Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/72

 56 LANGUEDOC. lent despotisms, but never one more cruel, more benumbing, or more all-pervading. For the next twenty years there is little worthy of special note in the operations of the Inquisition of Languedoc. It pursued its work continuously with occasional outbursts of energy. Etienne de Gatine, and Pons de Poyet, who presided over its tribunals for many years, were no sluggards, and the period from 1373 to 1375 rewarded their industry with an abundant harvest. Though here- tics naturally grew scarcer with the unintermitting pursuit of so many years, there was still the exhaustless catalogue of the dead, whose exhumation furnished an impressive spectacle for the mob, while their confiscations were Avelcome to the pious princes, and contributed largely to the change of ownership of land which was a pohtical consummation so desirable. Yet heresy with incredi- ble stubbornness maintained itself, though its concealment grew ever more difficult, and Italy grew less safe as a refuge and less prolific as a source of inspiration."^ In 1271 Alphonse and Jeanne, who had accompanied St. Louis in his unlucky crusade to Tunis, died without issue, during the home- ward journey. The line of Kaymond was thus extinct, and the land passed irrevocably to the crown. Philippe le Hardi took pos- session even of the territories which Jeanne had endeavored, as was her right, to alienate by will, and though he surrendered the Age- nois to Henry III., he succeeded in retaining Querci. J^o opposi- tion was made to the change of masters. When, October 8, 1271, Guillaume de Cobardon, royal Seneschal of Carcassonne, issued his orders regulating the new regime^ one of the first things thought of was the confiscations. All castles and villages which had been forfeited for heresy were taken into the king's hand, without preju- dice to the right of those to whom they might belong, thus throw- ing the burden of proof upon all claimants, and cutting out assigns under ahenations. In 1272 Philippe paid a visit to his new terri- tories ; it was designed to be peaceful, but some violences commit- ted by Koger Bernard lY. of Foix caused him to come at the head of an army, with which he easily overcame the resistance of the count, occupied his lands, and threw him into a dungeon. Ke- leased in 1273, the count in 1276 rendered such assistance in the
 * Coll. Doat, XXV. XXVI.— Martenc Thesaur. V. 1809.