The Knights Templars.

possible . The general assembly of the heads of the Church could not take place for some time to come ; that , since the Pope ancl the King had granted them permission to defend the Order , they should take advantage of it , without dictating how that defence should be conducted . He

promised that the defence should be carefully written down , and sent for the information of the Pope and the King . If they did not comply with this , their defence ivould not be heard at all . This menace determined them . They named the dauntless and learnecTPeter de Boulogne , and Raynaud

de Prnino , priests of the Order ; the Preceptors , William de Chambonet de Bertro , Bertram ! de Sartiges , ancl William de ia Fon ; and four Knights , John de Monroyal , Matthew des Essars , John de Saint-Leonard , and William de Guirisac , as procurators . However , to Boulogne was confided the complete charge of the defence , but always after consultation with the others . *

Chapter Xiv.

CHAPTER XIV .

Peier de Boulogne addressss the uommissioners in defence —Hands in a Manfeslo—Monroyal ' s speech—Reply of the Commissioners—Witnesses examined agvinst the Order—De Boulogne presents a second Manifesto—A . D . 1310 .

The first sitting for hearing- the defenders of the Order , took , place on the 7 th April , before Easter , in the Episcopal Hall . The Commissioners having taken their seats , the procurators were introduced , and Boulogne spoke as follows : — " I protest , that all the reasons which I am

about to advance , are not to prejudice in any way , the right of the Order , to appear in a General Council before the Pope , its only superior . It is before him , and before that illustrious and learned assembly , that I would pretend to speak in the sacred cause of our Holy Order , and prove demonstratively that its faith , its morals , ancl its reputation , arc unimpeachable ; and this , by acts and incontestable documents . It cannot be

refused us , out by an act of the grossest injustice , the use of our goods , and liberty to go to this Council , in order that we may appear before his Holiness in fitting apparel , and in a state and condition , which both our birth and rank require . Not alone for this do ive require our goods ; we

require them to provide sustenance , to defray tho expense of our journey , and to provide for the recovery of the documents , pieces of evidence , and for the production of witnesses , necessary to our justification . " In the name of every member of the Order ,

I avow and declare , that whatever is laid to our charge , and to the disadvantage of the Order , is a foul calumny . It is too horrible , too infamous , and too abominable , to credit that any man can believe that such hideous crimes have ever been

perpetrated by us . These imputations are false ; and if some Templars have confessed to them , before- the Bishop of Paris and others , their avowals have not been voluntarily given , but are the results of terror and violence . These Templars who have made such infamous avowalswe know

, , were tortured by Squin de FJexian ancl Imbert . Thirty-six Templars expired under that torture at Paris , and many others in divers places . .. In the proceedings taken against us , legal forms have been violated and set at defiance . We have been

arrested without proper preliminary procedure . We have been seized by stratagem , and hauled like sheep to the slaughter . Dispossessed suddenly of all our goods , we have been thrown into fri ghtful dungeons , where we have endured cruel trials and different kinds of torture . A very great

number of Templars have not only expired under the torture , but many have died since in consequence of it , Many of them have been forced to confess to the commission of crimes , not only by themselves , but also by the entire Order , and to subscribe to the truth of confessions torn from

them by pain . These confessions can be of no effect as proofs of guilt . To obtain false depositions , the accused have been shewn letters from the King-, announcing that the entire Order , had been condemned without hope , and promising life , liberty , fortune , and a pension , to such of

them as should be cowardly enough to depone falsely . These facts are so public and notorious , that they cannot be refuted . " Regarding the heads of the accusation , which the Pope ' s Bull proclaims against us—they are lies ; they are againt belief and truth ; they are

utterly false . The Bull contains nothing but detestable , horrible , and wicked lies . The articles upon which the Templars have been examined , are shameful , false , calumnious , detestable , incredible , and even ridiculous . It is inconceivable how a moment ' s credence has been given to them , for they are as impious as the } 1- are untrue . The

crimes have only been imagined and invented by mortal enemies ; by apostates , who have been driven forth from our Order on account of their atrocious crimes ; by worse characters than even heretics and infidels ; ancl who , to save themselves from a merited death , have decried and attempted

to destroy an Order , pure , holy , religious , without stain , ancl under the direct patronage of the Queen of Heaven ; and by that means have sown discord iu the Church of Christ . Our Order is pure ; it has never been g-ailfcy of the crimes imputed to it . Those who have said so have lied , aud those that

repeat such lies , are themselves false Christians and heretics . Let our statutes be produced . You will find that they are the same for all Templars and for all countries . Our creed is the Church ' s . We are vowed to poverty , obedience , and chastity . We devote ourselves , as warriors , to the defence of religion against the Infidel ; wherefore fathers send their sons to our Order , brothers their brothers