disperdere.”  Cp. also Alvar, Life of Eul., iv. 12.  “Rex Mahomad incredibili rabie et effrenata sententia Christicolum genus del ere funditus cogitabat.”

    [3] Ibid. “Multi insaniam modificare nitentes per trucem
    voluntatis iniquae officium diversis et exquisitis occasionibus
    gregem Christi impetere tentaverunt.”

    [4] Ibid. iii. c. vii. secs. 1, 2.  Fleury, v. 520, says he
    was a monk of Guadix.

    [5] Ibid., ch. viii. secs. 1, 2.

    [6] Eulog., “Mem.  Sanct.,” iii. ch. ix.

The cloisters of Tabanos had furnished so many fanatics that the Government now suppressed the place, removing the nuns and shutting them up to prevent others giving themselves up.[1] One of these however, Columba,[2] sister of Elizabeth and of the abbot Martin, contrived to escape.  This Columba had persisted in remaining a virgin, in spite of her mother’s efforts to make her marry, which only ceased when the mother died.  She now gave herself up and was beheaded (September 17).

Just one month later Pomposa,[3] from the monastery of St Salvator, Pegnamellar, suffered the same fate.  Then there was a pause in these executions, which was not broken till July 11th of the following year, when Abundius, a priest, was martyred.  He seems to have really deserved the name of martyr, for he was given up to the authorities by the treachery of others,[4] and did not seek martyrdom.

Another similar period elapsed before Amator, a priest of Tucci (Tejada); Peter, a monk of Cordova; and Ludovic, a brother of Paul, the deacon, beheaded four years before, shared the same fate (April 30, 855).[5]

After nearly a year Witesindus, a repentant renegade; Elias, an old priest of Lusitania; and Paul and Isidore, young monks, gave themselves up to execution[6] (April 17, 856.) In June of that year a more venerable victim was, like Abundius, betrayed to his destruction.  This was Argimirus, an old monk, once Censor of Cordova (June 28).[7] Exactly one month later Aurea, a virgin and sister of the brothers John and Adulphus, whose martyrdom has been already mentioned, was brought before the magistrate.  Descended from one of the noblest Arab families,[8] she had long been left unmolested, though her apostasy to Christianity was well known.  She was now frightened into temporary submission; but soon repenting of her compliance, and avowing herself truly a Christian, she gained a martyr’s crown (July 29).

    [1] So Miss Yonge.

    [2] Eulog., “Mem.  Sanct.,” iii. c. x. secs.  I, 2.

    [3] Ibid., c. xi.

    [4] Ibid., ch. xii.  “Quorundam commento vel fraude gentilium
    ad martyrium furore pertractum.”

    [5] Ibid., ch. xiii.

    [6] Ibid., cc. xiv. xv.

    [7] Eulog., “Mem.  Sanct.,” iii. c. xv., “Quorundam ethnicorum
    dolo vel odio circumventus.”