. Thomas said, that he ought not
to execute them, but they longeth to the correction of holy church, and other divers
points; to which S. Thomas would not agree. To the which the king said: Now I see well
that thou wouldest foredo the laws of this land which have been used in the days of my
predecessors, but it shall not lie in thy power, and so the king being wroth departed.
Then the bishops all counselled S. Thomas to follow the king's intent, or else the land
should be in great trouble; and in like wise the lords temporal that were his friends
counselled him the same, and S. Thomas said: I take God to record it was never mine intent
to displease the king, or to take any thing that longeth to his right or honour. And then
the lords were glad and brought him to the king to Oxenford, and the king deigned not to
speak to him. And then the king called all the lords spiritual and temporal tofore him,
and said he would have all the laws of his forefathers there new confirmed, and there they
were confirmed by all the lords spiritual and temporal. And after this the king charged
them for to come to him to Clarendon to his parliament at a certain day assigned, on pain
to run in his indignation, and at that time so departed. And this parliament was holden at
Clarendon, the eleventh year of the king's reign, and the year of our Lord eleven hundred
and sixty-four. At this parliament were many lords which all were against S. Thomas. And
then the king sitting in his parliament,in the presence of all his lords, demanded them if
they would abide and keep the laws that had been used in his forefathers' days. Then S.
Thomas spake for the part of holy church, and said: All old laws that be good and
rightful, and not against our mother holy church, I grant with good will to keep them. And
then the king said that he would not leave one point of his law, and waxed wroth with S.
Thomas. And then certain bishops required S. Thomas to obey to the king's desire and will,
and S. Thomas desired respite to know the laws, and then to give him an answer. And when
he understood them all, to some he consented, but many he denied and would never be
agreeable to them, wherefore the king was wroth and said he would hold and keep them like
as his predecessors had done before him, and would not minish one point of them. Then S.
Thomas said to the king with full great sorrow and heavy cheer, Now, my most dear lord and
gracious king, have pity on us of holy church, your bedemen, and give to us respite for a
certain time. And thus departed each man. And S. Thomas went to Winchester, and there
prayed our Lord devoutly for holy church, and to give him aid and strength for to defend
it, for utterly he determined to abide by the liberties and franchise, and fell down on
his knees and said, full sore weeping: O good Lord, I acknowledge that I have offended,
and for mine offence and trespass this trouble cometh to holy church, I purpose, good
Lord, to go to Rome for to be assoiled of mine offences; and departed towards Canterbury.
And anon the king sent his officers to his manors and despoiled them, because he would not
obey the king's statutes. And the king commanded to seize all his lands and goods into his
hands, and then his servants departed from him, and he went to the seaside for to have
gone over sea, but the wind was against him, and so thrice he took his ship and might not
pass. And then he knew that it was not our Lord's will that he should yet depart, and
returned secretly to Canterbury, of whose coming his meiny made great joy. And on the morn
came the king's officers for to seize all his goods, for the noise was that S. Thomas had
fled the land; wherefore they had despoiled all his manors and seized them into the king's
hand. And when they came they found him at Canterbury, whereof they were sore abashed, and
returned to the king informing him that he was yet at Canterbury, and anon after S. Thomas
came to the king to Woodstock for to pray him to be better disposed towards holy church.
And then said the king to him in scorn: May not we two dwell both in this land? Art thou
so sturdy and hard of heart? To whom S. Thomas answered: Sire, that was never my thought,
but I would fain please you, and do all that you desire so that ye hurt not the liberties
of holy church, for them will I maintain while I live, ever to my power. With which words
the king was sore moved, and swore that he would have them kept, and especial if a clerk
were a thief he should be judged and executed by the king's law, and by no spiritual law,
and said he would never suffer a clerk to be his master in his own land, and charged S.
