Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/183

 ARAGON. IgY throughout his diocese at the time of his death in 1241, and the vicar, who replaced him while the see was vacant, completed it. In 1212 Pedro Arbalate, who had succeeded Guillen Mongriu as archbishop, with the assistance of Eaymond of Pennaforte, held the Council of Tarragona to settle the details of procedure. Under the guidance of so eminent a canonist, the code drawn up by the council showed a thorough knowledge of the principles guiding the Church in its dealings with heretics, and long continued to k- referred to as an authority not only in Spain, but in France At the same time its careful definitions, which render it especiaUv mterestmg to us, indicate that it was prepared for the instruction of a Church which as yet practicaUy knew nothing of the princi pies of persecution firmly estabhshed elsewhere. It was probably under the impulse derived from these movements that active per- secution was resumed at Castelbo, which does not seem to have been purified by the raid of 1237. This time the heretics were not as patient as before, and resorted to poison, with which they succeeded in taking off Fray Ponce de Blanes, or de Espira the mquisitor, who had made himself peculiarly obnoxious by his'vig. orous pursuit of heresy for several years. This aroused all the martial instincts of the retired archbishop, GuiHen Mongriu who assenibled some troops, besieged and took the castle, burned many of the heretics, and imprisoned the rest for life. An oro-an •zed effort was made to extend the Inquisition throughout^he kingdom and the parish priests were individuallv summoned to lend It all the aid in their power. Urge! seems to have been the headquarters of the sectaries, for subsequently we hear of their sharp persecution there by the Dominican inquisitor, Bernardo Travesser, and of his martyrdom by them. As usual, both he and Ponce de Blanes shone forth in miracles, and have remained an object of worship in the Church of Urgel, though in 1262 the lat ter was translated to Montpellier, where he lies magnificently en- tombed.* '' Still, the progress of organization seems to have been exceed- ingly s ow. In 1244 a case decided by Innocent IV. shows a com- plete absence of any effective system. The Bishop of Elne and a ♦ Llorente, Cb. in. Art. 1. No. 7, 8, 19.-Concil. Tarracouens. aun. 1342 _ Paramo, pp. no, 177-8.