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Your excellency has been recommended to my notice by the many sound virtues of your mind, and the irreproachable purity of your life: And not to me only, but to every one that knows you, though I have had more occasions than other men to commend you, on account of the sound spiritual advice which you have so often given me, about matters touching my own personal dignity, as well as the state of my kingdom, and public matters in general. For this reason, influenced by the wish that you should be, if possible, always at hand to give me your advice, and considering that this will tend much to the maintenance of my own honour and dignity, as well as to the benefit of my heirs and of my whole kingdom, I pray you earnestly to acquiesce without delay, in the decision which the whole Church of London has lately come to, and which is backed by the mandate of our lord the pope: for you will not only gratify 8 me by so doing, but will, if it be possible, considerably augment the love and favour which I and all my barons already feel towards you. Thus your company will relieve me when I am fatigued both in mind and body by the cares of state; for whenever any thing of moment happens in the kingdom, it is at London that councils are held, and the barons and myself transact public business. Wherefore, that your goodness and virtues may be more widely diffused and made known, our lord the pope has with much propriety assigned to you the charge of the Church of London, to the benefit of the Church itself, which needs such a ruler, and in no small degree of myself, my heirs, and the whole kingdom. Let nothing, therefore, prevent you from immediately fulfilling the wishes of our lord the pope, and of ourself, with the addition, as we trust, of your own honour and advantage.
Witness, Thomas the archbishop, at Windsor.
1. Henry II to the Bishop of Hereford (1163). Latin. Robertson, Materials for the History of Thomas à Becket, v. 24, trans. Giles. This letter will serve as an introduction to the series of letters exchanged during the quarrel of Henry II and Thomas à Becket. Becket had not been long promoted to be Archbishop of Canterbury (1162), but dissensions had already arisen and Henry was desirous of strengthening his party in the Church. Next year the Council of Clarendon was held in January, and on November 2, after the Council of Northampton, the Archbishop fled the country. Letters 4 and 5 show the action taken by Henry. The translation of an English bishop from one see to another, as opposed to promotion to an archi-episcopal see, was unknown, and it required special motives to obtain the authorization from the Curia.