which he had vsed before. The like oth did all the bishops take. But the
archbishop refused at that time to seale to the writing that conteined
the articles of the oth which he should haue obserued, requiring as it
were a time to consider of them, sith in so weightie a matter nothing
ought to be doone without good and deliberate aduice, wherefore he tooke
with him a copie thereof, and so did the archbishop of Yorke an other,
and the third remained with the king.

[Sidenote: He repenteth him in that he had receiued an oth. _Matth.
Paris._] Shortlie after, the archbishop considering further of this oth
which he had taken, repented himselfe greeuouslie therof, in so much
that he absteined from saieng of masse, till he had by confession and
fruits of penance (as saith Matth. Paris) obteined absolution of the
pope. For addressing and sending out messengers with all spéed vnto the
pope, with a certificat of the whole matter as it laie, he required to
be assoiled of the bond which he had vnaduisedlie entred into. This suit
was soone granted, in so much that the pope directed his especiall
letters vnto him, conteining the same absolution in verie ample and
large manner, as Matth. Paris dooth report. And thus began a new broile.

The archbishop in the meane time, perceiuing that the liberties of the
church were now not onelie embezelled, but in maner extinguished, and
being loth to make any further attempt against his former dealings,
would now (without the kings knowledge) haue departed the realme,
wherevpon comming to Romnie, he tooke shipping, [Sidenote: The
archbishop Becket would haue fled out of the realme.] to haue passed
ouer into France, and so to haue gone to the popes court. But by a
contrarie wind he was brought backe into England, and thereby fell
further into the kings displeasure than before, in so much that, whereas
an action was commensed against him of late for a manor, which the