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188 COUNCIL OF CLARENDON.
Lord Almighty, during my lifetime, seal of mine shall
never touch them," was the Archbishop's commentary
on these constitutions. Nevertheless, in contrition
for the promise he had given to observe the royal
customs, he wrote to the Pope for absolution, and
abstained during about forty days from saying Mass.
It is a curious fact that, although St. Thomas had
the sympathies of Henry of Winchester and of others
in a lesser degree amongst the hierarchy, no one of
them advised or supported him in this matter. On
the other hand, his humbler friends spoke their mind
on the subject of the concession he had made. His
cross-bearer, Alexander Llewellen, ventured to reproach
him with "betraying his conscience," and
the Archbishop ^^^^^^^^H^HH meekly took the correction. 1
The Council of Clarendon had been called early in
1164. As he had failed to impose its customs on
the Archbishop, Henry next tried to circumvent the
Pope, by seeking to have the office of legate, that is
of legatus natus, conferred on the Archbishop of
York. His envoys described the life of St. Thomas
as precarious, if he continued to irritate the King ;
and on this understanding Alexander consented to
their petition. This step, on the Pope's part, was
rendered nugatory by the condition he attached to
it, that his letters should not be delivered without
the Archbishop's knowledge and permission. Any
compact is weakened, when only one of the parties
concerned is acting in good faith.
1 Life, p. 139.