The Knights Templars.

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS .

By ANTHONY ONEAL HAYE . ( Continued from page 328 ) . BOOK IV . —CHAPTEE VII . —( contd . )

The receipt of this remonstrance had a terrible effect upon the Pope . He found his authority endangered , and his dignity openly insulted by a son of the Church . Proud ancl intelligent , he felt extremely irritated and humiliated by it .

Honour , but more interest , SAvayed him to lend all his energies to the protection of the Templars , and to end the process against them . By so doing , hoAvever , he would embroil himself with the most poAverfnl and unscrupulous King in

Europe , rvhose enterprise of spirit Avas only equalled by his audacity . The obligation , too , which he had come under to the King , Avhen offei -ed the Pontificate , and his abject jiroinises rushed forcibly upon his mind , sworn as they were

upon the holiest sacrament of the Church . Besides , he Avas living in the centre of France , surrounded by the tools of the King . He could not leave France , and AvithdraAv to Eome , Avithout encountering a thousand dangers . Nor Avas he

satisfied that , could he reach Eome , his position would be in the least improved . The tumultuous Eomans had in a manner shaken themselves free of the

yoke placed on their shoulders by Ins predecessors and proclaimed a republic . Several Popes had been driven forth ignominiously from Eome ; but perhaps , what influenced Clement most Avas the fate of Boniface , who , in his quarrel Avith Philip ,

had been taught that the triple tiara must go to the Avail Avhen opposed to the King ' s crown . In fancy , he beheld another Nogaret , another Colonna , serving the passions of this violent prince , aud treating him Avith a similar indignity

to that with which they had treated Boniface ; and if the centre of the Eoman States Avas no protection to Boniface , IIOAV could he hope that the centre of Prance would prove to him any safer refuge ? These considerations—considerations of

worldly comfort and position—carried the day . The cries of the innocent ancl helpless Templars were nothing to him in comparison to his OAVU safety , and he bowed to the will of a despot in a manner which has damned his reputation , and , by

the fall of their Order , torn from the throne of the Holy See one of its strongest props . Prom bravery the Pope sank into abject coAvardice , and finding it impossible to bridle the lawless-

The Knights Templars.

ness of the King , to cover his weakness , and to preserve the appearance of authority , he abandoned the reality , and went hand in hand with the murderers of the Templars , esteeming himself lucky , by outstripping the desires of Philip ,

in reinstating himself in that prince ' s good graces . Consulting , then , the dictates of fear , and an interest more dear to him than even the Pontifical

authority and dignity , he slurred over all that was injurious and insulting in the remonstrance , revoked his former Bulls , and , by a neAV one , took off the suspension laid on by the previous . He permitted all the ordinaries to instruct , each one

in his diocese , the manner of action to be adopted against the Templars , even to the definite sentence , on the sole condition that it should be confirmed

by a provincial council . To save a part of his authority and honour , he reserved to himself the cognizance of the action against the Grand Master and the Grand Officers Avho had been arrested . He wrote to Iinbert , that , " although you have

justly merited my indignation , in that being so near to me , you have had the audacity to proceed against the Templars without consulting me , still , I Avould rather use clemency than severity towards you ; and , after the reasons shown me by the

King of Prance , I UOAV permit you to proceed against the Templars , in consort Avith the prelates of the kingdom , and the delegates whom I shall appoint . " The neAV Bull , and its strange contents , took the whole kingdom by surprise , and disconcerted those who had interested themselves in the cause of

the Templars . The Pope defended his strange change of opinion by stating , that the letters Avhich he had received from the Inquisitor of th e Faith , and from all the bishops of France Avho ha d acted in consort Avith the Kins ; in the trial of the

Order , clearly substantiated its guilt . What they had clone had been caused' by the exigencies of the hour ; for , had the Templars been warned of the design of calling them to account , they would have risen in arms , and produced great internal

disquiet . Besides , the Templars had committed crimes against the faith , aud were , consequently , within the jurisdiction of the inquisitor and bishops . These excuses were as contemptible as they were false , and only displayed to the Avorld how

completely the Pope had surrendered himself to the Avill of the King , and , to preserve a shadoAV of his power , perilled the future existence of the Papal authority ; for it cannot be denied that the attacks