What were the principles upon which Becket acted, whether from a love of power, or from a con scientious regard to the duties of his office, it is difficult to determine. That hypocrisy entered in to his character, the sudden change in his con duct leaves us little room to doubt ; but to what period of his life it ought to be attached, whether before or after his accession to the primacy, may be disputed. In that age of superstition, every ec clesiastic was brought up with the highest ideas of the supremacy of the church ; and we cannot suppose that Becket, who had been a disciple of archbishop Theobald, and who had spent a part of his life at the court of Rome, would be wanting in zeal for its interests. From the high favour in which he stood both with Theobald and his sovereign, he could, not but look with confidence to the see of Canter bury ; and his appearing to take little interest in ecclesiastical affairs, and to acquiesce in all those measures which Henry meditated for abridging the powers of the clergy, was, in all probability, the mask which he assumed for securing the object of his am bition; for if we may believe ha biographers, though he entered into all the gallantries of a luxurious court, he remained constantly temperate and invincibly chaste. Immediately upon his exaltation, however, the mask was thrown aside, and it was then that he ap peared in his real character, as the champion of the church and the defender of its rights. How far he acted in conformity with the dictates of popery; whe ther his errors were of judgment or of will ; and what degree of moral turpitude ought to be affixed to his conduct, we leave our readers to determine. His predecessor had set him the example of opposition to his sovereign, and there were many in that age, who, had they possessed the abilities, the courage, or the persevering inflexibility of a Becket, would have act ed the same part. We mean not, however, by what we have said, either to justify his measures, or the manner in which they were pursued (though the un warrantable prosecutions of Henry might palliate in so.ne degree his inveterate obstinacy.) But " in passing judgment upon the characters of men," says our elegant historian Robertson, " we ought to try them by the principles and maxims of their own age, not by those of another." When we reprobate Becket, then, our censure must extend to the church of which lie was a member, and to the prejudices of his times, which ranked him with the most illustrious martyrs, and cherished his memory with the most superstitious veneration. Becket possessed abilities.
which entitled him to the high station which he attained, and which claim our admiration and re spect : but his ingratitude to his master, his ambition, and his overbearing arrogance, expose him to our severest reprehension ; and we cannot but lament the prostitution of those talents in the cause of a bigot ted superstition, which, had they been directed to the support of law and justice, would have proved a .blessing, instead of a tire-brand to his country. See .Home's Hist. ni England, voi. i. p.410-448, Svo.; Lyttelton's Hist. of Henry II. vol. ii. p. 231, &c. Svo.; Henry's Hist. if Great Britain, vol. v. p. 31.0, •&c. Svo. (p) BED, a place raised above the level of the floor -of an apartment, on which the body is stretched out for rest and sleep.
In ancient times the beds consisted of a heap of .herbs and leaves, with the skins of beasts for a cover ing; and even in the time of Pliny, the soldiers when ,encamped made use of that rude couch. In process -of time, however, the Romans constructed their beds -in a more luxurious manner. The fine wool of Mi. letus, ebony, cedar, and citron wood, were all em ployed in the construction of this piece of furniture. Sometimes they were even made of ivory and massive silver, having their coverings of purple enriched with gold.
Beds, at first employed for the purpose of recruit ing the body by rest and sleep, were afterwards used for other purposes. The luxurious Asiatics stretched themselves upon beds when they devoured their meals, and the Greeks afterwards imitated this indolent practice. The ancients made use of beds .when they were engaged in their prayers, and in this singular custom they were imitated by the first Chris tians. The .ancient poets too, often recited their compositions from their beds, and even their philoso ,phers placed themselves in that attitude of repose, when they gave lessons to their disciples. See Ho mer's Iliad, lib. xxiv. v. 644. Pliny, lib. viii. cap. lib. xvi. -cap. ; lib. xxiii. cap. 11. Stat. 11 Hen. VII. -cap. 19. Suctonius, In Vit. Aug. cum. Not. Casaubon. Scheffer de Torquibus.
An account of beds of particular constructions will be found in the Machines Apprortve5es, torn. iii. p. 67. Phil. Trans. 1732, p. 256. Mem. Acad. Par. 174.2. fist. p. 155. Id. 1745. Hist. p. 81. Id. 1746. Hist. 120. Id. 1771. Hist. 68. Id. 1772. Hist. Machines ilpprouve:es, torn. vii. p. 121. Id. torn. vii. p. 321. *Repertory of Arts, ii. 104. (j)