¶Thus you haue heard the tragicall discourse of am|bitious Becket, a man of meane parentage, and yet through the princes fauour verie fortunate, if he had not abused the beneuolence of so gratious a soue|reigne by his insolencie and presumption. Wherein we haue to note, how vnseemelie a thing it was for him, being called to so sacred a function, to lead so se|cular and prophane a life, as if he had professed open hostilitie to the vocation which he pretended to ho|nour and reuerence. We are also taught, that promo|tions atchiued by ambition are not permanent, and are so farre from procuring fame and renowne to the obteiners, that they turne them in the end to shame, infamie and reproch, after losse of life and effu|sion of bloud. The issue of all which tragedie is to be imputed to the prouidence and counsell of almightie God, as one writeth verie agréeablie to this pur|pose, saieng,

H [...]si. in lib. cui tit. op. & dies.Nam facile extolli [...] facilè elatúm refraenat,

Et clarum obscurans, obscuri nomen adauget.

Erigit & miserum facilè extinguitque superbum

Iuppiter altifremus, cui celsum regia coelum.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to let this matter passe. King Henrie doubt|lesse was right pensiue for his death,King Henrie sorie for the archb. Bec|kets death. bicause he wist well inough that it would be iudged, that he himselfe was priuie to the thing: and euen so came it to passe, for immediatlie vpon notice giuen into France of the archbishops death, Polydor. king Lewes, and Theobald the earle of Blois, as they that loued him most deerelie were most sorowfull for it, and iudging straightwaie that king Henrie was the procurer, they wrote their letters vnto pope Alexander, giuing him to vnder|stand both of the slaughter, and how king Henrie had caused it to be put in execution, requiring most in|stantlie, that such an iniurie doone to the Christian religion, might spéedilie be punished. The pope was much offended, and determined to haue the matter throughlie considered and ordered, so as might stand with his dignitie, and accordinglie as the hainous state of the case required. King Henrie whilest these things were a dooing, lay certein daies at Argenton, so much displeased in his mind, that he would suffer no man once to speake to him about any maner of businesse.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 At length, he sent his ambassadors to Rome, part|lie to purge himselfe of the archbishops death,King Henrie sendeth am|bassadours to the pope. partlie to excuse his fault, for that in his furie he had vtte|red words against the archbishop, which had giuen oc|casion to naughtie men to contriue his death, & part|lie to require the pope to send his legats into Eng|land, to make inquirie both for the death of the arch|bishop, and also of the state of the clergie. The kings ambassadors found the pope at Tiuoli, and there were heard to declare their message: but little cre|dit was giuen to their words, in so much that the pope plainelie told them, that he vnderstood the mat|ter to be much otherwise than they had declared. Yet according to the kings request, he sent two of his cardinals into England, which vpon due examinati|on, might vnderstand the truth of the matter tho|roughlie as apperteined.