knights. 
governors distributed in every part of Eu- 
rope. 
Under these prosperous circumstances, 
they becanje inflated by pride, and inso- 
lence usurped tlie place of meekness : rely- 
ing upon their presumed consequence, they 
did not attempt to conciliate where they 
had offended ; nor did they seem to sus- 
pect the hatred they had generated, till it 
was too late to resist or retract ; such is the 
general tenor of tlie accounts given of the 
conduct of the knights templars by histo- 
rians -j but although those may be founded 
in fact, it is not to be supposed, that pride 
alone caused the dissolution of the order ; 
avarice, on the part of their oppressors, was 
the grand agent, v and the riches of the 
knights the temptation to plunder them. 
Some of the members resideilt in Paris, 
were indiscreet or wicked enough to cause 
a riot in the streets of that city, Philip the 
Fair, then on the throne of France, seizing 
on this opportunity, determined to make 
use of it to accomplish the total ruin of the 
order ; he therefore-procured the evidence 
of many infamous brethren, either by 
bribery or other means, who charged the 
knights generally with the most shocking 
enormities : acting upon this base testi- 
mony, the king ordered tlie arrest of every 
templar in his dominions, abolished the or- 
der, and even caused fifty-seven of them to 
be burned to death : the Pope, influenced 
by the same spirit of injustice, and proba- 
bly invited to partake of the plunder, called 
a general council at Vienna, by which the 
order was laid under an interdict. 
Philip immediately communicated his 
proceedings to our monarch, Edward II., 
who returned an answer, dated October 30, 
1307, in which he expressed great astonish- 
ment at the accounts received of the abo- 
minable heresy of the Templars, and de- 
clared his intention of obtaining furtiier in- 
formation tlirough the Seneschal of Agen. 
Clement directed a brief to Edward, dated 
the 30th of November following, explaining 
the conduct of Philip, and asserting, that 
tlie Grand Master had confessed, that the 
knights, at tiieir admission into the order, 
denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, spit 
upon the crucifix, and worshipped an idol 
in their chapteis ; adding other charges 
which appear equally wicked and incredi- 
ble; but calculated to exculpate Philip, 
whose example the holy father recommend- 
ed Edward to imitate in his own dominions. 
Edward seems to have acted, on this deli- 
cate occasion, with some degree of wisdom 
, VOL. IV, 
and resolution ; but lie was deficient in that 
firm spirit whicli govenied Hemy VIII ; 
this is proved by a circular letter from him, 
ilirected to tlie Kings of Castille, Arragon, 
Portugal, and Sicily, dated December 4th, 
1307 ; and another to the Pope, in each of 
which he expressed his disbelief of the ac- 
cusations against the Templars, and men- 
tioned a priest who had endeavoured to 
confirm them to him, but ineflectually, as 
he was convinced the public agreed with 
himself in approving their manners and 
conduct ; and yet, such is the weakness and 
instability of human nature, this very king 
was prevailed upon to issue an order, ad- 
dressed to the sheriffs, for the appi ehendino- 
of every Templar in the kingdom, upon the 
feast of the Epiphany, 1308, 
The Pope, fearful of the wavering di.spo- 
sition of the Monarch, sent another brief 
into England, repeating all the old charges, 
and producing others, which he addressed 
to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his 
suffragans, at the same time, informing 
them, he had appointed three cardinals 
four English bishops, and several of the 
French clergy, to manage the process to be 
instituted here against tlie unfortunate or- 
der. After the arrival of the commissioners 
alluded to, Edward had the good sense and 
precaution to command the invariable at- 
tendance of the British part of it on every 
day tlie business was prosecuted, by a let- 
ter directed to the Bishop of Lincoln, 
dated September 13th, 1309: thus shewing 
that had he dared to save the Templars he 
would have done so without hesitation ; but 
the King and the nation were equally 
alarmed at the consequences of anathemas 
and interdicts, and were compelled to ac- 
quiesce in the dictates of the commissioners 
who sentenced tlie knights to eternal sepa- 
ration, and the loss of all their territories in 
Great Britain. To the everlasting honour 
of Edward, he rejected the cruel example 
of the King of France, and, instead of 
burning the knights, he merely confined 
them in different monasteries, where they 
resided, secure and comfortable, till their 
deaths. The estates of the Knights Tem- 
plars having been confiscated, the Kin<» 
very naturally concluded that he was em 
titled to them, and consequently proceeded 
to sell and give tliem away ; the Papal see, 
however, thought otherw-ise, and a flesh 
bull arrived, demanding them for the 
knights of the order of St. John of Jerusa- 
lem in England ; as the same causes existed 
for comphance with this new mandate 
D ’ 
