Extract from
Stanzas 210 - 221
Lines 1046 - 1105
210
Quant veit li reis Henris del tut est repuiez,
Vers l'arceveske fu mult durement iriez,
E a pris sun conseil cument il ert pleissiez :
Mult volentiers se fust, së il poiist, vengiez.
Dune fu de mais engins sis conseilz esforciez : 1050
211
Dune li unt conseillié e privé e baron
S'il pôeit de la pape aver grëanteison
Qu' a celui d'Everwiz doinst la légation,
L'arceverke purra pleissir tut a bandon :
Tut vendra a son pié, u bien voile u non. 1055
212
Dune a dous de ses clers a la pape enveiez,
Johan d'Oxeneford, ki esteit travailliez,
E dan Geffrei Ridel, ki ert apareilliez
Del message furnir ki lur esteit chargiez.
A l'apostoile vont. Il les a repuiez, 1060
213
Car l'iglise, ceo dit, de Seinte Ternité
Fu e est e deit estre de grant auctorité ;
Aine cele d'Everwiz n'ot sur li pôesté,
Ne par lui n'en avra en trestut sun eé ;
Ne unkes cil dui prélat n'orent ami esté. 1065
214
Mes li uns des messages fu forment malveisiez :
A la pape jura sur sainz, agenuilliez,
De la legatïun se li reis n'esteit liez,
Si tost cum les verreit el pais repairiez,
L'arceveske serreit del chief amenuisiez. 1070
215
Mes l'apostoile fu hum de mult grant saveir.
Veit k'um deit fere mal pur le pis remaneir ;
Dit la legatïun fera al rei aveir,
Mes de nullui grever n'avra pur ceo pôeir,
Ne celui d'Everwiz n'i purra asëeir. 1075
216
Car unes altres lettres erranment escrivra,
En la tere a un sun privé les tramettra.
E se li reis Henris nullui grever voldra
Par sa légation, défendre lui fera.
Ja sa légation mestier ne li avra. 1080
217
Li mesagier le rei furent mult vezïé.
Quant virent qu'il esteient ensi poi avancié,
L'apostôlie Alissandre unt ensi araisnié :
« Sire, li reis vus ad porté grant amistié.
Bien l i devriez faire ço qu'il vus ad preié. 1085
218
Kar li reis nel fait pas pur nului deposer,
Mais pur ço qu’il voldreit l’arcevesque mater
E a sa volenté, s’il poeit, aturner ;
E qu’il li peüst bien, veant ses clers, mustrer
Que il le purreit bien, se il voleit, grever. 1090
219– Autre legatiun, fait lur il, n’i avrez. »
Il fist ses briefs escrire, si lur aveit livrez.
En Engleterre vunt, al rei les unt mustrez.
Quant vit qu’il ne purra faire ses volentez,
Mult aveit poi ces briefs e preisiez e amez. 1095
220
Il en fist nepurquant mainte feiz mustreisun,
Quel virent li evesque, li cunte e li barun ;
Si lur diseit : « Veez, j’ai la legatiun.
L’arcevesque puis metre en grant confundeisun. »
Mais il ne li pot faire nul’altre greveisun. 1100
Translation
210
When king Henry saw he [Becket] had totally rejected everything, he became very very fiercely angry with the archbishop, and took counsel how he might subdue him. Very willingly he would seek vengeance, if it were possible, but then the counsels that he had received were reinforced with evil scheming. 1050
211
For then it was both his inner council and barons who had advised him, that if he could, from the Pope obtain a promise that if he, [the archbishop] of York, could be appointed [papal] legate [to England], archbishop [Becket] could be, at his pleasure, be brought totally under [his] control, completely well made to come [to fall at] his feet, whether he wanted [to do] it or not. 1055
Rough and Provisional Translation
Translation
210
When king Henry saw he [Becket] had totally rejected everything, he became very very fiercely angry with the archbishop, and took counsel how he might subdue him. Very willingly he would seek vengeance, if it were possible, but then the counsels that he had received were reinforced with evil scheming. 1050
211
For then it was both his inner council and barons who had advised him, that if he could, from the Pope obtain a promise that if he, [the archbishop] of York, could be appointed [papal] legate [to England], archbishop [Becket] could be, at his pleasure, be brought totally under [his] control, completely well made to come [to fall at] his feet, whether he wanted [to do] it or not. 1055
Rough and Provisional Translation
210
When the king realized that his request was totally rejected, he was extremely angry with the archbishop, and took the advice of his council to find out how he might defeat him. The whole council was seized with malice; and if he could, he would gladly have exacted revenge. 1050
211
So his privy councillors and the magnates of the kingdom recommended to him, if he could, to obtain from the Pope the promise of giving the papal legateship to the Archbishop of York; through whom he could bend Archbishop Thomas to his will, whereby he would have to come, whether he liked it or not, to kiss his feet. 1055
212
The king sent two of his clerics to the pope. John of Oxford and Master Geoffrey Ridel went to great lengths to fulfill the mission they were charged with. They met the pope who rejected their request. 1060
213
The Church of the Holy Trinity [Canterbury], in fact, according to him, had, and must have great authority; never has that of York exercised any sovereignty over her, and never, in her lifetime, will he consent to allow it. Moreover never had these two prelates come to an agreement. 1065
214
One of the envoys, however, was most treacherous. Kneeling, he swore [an oath] to the pope, on relics, that if the king were not satisfied with their embassy, as soon as they returned to the country, the archbishop would be beheaded. 1070
215
But the pope was a man of very good [and great] sense. He saw clearly that one must choose between two evils to avoid the worst. He says that he will provide the king with the legateship; but he will not, for all that, have the opportunity [power] to punish anyone, or grant it to the Archbishop of York. 1075
216
