Writing to the Dominican nuns of Prouille, at
whose behest he had written the history of the monastery, Bernard
Gui begins his cover letter as follows: Sororibus ancillis
primogenitis filiabus s<ancti> Dominici, sorori Albertinae priorissae
necnon aliis sororibus Pruliani fr<ater> Bernardus Guidonis domini nostri
Iesu Christi seruulorum minimorum unus, inquisitor Tholosanus, eiusdemque beati
patris Dominici in Ordine Praedicatorum indignus filius, in sancta professione
letitiam et coronam. The letter is dated 26 December 1307.
Gui, a Dominican and inquisitor
Tholosanus, held that office from 1307 to 1323. Inquisitors
at Toulouse were named by the pope; Gui refers to William Arnaud as fr.
Guillermum Arnaldi de ordine Praedicatorum, inquisitorem heretice pravitatis
auctoritate apostolica deputatum. The auctoritas apostolica
means a papal mandate to Arnaud and, I would think, to his successors in office
(Gui records Arnaud's death as follows: hic postmodum inquisitor existens
effectus est martir in vigilia Ascensionis Domini, anno eiusdem Domini
MCCXLII.
As inquisitor, Gui seemed to find plenty of time
for his historical works, and used among other sources the register of the
Inquisition (sicut in libro inquisitionis vidi plenius
contineri).
