The Suppression Of The Templars In England.

with his presence . To men also to whom honour and praise was the very breath of their nostrils , the fearful opprobrium which had fallen upon their Order , its condemnation by kings , popes , and councils , all the hideous calumnies which were vented against it—must have been a continual source of overpowering pain . Then the knowledge of the terrible fate which had overtaken their companions in armsbrethren with whom they had often charged

, side by side through the ranks of the infidels , must have been a torturing thought . In fact , it is hard to conceive a more unhappy lot than that of these Knights , fallen from their proud and honoured estate , and reduced to live as pensioners at fourpence a day in obscure monasteries . Ancl if the monastery was hateful to the Templar , so also without doubt was , on the other hand , the Templar hateful to the monastery . That much opposition was expected from

the monks to having their quiet abodes turned into State prisons was evidenced by the very ominous threats made against them in the letters of the archbishop if they should refuse to receive the Templars allotted to them . And that , in spite of these threats , they did in some cases rebel , ancl refuse the burden assigned to them , we are able to prove from the same source which has furnished the letters previouslquoted .

y To the monastery of St . Andrew ' s , Northampton , William cle Pocklington had been assigned , and in due course the letter of the Bishop of Lincoln signifying this fact , and enclosing the letters given above from the Archbishop , in the name of the Provincial Synod , was dispatched to it . But St . Andrew ' s

refused to receive the guests thus destined for it , and a letter was sent by the society to their diocesan , the Bishop of Lincoln , signifying their refusal . The Bishop immediately responded with a severe letter , bidding the monastery to obey at once , or take the consequences . St . Andrew ' s , however , still held out , so distasteful to the prior and monks was the burden with whieh they were threatened . Then sharper measures were taken . The Bishop wrote to the rural dean of Northamptonbinding him to publish and cause to be published

, in all the churches of the deanery the excommunication of the prior , sub-prior , precentor , cellerer , ancl sacristan of the , abbey . What the effect of this was does not appear from the register , but no doubt the monastery was finally obliged to yield . Ancl if the Templar was regarded as a burden to the society and his enforced presence resented , there must have been many ways of causing the ill-humour of the monks to be felt bthe unfortunate prisoners . ¦ Over

y monasteries there was practically no efficient supervision . Great numbers of them , as all the Cistercian houses , were exempt from diocesan control altogether . Others had obtained special exemptions , or were striving for them , and in every way seeking to baffle the bishop ' s visitatorial power . Anyone acquainted with monastic histories will admit that the two great objects of monkish politics were to obtain exemption from episcopal controlancl to get possession of the

, advowsons of churches . The " Religious " bodies had great success in both these pursuits . Consequently , a Templar forced upon a monastery , and in revenge subjected to any amount of annoyance ancl ill-treatment , would scarcely have any efficient protection from the bishop , even if he were disposed to afford it to him , and sad , indeed , must have been the condition of these

prisoners . The Grand Order of the Knights of the Temple , once the bulwark of Christianity against the Mussulman , the deli ght and pride of every Christian for its noble arms-deeds against the enemies of the faith , came to an end in England , if uot in blood and torture and flames , as in France , yet amidst sad aud melancholy surroundings , amidst scandal , shame , and poverty . It is sometimes alleged as a proof of the sincerit y of the process against the Templars that the kings who

prosecuted them were not enriched by the spoils of the Order , but that the estates of the Templars were given to the Knights Hospitallers . This is an entire misconception . It is true that the Knights of St . John were allowed ( or rather obliged ) to become possessors of the Templars' estates , but they were