The Knights Templars .

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

ZOFDON , SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 26 , 1863 .

By ANTHONY ONEAL HAYE . { Continued from page 22-5 ) . BOOK FOURTH—CHAPTER III .

The King lias an interview ivith the Pope , at which he accuses the Templars . —The Pope astonished at the charges . —Attempts to save the Order . —Writes the Grand Masters of the Templars and Hospitallers to come to Paris to confer about a neio Crusade . —Arrival of Jacques de Molai . —Interview ) with the Pope , who proposes an

amalgamation of Templars and Hospitallers . —De Molai states his objections to this . —Sears of the charges against the Order —lias an interview with the Pope , -who satisfies him . — The King convokes a secret Council , in which it is resolved to proceed against the Order . — -Letters written to the Kings of Europe , and secret instructions despatched to the Governors of France to arrest the Templars on a certain day , A . D . 1305—1307 .

A . few days after the Pope ' s coronation , Philip requested an interview , for the purpose of demanding from him the sixth and secret favour , which was the abolition of the Order of the Temple . * The Pope and King were closeted

together for a long time . Philip began by referring to the loss of the Holy Land , and jjointed out the danger likely to arise to all the European powers by allowing the military Orders , which were composed of the bravest , noblest , and , in

all probability , most ambitious Christians , to remain idle . He then attacked the character of the Templars , hinted at the abominations said to exist among them , of which he stated he held the proofs . The whole Order of the Temple being thus

corrupt , it became necessary to destroy it , as the only means of removing such a frightful scandal from among the faithful adherents of the Church . The

Pope was terrified at such a proposition , which threatened to remove one of the most powerful bucklers of the Papacy . He replied , that he feared the punishment was impracticable , if , indeed , the charges hinted at were true , which he seriously

doubted . The Order was the most famous of the military brotherhoods ; it was the most useful , also , and the best bulwark of Christianity ; it was spread over the whole of Europe , and was composed of men allied to the chief nobles , who would rise to a man in defence of their friends . The Pope now bitterly regretted the rashness of his vow , which

The Knights Templars .

pledged him to fulfil a condition , the nature of which he had been ignorant of ; and if Philip , at the interview held in St . Jean d'Angel i , had informed him what was the secret favour lis required him to grant , it is doubtful whether he would have

accepted the tiara coupled with such terms . His oath , sworn upon the holiest and most venerable of the Catholic mysteries , appeared to him now little less than sacrilege ; and , to add to Iiis perplexity , he was firmly convinced that the crimes

which the King imputed to the Knights had no existence , totally at variance as they wero with the lives and characters of the men . and were

only trumped up , either at the suggestion oi the King , or by those whose interest it was to serve him in all things . The Pope could hardly doubt whether an oath , which called upon him to punish the innocent , was binding ; and had Philip been

less powerful , or had he not proved himself so formidable an enemy to Boniface , Clement would certainly have repudiated his promise . He remembered , however , that Boniface , assisted by the whole Christian world , had failed to subdue

Philip ; and where was the likelihood of his succeeding in the attempt , surrounded as he was by enemies , and but newly seated in the chair of Peter ? The well-known fate of Benedict also was before his , eyes . His power was not sufficiently established , but that the rage of the king could dash it to pieces .

Pear and policy , therefore , hindered him from shewing the king all the l'epvtgnance he felt to grant his demand . He temporised , and replied gently , that this being an important matter , it merited a closer examination , and much

consideration . He did not absolutely reject it , but he trusted that time and the chapter of accidents would produce something to change tho determination of the king , or that he might secretly find au opportunity to interest the other European

sovereigns' in the cause of the Order . Tha king - replied , that the crimes were so serious , that the Knights should be punished . He did not , however , insist on this being done iiumediately . Several months passed without any steps being

taken . Philip allowed the Pope to establish himself in the Papacy ; and as Clement hud fixed his court at Poictiers , he was completely in his power . At last the King ordered the attorney-general to send the Pope the depositions of the two Templars , and wrote a letter at the same time pressing his holiness at once to determine the matter . The