A Plague of Heretics (Crowner John Mysteries) by Bernard Knight

Author:Bernard Knight [Knight, Bernard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: _NB_Fixed, lorraine, rt, Coroners - England, Devon (England), Fiction, Great Britain - History - Angevin period; 1154-1216, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural
ISBN: 9781847393296
Amazon: 1847393292
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2010-01-15T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

In which a convocation is

held in the cathedral

Both canons and the other clergy were fond of their dinner, so on that November Wednesday a well-fed convocation assembled in the chapter house soon after noon, the cathedral community eating earlier than many folk outside the Close. This was not, of course, a regular chapter meeting, which always took place between Prime and Terce, two of the services held earlier in the morning. However, many of the canons, vicars-choral, secondaries and choristers attended again, mainly out of curiosity about this novel event. Robert de Baggetor had encouraged this, as he wanted the maximum publicity for his campaign against the heretics – even a few townsmen had sidled in without challenge, including Clement the physician.

As the senior clergy trooped in, John de Alençon followed them unenthusiastically. He took his place in the chair that had been set on a small dais alongside the lectern used daily by a secondary to read a chapter from the Rule of St Benedict, a ritual that gave the chapter its name. The benches were ranked in a half-circle before him, with another on each side of his seat to accommodate the interrogators. These were the three prime movers, the canons who had pressed for this enquiry, and the other senior proctor, Canon William de Swindon. In addition, the bishop was represented by his chaplain and the deacon who was his legal adviser, a wizen-faced man who looked as if he drank vinegar instead of wine. The two proctors’ men, Gale and Blundus, stood one each side of the entrance door, looking as if they hoped for a riot, so that they could lay about them with their cudgels.

After the shuffling and fidgeting had subsided, the archdeacon nodded to the bishop’s chaplain, who went to the lectern and read out a passage from the Vulgate, chosen by de Baggetor. Unsurprisingly, it was one of the more lurid and threatening parts of the Book of Revelation, obviously intended to emphasise the tortures of hell that St John alleged were waiting for heretics. John de Alençon then rose to his feet to intone a prayer. It was a fairly neutral supplication, asking for God’s guidance in their deliberations, but free from any blood-and-thunder imprecations, which would have better pleased the canons. Then the two bailiffs went outside and marched in the five subjects of the inquisition, who were stood in a line before the dais, with Gale and Blundus at either end.

‘Give us your names and where you live,’ requested the archdeacon, in a mild tone that held no hint of threat.

Adam the fishmonger, Oliver and Peter and Jordan Cosse from Ide gave the details without demur, but the fifth man took a step forward, which made Blundus grab his arm and try to pull him back until de Alençon signalled to him to desist.

‘I will give you my name, as it is no secret,’ boomed the man in a deep voice. ‘It is Algar, a fuller from the lower town.

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