inquisitor-general, the first occupant of which was Cajetano Orsini, who became Pope as Nicholas III. After the 13th century, however, the post remained vacant. The Spanish Inquisition retained in its organisation, from the beginning, the post of inquisitor-general, and under such direction as that of Torquemada and of Ximenes, the prosecution of heresy secured in Spain a consistency and finality of action which were not to be found in any other State. “The papal Inquisition was an instrument of infinitely greater efficiency for the work in hand than any inquisitorial machinery controlled by the bishops. However zealous an episcopal official might be, his efforts were necessarily isolated, temporary, and spasmodic. The papal Inquisition, on the other hand, constituted a chain of tribunals throughout continental Europe, perpetually manned by those who had no other work to attend to. Not only therefore did persecution in their hands assume the aspect of belonging to the endless and inevitable operations of nature, which was necessary to accomplish its end and which rendered the heretic hopeless that time would bring relief, but by constant interchange of documents and mutual co-operation these tribunals covered Christendom with a network that rendered escape nearly hopeless. The Inquisition had a long arm and a sleepless memory and it is not difficult to understand the terror inspired by the secrecy of its operations and by its almost supernatural vigilance.”[99] In July, 1542, under a Bull of Paul III, a new organisation was given to the Roman Inquisition. Six cardinals were appointed inquisitors-general, the list including Caraffa who was in 1555 to become Pope under the name of Paul IV, and who had already taken an active part in the fight against heresy.