The Knights Templars.

the cause of the Cross , noAV appeared pale and trembling before these villanous priests . At first , they withdreAV their confessions , maintained their innocence , and were sent back to their prisons , where the rack and the fiendish tortures of the

hell-born Dominicans broke CIOAVU their courage and constancy . Writhing with pain , they were again brought before the tribunals , Avhere they admitted whatever was asked of them , acknowledged their guilt , humbly expressed their sorroAV and repentance , and were then absolved and reconciled to the Church . The blood boils as we

peruse the pages of this infamous process ; and had the historians of those times , peeped within the four Avails which formed the tomb of living 'Templars , they Avould have found nine-tenths of them maniacs , reduced to that state by priestly

• cruelty . What does the Holy Father the Pope , write to the Bishops of countries , where the inno-¦ cence of the Templars did not require to be proved , and who openly scoffed at the crimes ¦ alleged against the Order ? " The Bishops and

¦ delegates prudently neglected the means of obtaining the truth . We , therefore , expressly order them io employ torture against the Knights , that tlie truth may be readily and completely obtained . The Pope claimed to be the Saviour ' s Vicegerent

¦ on earth ' . Are we far wrong in supposing him to have been the devil's ? On the 3 rd November , the Bishop of Mende : and the Archdeacons of Rouen aud Trent assembled at Paris , the others from various causes being

• unable to attend . They demanded if any one was present to defend the Order ; but no one appeared , and their sittings were adjourned till the 27 th December . On that day , they summoned William de Chambonnet and Bertrand de Sartiges

to assist at the hearing of witnesses . The Templars demanded the presence of De Boulogne and De Pruino , but Avere informed that these priests had solemnly and voluntarily renounced the defence of the Order , and revoked their

retractations ; thatDe Boulogne had escaped from prison and fled ; that De Pruino could not be admitted as a defender of the Order , as he had been degraded at ihe Council of Sons . De Chambonnet and De Sartiges thereupon refused to assist at the sittings ,

and , not to prejudice their appeal to the Pope , retired . The Commissioners continued their proceedings till the 2 Cth May , 1311 , and examiaed two hundred and thirty-one Avitnesses , the greater number being Serving Brethren of the Order .

About two-thirds of these acknowledged theprincipal charges against the Order ; the denial of Christ and spitting on the Cross were generally confessed , but many declared that they had spitten beside it , not on it : and also that they

had denied God with their lips , but not AVith their hearts . It must be kept in mind , that the Avitnesses who thus deposed had been picked out from all parts of France by the King ' s agents , and were those AVIIO had proved most timid before the

Councils . When brought before the Commissioners , the terror under Avhich they were labouring was easily seen , both in their Avords and actions . Many began by declaring that they Avould not vary from what they had deposed to in the

Provincial Council ; while others Avere bold enough to revoke their confessions , declaring that these had been draAvn from them by torture , and maintained the innocence of the Order . Others retracted their Confessions before the Commissioners ; but ,

shortly after , having in the interval been well tortured , returned and retracted their retractation . We have not space to enter into a minute investigation of the evidence of these Avitnesses . One instance will suffice .

John de Pollencourfc , the thirty-seventh witness , commenced his deposition by declaring , that he persisted in the avowals which he had made before the Bishop of Amiens , touching the denial of Christ , & c . The Commissioners , however , being

struck Avith his paleness and agitation , told him to speak the truth , ancl not to persist in his confession , if it Avas false , assuring him that neither they nor their notaries Avould reveal anything that he said . Encouraged by this , he then replied , —

" I declare , on the peril of my soul , and on the oath Avhich I have taken , that , at the time of my reception , I neither denied God nor spat upon the

Cross , nor committed any of the indecencies of which Ave are accused , and Avas not required to do so . It is true that I have made confessions before the Inquisitors , but it was through the fear of death , and because Giles de Rotangi had , with

tears , said to me , and many others AVIIO Avere with me in prison at Montreuil , that Ave should pay for it with our lives , if Ave did not assist , by our confessions , in destroying the Order . I yielded , ancl afterwards I wished to confess myself to the

Bishop of Amiens . He referred me to a Minorite friar . I accused myself of this falsehood , and obtained absolution , on the condition that I would make no more false depositions in this affair . I