*  Q,  H.  Thurston,  TAe  Life  of  St  Hugh  of  Lincoln^  pp.  83,  £53  ff.,
608,  1 13-5  n. ;  Mrs.  J.  R.  Green,  Henry  //.,  p.  195  ff.
^  Herb,  de  B.,  iii.  c.  i.  Cf  the  Saga  of  Iceland,  which  here,  as  so
often  elsewhere,  is  no  doubt  giving  us  an  extract  from  the  lost  work
of  Robert  of  Cricklade,  prior  of  St.  Frideswide's,  Oxford.  In  suspect-
ing Henry's  designs  against  the  Church,  Thomas  was  only  thinking  as
the  English  Church  had  long  thought  At  his  accession  we  are  told  :
"  Eratque  in  ecclesia  regni  illius  non  modica  trepidatio  .  .  .  propter
coUateralium  ejus  circa  ecclesiastical  libertatis  jura  notam  maligni-
tatem."    -<4«<7«.  (Roger),  c.  15.
BECKET  BECOMES  ARCHBISHOP  1 57

To  these  prophetic  words,  however,  Henry  paid  no  heed.
With  the  aid  of  the  papal  legate,  Cardinal  Henry  of  Pisa,^
he  succeeded  in  inducing  Thomas  to  consent  to  his  wishes,
and  then  used  all  his  influence  to  secure  the  election  of  his
favourite,  through  whom  he  hoped  to  rule  both  Church
and  State.  His  efforts  were  not  in  vain.  Though  Thomas
of  London  was  not  a  monk,  he  was  unanimously  elected
by  the  monks  of  Canterbury,  and,  with  the  exception  of
the  disappointed  Gilbert  Foliot,^  the  choice  of  the  monks
was  approved  by  the  bishops  assembled  at  Westminster.
