The Plantagenet Prelude - Plaidy Jean. Страница 70

‘You have seen the King’s mood. You saw the armed men who filled the hall.’

‘I saw them,’ said Thomas. ‘Pray for courage. It may be that our hour has come. If so, our only fear must be that we may lack the courage to face it. Pray for that courage. God will not fail you.’

They went away sorrowing and in great fear. Then came the Earl of Leicester and the King’s uncle, the Earl of Cornwall.

‘The King considers himself to have been insulted,’ said Leicester. ‘He declares he will be avenged.’

‘Then avenged he must be.’

‘You have only to swear that you will give absolute obedience to the King.’

‘I am a man of the Church.’

‘The King declares that you have promised him in private to serve him.’

‘I told him that the Pope had advised me to.’

‘We advise you too, my lord. We are your friends. We deplore this quarrel between you and the King.’

‘I know you to be my good friends and I thank you for it. I know you to be wise men. It is easy for you to swear to serve the King absolutely because you have not given your allegiance to the Church. I have told the King that I will obey him in all temporal matters. It is only when his will conflicts with that of Holy Church that I must disobey him and follow my true Master.’

‘The King is in an ugly mood.’

‘I know those moods well. Many times have I witnessed them.’

‘Never before were they directed in earnest against you.’

‘I know that the King is a man who will not be crossed. He will have what he wants and if he wants my blood I doubt not that he will have it.’

‘He does not want your blood, only your obedience.’

‘But if I cannot give him what he asks?’

‘We fear, my lord, that we may be called upon to do you to death. That would to us be a crime, but we must perforce commit it if it is the King’s command that we should.’

‘Ah, gentlemen, that is a matter for your consciences.’

‘If you would but swear...’

‘Nay, my lords. That is something I cannot do. Leave me now. Go to the quiet of your chambers and pray that when your hour of decision comes God will enable you to do what is right.’

Thomas was still on his knees when there was yet another visitor. This was the Grand Master of the English Templars, Richard of Hastings, and with him came another of the Templars, Hostes of Boulogne.

These were holy men and Thomas trusted them. They were in the King’s confidence and assured Thomas that they knew his mind and that he had talked to them of his true feelings.

‘The King has a deep affection for you still, my lord Archbishop,’ said Richard of Hastings. ‘He wishes us to be his mediators. He says you will readily understand the position in which by the stubbornness of your determination and the violence of his temper you have been placed. This matter has gone so far that he cannot retreat. It would seem weak in a king, who having shown what he says he is determined to have, to accept something less. He has sworn to us that he wishes only to have your oath in public and if you will give it he will not tamper with the laws of the Church.’

‘Is this indeed so?’ asked Thomas.

‘He has sworn it is so.’

‘He does not always keep his promises.’

‘He has asked what good would come to the realm if he had an open quarrel with the Church. What harm would

come if he quarreled with his Primate so as to make a rift between the State and the Church? The King wants a reconciliation with you. If you will but return to the hall and give him what he wants you need have no fear. The King has given his word. But you must swear in public to take the oath of absolute obedience to the Crown.’

‘You have indeed come from the King?’

‘We have indeed.’

‘And he has sworn that he will keep to his promises not to interfere in Church matters?’

‘He has sworn.’

‘Then I will send for my bishops and tell them that on your advice and assurances I can make this oath in public.’

Thomas returned to the hall. The Archbishop of York watched him cynically while the others looked as though a great burden had fallen from their shoulders.

The King was almost merry. His eyes were kindly and full of affection as he turned to his Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thomas rose to his feet and swore to the assembly that he would obey the customs of the realm in good faith.

‘You have all heard what the Archbishop has promised me on his own part,’ cried the King in a loud voice. ‘Now it only remains that at his bidding the other bishops should do the same.’

‘I will that they satisfy your honour as I have done,’ said Thomas.

All the bishops rose and made their promise. Only Joceline Bishop of Salisbury hesitated and looked at Thomas.

‘What ails you, my lord Bishop of Salisbury?’ roared the King.

‘You are sure, my lord,’ asked the bishop looking at Thomas, ‘that it is right for me to take this oath?’

‘By God’s eyes,’ cried the King, ‘that man is ever against me.’

His eyes narrowed and he had turned to one of his armed soldiers.

Thomas said quickly: ‘You should take the oath, my lord, as we all have done.’ And forthwith Joceline of Salisbury took the oath.

‘Now,’ cried the King, ‘everyone here has heard the promises the archbishops and bishops have made that the laws and customs of my kingdom shall be observed. In order that there may be no further dispute on the subject, let my grandfather Henry’s laws be committed to writing.’

The meeting ended in triumph for the King.

Chapter XIII

FLIGHT FROM ENGLAND

In the great hall the justiciary Richard de Luci read out the clauses of the code which was known as the Constitution of Clarendon, and Thomas realised at once that he had been duped. Henry had had no more compunction in lying to the Templars than he had to him. He had been ready to promise anything to gain his point. Sometimes Thomas thought that this was not so much a quarrel between Church and State as a conflict between Thomas Becket and Henry I of England. It was like one of the games they had played in the past, only this time it was in deadly earnest.

When the Clerk read out that clerics were to be tried on all accusations by the King’s justiciary, Thomas could not forbear crying out: ‘This is against the laws of the Church.

Christ is judged anew before Pilate.’ Another clause stated that no one must leave the kingdom without the King’s consent.

‘The kingdom will become a prison,’ said Thomas. ‘What of those who wish to go on holy pilgrimages? What of those members of the Church who were summoned by the Pope to attend a council? Would they not be obliged to obey the Pope even if the King refused permission?’

There was worse to follow. There should be no appeals to the Pope without the King’s consent.

‘How could an archbishop agree to this?’ demanded Thomas. ‘When he receives the pal ium he takes an oath not to hinder appeals to the Pope.’

As Thomas protested the King sat glowering at him and when the reading was over he stood up and in a voice of thunder cried: ‘Now shall the members of the clergy sign and seal these constitutions and the Archbishop of Canterbury shall do so first.’

Thomas looked at his bishops, some of whom hung their heads in shame while others, more bold, looked at him appealingly. To sign and seal such a document was to deny their duty. The Bishop of Salisbury murmured that if they signed it they would be guilty of perjury.

The King looked on. His armed guard was standing alert.

One word from him and there would be a bloody massacre.

‘God help me,’ prayed Thomas.