“God’s blessing go with him!” murmured with a sigh of relief the aged Bishop Henry of Winchester. “We have not done with him yet!” cried the king. He at once issued orders that all the ports should be watched to prevent Thomas from leaving the country,[201] and that the temporalities of the metropolitan see should be left untouched pending an appeal to the Pope[202] which he despatched the archbishop of York and the bishops of London, Worcester, Exeter and Chichester to prosecute without delay.[203] They sailed from Dover on All Souls day;[204] that very night Thomas, after three weeks of adventurous wanderings, guarded with the most devoted vigilance by the brethren of Sempringham, embarked in a little boat from Sandwich; next day he landed in Flanders;[205] and after another fortnight’s hiding he made his way safe to Soissons, where the king of France, disregarding an embassy sent by Henry to prevent him, welcomed him with open arms. He hurried on to Sens, where the Pope was now dwelling; the appellant bishops had preceded him, but Alexander was deaf to their arguments.[206] Thomas laid at the Pope’s feet his copy of the Constitutions of Clarendon; they were read, discussed and solemnly condemned in full consistory.[207] The exiled primate withdrew to a shelter which his friend Bishop John of Poitiers had secured for him in the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny in Burgundy.[208] On Christmas-eve, at Marlborough, Henry’s envoys reported to him the failure of their mission. On S. Stephen’s day Henry confiscated the whole possessions of the metropolitan see, of the primate himself and of all his clerks, and ordered all his kindred and dependents, clerical or lay, to be banished from the realm.[209] [201] Anon. I. (as above), p. 55. [202] Will. Fitz-Steph. (_ib._ vol. iii.), p. 70. Herb. Bosh. (_ibid._), p. 322. [203] Garnier (Hippeau), p. 79. Alan Tewkesb. (as above), p. 336. E. Grim (_ibid._), p. 402. Will. Fitz-Steph. (_ib._ vol. iii.), p. 70. Herb. Bosh. (_ibid._), p. 323. Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), pp. 60, 61. _Thomas Saga_ (Magnusson), vol. i. p. 261. [204] Will. Fitz-Steph. as above. [205] Garnier (Hippeau), pp. 71–74. E. Grim (as above), pp. 399, 400. Alan Tewkesb. (_ibid._), p. 335. Will. Fitz-Steph. (_ib._ vol. iii.), p. 70. Herb. Bosh. (_ibid._), pp. 323–325. Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), pp. 54, 55. _Thomas Saga_ (Magnusson), vol. i. p. 245. Here again there is a confusion about the date. [206] Garnier (Hippeau), pp. 74–81. Will. Cant. (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. i.), pp. 42–46. Alan Tewkesb. (_ib._ vol. ii.), pp. 335–341. E. Grim (_ibid._), pp. 400–403. Will. Fitz-Steph. (_ib._ vol. iii.), pp. 70–74. Herb. Bosh. (_ibid._), pp. 325–340. Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), pp. 57–61. Cf. _Thomas Saga_ (Magnusson), vol. i. pp. 265–289.