John of Salisbury and Thomas Becket

JOHANNES Sarebiriensis, quondamclericusbeatiThomaemartins, diuina dignatione et meritis beati Thomae martiris, Car-notensis ecclesiae minister humilis’. ¹ This protocol from the last known letter to come from John of Salisbury’s hand attests his continuing devotion to the memory of the blessed martyr of Canterbury and his pride in having once belonged to his household. John had made an important contribution to the beginning of the cult of Saint Thomas the Martyr. His well-known letter Ex insperato, addressed in early 1171 to John, bishop of Poitiers (and possibly to others), contains not only the first circumstantial account of the murder in the cathedral but also, most significantly, the earliest discussion of Becket’s status as martyr, comparing his trials and sufferings with those of Christ. ² Both in its original form as a letter, ³ and in an expanded form as a pious Vita et Passio Sancti Thomae Martyrise, ⁴ the record was widely circulated in continental Europe and created an enduring image of the martyr pro defensione libertatis ecclesiae. John’s second letter-collection was largely concerned with the period of the controversy, spanning the years 116375, and he had some hand in initiating the highly valuable collection of Becket’s correspondence which was brought to impressive completion by Alan, monk and prior of Canterbury, later abbot of Tewkesbury, in the mid-1170s. ⁵