Wood — The Templars in Ireland. 



35a 



of eiglity-seven interrogatories was administered, which may be briefly 

 summarised as follows : — 



They were accused of denying Christ at their reception ; of being 

 told by those receiving them that Christ was not the true God, and did 

 not suffer for our redemption ; that the receiver made them spit on^ 

 the Cross, or offer it some other mark of indignity ; that they adored a 

 certain catim ; tliat they did not believe in the sacrament of the altar ; 

 that the priests of the Order did not use the words by which the body 

 of Christ is made in the canon of the Mass ; that the Grand Master, 

 or Visitor, or Preceptor, could absolve them from all sin ; that, on 

 reception, the receiver and received indulged in unclean kissing ; that 

 the reception of the Order was clandestine ; that they made and 

 adored idols; that they touched these idols with cords, with which 

 they girt themselves ; that those unwilling to conform to such prac- 

 tices were killed or put in prison ; that they were enjoined on oath 

 not to reveal such practices ; that they were ordered to confess to 

 none but brethren of the Order ; and that the brethren swore to 

 advance the interests of the Order by any means in their power. 

 Such were the accusations brought against them, to which they were 

 compelled to reply. 



The following Templars were examined : — Henry de Anet (or 

 Tanet), the Master; Richard de Eistelesham, Ralph de Bradeley, 

 Hugli de Broughton, Richard de Burchesham, Walter de Choneby, 

 John de Paversham, Henry de la Forde, Henry de Haselakeby, Adam 

 de Langeport, Henry Mautravers, Robert de Pourbriggs, John Romayn, 

 Richard de Upladen, and William de Kilros, chaplain. They were 

 unanimous in denying most of the charges, but on the question 

 whether the Grand Master could absolve them from sin, there was 

 some diversity of opinion, as three of the Knights admitted that he 

 could, though two of them afterwards denied it. William de Kilros, 

 the chaplain, admitted that when the Grand Master heard a con- 

 fession, he ordered the chaplain to absolve the penitent, even though 

 the chaplain had not himself heard the confession. He also men- 

 tioned one case of unnatural crime which had occurred in the Order. 

 He attributed the suspicion under which the Templars had long lain 

 to their being so suddenly exalted, and to their great friendship and 

 converse with the Saracens. Several of the Templars were examined 

 two or three times. 



The witnesses for the prosecution were now examined, and it 

 certainly throws a suspicious light on the proceedings that three of 

 the inquisitors are to be found amongst the number. The witnesses 



