y of Compostella was sacked, and for a time left
desolate, the bells of St James' shrine being carried off to Cordova to
serve as lamps in the grand mosque. We are not, therefore, surprised to
find that there were many bishops in the North who had lost their sees;
and this was the case even before the tenth century, for a bishop named
Sabaricus, being driven from his own see by the Arabs, was given that of
Mindumetum by Alfonso III. in 867,[5] and twenty years later a bishop
named Sebastian received the see of Auria in the same way.[6]

It is natural enough that the Moslems and the clergy of the Christian
Church should be hostile to one another, but it is surprising to
find--as we do find in some cases--the latter making common cause with
the Arabs in ill-treating their fellow-countrymen and coreligionists.
Thus, as we have seen, Hostegesis, relying on the support of the secular
arm,[7] beat and imprisoned the clergy for withholding from him the
Church tithes, dragging them through the city naked, with a crier crying
before them:--"Such 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