THE TEMPLARS. 327 These tales show how the popular heart was stirred and how the popular sympathies were directed. * In fact, outside of France, where, for obvious reasons, contem- porary opinion was cautious in expression, the downfall of the Templars was very largely attributed to the remorseless cupidity of Philippe and Clement. Even in France public sentiment in- clined in their favor. Godefroi de Paris evidently goes as far as he dares when he says : " Dy versement de ce Ten parle, Et ou monde en est grant bataille — — L'en puet Men decevoir Fyglise Mes Ten ne puet en nule guise Diex decevoir. Je n'en dis plus : Qui voudra dira le seurplus." It required courage animated by a lofty sense of duty when, at the height of the persecution, the Dominican, Pierre de la Palu, one of the foremost theologians of the day, voluntarily appeared before the papal commission in Paris to say that he had been present at many examinations where some of the accused confessed the charges and others denied them, and it appeared to him that the
- Pauli Langii Chron. Citicens. ann. 1314 (Pistorii I. 1201). — Chron. Sampe-
trini Erfurtens. ann. 1315 (Menken III. 325). — Naucleri Chron. ann. 1306.— Fer- reti Vicentin. Hist. (Muratori S. R. I. IX. 1018). Clement's reputation was such that this was not the only legend of the kind about his death. While yet Archbishop of Bordeaux, he had a bitter quarrel with Walter of Bruges, a holy Franciscan whom Nicholas III. had forced to ac- cept the episcopate of Poitiers. On his elevation to the papacy he gratified his grudge by deposing Walter and ordering him to a convent. Walter made no com- plaint, but on his death-bed he appealed to the judgment of God, and died with a paper in his hand in which he cited the papal oppressor before the divine tribunal on a certain day. His grip on this could not be loosened, and he was buried with it. The next year Clement chanced to pass through the place; he had the tomb opened, found the body uncorrupted, and ordered the paper to be given to him. It terrified him greatly, and at the time specified he was obliged to obey the summons. — Wadding, ann. 1279, No. 13. — Chron. Glassberger ann. 1307. Guillaume de Nogaret, who was Philippe's principal instrument, was the sub- ject of a similar story. A Templar on his way to the stake saw him and cited him to appear within eight days, and on the eighth day he died. — Chron. Astens. c. 27 (Muratori S. R. I. XL 194).
