The Knights Templars.

said Order dwelling within your kingdom , until they have been legally convicted of the crimes laid to their charge , or ifc shall happen to be otherwise ordered concerning' them in these parts . " * Shortly after sending these letters to the Kings ,

Edward wrote to the Pope , stating his utter disbelief of tlie crimes alleged against the Templars , that they were held in veneration by all men in his realm for the purity of their faith and morals , and he expressed great sympathy for the Knights

and the Grand Masters in their hour of tribulation . He added , that it was the Pope's interest , as well as his duty , b ]* " a proper inquiry , to clear tlie Order from such scandalous charges , which none but the unjust and infamous could for an instant credit . This reluctance on the part of fche King

of England is one of the most favourable proofs of the innocence of the Templars . Philip was not pleased at Edward ' s conduct , and pressed tho Pope to use still stronger means to have the Order persecuted in England . The Pope ,

accordingly , wrote Edward a letter , commanding him at once to proceed against the Templars , and instructed the Archbishop of Canterbury to do so likewise . The King , upon this , finding the destruction of the Templars resolved upon , gave an

order in council for their arrest , aud wrote the Pope that his commands had been fulfilled . Inventories were directed to betaken of their goods , and instructions given for the cultivation of the lauds .-j- The arrest was conducted in the same secret manner as in France .

Among the prisoners seized and committed to the Tower of London , were two Knights , William de la More , tho Grand Prior of England , and Imbert de Blancke , Grand Prior of Auvergne . Imbert was a knight of high honour and stern

unhanding pride . He had fought under four successive Grand Masters , in defence of the Christian faith in Palestine , had escaped tlie slaughter of Acre , and after the fall of that city led several daring expeditions against fche infidel . He

accompanied De Molai from Cyprus to France , whence he had been sent as visitor to England , and there Avas rewarded for his services in the cause of the cross with a noisesome dungeon . The following brethren were also confined in the

Tower -. —Radolph de Barton , priest of the Order , custos or guardian of the Temple Church ; Michael de Baskeville , knight , Preceptor of

London ; John de Stoke , knight , Treasurer of the Temple , London together with , many other knights and Serving Brethren . Several of the Provincial Preceptors were also confined there . At the commencement of the month of October ,

the Papal Inquisitors arrived in England , and proceedings were at once commenced against the Order . The Papal Inquisitors were Dieudonne , Abbot of Lagni , and Sicard cle Vaur , Canon of Narbonne . The enquiry continued till the council held at London in 1311 . The number of

Templars examined was tAVo hundred and tAventyeight ; that of witnesses against the Order was seventy-two , almost all Carmelites , Minorites , Dominicans , and Augustiuians , the natural foes of the Order . The Templars were treated with

great mildness ; and in England Ireland and Scotland , they were'J unanimous and constant in their assertion of the innocence of the Order .

Imbert de Blancke being asked why the receptions were made in secret , replied , " through our OAvn unaccountable folly ; " aud denied every article imputing crime cr infidelity to the Order . Thirty-three knights , chaplains , and serving

brethren Avere examined between the 25 th of October and I 7 fch of November , and likeAvise denied the crimes . They admitted that they wore little cords round their shirts , but denied that these had touched idols , and that they were

worn by Avay of penance ; or , as Avas stated by a knight who had been forty-three years in the Order , according to the instructions of the hol y father , St . Bernard ; and Richard de Goldyngham declared that he knew nothing farther aboufc fchein than that they were called " Girdles of Chastitv . "

They also stated that the receivers , and the received interchanged the kiss of peace , bufc denied the existence of secret and unnatural crimes . In regard to article 24 of fche Act of Accusation , Radolph de Barton stated that the Grand Master

iu chapter could absolve the brothers from offences committed against the rules and observances of the Order , but not from private sin , as he Avas not a priest . It Avas perfectly true that ifc Avas against the laws for any one to divulge Avhat

took place at the meetings of the Order , or at fche receptions , and any one guilty of such a crime could be expelled . He denied that it Avas forbidden the brethren to confess to any other priests but tho chaplains of fche Order , and declared that he never heard fche Order accused of such crimes till the institution of fche process . He Avas asked