te 73: Tactis sacrosanctis. It may mean reliques, or
other sacred things.] {206}

Thomas put his hands to deeds of fortitude,
He despised losses, he despised reproaches,
No injury breaks down Thomas:
The firmness of Thomas exclaimed to all,
"Every soil is the brave man's country."

_Third Lesson._

The king therefore hearing of his immoveable constancy, having directed
commendatory letters by some abbots of the Cistertian order to the
General Chapter, caused him to be driven from Pontinea. But the blessed
Thomas fearing that, by occasion of his right, injury would befal the
saints, retired of his own accord. Yet before he set out from thence he
was comforted by a divine revelation: a declaration being made to him
from heaven, that he should return to his Church with glory, and by the
palm of martyrdom depart to the Lord. When he was disturbed and sent
from his retreat at Pontinea, Louis, the most Christian king of the
French, received him with the greatest honour, and supported him most
courteously till peace was restored. But even he too was often, though
in vain, urged not to show any grace of kindness towards a traitor to
the king of England. The hand of fury proceeded further, and a cruelty
dreadful for pious ears to hear. For whereas the Catholic Church prays
even for heretics, and schismatics, and faithless Jews, it was forbidden
that any one should assist him by the supplications of prayer. Exiled,
then, for six continuous years, afflicted with varied and unnumbered
injuries, and like a living stone squared by various cuttings and
pressures for the building of the heavenly edifice, the more he was
thrust at that he might fall, the more firm and immoveable was he
enabled to stand. {207} For neither could gold so carefully tried be
burned away, nor a house, founded on a firm rock, be torn down. Neither
does he suffer the wolves to rage against the lambs, nor the vineyard to
pass into a garden of herbs.

The best of men, holy, and renowned is banished,
Lest the dignity of the Church should yield to the unworthy.
The estates of the exiled man are the spoil of the malignant,
But when placed in the fire, the fire burns him not.

_Fourth Lesson._

At length by the exertions, as well of the aforesaid pontiff as of the
king of the French, many days were appointed for re-establishing peace:
and because the servant of God would not accept of peace, unless with
safety to the honour of God, and