BOOK THE THIRD-RHODES.

CHAPTER I.

Why a defence of the Templars, triumphantlydefended and fully, long since? To go over theground so nobly trod by Raynouard were atleast superfluous. Whoever accuses them afterthat, it can only be to display his own erudi-tion. Pive centuries had not been able to provetheir guilt, and now it is utterly disproved,however hard to prove a negative . 1 Thereis not a reasonable and well-informed man inEurope, who thinks them guilty of any one of theenormities imputed to them. They were perhapssomewhat haughty, and exaggerated their wealth,

1 Michaud: Hist., v. 428.