The words were hardly more than he had used at Chinon four years before, but they fell now upon other ears. Four knights--Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy, Reginald Fitz-Urse and Richard le Breton[345]--took them as a warrant for the primate’s death. That night--it was Christmas-eve[346]--they vowed to slay him, no matter how or where;[347] they left the court in secret, crossed to England by different routes,[348] and met again at Saltwood, a castle which the archbishop had been vainly endeavouring to recover from the clutches of Ralf de Broc, and where Ralf himself was dwelling amid a crowd of his kinsfolk and dependents. There the final plot was laid.[349] How it was executed is a tale which has been told so often that its details may well be spared here. On the evening of December 29, after a scene in his own hall scarcely less disgraceful than the last scene in the king’s hall at Northampton, the primate of all England was butchered at the altar’s foot in his own cathedral church.[350] [345] In Will. Cant. (as above), pp. 128, 129, is a “descriptio spiculatorum,” in which the only point of interest is the English speech of Hugh de Morville’s mother. [346] Garnier (Hippeau), p. 177. Will. Cant. (as above), p. 123. [347] Garnier, as above. Will. Cant. (as above), p. 124. E. Grim (_ib._ vol. ii.), p. 429. Will. Fitz-Steph. (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. iii.), p. 128. Herb. Bosh. (_ibid._), p. 487. _Thomas Saga_ (Magnusson), vol. i. p. 517. [348] Garnier (Hippeau), p. 177. Will. Cant. (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. i.) p. 124, Will. Fitz-Steph. (_ib._ vol. iii.), p. 130. _Thomas Saga_ as above. [349] Will. Fitz-Steph. as above; cf. _ib._ p. 126. _Thomas Saga_, as above, pp. 517–519. Saltwood was mentioned, as a special subject for inquiry and restitution, in the king’s letter commending Thomas to his son. [350] Will. Cant. (as above), pp. 131–135. Joh. Salisb. (_ib._ vol. ii.), pp. 319, 320. E. Grim (_ibid._), pp. 430–438. Will. Fitz-Steph. (_ib._ vol. iii.), pp. 132–142. Herb. Bosh. (_ibid._), pp. 488 _et seq._ Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), pp. 70–77. Anon. II. (_ibid._), pp. 128–132. Garnier (Hippeau), pp. 179–195. R. Diceto (Stubbs), vol. i. pp. 343, 344. Gerv. Cant. (Stubbs), vol. i. pp. 224–227. _Thomas Saga_ as above, pp. 523–549.