Thomas to appear before him at Northampton, and to bring all the bishops of this land with
him, and so departed. S. Thomas besought God of help and succour, for the bishops which
ought to be with him were most against him. After this S. Thomas went to Northampton where
the king had then his great council in the castle with all his lords, and when he came
tofore the king he said: I am come to obey your commandment, but before this time was
never bishop of Canterbury thus entreated, for I am head of the Church of England, and am
to you, Sir King, your ghostly father, and it was never God's law that the son should
destroy his father which hath charge of his soul. And by your striving have you made all
the bishops that should abide by the right of the church to be against holy church and me,
and ye know well that I may not fight, but am ready to suffer death rather than I should
consent to lose the right of holy church. Then said the king, Thou speakest as a proud
clerk, but I shall abate thy pride ere I leave thee, for I must reckon with thee. Thou
understandest well that thou wert my chancellor many years, and once I lent to thee £500
which thou never yet hast repaid, which I will that thou pay me again or else incontinent
thou shalt go to prison. And then S. Thomas answered: Ye gave me that £500, and it is not
fitting to demand that which ye have given. Notwithstanding he found surety for the said
£500 and departed for that day. And after this, the next day the king demanded £30,000
that he had surmised on him to have stolen, he being chancellor, whereupon he desired day
to answer; at which time he said that when he was archbishop he set him free therein
without any claim or debt before good record, wherefore he ought not to answer unto that
demand. And the bishops desired S. Thomas to obey the king but in no wise he would not
agree to such things as should touch against the liberties of the church. And then they
came to the king, and forsook S. Thomas, and agreed to all the king's desire, and the
proper servants of S. Thomas fled from him and forsook him, and then poor people came and
accompanied him. And on the night came to him two lords and told to him that the king's
meiny had emprised to slay him. And the next night after he departed in the habit of a
brother of Sempringham, and so chevissed that he went over sea.
And in the meanwhile certain bishops went to Rome for to complain on him to the pope,
and the king sent letters to the king of France not to receive him. And the King Louis
said that, though a man were banished and had committed there trespasses, yet should he be
free in France. And so after when this holy S. Thomas came, he received him well, and gave
him licence to abide there and do what he would. In this meanwhile the king of England
sent certain lords into the pope complaining on the Archbishop Thomas, which made grievous
complaints, which when the pope had heard said, he would give none answer till that he had
heard the Archbishop Thomas speak, which would hastily come thither. But they would not
abide his coming, but departed without speeding of their intents, and came into England
again. And anon after, S Thomas came to Rome on S. Mark's day at afternoon, and when his
caterer should have bought fish for his dinner because it was fasting day, he could get
none for no money, and came and told to his lord S. Thomas so, and he bade him buy such as
he could get, and then he bought flesh and made it ready for their dinner. And S. Thomas
was served with a capon roasted, and his meiny with boiled meat. And so it was that the
pope heard that he was come, and sent a cardinal to welcome him, and he found him at his
dinner eating flesh, which anon returned and told to the pope how he was not so perfect a
man as he had supposed, for contrary to the rule of the church he eateth this day flesh.
The pope would not believe him, but sent another cardinal which for more evidence took the
leg of the capon in his kerchief and affirmed the same, and opened his kerchief tofore the
pope, and he found the leg turned into a fish called a carp. And when the pope saw it, he
said, they were not true men to say such things of this good bishop. They said faithfully
that it was flesh that he ate. After this S. Thomas came to the pope and did his reverence
and obedience, whom the pope welcomed, and after communication he demanded him what meat
he had eaten, and he said: Flesh as ye have heard tofore, because he could find no fish
and very need compelled him thereto. Then the pope understood of the miracle that the
capon's leg was turned into a carp, and of his goodness granted to him and to all them of
the diocese of Canterbury licence to eat flesh ever after on S. Mark's day when it falleth
on a fish day, and pardon withal, which is kept and accustomed unto this day. And then S.
