his sub-prior Dominic, falling in with the Roman legates at Montpellier,
heard them express their disgust. "Give up," said they to the legates,
"your retinue, your horses, and your goings in state; proceed in all
humility, afoot and barefoot, without gold or silver, living and teaching
after the example of the Divine Master." "We dare not take on ourselves
such things," answered the pope's agents; "they would seem sort of
innovation; but if some person of sufficient authority consent to precede
us in such guise, we would follow him readily." The Bishop of Osma sent
away his retinue to Spain, and kept with him only his companion Dominic;
and they, taking with them two of the monks of Citeaux, Peter de
Castelnau and Raoul,--the most fervent of the delegates from Rome,--began
that course of austerity and of preaching amongst the people which was
ultimately to make of the sub-prior Dominic a saint and the founder of a
great religious order, to which has often, but wrongly, been attributed
the origin, though it certainly became the principal agent, of the
Inquisition. Whilst joining in humble and pious energy with the two
Spanish priests, the two monks of Citeaux, and Peter de Castelnau
especially, did not cease to urge amongst the laic princes the
extirpation of the heretics. In 1205 they repaired to Toulouse to demand
of Raymond VI. a formal promise, which indeed they obtained; but Raymond
was one of those undecided and feeble characters who dare not refuse to
promise what they dare not attempt to do. He wished to live in peace
with the orthodox Church without behaving cruelly to a large number of
his subjects. The fanatical legate, Peter de Castelnau, enraged at his
tergiversation, instantly excommunicated him; and the pope sent the count
a threatening letter, giving him therein to understand that in case of
need stronger measures would be adopted against him. Raymond,
affrighted, prevailed on the two legates to repair to St. Gilles, and he
there renewed his promises to them; but he always sought for and found on
the morrow some excuse for retarding the execution of them. The legates,