The Knights Templars.

The course adopted by De Molai was a wise one . He found himself , in a manner , placed between two dangers . He was accused , but the Pope reserved to himself the consideration of his case . It was , therefore , his duty and interest to be presented at once to Clement , that his case might be

investigated , and his innocence manifested . Freed from the horrible stigma of having perpetrated such odious crimes , he could then appear before the Commissioners , with his rank restored to him , his innocence certified , and fitted to undertake the defence of the Order . But till this was done , till

his case was decided by the Pope , and he declared themselves willing to undertake the defence of the Order . Five hundred and forty-six declared innocent or guilty , he could not be said to be worthy or unworthy of defending the Order . Therefore , he limited himself to the demand for an immediate judgment of his own case . On the 28 th of March , the Commissioners

caused to be assembled , in the gardens of the Bishop's Palace , all the Templars who had declared themselves for this purpose ; but the King would not permit the Grand Master and Grand Officers to be present . The Commissioners caused the deed of accusation to be read over to them in the

Latin tongue . The Templars listened to it in silence ; but when it was proposed to read it in the vulgar tongue , they indignantly exclaimed" It suffices the first reading in Latin . We will not hear again in the vulgar tongue of such wicked and infamous lies . " They complained of the

deprivation of their religious habits , and of their being refused the sacraments of the Church ; that spiritual aid was denied their dying brethren , and the Burial Service to their dead . " Call hither , " they exclaimed , " the Grand Master and chiefs of the Order . Before our faces let them refuse to unite themselves with us to defend the Order . We have done our duty , and we will do it again . " It is evident that it had been circulated amono- the

Templars that the Grand Officers had admitted the crimes , and refused the defence ; and , to prevent the falsehood becoming known , they kept back these members . This noble firmness on the part of the accused caused a great sensation in Paris ; and the ministers of the King , becoming

alarmed , hastened to concert violent measures against the unfortunates . The Templars from the provinces still continued to arrive , till the defenders of the Order numbered nine hundred . The Commissioners thought , on account of their numbers that they should appoint deputies . This the ,

refused to do . "Prisoners , " they exclaimed , "in chains , we cannot , ancl ought not to choose deputies . We have a chief , we are under his command . Let us be united with our superiors , and then we will deliberate on your proposal . We know the Grand Master to be good , just ,

honest , loyal , and pure of the errors which calumny accuses the Order of . " Some demanded personally to defend the Order . " We will not have deputies

to defend the Order . Every one in person will defend it , with body and soul . It is a criminal affair , when every one should justify himself . We will defend the Order ; we will defend it to the death . He is not a true Templar who avows the crimes which are imputed to us . They required us to name deputies when they gave us the torture . ''

In the midst of these debates , the unfortunate prisoners always demanded the presence of the Grand Master , that they might deliberate with him . They were answered , that he should be judged by the Pope , and that he had demanded to be conducted to his presence . This was an

absurd pretext . The Grand Master could persist , with reason , in refusing to submit to the trial by the Papal Commissioners , when he knew that the Pope had resolved to judge him himself . This refusal could not authorise the Commissioners to refuse the Templars the consolation of seeing and

consulting with their chief . They ought not to have deprived them of his counsel and advice , and of demanding his permission for the nomination of certain of their number to represent them , and conduct the defence . It is evident that it was a concerted plot to refuse the Grand Master an

interview with the Pope , and the Templars with their chief . The King feared the explanations that would arise from these ; aud the Commissioners , as we have already said , stood in awe of the King . Had they not done so , it was a very easy thing to have brought the Grand Master

before the Pope , so that his case might have been investigated , and his doom pronounced , even before they began the examination of witnesses ; for it was in the month of November that the Grand Master demanded to be brought before the Pope , and it was not until the following April that the first witness was examined .

At last , after many interviews , seventy-eight Templars were chosen to commit to writing , in name , of all , the defence of the Order . On the 14 th of March , before Easter , the defenders were conducted into the audience-chamber of the Bishop , because their number had been too great , and caused too much confusion aud embarrassment in

the Episcopal Halls . Before being called upon for their defence , they were interrogated by the Commissioners , ancl their depositions taken down by Hugo Nicolai , William Radulph , John Arnize , aud Florimont Dondedei , four notaries of the King . As they were too

many to bear successively , the Commissioners proposed that they should name some of their number procurators . To this they replied , by a deputy , that they could only make such a choice in a Chapter-General , and with the consent of the Grand Mastertheir head . Besideseach one

pre-, , sent desired to be heard in defence of the Order , and for this purpose they demanded to be taken before the Pope and the Fathers of the Church The President replied , that such a course was im-