Thomas informed the pope how the king of England would have him consent to divers articles
against the liberties of holy church, and what wrongs he did to the same, and that for to
die he would never consent to them. And when the pope had heard him he wept for pity, and
thanked God that he had such a bishop under him that had so well defended the liberties of
holy church, and anon wrote out letters and bulls commanding all the bishops of
Christendom to keep and observe the same. And then S. Thomas offered to the pope his
bishopric up into the pope's hand, and his mitre with the cross and ring, and the pope
commanded him to keep it still, and said he knew no man more able than he was. And after
S. Thomas said mass tofore the pope in a white chasuble; and after mass he said to the
pope that he knew by revelation that he should suffer death for the right of holy church,
and when it should fall that chasuble should be turned from white into red. And after he
departed from the pope and came down into France unto the abbey of Pontigny, and there he
had knowledge that when the lords spiritual and temporal which had been at Rome were come
home and had told the king that they might in no wise have their intent, that the king was
greatly wroth, and anon banished all the kinsmen that were longing to S. Thomas that they
should incontinent void his land, and made them swear that they should go to him and tell to him that for his sake they were exiled, and so they went over sea to him at Pontigny
and he being there was full sorry for them. And after there was a great chapter in England
of the monks of Citeaux and there the king desired them to write to Pontigny that they
should no longer keep ne sustain Thomas the Archbishop, for if they did, he would destroy
them of that order being in England. And, for fear thereof they wrote so over to Pontigny
that he must depart thence with his kinsmen, and so he did, and was then full heavy, and
remitted his cause to God. And anon after, the king of France sent to him that he should
abide where it pleased him, and dwell in his realm and he would pay for the costs of him
and his kinsmen. And he departed and went to Sens, and the abbot brought him on the way.
And S. Thomas told him how he knew by a vision that he should suffer death and martyrdom
for the right of the church, and prayed him to keep it secret during his life. After this
the king of England came into France, and there told the king how S. Thomas would destroy
his realm, and then there told how he would foredo such laws as his elders had used tofore
him, wherefore S. Thomas was sent for, and they were brought together. And the king of
France laboured sore for to set them at accord, but it would not be, for that one would
not minish his laws and accustoms, and S. Thomas would not grant that he should do England
against S. Thomas, and was wroth with him and commanded him to void his realm with all his
kinsmen. And then S. Thomas wist not whither to go; but comforted his kinsmen as well as
he might, and purposed to have gone in to Provence for to have begged his bread. And as he
was going, the king of France sent for him again, and when he came he cried him mercy and
said he had offended God and him, and bade him abide in his realm where he would, and he
would pay for the dispenses of him and his kin. And in the meanwhile the king of England
ordained his son king, and made him to be crowned by the Archbishop of York, and other
bishops, which was against the statutes of the land, for the Archbishop of Canterbury
should have consented and also have crowned him, wherefore S. Thomas gat a bull for to do
accurse them that so did against him, and also on them that occupied the goods longing to
him. And yet after this the king laboured so much that he accorded the king of England and
S. Thomas which accord endured not long, for the king varied from it afterward. But S.
Thomas, upon this accord, came home to Canterbury, where he was received worshipfully, and
sent for them that had trespassed against him, and by the authority of the pope's bull
openly denounced them accursed unto the time they come to amendment. And when they knew
this they came to him and would have made him to assoil them by force; and sent word over
to the king how he had done, whereof the king was much wroth and said: If he had men in
his land that loved him they would not suffer such a traitor in his land alive.
And forthwith four knights took their counsel together and thought they would do to the
king a pleasure, and emprised to slay S. Thomas, and suddenly departed and took their
shipping towards England. And when the king knew of their departing he was sorry and sent
after them, but they were on the sea and departed ere the messengers came, wherefore the
king was heavy and sorry.
These be the names of the four knights: Sir Reginald Fitzurse, Sir Hugh de Morville,
Sir William de Tracy, Sir Richard le Breton. On Christmas day S. Thomas made a sermon at
Canterbury in his own church, and weeping, prayed the people to pray for him, for he knew
well his time was nigh, and there executed the sentence on them that were against the
right of holy church. And that same day as the king sat at meat all the bread that he
handled waxed anon mouldy and hoar, that no man might eat of it, and the bread that they
touched not was fair and good for to eat.
