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 each smote
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 St 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
chambers 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 churchyard 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 soon it was known all about,
how that he was martyred, and anon after they took his 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 sticked
fast within his 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...."

Of the King's penance Voragine says nothing, but indeed it must have