Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/389

 THE BEGHARDS OF COLOGNE. 373 one of the few who manifested an active interest in the matter, and his exertions were rewarded with considerable success. The Lollards and Beghards no longer ventured to show themselves publicly, and in the absence of organized machinery it was not easy to detect them, but in 1322 the archbishop had the good- fortune to capture the most formidable heresiarch of the region Walter, known as the Lollard, was a Hollander, and was the most active and successful of the Beghard missionaries. He was not an educated man, and was ignorant of Latin, but he had a keen mtelligence and ready eloquence, indefatigable enthusiasm and persuasiveness. His proselyting labors were facilitated by his numerous writings in the vernacular, which were eao-erly circu- lated from hand to hand. He had been busy in Mainz, where he had numerous disciples, and came from there to Coloo-ne where he chanced- to fall into the archbishop's hands. He made no secret of his belief, refused to abjure, and welcomed death in the service of his faith. The severest tortures were vainly employed to force him to reveal the names of his fellow-believers ; his constancy was unalterable, and he perished in the flames with serene cheerful- ness.* The episcopal Inquisition was not as efficient as the zeal of the archbishop might wish, but, such as it was, it pursued its labors with mdiiJerent success. In 1323 we hear of a priest detected in heresy, who was duly degraded and burned. In 1325 o-reater results followed the accidental discovery of an assembly of Beo- hards. The story told is the legend common to other places, of°a Husband, whose suspicions were aroused, tracking his wife to the nocturnal conventicle and witnessing the sensual orgies which were popularly believed to be customary in such places The episcopal Inquisition was rewarded with a large number of cul- prits, whose trial was speedy and sure. Those who would not abjure, about fifty in number, were put to death-some at the stake, and some drowned in the Ehine, a novel punishment for Heresy, which shows how uncertain as yet were the dealino-s with heretics in Germany. It is quite probable that some of these poor cVeatures may have sought to shield their errors under the repu- tation of the great Dominican preacher. Master Eckart, and thus
 * Trithem. Chron. Hirsaug. ann. 1322.