70 



" Qui ftv>tes ardens et fixo gutture fumant." 



With equal foundation of truth, in the reign of the fecond Charles, 

 the great fire of London was attributed to the papifls, and the calumny 

 remains to this day recorded, on the monument, which 



" Like a tall bully lifts the head and lies." 



That cruel and ambitious tyrant Philip the fair, being determined to 

 ruin the order of the knights templars, and to feize their poffellions, im- 

 puted to them fuch enormous and abfurd crimes, as were of themfelves 

 fufficient to deftroy the credit of the accufation. They were univerfally 

 charged with robbery, murder, and vices the mofl fliocking to human 

 nature. It was faid, that every one received into their order, was obliged 

 to renounce his -Saviour, to fpit on the crofs, and to join to this impiety 

 the fuperftition of worfhipping a gilded head. The candidates, it was 

 faid, were initiated with fuch infamous rites, as could ferve only to de- 

 grade the order. Above an hundred of thofe unhappy gentlemen were 

 put to the torture. The more obftinate periflied in the hands of their 

 tormentors. Some, to procure a prefent refpite, confeffed all that was 

 required. Forged confeffions were imputed to others. And Philip, as if 

 their guilt was certain, proceeded to confifcate their treafures. No fooner 

 had the templars recovered from their tortures, than they difavowed 

 their confeffions, exclaimed againft the forgeries, and appealed to their 

 gallant aftions, in former and later times, as a full apology for their 

 conduft. The tyrant ordered fifty-four of them to be burned at Paris, 

 as relapfed heretics, and great numbers were put to death, in like man- 

 ner, in other parts of the kingdom. — We find this powerful engine po- 

 pular rumour, employed, with fatal effeft, by the opponents of the court, 

 in the unfortunate reign of Charles the firjl*. The tragical cataf- 



trophe 



* In Hume's hiftory of that unhappy period, are inftances, in abundance, of the induf- 

 trious ufe, which was made of the power of rumour. We find, in particular, that the pa- 



. aic 



