ern es ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁write ▁about ▁a ▁contemporary , ▁which ▁fre ed ▁him ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁historic ity ▁of ▁his ▁subject ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁canon ized ; ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁need ▁to ▁over play ▁his ▁saint lin ess . ▁Modern ▁critics ▁have ▁obsc ured ▁the ▁h agi ographical ▁elements ▁through ▁their ▁general ▁appro val ▁of ▁its ▁historic ity . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁ ▁Articles ▁▁ ▁Peters , ▁Tim othy , ▁" Elements ▁of ▁Ch anson ▁de ▁G este ▁in ▁an ▁Old ▁French Life ▁of ▁Be cket : ▁Gu ern es ' s ▁Vie ▁de ▁Saint ▁Thomas ▁le ▁Mart yr , ▁Ol if ant ▁ 1 8 ,( 1 9 9 4 ): 2 7 8 – 2 8 8 ▁Peters , ▁Tim othy , ▁" An ▁E cc les iast ical ▁Ep ic : ▁G arn ier ▁de ▁Pont - Ste - Max ence ' s ▁Vie ▁de ▁Saint ▁Thomas ▁le ▁Mart yr , ▁Media ev istik , ▁ 7 , ▁( 1 9 9 6 ): ▁ 1 8 1 – 2 0 2 ▁O ' Re illy , ▁Jenn ifer ▁L ., ▁" The ▁Double ▁Mart yr dom ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Be cket : ▁H agi ography ▁or ▁History ?" ▁in ▁Studies ▁in ▁Med ieval ▁and ▁Renaissance ▁History , ▁( vol . ▁ 1 7 , ▁New ▁York : ▁A MS ▁Press , ▁ 1 9 8 5 ) ▁ ▁Books ▁▁ ▁Sta un ton , ▁Michael , ▁The ▁L ives ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Be