Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/81

 INTERVENTION OF PHILIPPE LE BEL. 65 shifting political exigencies of the times so far as we can pene- trate them. In this same year, 1293, the Seneschal of Carcassonne is found instructing Aimeric, the Yiscount of ISTarbonne, to exe- cute royal letters ordering aid to be rendered to the inquisitors there. This may have been a mere local matter, and Philippe, for a while at least, adhered to his position. Towards the end of 1295 there was issued an Ordonnance of the royal court, appli- cable to the whole kingdom, forbidding the arrest of any one on the demand of a friar of any Order, no matter what his position might be, unless the seneschal or bailh of the jurisdiction was satisfied that the arrest should be made, and the person asking it showed a commission from the pope. This was sent to all the royal officials with strict injunctions to obey it, although, if the accused were likely to fly, he might be detained, but not surren- dered until the decision of the court could be had. Moreover, if any persons were then in durance contrary to the provisions of the Ordonnance, they were to be set at liberty. Even this did not effect its object sufficiently, and a few months later, in 1296, Philippe complained to his Seneschal of Carcassonne of the num- bers who were arrested by the royal officers, and confined in the royal prisons on insufficient grounds, causing scandal and the heavy mfliction of infamy on the innocent. To prevent this arrests were forbidden except in cases of such violent presumption of heresy that they could not be postponed, and the officials were instructed, when called upon by the inquisitors, to make such ex- cuses as they could. These orders were obeyed, for when, about this time, Foulques de Saint - Georges, Vice - inquisitor of Carcas- sonne, ordered the arrest of sundry suspects by Adam de Marolles, the deputy seneschal, the latter referred the matter to his princi- pal, Henri de Elisia, who, after consultation with Eobert d' Artois, lieutenant of the king in Languedoc and Gascony, refused the de- mand."^ No previous sovereign had ventured thus to trammel the In- quisition. These regulations, in fact, rendered it virtually power- less, for it had no organization of its own ; even its prisons were the king's and might be withdrawn at any time, and it depended sette, IV. Pr. 99. II.— 5
 * Regist. Curiae Francise de Care. (Doat, XXXIL 254, 267, 268, 269).— Vais-