sfied that no one who has looked at the original authorities
will dispute the proposition. These Benedictine historians represent the
Henricians, an early set of reformers, condemned by the council of
Lombez, in 1165, as Manichees. Mosheim considers them as of the Vaudois
school. They appeared some time before Waldo.

[748] The general testimony of their enemies to the purity of morals
among the Languedocian and Lyonese sectaries is abundantly sufficient.
One Regnier, who had lived among them, and became afterwards an
inquisitor, does them justice in this respect. See Turner's History of
England for several other proofs of this. It must be confessed that the
Catharists are not free from the imputation of promiscuous
licentiousness. But whether this was a mere calumny, or partly founded
upon truth, I cannot determine. Their prototypes, the ancient Gnostics,
are said to have been divided into two parties, the austere and the
relaxed; both condemning marriage for opposite reasons. Alanus, in the
book above quoted, seems to have taken up several vulgar prejudices
against the Cathari. He gives an etymology of their name a catto; quia
osculantur posteriora catti; in cujus specie, ut aiunt, appareret iis
Lucifer, p. 146. This notable charge was brought afterwards against the
Templars.

As to the Waldenses, their innocence is out of all doubt. No book can be
written in a more edifying manner than La Noble Loicon, of which large
extracts are given by Leger, in his Histoire des Eglises Vaudoises. Four
lines are quoted by Voltaire (Hist. Universelle, c. 69), as a specimen
of the Provencal language, though they belong rather to the patois of
the valleys. But as he has not copied them rightly, and as they
illustrate the subject of this note, I shall repeat them here from
Leger, p. 28.

Que sel se troba alcun bon que vollia amar Dio e temer Jeshu Xrist,
Que non vollia maudire, ni jura, ni mentir,
Ni avoutrar, ni aucire, ni penre de l'autruy,
Ni venjar se de li sio ennemie,
Illi dison quel es Vaudes e degne de murir.

[749] It would be difficult to specify all the dispersed authorities
which attest the existence of the sects derived from the Waldenses and
Paulicians in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. Besides
Mosheim, who has paid considerable attention to the subject, I would
mention some articles in Du Cange which supply gleanings; namely,
Beghardi, Bulgari, Lollardi, Paterini, Picardi, Pif