CHAP. His con duct as Chancellor. A. D. 1158. tutor to the prince. Becket's embassy to France. Becket continued Chancellor till the year 1162, without any abatement in his favour with the King, or in the power which he possessed, or in the energy he displayed, or in the splendour of his career. He not only presided in the Aula Regis and superintended the domestic administration of the kingdom, but, when the necessities of the state so required, he himself went on foreign embassies, and led armies into the field. The King's eldest son was still a boy and a pupil of the Chancellor, to whom it was thought that his education might be better intrusted than to any other, both for literature and chivalry. According to the custom of that time, which continued for centuries afterwards, it was usual to contract marriage between the children of sovereign princes long before they reached the age of puberty, and Henry the son of a Count, thought it would add to the splendour of his family and to the stability of his throne, if his infant heir were affianced to a daughter of the King of France. To bring about this alliance, which was opposed by the Emperor of Germany, Henry proposed that the Chancellor should himself proceed to the French court, and he at once accepted the embassy. "He prepared," says Fitzstephen, "to exhibit and pour out the opulence of English luxury, that among all persons and in all things the Sovereign might be honoured in his representative, and the representative in himself. He took with him about two hundred mounted on horseback, of his own family, knights, priests, standard bearers and squires, sons of noblemen, forming his body guard, and all completely armed. All these, and all their followers, were festively arrayed in new attire, each according to his degree. He likewise took with him twenty-four changes of raiment, almost all to be given away, and left among the foreigners he was to visit. He carried along with him all kinds of dogs and birds for field sports used by kings and rich men. In his train he had eight waggons; each waggon was drawn by five horses equal to war horses, well matched, and with uniform harness; each horse was taken care of by a stout young man dressed in a new tunic. Two waggons carried nothing but ale made with water and malt*, in casks fastened with iron, to be given to the French. The furniture of the Chancellor's chapel filled one waggon, his chamber another, his kitchen another; others were loaded with eatables and drink for the use of himself and his train. He had twelve sumpter horses; eight carried the Chancellor's gold and silver plate. Coffers and chests contained the Chancellor's money in good store, sufficient for his daily expenses, and the presents which he meditated, together with his clothes, books, and articles of the like nature. One horse, which preceded all the rest, carried the holy vessels of his chapel, the holy books, and the ornaments of the altar. "Likewise each waggon had chained to it, either above or below, a large, strong, and fierce mastiff, which seemed able to contend with a bear or a lion, and on the top of every sumpter horse there was a monkey with a tail, or an ape mimicking the human countenance. On entering the French towns and villages the procession was headed by about 250 young men on foot, in groups of six, or ten, or more, singing some verses in their own tongue, after the manner of their country. Then came at a little distance harriers and other dogs coupled, together with their keepers and whippersin. Soon after the waggons, strengthened with iron and covered over with great skins of animals sewed together, rattled over the stones of the streets; at a short distance followed the sumpter horses, rode by their grooms, who sat upon their haunches. The Frenchmen running out from their houses at all this noise, inquired whose family can this be? Being answered, Behold the Chancellor of the King of England going on a mission to the King of France,' they exclaimed, 'How wonderful must be the King of England himself, whose Chancellor travels in such state!' "After the sumpter horses followed esquires carrying the shields of the knights and leading the saddle horses; then * I find no mention of hops in the text, and I suspect that the beer so boasted of was only the ancient Scandinavian drink described by Tacitus as “a corruption of barley," and still manufactured in Flanders under the name of "blanche bierre." CHAP. III. CHAP. came other knights, then pages, then those who bore hawks, then the standard bearers and the upper and lower servants of the Chancellor's household, then soldiers and priests riding two and two;-last of all came the Chancellor, surrounded by some of his friends. "As soon as the Chancellor landed in France, he sent forward a messenger to inform the French King of his approach. The King appointed to meet him at Paris by a certain day. It is the custom for the French Kings to purvey for all persons coming to court and while they remain there; and the King now wishing to purvey for the Chancellor, by an edict published by him at Paris, prohibited all persons from selling any thing to the Chancellor or his people. This coming to the knowledge of the Chancellor, he sent on his servants to St. Denis and the neighbouring towns, that, changing their dress and concealing their names, they should buy for him bread, flesh, fish, wine, and all eatables in abundance, and when he entered the " Hôtel du Temple,” which he was to occupy in Paris, they ran up and informed him that he would find it supplied with provisions fully sufficient for the use of a thousand men for three days. "He gave away all his gold and silver plate and changes of raiment, to one a robe, to another a furred cloak, to a third a pelisse, to this man a palfry, and to that a war horse. Why should I enter into further particulars? He won favour above all men. He successfully completed his embassy he gained his object: whatever he solicited was granted to him. : "In returning, he apprehended and lodged in prison Vedo de la Val, an enemy of the King of England, and a notorious public robber."