120 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OE [book II.

documentary evidence, may be received as theopinions reigning; but where completely contradic-tory to it, they merit no kind of consideration what-ever. Now here the Arab historians agree withthis Papal record so far, that they are all perfectlysilent as to that scene in the Holy Sepulchre, or thatthe Pope had ordered the Hospitallers and Tem-plars not to fight under his command. Then nosuch things ever took place, but are only theinventions of malignancy or ignorance. And Iobserve on it the more, that historians of the high-est estimation have copied those errors, even themost devout Roman Catholic Michaud. But theyhad never seen these decisive documents, or notexamined them. The Mahometans and Papacy aretwo antipodes, and what they recount alike, cannotbut be true; and what neither of them mentionscannot have subsisted at all. Is it not a fair con-clusion? and even a necessary one for an honestwriter, however eminent his predecessors, who haveonly fallen into a. mistake? Truth is indeed whatmust prevail in the end, notwithstanding his weak-ness who wields it. This bull is so worthy of thehead of a Church, and those fables so unworthy,and suppose such arrant dishonesty, that to drivethem out of notice, is but mere justice, unless theybe clearly proved. And the proofs are the other