Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/140

 -1^24 ' FRANCE. refused to take the oath during eighteen months' imprisonment. His brain seems to have turned during his detention, for at length he astonished the inquisitor by proclaiming himself the Angel of Philadelphia and an envoy of God, who alone could save mankmd. The inquisitor in vain pointed out that this was a function reserved solely for the pope, and as Guion would not withdraw his claims he was convicted as a heretic. For some reason, however, not specified in the sentence, he was only condemned to degradation from orders and to perpetual imprisonment.* The next case of which we hear is that of the Sieur de Partenay, in 1323, to Avhich aUusion has already been made. Its importance to us lies in its revealing the enormous and ahnost irresponsible authority wielded by the Inquisition at this period. The most powerful noble of Poitou, when designated as a heretic by Frere Maurice, the Inquisitor of Paris, is at once thrown into the prison of the Temple by the king, and all his estates are sequestrated to await the result. Fortunately for Partenay he had a large circle of influential friends and kindred, among them the Bishop of Noy- on who labored strenuously in his behalf. He was able to appeal to the pope, alleging personal hatred on the part of Frere Maurice ; he was sent under guard to Avignon, where his friends succeeded in inducing John XXII. to assign certain bishops as assessors to try the case with the inquisitor, and after infinite delays he was at length set free— probably not without the use of means which greatly diminished his wealth. When such a man could be so handled at the mere word of an angry friar, meaner victims stood little chance.t This case in the North and the close of Bernard Gui's career in Toulouse, about the same time, mark the apogee of the Inquisition in France. Thenceforth we have to follow its decline. ~^ Yet for some years longer there was a show of activity at Car- cassonne, where Henri de Chamay was a worthy representative of the older inquisitors. January 16, 1329, in conjunction with Pierre Bruni he celebrated an auto de fe at Pamiers, where thirty-five persons were permittedJoJayasid^crosses,^nd twelve were re- 1308 1310.— Grandes Chroniques, V. 188. + 'Guillel. Nangiac. Contin. ann. 1323.-Grandes Chroniques, V. 273-4.-Ohron. Johann. S. Victor. Contin. ann. 1323 (Bouquet, XXL 681).
 * Arch. Nat. de France, ^42^^15, 19 &i..-Guillel. Nangiac. Contiu. ann.