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The archbishop struggled for sev eral minutes with his assailants while a crowd of his men and townspeople who had come to attend evensong looked on. But .when he realised that death was near, he bowed his head and joined his hands in prayer. "I commend myself to God, the Blessed Mary, St Denis and the patron saints of this Church," he said.
The murder comes as the brutal climax to a prolonged quarrel be tween Thomas and King Henry 11. Becket, the London-born son of a Norman merchant, had risen rapid ly in the royal service, and when Henry had him installed at Canter bury he believed he was getting a docile cleric. But Becket became a firm upholder of ecclesiastical pri vileges.
On one occasion Becket, waving his crozier at the king, told him he had no right to judge him. Last June Henry had his son and heir crowned in Westminster abbey by the archbishop of York, assisted by six bishops. Becket denounced the action and excommunicated the bishops.
In his fury the king uttered a fatal cry:
"Who will free me from this turbulent priest?"The four knights gave him the answer.