A.D. HOC] THE ARCHBISHOP'S LETTER TO THE KING. 551 abbat of St. Alban 's, departed this life on the feast of the apostles Simon and Jude, after he had ruled that abbey with much splendour during fourteen years. Letter of the blessed archbishop Thomas to the king of England, A t the same time, Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, hoping by humbling himself to conquer king Henry, wrote to him the following letter : . " I have longed and longed to see your face and to converse with you, partly indeed on my own account, but principally for your sake, that, on seeing my face, you might recall to mind the services which I rendered you with the utmost zeal that my conscience could prompt ; so may God help me at the last judgment, when we shall all stand before his tribunal, to receive according to what we have done in the body, whether it be good or evil : and that you might take pity on me, for I am now obliged to live on charity among the people of a foreign land. It was on your account, for three reasons, because you are my lord, my king, and my son in the Spirit : as my lord, I owe you and offer you my counsel ; as my king, I am bound to revere and admonish you ; and as my son, I am bound to chasten and reprove you. Kings are anointed on the head, on the breast, and on the arms ; thereby signifying glory, holiness, and strength. Now the kings, who, in ancient times, did not observe the ordinances of God, but sinned against his commandments, were deprived both of glory, holiness, and strength, after the example of Saul and Solomon : but those who after their offences humbled themselves before God, were endued with God's grace, such as David, Hezekiah, and many others. Hear then, if you please, my lord, the counsel of your liege, the admonition of your bishop, the castigation of your father. Have no communion nor familiarity for the future with schismatics, nor enter into any contract with them. Remember the profession which you made, and placed in writing upon the altar at Westminster, to preserve the church's liberties, when you were consecrated and anointed to be king. Restore the church of Canterbury, from which you received your promotion and consecration, to the state in which it was in the days of our predecessors. But if you will not do these things, know for a certainty that you shall feel the severity of God's vengeance !"