Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 3.djvu/78

 £2 THE SPIRITUAL FRANCISCANS. he repeated his commands, scolded them for disobedience and re- bellion, dismissed from office those who had positions, and declared ineligible those who were not officials. Those whom he ejected he replaced with suitable persons whom he strictly commanded to preserve the peace and show favor to the sorely afflicted minority. In spite of this the scandals and complaints continued, until the general, Alessandro, granted to the Spirituals the three convents of Xarbonne, Beziers, and Carcassonne, and ordered that the superiors placed over them should be acceptable. The change was not effected without the employment of force, in which the Spirituals had the advantage of popular sympathy, and the con- vents thus favored became houses of refuge for the discontented brethren elsewhere. Then for a while there seems to have been quiet, but with Clement ? s death, in 1314, the turmoil commenced afresh. Bonagrazia, under pretext of sickness, hastened to leave his place of confinement, and joined eagerly in the renewed dis- turbance ; the dismissed officials again made their influence felt ; the Spirituals complained that they were abused and defamed in private and in public, pelted with mud and stones, deprived of food and even of the sacraments, despoiled of their habits, and scattered to distant places or imprisoned.* It is possible that Clement might have found some means of dissolving the bonds between these irreconcilable parties, but for the insubordination of the Italian Spirituals. These grew impa- tient during the long conferences which preceded the Council of Yienne. Subjected to daily afflictions and despairing of rest within the Order, they eagerly listened to the advice of a wise and holy man, Canon Martin of Siena, who assured them that, how- ever few their numbers, they had a right to secede and elect their own general. Under the lead of Giacopo di San Gemignano they did so, and effected an independent organization. This was rank rebellion and greatly prejudiced the case of the Spirituals at Avig- non. Clement would not listen to anything that savored of con- cessions to those w r ho thus threw off their pledged obedience. He promptly sent commissions for their trial, and they were duly ex- (Archiv, 1886, 140-1).— Franz Ehrle (Ibid. 1886, pp. 158-64; 1887, pp. 33, 40).— Rayni. de Fronciacho (lb. 1887, p. 27).
 * 1) Jordan. CI iron. c. 326 Partic. iii. (Muratori Antiq. XI. 767).— Hist. Tribulat.