ots of Citeaux, Bishops, and even lords of the laity,
occupied themselves in the creation of new cities. Many of the towns of
mediaeval creation possessed broad municipal and commercial privileges,
they grew to the importance of "communes" and Bishoprics, and some even
styled themselves "Republics."

Although these were times of much re-building, restoring, and carrying
out of older plans of ecclesiastical architecture, the XI and XII
centuries were none the less filled with innumerable private wars, and
in 1167 began the bloody and persistent struggle with England. The city
of Aire was at one time reduced to twelve inhabitants, and the horrors
of the mediaeval siege were more than once repeated. In these wars,
Cathedrals, as well as towns and their inhabitants, were scarred and
wounded. Hardly had these dissensions ended in 1494, when the Wars of
Religion commenced under Charles IX, and Gascony was again one of the
most terrible fields of battle. Here the demoniac enthusiasm of both
sides exceeded even the terrible exhibitions of Languedoc. The royal
family of Navarre was openly Protestant and contributed more than any
others to the military organisations of their Faith. Jeanne d'Albret, in
1566, wishing to repay intolerance with intolerance, forbade religious
processions and church funerals in Navarre. The people rose, and the
next year the Queen was forced to grant toleration to both religions.
Later the King of France entered the field and sent an army against the
Bearnaise Huguenots, Jeanne, in reprisal, called to her aid Montmorency;
and with a thoroughness born of pious zeal and hatred, each army began
to burn and kill. All monasteries, all churches, were looted by the
Protestants; all cities taken by Montluc, head of the Catholics, were
sacked. Tarbes was devastated by the one, Rabestans by the other, and
the Cathedral of Pamiers was ruined. With the Massacre of Saint
Bartholomew, in 1572, the struggle began again, and the League
flourished in all its malign enthusiasm. "Such disorder as was
introduced," says a writer of the period, "such pillage, has never been
seen since war began. Officers, soldiers, followers, and volunteers were
so overburdened with booty as to be incommoded thereby. And after this
brigandage, the peasants hereabouts [Bigorre] abandoned their very farms
from lack of cattle, and the greater number went into Spain."

During long centuries of such religious and political devastation the
archi