And these four knights aforesaid came to Canterbury on the Tuesday in Christmas week
about Evensong time, and came to S. Thomas and said that the king commanded him to make
amends for the wrongs that he had done, and also that he should assoil all them that he
had accursed anon, or else they should slay him. Then said Thomas: All that I ought to do
by right, that will I with a good will do, but as to the sentence that is executed I may
not undo, but that they will submit them to the correction of holy church, for it was done
by our holy father the pope and not by me. Then said Sir Reginald: But if thou assoil the
king and all other standing in the curse, it shall cost thee thy life. And S. Thomas said:
Thou knowest well enough that the king and I were accorded on Mary Magdalene day, and that
this curse should go forth on them that had offended the church.
Then one of the knights smote him as he kneeled before the altar on the head. And one
Sir Edward Grim, that was his crossier put forth his arm with the cross to bear off the
stroke, and the stroke smote the cross asunder and his arm almost off, wherefore he fled
for fear, and so did all the monks, that were that time at compline. And then smote each
at him, that they smote off a great piece of the skull of his head, that his brain fell on
the pavement. And so they slew and martyred him, and were so cruel that one of them brake
the point of his sword against the pavement. And thus this holy and blessed Archbishop S.
Thomas suffered death in his own church for the right of all holy church. And when he was
dead they stirred his brain, and after went in to his chamber and took away his goods, and
his horse out of his stable, and took away his bulls and writings, and delivered them to
Sir Robert Broke to bear into France to the king. And as they searched his chamber they
found in a chest two shirts of hair made full of great knots, and then they said:
Certainly he was a good man; and coming down into the churchward they began to dread and
fear that the ground would not have borne them, and were marvellously aghast, but they
supposed that the earth would have swallowed them all quick. And then they knew that they
had done amiss. And anon it was known all about, how that he was martyred, and anon after
took this holy body, and unclothed him, and found bishop's clothing above, and the habit
of a monk under. And next his flesh he wore hard hair, full of knots, which was his shirt.
And his breech was of the same, and the knots slicked fast within the skin, and all his
body full of worms; he suffered great pain. And he was thus martyred the year of our Lord
one thousand one hundred and seventy-one, and was fifty-three years old. And soon after
tidings came to the king how he was slain, wherefore the king took great sorrow, and sent
to Rome for his absolution.
Now after that S. Thomas departed from the pope, the pope would daily look upon the
white chasuble that S. Thomas had said mass in, and the same day that he was martyred he
saw it turned into red, whereby he knew well that that same day he suffered martyrdom for
the right of holy church, and commanded a mass of requiem solemnly to be sung for his
soul. And when the quire began to sing requiem, an angel on high above began the office of
a martyr: Letabitur justus, and then all the quire followed singing forth the mass of the
office of a martyr. And the pope thanked God that it pleased him to show such miracles for
his holy martyr, at whose tomb by the merits and prayers of this holy martyr our blessed
Lord hath showed many miracles. The blind have recovered their sight, the dumb their
speech, the deaf their hearing, the lame their limbs, and the dead their life. If I should
here express all the miracles that it hath pleased God to show for this holy saint it
should contain a whole volume, therefore at this time, I pass over unto the feast of his
translation, where I propose with the grace of God to recite some of them. Then let us
pray to this glorious martyr to be our advocate, that by his petition we may come to
everlasting bliss. Amen.
Source.
The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints. Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine,
Archbishop of Genoa, 1275. First Edition Published 1470. Englished by William
Caxton, First Edition 1483, Edited by F.S. Ellis, Temple Classics, 1900 (Reprinted 1922,
1931.)
This chapter is from: Volume 2:
Scanned by Robert Blackmon. bob_blackmon@mindspring.com.
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