58 THE TEMPLARS Ut CYPRUS. [ACT II. Should we, as cited by the Holy Father, Compliantly betake us to Poictiers, And there, beforo St. Peter's huckster'd chair, Ourselves unarmed, surrender to the toils By Philip cunningly prepared for us ; Or should we, at this crisis, publicly, Anathemas defying, and the banner Porno by tho peoplo's tyrant,—drop the mask, And storm by their own soldiers' venal hands The stronghold wo have long sinco undermined In secret, seeing it militates against Tho pious pilgrim-folk, in whoso defenco We're Templar Knights. PHILIP. Deep problem ! Raged there storm ? MOLAT. Aye ! So that in the whole long period I Have served tho Order, never havo I seen Tho like. PHILIP. Thy verdict was— MOLAT. For resolute, Unflinching manhood in the cause of right, For the plain duty of tho present hour, For open war with clergy and with crown. PHILIP. And was— St. Bernard, in the rule of our knightly and religious profession, hath said in tho fifty-ninth capital that ho would not that brethren be called together in council, save at the will and command of the Master, leaving it free to us, as to those more worthy fathers who havo preceded us in this our office, to judge, as well of tho occasion as of the time and place in which a Chapter of tho whole Order, or of any part thereof, may be convoked. Also, in all such Chapters, it is our duty to hear the advice of our brethren, and to proceed according to our own pica-sure."—Ivanhoe, vol. viii., ch. vii.—Trant.