is the punishment of those who will not pay their tithes to their bishop."[8] Bishops were even found to make episcopal visitations, getting the names of all their flock, as if with the intention of praying for them individually, and then to hand in their names to the civil power for the purpose of taxation.[9] Others obtained from the Arabs the privilege of farming the revenues derived from Christian taxation, and cruelly oppressed their coreligionists.[10]

[1] The Christians in the North were vulgarly supposed by the Arabs not to wash.  See Conde, i. 203—­“It is related of these people of Galicia ... that they live like savages or wild beasts, and never wash either their persons or their garments.”

    [2] “Chron.  Albeld.,” sec. 58—­“Ordinem Gothorum sicuti Toleto
    fuerat statuit.”

    [3] “Chron.  Silense,” sec. 72—­“Eadem tempestate in Hispania
    omnis divinus cultus periit.”

    [4] He was not defeated in his last battle, as is generally
    stated in histories.—­See Al Makkari, ii. 197.

    [5] Florez, “Esp.  Sagr.,” xviii. 312.

    [6] Ibid., xvii. 244.

    [7] “Praesidali manu fultus.”  Samson, ii.  Pref. sec. 2.

    [8] Ibid.

    [9] Ibid., and Eulog., “Mem.  Sanct.,” iii. c. iv. sec. 5.

    [10] Eul., 1.1.

These nefarious measures were backed up, even if they were not instigated, by Servandus, the Christian Count of Cordova.  He was the son of a serf of the Church,[1] and married a cousin of Hostegesis.[2] Instead of championing the cause of the Christians, as his position should have impelled him to do, he went so far in the opposite direction as to call them up before him, and try to shake their attachment to Christianity—­a religion, nominally at least, his own also.  Those who held firm he forced to pay increased taxes, and even levied blackmail on the churches.  He did not scruple to drag forth the bodies of martyrs from under the altars of churches, and, showing them to the king, to remind him that it had been forbidden to Christians to bury their martyrs.[3]

Following up the hostile measures instituted by Hostegesis against Samson and Valentius, he proceeded to accuse them of inciting the fanatics to revile Mohammed, urging that they should be tested with this dilemma.  They should be asked whether what the revilers said were true or not.  “If they answer, ‘true,’ let them be punished as well as the reviler; if ‘false,’ bid them slay the man themselves; refusing which, you will know that they have aided and abetted him to abuse your Prophet.  In that case, give me permission, and I will slay the three myself."[4]

    [1] Dozy, ii. 268.

    [2] Samson, “Apol.,” ii.  Pref. sec. 5.

    [3] Samson, 1.1.