322 THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS
The commission, however, went on with its work as thoug}
unaware that they were receving the depositions of prisoner!
before whose eyes burned constantly the fires of Philip the
Fair.
The examination was a succession of palsied witnesses,
some afraid to speak at all, the majority only too anxious tc
show their penitence by confirming the admissions made
before a council of the Church. The first witness admitted
all the charges except idolatry j a chaplain confirmed a con-
fession of guilt made before the Archbishop of Sens5 another
chaplain, Stephen, aged seventy-two, explained that the
Receiver addressed these words to recruits: " By the oath
of obedience you have sworn, I command you to spit on the
cross ", A servant, Tavcrnay, confessed to all the crimes,
except permission to engage in homosexuality j his evidence
was a repetition of the deposition made before the Council of
Sens, which had absolved him. Beaumont, also a servant,
confessed to most of the chargesj he thought that the per-
mission to the brethren to sleep together meant only that,
when sleeping accommodation was short, two Templars could
share one bed. The next six witness admitted the denial of
Christ and spitting on the crucifix. One explained that when
he refused to do so, the Receiver said to him, " You are the
slave of the Order and these things arc a proof of your
submission ".
John de Pollencourt trembled violently before the com-
mission and said that, having admitted some of the charges,
he was afraid now to retract. The commissioners assured
him that he had the right to recant and that he would be
protected, De Pollencourt then deposed that he was
innocent of all the charges. Three days later, however, he
asked to be heard again. Perhaps he had been tortured,
perhaps he had been terrorised, Whatever the reason, he
wanted to adhere to his original confession, in which he
admitted the denial of Christ and spitting on the cross. He