The fate of a person born into an ordinary, unremarkable, unremarkable family in medieval Europe was known in advance. The so-called social elevators practically did not work at that time, and many generations of sons continued the work of their fathers, becoming peasants, artisans, merchants or fishermen. Even the children of the nobility had very little chance of a sharp change in their social status, and the younger sons of the most noble families often received from their parents only a horse with arms or patronage to a wealthy monastery with the hope of someday becoming an abbot or bishop. All the more surprising is the fate of Thomas Becket, who, being the son of an impoverished knight forced to engage in trade, thanks to his talents and abilities, managed to become the Chancellor of England, and then the head of the church of this country.
Thomas Becket. A thorny path to power
Becket began his journey in the same way as many of his peers. At first, nothing foreshadowed such a high career for him. He received his education at the grammar school in London, then studied for some time at the Sorbonne, but his father's affairs were getting worse and worse, and therefore Thomas returned to England, where he was forced to act as a scribe. Having no acquaintances and connections in the highest circles, he could hardly count on a high and lucrative position. However, his knowledge and business qualities made a good impression on the Archbishop of Canterbury Theobald, who began to use him for special assignments. At one point, Beckett was even sent to lead a mission to the Vatican. After fulfilling the instructions of the archbishop, Thomas was able to stay in Italy for several years, during which he studied canon law and rhetoric at the famous University of Bologna. Returning to his homeland, Beckett, thanks to the same Theobald, was appointed archdeacon in Canterbury (1154). This position did not require a tonsure, and Thomas remained a layman. He performed his duties flawlessly, and the archbishop even considered it necessary to introduce him to a member of the English royal House, Prince Henry, who at the time of his acquaintance with Becket was 20 years old. Thomas turned 35 at that time. It was said that he impressed the prince not only with his intelligence and knowledge, but also with his height - about 180 cm (at that time - a lot, Becket was one of the tallest people in the country). In England at this time there was another civil war, which was waged by the mother of Heinrich Matilda and his uncle Stephen of Blues. It all ended with a compromise, according to which Stephen retained power, but appointed his nephew, who went down in history as Henry II Plantagenet, as the heir to the throne. Ascending the throne, he remembered the Archdeacon of Canterbury and in January 1155 appointed him chancellor.
Henry II Plantagenet, King of England, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou
Henry II, who ascended the English throne at the age of 21, is a very interesting and very handsome man. He spent almost all his time on state affairs, it was common to travel to Western France (his main possessions were located here) and England, during which he personally checked the state of affairs in the provinces. According to the recollections of contemporaries, Henry was unpretentious to clothing and food, during the journey he could completely calmly spend the night in a peasant hut, or even in a stable. His characteristic feature should be recognized as healthy pragmatism, he treated people of common origin without prejudice and the post of mayor of London under him for 24 years was held by a former clothier, and even Anglo-Saxon (and not Norman) Fitz-Alvin. At the same time, Henry II was a very educated person, he knew 6 languages, except, oddly enough, English (it is believed that his son Richard the Lionheart became the first English king to know English). In addition, he possessed such a very rare quality at all times as sanity. His contemporaries were very impressed by the behavior of the king in Ireland in 1172. Both in England and in Ireland, everyone knew the prophecy of Merlin, according to which the English king-conqueror must certainly perish on a real stone called Lehlavar. This stone was in the middle of the river, on the sides of which the armies of the Irish and the British stood. Contrary to the advice of those close to him, Henry entered the river, and, climbing on the "magic" stone, turned to the Irish: "Well, who else believes the fables of this Merlin?" The suppressed Irish chose to dodge the battle and retreat.
