Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 1.djvu/201

A.D. 1164.] the Pope, and the abbey of Pontigny, in Burgundy, was given to him as a place of residence.



On the news of Becket's flight, the king immediately proclaimed a sentence of banishment against all the kindred of the archbishop, young and old, women and children. It is even related that these unhappy exiles were made to swear that they would present themselves before Becket, so that he might see the misery of which he had been cause. Thus it happened that his retirement at Pontigny was disturbed by the visits of these poor people, who vainly implored him to obtain the remission of their sentence. Becket relieved their wants as far as was in his power, and obtained for many of them the protection of the Pope and the King of France.

The banished prelate appears to have supported with contentment his sudden loss of power and return to the