Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/317

 HERESY IN DALMATIA. 3q1 for their removal, but his usual iU-luck accompanied him. The contest between the papacy on the one side, and the Yisconti and Louis of Bavaria on the other, rendered parts of Lombardy unsafe for papalists, and a son of Belial named Franceschino da Pavia had no scruple in laying hands on the inquisitor and despoiling him of his horses, books, and papers. During aU this time the Inquisition must have been at a standstill, but at last Fabiano overcame all obstacles. In 1330 he returned to the scene of action ; Charles Eobert and Stephen lent him their assistance, and the work of suppressing the Cathari commenced under favorable auspices, and by the methods which we have seen so successful elsewhere. ' The condition of the Bosnian Church may be guessed from the fear felt by John XXII. that the bishops would be heretics, leading him, in 1331, to reserve their appointment to the Holy See. Yet on the death of Bishop Peter, in 1334, the chapter elected a suc- cessor, and Charles Eobert endeavored to force a layman on the Church, causing a disgraceful quarrel which was not settled until Benedict XII., in 1336, pronounced in favor of the candidate of the chapter."^ The spiritual condition of the Slavs at this period is indicated by an occurrence in 1331 nearer home. The Venetian inquisitor, Frd Francesco Chioggia, in visiting his district, found in the prov- mce of Aquileia innumerable Slavs who worshipped a tree and fountam. Apparently they were impervious to his exhortations and he had no means at the moment to enforce obedience He was obhged to preach against them, in Friuli, a crusade with Holy Land mdulgences. He thus raised an armed force with which he cut down the tree and choked up the fountain ; unfortunately, we have no record of the fate of the nature-worshippers.f Benedict XII. was as earnest as his predecessor. Yet even Dal- matia was still full of heresy, for in 1335 he felt obliged to write to the Archbishop of Zara and the Bishops of Trau and Zegna, order- ing them to use every means for the extermination of heretics and to give efficient support to the inquisitors. The Dalmatian prelates It is true, prevailed upon the magistrates of Spalatro and Trau to 234.-Raynald. ann. 1325, No. 28; aim. 1327, No. 48.-Waddmg. ann. 1325 No' 1-4; ann. 1326, No. 3-7 ; ann. 1329, No. 16 ; ann. 1330, No. 10. t Archivio di Venezia, Fontanini MSS. III. 560.
 * Klaic, pp. 124-5, 139l40;754l6ZTh^er Monument. Slavor. Merid I 157