barons, who had endeavored in vain to prejudice the Pontiff against
him, though by the distribution of presents they had purchased
advocates in the college of cardinals. The very lecture of the
constitutions closed the mouths of his adversaries. Alexander, having
condemned in express terms ten of the articles, recommended the
Archbishop to the care of the Abbot of Pontigny, and exhorted him to
bear with resignation the hardships of exile. When Thomas surrendered
his bishopric into the hands of the Pope, his resignation was hailed
by a part of the consistory as the readiest means of terminating a
vexatious and dangerous controversy, but Alexander preferred honor to
convenience, and refusing to abandon a prelate who had sacrificed the
friendship of a king for the interests of the Church, reinvested him
with the archiepiscopal dignity.

The eyes of the King were still fixed on the exile at Pontigny, and by
his order the punishment of treason was denounced against any person
who should presume to bring into England letters of excommunication or
interdict from either the Pontiff or the Archbishop. He confiscated
the estates of that prelate, commanded his name to be erased from the
liturgy, and seized the revenues of every clergyman who had followed
him into France or had sent him pecuniary assistance.

By a refinement of vengeance, he involved all who were connected with
him either by blood or friendship, and with them their families,
without distinction of rank or age or sex, in one promiscuous sentence
of banishment. Neither men, bowing under the weight of years, nor
infants still hanging at the breast, were excepted. The list of
proscription was swelled with four hundred names; and the misfortune
of the sufferers was aggravated by the obligation of an oath to visit
the Archbishop, and importune him with the history of their wrongs.