THE TRIAL OF THE TEMPLARS IN ENGLAND 269
October i3th, letters from Philip were already on the way
to England, Naples, Aragon, Navarre, Castille, Portugal,
Flanders and Italy. Philip explained in detail the charges
against the Temple, emphasised that the brethren in France
were held on behalf of the Church, and suggested that his
example should be followed by his fellow-rulers. The
response to this suggestion was disappointing. Philip had
believed that the princes would be induced to arrest the
Templars in their territories to protect themselves from the
suspicion of harbouring heretics, and in the hope of obtaining
the property of the Order 5 but most of the rulers refused to
act. Edward II of England, Philip's son-in-law, protested
strongly and dismissed the accusations as wildly fantastic.
On November 2oth he replied that he was summoning the
Seneschal of Agen to explain the circumstances in which the
charges had first been made against the Templars. Three
days later he begged Portugal, Castille and some of the other
princes not to act until further information had been received,
and to consider whether an Order which had always been
renowned for its fervour in the religious war and its devotion
to God could possibly be guilty of such enormities as were
urged against it. Jealousy and greed were, he hinted, the
explanation of the accusations, and he for his part retained his
belief in the innocence of the Temple.
Edward also wrote to the Pope (December 4th) in defence
of the Order, and appealed urgently for the papal protection
to be given to an Order which he described as disgracefully
maligned and abused. Had this support been offered earlier
to the Templars, Clement might have defied Philip the Fair 5
but before Clement received Edward's letter he had already
capitulated to Philip and issued the Bull of November 22nd.
There had, said Clement in this Bull, long been rumours of
heretical practices in the Order, but he had refused to credit
them. Now, however, he could not doubt that much existed
in the Temple which required correction, especially as the