He will write another letter at once and send it to Great Britain to one of his trusted men. And if King Henry wants to use the legateship to harm anyone, the pope will oppose it. His legate will never [be allowed to] serve him in this way. 1080
217
The messengers of the king were very crafty. When they saw that they were making but little progress, they addressed these words to Pope Alexander: <<The King has testified towards Your Holiness a great friendship. You should give him what he has asked you to. 1085
218
Indeed the king does not ask you to dismiss someone, but because he wants the archbishop put down and, if possible, [to force him] to submit him to his will he might, in front of his clerics, show his capacity to do harm to him, if that were his will. 1090
219
<<You will not obtain,>> he answered, <<a legateship with wider powers [from me].>> He had the letters [to the king of appointment of the legate] written and entrusted them to them. They went back to England and showed them to the king. When he saw that he could not do what he planned, he gave little esteem and value to these letters. 1095
220
He did, however, mention it on many occasions, [and ensured] that bishops, counts, and barons saw them; he said to them, <<See, I have the [papal] legate. I can put the Archbishop in a difficult situation.>> But he could not bring against him any other accusation. 1100
221
He conceived a great spite at being unable to do anything else, and sent the missives back to Pope Alexander. He waged a fierce war against the clerics and Holy Church, tormenting the clergy wherever he could, and testifying that the archbishop was his mortal enemy.
Alernative Rough Translation
210 Seeing himself thus rejected, King Henry flew into a terrible rage against the archbishop. He asked his council how to bend him [to his will], for he wanted to avenge himself, if he could. [As a consequence] his advice was rich with deceit:
211 Private advisers and notables told him that if he could obtain from the pope that he granted the [papal] legateship to the archbishop of York, he would have the archbishop of Canterbury submit as he pleased, so much so that he would have to throw himself helplessly at his feet.
212 The king sent two of his clerics, John of Oxford and Geoffrey Ridel, to the pope, who performed the mission they were charged with: they went to the pope, but they were saved,
213 <<Because,>> said the pope, <<the Church of the Holy Trinity [Canterbury] had always been, was, and would be of great authority, never had York had any power over her, and whilst he lived him, she would not receive it. The two titular prelates had never agreed.>>
214
But one of the envoys was very devious. He fell on his knees before the pope, he swore on holy relics that if the king was not satisfied with the legateship, the archbishop would have his head cut off as soon as the mission returned to the country.
215
The pope was a man of great wisdom. He saw that it was necessary to do evil to avoid the worst, and replied that the King would obtain the required legateship, but without it having the power to injure anyone, nor that of installing the Archbishop of York as the legateship.
216
In fact, the pope would immediately write another letter, which he would send to the country to one of his relatives, who would be in charge if necessary to prevent King Henry from using the legation to harm someone: his Legation would never be of any use to him.
217
Seeing that they were making so little progress, the envoys were very cunning, addressing Pope Alexander in these words: <<Lord, the King does not cease to testify a great attachment to you: you should answer his prayer well,
218
>>Because he does not act in order to dismiss someone; but he would like to have the archbishop submit, and see if he can rally him to his will, if, however, he needs to be able to demonstrate to his clerics, that he could very well harm him if he wanted to.>>
219
<<You will not get any other legateship here.>> Said the Pope. The pope had his letter written and handed it to them. They returned to England and explained it to the king. When he realized that he could not carry out his plans, he held this document in a sorry light.
220
He made many displays of it, however, so as to have it seen by the bishops, counts, and notables; he said to them: <<See, I have the legateship. I can put the Archbishop in great embarrassment.>> But he was not able to cause him any injury.
221
As it was very painful for him not to profit more from this letter, he sent it back to Pope Alexander, and fought hard against the clergy and the Holy Church, molesting the clergy on every occasion and hounding the archbishop to death.
References
References
Ridel, Geoffrey (d.1189) (DNB00) - Wikisource,
Geoffrey Ridel (bishop of Ely) - Wikipedia
John of Oxford - Wikipedia
Oxford, John of (DNB00) - Wikisource
Edward Foss (1848). The Judges of England: With Sketches of Their Lives, and Miscellaneous Notices Connected with the Courts at Westminster, from the Time of the Conquest. Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. pp. 288–.
Edward Foss (1848). The Judges of England: With Sketches of Their Lives, and Miscellaneous Notices Connected with the Courts at Westminster, from the Time of the Conquest. Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. pp. 133–.
John Morris (1885). The Life and Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket. Chapter XIV Negotiations: Burns and Oates. pp. 114–.
Materials for the history of Thomas Becket Volume V pp.85-6 Epistola 50 [MTB 50]
Materials for the history of Thomas Becket, Volume V pp 91-2 Epistola 53 [MTB 53]
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