In the year 1211, or a little before, when the count of Montfort, by order of the Pope, was exercising great tyranny for the purpose of exterminating the Albigenses, he learned, through an informer, or in some other way, that in a place called Casser, there resided many of these people, under the protection of the lord of said place. He therefore went to lay siege to it; but those within (namely, the garrison), seeing that they would not be able to hold out long, notwithstanding the place was tolerably strong otherwise, capitulated, with this agreement, that they would deliver into the hands of the enemy, those called heretics (or Albigenses); these the bishops sought to persuade to renounce their faith, but they could not prevail upon them in the least; in consequence of which sixty persons were burnt for the sake of that religion. _Chass. Hist., Albig., lib. 3_, compared with _A. M. Hist., fol. 456, col. 4_.
ABOUT ONE HUNDRED PERSONS CALLED ALBIGENSES, OR HERETICS, BURNT FOR THE FAITH, IN A TOWER AT CASSAS.
About the close of the year 1211, it is recorded, the legate of the Pope, having gone forth utterly to extirpate all those that professed the confession of the abovementioned Albigenses, was apprised, that over eighty, but according to others, about a hundred of that sect or heresy, as it was called, were concealed on, or in, a tower at Cassas. They had been sent thither by those of Rogueville (who, it seems, were not willing that any of these defenseless people should remain among them), that they might save their lives, until this blood-thirsty man should have passed by. Having learned this, the legate very easily surprised, captured and demolished this tower, and caused all those that were in it--like sheep for the slaughter in the fold, who would not abandon their faith, to be burned alive as heretics. _Chass., lib. 3, cap. 15._ Also, _A. Mell., 2d book, fol. 457, col. 1_.
FIFTY PERSONS CALLED ALBIGENSES, BURNT FOR THE FAITH, AT CHASTELNAU D’ARI, AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1211.
This fire of the papal legate continued, like a thunder-bolt, to burn and scorch among the defenseless flock of Christ, called Albigenses, or heretics, who had concealed themselves here and there, wherever they thought they might be secure.
In the mean time, there were fifty of these people at Chastelnau d’Ari, shut up and closely besieged, together with all that were in that place, by the count of Montfort, the commander-in-chief of the papal legate. Finally, the place having been taken, all these persons, as they would not depart from their faith, were burnt alive, and thus, having commended their souls unto God, they gave their bodies for a burnt sacrifice.
Chassanion writes, that when the Count of Montfort had taken the city of Chastelnau d’Ari, fifty persons were found in it, who would rather be burnt alive than return to the papistic religion. Compare _Chassau., lib. 3, cap. 16_, with _A. Mell., 2d book, fol. 457, col. 1_.
OVER FOUR HUNDRED PERSONS CALLED INDUTI, OR ALBIGENSES, BURNT FOR THEIR FAITH, AT LAVAUR, OR VAURUM, A. D. 1211.
Previously we stated, that the Albigenses, whose confession we showed to be good and Scriptural, were called by various names. Besides those names already explained, they were also called _Induti_, or _Vestiti_, that is, the _clothed_, or _covered_, either because they had to cover or conceal themselves on account of persecution, or for some other reason.
This, at least, is certain, that they are compared by _Mellinus, 2d book, page 443, col. 3_, to the Albigenses, called Perfecti; who were also styled, as he shows, _Boni homines_, that is, _good men_, because they, as it seems, were good and upright in their walk. Very many of these good, upright, and not less believing people, were burnt for the faith, as heretics, suffering it innocently and patiently, in the city of Lavaur, also called Vaurum, about the year 1211. Their number, according to ancient chronicles, amounted to over four hundred.