78 LANGUEDOC. king for justice, and promising revelations if they would issue let^ ters of safety to those who would give information— for the ter- ror inspired^ by the Inquisition was such that no one dared to testify concerning it unless he was assured of protection against its vengeance. The Bishop of Albi came also to justify himself, and on his return to his episcopal seat he was welcomed with a manifestation of the feehng entertained for him by his flock, Whom the coming of the Eef ormers encouraged in the expression of their sentiments. When his approach was announced a crowd of men and women rushed forth from the gates to meet him with shouts of " Death, death, death to the traitor !'^ It may perhaps be doubted whether, as reported, he bore the threats and insults with patience akin to that of Christ, ordering his followers to keep their weapons down ; certain it is that he was roughly han- dled, and had difficulty in safely reaching his palace. A conspir- acy was formed to burn the palace, in order, during the confu- sion, to liberate the prisoners, but the hearts of the conspirators failed them and the project was abandoned. Even more mena- cing was the action of a number of the chief citizens, who bound themselves by a notarial instrument to prosecute him and Nicho- las d' Abbeville in the king's court. As a consequence, the bish- op's temporalities were sequestrated, and eventuaUy the enormous fine of twenty thousand livres stripped him of a portion of his iH- gotten gains for the benefit of the king, who was bitterly re- proached by Bernard Delicieux for thus preferring money to justice. Bernard de Castanet retained his uneasy seat until 1308, when seeing under Clement Y. no prospect of better times, he pro^ cured a transfer to the quieter see of Buy.. One of the earhest signs of the revulsion under John XXII. was his advancement, m December, 1316, to the Cardinalate of Borto, which he held for only eight months, his death occurring in August, 1317.^ The Keformers, meanwhile, had. sent for Bernard Delicieux, who was then quietly performing his duties as lector in the con- vent of Narbonne. He must akeady have made himself conspic-
- Bern Guidon. Hist. Fund. Conv. (Martene Ampl. Coll. VI. 510-1 1).-Arch.
de rinq. de Care. (Boat, XXVII. 7).-MSS. Bib. Nat., fonds latin, No. 4270, fol. 6, 1, 11, 43, 45, 48, 71, 161, 270.-Arch. de Thotel-de-viUe d'Albi (Boat, XXXIV. 169)._Vaissette, IV. 143.