Thomas Beckett as Chancellor
But back to Thomas Becket, the main character of our article. The position of chancellor, which he received from Henry, in those days was not yet considered either high or honorable - it was Becket who made it. Initially, the new chancellor had only two scribes at his disposal, but after a few weeks the number of his subordinates reached 52 people. Becket's office in front of everyone turned into the most important part of the state machine of England, it was in it that all the threads of governing the country were found, and the chancellor himself suddenly became a key figure in the country's government: he worked tirelessly, received visitors all day, signed documents and approved court decisions. Becket's influence and authority grew steadily, and some said he was not shy about taking advantage of his position. This can be believed, because, receiving a fairly modest salary and not having income from hereditary lands (which he simply did not have), he dressed at the best tailors, kept an open table for 30 people and freely communicated with representatives of the most noble families of the kingdom. And this despite the fact that Heinrich himself was not distinguished by panache, and, being next to his chancellor, he looked almost a "poor relative." But the Chancellor's business qualities and his merits were so high and undeniable that Henry II preferred not to pay attention to the source of his income, especially since the practice of “feeding” from office had a long history and Thomas Becket did not particularly stand out against the general background. Moreover, at this time, the king and the chancellor were tied by a real friendship, Henry completely trusted Becket and, once, in order to further increase his authority in the court environment, even entrusted the former archdeacon with command of a detachment of 700 knights. To the surprise of many, Becket brilliantly coped with this task, and it was his squad who first broke into the besieged Toulouse. After the end of the war, Becket was assigned to lead the embassy to the court of Louis VII. The result of this mission was the signing of a peace treaty beneficial to France and an agreement on the dynastic marriage of the son of the king of England and the daughter of the French king. The young bride and groom (Henry Molodoy and Margarita) were raised by Becket and kept warm feelings for him throughout their lives. Moreover, in the conflict between the king and the former patron of Thomas - Archbishop of Canterbury Theobald (it was about taxes from church lands), Becket resolutely sided with the state.
King's fateful decision
Everything changed after the death of Archbishop Theobald. Henry II decided that there was no better candidate for the vacant seat of the head of the Church of England than his longtime friend and colleague Thomas Beckett. He at first took Henry's offer as a joke: “I dress too brightly to please the monks,” he replied with a laugh to the king. But Henry was persistent. Thomas Becket, of course, was ambitious, and the prospect of becoming the second person in the state is too much a temptation for any passionate person with obvious abilities of a politician. For the sake of this, you can sacrifice the habit of luxury. However, after a conflict with Theobald, Becket was extremely unpopular in the church environment. Nevertheless, under severe pressure from the king, on May 23, 1162, at a meeting of English bishops, Thomas Becket was elected archbishop of Canterbury and tonsured on June 3 of the same year. This was one of the biggest mistakes in the life of Henry II - this, not very stupid and, in general, quite handsome king. Beckett immediately changed into a rough cassock, refused the duties of the chancellor, but ordered the spiritual courts to consider all cases of the seizure of church lands, starting from the time of the Norman conquest. The judges, of course, did not offend either themselves or their fellows, unanimously declaring all confiscations illegal. Becket ordered the new owners to return the land to the church, while some of the barons were excommunicated. In general, it was a sin to complain to Becket's new subordinates.
The Church in England at that time was a state within a state. The monasteries owned huge tracts of land on which tens of thousands of peasants worked. The way of life of the monks could hardly be called pious. The monk from Cluny Peter in the middle of the 12th century publicly urged his fellows not to eat more than 3 times a day, not to wear gold jewelry and precious stones, not to have more than 2 servants and not to keep women with them. Monasteries had the right of refuge and thousands of criminals hid in them, who periodically left their walls with the aim of robbing the inhabitants of the surrounding towns and villages and passing merchants. Part of the income from this trade went to the treasury of the hospitable monasteries. The spiritual courts challenged the decisions of the royal courts, and in the event of a conflict with government officials, they appealed to the popes, who, as a rule, took their side. And this powerful structure, practically beyond the control of the king and the secular authorities, was headed by an extremely capable man who was not going to share his newfound power with anyone. It wasn't just Becket's ambition. According to the ideas of that time, service to the overlord with faith and truth was the sacred duty of a vassal. Either the death of one of them could end this dependence, or the transfer of the vassal to the sovereignty of another, more authoritative and powerful ruler. And Beckett now considered God himself his suzerain. Thus, the behavior of Thomas Becket, in principle, was quite understandable to his contemporaries, and only the unexpected courage of the archbishop who dared to openly oppose the king and the secular authorities caused surprise.
Rebellious archbishop
In carrying out his new duties, Becket slept on a bare bench, ate dry bread and water, and even threw out chess, which he played best in the kingdom. Every day he invited thirty beggars into his house, each of whom offered to share his modest dinner with him, washed his feet with his own hands and gave a penny.
