THE GROWTH OF ROYAL POWER IN FRANCE 507 starved in prison awaiting trial, more were burned at the stake, and still others were imprisoned for life. The Order was dissolved by the pope. The property of the Templars was supposed to be handed over to the Papacy to transfer to the Knights Hospitalers. But Philip never repaid his debts to the Templars, seized all the cash that they had on hand, and did not let go their real estate until his death. Indeed, in place of turning over their property to the Hospitalers, he presented claims for the payment of sums which he alleged were owed him by the Templars and for the expense which he had incurred in keeping them in prison. In short, so far as France was concerned, the Hospitalers probably lost more than they gained by the transfer of the Templars' property to them. This chapter has thus far emphasized the growth of the royal power at the expense of the Church and of the feudal system. But it must be realized that much of Persistence the ground won from feudalism was not thor- of feudallsm oughly subdued, or after a little was lost and had to be re- gained later. For instance, we have already seen Philip the Fair concede again to the nobility some of the feudal cus- toms which St. Louis had forbidden. Again, many fiefs which escheated to the Crown or which came to it by con- quest or marriage, the king did not venture to incorporate at once in his domain and to rule directly by his own admin- istrative officials. It can readily be imagined that a region which since time immemorial had been under a ruling dy- nasty of its own would not care to give up suddenly its count and court and local customs, and instead be adminis- tered by the ignoble and unfeeling agents of a distant king. Such newly acquired territories the king might grant as appanages to his younger sons who would take the place of the previous duke or count. Such appanages, as their hold- ers with succeeding generations became less and less closely related to the Crown, tended to become again dis-_ tinct feudal states. Instead of being granted again as fiefs or appanages, the newly acquired territories might be super- intended by seneschals instead of by baillis as was the royal
