KNIGHTS TEMPLARS AS MARTYRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 64

KNIGHTS TEMPLARS AS MARTYRS.

(Edinburgh Review.)

In 1507 the storm broke. Philip the Fair — "le Roi dcs legistes'' — "la mala pianta" of Dante's visions, had yet time by one last sombre misdeed to prelude, or it may be foredoom, the extinction of his line. His powerful adversary, Pope Boniface, the friend of the order, was d^ad. "Philippe, par la grace de Dieu Roi dcs Francais, a Boniface, pretendu souverain pontife, peu ou point de salut," so Philip had phrased his missive to the Pope, and when Nogaret and his band brutally assailed the old prelate at Anagni, they could count upon Philip to endorse their deed. In 1305 (after the brief pontificate of Benedict XI) Philip was able to raise his nominee Bertram de Gob (Clement V) to the papal dignity — a dignity which the transference of tne Pope's residence to Avignon rendered in the matter of authority a sinecure. With Clement, whose concurrence was essential to his purpose, a docile if reluctant instrument in his hands, Philip perpetrated his crime oy denouncing the Temblors as eftiftiruT^g and enjoreinjj

' the foimal violation of the moral law by a seciet system of temnism, upon eacn 1 initiate of the confraternity. On October 12. De Molay was ■summoned to take a place of honour at a royal funeral ; on the loth De Molay, with every Tcmplav tLroughout the realm of France, wis sei -ed ,'rd con^'gned to the cl ngcons of convents arcl foitres&cs. During tlio . montlis that intervened bet\>eei the ciieso of the knights and their tual the oiders of the King v,erc canied out lulentles.^ly. in Pans alone 140 were torttu'cd by t!,a ofnceis of the Inqii'^itior. T'>e altti-.d-tive offeied to the victims was a full con-fe-sion of the acciedited crimes, < r death with every circumstance of protricted tortiue; wlr'le forged letters, it is j-aid, weie produced purporting to be fiom the Urar.d I\Ta r ;ter, exhorting Lis brrthien to allow thdr guilt. Under the tortur n the greater number confessed ; released from torttue tho greater number retracted their confessions. T!>e archives of the da--- register eu picture of those torture processes we may do wisely to pass by in silence. In tho history of the crimes o". humanity, no le*s th.an in the biographies of individuals, there are reticences we crannci infringe with impunity.

Such iniquities are those recorded by the piges te'ling of the long-protracted trial of the captive Templars as the tragedy of torture ai d death approaches, sta^ by btep. the final c:ene Like grnihr" -nhantoms actor aft°r acior pi^^es across the bxekground : Clement — the lover of the beautiful Countess co J. il^-oic! — the shameful s -mbkißce o^ ;< *a^v to sh^ie tiie spoil*, ". et lotli to >.h i;<» i '<:" ivll magnitiide of Philip's cnHi", sfird" lor a while ia dear relief. GmKaume de Pans the pitiless Dorninifui ; M.iri^nv, the Archb'«hop of Sens ; Xo-'arc 1 , tiie la""Vtr. himself doomed with Fk\"in de ]?07iers, the infoi'ner, a; il X'ii'o ])ei, tho witness, to siiflV-r :;i: ;i th-ii- turn, two p.L tli? block and on^ ;,t Ih.p b;.ltfr, the penalty of thoi- illdori>_ — .11 tli.^c play thsir own paris in the sceiio. Ar.d behind and above them oil stands Plulip th° Kiu^r. . . .

"Xon nob"-, Domine'"' The bit* le ptalin of the Temple, the <li--h of spepr and iword. v. ■■ at 1-n'TtL Hus3>e 1 f r ever for the cliiv-.lr}- of Christ. UcaiiHU n, ■ lie black and whito b jmcr. the s,Tir.rl:;f.i of the most r/all.int victon<-s, of the rao^r foilf.rn hopes oi C'lui.'.ter'df.m, is bla/.oncrl by iikhdicant niorks of Doraime <with tiie biv r-mister o? ap i-tasv. Yet t!i Q I aired or rJie Tvuigj, bi"kriipi and coiner, w- r.o l '•l'Utci. Jicqufs ds Moliy, the btt (ira-.d M -uof the lonj; roll call of Lerori -„ },o J.ad held that tit!", liMd. Tiipre <■.; • ni.Mi whof-e hi*toiy is the history of th^ir cL--ch. for whom a sentence epitomises lite : ind <in hour serves as the .tb.-trai.t of yea:-. Among such De Molay takes. Ins pla.:e. Adrairte'l to the Or-ltr dur'irijj rliP ru'j of Th jmas Beiaiv, he had "■u'M.'l iirari ,' t Lo Frieri for some -18 year-.. II -^ ].<"! Iv.m on actor in the last scenes of the C i n->' dominion in Palestine, he had tik n ; r*; in the final expedition of 1?93. He bad defended tho iionour of Ins ord^' - ■\,i~ •. . ■- hemcncf>, h-* hr \d been betiaved. "':: !• id' hcen toiti!r°il. he hid -. jellied Tlw afe°j=ion of the vfreru ". seedier h d I °?o "'3 trowirn^; tii'.nmh of hi^ anta-io" •■<■=. ITo brre r.a !' - s bo iy the sfirs ol v,\>r ard I lio wounds c' tort 'ire :be bore upon his <-"ul, how sjlentlv nrd .'ecret'.v the sequel <-h>>w?, tl)e wounds of Ihi>e v>ck-e\torted av'.n.ilc.

Upon d « rjffu'fl erected before Xotro D.'nie.jl.ici.uc^ de wa-s brought foith iroin l'ts ti'vf y> ari' prison o;i Mtiv'i 18, 1313, with tho o!rind Preceptor and two '.!h"r hi^h "Hcrrs of the cukr. to r-'^rito his confpiMon i n tne presence of the L"-^:f.te, the prelate^ of France and the t'«sembled people, that a'l the woi'd of Pari?, and , all the world beyond Paris, the world of that d-iy and of thi 1 , might hear. Two of h's companions who, it would se»m. were fii «=fc called upon to re-te^tifv their emit, fulfilled the <»xpectation.s of their gaol°rs, confessed, and were exempted from further sufferings Then De Molav, strndinsj between the ranks of listening ecclesiastics and the pile of wood, which in sinister menace was laid ready beneath, addressed the vasfc and surging crowd of the assembled populace. He spoke, say the records, in a clear voice. "I do," he said, "confess my guilt." He was guilty of the greatest, crime possible to man. To his eternal shame, through pain of torture, ar>d through fear of death, he had imputed sins to the innocent, blame to the guiltless, hid avowed dishonour where dishonour was none. This falsehood he had been summoned hither to repeat; infamously to save his life by confirming a fr-st lie with a second. But "de bon coanr."' he will rather renounce that life which has become abhorrent in his eyes. So far with "countenance assuree." De Molav has spoken, some suspense of surprise holding aIL silent around him. Then dragged fiercely from tho platform with his lemaining companion, he met the death he unflinchingly challenged.