attendants added to the poignancy of his feelings. In great agony of
mind he reached Canterbury, where he condemned his late weakness,
interdicted himself from the exercise of his functions, wrote to
Alexander a full account of the transaction, and solicited absolution
from that Pontiff. It was believed that, if he had submitted with
cheerfulness at Clarendon, he would have recovered his former
ascendency over the royal mind: but his tardy assent did not allay the
indignation which his opposition had kindled, and his subsequent
repentance for that assent closed the door to forgiveness. Henry had
flattered himself with the hope that he should be able to extort the
approbation of the "customs" either from the gratitude of Alexander,
whom he had assisted in his necessities, or from the fears of that
Pontiff, lest a refusal might add England to the nations which
acknowledged the antipope.

The firmness of the Pope defeated all his schemes, and the King in his
anger vowed to be revenged on the Archbishop. Among his advisers there
were some who sought to goad him on to extremities. They scattered
unfounded reports; they attributed to Becket a design of becoming
independent; they accused him of using language the most likely to
wound the vanity of the monarch. He was reported to have said to his
confidants that the youth of Henry required a master; that the
violence of his passions must and might easily be tamed; and that he
knew how necessary he himself was to a king incapable of guiding the
reins of government without his assistance. It was not that these men
were in reality friends to Henry. They are said to have been equally
enemies to him and to the Church. They sighed after the licentiousness
of the last reign, of which they had been deprived, and sought to
provoke a contest, in which, whatever party should succeed, they would
have to rejoice over the defeat either of the clergy, whom they