The Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem

Preliminary Report.

VIII

“...[begin] to be degraded by the hands of death, and their ashes are mixed with those of common men, it is permitted to say what one finds reprehensible in their conduct. In this, I exercise the rights of history, which must spare no one, and which fears to flatter as much as it little fears to offend and displease.”
original French: "nent à etre degradées par les mains de la mort, et que leurs cendres sont mélées avec celles du commun des hommes, il est permis de dire ce qu’on trouve de répréhensible dans leur Conduite. En celá j’use des Droits de l’histoire, qui ne doit menager personne, et qui craint de flatter, autant qu’elle craint peu d’offenser et de deplaire." The quote begins mid-word, likely completing a word like viennent (begin/come).

In this German translation Verdeutschung: the process of rendering a text into German, often implying a stylistic adaptation rather than a literal word-for-word translation, the wordiness that occurs here and there has been shortened. Papal bulls bull: a formal proclamation or decree issued by the Pope, letters, and similar documents, which are included as indented text in the French original, have been summarized according to their content; regarding more specific details, the reader is referred to the primary sources. Furthermore, the relevant works of a Dupuy, Anton, and Nicolai Pierre Dupuy (1582–1651), Karl Gottlob Anton (1752–1818), and Friedrich Nicolai (1733–1811) were all prominent historians or scholars who wrote significant works on the history and trials of the Knights Templar have been consulted here. The latter two authors were unknown to the original author, who—according to a passage in his introduction—wrote during the final years of Louis XV’s reign Louis XV reigned from 1715 to 1774. This suggests the manuscript was completed at least fifteen years before its posthumous publication in 1789.

Leipzig Easter Fair, 1790.
Leipzig Easter Fair: A major annual trade fair in Germany that served as the primary marketplace for the book trade during the 18th century