CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

265

accumulated (yet for how short a time, a fewmonths!) in Greece; which was folly, hut no crime—crime were a wicked misnomer. I will not say, notchallenging disgrace the most opprobrious, and im-prisonment, and tortures, faggots, death—for thesemake one shudder with horror and indignation;but not even the lightest and most mitigated chas-tisement. Quite the contrary, they merited highpraise for their virtuous and valiant actions. Theirtrue and only crime was, their much-overratedriches. But the Templars had faults! Indeed!What a discovery! How profound! Societiesof mortals should have none! Whatever theirfaults, they were not to be mentioned the sameday, with their most barbarous murder, butentirely disappear. Their rent-roll was great, nodoubt; and now that Palestine was lost, its reso-lute defenders become resident in Europe, had nolonger necessity for expenditure that invariablydevoured their income. Far from hoarding money,they had been frequently obliged to borrow by sell-ing, or mortgaging some of their property, or onmany urgent occasions during the holy war, acceptcharity ; not for themselves, but for the benefit of the•entire body of Franks. If their estates were to becurtailed, could that not be done without suchbase, hideous, merciless ingratitude ? Their amazing