RAYMOND WON OVER 41 he had been under excommunication, and had carried on an un- avaihng struggle. He could no longer cherish illusions, and was doubtless ready to give whatever assurances might be required of him. On the other hand, the new pope was free from the pre- dispositions which the long strife had engendered in Gregory IX. There seems to have been little difficulty in reaching an under- standing, to which the good offices of Louis IX. powerfully con- tributed. December 2, Eaymond was released from his various excommunications ; January 1, 124-4, the absolution was announced to King Louis and the prelates of the kingdom, who were ordered to pubhsh it in all the churches, and January Y the Legate Zoen was instructed to treat him with fatherly affection and not permit him to be molested. In aU this absolution had only been given ad cautelam^ or provisionally, for a special excommunication had been decreed against him as a f autor of heretics, after the massacre of A^ignonet, by the inquisitors Ferrer and Guillem Eaymond. Against this he had made a special appeal to the Holy See in April, 1243, and a special bull of May 16, 1244, was required for its abrogation. ISTo conditions seem to have been imposed respect- ing the long-deferred crusade, and thenceforth Eaymond lived in perfect harmony with the Holy See. Indeed, he was the recipient of many favors. A buU of March 18, 1244, granted him the priv- ilege that for fiNQ years he should not be forced by apostolic let- ters to answer in judgment outside of his own dominions ; another of April 27, 1245, took him, his family, and lands under the special protection of St. Peter and the papacy; and yet another of May 12, 1245, provided that no delegate of the Apostolic See should have power to utter excommunication or any other sentence against him without a special mandate. Besides this, one of April 21, 1245, imposed some limitations on the power of inquisitors, limita- tions which they seem never to have observed. Eaymond was fairly won over. He had evidently resolved to accommodate him- self to the necessities of the time, and the heretic had nothing fur- ther to hope or the inquisitor to fear from him. The preparation for increased and systematic vigor of operations is seen in the elaborate provisions, so often referred to above, of the Council of JS'arbonne, held at this period.*
- Vaissette, UI. 443; Pr. 411, 433-4.— Potthast No. 10943, 11187, 11218,