Henry II, who was in France at that time, was simply stunned by the news that reached him. He hastened to return to England, but instead of an elegant and contented dandy with life, he saw an emaciated stern monk, almost an old man, who calmly replied to all reproaches that he was ruling the country on behalf of God and Rome and therefore could no longer be an obedient servant of the king. All attempts at reconciliation were unsuccessful. Former friends took the path of open enmity, a compromise was impossible. The enraged king ordered Becket to abandon the spiritual posts that brought him large incomes. Since the case concerned him personally, Becket readily complied. But he ignored the demand for the abolition of spiritual courts. Moreover, he gave refuge to the noble Norman Philippe de Brois, who killed the father of the girl dishonored by him and was persecuted by the royal judges. Henry II was furious, they say that he smashed dishes and furniture in the palace, rolled in a rage on the floor and tore his hair. Recovering himself, he declared to the courtiers: "From now on, everything is over between us."
Worst of all, Beckett, in front of the powerless king, became the idol of the people, who saw in him a protector from greedy barons and corrupt royal judges. Rumors about the ascetic life and holiness of the new archbishop spread throughout the country, and this circumstance tied the hands of all opponents of Becket. In 1164, Henry II still managed to achieve the adoption of the so-called Clarendon Constitution, according to which, in the absence of bishops, income from dioceses went to the state, a state official could decide which court (secular or ecclesiastical) to conduct a particular case, and in the spiritual court he had to attend a representative of the crown. The king became the last resort in all disputes, appeals to the pope were prohibited. Becket said that he would obey only if the Pope approves the decisions made. Alexander III took a dual position: not wanting to quarrel with Henry III, he, in words, called on Becket to obey the laws of the country in which he lives, but did not send the required document. Nevertheless, royal officials began to arrest people who were hiding in monasteries, as well as previously acquitted by spiritual courts. At the same time, mass abuses were noted, when, instead of real criminals who had time to bribe, innocent people turned out to be in the dock, who somehow did not please the local baron or sheriff. Popular discontent widened and Becket's authority grew even more. Inspired by the first successes, Henry ordered the archbishop to appear at the royal court at Northampton Castle. To humiliate his rival, the king ordered his courtiers to occupy all the houses in the district, so that the archbishop had to spend the night on straw in a barn. Later he settled in a nearby monastery. Hoping to provoke Becket to open disobedience to the king, the judges on the very first day sentenced him to a fine of three hundred pounds "for contempt of court." Becket resignedly paid the required amount. Then he was accused of embezzling money allocated once for the fulfillment of the diplomatic mission that ended in his triumph in France, and demanded to return all allocated funds. Becket did not have such an amount, but he issued a bill for her. And then the judges, enraged by his obedience, demanded to personally reimburse the state for all the bishops and abbots, whose seats had been empty in recent years. The amount required was in excess of the annual income of the whole of England. Waiting for an answer, Henry II could not sit still, and the king's envoys at this time persuaded the rebellious archbishop from office. Without saying a word, Becket went to the king, who by that time had finally lost his nerves. Declaring that there was no room in England for the two of them, he demanded that his rival be sentenced to death. This demand caused panic among the courtiers and bishops around him. At this time, holding a heavy silver cross in his hands, Thomas Becket entered the hall. The spectacle was so impressive that all those present were in awe, and one of the bishops approached Becket and, bowing low, asked permission to hold the cross. Becket sat down calmly in a chair. Unable to bear his gaze, the king left the hall. Both friends and enemies literally begged Becket to obey the king and resign from the rank of archbishop, but he calmly answered them that just as a child cannot judge his father, so the king cannot judge him, and he recognizes only the Pope as his only judge. However, the hard hours spent then in the royal castle broke down Becket. For the first time, he realized how vulnerable he was to the king and his judges. The crowds of people gathered at this time at the walls of the royal residence will not be able to prevent his condemnation or murder. Becket decided to seek help from Rome and hit the road that same night. Henry's order to arrest "the former archbishop and now a traitor and fugitive from justice" was several hours late.
