The History of the Holy War, Book 5 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
Chap. 1. The executing of the Templars in France.
MY task is done. Whatsoever remaineth is voluntary & over-measure, onelyonly to hemme the end of our historie that it ravel not out: As to shew, What became of the Templars, the Teutonick Order, and the Hospitallers; What were the hindrances of this warre; What nation best deserved in it; What offers were afterwards made to recover Jerusalem; By how many challengers that title at this day is claimed; What is the present strength of Jerusalem; What hope to regain it; with some other passages which offer attendance on these principall heads.
Know then, Some nineteen yeares after the Christians had lost all in Palestine, the Templars, by the cruel deed of Pope Clement the fifth, and foul fact of Philip the Fair King of France,1310 were finally *Sabellicus, Enn. 9. lib. 7. Platina, in vita Clem. V.exstirpated out of all Christendome. The historie thereof is but in twilight, not clearly delivered, but darkened with many doubts and difficulties: We must pick out letters and syllables here and there as well as we may; all which put together spell thus much.
Pope Clement having long sojourned in France, had received many reall courtesies from Philip the King; yea, he owed little lesse then himself to him. At last, Philip requested of him a boon, great enough for a King to ask and a Pope to grant; namely, all the lands of the Knights Templars through France, forfeited by reason of their horrible heresies and licentious living. The Pope was willing to gratifie him in some good proportion for his favours received (as thankfulnesse is alwayes the badge of a good nature) and therefore being thus long the Kings guest, he gave him the Templars lands and goods to pay for his entertainment.
On a sudden all the Templars in France they clapt into prison, wisely catching those Lions in a net, which had they been fairly hunted to death, would have made their part good with all the dogs in France. Damnable sinnes were laid to their charge; as, sacrificing of men to an idol they worshipped, rosting of a Templars bastard and drinking his bloud, spitting upon the crosse of Christ, conspiring with Turks and Saracens against Christianitie, Sodomie, bestialitie, with many other villanies out of the rode of humane corruption, and as farre from mans nature as Gods law.
Well; the Templars thus shut in prison, their crimes were half-proved. The sole witnesse against them was one of their own Order, a notorious malefactour; who at the same time being in prison and to suffer for his own offenses, condemned by the Master of their Order, sought to prove his own innocency by charging all his own Order to be guiltie. And his case standing thus, he must either kill or be killed, die or put others to death, he would be sure to provide water enough to drive the mill, and swore most heartily to whatsoever was objected against the Order. Besides, the Templars being brought upon the rack, confessed the accusations to be true wherewith they were charged. Hereupon all the Templars through France were most cruelly burned to death at a stake, with James the grand Master of their Order.
Chap. 2. Arguments produced on either side, both for the innocencie and guiltinesse of the Templars.
THere is scarce a harder question in later historie then this, Whether the Templars justly or unjustly were condemned to suffer. On the one side, it is dangerous to affirm they were innocent, because condemned by the Pope, infallible in matters of such consequence. This bugbear affrighteth many, and maketh their hands shake when they write hereof. If they should say the Templars were burned wrongfully, they may be fetched over the coals themselves for charging his Holinesse so deeply; yea, hereby they bring so much innocent bloud on the Popes head as is enough to drown him: Some therefore in this matter know little, and dare speak lesse, for fear of afterclaps. Secondly, some who suspect that one eye of the Church may be dimme, yet hold that both the eyes, the Pope and generall Councel together, cannot be deceived.
Now the Councel of Vienne countenanced the exstirpation of the Templars, determined the dissolution of their Order, and adjudged their lands to be conferred on the Knights-Hospitallers. Men ought then to be well advised how they condemn a generall Councel to be accessorie post factum to the murder of so many men.
For all this, those who dare not hollow, do whisper on the other side, accounting the Templars not malefactours but martyrs: First, because the witnesse was unsufficient, a malefactour against his Judge; and secondly, they bring tortured men against themselves. Yea, there want not those that maintain that a confession extorted on the rack is of no validitie. If they be weak men and unable to endure torment, they will speak any thing; and in this case their words are endited not from their heart but outward limbes that are in pain: and a poore conquest it is, to make either the hand of a child to beat, or the tongue of the tortured man to accuse himself. If they be sturdie and stubborn, whose backs are paved against torments, such as bring brasen sides against steely whips, they will confesse nothing. And though these Templars were stout & valiant men, yet it is to be commended to ones consideration, whether slavish and servile souls will not better bear torment, then generous spirits, who are for the enduring of honourable danger and speedie death, but not provided for torment, which they are not acquainted with, neither is it the proper object of valour.
Again, it is produced in their behalf, that being burned at the stake, they denied it at their death, though formerly they had confessed it; and whose charitie, if not stark-blind, will not be so tender-eyed as to beleeve that they would not breathe out their soul with a lie, and wilfully contract a new guilt in that very instant wherein they were to be arraigned before the Judge of heaven. A Templar being to be burned at Burdeaux, and seeing the Pope and King Philip looking out at a window, cried unto them, *Hospin. De orig. Mon. cap. 18. fol. 193.Clement thou cruel tyrant, seeing there is no higher amongst mortall men to whom I should appeal for my unjust death, I cite thee together with King Philip to the tribunal of Christ the just Judge who redeemed me, there both to appear within one yeare and a day; where I will lay open my cause, and justice shall be done without any by-respect. In like manner, *P. Aemylius, in Philipp… Pulchr….James grand Master of the Templars, though by piecemeal he was tortured to death, craved pardon of God, and those of his Order, That forced by extremitie of pain on the rack, and allured with hope of life, he had accused them of such damnable sinnes, whereof they were innocent.
Moreover, the people with their suffrage acquitted them: happie was he that could get an handfull of their ashes into his bosome, as the Relique of pious martyrs, to preserve. Indeed little heed is to be given to peoples humours; whose judgement is nothing but prejudice and passion, and commonly envie all in prosperitie, pitie all in adversitie, though often both undeservedly: And we may beleeve that the beholding of the Templars torments when they were burned, wrought in the people first a commiserating of their persons, and so by degrees a justifying of their cause. However vulgus non semper errat, aliquando eligit: and though it matters little for the gales of a private mans fansie, yet it is something when the wind bloweth from all corners: And true it is, they were generally cried up for innocents.
Lastly, Pope Clement and King Philip were within the time prefixed summoned by death to answer to God for what they had done. And though it is bad to be busie with Gods secrets; yet an argument drawn from the event, especially when it goeth in company with others, as it is not much to be depended on, so it is not wholly to be neglected. Besides, King Philip missed of his expectation, and the morsel fell besides his mouth; for the lands of the Templars, which were first granted to him as a portion for his youngest sonne, were afterwards by the Councel of Vienne bestowed on the Knights-Hospitallers.