Page images
PDF
EPUB

Citeaux, the legate of the Pope, alone felt that he had not done enough. The sectaries were frozen with terror; they had concealed themselves; they were silent; they would even be so, long after the departure of the crusaders. But they were not destroyed; their opinions would secretly circulate; resentment for the outrages already suffered would alienate them still more from the church, and the reformation would break forth afresh. To turn back the march of civilization, to obliterate the traces of a mighty progress of the human mind, it was not sufficient to sacrifice, for an example, some thousands of victims: the nation must be destroyed; all who had participated in the development of thought and of science must perish, and none must be spared but the lowest rustics, whose intelligence is scarcely superior to the beasts whose labours they share. Such was the object of the abbot Arnold, and he did not deceive himself as to the means of accomplishing it.

Arnold Amalric, chief of the order of Citeaux, and legate of the Pope, having assembled a council of the crusaders, required them to dispose of the conquests they had made in favour of a prince who would complete the extirpation of heresy; and he offered at first the viscounties of Beziers and of Carcassonne to Eudes III,.duke of Burgundy; but he refused, saying, "that he had plenty of domains and lordships, without taking that,

to disinherit the said viscount; and that it appeared to him they had done him evil enough without despoiling him of his heritage." This noble refusal touched the honour of the other great lords. The count of Nevers, and the count of St. Paul, to whom the legate made the same propositions, held the same language. The abbot of Citeaux, to give more weight to his offers, associated with himself two bishops and four knights, and the council of the crusaders agreed that these seven commissioners should regulate the fate of the conquered countries. In their name Arnold then offered these same sovereignties to Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester. This lord of a castle, ten leagues from Paris, was the head of a house that had been illustrious for two hundred years, and which is traced by some to a natural son of king Robert. He had possessed the countship of Evreux, which, a few years since, he had sold to Philip Augustus; and his mother, who was an English woman, had left him as an heritage the earldom of Leicester. He had distinguished himself in the fourth crusade, from which he was recently returned. Skilful as a soldier, austere in his carriage, fanatical in his religion, cruel and perfidious, he united every quality which could

9 Præfatio Camuratii Tricassini in Petrum Vallis Cern. Mon. Peter de Vaux Cernay, the historian of the crusade, was a Bernardin monk, or of the order of Citeaux; his convent was situated near to Montfort Amaury. He was vassal of his hero, Simon de Montfort, whom he followed to the crusade.

please a monk. He was too ambitious to refuse the offer which was made him of elevating himself to the rank of the grand feudatories; but he still thought himself obliged to feign a refusal, very sure that they would overcome this pretended reluctance. He had, indeed, the pleasure of seeing the bishops throw themselves at his feet, to obtain his acceptance of what he the most desired.1

Simon de Montfort then took possession of the provinces which the legate offered him as a gift. He received the homage of those of the vassals of the two viscounties of Beziers and of Carcassonne, whom terror had brought to the camp of the crusaders, and who were eager, at this price, to make their peace with the church. He imposed on his new states an annual rent, payable at the court of Rome, and he published rigorous ordinances against those of his subjects who should not anxiously endeavour to free themselves from excommunication. Yet the war was not terminated; many castles, even at the gates of Carcassonne, served as refuges to the heretics, whilst every day numerous bands of crusaders, having finished the time of service for which they were engaged, abandoned the army. The count of Nevers rejected all the solicitations of the legate, and departed precisely at the termination of his forty days. The

2

1 Historia de los faicts de Tolosa, p. 19. Petri Vallis Cern. Hist. Albigens. cap. 17, p. 572.

2 Preuves de l'histoire de Languedoc, p. 213.

count of Toulouse did the same. The duke of Burgundy consented to prolong the campaign a little, and assisted Simon de Montfort to take possession of Fanjaux, Castres, and Lombers, as well as at the attack upon the castle of Cabaret, from which the crusaders were repulsed with loss; but three days after this affair he returned to his own country.3

Notwithstanding the departure of so many of the crusaders, there remained to Simon de Montfort soldiers enough to continue the war. Some came from his fiefs, or from those of his wife's family; for about the year 1190 he had allied himself to a powerful house at the gates of Paris, by his marriage to Alice, daughter of Bouchard, of Montmorency. Others attached themselves to a skilful general, who promised them frequent occasions of pillage, and perhaps permanent establishments in a conquered country. Many also were still influenced by that same fanaticism which had at first led them to the crusade. During the remainder of the campaign, Simon de Montfort directed their arms against the count of Foix, who, as well as the viscount of Carcassonne, was called Raymond Roger. This count must have been about fifty-five years of age; he had reigned ever since 1188, and had accompanied Philip Augustus to the third crusade. He possessed the greater part of Albigeois, which was regarded as the

3 Petri Hist. Albigens. cap. xx, xxv, p. 574, et seq.

seat of the new doctrines; and he was himself accused of having secretly adopted them. In the first terror spread by the massacre at Beziers, the count of Foix dared not any longer continue the campaign; he retired into the most inaccessible part of his states, whilst the catholic clergy of his principal cities rallied round Simon de Montfort. This last was received without a combat into Pamiers and Albi. The castle of Mirepoix was also delivered to him, and Montfort bestowed it on Guy de Levis, his marshal, in whose posterity this fief has remained, with the title of count. The count of Foix, still troubled by a storm, which nevertheless began to abate from those countries, demanded to treat. Simon de Montfort, who perceived his real force diminish each day, and who never suffered his fanaticism to blind him as to his policy, accepted his propositions; and during some weeks towards the end of the year 1209 the war appeared suspended on that frontier.*

In the mean time, Simon de Montfort detained in prison the legitimate sovereign of the states, of which he had taken possession. He could perceive, even amongst his companions in arms, that pity towards this prince had already succeeded to fury. His neighbours loved him; his people regretted him; his relation and lord, the king of Aragon, might be disposed to resume his protec

4 Petrus Vallis Cern. Hist. Albigens. cap. xxv, p. 576.

« PreviousContinue »