SHORT STUDIES 
g0. There was abundant disaffection in England. 
In the spring of this very year, the king had been 
obliged to suspend the sheriffs in several counties, 
and ultimately to remove theın, for extortion and 
oppression, "The clergy were lukewarm in his 
interests; but there were better reasons for relying 
upon the nobles, "The king had thrust a bridle in 
their mouths, restraining what they called their 
liberties, and many of. these great persons, as was 
afterwards proved, were ready to make common 
cause with the Church against the Crown. "The 
archbishop was perfectly right in expecting to find 
among the laity a party who would stand by him, 
He went once more to Sens to take leave of his 
entertainers. After an affectionate parting with 
Lewis and the Queen of France, retaining still his 
old taste for magnificence, he rode down to the 
coast with an escort of a hundred cavaliers, and 
there once more, separated from him but by a few 
hours’ sail, lay the white cliffs of England. 
It was thought likely, if it was not known for 
certain, that Becket would bring with him letters 
from the pope, and the introduction of guch letters, 
if to the hurt of any English subject, was against 
the law without a written license from the king. 
; “ She wardens of tiac ports was to search