KNIGHTHOOD. 795 
1665, at which time Charles II. of Spain was the grand 
matter; but then, the Saracens or Moors having been 
driven from the peninfula, the chief end for which the 
order was eftablithed was attained, and therefore there was 
no longer any occafion to keep it up. At its extinction, 
their rich commanderies were united to the crown. 
XX. The Order of the Knights Templars. In the 
beginning of the twelfth century, the avenues of the holy 
fepulchre, and all thofe venerable places confecrated by 
the prefence, miracles, and death, of our Saviour, being 
much infelted by the enemies of Chriltianity, nine gen¬ 
tlemen conceived the pious undertaking of eroding the 
feas, in order to remedy an evil fo often experienced by 
the travellers and pilgrims in Paleltine. Baldwin II. 
reigned at that time in Jerufalem, and Gelafius II. was 
polfefl'ed of the papal chair; and both gave their full alfent 
to the enterprile ; the chiefs of which were Hugo de Pa- 
ganis, (a furname which he obtained very probably on 
account of his zeal againft the Pagans,) and Godfrey Al- 
demaro (or of St. Omer), two brave knights of noble ex¬ 
traction, as much renowned for their military valour as 
for their piety. They were foon met by lbme other 
knights; but, as they had no habitations, the hiero- 
folomitan monarch, perfuaded of the ufefulnefs of the ef- 
tablilhment, adigned them a part of his own palace, near 
the fouth gate adjoining to the Temple, where they were 
allowed to build a houle fufficiently commodious for their 
purpofe. The circumftance of their being eftablifhed fo 
near the Temple was the origin of their name and title, 
which was at iarlt the Poor of the Holy City, and the Bro¬ 
thers of the Militia of the Temple. Their principal du¬ 
ties confifted in guarding the mod dangerous .highways 
about Jerufalem, in accompanying travellers and pilgrims, 
and fecuring them againlt the attacks of the Saracens, and 
in defending the facred town againlt their incurfions; a 
charitable and ufeful fervice, which induced the patriarch 
and bifhops to grant them indulgences for the remillion 
of their fins. Their perfonal obligations were, to affift at 
the holy office every day, or, when prevented by other du¬ 
ties, to repeat fo many pater-nojlcrs-, to abftain from fleffi 
four days in the week, and on Fridays from eggs and 
milk ; that each knight might keep three horf'es and one 
efquire ; and that they ffiould neither hunt nor fowl. How¬ 
ever, they lived for a long.time in fuch a Hate of poverty, 
that they fublided merely upon alms, and covered thein- 
felves with fuch clothes as were given to them. Matthew 
Paris fays, that they were even obliged to ride two upon 
one horfe, a circumftance which was configned upon the 
leal of the order as a memento of their former wants. 
At the council of Troyes, 1228, they requeded rules and 
inlfitutions; St. Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, drew them 
up for the order; and it was eftablilhed, that, in token of 
the innocence of their lives, they ffiould wear a white 
habit, upon which was embroidered a red crofs, to remind 
them that they ought to be difpofed to ffied their blood 
in defence of the holy places and of the Chriftian faith. 
It was owing to the exertions of thefe knights, aided 
by thofe of the Holy Sepulchre, the Hofpitalers of St. 
John, and the Teutonic Order, that the kingdom of Jeru- 
falem was enabled to Hand for fo long a time. Their cha¬ 
ritable fervices being rewarded by princes and wealthy 
merchants, who benefited by them, their revenues and 
riches foon increafed ; but their pride increafed alfo, and 
the knights, contriving to fubtraft themfelves from the 
authority of the patriarch of Jerufalem, fought the pro¬ 
tection of the pope. They did not forefee then that the 
pontifical tiara, under which they repaired for ffielter as 
they thought, would, in courfe of time, crufh them under 
its weight. In the year of our Lord 1307, on the feaft of 
St. Denis, all the knights in France were feized and im- 
prifoned, by the command of Philip Le Bel, then on the 
throne, and with the confent, if not at the inffigation, of 
pope Clement V. They were accufed of feveral mod in¬ 
famous crimes. It was reported, that, by the practices of 
their predecelfors, the Holy Land was loft, and left to in¬ 
fidels ; whereas they had continued for a hundred and 
twenty years, after the Chriltian princes retired from Pa- 
ledine, to make war againlt the enemies of Chrilt. Se¬ 
condly, that at the - election of their grand mader they 
made life of certain fuperditious and pagan ceremonies. 
