[1] Eulog., “Mem.  Sanct,” ii. c. xii.  Arabic boasts a larger
    vocabulary of abuse than most languages:  see the account of
    Prof.  Palmer’s death in his Life by Besant.

    [2] Ibid., c. xiii. secs. 1, 2.

    [3] Eul. (1.1), adds:  “Et ipsa gentilitas tali spectaculo
    stupefacta nescio quid de Christianismo indulgentius
    sentiebat.”

Upon this fresh provocation the fury and apprehension of the king knew no bounds.  He might well be pardoned for thinking that this defiance of the laws, and religious fanaticism, could only mean a widespread disaffection and conspiracy against the Moslem rule.  In fact, as we shall see, the Christians of Toledo raised the banner of revolt in favour of their Cordovan brethren at this very time.  Mohammed therefore seems to have meditated a real persecution, such as should extirpate Christianity in his dominions.[1] He is said even to have given orders for a general massacre of the males among the Christians, and for the slavery, or worse, of the women, if they did not apostatize.[2] But the dispassionate advice of his councillors saved the king from this crime.  They pointed out that no men of any intelligence, education, or rank among the Christians had taken part in the doings of the zealots, and that the whole body of Christians ought not to be cut off, since their actions were not directed by any individual leader.  Other advisers seem to have diverted the king from his project of a wholesale massacre by encouraging him to proceed legally against the Christians with the utmost rigour, and by this means to cow them into submission.[3]

These strong measures apparently produced some effect, for no other executions are recorded for a period of nine months; when Fandila, a priest of Tabanos,[4] and chosen by the monks of St Salvator’s monastery to be one of their spiritual overseers, came forward and reviled the Prophet:  whereupon he was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded (June 13, 853).  His fate awakened the dormant fanaticism of Anastasius,[5] a priest of St Acislus’ church; of Felix, a Gaetulian monk of Alcala de Henares; and of Digna, a virgin of St Elizabeth’s nunnery at Tabanos (the latter being strengthened in her resolve by a celestial vision), who, pursuing the usual plan, are beheaded the following day; their example being followed by Benildis, a matron (June 15).[6]

[1] Eulog., “Mem.  Sanct,” ii. c. xii.  “Non iam solummodo de mortibus resistentium sibi excogitare coepenint, verum etiam totam extirpare ecclesiam ruminarunt.  Quoniam nimio terrore tot hominim recurrentium ad martyrium concussa gentilitas regni sui arbitrabatur imminere excidium, cum tali etiam praecinctos virtute parvulos videret.”  A similar project is attributed (mistakenly, without doubt) to Abdurrahman.

[2] Ibid., iii. c. vii. sec. 4.  “Iusserat enim omnes Christianos generali sententia perdere, feminasque publico distractu