A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages; volume ILea, Henry Charles
History
A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages; volume I
Lea, Henry Charles
Inquisition -- History
Raymond; or, to use the pope's own words, that the legate was to be the
hook of which Theodisius was the bait. Instructions were also given as
to some minor matters, and to lull Raymond to a more complete sense of
security, on his final audience Innocent presented him with a rich
mantle and with a ring which he drew from his own finger.[135]
Joy reigned in Toulouse when the count returned, bringing with him the
removal of the interdict and the promise of a speedy settlement of the
troubles. Legate Arnaud entered fully into the spirit of his
instructions and suddenly became friendly and affectionate. We even hear
of a visit paid by him and de Montfort to Raymond in Toulouse, where
they were magnificently received; and Raymond, it is said, was persuaded
to give the citadel of the town, known as the Château Narbonnois, as a
residence to the legate, from whose hands it passed into those of de
Montfort, costing eventually the lives of a thousand men for its
recapture. Arnaud, moreover, exacted a promise of one thousand livres
toulousains from the citizens before he would give effect to the papal
letters removing the interdict; when one half was paid, he gave them his
benediction, but a delay in raising the other half caused him to renew
the interdict, which cost them much trouble to remove.[136]
Master Theodisius joined the legate at Toulouse, as we are told by a
fiercely orthodox eye-witness, for the purpose of consulting with him as
to the most plausible excuse for eluding Innocent's promise to Raymond
of an opportunity of purgation, for they foresaw that he would purge
himself and that the destruction of the faith would follow. The readiest
method of attaining this pious object lay in Raymond's failure to
perform the impossible task assigned him of clearing his lands of
heresy; but in order to avoid the appearance of premeditated
unfairness, the solemn mockery was arranged of assigning him a day three
months distant, to appear at St. Gilles and offer his purgation as to
heresy and the murder of the legate--a warning being added about his
slackness in persecution. At the appointed time, in September, 1210, a
number of prelates and nobles were assembled at St. Gilles, and Raymond
presented himself with his compurgators in the full confidence of a
final reconciliation with the Church. He was coolly informed that his
purgation would not be received; that he was manifestly a perjurer in
not having executed the promises to which he had repeatedly sworn, and
his oath being worthless in minor matters, it could not be accepted in
charges so weighty as those of heresy and legate-murder, nor were those
of his accomplices any better. A man of stronger character would have
been roused to fiery indignation at this contemptuous revelation of the
deception practised on him; but Raymond, overwhelmed with the sudden
destruction of his illusions, simply burst into tears--which was duly
recorded by his judges as an additional proof of his innate depravity,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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