RECENT IMPRESSIONS OF SPAIN 29 



of Spain seem to have readily embraced the error, and for 

 a long time Arianism flourished upon Spanish soil, teaching 

 its doctrine that the Son was not equal to the Father. When 

 King Reccared in 586 renounced the errors of Arius and 

 became a true Catholic, the Gothic rite, which had been prac- 

 ticed and used alike by Catholic and Arian, became in some 

 way seemingly identified with Arianism. The advent of the 

 Moors and their domination in Spain left the question of 

 rites undetermined. The Catholic Christians of Toledo and 

 other Spanish cities were allowed by the Arabs to practice 

 their religion under certain restrictions, but they adopted the 

 Arabic language and many Moorish customs, and in conse- 

 quence became known as Mozdrabes or "half Arabs." The 

 Mass which they celebrated and the rites which they followed 

 were the old Gothic Mass and ritual. In the north of Spain, 

 in Aragon and Castile, the Roman rite was followed, and the 

 Gothic rite became practically unknown, or at least disused. 

 After the conquest of the southern part of Spain by Christian 

 arms and the expulsion of the Moors, the Christians of Toledo 

 came again into their own. 



But those disturbed times and the Gothic rite gradually 

 waned and there came grave question as to whether it should 

 be used by the Church or not. There is a legend that it 

 was determined to try the question by fire, and two Missals, 

 one of each rite, were cast into the flames. The Roman 

 Missal leaped out of the flames unscathed ; the Gothic Missal 

 remained there unconsumed. It was decided, therefore, that 

 both rites were proper. In a later age Cardinal Ximenes 

 came to the rescue for perpetuity. He had beautiful editions 

 of the Gothic Missal printed — some of these editions may be 

 seen in New York at the Hispanic Museum — and established 

 the Mozarabic Chapel in the Cathedral of Toledo, where the 

 Gothic rite was to be used as long as the Cathedral should 

 stand. 



I had long been acquainted with the rite and had been in 

 correspondence with Don Jorje Abad y Perez, the Capellan 

 Capitular of the Mozarabic Chapel at Toledo. Through his 

 courtesy several years ago I became possessed of a fine Gothic 

 Missal, and the Hispanic Museum is indebted likewise to his 

 courtesy and advocacy for the fine specimens of the Gothic 

 Missals which it possesses. When we had inspected the cathe- 



