THE TRIAL OF THE TEMPLARS IN ENGLAND 285
secrecy and no outside witnesses had ever been present at
a reception.
Such a report did not please the Pope. He had promised
Philip the Fair that he would break the Temple, and he was
anxious to collect proof that the abuses were universal. For
if the confession of heretical practices was confined to France,
there would naturally be a suspicion that the admissions were
false or wrung by torture. Even if that suspicion could be
combated, Clement would find it difficult to induce the
general council of the Church to condemn the whole Order
merely on the evidence of irregularities in Philip's kingdom.
For in such circumstances the proper course would clearly
be to cleanse the French branch, not to visit the sins of one
part of the Order on the fraternity throughout Christendom.
Clement protested sharply against the attitude towards
the Templars in England. He was annoyed with the king
as well as the English Church. Edward had been ordered
to seize the possessions of the Temple and hold them for the
papacy, but he had applied them to his own use and distri-
buted some of the lands to his barons. Even when Clement
sent commissioners to take charge of the property, Edward
would surrender only part of it. He informed the Pope
that he would deal with the other goods in a manner accept-
able to God. This was much too ambiguous for Clement,
who, in any case, resented the implication that anyone but
himself should interpret the divine command. After a great
deal of wrangling, Clement imposed his will, and Edward
gave up most of the property of the Temple. The Pope
also pressed him to withdraw the prohibition against torture.
a The use of torture has, we understand, been forbidden in
the process against the Order and the knights ", wrote the
Pope. a Ponder well, my dear son, whether that is honour-
able to you or to the good of your kingdom ". Edward had
reluctantly to give way on this second point, and torture was
authorised provided that there were " no mutilations nor