The Knights Templars.

Sicard de Vaur , Canon of Narbonne , our chaplain and hearer of causes in our Palace , and Guide Wych , Rector of the Church of Hesse , in the Diocese of London , or eight , seven , six , five , four , three , two , or one of them , whom we have

thought fit to be j oined to yon in this particular , because of the greatness of the affair , having summoned by public proclamation , by you and those adjuncts , or some one or more of them , in the places to which they are to be summoned , such

persons as are to be summoned , against the singular persons and brothers of the said Order , residing in your cities and dioceses , though they be come from other places , or have accidentally been brought thither , that you make diligent

inquisition concerning the truth of the articles we send you enclosed in our Bull , and concerning such others as in your wisdom you shall think fit . " It is also our will , that such inquisition or

inquisitions being made , judgment of absolution or condemnation be pronounced , as justice shall require , by the provincial council against those ( singular persons and brothers in the same province , or for them , in relation to those things

about which inquisition has been made against them ; yet so that the inquisitor or inquisitors of heretical pravity deputed in the said province , by the Sea Apostolick , be admitted at the pronouncing of the said sentence , if they shall require

to be there with you . Provided , that you no way presume to concern yourselves with inquiring or giving judgment against the' said Order and the Grand Prior of the said Order , in the Kingdom of England , against whom we have directed

inquisition to be made by certain persons . Given at Poictiers , the 2 nd day after the Ides of August , in the third year of our Pontificate . " * The second Bull concerned France alone . It

was a repetition of the former as to the guilt of the Order ; commissioners , for the most part archbishops and bishops of France , were named to seize the Knights , and were empowered to hold provincial councils to judge the guilty , but the

Pope always excepted the Grand Officers , whose ¦ cases he reserved to himself for judgment . These Bulls were circulated with great diligence , and proceedings were vigorously recommenced against the Order over the whole of France . The

provincial councils had power to judge , and likewise the right to call in the aid of secular arms , to execute their sentences . The Pope also wrote a letter on the 22 nd November , to Robert , Duke

of Calabria , son and heir presumptive to -Charles II ., King of Sicily , who was a bitter enemy of the Templars , pressing" him to imitate the example of the King of France , and to arrest those Templars whom he should find in the territories of the King

his father , who had associated him in the government . This letter had regard to the kingdom of Naples , where there were , however , but few Templars , a circumstance owing to the hatred of the Court of Sicily to the Order . *

About this time a project was started , which , while it would have put an end to the process against the Templars , would have raised a dangerous power in Europe . Philip , having seen the proceedings begun against the Order , returned

hig hly gratified to Paris . On his arrival , his ministers made the following startling proposition , which , had it been carried out , would have been of immense advantage to him , and would have procured a great establishment for Monsieur Philip ,

his second son . This was to unite all the military orders of Europe into one body , to be called "The Royal Order , " with Hugo IV ., the King of Cyprus , as its first Grand Master . Hugo was

unmarried , being yet a mmor . f By his appointment , not only would Cyprus have belonged to the Order , but also the kingdom of Jerusalem , of which he was the rightful heir . With the immense wealth and military power of the various

Orders , the conquest of Jerusalem was deemed not improbable . There is little doubt that such a proposal would have been eminently agreeable to King Hugo , who by this means would have become a very powerful monarch . But while

offering him the Grand Mastership , it was to have been stipulated that he should name as his successor Monsieur Philip . This proposal was exceedingly pleasing to the King , who , could it have been carried into effect , would in a manner

have become father of two sovereigns , and these two , united by the ties of family and interest , would have carried to the ends of the earth the glory of his name and the fame of France . But , ambitious as Philip was , certain obstacles lay in

the way of such a scheme , and made him hesitate about adopting it . Not only would the military orders have objected to the amalgamation aud consequent loss of individual power and hope of advancement to the chief places , but the sovereigns