I
In 1154, while Barbarossa was reigning in Germany, Henry II, one
of England's greatest monarchs, came to the throne.
Henry was the son of Geoffrey Plan-tag'e-net, Count of Anjou in
France, and Matilda, daughter of King Henry I and granddaughter of
William the Conqueror. Count Geoffrey used to wear in his hat a sprig
of the broom plant, which is called in Latin _planta genista_. From
this he adopted the name Plantagenet, and the kings who descended
from him and ruled England for more than three hundred years are
called the Plantagenets.
Henry II inherited a vast domain in France and managing this in
addition England kept him very busy. One who knew him well said,
"He never sits down; he is on his feet from morning till night."
His chief assistant in the management of public affairs was Thomas
Becket, whom he made chancellor of the kingdom. Becket was fond
of pomp and luxury, and lived in a more magnificent manner than
even the king himself.
The clergy had at this time become almost independent of the king.
To bring them under his authority Henry made Becket Archbishop of
Canterbury, thus putting him at the head of the Church in England.
The king expected that Becket would carry out all his wishes.
Becket, however, refused to do that which the king most desired
and a quarrel arose between them. At last, to escape the king's
anger, Becket fled to France and remained there for six years.
At the end of this time Henry invited him to come back to England.
Not long after, however, the old quarrel began again. One day while
Henry was sojourning in France, he cried out in a moment of passion,
while surrounded by a group of knights, "Is there no one who will
rid me of this turbulent priest?"
Four knights who heard him understood from this angry speech that
he desired the death of Becket, and they went to England to murder
the Archbishop. When they met Becket they first demanded that he
should do as the king wished, but he firmly refused. At dusk that
same day they entered Canterbury Cathedral, again seeking for him.
"Where is the traitor, Thomas Becket?" one of them cried.
Becket boldly answered, "Here am I--no traitor, but a priest of
god."
As he finished speaking the knights rushed upon him and killed him.
[Illustration: THE MURDERED ARCHBISHOP]
The people of England were horrified by this brutal murder. Becket
was called a martyr and his tomb became a place of pious pilgrimage.
The Pope canonized him and for years he was the most venerated of
English saints.
King Henry was in Normandy when the murder occurred. He declared
that he had had nothing whatever to do with it and he punished
the murderers.
But from this time Henry had many troubles. His own sons rebelled
against him, his barons were unfriendly, and conspiracies were
formed. Henry thought that God was punishing him for the murder of
Becket and so determined to do penance at the tomb of the saint.
For some distance before he reached Canterbury Cathedral where
Becket was buried he walked over the road with bare head and feet.
After his arrival he fasted and prayed a day and a night. The next
day he put scourges into the hands of the cathedral monks and said,
"Scourge me as I kneel at the tomb of the saint." The monks did
as he bade them and he patiently bore the pain.
Henry finally triumphed over his enemies and had some years of peace,
which he devoted to the good of England.
In the last year of his life, however, he had trouble again. The
king of France and Henry's son Richard took up arms against him.
Henry was defeated and was forced to grant what they wished. When
he saw a list of the barons who had joined the French king he found
among them the name of his favorite son John, and his heart was
broken. He died a few days later.