Wood — The Templars in Ireland. 



351 



already seized should be returned, under penalty of excommunication. 

 The third of these bulls was inoperative in Ireland, as the King had 

 already appointed as curators over the lands and goods men who certainly 

 were not prelates. AVith respect to the fourth bull, the King took care 

 that any goods taken should be restored to him, for we find frequent 

 mandates to that effect in the Memoranda Eolls ; but, as we have seen 

 above, this store was drawn upon not only by the King to provision 

 his army in Scotland, but by Alexander de Bickenor, the Treasurer, 

 for his own pocket. Some rumours of these and similar transactions 

 in England may have come to the Pope's ears, for, on the 4th October, 

 he wrote to the King about the matter, to which Edward boldly 

 replied, on the 4th December, that he had done nothing up to the 

 present about the goods of the Templars, nor would, in future, 

 otherwise than he ought. 



Clement now appears to have lost all pity for the Templars, for, 

 on the 30th December, he issued his bull, " Calide Serpentis," pro- 

 scribing the Order, and refusing to allow any to help or counsel 

 them.^ 



It is difficult to say whether diocesan inquiries were held as 

 ordered by the bull, Faciens Misericordiam," in Ireland ; but 

 inquisitors were sent over by the Pope for the general manage- 

 ment of the Provincial Councils of Inquiry in these countries. 

 On the 29th September, 1309, the King wrote to all bailiffs and 

 faithful people that Thomas de Chaddesworth, Dean of Dublin, Bindus 

 de Bandmellis, Canon of S. Paul, diocese of Florence, and John Balla, 

 Canon of Clonfert, had been assigned to make inquiries in Ireland by 

 the chief inquisitors sent to England by the Pope, and ordered them 

 to assist them.2 He also ordered the Archbishop to be present when- 

 ever the inquisitors held the inquiries. To make the investigation as 

 complete as possible, he bade Wogan to take any Templars not yet 

 in custody, and guard them in Dublin Castle, repraesentandos 

 coram venerabili patre electo Dublin' vel ejus vicario, ac praefatis 

 inquisitoribus deputatis," whenever required.^ An additional deputy 

 was sent in the person of Master John de Solercio.* 



The public interest in the fate of the Order at this time must have 

 been stirred up to an extraordinary extent. There is a curious entry 



1 Von Hefele's *' Conciliengeschichte," vol. vi„ p. 439. 



2 Rymers " Fedeia," vol. ii., p. 93. 



3 Ibid. 



* Patent Roll (England), 3 Ed. II, m. 32. 



