A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages, Vol. 1 of 3 Vol

A HISTORY OF THE INQUISITION OF THE MIDDLE AGES, Vol. 1 of 3 Vols., by Henry Charles Lea. There is no History of the Inquisition better researched than this set, in all of Mr. Lea's Works he did exhaustive research and let the facts fall where they may. Very often when the layman thinks about the Inquisition he, or she, is thinking about the Spanish Inquisition and the idea that the Inquisition was only a Spanish institution but that is far from the truth, The old Inquisition covered all of Europe, and was a horror beyond the wildest imagination. I will let Mr. Lea describe this set of books in his own words, this is taken from the Preface: "THE history of the Inquisition naturally divides itself into two portions, each of which may be considered as a whole. The Reformation is the boundary-line between them, except in Spain, where the New Inquisition was founded by Ferdinand and Isabella. In the present work I have sought to present an impartial account of the institution as it existed during the earlier period. For the second portion I have made large collections of material, through which I hope in due time to continue the history to its end. … At the commencement of my historical studies I speedily became convinced that the surest basis of investigation for a given period lay in an examination of its jurisprudence, which presents without disguise its aspirations and the means regarded as best adapted for their realization. I have accordingly devoted much space to the origin and development of the inquisitorial process, feeling convinced that in this manner only can we understand the operations of the Holy Office and the influence which it exercised on successive generations. By the application of the results thus obtained it has seemed to me that many points which have been misunderstood or imperfectly appreciated can be elucidated. If in this I have occasionally been led to conclusions differing from those currently accepted, I beg the reader to believe that the views presented have not been hastily formed, but that they are the outcome of a conscientious survey of all the original sources accessible to me." And so you have it, this is the greatest, most scholarly, set of books on the Inquisition you will find.
Emmett F. Fields