Thus began a new stage in the life of Thomas Becket, which lasted 7 years. Pope Alexander III, having decided that the fate of the disgraced archbishop had already been decided, supported him only with a "kind word."
Thomas Becket. Life in exile
Disappointed, Becket settled in France. He continued to lead a strict ascetic lifestyle, and the rumor about his holiness spread throughout Europe. These rumors caused extreme irritation among the highest hierarchs of the Catholic Church, who least of all needed a living saint who claims to be a spiritual leader, or, even worse, in the future, capable of joining the fight for the papal tiara. And for Henry, Thomas Becket was terrible even in exile. The persecuted archbishop became the "banner of the opposition" and the idol of all the British. Even the wife and children of Henry II took the side of the archbishop, and the crown prince raised by Becket and his wife literally idolized their former mentor. They even refused to be crowned, claiming that the ceremony would be illegal without the participation of the rebellious archbishop. Tired of the struggle, Henry was the first to take a step towards reconciliation by inviting Becket to one of his French castles. The meeting of the former friends was surprisingly cordial, Beckett kneeled in front of the king in front of everyone, and Henry held the stirrup when the archbishop climbed into the saddle. Beckett was asked to return to England and again lead the church of this country.
However, in addition to his admirers, Becket had very powerful and influential enemies in England. One of the most formidable of them was Randolph de Bro, the sheriff of Kent, who, after the archbishop fled, robbed his residence in Canterbury, stole all the cattle, burned the stables, and therefore did not want Becket's return, fearing just retribution.
And the bishops of London, York and Salisbury, in whose hands in the absence of Becket was power over the English church, publicly vowed not to allow the rebellious hierarch to perform their duties. Therefore, even before his return to his homeland, Becket sent them an order to remove them from office. But the powerful de Bro did not want to retreat. To prevent the landing of Becket, he organized a real blockade of the English coast. But the boat with Becket managed to slip to the city of Sandwich, where the armed townspeople managed to protect him from the late soldiers of the enraged de Bro.
Becket's triumphant return to England
On the way to Canterbury, the archbishop was greeted by thousands of people, many of whom were armed. The residence was overflowing with people who came with complaints about sheriffs, judges, abbots and bishops. In addition to merchants, peasants and artisans, there were many knights among them. Beckett's visit to London turned into a real show of strength: at the city gates he was greeted by the mayor, the heads of the guilds and about three thousand townspeople, who knelt in front of him. The frightened royal officials and bishops unanimously informed the king, who was at that time in Normandy, that he would lose the country if Becket remained in England. Alarmed, Henry now bitterly regretted his reconciliation with Becket, but did not dare to openly oppose him. One evening, pissed off by another report, the king exclaimed: “Am I surrounded by cowards alone? Is there no one who would free me from this low-born monk”?
That same night Barons Reginald Fitz-Urs, Hugh de Moreville, Richard de Breton and William de Tracy set off for England, where they were gladly joined by powerful allies - Sheriff Randolph de Bro and his brother Robert. By order of de Bros, Canterbury Abbey was surrounded by troops, even food and firewood sent to the archbishop were now intercepted. At the Christmas service in the cold cathedral, Becket gave a sermon on the death of Bishop Alfred from the Danes, ending it with the shocking words: "And there will be another death soon." After that, he excommunicated the brothers de Bros and two abbots known for their dissolute life.
Becket's assassination and its aftermath
Three days later, the knights and brothers de Bro, who had arrived from France, with a detachment of soldiers entered Canterbury. Initially, they tried to intimidate Becket and force him to leave England. Unable to achieve success, they went to the horses - for weapons. The monks surrounding Becket, hoping that the archbishop's enemies would not dare to kill him in the temple, managed to persuade him to go to church. With a cross in hand, Becket sat down in the archbishop's chair, where the conspirators found him. But rumors about the incident had already spread throughout the city, and residents of the surrounding houses came running to the cathedral. Hugh de Moreville, with a two-handed sword in his hands, stood in their way. The unarmed townspeople could not help Becket, but now the murder was to take place in front of hundreds of witnesses. But the conspirators had gone too far, they had nowhere to retreat. The first blow dealt by de Tracy was taken by a monk from Cambridge, Grimm, who was visiting the Archbishop. But with the next blow, de Tracy cut Becket's shoulder, followed by de Breton stabbed in the chest, and de Bros smashed the skull with his sword. Raising a bloody sword over his head, he shouted, "The traitor is dead!"