* That this union might not afterwards be broken off, and might cement a good understanding between the two countries, according to the treaty which the Chancellor had concluded, Margaret the infant princess was put under the care of a Norman baron, who was to superintend her education; and her dower, consisting of a great domain in the Vexin, was placed in the hands of the Knights Templars till CHAP. the celebration of the marriage. III. A. D. 1159. scutage. It is said that the Chancellor continued zealously to cultivate peace; but in spite of his efforts, war with France Origin of became inevitable. The duchy of Toulouse had belonged to the father of Eleanor, who had been married to the King of France, and being divorced from him, was now Queen of England. Henry claiming this territory in her right,-under some pretence Louis insisted that he had a right to dispose of it, and both parties prepared to settle the dispute by an appeal to arms. The Chancellor, with his usual penetration, saw, that instead of the feudal militia, who were to fight without pay for forty days, it would be much better to commute personal service for a pecuniary contribution, by which a regular army might be equipt and maintained. He therefore introduced the pecuniary aid called scutage, of 31. to be levied on every knight's fee; and the number of 60,000 knights' fees established by the Conqueror still remaining, he thus collected 180,000Z., and engaged a numerous force of mercenaries, whose attendance in the field was to be extended to three months. With them marched, from the love of glory, an illustrious host, consisting of English Barons, and many from Henry's continental dominions; a Prince of Wales, — Malcolm King of Scotland, and Raymond King of Arragon, to whose infant daughter had been affianced the King's son, Richard, afterwards Cœur de Lion, then an infant in his nurse's arms. But of all who composed this great army, the Becket's bravest and the most active warrior was Lord Chancellor à military Becket, who had enlisted a body of 700 knights at his own expense, and, marching at their head, was the foremost in every enterprise. prowess. Toulouse. Louis was shut up with a small force in the city of Toulouse, Siege of to which Henry laid siege. Becket represented that it might easily be taken by assault, offering to lead on the storming party himself, and it is generally allowed that this blow might at once have put a glorious termination to the war; but Henry, when congratulated on the prospect of having in his power such an illustrious captive, conceived conscientious scruples against offering violence to his liege lord, whom he CHAP Single combat with Engleran de Trie. A. D. 1160. His judicial merits. had sworn to guard and protect. The Chancellor laid down for law that the King of France, by assuming the command there in person, had deliberately put himself in the situation of an enemy on equal terms with his opponent. During this discussion a great French army came to the rescue of their King: the golden opportunity was lost, and Henry was obliged to retreat with the bulk of his forces into Normandy. “The Chancellor, with his own followers and the single aid of Henry of Essex, the King's Constable, remained to preserve the English authority in that quarter, all the other leaders having refused to do so. Armed with helmet and coat of mail, he afterwards, with his own brave band, took three very strong castles which had been deemed impregnable. Nay, more, he crossed the Garonne with a military force, attacked the enemy, and having established the authority of the King in all that province, he returned triumphant and honoured.”* In a subsequent campaign the Chancellor, besides 700 knights of his own family, had under his command 1200 cavalry, whom he had taken into pay, and 4000 infantry, for the space of forty days. "Each soldier serving on horseback received from him three shillings a day to provide horses and attendants, and was entertained at the Chancellor's table. He himself, although a priest, encountered Engleran de Trie, a valiant French knight, who, in full armour, rode furiously against him, his lance in the rest, unhorsed him, and made prize of his charger. Of the whole army of the King of England, the soldiers of the Chancellor were always the first, the most daring, and the most distinguished for their exploits, he himself instructing them, encouraging them, and leading them on."† Peace being at last restored, the Chancellor unbuckled his sword again, put on his robes at Westminster, and returned to the discharge of his civil duties. His administration of justice was vigorous and impartial, no favour being shown to Saxon or Norman, to layman or ecclesiastic. Hitherto he preferred the interests of the Crown to those of his own order. During the late war the rich prelates and abbots of the |