229 THE KKIGHTS TEMPLARS. Hugh de Peraut, the visitor, removed several preceptors from J*" ™ their preceptories in England, and put others in their places.,D . 1309, a He further states, that he swore he would never receive any service at the hands of a woman, not even water to wash his hands with. After the examination of the ahove two Templars, forty-one witnesses, chiefly abbots, priors, monks, priests, and servingmen, and retainers of the order in Scotland, were examined upon various interrogatories, but nothing of a criminatory nature was elicited. The monks observed that the receptions of other orders were public, and were celebrated as great religious solemnities, and the friends, parents, and neighbours of the party about to take the vows were invited to attend ; that the Templars, on the other hand, shrouded their proceedings in mystery and secrecy, and therefore they suspected the worst. The priests thought them guilty, because they were always against the church ! Others condemned them because (as they say) the Templars closed their doors against the poor and the humble, and extended hospitality only to the rich and the powerful. The abbot of the monastery of the Holy Cross at Edinburgh declared that they appropriated to themselves the property of their neighbours, right or wrong. The abbot of Dumferlyn knew nothing of his own knowledge against them, but had heard much, and suspected more. The serving men and the tillers of the lands of the order stated that the chapters were held sometimes by night and sometimes by day, with extraordinary secrecy ; and some of the witnesses had heard old men say that the Templars would never have lost the Holy Land, if they had been good Chrhtians !* * Et ad eviderttius pnemiseorum testimonium reverendus in Christo pater dominus Wimelmue,previdenti* divina S. Andrea: episcopns, et magister Johannes de Soleriu predici! sigilla sua presenti inquisition! appenderunt, et eisdem sigillia post subscript!onem mearn eandem inquiartioticm clauserunt. In quorum irtiam tìrmius testimonium ego