Chapter
43
Cabaret
and Minerve
War was always here. Before man was, war waited
for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. – Cormac
McCarthy
Everything belonged to him--but that was a
trifle. The thing to know was what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness
claimed him for their own – Joseph Conrad
Cabaret did not fall so easily. The atrocity of Bram had the opposite result
that Simon was looking for. Far from
being cowed, a renewed streak of rebellion arose in the hearts of the defenders
of Languedoc. It seemed self-evident
after Bezier and Bram that the Cathar’s were right, a Church capable of such
acts of evil, was no body representing the Lord of Heaven on Earth, no clearly
they were apostates of the Evil One.
Where Simon hoped to break the rebel’s spirit, he had simply redoubled
their resolve, and proven the Church’s critics point for them. These things did not please Simon.
Rebels led by Pierre de Cabaret launched
attacks from the safety of the high fortresses of Lastours surprising The Lion
de Montforts’ men throughout the low land villages and then retreating to their
lofty stronghold. Simon had had enough.
The new Count of Carcassonne led a strong
force of fresh crusaders up the mountain passes beneath the four strongholds of
Lastours in December of 1209. Siege was difficult to lay against the high
Cabaret and its staunch defenders.
Arrows rained down constantly, making easy work of the crusaders. Pierre de Cabaret had well provisioned his
forts, and no crusader could get within striking distance. Dismayed, but vowing a return, Simon decamped
and broke siege after only a couple of weeks.
He did not wish to waste his crusaders in a fruitless effort, and
besides there were other targets for siege and conquest, other barons to
overthrow. He would leave Pierre
friendless before the end of the next summer, and then take Lastours with fresh
troops soon after.
Simon de Montfort turned his attention to
Minerve. The buzzing in his head
advised him of the weakness of that mountain stronghold.
Once the weather broke in the early spring
Simon and his men took many of the small towns between Carcassonne and Minerve,
both to cow the rebels and to give his men some practice and confidence before
the tough siege of Minerve. By June, the
siege was laid around yet another seemingly imprenetrable Cathar high mountain
fortress. Simon’s captains who had
participated in the failed conquest at Cabaret were doubtful, but Minerve had a
weakness that Lastours did not.
Whatever scouting parties of his
adversaries fell to his troops, he had the bodies thrown into the river which
fed the wells of Minerve. By July 22,
once dissentary and thirst had done their work, the lords of Minerve
surrendered.
There were two hundred Cathar Perfect inside
the walls of Minerve, an unexpected bounty of heretics that Simon
relished. But, Simon had realized his
mistake, and backed by Arnold Amuary the Cathar heretics were offered an
opportunity to recant and repent of their heresy at the mercy of the church. He was not too disappointed when all
refused. A week later a bonfire outside
the conquered castle awaited the martyrs.
This time Simon de Montfort was surprised
again. Twenty more souls took the
Consulementium, the rites in which credentes joined the ranks of the perfect,
and the staunch two hundred in the fire.
Simon could only smile and laugh as two hundred and twenty men and women
burned to their deaths.
copyright 2017 Diana Hignutt
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