Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extract Of The Defence Made By Seventy-Five Templars.
to be loaded with irons , and hastened to take measures against the absent and unfortunate knights Avhose envoys he treated with such cruelty . He increases his guards , and writes to Philip the Fair , to observe the greatest precaution for the safety of his person , giving him at the same time a detail of his proceedings . This perhaps
would for ever remain buried in oblivion , had not the atrocity of those circumstances imposed an obligation upon me to publish them . The council of Vienne consisted of three hundred bishops , exclusive of abbots , priors , & c . One may easily conceive that this violent conduct of Clement V .,
this scandalous denial of justice , excited their indignation . * The perusal of the informations lodged against the Templars did not afford them sufficient proofs to condemn them ; besides , could they possibly be ignorant of the iniquitous measures adopted in order to procure depositions ? f Could those fathers attach any belief to the
informations , whereas the prosecutors carefully prevented the immense majority of the knights from being examined before the council ? Had not the accused the sacred and incontestable right of appearing- before their judges , and of affording individually the means of their defence ?
Such being the case , all the fathers of that august council , with the exception of one Italian and three French bishops , declared that their first great duty was to hear the accused Templars before they could proceed any further in the business . This determination , commanded by the laws of religion and justice ,
could not fail to be productive of consequences which would have frustrated the projects of the Pope , Philip the Fair , and the other princes AVIIO wished to dispose of the Templars' property .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extract Of The Defence Made By Seventy-Five Templars.
to be loaded with irons , and hastened to take measures against the absent and unfortunate knights Avhose envoys he treated with such cruelty . He increases his guards , and writes to Philip the Fair , to observe the greatest precaution for the safety of his person , giving him at the same time a detail of his proceedings . This perhaps
would for ever remain buried in oblivion , had not the atrocity of those circumstances imposed an obligation upon me to publish them . The council of Vienne consisted of three hundred bishops , exclusive of abbots , priors , & c . One may easily conceive that this violent conduct of Clement V .,
this scandalous denial of justice , excited their indignation . * The perusal of the informations lodged against the Templars did not afford them sufficient proofs to condemn them ; besides , could they possibly be ignorant of the iniquitous measures adopted in order to procure depositions ? f Could those fathers attach any belief to the
informations , whereas the prosecutors carefully prevented the immense majority of the knights from being examined before the council ? Had not the accused the sacred and incontestable right of appearing- before their judges , and of affording individually the means of their defence ?
Such being the case , all the fathers of that august council , with the exception of one Italian and three French bishops , declared that their first great duty was to hear the accused Templars before they could proceed any further in the business . This determination , commanded by the laws of religion and justice ,
could not fail to be productive of consequences which would have frustrated the projects of the Pope , Philip the Fair , and the other princes AVIIO wished to dispose of the Templars' property .