2, 102 sqq). J.C.E. Bourret: L’école chrétienne de Seville sous la monarchie des Visigoths.
Paris, 1855. C. F. Montalembert: Les moines d’ occident. Paris, 1860–67, 5 vols. (II. 200–218),
Eng. trans. Monks of the West. Boston, 1872, 2 vols. (I. 421–424). Hugo Hertzberg: Die Historien
und die Chroniken des Isidorus von Sevilla, 1ste, Th. Die Historien. Göttingen, 1874. "Die
Chroniken" appeared in Forschungen zur deutchen Geschichte, 1875, XIV. 289–362. Chevalier:
Répertoire des sources historiques du moyen âge. Paris, 1877, sqq. II. 112, sqq. Du Pin, VI.
1–5; Ceillier, XI. 710–728; CLARKE, II. 364–372; Bähr, IV. I. pp. 270–286; Teuffel, pp.
1131–1134; Ebert, I. 555–568.
Isidore of Seville, saint and doctor of the Latin Church, was born about 560 either at Carthagena
or Seville. He was the youngest child of an honored Roman family of the orthodox Christian faith.
His father’s name was Severianus. His eldest brother, Leander, the well-known friend of Gregory
the Great, and the successful upholder of the Catholic faith against Arianism, was archbishop of
Seville, the most prominent see in Spain, from about 579 to 600; another brother, Fulgentius, was
bishop of Astigi (Ecija) in that diocese, where his sister, Florentina, was a nun.^1005 Isidore is called
Senior to distinguish him from Isidore of Pax Julia, now Beja (Isidorus Pacensis), and Junior to
distinguish him from Isidore of Cordova. His parents died apparently while he was quite young.
At all events he was educated by his brother Leander. In the year 600 he succeeded his brother in
the archiepiscopate of Seville. In this position he became the great leader of the Spanish Church,
and is known to have presided at two, councils, the second council of Seville, opened November
13, 619, and the fourth council of Toledo, opened December 5, 633.^1006 The first of these was of
local interest, but the other was much more important. It was the largest ever held in Spain, being
attended by all the six metropolitans, fifty-six bishops and seven bishops’ deputies. It has political
significance because it was called by King Sisenand, who had just deposed Suintila, the former
king. Sisenand was received by the council with great respect. He threw himself before the bishops
and with tears asked their prayers. He then exhorted them to do their duty in correcting abuses. Of
the seventy-five canons passed by the council several are of curious interest. Thus it was forbidden
to plunge the recipient of baptism more than once under the water, because the Arians did it three
times to indicate that the Trinity was divided (c. 6). It was not right to reject all the hymns written
by Hilary and Ambrose and employ only Scriptural language in public worship (c. 13). If a clergyman
is ever made a judge by the king he must exact an oath from the king that no blood is to be shed in
his court (c. 31). By order of King Sisenand the clergy were freed from all state taxes and services
(c. 47). Once a monk always a monk, although one was made so by his parents (c. 49)^1007 While
compulsory conversion of the Jews was forbidden, yet no Jew converted by force was allowed to
return to Judaism (c. 57). Very strenuous laws were passed relative to both the baptized and the
unbaptized Jews (c. 58–66). The king was upheld in his government and the deposed king and his
family perpetually excluded from power. When Isidore’s position is considered it is a probable
conjecture that these canons express his opinions and convictions upon the different matters.
(^1005) Montalembert says she was the superior of forty convents and a thousand nuns (Eng. trans. I. 419). But this is mere
tradition.
(^1006) The canons of these councils are given by Hefele, III. 72, 73; 79-88.
(^1007) This has its bearings on the case of Gottschalk.