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we find mention of tolls, multure from wind and water mills, 
advowsons of rectories, houses and tenements, services from 
tenants in ploughing and sheep-shearing. Tributes of fowls 
and eggs, and sucking-pigs are not overlooked. They had 
also valuable immunities, being exempted from all aids to the 
crown and all local dues, such as lastage and stallage, and 
even from tithes. In the thirteenth century, which may be 
considered as the culmination of their prosperity, they are 
said to have possessed 9,000 manors and 15,000 lordships in 
various parts of Europe. They were also a body of consider- 
able political importance ; the master of the Temple held his 
head high among the aristocracy of the kingdom, and was 
summoned to parliament along with the abbots and priors. 
Yet in the midst of this apparent prosperity, causes tending 
to their ruin were secretly at work. In the course of this 
century, three Crusades had been undertaken, all without 
success, and the recovery of the Holy Land had been shown 
to be hopeless. The wealth of the Templars had filled their 
hearts with the pride which is the forerunner of destruction. 
No order in the state had any sympathy with them. Their 
haughty manners and their contempt for the humbler classes 
made them obnoxious to the people ; the clergy were jealous 
of their privileges, which sometimes interfered with their 
own spiritual monopoly. Sovereigns dreaded their power. 
But their great source of danger was their wealth, w T hich 
tempted monarchs who wanted money for their own purposes 
of pleasure or ambition. Rumours too were in circulation, 
probably not altogether unfounded, that immoral practices 
and infidel doctrines were prevalent among them. 
Their fall was brought about by the co-operation of the 
Pope Clement V. and Philip IV. of France. In consequence 
of what is called the Great Schism of the West, the Papal 
See had been removed to Avignon, and the Pope was the 
creature of the French king. In the Council of Yienne, 
