[1] On wednesdaie after the Epiphanie, the knights templers in England were apprehended all in one day by the kings commandement, vpon suspicion of hainous crimes & great enormities by them practi|sed, contrarie to the articles of the christian faith. The order of their apprehension was on this wise.The order taken for the apprehension of the tẽplers. The king directed his writs vnto all and euerie the shi|riffes of counties within the realme, that they should giue summons to a certeine number of substantiall persons, knights or other men of good accompt, to be afore them at certeine places within their gouerne|ments, named in the same writs, on the sunday the morrow after the Epiphanie then next insuing, and that the said shiriffes faile not to be there the same day in their owne persons, to execute that which in o|ther writs to them directed, and after to be sent, should be conteined. The date of this writ was the fifteenth of December.