Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/310

 294 THE SLAVIC CATHAEI. dents Preparations were made for systematic work. In 1232 Gregory ordered his legate in Hungary, Giacopo, Bishop of Pales- trina to convert the Bosnians. King Andreas gave the Banate to his son Coloman, Duke of Croatia and Dalmatia, and ordered him to assist. Eesults soon foUowed. The Catholic Bishop of Bosnia was himself infected with heresy, and excused himself on the ground that he had ignorantly supposed the Cathari to be ortho- dox The Archbishop of Eagusa was cognizant of this, and had paid no attention to it, so Giacopo transferred Bosnia to Kalocsa- a transfer, however, which was for the present inoperative. More important was the conversion of Ninoslav, who abandoned the re- ligion of his fathers in order to avert the attacks of Coloman, which were rapidly dismembering his territories. He was effusively wel- comed by Gregory ; he gave money to the Domimcans for the building of a cathedral ; many of his magnates followed his exam- ple and his kinsman, Uban Prijesda, handed his son to the Domin- icans as a hostage for the sincerity of his conversion. Gregory was overjoyed at this apparent success. In 1233 he ordered the boy restored to his father; he took Bosnia under the special pro- tection of the Holy See, and ordered Coloman to defend Ninoslav from the attacks of disaffected heretics ; he deposed the heretic bishop and instructed his legate to divide the territory into two or three sees, appointing proper incumbents. The latter measure was not carried out, however, and a German Dominican, John of Wildeshausen, was consecrated Bishop of aU Bosnia.* The Legate Giacopo returned to Hungary satisfied that the land was converted, but success proved fleeting. Either Ninoslav's conversion was feigned or he was unable to control his heretic subiects, for in the next year, 1234, we find Gregory complammg that heresy was increasing and rendering Bosnia a desert of the faith a nest of dragons and a home o^ ostriches. In conjunction with Andreas he ordered a crusade, and Coloman was instructed to attack the heretics. The Carthusian Prior of St. Bartholomew was sent thither to preach it with Holy Land indulgences, and by the end of 1234 Coloman laid Bosnia waste with fire and sword. • Monteiro, Historia da Sacra luqinsi^So P. i. Liv. 1, c. 59.-Paramo, p^ 111^ Kaynald. ann. 1257, No. 13. - Hist. Ord. Praedic. c. 8. (Martene Ampl. Coll. VI. 338).— RipoU 1. 70.— Klaic, pp. 92-4.