mitted to the _endura_; during it "she ate
nothing whatever, but drank some water; she died in six weeks."[1]
This case gives us some idea of this terrible practice; we see that
they were sometimes allowed to drink water, which explains the
extraordinary duration of some of these suicidal fasts.

[1] Ms. 609, of the library of Toulouse, fol. 28.

Some of the Cathari committed suicide in other ways. A woman of
Toulouse named Guillemette first began to subject herself to the
_endura_ by frequent blood letting; then she tried to weaken herself
more by taking long baths; finally she drank poison, and as death did
not come quickly enough, she swallowed pounded glass to perforate her
intestines.[1] Another woman opened her veins in the bath.2

[1] Ms. 609, of Toulouse, fol. 33.

[2] Ibid., fol. 70.

Such methods of suicide were exceptional, although the _endura_
itself was common, at least among the Cathari of Languedoc. "Every
one," says a trustworthy historian, "who reads the acts of the
tribunals of the Inquisition of Toulouse and Carcassonne must admit
that the _endura_, voluntary or forced, put to death more victims
than the stake or the Inquisition."

Catharism, therefore, was a serious menace to the Church, to the
State, and to society.

Without being precisely a Christian heresy, its customs, its
hierarchy, and above all its rites of initiation--which we have
purposely explained in detail--gave it all the appearance of one. It
was really an imitation and a caricature of Christianity. Some of its
practices were borrowed from the primitive Christians, as some
historians have proved.[1] That in itself would justify the Church in
treating its followers as heretics.

[1] Jean Guirard, _Le consolamentum ou initiation cathare_, in
_Questions d'histoire_, p. 145 seq.

Besides, the Church merely acted in self-defense. The Cathari tried
their best to destroy her by attacking her doctrines, her hierarchy,
and her apostolic character. If their false teachings had prevailed,
disturbing as they did the minds of the people, the Church would have
perished.

The princes, who did not concern themselves with these heretics while
they merely denied the teachings of the Church, at last found
themselves attacked just as vigorously. The Catharan absolute
rejection of the oath of fealty was calculated to break the bond that
united subjects to their suzerain lords, and at one blow to destroy
the whole edifice of feudalism. And e