Series 1 > History of Greater Britain, as well England as Scotland

150
JOHN MAJOR’S HISTORY [book hi.
CHAP. XV.—Of the martyrdom of the Blessed Thomas, and the sin
of the king.
After his return from a seven years’ banishment, Thomas
went first of all to Canterbury; and on the fifth day after the
celebration of the festival of the birth of Christ—which same
day the Church now holds dedicated to his memory—he met
The martyrdom his death. His murder was compassed in this manner. While
Thomasof56'1 king Henry was sitting at breakfast on the festival of the birth
Canterbury. of Christ, the remembrance of Thomas came into his mind, and
he at once burst out with these words: 4 Had but the king
some men of spirit ready to do his bidding, not long would
they leave without result his anger against Thomas.’ Soon
thereafter, answering thus the outburst of the king, certain
men of Belial planned how they might get rid of Thomas.
The parricides These are their names : William Breton, Hugh Morvil, William
Tracy, and Reginald Bersson,—that is, in Latin, 4 filius ursi’,—
knights all. They make for the church of Canterbury, and
there, close by the altar of Saint Benedict, they murder the
man of God, who in the year of the redemption of the world
•eleven hundred and seventy-two perished by the swords of
"fhe king’s sin. wicked men. Mightily did this king offend against God.
First of all, in that he wished to subject churchmen to the
judgment of secular persons ; secondly, inasmuch as he banished
Thomas when the latter was righteously defending a righteous
cause, against which the king was unable to make a just
defence; and, yet further, inflicted upon the kin of Thomas a
shameful punishment, and on others, who had joined themselves
to him in his need, inflicted a like punishment; and, what is
worse, he was the means of slaying in the house of God a holy
priest; for the king’s speech it was which gave the occasion of
so fearful a murder. But he who is the occasion of any hurt is
reckoned to have done the hurt. Behold, then, how that king
was in travail with crime, conceived in grief, and brought forth
iniquity. Still greater was the wrong done by the king to the
actual murderers; for he was the guilty cause of a murder,
according to that word of Christ to Pilate: 4 Wherefore he