communication against the bishops
who had officiated at the late coronation; he had afterward renewed
them against Roger of York (September 26th), Gilbert of London, and
Joscelin of Salisbury, to whose misrepresentations was attributed the
delay of the King to fulfil his engagements. For the sake of peace the
Archbishop had wisely resolved to suppress these letters; but the
three prelates, who knew that he brought them with him, had assembled
at Canterbury, and sent to the coast Ranulf de Broc, with a party of
soldiers, to search him on his landing, and take them from him.
Information of the design reached him at Whitsand; and in a moment of
irritation he despatched them before himself by a trusty messenger, by
whom, or by whose means, they were publicly delivered to the bishops
in the presence of their attendants. It was a precipitate and
unfortunate measure, and probably the occasion of the catastrophe
which followed. The prelates, caught in their own snare, burst into
loud complaints against his love of power and thirst of revenge; they
accused him to the young King of violating the royal privileges, and
wishing to tear the crown from his head; and they hastened to Normandy
to demand redress from the justice or the resentment of Henry.

Under the protection of his conductor the Primate reached Canterbury,
December 3d, where he was joyfully received by the clergy and people.
Thence he prepared to visit Woodstock, the residence of the young
Henry, to pay his respects to the Prince and to justify his late
conduct. But the courtiers, who dreaded his influence over the mind of
his former pupil, procured a peremptory order, December 15th, for him
to return, and confine himself to his own diocese. He obeyed, and
spent the following days in prayer and the functions of his station.
Yet they were days of distress and anxiety. The menaces of his enemies
seemed to derive importance from each succeeding event. His provisions
were hourly intercepted; his property was plundered; his servants were
beaten and insulted.

On Christmas Day he ascended the pulpit. His sermon was distinguished
by the earnestness and animation with which he spoke. At the
conclusion he observed that those who thirsted for his blood would
soon be satisfied, but that he would first avenge the wrongs of his
Church by excommunicating Ranulf and Robert de Broc, who for seven
years had not ceased to inflict every injury in their power on him, on
his clergy, and