THE TEMPLARS AND THE INQUISITORS 257
for they had been told that Clement had sanctioned the
investigation and approved the use of torture. When the
prisoners appeared before William of Paris, it was in a room
around which instruments of torture were prominently
displayed, and nearly every Templar had already
experienced the terror of these instruments. Before his
examination began, the Templar was ordered to swear on
the Scriptures that he would tell the whole truth, both
as regards himself and all other Templars, and after he had
made his statements, he swore again that he had told the
truth, neither omitting nor misrepresenting anything, and
that he had spoken of his own free will and not because of
any fear of torture or for any other reason. The main points
on which William Imbert wanted admissions were the denial
of Christ, the spitting and trampling on the cross, indecent
kisses at reception, homosexuality, and the worship of an idol.
If the Templars confessed that they had denied Christ and
worshipped an idol then they stood self-condemned of
practices which put them outside the pale of Christianity.
The tribunal at Paris sat from October i8th until
November 24th, and in that period examined nearly one
hundred and forty prisoners. Among the prisoners who
appeared before it were three of the great officers of the
Temple—Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master 5 Geoffrey
de Charnay, Preceptor of Normandy; and Hugh de Payraud,
Visitor General of France. Geoffrey de Charnay, the first
of the three to be examined before the Grand Inquisitor
(October 2ist), deposed that on his admission into the
Temple he had been shown a crucifix and told that Christ
was a false prophet 5 he had been ordered to deny Christ
thrice, which thing he had done, though with his mouth only
and not in his heart. Asked if he had spat on the figure of
Christ, he pleaded that he did not remember, but he admitted
that he had kissed the Receiver on the navel. He had heard
it said that the brethren should take their pleasures together