covered his face with his hands. ‘I hate to hear of it, Walter. I will not allow it here.’
‘Under this torture many of the knights have confessed to obscene practices.’
‘What they say under torture does not count.’
‘Indeed it does. The purpose of the torture in to reduce them to such agony that they will do anything to stop it.’
‘I do not want it here, Walter. I do
not
want it. Why cannot people be merry and gay and laugh and sing together? Why does there have to be this vileness?’
‘Ah, my lord, you are gentle and kind. All kings are not so. Least of all your father-in-law. He acts with demonical fury against the Templars. He wants their money and he wants an excuse for taking it. Doubtless they would be willing to give it to him but that will not suit him. He must ease his conscience. Therefore he must prove to the world and himself that these men deserve to be dispossessed.. This he does through torture when they confess to the sins he and his friends like Philip de Martigny, Archbishop of Sens, and his minister, Guillaume de Nogaret, have thought up for them.’
‘Perhaps they will refuse to confess,’ said Edward. ‘What then?’
‘Then there will be further torture and that such that such as few can withstand. I have heard that many have lost the use of their feet after being submitted to a certain form of treatment which the soles of the feet are greased and set in a screen which is placed before a fire. I have heard that the slow burning is one of the most agonizing tortures devised by men. There are many others―’
‘I do not wish to hear of them,’ cried Edward. ‘Walter, I do not wish that the Templars in England shall be arrested. Perhaps they could be warned. Perhaps they could give up some of their wealth― but I do not wish them to be tortured or burned at the stake, I am sure Perrot would agree with me if he were here.’
‘Ah, Perrot!’ sighed Walter. ‘But what good news of him in Ireland!’
Edward brightened. ‘I am so proud of him. Even Mad Dog Warwick had to admit that the news was good. The way in which he dealt with the rebellion in Munster was magnificent.’
Walter nodded. ‘If he goes on like this, my lord, you might suggest he comes back.’
‘Do you think they would listen?’
‘Who knows? They might be ready to. Let him go on for a while as he has begun and even his worst enemies won’t be able to deny that he has made a good job of Ireland.’
Edward forgot the distress he felt at the treatment of the Templars in contemplation of that glorious possibility.
But when he sat with his council and expressed his views regarding the Templars, he was pleased to find that the majority of his ministers agreed with him.
* * *
Each day there was news of the terrible fate that was befalling the Templars in France and of how many were arrested and taken before the council set up by the Archbishop of Sens. Some would not confess to their alleged sins even under the most violent torture and were taken to the stakes which were set up all over Paris and burned to death.
Nothing was too revolting to be laid at their door, and their enemies were hard put to it to think up new crimes committed. Many of them were escaping from France and that did not suit Philip.
He wanted the entire Order wiped out. He demanded that other countries follow his lead; he was most displeased at the attitude of his son-in-law. His greatest advantage came from his puppet the Pope. The Templars must be destroyed, thundered Clement. Excommunication could well be the wages of those who ignored the command.
The threat of excommunication could always arouse alarm. Edward was persuaded by his ministers that although he might defy his father-in-law , he could not defy the Pope. That the Pope was acting on the instructions of the King of France was true, but behind the Pope was the image of the Holy See and the people feared it.
There was a half-hearted attempt in England to suppress
‘Under this torture many of the knights have confessed to obscene practices.’
‘What they say under torture does not count.’
‘Indeed it does. The purpose of the torture in to reduce them to such agony that they will do anything to stop it.’
‘I do not want it here, Walter. I do
not
want it. Why cannot people be merry and gay and laugh and sing together? Why does there have to be this vileness?’
‘Ah, my lord, you are gentle and kind. All kings are not so. Least of all your father-in-law. He acts with demonical fury against the Templars. He wants their money and he wants an excuse for taking it. Doubtless they would be willing to give it to him but that will not suit him. He must ease his conscience. Therefore he must prove to the world and himself that these men deserve to be dispossessed.. This he does through torture when they confess to the sins he and his friends like Philip de Martigny, Archbishop of Sens, and his minister, Guillaume de Nogaret, have thought up for them.’
‘Perhaps they will refuse to confess,’ said Edward. ‘What then?’
‘Then there will be further torture and that such that such as few can withstand. I have heard that many have lost the use of their feet after being submitted to a certain form of treatment which the soles of the feet are greased and set in a screen which is placed before a fire. I have heard that the slow burning is one of the most agonizing tortures devised by men. There are many others―’
‘I do not wish to hear of them,’ cried Edward. ‘Walter, I do not wish that the Templars in England shall be arrested. Perhaps they could be warned. Perhaps they could give up some of their wealth― but I do not wish them to be tortured or burned at the stake, I am sure Perrot would agree with me if he were here.’
‘Ah, Perrot!’ sighed Walter. ‘But what good news of him in Ireland!’
Edward brightened. ‘I am so proud of him. Even Mad Dog Warwick had to admit that the news was good. The way in which he dealt with the rebellion in Munster was magnificent.’
Walter nodded. ‘If he goes on like this, my lord, you might suggest he comes back.’
‘Do you think they would listen?’
‘Who knows? They might be ready to. Let him go on for a while as he has begun and even his worst enemies won’t be able to deny that he has made a good job of Ireland.’
Edward forgot the distress he felt at the treatment of the Templars in contemplation of that glorious possibility.
But when he sat with his council and expressed his views regarding the Templars, he was pleased to find that the majority of his ministers agreed with him.
* * *
Each day there was news of the terrible fate that was befalling the Templars in France and of how many were arrested and taken before the council set up by the Archbishop of Sens. Some would not confess to their alleged sins even under the most violent torture and were taken to the stakes which were set up all over Paris and burned to death.
Nothing was too revolting to be laid at their door, and their enemies were hard put to it to think up new crimes committed. Many of them were escaping from France and that did not suit Philip.
He wanted the entire Order wiped out. He demanded that other countries follow his lead; he was most displeased at the attitude of his son-in-law. His greatest advantage came from his puppet the Pope. The Templars must be destroyed, thundered Clement. Excommunication could well be the wages of those who ignored the command.
The threat of excommunication could always arouse alarm. Edward was persuaded by his ministers that although he might defy his father-in-law , he could not defy the Pope. That the Pope was acting on the instructions of the King of France was true, but behind the Pope was the image of the Holy See and the people feared it.
There was a half-hearted attempt in England to suppress
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