The Knights Templars.

the impiety , idolatry , and licentiousness of the Order . We have every reason to doubt this being a correct record of the proceedings , as John de Valgelli stated afterwards , before the Papal Commission at Paris , that , in the presence of the

Pontiff , he had admitted nothing . Several others at the same time revoked the depositions which ¦ ¦ torture and menaces had extorted from them , and subsequently ranged themselves among the defenders of the Order , and confirmed by a sublime

death their virtuous retractation . The seventy-two had all been well tortured , and the most fearful and atrocious threats held out

against snch as should dare retract a single word . The answers of some of them are very curious when examined before the Pontiff . Peter de Broel stated that he had been stripped and put to the torture , but that he had said neither more nor less

-on that account . He added , that those who had tortured him were all drunk . William cle Haymes had not been tortured , but he had been kept a month id solitary confinement , and fed on bread ¦ and water till he confessed . Gerard de St .

Martial , who confessed to having denied Christ , and spitten beside the Cross , said that he had been cruelly tortured , but it was ihe inspiration of God and the Blessed Virgin , and not the rack , which had made him confess . He ackdowledged every

crime imputed to the Order . Speaking of the idol , he said , — " I was alone in a chamber with the person who received me : he drew out of a box a head , or idol , which appeared to me to have

three faces , and siad , ' Thou shouldest adore it as thy Saviour , and that of the Order of the Temple . ' We then bent our two knees , and I cried , 'Blessed be he who would save my soul , ' and I worshipped it . " Yet Jafet afterwards retracted this

deposition , and stood forth as one of the defenders of the Order . Iter de Rochefort had confessed , but was tortured repeatedly , with a view to extracting more from him . He declared that , having been received in the unlawful way , he had confessed to

the Patriarch of Jerusalem , who had wept bitterly at hearing of such wickedness . Raynouard justly observes that the patriarch , who could hardly be a friend to the Templars , was not very likely to content himself with shedding a few useless tears , had

the knowledge of such a heresy come to his ears , Peter de Conders had confessed at the sight of the rack . Raymond de Stephani had been severely tortured by Imbert at Carcassone . Being asked why he did not then tell the truth , he replied , —

" Because I did not recollect it ; but I prayed the seneschal to allow me to confer ivith my companions , and whenjljiad deliberated with them I recollected . On the 2 nd July the Pope held a consistory ,

when , before the clergy , the nobles , and the people their depositions ivere read over to the Templars . All the seventy-tivo Avere not present . Those ivho denied the truth of the charges were kept back , and only those ivho could be relied upon to admit

everything produced . Consequently no objections were made to the depositions , nor did the Templars offer any remonstrance , when the Pope directed them to be read over again a few days after . This public display ivithout doubt

prejudiced the vulgar mind against the Order ; but could it impose upon the nobles and the clergy ? Could they believe in the truth of depositions which the accused stated to have been wrung from them by torture , a fact attested by their

fmrnes ? It is incredible that among the wit ancl valour of France , not a single voice was heard in defence of the hapless Templars , ancl the powerful

nobles , who could have hurled Philip from his throne , stood calmly by , twiddling their thumbs while their brothers and relatives told of the tortures they had undergone . It appeared as if heaven had suddenly hardened their hearts , that

Philip might the easier , rob , torture , and murder . Clement appears , however , to have been extremely anxious to have the Grand Officers brought before him , as if they hacl made no objection to the depositions shewn as theirs , he ivould

have hacl less hesitation in suppressing the Order . Whatever might have been his opinion regarding the destruction of the Templars , he was aware that the evidence of the seventy-two , confessedly

wrung by torture from them , ivould uot satisfy the world as to the justice of his sentence , and Clement desired to be spoken well of by all men . The King , however , assured him that the Grand Officers were not in a state to be brought to

Poictiers , as the journey would assuredly kill them . Thereupon the Pope despatched to Chinon the two cardinals whom he had formerly sent as legates to Philip , and Pandulphus , Cardinal Deacon of St Angelo , all three abject slaves of the King . The

cardinals had an interview with the Grand Officers read over to them the depositions bearing their names , and demanded whether these ivere not correct . De Molai and his companions indignantly denied ever having been conscious of making such