to the beginning of Lent 1169. Foliot therefore knew what he had to expect when that time came, and, in anticipation of the sentence, he appealed to Rome against it when it should be issued. This precaution was soon shown to be needed, for on Palm Sunday, 1169, at Clairvaux, the sentence of excommunication was again pronounced against him by Becket. This sentence was brought to England and published with great adroitness and courage by a young Frenchman named Berengar, who, in St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ascension day, 1169, when the priest, Vitalis, was saying mass, presented himself at the altar during the offertory and handed the priest a paper, which was accepted on the supposition that it was intended for an offering. Then, holding the paper in the priest's hand, he demanded that it should be read before mass was proceeded with. The priest opened the paper and found the sentence of excommunication against the bishop, and as he did so Berengar proclaimed loudly to the people that the Bishop of London was excommunicated. Then, by the aid of one of the archbishop's friends, he succeeded in making his escape through the people, who were inclined to use him roughly. The bishop, being informed of what had been done, came from his manor of Stepney, and, calling all the clergy of his church together, explained to them that he had previously appealed against this sentence, which was therefore null and void. He, however, submitted to it for the time, but immediately despatched a messenger to the king abroad, requesting his intervention with the pope, and his license for himself to go abroad. Henry wrote strongly to the pope, and sent his license to Foliot, who at Michaelmas crossed the sea on his way to the papal court. Foliot found or suspected all sorts of dangers blocking his way; but he succeeded in reaching Milan in safety, where he found letters from the pope informing him that he had empowered the bishops of Rouen and Exeter to absolve him. He returned to Rouen, where he was formally absolved on Easter day, 1170 (Radulph de Diceto). But he was not to remain long free from Becket's curse. On 14 June he joined with the Archbishop of York in crowning the king's son. This was a matter of the direst offence to Becket, and when, by a nominal reconciliation between the archbishop and the king, the former was able to return to England (December 1170), he had secretly sent letters before him excommunicating all the bishops who had taken part in the ceremony. These prelates hastened to the king with their complaints, and the anger felt by Henry on hearing them led to the murder of Becket by the four knights. There is no reason to suppose that Foliot in any way suggested this crime, but so great was the horror caused by it that the Bishop of London did not obtain absolution from the sentence of excommunication till May 1172, after taking an oath that he had not received any letter from the pope prohibiting the coronation, and that he had not contributed to Becket's death. Foliot remained at the height of favour with King Henry. In 1173 he was summoned to Normandy, and carried back to England letters from the pope's legates, written at the request of the king, promising that the vacancies in the various sees should be filled up by free election. In 1174, on the occasion of Henry's famous pilgrimage to Canterbury, the Bishop of London preached the sermon, and maintained with earnestness that the king had no complicity whatever in causing the death of St. Thomas. Foliot took a leading part in the elections of Archbishop Richard and Archbishop Baldwin (Roger de Hoveden), and continued to hold a prominent position among the English bishops until his death in the spring of 1187. His character has been judged harshly, or favourably, by the numerous writers who have employed themselves on the career of Becket, according as they favoured the archbishop or the contrary. All, however, including the monkish chroniclers, allow Foliot the praise of great ability and of a strict ascetic life. As to the former, his numerous letters, printed in the Becket collection, abundantly testify; especially the famous letter or pamphlet (printed in ‘Materials for Becket's Life,’ vol. v.) which reviews and denounces with great force the career of Becket. The authorship of this letter has been questioned, but the balance of authorities is in favour of its being Foliot's (Robertson, Life of Becket, appendix v.) The only work attributed to Foliot by the bibliographers is ‘A Treatise on Solomon's Song.’
[Materials for the Life of Becket, ed. Robertson, published in Rolls Series, 1877, 6 vols., superseding Dr. Giles's publications; Historia Radulphi de Diceto, ed. Stubbs, Rolls Series, 1876, 2 vols.; Chronica Rogeri de Hoveden, ed. Stubbs, Rolls Series, 1869, 4 vols.; Matthew Paris's Chronica Majora, ed. Luard, Rolls Series, 1876, 7 vols.; Robertson's Life of Becket, 1859; Milman's Latin Christianity, vol. iii. 1854.]
FOLIOT, ROBERT (d. 1186), bishop of Hereford, a near kinsman of Gilbert Foliot [q. v.], bishop of London, was a man of considerable learning, who, according to Bale (Scriptt. Illustr. p. 216, ed. Basil), quoting from Leland (Itin. viii. 78), was celebrated