Thirdly, that they made profeffion of their faith before 
an image apparelled in a man’s fkin ; that they drank hu¬ 
man blood, and fwore to aid one another in fupport of 
that abominable praftice ; and feveral other abominations 
too detedable to be credited, or even mentioned. 
Now, it appears, that a certain knight of that order, who 
was prior of Montfaulcon, a city of France, and another, 
were apprehended by the grand mader for having com¬ 
mitted certain offences ; and that, in hope of liberty and 
to be revenged of the mader, they fuggelted thefe falfe 
accufations againlt the order. Several knights were exe¬ 
cuted and burnt. The grand mader and other principal 
knights were required, in the name of the pope and of 
the king, to confefs their guilt; but neither the tortures 
on the one hand, nor the certainty of pardon on the other, 
could make their intrepid minds fwerve from truth ; and 
they'died like martyrs, declaring and protelling unto the 
people their utmolt innocence as to the crimes they were 
accufed of. One of them, however, defirous of life, con- 
feffed ; but within a few days he died naturally. As for the 
two knights above mentioned, who had accufed the order, 
“ one of them,” fays Segar, in his book of Honour Militarie 
and Civil, “ was hanged and th’other llaine; whereof men 
conjectured thefe knights to be executed onely to fatif- 
fie the covetous praCtife of that pope, to the end he and 
his friends might participate the fpoile.” 
According to Dr. Heylin’s account, they polfeffed 
16,000 lordIhips in Europe; their revenue was two mil¬ 
lions annually in Spain, and they pofl’efied there 40,000 
commanderies; “ which gave occafion,” as Alhmole ob- 
ferves, “to many fober men to judge that their wealth was- 
their greatejl crime ; and there are feveral authors, remem¬ 
bered by Alphonlus Ciaconius, who are of opinion that 
they were falfely accufed, and by fuborned witneffes, 
merely upon the ambition and covetous defign of the king- 
of France, who gaped after the lands ; but neverthelefs the 
morfel fell belide his mouth.” This obfervation is found¬ 
ed upon the drifted truth, as the pope gave the greated 
part of their domains to the Order of Malta, referving 
fome for himfelf, and allowing but little to the French 
monarch. The king of Arragon was much preffed to treat 
the Templars as they had been treated in France ; but the 
condant anfwer of that humane prince, w'as, “We mud 
be fil'd convinced of their guilt, and it will be then time 
enough to talk of their puniffiment.” The people, how f - 
ever, were in general fo provoked againlt them, that they 
were compelled to ffiut themfelves up in fortreffes belong¬ 
ing to the order, till the king took them into his protec¬ 
tion, and forbade any to abule or infult them, under the 
heavied penalties. 
The Templars were fettled in England not very long 
after the foundation of their order ; and we have leen, at 
p. 68 of this volume, that they erefted, and left their name 
to, a noble pile of building now forming two inns of 
court. The proceedings againlt them here quickly fol¬ 
lowed thofe in France, as the apprehenlion of the knights 
took place on the Wednefday following the Epiphany, in 
the fecond yearof our king Edward II. Shortly after, afo- 
lemn examination of their crimes (as contained in the ar¬ 
ticles exhibited againlt them) was, by the fpecial corn- 
miffion of the pope, committed to William de Grenef- 
field archbilhop of York, and Ralph Baldock bilhop of 
London, in the prefence of the accufed Templars, who all 
fufficiently anfwered the accufations. But the rage of 
their enemies was not yet fatisfied ; they profecuted the 
injured order at the tribunal of a council held i-n London, 
where they were ultimately condemned. All their lands 
and goods were feized into the king’s hands, and they 
were left deditute of every thing but the-confcioufnefs of 
their innocence. Upon this, that great character the arch¬ 
bilhop 