In search of money and valuable things, the murderer's brother, Robert de Bro, remained in the abbey, but found nothing. Frustrated, he took the crockery, wall paneling, and furniture with him. Becket's assassins immediately left the country: first to Rome, and then they went on a "penitential crusade" to Palestine.
Meanwhile, Becket's enemies were triumphant. The bishop of York, dismissed by him from the pulpit, declared that the archbishop was smitten by the hand of the Lord himself. The higher hierarchs of the English Church, who supported him, forbade the commemoration of Becket in prayers, threatening the priests who violated this order with rods. Moreover, it was decided to throw his body to the dogs, but the monks managed to hide it in the niche of the church, laying it with brickwork. Yet Becket's opponents were powerless. Already in the first weeks after the murder, rumors began to spread about miraculous healings at the site of the death of the archbishop, and one of the healed turned out to be a member of the de Bro family.
Across the country, priests preached sermons in Becket's honor, and pilgrims flocked to Canterbury in an endless stream. The heir to the throne publicly declared that he would not forgive his father for the death of his mentor, and the young queen openly blamed the royal ministers and the Bishop of York for his death. The murder of Becket was also condemned by the wife of Henry II, Alienor of Aquitaine.
Becket's death was extremely beneficial to the many enemies of Henry II abroad. Realizing that in the eyes of the whole world he became the murderer of a holy man, and that henceforth any failure of his would be regarded as God's punishment for the crime he had committed, the king took refuge in the castle, refusing to meet with those close to him and to take food. He woke up three days later, suddenly realizing that he had not heard the ringing of bells for a long time. It turned out that the Archbishop of Normandy, fully confident that the Pope would excommunicate Henry from the church, did not wait for official papers and himself imposed an interdict on all of his French possessions. But the Pope was in no hurry, preferring to blackmail Henry and seeking more and more concessions from him. Two years later, Thomas Becket was officially canonized, but Henry still managed to avoid excommunication. Secular enemies also did not stay idle. The unfortunate king was betrayed even by his closest relatives. His son-in-law, King of Sicily, Wilhelm, ordered to erect a monument to Becket. The wife of King of Castile Alfonso VIII - daughter of Henry, Alienora of England, ordered to depict the murder of Thomas Becket on the wall of the church in the city of Soria. And, of course, the bitter enemy of England, the French king Louis VII, who declared mourning in his country "for the innocently murdered saint", did not miss his chance. A year later, he demonstratively visited Becket's grave, donated a gold bowl and a large diamond to decorate the tombstone. Morally broken Henry II could not and did not dare to prevent this, humiliating for him, pilgrimage.
King's belated remorse
Henry II admitted his responsibility for the death of Becket and did not hide behind the backs of his subordinates. The assassins and persecutors of the archbishop were not punished by him, but Henry himself, in order to atone for his guilt, contributed forty-two thousand marks to the treasury of the Order of the Templars to do good deeds. Shortly before his death, disappointed and betrayed even by his children, King Henry suddenly interrupted the military campaign in France to go to Canterbury. Here, barefoot and dressed in a hair shirt, the king, in front of everyone, repented at the grave of the archbishop for his words, which caused the death of the holy man.
And then he ordered to scourge himself: each courtier struck him five blows with a lash, each monk three. Having resignedly withstood several hundred blows, he sat in the cathedral for another day, covering his bloody back with a cloak.
Henry VIII and his fight against the cult of Thomas Becket
Winston Churchill once said about Khrushchev that he "became the only politician in the history of mankind who declared war on the dead. But more than that, he managed to lose it." Churchill forgot that in the 16th century, the king of his country, Henry VIII, declared "war" on the dead Thomas Becket, who ordered a new trial, accusing the rebellious archbishop of high treason and misappropriation of the title of saint.
All images of Becket were destroyed, references to him were removed from church books, and his relics were burned. And Henry VIII also lost this war: Thomas Becket was rehabilitated and even on a par with St. Paul was recognized as the patron saint of London.
