Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/52

LANGUEDOC. eleven in all The two inquisitors, with two Dominican friars and one Franciscan, the Benedictine Prior of Avignonet, Kaymond de Costiran, Archdeacon of Lezat, a former tronbadour, of whose verses only a single obscene song remains, a clerk «^ '^e^'-^d^- con, a notary, and two apparitors - in all a court fully furmshed for the despatch of business. They were hospitably received and housed in the castle of the count, where on the morrow they were to open their dread tribunal for the trembhng inhabitants. When darkness came a selected band of twelve, ^^f^ with axeMeft the forest and stole cautiously to a postern of the castle, wheie they were met by Golairan, a comrade of d'Alfaro, who assured himself that all was right, and returned to see what the inquisitors were doing. Coming back, he reported that they were drinking; but a second visit, after an interval, brought the welcome news that they were going to bed. As though apprehensive of danger, they I Jrlmained together in the great haU, and had barricaded the door The gate was opened, the men of Montsegur were admit- ted and were joined by d'Alfaro, armed with a mace, and twenty- five men of Avignonet, and the fact that an esquire in the service of the inquisitors was with him indicates that there was treachery at work. The hall-door was quickly broken down, the wdd band of assassins rushed in, and, after despatching their victims there was a fierce chorus of gratified vengeance, each man boastmg o his share in the bloody deed - d'Alfaro ^^PJ^lly' "f ." " Va U, esta W and claimed that his mace had done its full duty in the murder;us work. Its crushing of GuiUem Arnaud's skull had deprived Pierre Roger de Mirepoix, the second m command at Montsegur, of the drinking-cup which he had demanded as his reLd for the assistance furnished. The plunder of the victims was eagerly shared between the assassins - their horses, books rienl-even to their scapulars. When the news read.^ S^me the CoUe-e of Cardinals made haste to express their behef SiTSie ^ctimsad become blessed martyrs of Jesus Christ and Intothr first acts of Innocent IV., after his installation m June, 1243 was to repeat this declaration ; but they never were canon- ■ zedil spite of frequent requests to the Holy See and of the nu- merous miracles which attested their sanctity in the popular cult, until, in 1866, Pius IX^avetortardyreoognition. . Vaissette, III. 431 ; Pr. 438-42. -Doat, XXIV. 160. -GuiU. Pod. Laur. c.