Incensed, and at the same time mortified, he yet foresaw that to
give way to his headlong resentment would be to give the cold and
wary accuser the advantage over him which it was the Templar's
principal object to obtain. He therefore, with a strong effort,
remained silent till he had repeated a pater noster, being the
course which his confessor had enjoined him to pursue when anger
was likely to obtain dominion over him. The King then spoke with
composure, though not without an embittered tone, especially at
the outset:--
"And is it even so? And are our brethren at such pains to note
the infirmities of our natural temper, and the rough precipitance
of our zeal, which may sometimes have urged us to issue commands
when there was little time to hold council? I could not have
thought that offences, casual and unpremeditated like mine, could
find such deep root in the hearts of my allies in this most holy
cause; that for my sake they should withdraw their hands from the
plough when the furrow was near the end--for my sake turn aside
from the direct path to Jerusalem, which their swords have
opened.
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