Narratives from those days preserve little of that first meeting between Pierre de Castelnau and Count Raymond. But it is certain that the legate denounced him for want of zeal and grew indignant when Count Raymond would not consent to a slaughter of Albigenses. The legate denounced him at his own court, excommunicated him, and went away. Not until after dusk did Pierre de Castelnau with his attendants come to the banks of the Rhône just north of Arles and so they camped, not wanting to tempt this river in darkness. Next morning, the fourteenth of January in that year of our Lord 1208, they celebrated mass before dawn and were approaching the river when a horseman came up behind the legate and drove a lance into his back. He looked round at this assailant. God forgive you as I forgive you, he said before tumbling from the mule. He repeated these words at the point of death, ignoring the bitter anguish of his wound, until at last he slept joyfully in Christ. They carried him five leagues to the abbey of Saint Gilles where he was buried in the cloister by monks holding lighted candles. As to the murderer, this was a lackey in the service of Count Raymond.
News got to Rome some weeks later. According to the ambassador from Navarre, His Holiness Innocent dropped his face into his hands. Then he retired to pray at the high altar of the Vatican basilica.
Presently here came bishops of Toulouse and Couserans and the abbot of Cîteaux with a full report. There seemed no doubt of Raymond’s guilt.
Thus, with twelve cardinals encircling him, His Holiness excommunicated Raymond anew and extinguished a lighted taper as tradition demanded. The pontiff then addressed a missive to Frankish nobility, to prelates and princes, enjoining true Christians to pick up the cross, to lay hands on Count Raymond, to expropriate all he owned. By authority of the apostolic see would all who fought against heretics have indulgence equal to that of crusaders in the Holy Land. Whoever helped to extirpate and crush them would, like all who visited the Holy Sepulcher, be shielded from attack upon property or person. Wealth and honor in this world awaited those who would burn and void the noxious stench of heresy in Languedoc. Such was the pontiff’s address.
Go forth! Soldiers of Christ! Go forth! Go with our cry of anguish in your ears! Avenge the insult to our Lord! Fill your souls with holy rage!
And the message was preached as it was first preached by His Holiness Urban at Clermont in the year of our Lord 1095. At Lyons immense crowds gathered beneath the standard of Amalric, abbot of Cîteaux. A multitude that exceeded belief, according to Roger of Wendover. Knights from Burgundy were everywhere present, silk crosses on their breast.
Documents relate that Count Raymond lacked courage to oppose this army, but delivered up his fortress and submitted himself to public flogging in the abbey of Saint Gilles. When he had been stripped naked to the waist he was led into the presence of three archbishops and nineteen bishops. He abjured his indulgence of heretics and Jews, abjured his employment of mercenaries, admitted himself suspect in the murder of Pierre de Castelnau. Milo, who was papal secretary, placed his stole around Raymond’s neck and drew him into the abbey while flogging him with a switch. In front of the altar Count Raymond was granted absolution. So many spectators pushed into the abbey that he was taken out by way of the crypt, past the sarcophagus of the murdered legate.
Now the papal secretary wrote to His Holiness concerning Raymond. Mistrust his dextrous tongue, which is skilled at the distillation of lies and moral obliquity.
Raymond Roger Trencavel, viscount of Béziers and Carcassonne, likewise submitted to the church yet did not merit exculpation. He summoned his most faithful vassals to defend these cities, abandoning villages of no consequence. He himself retreated to Carcassonne since it was remote and strongly fortified, which little pleased the citizens of Béziers. All the same, Béziers in its pride decided to resist. Anon the living host marched into view and sent forward Bishop Renaud de Montpeyroux riding on a mule to negotiate. He brought with him a list of heretics which they should turn over for punishment. If not, the people of Béziers themselves should be excommunicate and blood upon their heads. The citizens replied with scorn. The barons in hope of saving Catholic lives made overtures. But all at once here came citizens riding through the gate flaunting white pennants and shouting insults and with arrows cut down a member of the host who had ventured upon the bridge. So the orderlies who had been setting up tents were infuriated and rushed against the city with clubs and poles and started digging at the walls. Others smashed at the gate with wooden beams while armored knights and sergeants gaped in astonishment.
Now from the ramparts citizens threw down the Holy Gospel. Behold! they shrieked. Here is your law! We have no need of it!
The army of Christ then crossed the fosse, quickly scaled the ramparts and rushed through churches and homes, murdering priests, children and women hugging reliquaries or crosses, searching out wealth because these Franks tolerated Jews and were rich beyond measure. The abbot of Cîteaux, when asked how Catholics might be distinguished from heretics, replied that all should be slain since God would recognize His own. By certain accounts every inhabitant of Béziers met the sword, twenty thousand or more. Others state that few Catholics were slain. However it was, people throughout the countryside left their homes and fled in panic toward the mountains. Did they once look up at the vault of
