254 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
The people might not be satisfied of the guilt of the Order,
but the propaganda convinced them that an investigation to
determine the truth was overdue. Pope Clement had in
fact authorised an enquiry, the people were reminded, and
Philip had done no more than assist the Holy See by prevent-
ing the Templars in France from taking to arms or escaping
back to Cyprus. The investigation, it was emphasised,
would be conducted by the Church—by the Inquisition,
expressly created by the papacy to examine charges against
the holy faith. The old scandals about the Temple were
recalled, especially those about the Rule and the chapters.
The Rule of the Order was a most mysterious document,
known in its complete form only to about a score of the great
officers, the chapters of the Temple were strictly guarded and,
before the proceedings opened, a search was made for inter-
lopers. What is secret must ever be an object of suspicion
to the populace, and imagination conceived the Rule as con-
taining monstrous provisions, and the chapters as assemblies
of debauchees.
Philip also played his game astutely with the nobles. He
represented to them that their taxation had been heavy
because the Temple was free from levies by the Church and
the State, and he let it be understood that the burden of
the secular estates would be lightened. Appeal was made
to the cupidity of the barons and their jealousy of the
privileges of the Order. Many of the lords had borrowed
from the Temple, and the king cleverly inculcated the idea
that these debts would be wiped out if the Order were
abolished. But his principal weapon was fear. The power
of the monarchy had been shown by the success of the attack,
and the nobles were afraid to challenge a king who had over-
come so great an institution as the Temple with such speed
and ease. And as the Templars were theoretically in the
hands of the Inquisition any interference by the nobles would
be rebellion against the Church as well as the State.